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A WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY/SECONDARY SCIENCE
TEACHERS - JULY 2006
Barbara Spurr and Mary Loveless
Advisers in Science EducationSchool Support Services - New Zealand
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Learning Intentions:
To model good teaching practice as a means of improving science learning in the classroom
To familiarise teachers with a range of teaching, learning and assessment strategies that assist recognition of student prior learning, facilitate student engagement and support the learning process
Contents
PagesConcept Cartoons 4,5Tea Bag Rocket 6Punctured Balloon 7Flowering Paper 8Frisky Fish 9Bounce Back 10Sugar Sweet 11Amazing Toothpicks 12Mystery Mix 13Bubbling Explosion 14A Curly Question 15Magic Bean 16Magic Bean Templates 17Roto-Copter 18Roto-Copter Templates 19,20Question Addition 21Investigating Fizz Pop Rockets 22Thinking Science: Making Groups 23, 24Thinking Science: Making Groups; Activities 25,26,27Living and Non-Living Cards 28, 29, 30Big Animals Cards 31An Interactive Framework 32Classifying Animals Cooperative Learning Activity 33Classifying Animals Cooperative Learning Activity Cards 34Making a Model Cell 35,36The Digestive System 37,38The Human Heart and Circulatory System 39The Human Heart and Circulatory System Cards 40Inside the Eye 41Inside the Eye Cards 42Constructing a Circuit Cards 43Constructing a Circuit Diagrams 44,45
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Jig-Saw: Investigating the Plane as Working System 46Barrier Activities Overview 47Barrier Activity Cards 48,49,Classification Key for Crawling Creatures 50,51,52Barrier Activity Cards 53,54,Key Word Chase – Living World 55,56Key Word Chase – Material World 57,58Structure Challenge 59
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Concept CartoonsBy
Stuart Naylor and Brenda Keogh
Concept cartoons are cartoon-style drawings which put forward a range of viewpoints about the science involved in everyday situations. By offering new ways of looking at the situation they make it problematic and provide a stimulus for developing ideas further. They are designed to intrigue, promote discussion and to stimulate scientific thinking.
They do not necessarily have a single” right answer”. In many cases the only reasonable conclusion is “it depends on …” Even apparently simple situations can have a number of possible complicating factors when they are examined closely. The idea is to introduce the concept that scientific problems may not have a single correct answer. This then reinforces a view that science is tentative, in which beliefs are justified by the evidence available but can be modified if additional evidence emerges.
Possible uses of Concept Cartoons Making learners’ ideas explicit Challenging and developing the learners’ ideas Illustrating alternative viewpoints Providing a stimulus for discussion Helping learners to ask their own questions Providing starting points for investigation Promoting involvement and enhancing motivation Applying scientific ideas in everyday situations As a means of differentiation Promoting language and literacy learning Providing a purpose for discussion and argument Enabling learners to experience uncertainty and cognitive conflict To challenge learners ideas and move to a deeper understanding Introduction of a “minds-on” approach to science As an extension or consolidation To summarise a topic Extra curricula activities Sharing and promoting learning science with parents
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What You Do:1. Using the concept cartoon with the speech bubbles filled in
Discuss the conversation the characters are having about the scene Which of the characters do you agree with? Why? Did you reach a consensus? How could you investigate the situation to find out which alternative(s) is most
acceptable? Share your ideas
2. Using the concept cartoon with the blank speech bubbles Consider the statement the character has made What do you think will be the responses of the other characters? How could you investigate your ideas? What are the science concepts that you need to help you to understand the situation? Discuss the cartoon with the filled in speech bubbles Which of the characters do you agree with? Why? Did you have different ideas from the characters?
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Tea Bag Rocket7
What You Need: Tea bag that has
an attached string Matches Square of foil
What You Do:1. Remove the staple and string from the tea bag
without tearing the bag2. Carefully empty the tea from the bag and
discard the tea leaves3. Open up the tea bag to form a tube4. Place the tube on the square of foil so that it is
sitting on one of its open ends5. Strike the match and light the top of the tube
and allow it to burn down to the base6. Predict what you think will happen 7. Observe the tea bag closely 8. What do you notice?9. Explain what you think is happening
Caution: Make sure there are no air draughts near your rocket and take extra care to remove any nearby flammable objects when you light the tea bag
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here?This activity demonstrates the movement of heat energy by convection currents of moving air. The currents are generated when dense air (cool air), replaces less dense air (warm air).
