Notes

Meeting Notes - 2010 - 2011

5/2/11 Discussed PBIS Rice/Genetics book. Decided that we do enough activities and not to pursue book. Began discussing 7th grade science supplies needed for next year. Need to find out # of incoming students.

4/15/11 Amy absent; Parent/Teacher conferences. Meeting cancelled.

4/7/11 Finalized SM common assessment questions. Printed out new page which will be uploaded. Need to review rubric.

3/22/11 Shared and put together binder of labs. Action Item: Finalize scientific method common assessment questions. Based on data collection and analysis, need to revise rubric and questions.

3/14/11 Discussed observation activity and helicopter inquiry activity from NHSTA conference 3/7/11 Plan to use May PLC meetings to share/do inquiry activities for Fall of 2011. Bring copies of personal inquiry labs to next PLC meeting to place in binder for Jo.

3/3/11 Rob and Julia absent - meeting canceled

2/16/11 Collected the data on the common assessment and began to analyze.

Discussed lab investigations in 7th grade. Jo wanted to know actual experiments done and by what teacher. Rob made a list and will type up and hand in to Jo.
 * 1/31/11**

Discussed inquiry activities in seventh grade. Jen will bring materials to the vertical team meeting on Friday.
 * 1/4/11**

Cancelled
 * 12/18/10**

Discussed next assessments to have as common assessments.
 * 12/9/10**

Compared inventory of glassware - personal vs. prep room Jen created spreadsheet in Community 7th grade science file [|Glassware Inventory.xls] Rob to e-mail John M (borrowed 100 ml cylinders; has yet to return)
 * 12/1/10**

Took an inventory of all glassware. Discussed results of scientific process test.
 * 11/18/10**

Shared non-fiction articles related to curriculum and strategies used.
 * 11/9/10**

Agreed that this year's assessment was to be used to alter question and rubric. Jo stated that they should have been exposed to variables in 4th, 5th and 6th grade and should be able to distinguish although the vocabulary is new. Perhaps change rubric to two parts - know the problem/stated as a question. Couldn't do in 5th grade either.
 * 10/29/10**
 * Absent: Amy, Rob**
 * Jo present to discuss SMART goals and common assessment.**
 * Discussed common assessment test and problems that have come about.
 * Location/Temperature of bread box as IV - is both acceptable or not?
 * At 10/28 Vertical meeting - did experiment with creating a top given a variety of supplies. Variables were discussed. May be used in 5th grade beginning next year.
 * Jo wanted to know if we could do experiments throughout the year during the various units involving inquiry based learning and IV/DV. Suggested osmosis/diffusion lab during Cell unit.
 * Modeling? Teacher first, students after.
 * Reading? Textbooks, magazines, newspapers..
 * Would it help to see copies of last year's NECAP open ended questions to see examples of structure of inquiry based, questions? Goal for NWEA - open ended reading comprehension goals to increase due to science reading??
 * Follow up - go back onto e-form of SMART goals and change wording and send to Jo to send to Ed**.

Revised scientific process rubric Looked and answered questions on SMART goals page
 * 10/21/10**

Absent: Jen Wells Finalized scientific process rubric. Action Items: Implement test and share results by November
 * 10/1/10**

Continued working on rubric for questions 1A and 2A. Decided to go with a checklist format for both rubrics. Will finalize for next meeting. Question 1A: What question did Emily want to answer? In the form of a question IV identified and stated accurately DV identified and stated accurately Causal relationship between IV and DV stated correctly and clearly
 * 9/23/10**

2A: What did SpongeBob do wrong in his experiment? more than one variable is changed lists variables changed (waters one every day one every other day, adds fertilizer/doesn't add fertilizer)

Decided on creating rubrics for questions 1A and 2A. Action Items: Next meeting we will create a rubric for questions 1A and 2A.
 * 9/15/10**

Today we discussed our answers to our scientific process questions. Agreed upon correct answers for each question. Action Items: Reword last question and break it into more parts, determine point value for each answer, look at rubistar website
 * 9/7/10**

Looked at meeting dates for the quarter. 9/7, 9/15, 9/23, 10/1, 10/13, 10/21, 10/29 Agenda for the 9/7 meeting: Before meeting, read over two common questions on scientific process and come up with own answers and put answers in wiki. At meeting we will discuss our answers and start to create the rubric for assessment. Agenda for 9/15 and 9/23: Continue creating rubric and finalizing. Agenda for 10/1: By the end of this meeting all questions and rubrics should be finalized.
 * 8/27/10**