Teacher Education Instruments

Student Curriculum Analysis Tools

Instrument 1: Curriculum Analysis Tool

Project: Anonymous 1

Funding Source: NSF: Teacher Enhancement (ESIE)

Purpose: To analyze science curriculum

Administered To: K-8 participating teachers who are learning to create and present constructivist, activity-based, interdisciplinary science instruction. Approximately 90 master teachers had an opportunity to use the instrument.

Topics Covered:

• Lesson/Curriculum Plan: academic level, activities, alignment, assessment, collaboration, content, engagement, learning environment, methods, objectives, practical value, preparation time

Format/Length: 48 open-ended items that require brief documentation of the presence of features in the curriculum; in most cases only a single word or phrase is required.

Names  _______________________________  Date  ______________  Topic  ____________________

Science Content

Publisher
Topic
Criteria
Completeness: Do the activities address the substance of the benchmark? (List numbers)
Level: What grade level benchmarks are addressed by the activities?
Do these levels seem appropriate for your students?

Assessment

Publisher
Topic
Criteria
Alignment to Goals: Are items or activities included that assess the content in the benchmarks?
Application Do the materials include assessment tasks that require application of ideas and avoid allowing students a trivial way out, like using a formula or repeating a memorized term without understanding?
Embedded: Are some assessments embedded in the curriculum along the way, with advice to teachers as to how they might use the results or choose or modify activities?

Development and Use of Scientific Ideas

Publisher
Topic
Criteria
Vocabulary: Are terms are introduced only as needed to facilitate thinking and promoting effective communication?
Representations: Are multiple, developmentally appropriate representations of central ideas used? models
analogies
diagrams
animated sequences
role playing
Knowledge and Skills: Do the materials provide opportunities for students to practice using knowledge and skills? In multiple contexts? In "real life: contexts? ask questions
design and carry out investigations
make observations
collect data
communicate observations and results
support ideas with evidence

Instructional Approach

Publisher
Topic
Criteria
Framing: Before being introduced to solutions or ideas are students engaged by the following? focus problems
issues
questions
Connected sequence: Are students involved in a variety of experiences that build toward understanding of the benchmark(s)? hands-on
video-Film
models
simulations
other

Student Reflection

Publisher
Topic
Criteria
Expressing Ideas: Are there opportunities for students to: express/discuss ideas
clarify ideas
justify ideas with evidence
get feedback from peers and their teacher
write or discuss how their ideas have changed and why
Connections: Does the material explicitly help students make connections among ideas? earlier ideas
a concrete example of a principle or generalization
analogous ideas
ideas that show up in other fields

Teacher Support

Publisher
Topic
Criteria
Teacher friendly: adequate and appropriate background information
realistic estimates of prep time
Scientific values: Does the material support the teacher in creating a classroom environment that: welcomes student curiosity
rewards creativity
entourages a spirit of questioning
Classroom in action: Do the materials give teachers a vision of what student performance to expect as they use the curriculum? dialogue boxes
vignettes
video clips
photos/drawings
Resources/Supplies Needed: What additional materials are needed to use the curriculum effectively? equipment
materials
consumables
training