ADI's Make a Change Grant: Transforming Education with ADI Instructional Materials

Overview: The Make a Change Grant is designed to support the adoption and sustained use of ADI instructional materials in schools and districts. The initiative aims to foster major changes in teaching and learning in science, mathematics, or engineering while establishing a lasting infrastructure for continued improvement.

2023 Report, Pasco County Schools, Florida

Project: Pasco Investigates - Pasco County School

Creating a Vibrant Science Classroom with Argument-Driven Inquiry

In the quest to provide quality science education for students in grades K-5, educators rely on instructional materials as their guiding compass. These materials should not only capture the imagination of young minds but also foster a deep understanding of science and engineering concepts. In this blog post, we'll delve into the Science Instructional Materials Review Criteria, based on recommendations from "Science and Engineering in Preschool Through Elementary Grades: The Brilliance of Children and the Strengths of Educators." We'll also explore what each indicator looks like in a science classroom when using the Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) instructional model.

Indicator 1: Supporting Children's Learning, Engagement, and Proficiency

1A: Interesting Phenomena and Problems

In an ADI classroom, students are presented with intriguing phenomena and real-world problems as the starting point for their investigations. For example, students might explore why ice melts faster on certain surfaces, sparking their curiosity and setting the stage for inquiry.

Quality instructional materials are the cornerstone of effective science education. They have the power to inspire curiosity, engage students, and foster a deep understanding of scientific concepts. To ensure that science instructional materials for grades 6-12 meet the highest standards, educators can turn to a comprehensive rubric based on recommendations from "Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center." Let's explore this rubric, which evaluates materials on two key indicators critical for delivering a robust science curriculum.

Indicator 1: Lessons that Drive Inquiry and Exploration

Engaging science education should center around the principles of investigation and engineering design. These approaches encourage students to actively explore scientific phenomena, tackle real-world problems, and collaborate with their peers.

1A: Central Approach to Teaching and Learning

• No (0): The materials do not make investigation and design central to teaching and learning.
• Partially (1): The materials partially incorporate investigation and design.
• Meets (2): The materials make an investigation and design the central approach.

When it comes to science education, instructional materials play a pivotal role in shaping students' learning experiences. The right materials can make science come alive, engaging students in meaningful and rigorous ways that foster a deep understanding of the subject matter. To help educators evaluate and choose the best instructional materials for their classrooms, a comprehensive rubric has been developed for grades K-12. This rubric assesses materials on four key indicators, each of which is crucial for delivering high-quality science education. Let's delve into these indicators and understand how they contribute to effective science instruction.

Indicator 1: Addressing the Three-Dimensional Nature of the Revised TEKS

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Science have been revised to emphasize the three-dimensional nature of science education: Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Reoccurring Themes and Concepts (RTCs), and Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). Instructional materials must align with these TEKS to ensure students receive a well-rounded education in science.

Indicator 2: Creating Meaningful and Rigorous Learning Experiences

We’ve all sat around a table with someone explaining the latest initiative in education. The slide deck scrolls, the presenter reads from the screen, and teachers are tasked with figuring out implementation.

Accommodating the needs of every learner is a common challenge for teachers, especially with growing class sizes. We developed the Learning Hub’s Immersive Reader to offer personalized reading support for all students.

Some built-in features include:

• Translation for English Language Learners
• Text and contrast options for visual support
• Customizable line focus for text chunking
• Adjustable narration speed for audio processing

We invite you to explore these and other features in our interactive demo or keep reading to see screenshots of the Immersive Reader.

The Argument-Driven Inquiry team develops equitable STEM education opportunities from a teacher-first mindset. Experienced classroom teachers are in all departments of the ADI team. Additionally, team members taught at the elementary and secondary levels during the pandemic.

Like you, the ADI team experienced the pandemic from a teacher’s point of view. We merged our collective experiences with the needs of our students to build a resource for engaging and rigorous investigations.

Stephanie Basile

Which grade level(s) do you teach?

At the time of the President’s Award [Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2020], I was teaching 4th grade. The last two years, I have been teaching K-6 computer science and engineering. I teach at Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Northglenn, Colorado.

