Middle school students are engaged in scientific thinking and classification by naming an organism using Linnaeus' binomial nomenclature system. They consider appearance, behavior, and habitat to determine the genus and species, practicing how scientists uniformly classify organisms. This allows students to construct knowledge independently and transfer scientific thinking to other subjects, making historical scientific discoveries feel real through practice.
Here are some examples of reading tasks that could be used in each stage:
Pre-reading:
- Brainstorming vocabulary related to the topic
- Discussing the topic/title
- Predicting content
While-reading:
- Scanning for specific information
- Skimming to understand the main idea
- Inferring meaning of unknown words from context
- Answering comprehension questions
Post-reading:
- Discussing opinions/reactions to content
- Role playing or dramatizing events from the text
- Debating issues raised in the text
- Researching related topics mentioned in the text
- Retelling the events/key points to a partner
The pre-
Kevin is an 11-year-old boy who wakes up at 6:30 during the week to get to school before 8:00. When he gets home from school at 1:30, he helps his mother clean. On Saturdays, he plays soccer with his friends at 11:00 am, and sometimes practices guitar in the evenings around 8:45.
Erin Allen is a science teacher who has a background in animal science and adult education. She has worked as a plant genetics lab assistant, farm educator, and nature center manager. She now teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Troy Prep Charter School.
The document contains several short passages providing basic information about what different people are doing. It includes questions about Pedro riding a horse, Mary studying in the library, Robert playing at the park, and Mr. Smith reading a newspaper. There are also true/false questions about characters and their activities, as well as charts listing names, activities, and places. The final passage describes Paco's family members and what each person is doing in different locations on their first vacation day.
Simon lives in Mexico City at 45 Central Av. His phone number is 345-7621. He is 23 years old and his birthday is in April. He is an actor who likes to play tennis and eat pizza and tacos. His favorite color is black.
The document provides a schedule for a typical day:
- The person gets up at 6:30, has breakfast at 7:30, and takes a shower at 7:00.
- They go to school at 7:40, have lunch at 2:30, and watch TV at 6:00.
- Their bedtime is 9:00.
This document discusses the changing nature of cities and consumerism. It notes that production has increasingly moved away from local areas to other continents, separating people from the physical products they use. Historic markets in cities are being torn down and replaced by large commercial centers that lack social interaction. However, some examples of abandoned buildings being reused or residents reclaiming unused space show potential approaches to more empowering urban design and an "open city" where people feel ownership over their environment.
Here are some examples of reading tasks that could be used in each stage:
Pre-reading:
- Brainstorming vocabulary related to the topic
- Discussing the topic/title
- Predicting content
While-reading:
- Scanning for specific information
- Skimming to understand the main idea
- Inferring meaning of unknown words from context
- Answering comprehension questions
Post-reading:
- Discussing opinions/reactions to content
- Role playing or dramatizing events from the text
- Debating issues raised in the text
- Researching related topics mentioned in the text
- Retelling the events/key points to a partner
The pre-
Kevin is an 11-year-old boy who wakes up at 6:30 during the week to get to school before 8:00. When he gets home from school at 1:30, he helps his mother clean. On Saturdays, he plays soccer with his friends at 11:00 am, and sometimes practices guitar in the evenings around 8:45.
Erin Allen is a science teacher who has a background in animal science and adult education. She has worked as a plant genetics lab assistant, farm educator, and nature center manager. She now teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Troy Prep Charter School.
The document contains several short passages providing basic information about what different people are doing. It includes questions about Pedro riding a horse, Mary studying in the library, Robert playing at the park, and Mr. Smith reading a newspaper. There are also true/false questions about characters and their activities, as well as charts listing names, activities, and places. The final passage describes Paco's family members and what each person is doing in different locations on their first vacation day.
Simon lives in Mexico City at 45 Central Av. His phone number is 345-7621. He is 23 years old and his birthday is in April. He is an actor who likes to play tennis and eat pizza and tacos. His favorite color is black.
