Brief Description

Students develop, practice and record a brief, scripted presentation of their scientific claim (30 seconds to 2 minutes is sufficient). They then students critique fellow students' videos (within the class). Finally, students upload their videos for review by students from other schools.

Background for Teachers

One of the project teachers recommended inter-school hypothesis sharing a couple of years ago. We developed a system to share videos privately between schools. Putting thoughts into words, and sharing those ideas with people beyond the classroom allows students to think through their claim reasoning. To share beyond the classroom appears to solidify thinking in a way that intra-classroom claim statements and in-class peer review do not.

The videos can be shot with any video recording device- a camera, mobile phone, iPad, etc. and can be as polished or unpolished as the students wish them to be.

This can be a discussion on what makes a good scientific argument, and if possible, you should lead the class in a discussion of what to include in their video. However, if you have no time then share with your students that the videos must include:

• The hypothesis, stated as an If, Then…Because statement
• The data that the students will use to support their hypothesis
• A hypothetical graph of what the data will look like if their hypothesis is supported and what the data will look like if their claim is not supported

You may want to model this as a class discussion with an example hypothesis.

Goals

• Students understand the elements of a good scientific argument
• Students state and defend their research claim
• Students use a multimedia approach to sharing with other researchers

Outcomes

• Students develop, practice and record a scripted presentation of their scientific claim
• Students critique fellow students' videos (within the class)
• Students upload their videos for critique by students from other schools

Where does this lesson happen in the Project?

This is the third activity in Unit 3: Questions and Claims

Getting Ready

You can get ready for this activity by watching the videos of other classes from past years. The videos are on the private group site. Watch the video: Joining the Peer-to-Peer Clam Sharing group to find out how you can access the private site, or contact Acadia Learning staff.

Materials

• Video camera (if there is no video then recording sound only is a fine alternative)
• Scientific Claim Video Review worksheet
• Upload capabilities

Student Prerequisites

• The students must have developed their claim and know the evidence they will need to back up their claim.

Time Needed

Approximately 80 minutes

Note: Depending on the students and the amount of time available you can lead the students in a discussion of what they need to include for making a compelling argument, giving the students an outline from which they write the script, or give the students a script.

Doing the Activity

Introduce

Introduce to the students that they will be sharing their claims about their nitrogen research with other researchers so that they can test the strength of your claim (you can mention that because the students have been working so closely with their own work they need someone else to look at it).

Lead students through a discussion of what they need to include in their videos to make their claims as airtight as they can. Have them explain the system, what do they think is going to happen, what about the system (or their understanding of the system) makes them think that, what evidence are they going to collect to support their hypothesis and how will they know if the data support or do not support their claim (hypothetical graphs). From this discussion write out what needs to be included:

• The hypothesis, stated as an If, Then…Because statement,
• The data that the students will use to support their hypothesis
• A hypothetical graph of what the data will look like if their hypothesis is supported and what the data will look like if their claim is not supported

Write

The students then write a script that does just that- states your claim, gives the background and shares what data you're going to collect or use to support your claim, prepare hypothetical graphs. Videos are often 30 seconds to two minutes long.

Review

When the students are done they will record their scripts (this is a dry run, a first draft). If there is time each group should review the video of at least one other group using the Scientific Claim Video Review worksheet.

Refine

Have students explain each other’s claims, reasoning and evidence in their own words. They should then return the review sheets to the reviewed group (or the teacher). The students can then re-record their scripts and post them to Vimeo.com.

Assessment

Formative

If you lead the class in a discussion prior to the script writing and video recording then what they think is important to their scientific argument (the meat (or grist, if you are a vegetarian) for the script) may give an indication of whether or not the students understand that a scientific argument has many equally important parts.

Summary

Does the final video have The hypothesis, stated as an If, Then…Because statement The data that the students will use to support their hypothesis A hypothetical graph of what the data will look like if their hypothesis is supported and what the data will look like if their claim is not supported.

Lesson Extensions and Supplements

View Data Stories on the project website and discuss the arguments presented in those videos.

Review claims videos from past years’ students.

 Lesson Resources

• Link to the vimeo videos
• Scientific Claim Video Review worksheet
• Links to the vimeo “How to…” videos
  • “Joining the Peer-to-Peer Claim Sharing Group” ()
  • “Adding a video to the peer-to-peer claim sharing group” ()