When did you first hear about ADI?

I started using ADI around 2018 when I took a course through the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. They were hosting it, and I had done a few educator courses through there. They were always great, so I decided to try this one. I really felt ADI brought everything together for me. Before ADI, I was combining parts and pieces from different areas, and it felt like ADI was the whole package where it took the kids through collaborating, problem solving, reflecting, and giving feedback to each other on their work. It gave them a lot of opportunities to work with and communicate on the topic.

The pandemic has been exceptionally hard for teachers and students because many districts did not have access to the resources they needed to provide rigorous and equitable learning experiences for all students in response to this crisis. Luckily, the second round of the Cares Act is providing additional funding to school districts. The goal of this program is to give students an opportunity to learn more during this coming summer and into the following school year.

• Name: Wendy Howe
• District: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
• Grade/Subject: Instructional Coach- Science 6-12
• Twitter Handle: @whowe67

Q: How and when did you first learn about ADI?

A: I attended an ADI session at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching several years ago.

Q: What do you like most about ADI (face to face or at a distance)?

A: Stages 3 and 4 are my favorite as students are able to share their findings with peers and receive feedback.

Q: How many ADI do you do in a typical year?

A: As the district trainer, I do many ADIs in a co-teaching model, so I do more than most teachers and conduct them in various courses and grade levels. Most of our teachers do 3-5 per year.

Q: What did you find most surprising or unexpected about ADI at a distance (virtual or hybrid)?

A: Students who are able to collect data away from the school building have really been engaged by the process.

Q: What did you find most challenging about doing ADI at a distance (virtual or hybrid)? How did you overcome that challenge?

A: The need for all students to be able to collect data is apparent for an accountability aspect. Homogeneous grouping for the hybrid model is more effective than trying to manage mixed groups of students with both face-to-face and online students. So, finding an equitable way for both types of students to collect data has been challenging. Conducting Stage 4 effectively is still a work in progress with virtual and hybrid students.

• Name: Shannon Wilson
• District: Magnolia ISD (Magnolia, TX)
• Grade/Subject: 6th Science
• Twitter Handle: @WilsonScience

Q: What kinds of scaffolds/support did you give the students as they were creating their argument?

A: Students used their lab handouts and I projected the image from ADI of the components of a whiteboard. I moved around and asked questions as they were working.

Q: How much experience do these students have with ADI?

A: In my class, this is the third ADI students have done this year. Some also have some experience from earlier grades (various levels depending on the elementary school that they went to and the teacher that they had).

Q: What do you like most about ADI?

A: I LOVE that students, using the same materials and guiding question, take different approaches to collecting their data and arrive at different (yet accurate) claims. In this investigation specifically, I like how students classified forces as being “balanced” “somewhat unbalanced” and “very unbalanced”. They noticed that forces, depending on the size, can cause the object to respond in ways that fall on a spectrum – not just one way or another!

• Name: Michelle Marinangel
• District: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
• Grade/Subject: 8th/ ASPIRE Pre-AP Biology
• Twitter Handle: @MsMarinangel (My account is currently locked with no tweets – it is on my list to contact twitter to get this issue resolved)

Q: How and when did you first learn about ADI?

A: I am a first year teacher. I learned about the ADI process and format from Wendy my science coach this year. We had a whole day together to chat about steps in the process and plan our first ADI of the year.

Q: What do you like most about ADI (face to face or at a distance)?

A: I enjoy the opportunity for students to truly become scientists. These situations include truly inquiring and designing on their own with the resources and information at hand. They learn to take risks and that it is okay to not get it right. They can always learn something from their choices along the way to answer our question.

Q: How many ADI do you do in a typical year?

A: This was my first ADI. I believe we typically aim to have students complete 2-3 each year in class.

Q: What did you find most surprising or unexpected about ADI at a distance (virtual or hybrid)?

• Name: Emily Kwon
• District: Independent
• School: Emerson School
• Grade/Subject: 8th Grade Physical Science

Q: How did you hear about ADI Online?

A: Over the summer of 2020 when many schools were preparing to go remote due to the pandemic, I was made aware of ADI Online through communications that I receive via email, as well as on the ADI website.