As the flame moves down the tea bag, all that remains is very light ash. The flame heats the air in and around the tube; this draws cooler air under the rocket creating a convection current. When the burning rocket gets light enough, the convection current rises to the ceiling and the burning tea bag rocket will slowly rise on the flow of air.
Aluminium foil
Tea bag tube
Punctured Balloon
Key Concepts: LubricationAir pressure
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What You Need:A balloon Kebab skewerCooking oil Small coinPaper towels
What You Do:1. Place a 5c coin into a balloon2. Blow up the balloon until it is about ¾ the size of the
skewer and tie the end in a knot3. Dip the skewer into the cooking oil so that about 1/3 is in
the oil4. Hold the pointed end of the skewer near the knot in the
balloon where the rubber is not so stretched5. Predict what you think will happen when you carry out
step 66. Using a twisting and pushing movement begin to force
the skewer through the balloon7. Aim for the thicker part of the balloon at the opposite
end to the knot where the balloon is not so stretched and continuing to twist and push, force the skewer through the balloon.
8. Observe what happens9. Can you explain why this happened? ( If the balloon
popped, try again)10. Pull the skewer back through the second hole you made.
Put your finger over this hole.11. Gently shake the 5c coin inside the balloon until it is
over the second hole. (You may have to shift the coin using the skewer)
12. Predict what you think will happen when you carry out step 13
13. Remove your finger from the hole14. Observe what happens to the coin15. Can you explain why this happened?
What’s Happening!The more you blow up the balloon, the more the rubber stretches and becomes thinner, but the rubber does not stretch as much at the bottom or the top near the knot. By pushing the oil covered skewer through the less stretched parts of the balloon, the top and bottom, there is less chance of tearing and popping the balloon. This is because the rubber molecules are not fully stretched as around the side and they allow themselves to be pushed aside without popping – if you are careful. The cooking oil acts like a lubricant and allows the skewer to slide more easily through the balloon and also acts as a seal around the skewer and the sides of the balloon. The greater air pressure trying to escape through the hole forces the coin to be pressed against the side of the balloon acting as a seal.
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What You Need: Several different
types of paper Scissors Pencil Ruler Bowl of water
What You Do:1. Using the pencil and ruler, draw 5 squares
arranged in a cross, so that they look like a + sign (make each square about 2.5cm along each side)
2. Cut the cross out3. Fold in the four arms of the cross, so they are
folded on top of the middle square4. Predict what you think will happen when the
folded cross is placed on the surface of the water, with the middle square on the bottom
5. Observe the paper closely 6. Explain what you think is happening7. Repeat with different types of paper 8. Compare what happens9. Explain why
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here? When using photocopy paper the cross will unfold slowly, one square at a time. There are two processes happening here. The first is capillary action. Paper is made up of tiny fibres of wood, which have small gaps between them. the surface tension of the water pulls the water into these gaps, so it is absorbed into the paper. This capillary action leads to the second process. When the paper is folded, some of the gaps were squashed. As the water filled the gaps, the pressure of the water pushed the gaps back into their original shape, so the paper straightened out again. When the pressure of a fluid inside an object pushes it into a certain shape, it is called turgor pressure.There are many objects whose shape is caused by the pressure of a fluid inside it. A balloon is a simple example, but many plants are also held up by turgor pressure. The cells of the plants contain water that pushes out on the walls of the cells. The pressure of the water inside the cells keeps the cells rigid. If a plant starts to dry out, the pressure inside the cells is reduced, so the cells become less rigid and the plant starts to droop. This is why many plants go limp if they lack water.
