Formative Assessment for Secondary Science Teachers

by Erin Marie Furtak

• ISBN13: 9781412972208
• ISBN10: 1412972205
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-07-06
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

'This book places students center stage in the discussion of how we know what students know. Using formative assessment to understand student learning is a theme grounded in good teaching and good assessment!' - Jo Topps, Regional Director K-12 Alliance//WestEd'This book incorporates current research and not only provides an explanation of the necessity of formative assessment, but offers a system for planning lessons and a variety of tools to implement formative assessment in the classroom' - Susan Leeds, Science Department Chair and Gifted Studies Teacher Howard Middle School, Winter Park, FLResearch has shown that when teachers use formative assessments effectively, they have a clearer understanding of what students know and are better able to design instruction that meets learners' needs.This practical guide shows teachers how to create and implement formative assessments in their middle and high school science classrooms. Grounded in extensive and solid research, this guide covers all science content areas - physics//physical science, life science//biology, earth and space science, and chemistry - as well as five types of formative assessments: big idea questions, concept maps, evidence-to-explanation, predict-observe-explain, and multiple choice.Teachers will find additional support in:- Richly detailed, concrete examples of the five types of assessments- In-depth guidelines for implementing the assessments- Brief case studies with transcript excerpts that demonstrate how teachers have used formative assessments- Easy-to-use templates to help analyze lessons in current units and identify places for inserting formative assessmentsWith this easy-to-use, hands-on guide, any teacher can learn how to use formative assessment strategies to improve student achievement in science.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

What is Formative Assessment?

Where Are You Going, and How Are You Going to Get There?

What is Formative Assessment?

Research on Formative Assessment Overview of the Book

Defining the Feedback Loop

Step One: Setting Learning Goals

The Importance of Setting Learning Goals

What Is a Learning Goal?

Multiple Types of Learning Goals

Identifying Science Content Starting from Standards

Mapping a Curriculum Bringing Goals

Together: Planning for Formative Assessment

Step Two: Where Are the Students Now?

Where are the Students Now?

Strategies for Making Students' Thinking Explicit

Establishing a Classroom Environment

Conducive to Formative Assessment

Asking Open-Ended Questions

Teaching Strategies Determining

What Counts as Evidence

Planning for Formative

Assessment: Finding out What Students Know

Step Three: Feedback Feedback: Plotting a Learning Course for Students

Defining Feedback Four types of Feedback

Anticipating Students' Alternative Conceptions Providing Feedback

Verbal Feedback

Feedback in Writing Modifying Instruction

Anticipating Feedback

Putting it all Together: Planning the Steps in the Feedback Loop

Formats for Formative Assessment

Big Idea Questions What is a Big Idea Question?

When Should I use Big Idea Questions in my Unit?

How Can I Develop my own Big Idea Questions?

How Can I Enact Big Idea Questions in my Classroom?

Scientific Questions Formative Assessment in Action: Big Idea Questions

Work and Energy

Concept Maps What is a Concept Map?

When Should I use Concept Maps in my Unit?

How can I Develop my own Concept Maps?

How can I Enact Concept Maps in my Classroom?

Pollutants in the Atmosphere Formative Assessment in Action: Concept Maps

Newton's Second Law

Predict-Observe-Explain (POE)

Assessments What is a POE?

When Should I use POE's in my Unit?

How can I Develop my own POE's?

How can I Enact POE's in my Classroom?

Sinking and Floating Formative Assessment in Action: POE

Air Pressure

Evidence to Explanation Assessments

What is an Evidence to Explanation Assessment?

When Should I use Evidence to Explanation

Assessments in my Unit?

How can I Develop my own Evidence to Explanation Assessments?

How can I Enact Evidence to Explanation Assessments in my Classroom?

Phase Changes in Water

Natural Selection Formative Assessment in Action: Evidence to Explanation

Diagnostic Questions: Rethinking Multiple-Choice Items

What is a Multiple Choice Formative Assessment?

When Should I use Multiple Choice Questions in my Unit?

How can I Create my own Multiple Choice Questions?

How can I Enact Multiple Choice Questions in my Classroom?

Uniform and Nonuniform Motion Formative

Assessment in Action: Multiple-Choice Questions

Diffusion and Osmosis

Resources Planning Sheets

Glossary

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.