PGCE Science

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• PGCE Science
• Managing Enquiry

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Follow-up Last session

• Discuss Ward et al., and HQ Ch.7 and Ch.10. What
  are your views about the development of
  enquiry/inquiry skills?
• Make sure that you have completed your audits and
  printed off summary copies for your portfolio
• Use these to set targets for development. You may
  be able to do some of these on SE.

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Preparation for today

• Prepare HQ (2009) Ch.11

University of Winchester. PGCE Science
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Constructivist model Scott, P. (1987) A
Constructivist View Of Teaching And Learning.
Leeds University Press.

• Orientation
• Elicitation
• Restructuring, modification and extension of
  ideas
• Application of ideas
• Review and evaluation of ideas

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Features of an effective science lesson?
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School planning for a science lesson

• Lesson Planning
• Planning discussion sheet
• discuss example/s.
• Note University format and
• guidance in SE handbook.

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Headings from SE session plan pro-forma

• DATE TIME
• DURATION NC, NLS, NNS Refs
• TITLE/CURRICULUM FOCUS
• STUDENT TARGET/S
• LINKS TO PREVIOUS WORK
• LEARNING OBJECTIVES/INTENTIONS
• SUCCESS CRITERIA
• MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, RECORDING
• POSSIBLE ERRORS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
• RESOURCES
• ROLES OF OTHER ADULTS
• DIFFERENTIATION
• KEY LANGUAGE INDIVIDUAL NEED
• SAFETY
• Lesson content/organisation and management of
  Learning

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Managing Enquiry

• http//teachfind.com/teachers-tv/ks12-science-pr
  actically-science
• Sally Crowe, a primary AST leads a Year 4 class
  from Latchmere Primary School, Kingston upon
  Thames in a science investigation.

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Lunchbox scenario

• Year 1 class - science based lesson on food from
  plants.
• Lesson A There were a range of activities planned
  but childrens responses and potential
  misconceptions had not been thought through. The
  students own scientific subject knowledge was
  weak e.g. a picture of a chocolate bar and a
  mushroom was among items presented for children
  to discuss foods from plants. When a girl put her
  hand up to say the chocolate bar came from plants
  the students response was that there werent
  any chocolate trees.
• Lesson B This student had clearly thought through
  the potential issues around the same topic area.
  She ended the lesson by unpacking her lunchbox
  and getting the class to identify which items
  came from plants and this included a chocolate
  biscuit and a sandwich. This student had
  completed much more in depth preparation for her
  teaching and had additional resources to show
  children the source of different food items such
  as chocolate.

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Sc1 Factors/ Variables and Fair Testing

• occurs within the context of planning and
  carrying out investigations.
• is set up to answer a question such as What
  will happen if?
• 6- 7 year olds can consider fairness AFTER
  carrying out a test.
• Older pupils can consider fairness BEFORE doing a
  test.
• Fairness involves a discussion about variables -
  factors in an investigation that can be changed
  or kept the same.

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Why do I need to know about variables?

• So you can-
• Help children succeed with their investigations
• Manage investigations in class
• Understand the progression in Sc 1
• Assess childrens attainment in Sc 1

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Types of variable

• Variables that can be changed or manipulated
• Independent variables
• Variables that are to be measured or observed
• Dependent variables
• Variables to be kept the same in order for the
  test to be fair
• Controlled variables

Core 1 Science Session 3 KP
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Spellbound Science starting points for
enquiry

• Food in the Fridge
• What might you investigate?
• S Naylor B Keogh (2007) Millgate House
  Publishers
• Managing Enquiry Planning Reporting Boards

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Science - Thinking Skills and Key Skills

• See National Curriculum pp.20-22
• Consider science learning in the context of
  Thinking and Key skills.

• Thinking Skills
• Information processing
• Reasoning
• Enquiry
• Creativity
• Evaluation
• Key Skills
• Communication
• Application of number
• Information Technology
• Working with others
• Improving own learning performance
• Problem solving

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CASE - Cognitive Acceleration through Science
Education

• Key Stage 3 1984-87
• very well established in schools
• Key Stage 1 - CASE_at_KS1.HF 1998 (Lets Think!,
  nferNelson)
• Key Stage 2 2000
• (Lets Think through Science!, nferNelson)

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Lets Think through Science! (2000)

• AIM To help pupils to develop the ability to
  think in the context of science through a
  discussion based approach.
• Theoretical underpinning
• COGNITIVE CONFLICT - (Piaget) - provide
  appropriate challenge
• SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION - (Vygotsky) - encourage
  collaborative problem solving
• METACOGNITION - help pupils reflect
• on their progress in solving a problem.

