Facilitation of Unit
Directions and Activities for Roles and Group Goals
The students will choose their group role themselves, once they are placed in the group. Students will need to work together in their group to assign each role. The goal is to get students to realize all of the responsibilities associated with a group project are shared even when each student has an individual role. The students will need to collaborate and cooperate with the other members of their group when needed while still following through on their own role.
Student engagement
Student engagement in the unit is important and begins with the entry event. From this point, the students become engaged and are able to have choice in their projects. The students are also being asked to create instead of just report what they are finding. This allows for the students to choose exactly what they are presenting which will enhance engagement. The driving question is not only relevant, but also real is important in capturing the student attention as well. The students will find that this is used currently and may be affecting their everyday life already. Another technique used to keep students focused on their unit project is having them talk to professionals in the fields that they are interested in. By communicating with these professionals, students will be making connections and possibly even be encouraged by them to keep trying and coming up with new ideas.
Another way student engagement could increase would be by ensuring students have at least one member in their group they trust and like. A technique that will be used is having the students write down three other student’s names they would like to work with. The teacher will ensure that at least one of those students will be in the group. This grants the teacher to “quality control” the group dynamic and balance while also allowing the students to feel a level of comfort and trust with their long term group.
Assist students working in groups
At the end of the unit project, students will complete a self and peer evaluation form. On the form, students will rate themselves and their group members by their quality of work, teamwork, initiative, communication, and time management. There is also room for any additional comments regarding the group as a whole. This is done anonymously so there is no pressure from the other group members to complete the evaluation form unfairly or favorably. Throughout the project, students will complete reflections on how their group is working together at each of the checkpoints. At these checkpoints, the students can reflect on how they are working as a group and if there are any group members that may need to switch roles. The teacher will be the only one with access to the reflections written by the students. The responsibility of the teacher is to take the comments into account and decide when group intervention and guiding might be necessary to address any brewing group issues. It is important for the students to have the opportunity to express their group concerns privately, but the teacher should provide some time to build the social skills to address tensions that occur during group work.
Student reflection on progress and content
The students will have the opportunity to reflect on the progress of the project at each of the checkpoints. The checkpoints are suggested goals that should be completed for the final project and are made available on the student timeline page. The groups will need to work on meeting their deadlines for each of the checkpoints, but they can work ahead as long as all of the requirements from the previous checkpoint are met.
The students will be able to reflect on the content being learned in the portfolio that they are creating individually. The students will need to complete the objectives within the portfolio and show mastery of each. The portfolio will allow the teacher to evaluate if students are getting the content and provide help as needed for mastery. Due to the nature of the partially flipped classroom structure, there is embedded time during the class period for the teacher to provide this extra instruction.
Difficult areas
Self-assembly
Self-assembly is a difficult area because it not even agreed upon by scientists. The students will struggle with the spontaneous nature of it and may even think more things are because of self-assembly than there are. This would be a good time for the teacher to show videos of self-assembly occurring and specifically point out the reason this is self-assembly. For example, although the silicon beads coming together may just look like clumping, it is actually self-assembly because it forms a uniform shape.
Changing in properties in nano
Scaffolding for the changes in properties at the nano-scale would include having more discussion questions and critical thinking questions that accompany each of the labs. Not only will the students have the hands on experience of the lab, but then they will have to work through a series of questions that relates to each of the properties and how they change at the nano-scale.
Dihybrid crosses
For students struggling with dihybrid crosses, the step-by-step model of using the Punnett Square would help scaffold them to where they need to be. The first time they do it they would get small explanations of each step, each successive time after that they would lose some of the detail in the scaffolding. By the end the students would be able to complete the dihybrid cross without using the step-by-step model.
Codominance and incomplete dominance
Another difficult area where students find difficulty in the genetics unit is the difference between codominance and incomplete dominance. Scaffolding for this concept will include practice problems with steps to follow. Watch the Amoeba Sisters video on “Incomplete Dominance, Codominance, Polygenic Traits, and Epistasis!” for extra explanation and examples of incomplete dominance and codominance.