The document provides a schedule for a typical day:
- The person gets up at 6:30, has breakfast at 7:30, and takes a shower at 7:00.
- They go to school at 7:40, have lunch at 2:30, and watch TV at 6:00.
- Their bedtime is 9:00.
This document discusses the changing nature of cities and consumerism. It notes that production has increasingly moved away from local areas to other continents, separating people from the physical products they use. Historic markets in cities are being torn down and replaced by large commercial centers that lack social interaction. However, some examples of abandoned buildings being reused or residents reclaiming unused space show potential approaches to more empowering urban design and an "open city" where people feel ownership over their environment.
The Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st where families construct ofrendas or altars honoring deceased loved ones with flowers, food, drinks and photos. Families also clean and decorate gravesites, bringing music, flowers and picnics to spend time remembering passed family members. While having similarities in timing, The Day of the Dead focuses on remembrance rather than fear, and is meant as a celebration of life and love for those who have died.
Here are the answers to your questions about Tony's schedule:
1a. What time do you get up in the morning?
I get up at 6:00 in the morning.
2a. What time do you have your breakfast?
I have breakfast at 7:15am.
3a. How often do you drink orange juice?
I sometimes drink orange juice.
4a. How often do you watch tv?
I always watch my favorite tv programs.
5a. How often do you play soccer?
I often play soccer on Fridays.
This document contains information about Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Daniel Radcliffe is a 17-year-old actor from the United Kingdom who lives in London. His address is 242 Earl's Court Road and his phone number is 2027538. Emma Watson is a 16-year-old actress from the United Kingdom who lives in Oxford. Her address is West Road #12 and her phone number is 2064125.
Here are the notes from asking 3 students questions about their favorite animals:
Student 1:
My favorite animal is the monkey.
It lives in the forest.
It is thin.
Student 2:
My favorite animal is the whale.
It lives in the ocean.
It is big.
Student 3:
My favorite animal is the camel.
It lives in the dessert.
It is tall.
Dokumen tersebut membahas empat sifat akhlak mulia yaitu al-Amanah (dapat dipercaya), al-Aliefah (disenangi), al-'Afwu (pemaaf), dan Aniesatun (manis muka). Keempat sifat tersebut penting dimiliki karena akan membuat seseorang mudah diterima masyarakat, disenangi oleh orang lain, dan disenangi oleh Allah SWT.
1. A canção "Imagine", escrita por John Lennon, expressa o desejo do eu lírico de ver o mundo em paz sem fronteiras ou religiões, como indicado nas alternativas A e A.
2. A atividade extraclasse proposta pela professora provavelmente pedia para a aluna entregar um trabalho, e na cena da charge ela está pedindo mais tempo, como sugerido na alternativa E.
3.
How do you envision the city of the futureSL_Belgrade
The author envisions the city of the future as having three levels - underground, middle, and in-air spaces. The underground areas would be relaxation centers for entertainment and recharging. The middle level would have large squares for social interaction. In-air spaces built on rooftops would be full of green areas and water to promote healthy living. While this advanced vision is still far off, cities will need to evolve significantly from their current forms to accommodate growing populations in a sustainable way through innovative design and forward-thinking.
1. The text describes a father and son walking in the mountain where the son falls and hears his cry echoed back. When the son yells insults at the echo, it insults him back, confusing the son.
2. The father then yells positive statements at the mountain which are echoed back positively.
3. The father explains to the son that this is like life, where we receive back what we put out, and our lives are a reflection of our own actions.
This document contains an English evaluation from the 4th quarter for a 3rd year student. It includes a reading passage about diabetes that risks factors and how the body processes food differently for those with diabetes compared to those without. It then has 10 multiple choice questions about the reading passage and another short news article about actor Paul Walker's death in a car accident at age 40. The questions assess comprehension of key details in the texts.
The Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st where families construct ofrendas or altars honoring deceased loved ones with flowers, food, drinks and photos. Families also clean and decorate gravesites, bringing music, flowers and picnics to spend time remembering passed family members. While having similarities in timing, The Day of the Dead focuses on remembrance rather than fear, and is meant as a celebration of life and love for those who have died.
Here are the answers to your questions about Tony's schedule:
1a. What time do you get up in the morning?
I get up at 6:00 in the morning.
2a. What time do you have your breakfast?
I have breakfast at 7:15am.
3a. How often do you drink orange juice?
I sometimes drink orange juice.
4a. How often do you watch tv?
I always watch my favorite tv programs.
5a. How often do you play soccer?
I often play soccer on Fridays.
This document contains information about Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Daniel Radcliffe is a 17-year-old actor from the United Kingdom who lives in London. His address is 242 Earl's Court Road and his phone number is 2027538. Emma Watson is a 16-year-old actress from the United Kingdom who lives in Oxford. Her address is West Road #12 and her phone number is 2064125.
Here are the notes from asking 3 students questions about their favorite animals:
Student 1:
My favorite animal is the monkey.
It lives in the forest.
It is thin.
Student 2:
My favorite animal is the whale.
It lives in the ocean.
It is big.
Student 3:
My favorite animal is the camel.
It lives in the dessert.
It is tall.
Dokumen tersebut membahas empat sifat akhlak mulia yaitu al-Amanah (dapat dipercaya), al-Aliefah (disenangi), al-'Afwu (pemaaf), dan Aniesatun (manis muka). Keempat sifat tersebut penting dimiliki karena akan membuat seseorang mudah diterima masyarakat, disenangi oleh orang lain, dan disenangi oleh Allah SWT.
1. A canção "Imagine", escrita por John Lennon, expressa o desejo do eu lírico de ver o mundo em paz sem fronteiras ou religiões, como indicado nas alternativas A e A.
2. A atividade extraclasse proposta pela professora provavelmente pedia para a aluna entregar um trabalho, e na cena da charge ela está pedindo mais tempo, como sugerido na alternativa E.
3.
How do you envision the city of the futureSL_Belgrade
The author envisions the city of the future as having three levels - underground, middle, and in-air spaces. The underground areas would be relaxation centers for entertainment and recharging. The middle level would have large squares for social interaction. In-air spaces built on rooftops would be full of green areas and water to promote healthy living. While this advanced vision is still far off, cities will need to evolve significantly from their current forms to accommodate growing populations in a sustainable way through innovative design and forward-thinking.
1. The text describes a father and son walking in the mountain where the son falls and hears his cry echoed back. When the son yells insults at the echo, it insults him back, confusing the son.
2. The father then yells positive statements at the mountain which are echoed back positively.
3. The father explains to the son that this is like life, where we receive back what we put out, and our lives are a reflection of our own actions.
This document contains an English evaluation from the 4th quarter for a 3rd year student. It includes a reading passage about diabetes that risks factors and how the body processes food differently for those with diabetes compared to those without. It then has 10 multiple choice questions about the reading passage and another short news article about actor Paul Walker's death in a car accident at age 40. The questions assess comprehension of key details in the texts.
1. Engaging middle school students
through practicing scientific thought
Erin Allen
An example from
evolution and
classification
Creating ownership and developing higher cognitive
practices in middle school students
3. Carolus Linnaeus
How are scientists naming organisms?
Appearance Behavior Habitat
Multiple names exist for a single organism
Scientists need a uniform naming system
Same language Shows relatedness
4. One name, one species
Pantheraonca
• Linnaeus developed the system of binomial
nomenclature.
• Each species was given two words to designate
its identity:
– Genus
– Species
• No other organism shares the same combination!
