UPDATED Professional Learning Module: How Does Science Discourse Support Sensemaking for All Learners?
Science is social! Focusing on meaningful academic discourse enhances student sensemaking, shaping the ways students reason, engage and express their understanding in science. This stage of the school year offers an opportunity to strengthen practices that support students in participating fully in classroom discourse and deepening their engagement, actions that can have a lasting impact on learning outcomes. To support these efforts, the updated How Does Science Discourse Support Sensemaking for All Learners? module is now available for district, school or department professional learning.
The module provides guidance for implementing effective academic discourse in the science classroom, supporting the three-dimensional learning called for in the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Science. Using an open educational resource, participants experience academic discourse from the perspective of a learner, seeing, hearing and feeling what effective classroom discourse looks like in practice.
A Facilitator’s Guide, PowerPoint presentation, Participant Packet and Module-at-a-Glance are all available on the Science Professional Learning Modules webpage. Organized into five sessions, the module offers opportunities for participants to reflect, collaborate and plan concrete next steps for bringing effective science academic discourse into classrooms. Throughout the learning, participants will:
-
Establish a classroom culture where all learners have access and opportunity to learn through science discourse;
-
Develop a collaborative understanding of science discourse that supports all learners in sensemaking;
-
Explore how both teachers and students contribute to science discourse;
-
Examine why discourse is critical for sensemaking in the science classroom; and intentionally
-
Prepare to facilitate science discourse that supports sensemaking for all learners.
If you want to elevate student voice, strengthen sensemaking and foster a classroom culture where all students contribute and grow ideas together, this module is the perfect place to start. Please submit any questions about this professional learning module to kdescience@education.ky.gov.
Supporting Civil Discourse Through Collaborative Civic Spaces
The Creating Collaborative Civic Spaces professional learning module series supports educators seeking to strengthen classroom environments that support meaningful, respectful civil discourse.
These modules include practical strategies and tools to help teachers create spaces where students can engage thoughtfully, respectfully and critically with complex topics. This professional learning includes lessons created by Kentucky teachers that provide valuable insights and strategies for teachers looking to build dynamic spaces where civic engagement thrives. Whether educators are new to teaching civil discourse or seeking fresh ideas, this module provides the support needed to nurture student voices and encourage constructive dialogue.
Designed with classroom application in mind, these modules provide tools educators can use to foster critical thinking, student voice and effective dialogue. Lessons developed by Kentucky teachers are included, offering authentic insights and classroom-tested strategies for building collaborative civic spaces.
Modules in this Series:
- Module One: Why is it important for educators and students to create classrooms that are collaborative civic spaces?
- Module Two: What do we do with variation?
- Module Three: How do we engage student voice when building community in the classroom?
- Module Four: How do we engage in civil discussion?
For questions, please contact the Social Studies team at KDESocialStudies@education.ky.gov.
Text-Based Writing Across Disciplines: K–12 Instructional Support
Text-Based Writing Across Disciplines offers 40 tasks for K–12 students to practice discipline-specific literacy in reading, writing, math, social studies, science and the visual and performing arts. Designed to support High-Quality Instructional Resources (HQIRs), these tasks deepen learning, help students demonstrate content knowledge and provide students opportunities to realize the full depth and rigor of the Kentucky Academic Standards. Visit KyStandards.org to read the full article and access sample tasks.
Don't Miss the Standards Newsletter
Did someone share this newsletter with you? Sign up to receive the Standards Newsletter each week.
Did you miss last week's Standards Newsletter? You can access all previous editions on the Standards Newsletter Archive webpage.
|