Transcription/Translation
Transcription and translation are difficult areas in the unit because most of the time students struggle with keeping DNA and RNA separate as well as codons and anticodons. DNA and RNA are different and the students recognize that right away, but students have difficulty in applying when DNA is used and when RNA is used. The second concept is the difference between codons and anticodons. Although most students understand that codons are 3 nucleotides on the mRNA strand and the anticodon is on the tRNA, the difficulty is reading the codon chart we use the mRNA to get to the correct amino acid. There is optional additional practice that will help with this concept (RNA Diagram and Transcription/Translation WKS). The other part scaffolded into the unit is the online interactive game, Bioman Protein Synthesis Race. In the race, students will work step-by-step through the processes of transcription and translation. They can complete this as many times as they need to in order to have full mastery of the concept.
Recognizing the scale of an object along the metric scale
This is difficult for the students to complete because the students are usually used to dealing with the macro scale. Occasionally the students are introduced to the micro scale, but they are rarely introduced to the nano-scale. The scaffolding for this concept will come during the size and scale activity. The teacher should start by giving the students just the headings of macro, micro, and nano. Slowly, the teacher should add more specifics to the scale so the student may master the concept.
Misconceptions
Technology equals electronics
A way to address this is through discussion. The students will talk first about how technology has impacted their lives. Then, the teacher will move the discussion toward technology before electronics. The students should get to the point where they understand that technology does not have to refer to electronics.
Independent events in probability of genetic events
To address this problem with probability, the students have the option to complete the Smiley Lab activity which is all about probability.
Nanotechnology in the media
The Magic School Bus and other media portray nanotechnology as shrinking down to be able to go inside small spaces. The students need to see that this is not how nanotechnology truly works. This can be addressed after the entry event.
Gravity is always the most important force
A way to address this is to complete the Does it Pour Out lab activity. This activity would teach that the electromagnetic forces are stronger than the gravity, which is why the water stays in the small test tube.
You can see atoms and bonds
A way to address this misconception and teach the concept is to use the size and scale activity completed in lab. Students would be able to see the sizes change for even things they cannot see.
The students will choose their group role themselves, once they are placed in the group. Students will need to work together in their group to assign each role. The goal is to get students to realize all of the responsibilities associated with a group project are shared even when each student has an individual role. The students will need to collaborate and cooperate with the other members of their group when needed while still following through on their own role.
- The first role is the archivist who encourages others to identify and point out connections between the current topics and the past content.
- The second role is the manager who encourages others to contribute work and makes sure timelines are met.
- The third role is the resource officer that questions students and makes sure each student is learning the material.
- The last role is logistics who makes sure that everyone has the materials needed to be on track for the day.
Student engagement
Student engagement in the unit is important and begins with the entry event. From this point, the students become engaged and are able to have choice in their projects. The students are also being asked to create instead of just report what they are finding. This allows for the students to choose exactly what they are presenting which will enhance engagement. The driving question is not only relevant, but also real is important in capturing the student attention as well. The students will find that this is used currently and may be affecting their everyday life already. Another technique used to keep students focused on their unit project is having them talk to professionals in the fields that they are interested in. By communicating with these professionals, students will be making connections and possibly even be encouraged by them to keep trying and coming up with new ideas.
Another way student engagement could increase would be by ensuring students have at least one member in their group they trust and like. A technique that will be used is having the students write down three other student’s names they would like to work with. The teacher will ensure that at least one of those students will be in the group. This grants the teacher to “quality control” the group dynamic and balance while also allowing the students to feel a level of comfort and trust with their long term group.
Assist students working in groups
At the end of the unit project, students will complete a self and peer evaluation form. On the form, students will rate themselves and their group members by their quality of work, teamwork, initiative, communication, and time management. There is also room for any additional comments regarding the group as a whole. This is done anonymously so there is no pressure from the other group members to complete the evaluation form unfairly or favorably. Throughout the project, students will complete reflections on how their group is working together at each of the checkpoints. At these checkpoints, the students can reflect on how they are working as a group and if there are any group members that may need to switch roles. The teacher will be the only one with access to the reflections written by the students. The responsibility of the teacher is to take the comments into account and decide when group intervention and guiding might be necessary to address any brewing group issues. It is important for the students to have the opportunity to express their group concerns privately, but the teacher should provide some time to build the social skills to address tensions that occur during group work.