Your Task: List at least 3 observations that you noticed from the time that you placed the paper in the water
Asking and refining questions
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What You Need: A frisky fish
shape Paper towels Water
What You Do:1. Place the cellophane fish on the palm of your hand. Observe what happens2. Now place the cellophane fish on a hard surface. Observe what happens3. Dampen a paper towel by dipping it in water and squeezing out as much
water as you can. Flatten the towel on the table and place the fish shape on top
4. Observe what happens5. Brainstorm your ideas about what might be happening6. What questions do you have about what you have just observed?7. Design an investigation to test out one of your ideas
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here?The cellophane fish curls and twists because it absorbs moisture from the palm of your hand and then loses water due to evaporation. The fish is made from a cellophane polymer that is hygroscopic, (“Hydro” means water and “scopic” meaning to view or find.) Moisture is absorbed into the fish through small holes in the cellophane by a process called capillary action. As the side of the fish toward the hand absorbs more moisture, the cellophane begins to swell causing the ends of the fish to curl up. The lightness of the cellophane makes it react to air currents which give a “dancing” effect. The heat of your hand then causes evaporation to occur.
The fish will react differently with different people depending upon the warmth of the hand and the amount of moisture on the palm. The fish will flatten out on a warm dry surface as the moisture evaporates and no new moisture is added. The fish reacts on the damp towel as it did on your palm as it again absorbs water.
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What You Need: A bouncy ball, such a
superball or high-bounce ball
Table A flat object such a
book or folder Detergent A friend
What You Do:1. Have your friend stand at the end of the table2. Hold the book or folder about 30cm above
the table3. Ask the friend to throw the ball so it bounces
off the table, hits the book, hits the table again and then bounces out the other side (so it goes in a W shaped path)
4. Make sure the ball is thrown gently (you may need to adjust the height of the book to help them)
5. Predict what you think will happen 6. Observe the ball bounce carefully7. Explain what you think is happening8. Coat the ball in detergent and try again9. Compare what happens
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here?The dry ball will bounce back in the direction it came from and the detergent coated ball will continue in the same direction. There are two things that make the ball bounce backwards: friction and spin. Rubber balls are very elastic, which means that when they hit something they bounce back in the opposite direction. If you drop the ball straight down, it will bounce straight up again. If you give the ball a bit of sideways spin when you drop it, it will bounce off in the direction of the spin. When it hit the table, the rubber at the bottom of the ball was moving sideways. Because of friction, the rubber grips the table and bounces back in the opposite direction. This pushes the ball off to the side and reverses the direction it is spinning.The first time the ball bounced off the table, it kept moving forward, but friction between the table and the ball at the point where they touched made the ball start to spin with the top side of the ball going forward and the bottom going backwards. When the upper side of the ball hit the book, the bit where it touched was moving forwards, so when it bounced it was pushed backwards. It also reverses the direction it spins.When the ball hits the table the second time, it was still spinning. However, because of the direction it is spinning, when it hits the table it is pushed forward, back to the person that threw it.When the rubber is coated in detergent, it becomes slippery, so there is very little friction between the ball and the book. When you now throw the ball, it barely spins at all when it hits the table and even if it did spin, it doesn’t grip the book enough to bounce backwards.