5. What are students doing as they work?
Constructing knowledge
independently of a
textbook
Transferring thinking Making historical
practices to other scientific discoveries
subjects “real” through practice
A similar, and more
humorous, scenario of
questioning could include
finding the density of
irregular objects like
Archimedes
Transferring thinking
Practicing higher order
practices to other
thinking
lessons
Editor's Notes
Evolution is a very historical unit – peppered with scientists such as Carolus Linnaeus, Georges de Buffon, Charles Lyell, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and finally Charles Darwin. It allows the opportunity for students to be encouraged to “think like a scientist.” Students will be exposed to the problems faced by each of these scientists (e.g. Linnaeus – how do I name all of these organisms?, or Darwin – what is the most likely mechanism for evolution?). Students are encouraged to spend 3 -4 minutes at the beginning of each class trying to solve the problem independently, or in pairs. I will also have students reflect on some of the methods they used in order to arrive at their answer to increase formal operational thinking. Students will then be exposed to the method used by each of the scientists (often it mirrors, but elaborates on their own methods) and then apply the correct method to independent work.I chose this approach because I agree with, and love the use of sports, trips or experiments. However, I recognize that my future science budget may not allow for all of that. Furthermore, I think that there are days were students have to learn the “rote” knowledge before they can apply it to a fun, applicable example. I wanted to develop an idea to increase engagement on those harder days/lessons.Slides 2 - 4 are examples of what a student may actually see in the course of the lesson with a plan.
Objective: SWBAT describe and utilize the binomial nomenclature (day 1 of Linnaean classification).At the beginning of class, students will be assigned pairs. I would then say that they have recently discovered a new organism living under Troy Prep; it eats only worms. Then, students will be presented with the image of the above “organism” and asked to name it. In partners, students will be asked to brainstorm (1) a name for this newly discovered organism and (2) consider how they came to decide on this name (3 minutes total).Anticipated answers (1) a wide array of different names (2) the organism was named based on its appearance, habitat, or diet.
(Prior to revealing slide 2). I will then count how many different names there were for the organism and ask – why could “X” number of names for the same organism become a problem?Anticipated answers: they are in different languages, one name is wrong, some names don’t describe their appearance, research or books all have different names, scientists can’t communicate with each other.Key answer: scientists can’t effectively communicate with each other. I emphasize this answer, and reveal this slide. “…Into this scene walks Carolus Linnaeus”Linnaeus, who studied many plants and animals, noticed that there were sometimes hundreds of names for the same organism. He couldn’t read about them, or more importantly, didn’t know when he was reading about them because of their varied names. So he decided that scientists needed a uniform naming system. That naming system required: (I will have students read the last two statements under …”uniform naming system”).
My narration continues:…So Linnaeus developed a system called “binomial nomenclature” that gave each organism a unique combination of two Latin words. At the time, Latin was known by all scholars - so everyone could understand! The combination for each organism was not copied for any other – so each organism only received one name!Specifically – the first word in the scientific name of a species is its genus. Organisms can share a genus name – and it indicates that they share characteristics (are closely related). The genus name serves partly as an address.The second word in the scientific name of a species is its species. It is always special to just this one organism. Often, it indicates a special characteristic of the organism. Sometimes it refers to the scientist who discovered it!Students will then be directed to move onto independent practice defining binomial nomenclature and interpreting scientific names. On day 2, we will consider Linnaean’s larger kingdom/phylum system.
This is a cost effective idea that can be applied numerous lessons and units. It encourages students to think independently of the text, and in many cases, see their methods used by scientists. Often, if students can see that their own thinking and own methods are valid – they will remain engaged throughout the class.I also believe that this is an effective method that can be used in writing and history classes when trying to write narratives and/or solve a social/political problem (see last slide). Lastly, I aim to have students using critical thinking skills (as well as recognizing their importance) throughout numerous lessons and units. Science literacy is dependent on students ability to focus on the enigma in data, and then think deeply about it. If they can practice thinking about “enigmas” (albeit historical) and then put their thought into practice, then I am increases their cognitive capacity for postsecondary scientific practice.