Making Sense of Sensemaking

Dive into the transformative world of science education with this groundbreaking guide.

In Making Sense of Sensemaking, readers will learn how to navigate the journey from traditional teaching to a dynamic, student-centered approach that emphasizes understanding over rote learning.

Grounded in the latest educational research and aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this book provides practical strategies for creating K–12 classrooms where students actively engage in scientific practices, explore real-world problems, and build knowledge through inquiry and collaboration. Readers will learn how to design lessons that foreground sensemaking through the integration of disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices to make learning relevant and exciting.

Teachers, educational leaders, and professional development providers will find valuable insights for supporting teachers in this shift, ensuring that science education becomes more equitable and effective for all learners. Making Sense of Sensemaking provides the tools and inspiration to elevate science education and cultivate scientifically literate citizens ready to tackle the challenges of the future.

Book Features:

• Describes what sensemaking is, why it is important, and how to design learning experiences that foreground sensemaking.
• Provides tangible examples of sensemaking experiences that can easily be incorporated into work in K–12 classrooms, university methods courses (preservice), and professional learning sessions (inservice).
• Shows how to develop teacher capacity for sensemaking and ways to build sensemaking into a lifelong journey of learning.
• Provides models, pedagogical strategies, and tangible examples that can be immediately implemented.
• Offers guidance and rubrics for assessing STEM learning experiences in K–12 classrooms.
• For more resources, including a searchable phenomena library, check out ngssphenomena.com.

TJ McKenna is a clinical assistant professor of science education and director of the Center for STEM Professional Learning at Scale at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development.

“McKenna highlights a dynamic system of resources and classroom practices that support those wonderful 'aha' moments for students. He illustrates how to choose authentic and complex phenomena for young learners to foster equitable forms of meaning-making dialogue, encourage the use of diverse scientific practices, and sustain a collaborative classroom culture focused on revising ideas over time.”
—Mark Windschitl, professor of science education, University of Washington, and author of Ambitious Science Teaching

“This book takes readers from initial introductions to the importance of sensemaking through creating classroom cultures; designing learning experiences; and thinking about supportive pedagogies, assessment, and teacher professional learning. I am grateful to see this book available as a resource for teachers who aspire to engage learners deeply in meaningful science teaching and learning.”
—Todd Campbell, department head and professor, University of Connecticut

“Everyone teaching science needs this book on sensemaking! TJ’s friendly, storytelling narratives show how to foster students’ sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. His strategies provide much-needed support for teaching sensemaking lessons that can bring joy, play, and discovery to science learning. Experienced and beginning teachers will appreciate TJ’s tools for creating energizing science lessons that engage learners in making sense of their worlds.”
—Christina Schwarz, professor and associate chair for graduate education, Michigan State University

Contents

Introduction  1

A New Vision for Science Education  4

What Is Sensemaking and Why Is It Important?  5

The Roles of Phenomena and Problems  6

Helpful Misconceptions?  8

Messy Real-World Data  10

Keeping Learning Coherent From Both the Teacher’s and the Students’ Perspectives  12

How to Use This Book  13

1.  Getting Started: How Do We Create a Culture of Sensemaking?  14

How to Introduce Sensemaking in Classrooms  16

The Complexities of Phenomena  18

The Challenges of Setting Norms for Productive Sensemaking  23

The Importance of Explanations in Science Education  26

2.  Designing Learning Experiences That Foreground Sensemaking  30

Instructional Units Grounded in Sensemaking and Coherence From the Student Perspective  31

Sensemaking as a Social Endeavor  33

Sensemaking Means That Ideas Change Over Time  37

Sensemaking Builds Incrementally Over Time  38

Equitable Sensemaking  39

Sensemaking: Students as Experts  43

Sensemaking and Multilingual Learners  44

Sensemaking in Elementary Classrooms  47

The Role of Technology and Engineering in Sensemaking for Young Children  51

Sensemaking in Secondary Classrooms  56

Sensemaking in Out-of-Classroom Settings  63

Practical Strategies for Sensemaking in Out-of-School Settings  64

Embracing Sensemaking as a Path Forward  66

3.  Pedagogical Strategies for Facilitating Sensemaking  68

Key Strategies to Introducing Mini-Reasoning Experiences  70

Importance of Mini-Reasoning Experiences  74

Highlighting the Three Dimensions With Sensemaking  76

Moving From Explainer to Facilitator of Learning  82

Sensemaking With Technology  88

4.  Assessing Sensemaking  93

STEM Notebooks  95

Discourse Circles and Student-Driven Discussions  98

Example Rubrics for Assessing Sensemaking  100

5.  Developing Teacher Capacity for Sensemaking  129

Methods Courses  132

Sensemaking Rehearsals  133

Professional Learning for Inservice Teachers  139

Leading Professional Development Programs Focused on Sensemaking for Inservice Teachers  143

Information for STEM Coaches and Administrators  147

Supporting Sensemaking at the District Level  149

Final Words: Building Capacity for Teacher Sensemaking  149

Conclusion: A New Vision for STEM Education: Sensemaking as a Lifelong Pursuit  151

References  153

Index  157

About the Author  163