When a spinning ball bounces, it reverses its spin and bounces off to the side
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What You Need: Small flat white
container Water Blu Tack 4 Gobstoppers (4
different colours)
What You Do:1. Place four pieces of Blu Tack evenly
around the edge of the container2. Press a different coloured gobstopper
firmly onto each of the pieces of Blu Tack3. Carefully pour water into the container
until the gobstoppers are covered4. OBSERVE carefully what happens5. What questions do you have about this
activity?6. If we changed the …. Would the ….? 7. Could we try….?8. How could you answer your questions?9. Think about visiting a library, searching
the internet, or asking an expert
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here?This activity only works with sweets where the colour is embedded in a sugar coating, because it is the sugar that creates the effect, not the colour. Gravity is the driving force that spreads the colour. As the sugar (and colour) dissolve, a dense solution is formed that sinks to the bottom where it is pushed outward by the solution still falling from above. When the two colours meet the concentrations are the same, so they stop. After a much longer period, if you look closely, diffusion will start to cause spreading. colour
Gobstoppers
Key Concepts: Surface tensionCapillary actionAdhesionCohesion
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What You Need:EyedropperToothpicksContainer of waterLaminated card or foil
What You Do:1. Snap one toothpick in half so that the two halves
remain connected2. Place the snapped toothpick on a piece of
laminated card3. Predict what you think will happen when you
carry out step 44. Using the eyedropper place two or three drops of
water on the break in the snapped toothpick (see figure 1)
5. Observe carefully what happens6. Explain what has happened7. Now snap five toothpicks in half making sure
that the two halves remain connected8. Arrange the five toothpicks like the spokes of a
wheel on a piece of laminated card (see figure 2)9. Predict what you think will happen when you
carry out step 1010.Using the eyedropper place a few drops of water
in the centre of the wheel11.Observe carefully what happens12.Explain what has happened
What’s Happening!Water molecules are attracted to each other. The attraction of one water molecule to another is called cohesion. One result of the attraction, or cohesion of water molecules, is called surface tension. The cohesive property of water is shown by the rounded shape of the water drops on the laminated card. The attraction and attaching of a substance to something else is called adhesion. The water drops are attracted to the toothpicks and then absorbed by them through capillary action. The toothpick is made up of dead plant cells; the water that is absorbed by the toothpick fills the interior of the cells causing them to expand. This expansion causes the toothpicks to move.
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What You Need: Calcium chloride
(Damp Rid) Baking soda Food colouring Teaspoon (5ml) Clip lock bag Film canister water
What You Do:1. Measure 2 teaspoons of baking soda and tip
into the bag2. Measure 4 teaspoons of calcium chloride,
Mix the 2 substances thoroughly3. Half fill the film canister with water4. Add 3 drops of food colouring to the water in
the film canister5. Without tipping the water out, carefully put
the film canister into the bag holding it upright (Don’t tip the water out)
6. Ziplock the bag closed, squeezing as much air out as possible
7. Predict what you think will happen when the water is tipped into the mixture
8. Observe the contents closely while holding the bag by the base
9. Explain what you think is happening
Put the bag in the rubbishWash your hands!
Your Task:List at least 5 observations that you noticed from the time that you tipped the water into the mixture of chemicals
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here? Anhydrous Calcium Chloride (CaCl2 with the water removed), reacts with water to produce heat. This heat in turn reacts with the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda), a carbonate, to produce a gas – carbon dioxide. This is an example of an exothermic chemical reaction; one that gives out heat to the surroundings. Hence the bag feels warm.
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What You Need: Clip lock bag Teaspoon Tartaric acid Baking soda Film canister Water
What You Do:1. Carefully place 1 teaspoon of baking soda in
the plastic bag 2. Add 1 teaspoon of tartaric acid to the bag3. Fill a film canister with water and carefully
sit it on the bottom of the inside of the plastic bag. (Don’t tip the water out)
4. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can5. Zip lock the bag closed 6. Predict what you think will happen when you
carefully shake the bag so that the water, tartaric acid and baking soda are all thoroughly mixed together
7. Observe the contents closely while holding the bag by the base
8. What do you notice?9. Explain what you think is happening
Put the bag in the rubbishWash your hands!
Your Task:List at least 3 observations that you noticed from the time that you tipped the water into the mixture of chemicals
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here? Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda) a carbonate, reacts with acid, in this case tartaric acid to produce a gas – carbon dioxide. This is an example of an endothermic chemical reaction; one that takes heat from the surroundings. Hence the bag feels cold.
What’s with the paper man?
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You have been given three pieces of paper, which are the same size. Fill three shallow containers with water and place each of the pieces of paper carefully onto the surface of the water, one per container. Each piece should sit flat, not touching the sides of the saucer
Observe closely for 30 seconds
What is happening to each piece of paper?
Your task now is to brainstorm as many ideas / questions as you can to help investigate the mystery
These starters could help you:What would happen if… How can we…If we changed the…would the… Would it be possible to…If… What happens when…Could we try… Will this work with …
What learning is going on here and how do we know? How could we find out?