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The Potato Challenge

• Concrete preparation
• Get into groups of 5
• Take a good look at all the equipment in front
  of you. Talk in your groups about what you think
  you are going to do today. Consider health and
  safety aspects. Feedback to everyone after 2 mins.

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The Potato Challenge

• Cognitive conflict and social construction
• Work as a collaborative group. Sort out rules
  which allow all the group to contribute and
  listen to each others views. Appoint one person
  to scribe the discussions for reference.
• Without using the equipment decide and pick up
  which potato is the heaviest. Record what you
  did. What did you need to know to find out? What
  questions were asked?

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The Potato challenge

• Cognitive conflict and social construction.
• Use all the equipment to find out which of the
  potatoes is heaviest. Record what you did.
• How can you be sure you are right?
• What could you measure?
• What are you looking for?
• Are you still working together collaboratively?

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The Potato challenge

• Cognitive conflict and social construction
• Collect a ruler and one 100g weight.
• In your groups use these new pieces of equipment
  to find out which potatoes are heavier than 100g.
• Reflect What did you do? What did you find out?
  Can you find alternative ways of finding this
  out?
• What do you think the band length will be if you
  had 200g on the end? Test your theory. Try 300g.
  Can you find a pattern? Where did you use the
  idea of bridging?

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The Potato challenge

• Metacognition - a good time for reflection Think
  back to how you found the heaviest potato at the
  beginning. How did the equipment help to refine
  your investigation. What were the rulers/weights
  for? How good/not so good were the methods you
  used? Can each member of the group identify when
  someone in the group helped to move their
  thinking on?
• Could you see this working in the classroom?

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• The Potato challenge was taken from
• Continuing Professional Development Unit
• http//www.azteachscience.co.uk/resources/cpd/lets
  -think-through-science.aspx
• Let's Think Through Science

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The TASC approachThinking Actively in a Social
Context

• Develop skills of research, investigation and
  problem-solving that can be used across the
  curriculum and across age groups
• Develop a positive sense of self as an active
  learner
• Develop skills of self-assessment
• In science suggested activities include field
  trips, collections, topics, nature walks, keeping
  a wild area, Sc1, making/visiting exhibitions,
  recording using photographs/videos/sketches/displa
  ys/ICT
• http//www.nace.co.uk/oldsite/tasc/tasc_home.htm

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The TASC approachQuestioning

• GATHER AND ORGANIZE - assess prior learning,
  generate ideas
• IDENTIFY - have clear objectives and assessment
  criteria
• DECIDE AND IMPLEMENT focus on task and find
  solutions
• EVALUATE - discuss examples that demonstrate the
  criteria
• LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE reflection
• Wallace, B. (ed.) (2001) Teaching Thinking
  Skills across
• the Primary Curriculum, London, Fulton.
• At each stage of the TASC problem solving wheel
  CHILDRENS QUESTIONS are integral tools.
• TEACHERS QUESTIONS are a model for the children.

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Using the TASC wheel

• Using your Potato knowledge and practical
  resources use the TASC wheel to answer the
  following problem
• Several Y2 groups have grown potatoes in their
  school allotment. The school canteen said they
  would love to try them out in their luxury
  cottage pie but they wanted no more than 500g of
  potatoes from each group.
• Unfortunately the weighing machines have broken
  so the chef suggested using a plastic bag, an
  elastic band, a ruler, and one 100g weight to
  help the children get as close to 500g as
  possible.
• The chef will only choose to take potatoes if the
  group presents their evidence in a convincing and
  interesting way showing how they arrived at 500g.

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TASC Practical Feedback

• Discuss
• How / when / in what circumstances might you
  adopt this approach? Give your reasons.
• If not, why not? How might you adapt the format?
• What are the implications for your role?

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CASE STUDY The Thinking Wheel Jones and
MewAZSTT and University of Winchester (2005)

• Research focus -
• How can we use the Thinking Wheel to support
  the development of childrens skills in
  scientific enquiry and language and thinking
  skills?
• Each section of the wheel represents a type of
  cognitive activity such as those used by Bloom
  (1956).

