How do you prove that you find or don’t find the species you are looking for?
Overview
Students use Prove It! to practice using words and photos to craft solid evidence statements. Students make statements about things that they believe to be true, and things that they believe to be not true. They practice supporting these claims with written and photo evidence. The activity moves students from simple everyday statements to more complicated statements about species. Skills built during this activity will ultimately help students convince the Vital Signs community that they found or did not find the species they will look for during the investigation component of their Biodiversity Watershed Experience.
Standards (MLR)
Science & Technology Standards
B1. Skills and Traits of Scientific Inquiry. Students plan, conduct, analyze data from, and communicate results of investigations, including simple experiments.
B1e. Use logic, critical reasoning and evidence to develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models.
B1f. Communicate, critique, and analyze their own scientific work and the work of other students.
Learning Objectives
Students practice supporting their claims with written and visual evidence.
Note: Please model this activity and thought process for students a few times before asking them to do it themselves.
Students write down something that they believe to be true, and 2-3 pieces of written evidence that they have for believing it. Do this with easy, everyday, even silly examples to get the hang of it, and then move towards statements about species. Once students have their evidence written, ask them to think of the photos they would take to further support their claim with visual evidence. Here is an example of a progression of claims and evidence to get you started:
Claim: I think that Mr. Jones lives at school. Written Evidence: (1) He’s always here before I come to school in the morning. (2) I smell his socks. (3) He is here for all the nighttime basketball games. Photo Evidence: Mr Jones at his desk in the early morning; clock in the background showing the time
Claim: I think the orchestral piece I hear playing on the radio has a piccolo playing. Evidence: (1) I hear notes that sound flute-like. (2) The notes that I hear are too high for it to be a regular flute. Photo Evidence: As with identifying birds by their calls, this claim would be quite impossible to support with photo evidence. A photo of the radio might be the best bet.
Claim: I think that this is an invasive zebra mussel. Evidence: (1) It has a yellow and brown shell. (2) The shell is tiny and is shaped like a D. (3) It has light and dark stripes like a zebra. Photo Evidence: Zoom in on the shell; focus on the color and the stripes; ruler in background showing size
Claim: I think that there is invasive purple loosestrife at our study site. Evidence: (1) It has opposite leaves with heart-shaped bases. (2) The stem feels square and a little fuzzy. (3) It has tall flower spikes.
Photo Evidence: Zoom in on the leaf bases; show flower spike
Students write down something that they believe to be not true, and 2-3 pieces of written evidence that they have for believing it. Here is another example of a progression of claims and evidence:
Claim: I think that Mrs. Smith does not live at school. Evidence: (1) Her car is in the parking lot. (2) She gave my mom her home telephone number to call when I don’t get my work done. (3) She is never here for nighttime events like basketball games and concerts. Photo Evidence: Mrs. Smith’s car in the parking lot during the school day; an empty parking spot after school
Claim: I think that this is not an invasive common periwinkle. Evidence: (1) It has a long spiraled end. A common periwinkle has a short spiraled end. (2) The shell opening is darker than the outside shell. A common periwinkle has a lighter colored opening. Photo Evidence: Wide shot of entire animal; zoom in on the spiraled end; zoom in on the opening
Claim: I think that native lowbush blueberry is not at our study site. Evidence: (1) All of the plants in our site have opposite or whorled leaves. Lowbush blueberry has alternate leaves. (2) We don’t see any plants with flowers. It’s late May, so we would see white bell-like flowers on a lowbush blueberry plant. Photo Evidence: Wide-view shot of plants with opposite and whorled leaves with no flowers
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
Peer Review reflection & assessment exercise:
Present one claim to the whole class. Ask each student to make a case that either supports the claim being true, or disproves the claim. Regardless of their stance, they must provide both written and photo evidence.
Post the evidence statements on the wall around the room. Delete names; anonymity is important. Post evidence that supports the claim on one side of the room, and evidence that disproves it on the other.
Ask students to review all of the evidence statements.
Give each student 4 stars. Have students put a star next to the 2 best pieces of written evidence, and 2 best pieces of photo evidence they see.
Tally the star ratings. Based on the best evidence posted around the room, pull together the very best suite of written and photo evidence.
Extension Ideas
Have a great idea for extending this type of learning and skill-building? Share it with us in the comments section below.
Resources
Have the perfect resource up your sleeve? Let us know so we can use it too.
References
Have a handy reference? Leave it in the comments section below.
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Prove It! Convince me with words. Show me with photos.
Author(s):
Sarah Morrisseau, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Vital Signs Program
Table of Contents
Question(s)
How do you prove that you find or don’t find the species you are looking for?
Overview
Students use Prove It! to practice using words and photos to craft solid evidence statements. Students make statements about things that they believe to be true, and things that they believe to be not true. They practice supporting these claims with written and photo evidence. The activity moves students from simple everyday statements to more complicated statements about species. Skills built during this activity will ultimately help students convince the Vital Signs community that they found or did not find the species they will look for during the investigation component of their Biodiversity Watershed Experience.
Standards (MLR)
Science & Technology Standards
B1. Skills and Traits of Scientific Inquiry. Students plan, conduct, analyze data from, and communicate results of investigations, including simple experiments.
B1e. Use logic, critical reasoning and evidence to develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models.
B1f. Communicate, critique, and analyze their own scientific work and the work of other students.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Time Needed
40 minutes
Activity Procedure
Note: Please model this activity and thought process for students a few times before asking them to do it themselves.
Written Evidence: (1) He’s always here before I come to school in the morning. (2) I smell his socks. (3) He is here for all the nighttime basketball games.
Photo Evidence: Mr Jones at his desk in the early morning; clock in the background showing the time
Evidence: (1) I hear notes that sound flute-like. (2) The notes that I hear are too high for it to be a regular flute.
Photo Evidence: As with identifying birds by their calls, this claim would be quite impossible to support with photo evidence. A photo of the radio might be the best bet.
Evidence: (1) It has a yellow and brown shell. (2) The shell is tiny and is shaped like a D. (3) It has light and dark stripes like a zebra.
Photo Evidence: Zoom in on the shell; focus on the color and the stripes; ruler in background showing size
Evidence: (1) It has opposite leaves with heart-shaped bases. (2) The stem feels square and a little fuzzy. (3) It has tall flower spikes.
Photo Evidence: Zoom in on the leaf bases; show flower spike
Evidence: (1) Her car is in the parking lot. (2) She gave my mom her home telephone number to call when I don’t get my work done. (3) She is never here for nighttime events like basketball games and concerts.
Photo Evidence: Mrs. Smith’s car in the parking lot during the school day; an empty parking spot after school
Evidence: (1) It has a long spiraled end. A common periwinkle has a short spiraled end. (2) The shell opening is darker than the outside shell. A common periwinkle has a lighter colored opening.
Photo Evidence: Wide shot of entire animal; zoom in on the spiraled end; zoom in on the opening
Evidence: (1) All of the plants in our site have opposite or whorled leaves. Lowbush blueberry has alternate leaves. (2) We don’t see any plants with flowers. It’s late May, so we would see white bell-like flowers on a lowbush blueberry plant.
Photo Evidence: Wide-view shot of plants with opposite and whorled leaves with no flowers
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
Peer Review reflection & assessment exercise:
Extension Ideas
Have a great idea for extending this type of learning and skill-building? Share it with us in the comments section below.
Resources
Have the perfect resource up your sleeve? Let us know so we can use it too.
References
Have a handy reference? Leave it in the comments section below.