Children’s use of higher order thinking

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Creativity and Excitement in Primary Science
Helen Wilson, Jo Thompson Oxford Brookes
University h.wilson_at_brookes.ac.uk
j.thompson_at_brookes.ac.uk
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The tension in the current English education
system?
My test results must improve
Creativity
Process driven
Content driven
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The stress on results means that there is a
tendency towards extreme instrumentalism in
learning if it is not assessed then it is not
important. Wilde et al (2006) Nuffield
Review Higher Education Focus Groups Preliminary
Report The Nuffield Review of 14 19 Education
and Training http//www.nuffield14-19review.org.uk
/cgi/documents/documents.cgi?a106ttemplate.htm
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Lessons from Gifted Talented
My test results must improve
Creativity
Process driven
Content driven
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Creativity
My test results will improve
Process driven
Content driven
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If you are willing to deal effectively with the
needs of able pupils you will raise the
achievement of all pupils. Renzulli
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A rising tide
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Evidence?
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Structure of the ProjectOriginally funded by
the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust
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16 Oxfordshire primary schools
2002 - 2004
Year 6 teacher
Science co-ordinator
CPD 8 days INSET
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London York
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Key Outcomes of Projects

• More emphasis on pupils independent scientific
  thinking
• Increased time within lessons spent in discussion
  of scientific ideas
• More focused recording by the pupils, less time
  spent writing
• More time for hands on, practical investigations

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Or, more simply

• More practical activity
• Deeper thinking
• More discussion
• Less writing
• More questioning

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Threads
Think
The Bright Ideas Time
Talk
Focused recording
Do
Practical science
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Focused recording
Questions
Pupils as researchers
Infusion Higher order thinking
Dialogue
Creativity
ICT
Problem solving
Coates, D. Wilson, H. (2003). Challenges in
Primary Science. London Fulton
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Blooms Taxonomy
High synthesis - hypothesising, showing
originality by creating, inventing and
composing evaluation - judging, rating and giving
opinions analysis - categorising and comparing
distinguishing between fact and opinion or
relevant and irrelevant information Middle appl
ication/use - transferring knowledge from one
situation to another similar one Low comprehensi
on - summarising and putting ideas
or information into other words knowledge -
remembering, reciting or listing facts
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Another definition of Higher Order Thinking

• Higher order thinking occurs when a person
  takes new information and information stored in
  memory and interrelates and/or rearranges and
  extends this information to achieve a purpose or
  find possible answers in perplexing situations.

Lewis and Smith (1993, p.136)
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Too busy working to have time to think?
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Bright Ideas Time
The Bright Ideas slot has taken off throughout
the school. It really encourages the pupils to
think it is rather like a science mental starter
All the project schools developed this discussion
slot
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Thinking time
Think Pair Share
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The Bright Ideas Time

• Game shows Odd One Out
• PMI
• A big question
• Concept cartoons

Discussing big ideas is more important than
finding the right answer
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The Odd One Out
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• Chocolate, paper, water

Which is the odd one out why?
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Which is the Odd One Out and why?
Salt
Sand
Iron filings
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Which is the odd one out why?
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Which is the odd one out why?
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http//www.azteachscience.co.uk/resources/cpd/brig
ht-ideas-in-primary-science.aspx
Video clip Odd One Out
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The Bright Ideas Time
Sheets of examples ofthe Bright Ideas Time
http//www.azteachscience.co.uk/resources/cpd/brig
ht-ideas-in-primary-science.aspx
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PMI
Chocolate door handles
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PMI A world without electricity
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• Positive Statements
• You wont waste so much energy
• Instead of electrical toys you would have wind up
  radios
• that would be fun!!
• The world would be equal

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• Minus Statements
• It would be very scary walking home at night.
• There wouldn'tt be a London underground.
• You wouldn'tt be able to watch T.V!

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• Interesting Statements
• You would have to be inventive in your spare
  time.
• Torches might become really fashionable.
• People might be fitter less T.V more
  exercise.

