Some Science Formative Assessment Strategies

2. Effective Questioning
and Response Strategies
(Just the FACTs)
(Formative Assessment Classroom
Techniques)
Peg Christensen - Heartland AEA
Much of the information in this presentation is adapted from the September 15, 2008 Every
Learner Inquires presentation done by Joyce Tugel - Maine Mathematics and Science
Alliance

3. Purpose of this session:
 Examine the role that “strategies to
improve questioning and responses”
play in uncovering students’ ideas
 Explore techniques and strategies we
can use to improve teacher and student
questioning and responses

4. Breaking Free From I-R-E
(Initiate-Respond-Evaluate)
Two or Three Before Me - pp. 206-207
Popsicle Sticks or Index Cards
(Poker
Chip - Judy Rex) - pp. 158-159
No Hands Questioning - pp. 140-142
Answer a Question - Ask a Question
Volleyball - Not Ping Pong! - pp. 211-213

5. The FACTs
(Formative Assessment Classroom
Techniques - to Improve Questioning and
Responses)
 Explanation Analysis
 Fact First Questioning
 Fishbowl Think Aloud
 Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning
 Juicy Questions
 No-Hands Questioning
 Partner Speaks
 Pass the Question
 Popsicle Stick or Index Card

6. Questioning Strategies
Prefacing Explanations
Paired Verbal Fluency (PVF)
Question Generating
Think-Pair-Share
Two or Three Before Me
Two-Thirds Testing
Volleyball - Not Ping Pong
Wait Time Variations

7. All Students Response
Strategies - Public
ABCD cards
4 Corner Responses - pp.
97-
99
Mini white-boards - pp. 218-
221

8. All Students Response
Strategies- Public
 Sticky Bars - pp. 178-180
 “Clickers” (Performance Response System)
 Commit and Toss - pp. 65-68
 Exit Passes/Ticket Out the
Door - pp. 197-199 (Three-Two-One)

9. Cultivating students’ role in
quality questioning
 Inviting students to elaborate
or “piggy back”
 Encouraging student-student
interactions
 Teaching students to
formulate questions (See
Mark Walker document) –
Starting on p. 68

10. Activating students as
owners of their learning-
METACOGNITION
 Self-Assessment of Understanding - e.g. I
used to Think . . . but Now I Know - Think-
Pair-Share – pp. 192-193
 Traffic Light Cards - Red, Yellow, Green –
pp. 199-201
 Traffic Light Cups – pp. 201 -202
 Traffic Light Pairings
 Stop/Go Cards
 Traffic Light Dots - Red/Green Discs/Dots –
pp.203-204

11. In Summary
 Ask fewer low-level questions
 Ask more thought-provoking
questions
 Use questions to probe and extend
thinking
 Vary the ways in which you want
students to respond to your
questions
 Provide wait time

12. Resources