Q: What made you (or your school/district) go with ADI Online over other options?

A: I am such a fan of the Argument-Driven Inquiry science program. When our school announced that we would be teaching remotely due to the pandemic, I was very excited to learn more about the ADI Online program. I was pleased to discover the rigorous investigations, seamless flow for the students, and facilitation of anonymous peer collaboration.

Q: How much experience did you have with ADI prior to using ADI Online, and how do you think that has affected the way you use the platform?

A: I was first introduced to Argument-Driven Inquiry at the MSTA Conference in the spring of 2019. Previous experience has helped me to quickly acclimate to ADI Online because I was able to visualize what the process would look like if we were face-to-face. The ADI Online platform very closely mimicked the program I am accustomed to in the classroom, and provided me the opportunity to offer it to my virtual students

• We took a group of students through the High School Biology "Predator-Prey Relationships" Investigation in our new ADI Online Platform (powered by Eduflow) and were so impressed with their work that we wanted to show it off! The guiding question for this investigation was "How many wolves should be released, and when should the be released in the Pyramid Lake region to ensure that the wolf and sheep populations will be able to coexist?". To answer this question, the students used a simulation to learn about the relationship between the different organisms and the ecosystem's carrying capacity for each organism. Below you will find 2-3 students samples for each part of the process including creating and critiquing the investigation proposal, argument board, and lab report. You can navigate to the new pictures in each section using the left and right arrows.

• Name: Juliet Walls
• District: Clayton County
• Grade/Subject: 5th Grade Science and Social Studies
• Twitter Handle: @juliet_walls

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

Summer of 2018 district provided summer conference training. I was looking for a workshop that was interactive and that I could bring back to my classroom. I attended that week-long Introduction to ADI training. As teachers, we did the labs. We went through chemical properties and inherited traits. I am a hands-on person so I was really excited to be in the shoes of the students and I saw how I could differentiate as I brought it back to my classroom. I enjoyed it so much I didn’t even feel like I was having to get up and go to work.

Q: What do you like most about ADI?

The thing I love the most about ADI is the flexibility and the ability to reach students of all levels. When I took the course, I was worried about my students with disabilities and my ESOL students. The course really made me think about how I can reach my students. The discussions with the instructor made me really think about how to help these students. Also, students are more engaged in ADI because the investigation is in their hands. ADI pushes them to develop higher order thinking skills; traditional labs don’t do that.

Q: How did ADI first come to the attention of RRISD?

Our district science specialist attended a Texas Science Education Leadership Association meeting at ESC Region 13 in Austin, TX where Vic Sampson facilitated a session on ADI. The eight stages gave our team a vision for what inquiry-based instruction could look like in the science classroom in a step-by-step framework for doing science.

A clear understanding of the discipline and practices of science through the lens of engaging, and authentic learning experiences for all students was evident within the ADI model, and we appreciated that the model was written, “by science folks for science folks.” The focus on authenticity engaged students in the aligned content required by our rigorous standards; the focus on science processes and skills gave all students the opportunity to participate in the practices of science that are often missing in more traditional instruction. The focus on these processes has allowed teachers to incorporate robust literacy strategies into their classes, giving students an avenue to develop science literacy.

We found that such practices were difficult to incorporate into PBL models, which lacked discipline-specific practices. In our observations of students engaged in PBL lessons, we noticed that, though engaged in a project, students were not consistently mastering science content. Additionally, educators struggled with “getting” students to generate robust guiding questions - it felt coerced. For the time required for such projects, a lot of learning must be packed into these experiences! After all - a significant amount of learning is required by our standards!

• Name: Angel Buchanan
• District: Lake Dallas ISD
• Role: Campus Instructional Coach and Testing Coordinator, Lake Dallas Elementary
• Twitter Handle: @angel3may

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

One of our 8th-grade teachers was using Argument-Driven Inquiry and loved the model so our curriculum department head sent some of us to the ADI train the trainer. This allowed us to start introducing it to 3-5th grade teachers. We have been using it this year with all of our grade 3-5 science teachers, so 7 teachers on our campus. All the grade 3-5 in our district have been trained.