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The chocolate teapot
Living on the Moon
An eye in the middle of your hand
A world without friction
A flexible skeleton
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The Bright Ideas have been an excellent way of
stimulating discussion and questioning. They have
also come up with some far more interesting ideas
than I have thought of. I have noticed that the
more we do, the more scientific their ideas have
become. 
There is more of a buzz and children are a lot
more confident when sharing their ideas -
risk-taking has increased/improved greatly and
this has a positive knock-on effect
Incorporating Bright Ideas time into every session
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Practical Investigations Do people with the
strongest legs jump the furthest?
I think because
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Example Do people with the strongest legs jump
the furthest?
Responses from Year 2 pupils
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Rate these responses, according to the depth of
thinking involved

• Most of the time people jump further when they
  are stronger
• Muscles has got nothing to do with how far
  because muscles are if you carry heavy things not
  how far you go
• I think the people with the lightest legs will
  jump the highest because they dont have to lift
  as much
• There is no reason
• The people with the stronger legs are strong so
  they can jump higher
• I think the strongest legs will push the most
  and go the furthest.
• The people with the strongest legs will jump the
  furthest because they have the strongest legs.

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Year 2 Patterns in Data Evaluations

• Lillie had the biggest bit round the thigh but
  she did not jump the furthest
• I think its about how high you go because it
  takes longer to land

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• How to focus the LO in Sc1
• Concentrate on one particular aspect of an
  investigation, e.g.
• prediction
• planning
• results
• conclusion.

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Focus Recording on the learning objectives
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But then when you do an investigation, you
understand what you are actually writing about
and you can write a lot clearer.   If youre
just told to write something, but if you find out
something first and then report it, then you
learn.
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How do we know that the Earth is a sphere?
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If its flat, when you make the foundations for
a temple why doesnt it go through? Why
doesnt water fall off the edge if the Earth is
flat?
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Because gravity comes from the centre of the
earth, because a sphere is the smallest shape you
can make from the centre, it would most likely be
pulled up into a sphere.
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Why dont we sense the motion?
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Because were not going around fast
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But if everything is moving all the time, like
all the trees and houses, then you dont feel any
different from anything else.
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Label the parts of the flower Which is a
stamen? Where is pollen found?
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Cut up a flower see if you can find the parts
below. Do some research and find out what is the
yellow stuff on the anthers.
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What do you think the bee is covered in? What
will happen when the bee visits another
flower? Which came first, bees or flowers?
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Questioning contd.

• In pairs
• Look at the picture on the screen.
• What does it make you think about?
• What do you think it is?
• What would you like to know about this picture?

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Single pollen grain of chamomile
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• Which frog has a bigger mouth?
• Are you sure?  Measure to find out.

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What do you see?
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• Man Playing Horn... Or Woman Silhouette?
• Rabbit or duck?
• A Face Of A Native American... Or An Eskimo?

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In science, posing closed questions is a
necessary skill too!
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Guess who?
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When questions arise in the classroom that no-one
can answer, put them in the poster of the light
bulb
Questions
Challenge who can find the answer?
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The Light Bulb Award
I asked the best question this week
My question was
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• Recurring themes from pupil interviews
• Thinking about ideas
• Talking, discussing ideas with each other
• More doing for themselves (hands on)
  investigations, experiments
• Less writing 
• Fun, enjoyment, interesting
• Deciding for themselves what to do
• Understand and remember more by doing

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I really like the Bright Ideas bit, especially
the PMI, because it gets you thinking. they are
fun and get you thinking, which is what
scientists have to do. We used to have to write
more in science, but this year I have had to do a
lot more thinking and talking
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Sports Model (Freeman)
Provide
Identify
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• Pell and Jarvis (2001) in UK and Piburn and Baker
  (1993) have found that childrens enthusiasm for
  science decreases with age in primary schools.

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They love science! They are very enthusiastic
feel that they are learning in a more interesting
way
I have enjoyed science more think this has
rubbed off on the class
They are far more interested in science always
want to do more
That was good, you had to think a lot moreit
makes science much more fun
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I have give my children more opportunities to
discuss their ideas about science topics and have
found that they are more willing to share their
ideas with me and others.
It has been a great opportunity and the ideas
learnt will definitely continue to be used and
developed..
They have become more abstract in their thinking
and have found activities more fun
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of pupils in project attaining level 5 53
of pupils nationally attaining level 5
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Number of pupils in project 412
A significantly higher proportion of children
achieved the highest level in the project schools
than was the case nationally.
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Conclusion
The findings of this project suggest that the
making of time for thinking through discussion
and practical science is a priority in the
primary classroom which should not be squeezed
out by a content driven approach.