EPE#Model#of#Teaching#

An#explana4on#of#the#columns!

Many#experiences.##
#

Contain#clear#
pa?erns#and#lend#
themselves#to#
students#
observa4ons#and/or#
recording#of#
numerical#data.##
#

Developmentally#
appropriate#and#
connected#to#
students#everyday#
lives#and#
experiences.#

This#is#what#you#
say,#do#or#write#
with#students#to#
help#them#
organize#the#
informa4on#they#
obtained#from#the#
experiences#so#
that#they#can#
no4ce#pa?erns.#
AAAAA#
scaolding#
ac4vi4es#that#
would#reasonably#
lead#students#to#
iden4fy#pa?erns.#
lists,#charts,#etc.#
#

Mul4ple#pa?erns.##
#
Pa?erns#are#directly#
observable#from#
experiences.#
#
Pa?erns#can#be#
found#in#more#than#
one#experience.#
#
Pa?erns#are#the#
reason#we#do#the#
experiences.#These#
are#the#things#we#
want#our#students#to#
no4ce#and#realize#as#
a#result#of#doing#the#
experiences.#

Connec4ons#
between#
pa?erns#and#
explana4ons##
#
contain#grade#
level#appropriate#
scaolding#
ac4vi4es#that#
would#
reasonably#lead#
students#to#
develop#
explana4ons#

Only#one#explana4on.#
#
Explana4on#is#
scien4cally#accurate.#
#
Explana4on#explains#
how/why#the#pa?ern#
occurs#or#enables#
students#to#
understand/interpret/#
predict#a#related#
phenomenon.#

EPE#Model#of#Teaching#
Overview!

info
Observations, gathering
information

info
Applying
information
to solve
problems,
make
decisions

EPE#Model#of#Teaching#
Where#to#look#for#ideas!

NGSS#Performance#
Expecta4ons##
especially#the#
clarica4ons#
AAAAA#
NGSS#Prac4ces#
sec4on#
AAAAA#
Curriculum#
AAAAA#
Engage'and'Explore#
or#Enrichment'and'
Interven;on'sec4ons#
in#Companion#
Documents#

Ready,'Set,'
DCI#sec4on#of#
Ready,'Set,'
Science#
NGSS#
Science#Chapter#7#
Chapters#5#&#6#
AAAAA#
(learning#from#
#
K12#Framework##
inves4ga4ons)#
AAAAA#
AAAAA#
AAAAA#
#
Content#
Evaluate'Student'
Instruments'and'' Statements#from#
Understanding'
Measurements' GLCEs/#Companion#
sec4on#in#
sec4on#in#GLCE#
Documents#
Companion#
Companion##
AAAAA#
Documents#
Documents#
#Big#ideas#and#
Clarica4on#of#Big#
Ideas#in#
Companion#
Documents##

DCI'sec;on'of'NGSS,'
Performance'Expecta;ons'
AAAAA'
Content'Statements'from#
GLCEs/#Companion#
Documents#
AAAAA#
Assessment'Clarica;ons'
sec4on#in#Companion#
Documents#

The#Experience#Column!
Opportuni*es!for!students!to!observe!the!appearance!
of!something!and!to!record!their!observa*ons!
(outside!appearance,!taking!something!apart!to!look!
inside,!etc.)!
Opportuni*es!for!students!to!observe!something!that!
is!happening!and!to!record!their!observa*ons!
Opportuni*es!for!students!to!measure,!count,!*me,!
etc.!something!that!is!happening!and!to!record!their!
observa*ons!
Opportuni*es!for!students!to!inves*gate!or!test!ideas!
and!record!the!results!of!their!test/inves*ga*on!

The#Pa?erns#Column!
There!are!mul*ple!types!of!pa?erns:!

Classica*on!
Distribu*ons!
Rela*onships!among!variables!
Changes!and!rates!of!change!over!*me!
!