Q: How are teachers on your campus using ADI this year?

This year they are doing 2 labs. Next year we hope to familiarize our math and reading teachers so they can help with some of the ADI stages such as the argument and writing stages, we want to strengthen the cross-curricular connections. This will also help the science teachers so they don’t feel the entire weight is on their shoulders and so they have more time to do additional investigations. My goal is to do about one ADI a month, but I want teachers to feel comfortable with the model and see the value before we ask that of everyone.

Our featured teacher for January 2020 is Andrea Harrison. Andrea is a 7th-grade teacher in Frisco ISD, and you can find lots of great pictures of her students doing ADI on Twitter at @mommaloveslanda!

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

I first started with ADI in 2014 in a chemistry class when it was being rolled out with my district in McKinney, Texas. Since then I moved to Frisco, Texas and have been doing ADI with my 7th-grade students for the past few years as well as helping to train other teachers in my district and support teachers as an instructional coach on my campus.

Q: What made you decide to seek training in ADI?

I tried an ADI lab before getting a lot of training while in my previous district toward the end of the school year. I discovered that students were frustrated by the ADI investigation, not because of the process but because they didn’t know the “answer” to the investigation. At that point, I realized that our “recipe” labs were reinforcing concepts for students who already knew the material but that students were not actually learning through the labs. I had a true “ah-ha” moment. When I changed districts and I heard they were looking at using ADI labs, I knew I needed to learn more about how to maximize the potential impact it could have on my students.

Our featured teacher for December 2019 is Cassie Weilmuenster. Cassie is a 4th-grade teacher in Magnolia ISD, and you can find lots of great pictures of her students doing ADI on Twitter at @teachscrabble!

Q: How and when did you learn about ADI?

I learned about ADI last year before school began. This is a district decision to have 3-6th grade implement ADI. We had a big workshop in August 2018 and actually went through all of the stages of ADI.

Q: What made you decide to seek training in ADI?

Our Science Coordinator asked if I could come with her to be a trainer and I was excited because I really wanted to learn more about ADI. I wanted to be a better teacher for my students and a better point of reference to help others in my school/district.

Q: How many ADI do you do in a year?

In 4th grade, we are required to complete 4 ADI labs in a year, which we did this last year and will continue this year. I would like to do more in the future.

Q: What do you like most about ADI?

• How engaging the ADI labs themselves are.
• Getting to watch students and help them as they come up with their own plans.
• Stage 5 – Vic once said make it a game and just ask questions and that resonated with me. It’s always neat to hear what the kids say in this stage, for instance once when we were talking about insulators and conductors we got to talk about “What would happen if pizza boxes were made out of metal?” and that lead to some really cool conversations.

• Name: D’Anna Muhammad
• District: Clayton Public Schools
• Role: K-12 Science Instructional Lead

How did you become interested in ADI?

I was first introduced to ADI as it was being introduced to Clayton County science teachers. I was a classroom teacher at the time, so I was part of the first cohort of teachers using ADI here in the district.

How is your district rolling out ADI?

We rolled it out with just secondary science teachers in that initial year (5 years ago). It was introduced during the summer and then we implemented it in August. Right around our second year, ADI teachers received side by side coaching. That gave us an opportunity to try it and then know what questions we had and then have support so that we knew exactly what to ask based on the real experience with students. During the second year, the expectation for the number of labs was increased to 8 ADI’s per year and that has been the expectation since then. We’re in our second year of implementation with ADI in elementary, and we used feedback from the secondary teachers to help us develop a plan on how to roll that out.

Paul McEwan, high school science teacher in Hoover, AL and Alabama Teacher of the Year (2017-2018), talks about using ADI in his own classroom and the change he had to make as a teacher using ADI. Paul states that, "It was really philosophical change that happened for me at the end of the second ADI". See Paul's Story here.

Our #ADISlowChat was a great success. Thanks to everyone who participated. Most responses agreed that making mistakes is a huge part of the process and where the learning happens. We couldn't agree with you more! To see ADI happening in classrooms all over the country, follow @ArgumentDriven on Twitter.