Curriculum Mapping

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Curriculum Mapping --- Charting the Course for
Science (2)
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Agenda

• I. Introduction
• II. Reviewing Important Aspects of Curriculum
  Mapping
• III. Identifying Repetitions and Gaps on the
  Science Content Map

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Agenda

• IV. Refining the Map Through Essential Questions
• V. Identifying Process Skills for Science Content
• VI. Wrap-up

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Reviewing Important Aspects of Curriculum Mapping

• Curriculum mapping is a procedure for collecting
  information about the operational curriculum in a
  school.
• Maps are calendar-based and include three
  elements content, process skills, and
  assessments.

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Reviewing Important Aspects of Curriculum Mapping

• Maps are used to locate repetitions and gaps in
  the curriculum, to match the curriculum with
  standards, and to aid in curriculum integration.
• Maps are created by teachers and revised after a
  series of readings and shared findings.

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Reviewing Important Aspects of Curriculum Mapping

• Maps are tools for communication, planning, and
  teacher training.

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Task 1-- Identify Repetitions Gaps on Your
Science Content Map

• Form groups by grade level.
• Examine the science content map and identify one
  repeated content area and briefly describe what
  is taught for the content.
• Interview an immediate upper grade for the repeat
  and record the interview.
• Analyze the findings and recommend modifications.

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Task 2--Refining the Map Through Essential
Questions

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What Is An Essential Question?

• An essential question is the heart of the
  curriculum. It is the essence of what you
  believe students should examine and know in the
  short time they have with you (Jacob, 1997)
• Example
• Invertebrates from 5th Grade Science Curriculum
• What are the characteristics of the different
  classes of invertebrates?
• How do the different classes of invertebrates
  perform the five life processes?

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Think, Pair Share

• Individually, read Map K3 and answer the
  following question What are the main
  characteristics of essential questions?
• Share your answer with your partner.
• Share your answers with the class.

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Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• Each child should be able to understand the
  following questions.

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Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• How do plants make food?
• How do plants perform the process of
  photosynthesis to make their own food?

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Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• The language of the questions should be written
  in broad, organizational terms.

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Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• Which one meets the criterion?
• What do plants need to live?
• Why didnt the plants in my grandmas garden grow
  tall?

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Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• Questions should not be repetitious.
• Do they repeat the concept?
• What is a hurricane?
• What causes a hurricane?
• How does a hurricane affect people?

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What Are Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• The questions should be realistic given the
  amount of time allocated for the unit or course.
• Which is more realistic?
• What causes the ecosystem in the rainforest?
• How do ecosystems affect animals?

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What Are Criteria for Writing Essential Questions?

• There should be a logical sequence to a set of
  essential questions.
• Is there a logical sequence?
• What flies?
• How and why do things in nature fly?

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Writing Essential Questions

• Form groups K to 5
• Design 2 to 3 essential questions for each
  content concept on your grade map
• Share questions for one content area with the
  class

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Task 3Identifying Science Process Skills

• Ways of thinking in science are called the
  process skills. When scientists and students do
  science they are using such thinking skills as
  inferring, classifying, hypothesizing, and
  experimenting.

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Task 3Identifying Science Process Skills

• The science process skills, along with the
  knowledge those skills produce, and scientific
  values and habits of mind define the nature of
  science (Rezba, Sprague, Fiel, Funk, 1995).

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Science Inquiry Process Skills (K-2)

• Observing
• Classifying
• Measuring
• Communicating
• Inferring

• Predicting
• Recognizing Space-Time Relations
• Recognizing Number Relations

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Science Inquiry Process Skills (3-5)

• Experimenting
• Interpreting Data
• Investigating

• Formulating Hypotheses
• Naming Variables
• Controlling Variables
• Making Operationally Definitions

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Science Inquiry Process Skills Group Activity

• Form groups K to 5
• Select 2 to 5 appropriate process skills for each
  content concept for your grade science content
  curriculum map

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Science Inquiry Process Skills Group Activity

• Process skills should be specific, not
  broad-based, assessable, and expressed with
  verbs.

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Showcase Your Map

• Post your modified science curriculum maps on the
  glass windows.