Scaffolding pupils

1
Scaffolding pupils scientific explanations

• To work comfortably at level 5 pupils need to
  construct explanations of scientific observations
  using the key scientific ideas

• Pupils need to
• discuss which key scientific ideas are relevant
  to the phenomenon they are trying to explain
• discuss which model they think will best help
  with their explanation
• be encouraged to put their thinking down on paper
  and to sequence it into a coherent explanation
• practise putting their final thoughts into clear
  and precise prose
• Teachers need to
• make the processes involved in writing a
  scientific explanation explicit to pupils

2
Setting the question
Sunflowers from sunflower seed
From this
To this
Where does all that extra mass come from?
3
Using the key ideas to construct an explanation

• Brainwaves, See, Think/sequence, Paragraph
• The resources

4
Using the key ideas to construct an explanation

• Brainwaves, See, Think/sequence, Paragraph
• The process
• Using the information from the relevant sheets
• Gather and discuss ideas and vocabulary
• See, draw/sketch any diagrams or pictures
  theythink will help
• Think/sequence
• Paragraph