: Planning and conducting the science talk
1a) Planning the science talk
Start by identifying a real-world phenomenon that could be used to engage your students in sensemaking (about how/why the phenomenon occurs) related to your topic. Carefully design a how/why discussion question that asks students to explain how or why the phenomenon occurs. This will allow you to see how students might be working to make sense of the phenomenon and understand what resources your students bring to figuring out this phenomenon and to thinking about your topic more generally.
plan to obtain two types of information from students in your science talk. They are listed separately here to highlight the need to address both, but you may find it easier to mix these questions together in your actual science talk.
● Students’ science-related ideas, thinking/reasoning, ways of figuring out.
○ What have your students noticed about the phenomenon and the related artifacts you brought to the science talk?
○ What ideas and explanations do they have for the phenomenon?
○ How are your students thinking about and explaining the phenomenon? How and why do they think the phenomenon happens?
○ What else do students know about the topic you discussed? What is your evidence that they know this?
Sample Solution