Go to Project 2061's Web site (requires Internet connection). Project 2061
Middle and High School Science Textbooks
A Standards-Based Evaluation


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Does the material suggest ways to have students check and reflect on their own progress?


Explanation. This criterion highlights the importance of having students look back at the progress of their thinking and learning. Monitoring one's understanding and realizing which ideas one does not understand can shift some of the responsibility for learning to the students and may elicit their attempts to understand as a result.

Responding to this criterion involves examining whether the material includes questions or tasks that prompt students to monitor their understanding, or includes suggestions to teachers on how to encourage students to do so. For example, "What was confusing to you today? How does the new knowledge compare with what you used to think? What do you think you understand and where do you need to work more?" Encouraging students to monitor their understanding should also include (when appropriate) questions on how and why students changed their ideas. For example, "Did you change any of your ideas today? What evidence convinced you to do so?"


Indicators of meeting the criterion

  1. The material gives students an opportunity to revise their initial ideas based on what they have learned (without asking them explicitly to think about how their ideas have changed).
  2. The material engages (or provides specific suggestions for teachers to engage) students in monitoring how their ideas have changed, but does so infrequently in the unit.
  3. The material engages (or provides specific suggestions for teachers to engage) students in monitoring how their ideas have changed and does so periodically in the unit.

Rating Scheme
Excellent: The material meets indicator 3.
Satisfactory: The material meets indicator 2.
Poor: The material meets indicator 1 at best.


Examples

To see the text of an indicator, place your mouse cursor over the relevant indicator number. The explanation will appear on your screen.

Key to Chart Symbols
Example(s) meet(s) the indicator.
Example(s) do(es) not meet the indicator.
Example(s) partially meet(s) the indicator.
  Not used to illustrate the indicator.
Life Science
  Indicator
Examples from
  Food for Plants  

  Food, Energy, and Growth  

  Material A
Physical Science
  Indicator
Examples from
  Matter and Molecules

  Chemistry That Applies

 

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