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The Thinking Wheel Jones and Mew(2005)
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The Thinking Wheel Jones and Mew(2005)

• We found using the thinking wheel a useful
  device for task design. It focused our attention
  on the structure of the lesson, types of
  questions we needed to ask, and the challenge we
  needed to pose to the children. It also helped
  with the pace of the lessons (Jones and Mew
  2005).

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Drake (2007) Linking Thinking Ducks - EY
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The Thinking Frames Approachhttp//www.azteachsci
ence.co.uk/resources/cpd/the-thinking-frames-appro
ach.aspx
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Think sheets
Think Slowly, break it down
Think Flexibly, what do I know?
This is like
Brainstorm Ideas what could I do?
Other peoples point of view - what is someone else doing?
What I will do
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SE tasks

• 1. Gather what information you can about the
  schools resources for teaching science
  equipment and materials, published schemes, books
  for teachers and children.
• Look at and make notes on the school science
  policy. What does this information tell you about
  the way in which the school teaches science and
  how the children are expected to learn?
• 2. Gather information about the ways in which
  the teacher plans for childrens learning in
  science. You may be able to collect
• planning for a term/half term, lesson plans, any
  ways in which science is delivered through other
  subjects e.g in English or mathematics.
• 4. Look at the schools science medium term plans
  and identify the progression from one activity to
  another. Look for progression in knowledge and in
  skills. This will be referred to in sessions.

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SE tasks

• You may also be able to
• Plan, conduct and evaluate a scientific activity
  with a small group of children.
• Try to find out what they already know before
  you do the activity by questioning or using a
  technique such as concept mapping.
• How will you plan for the children to develop
  investigative skills? Which particular skills
  will this activity allow them to develop?
• How will the practical work allow them to
  develop those skills?
• How will you know that they have developed those
  skills?

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Core 1 Assignment Science option see handbook

• The science assignment will draw on your
  participation in the science component of your
  course, and your reading and directed tasks
  within the field of science education. It will
  also be informed by your school experience both
  your teaching and/or observations of more
  experienced colleagues in school. In addition,
  your reflective journal will be a useful source
  of evidence.
• Title How teachers might use misconceptions to
  support childrens learning in science.

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• Part A A critical discussion (2000 words -
  please do not exceed the word count.)
• All children hold naïve ideas in science which
  go beyond the learning of information to include
  beliefs which do not match accepted understanding
  of scientific theories (Oliver, 2006 186).
• As children learn science the sense they make of
  what they are presented with can differ from what
  we expect. Learners have alternative frameworks
  or misconceptions. The challenges that teachers
  face include how to find out what children know
  why they think like this how to address these
  issues, so that children feel that their ideas
  are valued how to keep children motivated to
  move their ideas on. In your discussion consider
  
• at least two examples to illustrate, explore and
  analyse possible misconceptions
• suggest why children might have such
  misconceptions.
• discuss how you might address these and help
  children to build and develop their ideas. What
  questions would you ask and why? What
  activities/resources would you use to support
  learning?
• support your work with appropriate theoretical
  references.
• refer to the EYFS / NC to contextualise the
  progression in childrens learning of science.

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• Part B (2000 words - please do not exceed the
  word count.)
• Following on from Part A and your School
  Experience review and reflect critically on how
  your approach to teaching science has changed
  since the beginning of the course. In what ways
  has your teaching of science developed? Use
  examples from your own experiences of observing
  or teaching science in the primary school/ early
  years setting to reflect on your approach to
  teaching science, making appropriate links to
  support your discussion in Part A of this
  assignment.
• Oliver, A. (2006) Creative Teaching Science in
  the Early Years and Primary Classroom London
  Fulton

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Directed Tasks

• Follow up this session Read H Q (2009) Ch.13
  and Ch.19. Reflect on how you might develop
  effective planning for science investigations.
• READING PACK
• Harlen (2009) Science and Good Science
  Teaching. Review your understanding of science
  enquiry. How will YOU ensure that plenty of
  action is the basis for developing
  understanding?
• Preparation for next week Traianou (2007).
  Reflect on the relationship between your subject
  skills and knowledge in science and your future
  approach to teaching science in the primary
  classroom.
• Remember to complete all audits.