G4 M2: Strategies 6 and D Purpose and Key Features by https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo Content Representations en-us 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC 2025-11-19 00:53:39 UTC hello@padlet.com Strategy 6: Engage students in using content representations and models. abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748799 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748799 Purposes abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748800 Content representations and models lets students imagine things that are difficult to see in the classroom, and in the classroom, and when they are actively engaged in the manipulation of these models, it can help to enhance and make connections between abstract science contents. 

To allow students to get a better understanding of concepts that may be too difficult to perceive directly. 

The representations we chose for students must engage students actively. That means, that there is sense-making in these representations. In other words, students must make meaning of the representation and not regurgitate the evidence given in the representation. Some people like to call this "mind-on" as opposed to "hands-on". ]]> 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748800 Key Features abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748801 Thinking tools for making predictions and making sense of experiences
Help make science ideas more concrete and real for students 
Manipulate the model to identify how changes in one part of the system impact other parts of the system
Use a model to manipulate data,
Test a predict or explain phenomenon with models
Compare their model to reality and identify how it is like or unlike the thing they are studying to determine the usefulness and limitations of the model
Create representations to communicate their mental models
Revise their models to better reflect data and observations

Any model that is connected to the learning goal that can help make the science content ideas more concrete for students. These are things that they can manipulate, test a hypothesis, compare, communicate, or revise after gathering more data. They can be hands on activities, paper and pencil, or computer simulations. Ultimately models are used to deepen the understanding of the relationships within the content along with the how and why it works. 


]]> 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748801 Strategy D: Select Content Representations Matched to the learning goal. abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748802 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748802 Purposes abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748804 Content representations and models help students create connections between ideas to help conceptualize the science they learn. When these models align or connect to the learning goal, it will help students make sense of a science concept or phenomenon by making new connections, visualizing process, or identifying cause-and-effect relationships.

Content representations help students make links between ideas that may be more abstract to understand.

Provide evidence for the main learning goal.

Once a content representation has been appropriately considered and selected then students are given the representation to engage in. 
]]> 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748804 Key Features abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748805 Content representations: diagrams, drawings, physical models, computer simulations, concept maps and analogies
do not need to be entirely accurate or complete. 
Content representations/models can impede student learning
Some have too many details that impede the learning goal
Ask these questions when picking out c.r./models-
          Is the representation or model scientifically accurate? If not, how will you make clear to students the limitations of 
                     the model and which aspects of the model have power in explaining a process or phenomenon?
          Is the representation or model likely to make sense to students? 
          Does the representation or model introduce or reinforce misconceptions? 
          Does the representation or model distract students from the main learning goal with too many details or new terms?              Can the representation or model be modified to improve its match to the main learning goal?

They are connected to the learning goal. They can take many forms such as diagrams, drawings, physical models, computer simulations, or analogies and concept maps. When considering using a content representation you must also take into account how accurate the representation is and how or if to address this inaccuracy. A poorly connected and inaccurate content representation can cause more misconceptions and confusion than no representation at all.

Case 1: Teacher chooses some or all the representations for the focus question. 
Case 2: Students create a model or representation to provide evidence of the main learning goal. 
Ideal case: Is a combination of both.

]]> 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748805 Noticings, Wonderings, Questions abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748806 Definition of Content Representation vs. Models (Mental representation vs. Physical representations)
Can we allow students to select Content Representations?  Should students be able to draw their own content representation. 

]]> 2020-06-03 20:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748806 How does each strategy support either a) Coherent science content storyline; or b) Attention to student thinking? abelcastro https://padlet.com/abelcastro/5hb5qeqcl16il8uo/wish/609748807 Appropriately selected content representations - We can predict whether a CR will support the story line.  But we might know know for sure whether it moves the storyline forward until we see how students interact with the content representation.  
Strategy D - connects to storyline because it is the intention use that pushes the storyline. If you pick a bad representation .. kid's won't be able to make sense of it. 

Strategy 6 - connects to the student thinking lens because students duirng the lesson are sharing their ideas in relation to the representation. If you don't select a good representation ... kids won't be able to connect it to a storyline. 

You need both coherence and attention to student thinking!  


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