Tch Video Lounge: KLEWS for Learning Science Vocabulary

Looking for a fun way to learn with colleagues? Come and check out Tch Video Lounge, where you can watch, interact, and discuss videos with the rest of the Teaching Channel community. We have over thirty videos in the lounge, with topics ranging from new teachers to instructional coaching.

In our latest installment, Bringing a KLEWS Chart to Life, we focus on science and visit a third grade classroom in Queens, New York that is engaged in NGSS instruction and learning. The video clip comes from our recently launched series, KLEWS: Supporting Claims, Evidence & Reasoning.

As a Tch Next Gen Science Squadster and NGSS Curator, one of my passions is making student thinking in science visible, and this video from Maria Katsanos’ classroom does just that.

In Bringing a KLEWS Chart to Life, we see students engage in learning science vocabulary and developing shared meaning built on students’ prior knowledge and common experiences. A focus in this classroom is the KLEWS chart, a process as well as a tool to move student learning forward and make thinking public. Watching Maria Katsanos’ classroom may spark some ideas about how you might implement KLEWS and vocabulary learning in your own classroom.

If you want to learn more about KLEWS, be sure to read my blog post co-authored with Dora Kastel. It features a playlist of videos focused on helping students become more adept at using the claims, evidence, and reasoning process as part of their science learning.

More NGSS Fun!

Looking for more interactive science videos? We have three more to check out.

• An Investigation of Magnets: Watch fourth graders become student engineers! This video clip was filmed prior to the NGSS standards, but Mr. Rutherford was already having students implement engineering in his classroom. While watching this video, think about changes that might make the lesson more three-dimensional.

• Developing and Using Models in Science: The second science and engineering practice is complex and one of the more difficult practices to unpack. Watch this video to see students use models as they try to figure what part the sun plays in the seasons.

• Scientific Modeling With Young Students: Watch how kindergarten students make their scientific thinking visible through models when effectively questioned.

Learning science the NGSS way is all about three-dimensional learning. Students should be engaged in the science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts while they grapple with the science content.

If you’re looking for more help with NGSS implementation, be sure to stop by Tch Video Lounge and let us know how it goes!

Kathy Renfrew is the K-5 science coordinator for Westwood, Massachusetts schools. She has been deeply involved with the development and implementation of the NGSS and is co-developer/presenter of NSTA: Teaching NGSS in K-5 webinars. Kathy earned National Board Certification in 1998 and won the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2000. She taught science for over 30 years. While in the classroom, Kathy won a Toyota Tapestry grant and built a 16×20 foot log cabin with her students outside her classroom window. Kathy’s passion is improving science opportunities and education for all K-5 Students.