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Formative Assessment for Secondary Science Teachers

By: Erin Marie Furtak

Use this powerful tool to enhance science teaching and learning!

Grounded in extensive research, this practical guide shows teachers how to use formative assessments effectively in their science classrooms. The author covers all science content areas for middle and high school levels—including physics/physical science, life science/biology, earth and space science, and chemistry—and supports teachers with:

Richly detailed, concrete examples of appropriate assessments
In-depth guidelines for implementing the assessments
Brief case studies that demonstrate how teachers have used formative assessments
Easy-to-use templates to help analyze current units and identify places for inserting formative assessments

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Product Details

Grade Level: 6-12
ISBN: 9781412972215
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2009
Page Count: 176
Publication date: June 17, 2009

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Description

"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 Directorth
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, FL

Use this powerful tool to enhance science teaching and learning!

Research 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 assessments

With this easy-to-use, hands-on guide, any teacher can learn how to use formative assessment strategies to improve student achievement in science!

Key features

(1) Hands-on guide to creation and implementation of formative assessments for middle and high school science.
(2) Plethora of richly-detailed examples of appropriate assessments for middle and secondary grades and science content areas (Physics/Physical Science, Life Science/Biology, Earth and Space Science, and Chemistry with detailed guidelines for classroom use.
(3) brief cases with transcript excerpts that feature examples of teachers implementing formative assessments in their own classrooms.
(4) worksheets that teachers can use to analyze the lessons in their current units and identify places for inserting formative assessments.
(5) informed by an extensive research base.

Author(s)

Erin Marie Furtak

Erin Marie Furtak, had a brief career as a high school science teacher before completing her PhD in curriculum and teacher education at Stanford University in 2006 as an advisee of Richard J. Shavelson. Then, with the support of a Chancellor Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, she moved to Germany to complete a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and the Leibniz Institute for Science Education in Kiel. She studies professional learning environments that support science teachers in formative assessment design and practice. Her research has been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2011). She is now Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she has worked since January 2008.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. What Is Formative Assessment?

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

What Is Formative Assessment?

Effectiveness of Formative Assessment

Overview of the Book

Part I. Defining the Feedback Loop

2. Step One: Setting Learning Goals

The Importance of Setting Learning Goals

What Is a Learning Goal?

Multiple Types of Learning Goals

Identifying Science Content

Bringing Goals Together: Planning for Formative Assessment

3. Step Two: What Do the Students Know Now?

Where Are the Students Now?

Strategies for Making Students? Thinking Explicit

Determining What Counts as Evidence

Planning for Formative Assessment: Finding Out What Students Know

4. Step Three: Anticipating Feedback

Feedback: Plotting a Learning Course for Students

Anticipating Students? Alternative Conceptions

Providing Feedback

Anticipating Feedback

Putting It All Together: Planning the Steps in the Feedback Loop

Part II. Formats for Formative Assessment

5. 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 Asssessment?

How Can I Enact Big Idea Questions in My Classroom?

Big Idea Question Example 5.1: Scientific Questions

Big Idea Question Example 5.2: Work and Energy

6. 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?

Concept Map Example 6.1: Pollutants in the Atmosphere

Concept Map Example 6.2: Electricity

7. Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) Assessments

What Is a POE?

When Should I Use POEs in My Unit?

How Can I Develop My Own POEs?

How Can I Enact POEs in My Classroom?

POE Example 7.1: Sinking and Floating

POE Example 7.2: Air Pressure

8. Evidence-to-Explanation Assessments

What Is an Evidence-to-Explanation Formative 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?

Evidence-to-Explanation Example 8.1: Natural Selection

Evidence-to-Explanation Example 8.2: Phase Changes in Water

9. Multiple-Choice Questions

What Is a Multiple-Choice Formative Assessment?

When Should I Use Multiple-Choice Questions in my Unit?

How Can I Develop My Own Multiple-Choice Questions?

How Can I Enact Multiple-Choice Questions in My Classroom?

Mulitple-Choice Question Example 9.1: Uniform and Nonuniform Motion

Multple-Choice Question Example 9.2: Diffusion

Resources

Glossary

References

Index

Reviews

"This book places students center stage in the discussion of how we know what students know. The vignettes and examples of student work illustrate the text and make the author’s points resonate with real teachers. 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

"Timely, relevant, easy to read and follow, with real examples from the classroom about different approaches to assessment in science classes."

Ellen Osmundson, Senior Researcher
CRESST, University of California, Los Angeles

"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. It will help educators rethink the methods and the type of content they deliver in the classroom."

Susan Leeds, Science Department Chair and Gifted Studies Teacher
Howard Middle School, Winter Park, FL

Other Titles in: Science | Formative Assessment | High School Teaching Methods

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.