Remember!that!rather!than!just!teaching!the!pa?erns!
themselves!as!a!series!of!facts,!we!want!to!help!our!
students!connect!these!pa?erns!to!experiences!that!help!
them!recognize!and!use!the!pa?erns!in!everyday!life.!

The#E!P#Column#

Where#you#help#kids#make#sense#of#the#science!#!

To!support!students!in!understanding!core!concepts,!
pa?erns!need!to!be!visible!for!students!to!observe!
themselves.!
Group!discussions!and!conversa*ons,!sharing!data!
with!the!whole!group,!talking!about!possible!pa?erns!
These!tools!can!support!students!in!nding!pa?erns:!
Charts!
Graphs!
Maps!
Sta*s*cs!
Graphic!organizers!

Common#E!P#Ques4ons##
Where#you#help#kids#make#sense#of#the#science!#!

Common!E!!!P!Ques*on!types:!
!

compare/contrast,!!
looking!for!increasing!and!decreasing!
values!!
categorizing/sor*ng!by!similari*es!
How#do#we#support#students#in#coming#to#a#
consensus#or#shared#understanding#of#the#data#they#
have#collected?##Is#this#important?#

What#to#consider#when#
planning#the#E!P#Ac4vi4es#
Where#you#help#kids#make#sense#of#the#science!#!

Consider!the!following!ques*ons:!
How!are!you!suppor*ng!students!in!
ORGANIZING!and!RECORDING!their!
individual!observa*ons/data?!!(How!
should!they!organize!it!to!make!the!
pa?erns!more!apparent?!
What!ques*ons!will!you!ask!students!to!
support!them!in!recognizing!and!making!
sense!of!pa?erns?!

The#P!E#Column#

Where#you#help#kids#make#sense#of#the#science!#!

Using!models!
Comparing!student!ideas!to!scien*c!ideas!
Revisi*ng!pa?erns!to!rene!them!further!
for!the!explana*on!
Introducing!scien*c!ideas!and!helping!
students!map!the!pa?erns!they!have!found!
in!their!experiences!on!to!science!ideas!they!
can!not!arrive!at!on!their!own!(for!example,!
molecules)!

Common#P!E#Ques4ons#
Where#you#help#kids#make#sense#of#the#science!#!

!!!!!Common!P!!!E!Ques*on!types:!
!

iden*fying!rela*onships/what!happens!if!we!
change!_____!?!
learning!accepted!scien*c!models!(e.g.!par*culate!
nature!of!ma?er),!!
Tes*ng!models:!what!happens!if!___!!(an!animal!in!
food!web!is!ex*nct,!for!example)!does!this!model!
help!to!explain!our!pa?ern(s)?!
rela*ng!a!model!to!the!real!world!(helping!kids!see!
the!connec*on!between!the!model!and!the!
pa?erns/what!actually!happens!in!real!life)!!

Common#P!E#Ques4ons#
Where#you#help#kids#make#sense#of#the#science!#!

!!!!!Common!P!!!E!Ques*on!types:!
!

tes*ng!hypothesis!using!a!model,!!
Iden*fying!elements!in!a!system,!or!tracing!parts!of!
a!system!(e.g.,!how!hail!is!created)!
Considering!implica*ons!and!changes!of!behavior!
that!should!follow!the!pa?erns!observed!!(e.g.!in!
the!case!of!recycling!or!water!resources),!!
making!connec*ons!across!pa?erns!(e.g.!the!sun!
for!keeping!things!warm,!helping!plants!grow,!we!
need!plants!for!food!to!survive!.!how!do!we!need!
the!sun?)!!

The#Explana4on#Column#!
Explana*ons!t!the!pa?erns.!
Explana*ons!account!for!new!pa?erns.!
Use!the!Performance!Expecta*on!and!
Disciplinary!Core!Ideas!as!guidance!for!your!
explana*ons.!
Many!explana*ons!focus!on!how!or!why!
something!occurs.!
But!o[en!in!elementary!science!the!learning!
goals!are!scien*c!pa?erns,!rather!than!
actual!detailed!explana*ons.!!

