Student Work Sample-Science

In science, the FOSS or Experience Science curriculum is usually followed.  While this curriculum is very well thought-out, it is also very scripted, and has the tendency to become verification investigations for the students.  Wanting to generate more student interest and engagement, my cooperating teacher and I modified the original 'Crime Scene' activity into a 5 E's lesson.

Upon entering the classroom, students were informed that a particular item had been stolen from Ms. Mahoney's desk (her beloved name-tag), and a ransom note was left in its place.  The students were prompted to help us 'investigate' this crime.  The class had previously been learning about and experimenting with solutions and mixtures. They were encouraged to think about those experiments, while testing pieces of the ransom note.  We guided their tests to only those that could be scientifically proven.

The students were given class time to create a list of tests, administer what tests they could, and were required to document their findings.  Groups then shared their findings with the rest of the class.  As groups shared, their discussions were guided back to solutions and mixtures, with an emphasis on finding the correct marker that wrote the ransom note.

Over time, we brought the investigation to a close, discussed chromatography, and saw the safe return of the name-tag.

Informal formative assessment was used throughout this activity, as groups determined valid or invalid tests, used previously learned scientific terminology, and backed findings in science.  Formal summative assessment for this unit was the unit test (examples below).