Place marble inside
Diagram 1
Diagram 2Diagram 3
What You Need:ScissorsTemplateSticky tapeMarbleRamp
What You Do:Cut out the template Fold up the template as shown in diagram 1Use a loop of sticky tape to secure the bottom long flap in placePlace a marble or two into the container you have made – see diagram 2Fold down the upper long flap and secure in place with another loop of sticky tape – see diagram 3Construct a ramp by tilting a table or use books and a long piece of thick cardPlace the magic bean at the top of the slope in an upright position and let go
Things you could change:Size of containerNumber of marblesMass of marblesShape of massMaterial the container is made ofRatio of mass to sizeColour of beanGradient of slopeSurface of slopeLength of slope
Things you could observe or measure:Speed of rollDoes the bean work or not?Direction of flipsNumber of flipsSound effect
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What You Need: Copy of the Roto-copter
template Scissors Paper Clips
What You Do: Hold the Rot-copter by the
paper clip Throw it like a baseball, as
high and far as you can You can also stand on a
chair and drop it
Why does the rot-copter spin?When the roto-copter falls, air pushes up against the blades, bending them just a little. When air pushes upwards on the slanted blade, some of that thrust becomes a sideways, or horizontal, push. Why doesn’t the rot-copter simply move sideways through the air? That’s because there are two blades, each getting the same push, but in opposite directions. The two opposing thrusts work together to cause to spin.Does it fall clockwise or counter clockwise? Bend the blades in opposite directions. Now which way does it spin?
Challenge:How can you modify the design to make it fall
slowly?
A CE
B D
A CE
B D
A CE
B D
A CE
B D
A CE
B D
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Size doesn’t matter templates22
A B
C D
A B
C D
A B
C D
Question additionA good starter activity
Involves: Asking and answering questions Group interaction Clarifying ideas
What You Need: A focus question or piece of material e.g. what would you like to know about
this …? or what questions have you regarding this…? There needs to be enough equipment for the students to work with after the
questions have been exhausted and answers need to be found.
What You Do: Divide the class into small groups Each member of the group asks a question about the material Record the questions on slips of paper Read the questions out, but do not try to answer them at this stage Everyone in the group must ask a question before any questions are answered Attach the questions to a large sheet of paper Group members can now try to answer the questions that have been posed in this first
round Questions that are answered are crossed off All questions that were asked in the first round are either
o Answered to the questioners satisfaction o Partially answeredo Not answered at all
Questions in the last two categories will not be crossed off Following this there are several more rounds of questioning – answering All unanswered questions are then listed for large group discussion At this stage they may need to be reworded or adjusted to allow for possible
investigation
Some Alternatives: A variety of equipment is supplied to help find answers There is a need to limit access to the equipment until after the second round of
questions You could use a “speak ball” when answering. A student holds the ball until they finish
giving their answer and then pass it on to the next person It must be remembered that equipment can help to broaden the questions asked Group size is very important so that everyone gets a chance to answer
Adapted from: A Selection of Teaching Strategies and Presentation IdeasCompiled by Warren Bruce and Barbara SpurrPublished by the Teacher Support Services, Christchurch College of Education
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What You Need: Film canister Water Blu Tack ¼ effervescent tablet
What You Do:1. Attach a ¼ fizzy tablet to the inside of the lid of an empty film canister with
Blu-Tack2. Half fill the canister with water3. press the lid firmly into place4. Invert the canister5. Stand well back6. Predict what you think will happen7. Observe what happens 8. What questions do you want to find out about the rockets?9. How could you find out more?10.Brainstorm some questions that you would like answered about this activity
Try these for starters: Does it matter if ….?Could we try….?
11.What do you need to think about?
Thinking Science: Making groupsOverview
Much classification work teaches setting: dividing things into smaller and smaller groups, but there is no single strategy for classifying things in a formal way. Classification involves clarifying or identifying the goal of a particular classification, i.e. why is it helpful to classify or categorize this particular group of items that have similarities and differences. This in turn determines what characteristics are chosen. If these prove not to be adequate for the purpose, new criteria must be applied and reclassifying takes place. This is a mental ‘feedback’ loop. Characteristics are variables. There are five different ‘sorting’ activities in this section; each highlights a different aspect of classification and a different purpose. This encourages the development of problem-solving strategies. Flexibility and an understanding of the open nature of problems are encouraged.
