(Sa Oct 10, 11am-12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) In this workshop we will pick up where Part 1 of this series left off. We begin with a list of variables our students have identified as potentially impacting a particular phenomenon they have explored. Using a think-pair-share process, we will give students the structure needed to write steps for a scientific investigation using the independent variable of their choice. Students will work in lab groups to share their ideas and coalesce…

(Sa Oct 10, 1-2:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) In this workshop, participants will practice writing rubrics with the intent of assessing the attainment of specific content and skills standards. We will explore how rubrics can be designed for ease of use and consistent interpretation. I will challenge the participants to make rubrics that are flexible enough to allow accurate assessment of a range of products that are inclusive of differentiated learning and multiple intelligences. Teachers will work in teams to…

(W Oct 14, 5-6:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) This is the culminating workshop for the Statistics for Advanced Level Science series. In this session, we will compare the application of different hypothesis tests and discuss how more than one type of statistical analysis may be appropriate for the same set of data. We will look for the key components of research questions or data sets that indicate choices for analysis and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each. In teams,…

(W Oct 14, 7-8:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Participants will explore two prepared examples of projects created with ThingLink to compare the degree of critical thinking and originality required when this tool is used to simply gather information or to apply ideas. By creating an original example each person will build a new project while learning to navigate the features of this platform. Teachers will then consider an application for this learning tool within the scope of their own curriculum…

(Sa Oct 17, 11am-12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Teachers will play the role of the students, collecting data in their own homes and pooling their observations and measurements in a spreadsheet shared by their lab partners. We will conduct data analysis within lab groups during the workshop to experience how this process can be performed using remote teaching and learning platforms. Peer critiques will help improve the preliminary data charts, graphs, and analysis to produce a curated product from each…

(W Oct 21, 5-6:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) In this workshop participants will use an example data set from the Data Nuggets website to explore different methods of depicting the same set of numbers in several different ways. We will define the relationship between the research question and the visual representation of data and address the impact visual presentations make on conclusions. We will explore the resources available on this website and outline several ways to use the labs and…

(W Oct, 7-8:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Whether for STEM, foreign language, arts, or humanities, applying information is one of the most effective ways for a student to increase their level of understanding and for a teacher to assess mastery of knowledge and skills. Team challenges include any activity that asks a cooperative group to use what they have learned to accomplish a goal. For my own purposes, I will differentiate challenges from competitions by defining a challenge as an…

(Sa Oct 24, 11am-12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) This workshop will focus on the content and demands of the conclusion section of a lab report, with applications to data-based questions and internal assessments for IB students, and free response questions for AP students. The conclusions drawn from experimental data must be limited to the scope of the experiment, but it is also important for students to be able to understand how their individual work is related to the broader world.…