How#to#Start#

Where#should#you#start#planning#YOUR#EPE#table?!

3#

4# 1 2# 5#
or

Once'you'have'
iden;ed'your'
paJerns,'it'is';me'to'
start'thinking'about'
what'experiences'your'
students'need'to'have'
that'will'allow'them'to'
see'those'paJerns'
happen.''What'
phenomena'provide'
opportuni;es'for'
no;cing'your'paJerns?

Now'that'you'know'
the'paJerns'your'
students'should'
no;ce'and'the'
experiences'that'will'
let'them'no;ce,'
what'will'you'need'
to'do'as'a'teacher'to'
help'scaold'and'
make'those'paJerns'
obvious'to'your'
students?''Charts,'
graphs,'ques;ons?

Another'way'to'
start'is'by'
iden;fying'the'
paJerns'you'want'
your'students'to'be'
able'to'no;ce,'
using'the'DCIs'from'
your'NGSS'
performance'
expecta;ons.''Then'
start'to'iden;fy'
your''explana;on'
for'the'paJerns'

Once'you'have'
iden;ed'how'you'
will'scaold'your'
students'in'nding'
the'paJerns,'think'
about'what'else'they'
will'need'to'know'in'
order'to'explain'your'
driving'ques;on?''
What'scien;c'
theories/models'will'
help'your'students'
explain'your'driving'
ques;on?

1 2#
or

One'way'to'start'is'
by'iden;fying'the'
explana;on'you'
want'your'students'
to'be'able'to'give,'
using'the'DCIs'from'
your'NGSS'
performance'
expecta;ons.''Then'
start'to'iden;fy'your'
paJerns'

NGSS#Prac4ces

#
Where#could#the#NGSS#prac4ces#be#found#in#the#ac4vi4es#
por4ons#of#an#EPE#table?!

Ask!ques*ons!(science)/
dene!problems!
(engineering)!
!

Developing/using!models!
!

Planning!and!carrying!out!
inves*ga*ons!(collec'ng!
data/making!observa'ons)!
!

!!
!

!!
!
!

!
!
!
!

!!
!
!

!!

Asking!ques*ons!
(science)!and!dening!
problems!(engineering)!

Pa8erns!from!this!
column!are!not!
!
things!that!students!
!!
!
DO;!rather,!they!are!
!!
the!common!
!
!
observa'ons!that!
Analyzing/interpre*ng!
students!no'ce!
data!
across!the!data!
!
Using!mathema*cs!and! (both!measured!and!
computa*onal!thinking! observa'onal)!that!
(to!nd!pa8erns)!
students!collect!
!
during!their!
!!
experiences!and!
!
!
discuss/interpret!
Engaging!in!argument!
during!the!E!P!
from!evidence!
!
ac'vi'es.!
Obtaining,!evalua*ng,!
communica*ng!info!

Asking!ques*ons/dening!
problems!(engineering)!
!

Developing/using!models!
!

Planning!and!carrying!out!
(nd!out!more)!
inves*ga*ons!
!

Analyzing/interpre*ng!
data!
!

Using!mathema*cs!and!
computa*onal!thinking!
!

Construc*ng!explana*ons!
(science)!and!designing!
solu*ons!(engineering)!
!

Engaging!in!argument!
from!evidence!
!

Obtaining,!evalua*ng,!!
communica*ng!info!

Explana'ons!from!this!
column!are!not!things!
that!students!DO;!rather,!
they!are!the!
understandings!that!
students!come!to!as!a!
result!of!engaging!in!the!
ac'vi'es!found!in!the!P!
!!E!column.!

Are#You#On#The#Right#Track?#
Ask'yourself'these'ques;ons'about'your'EPE'table'to'nd'out.!