Student reflection on progress and content
The students will have the opportunity to reflect on the progress of the project at each of the checkpoints. The checkpoints are suggested goals that should be completed for the final project and are made available on the student timeline page. The groups will need to work on meeting their deadlines for each of the checkpoints, but they can work ahead as long as all of the requirements from the previous checkpoint are met.
The students will be able to reflect on the content being learned in the portfolio that they are creating individually. The students will need to complete the objectives within the portfolio and show mastery of each. The portfolio will allow the teacher to evaluate if students are getting the content and provide help as needed for mastery. Due to the nature of the partially flipped classroom structure, there is embedded time during the class period for the teacher to provide this extra instruction.
Difficult areas
Self-assembly
Self-assembly is a difficult area because it not even agreed upon by scientists. The students will struggle with the spontaneous nature of it and may even think more things are because of self-assembly than there are. This would be a good time for the teacher to show videos of self-assembly occurring and specifically point out the reason this is self-assembly. For example, although the silicon beads coming together may just look like clumping, it is actually self-assembly because it forms a uniform shape.
Changing in properties in nano
Scaffolding for the changes in properties at the nano-scale would include having more discussion questions and critical thinking questions that accompany each of the labs. Not only will the students have the hands on experience of the lab, but then they will have to work through a series of questions that relates to each of the properties and how they change at the nano-scale.
Dihybrid crosses
For students struggling with dihybrid crosses, the step-by-step model of using the Punnett Square would help scaffold them to where they need to be. The first time they do it they would get small explanations of each step, each successive time after that they would lose some of the detail in the scaffolding. By the end the students would be able to complete the dihybrid cross without using the step-by-step model.
Codominance and incomplete dominance
Another difficult area where students find difficulty in the genetics unit is the difference between codominance and incomplete dominance. Scaffolding for this concept will include practice problems with steps to follow. Watch the Amoeba Sisters video on “Incomplete Dominance, Codominance, Polygenic Traits, and Epistasis!” for extra explanation and examples of incomplete dominance and codominance.
Transcription/Translation
Transcription and translation are difficult areas in the unit because most of the time students struggle with keeping DNA and RNA separate as well as codons and anticodons. DNA and RNA are different and the students recognize that right away, but students have difficulty in applying when DNA is used and when RNA is used. The second concept is the difference between codons and anticodons. Although most students understand that codons are 3 nucleotides on the mRNA strand and the anticodon is on the tRNA, the difficulty is reading the codon chart we use the mRNA to get to the correct amino acid. There is optional additional practice that will help with this concept (RNA Diagram and Transcription/Translation WKS). The other part scaffolded into the unit is the online interactive game, Bioman Protein Synthesis Race. In the race, students will work step-by-step through the processes of transcription and translation. They can complete this as many times as they need to in order to have full mastery of the concept.
Recognizing the scale of an object along the metric scale
This is difficult for the students to complete because the students are usually used to dealing with the macro scale. Occasionally the students are introduced to the micro scale, but they are rarely introduced to the nano-scale. The scaffolding for this concept will come during the size and scale activity. The teacher should start by giving the students just the headings of macro, micro, and nano. Slowly, the teacher should add more specifics to the scale so the student may master the concept.
Misconceptions
Technology equals electronics
A way to address this is through discussion. The students will talk first about how technology has impacted their lives. Then, the teacher will move the discussion toward technology before electronics. The students should get to the point where they understand that technology does not have to refer to electronics.
Independent events in probability of genetic events
To address this problem with probability, the students have the option to complete the Smiley Lab activity which is all about probability.
Nanotechnology in the media
The Magic School Bus and other media portray nanotechnology as shrinking down to be able to go inside small spaces. The students need to see that this is not how nanotechnology truly works. This can be addressed after the entry event.
Gravity is always the most important force
A way to address this is to complete the Does it Pour Out lab activity. This activity would teach that the electromagnetic forces are stronger than the gravity, which is why the water stays in the small test tube.
You can see atoms and bonds
A way to address this misconception and teach the concept is to use the size and scale activity completed in lab. Students would be able to see the sizes change for even things they cannot see.