Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) Session #2 AST Practice 1 - Planning for engagement with important science ideas [Half-day PM]

Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) Session #2 AST Practice 1 - Planning for engagement with important science ideas [Half-day PM]

Instructor(s): Peney E. Wright and Eric Yoder 

Tier #2 Professional Learning. See prerequisites below. 

Planning practices for designing a unit of instruction. 
Important ideas in science are about the relationships between a natural phenomenon and a causal explanation that helps us understand why something in the world unfolds the way it does (phenomena are events or processes— things that happen). Studying events or processes rather than “things” or abstract ideas really interests students and helps them develop deep and interconnected understandings of science concepts. 

Model a set of protocols in developing or shifting lessons and units to focus on the Big Ideas, the Disciplinary Core Ideas, that we want students to learn. Bring one unit to shift towards phenomena-based, 3D Teaching and Learning to “self pilot” in Fall 2024. Use an AST model unit plan as an exemplar for sessions #2-#5 

Highly Recommended: Visit https://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/ to preview the website (Getting Started) and watch 
the Planning for engagement with important science ideas video, 15;27.  Also read Ambitious Science Teaching: Chapters 2-4, Appendices A and B 

Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) Book Study – Virtual Sessions begin September 29 th , 2024 and with Session #2 on October 16 th , 2024. 

Prerequisites include one or more of the following Tier #1 STEELS PL: 

• School Leaders Establishing Foundations for the STEELS Academic Standards: NGSX PLANS
• Implementing the STEELS Standards: Developing Science Leadership Teams 
• STEELS Experience for K-12 Teachers 
• SY ‘23-24 ENGINE of Central PA STEM Ecosystem: 3-Dimensional STEELS Educator Community of Practice (CoP) 

Note: Selected sessions will be recorded and made available for an asynchronous option. Asynchronous work to include pre-reading of the website and/or AST paperback, viewing AST videos, posted reflections regarding the readings and videos, and applying what is learned to participants’ contexts. Participants may join in-person, work completely asynchronously or attend as a hybrid mix. Please contact Peney at pwright@tiu11.org for complete 
details.