What You Need:
Per group
Activity sheets ‘Big animals’ sheet / cards Eight test tubes in a rack, labeled A-H, containing small quantities (less than enough to
fill the rounded bottom of the test tube) of: calcium carbonate, CaCO3; calcium sulphate, CaSO4; carbon powder; copper sulphate; hydrated CuSO4 5H2O; iron ll sulphate, FeSO4; potassium nitrate, KNO3; sodium chloride, NaCl; sulphur powder.There is nothing magical about these particular substances, as long as you have a selection which includes some white and soluble in water, some white and insoluble, some coloured and soluble, and some coloured and insoluble.
For whole class One or two sets only: selection of about 15 tins, packets, jars, etc from the supermarket,
with as much variety as possible. Examples might include baked beans, tinned fish, meat, cake mix, jam, pet food, herbs, flour, vegetables, orange drink, etc.
Instead of real packets and jars you could use cut out pictures from magazines or drawings and a large sheet of paper with a store cupboard drawn on it.
Safety note: Care should be taken with general handling of the chemicals. Iron (II) and copper sulphate are harmful. Potassium nitrate is an oxidizing agent. Keep the sulphur away from flames as it produces a toxic gas. Avoid possible contamination with the other chemicals.
What You Do:
The order of activities is not important except that Activity 1, Living and non-living things, should be done first by everyone and Activity 5, Thinking back, must be done last.
Activity 1: Living and non-living things. Give out the cards and ask the students to complete part 1. You may tell them that there are 13 living things in the list. Encourage them to compare their lists with others. This helps them to become conscious of their own sorting strategies. After they have had a chance to debate through their own differences of opinion, you can summarise. Incidentally, this activity may highlight misconceptions for individuals. These could be followed up later.
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There need be no presentation of the seven accepted characteristics of living things. Many will arise naturally from the discussion. The aim is not to teach these but to highlight how sorting things depends on choosing characteristics and then looking for their presence or absence in everything. Explore the word ‘characteristic’ and draw attention to characteristics being like things that vary.
Activity 2: Chemicals. Here the classification relies both on visual characteristics (coloured or white) and on a functional property (solubility). These two characteristics are used simultaneously to form sets and subsets. The 2 X 2 table encourages the use of the two differences simultaneously, making four groups.
Activity 3: Store cupboard. This presents students with a real situation where classification is useful. Characteristics chosen depend on the students’ own perception of a useful sorting method. Labelling the shelves forces them to make their characteristics explicit. There should be discussion and argument about the ‘best’ way to arrange things in the store cupboard. If there are too many subsets for the number of shelves the point is made that a classification is only useful if it simplifies the situation. To be easily classifiable, objects should have a number of common features. Students need to gain confidence in dealing with ‘no right answer’.
Activity 4: Big animals. Once again it is not important that students learn correct biological criteria for classifying. They should look for useful characteristics from the drawings, from what they know about the animal’s habitat or diet. Characteristics that are selected must be applied consistently to all of the animals. There are several different solutions to this problem, some better than others because they use more observable characteristics or would serve a more useful purpose.
Activity 5: Thinking back. This is the explicitly metacognitive section, where you encourage students to think about the way they have tackled the different classifications. Use the students’ answers to questions at the end of each activity to highlight what makes classifying some things easier then others. Some points that may be raised are: familiar things are generally easier to classify then unfamiliar ones. In science many things are unfamiliar. Visible characteristics tend to be easier to use but sometimes it is more useful to use functions or more abstract characteristics, such as habitats of animals, or types of reactions of chemicals. The selection of characteristics to be used depends on the purpose of the classification. Only groups with a number of shared characteristics can be classified into small subgroups with any meaning. Groups of randomly selected items are too different and their classification would be too complex to be useful. A 2 X 2 table helps to classify a group of similar things into four using just two differences.
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Activity sheet 1
Names …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Making groups
Here is a list of living and non-living things. Put a tick by everything you think is living. Alternatively use picture cards to sort the groups.
How did your group decide what was living?
Are there more animals or more living things?
There are eight chemicals in the test tubes A to H.
Divide the chemicals into two groups, using their appearance.
Group Chemicals (letters on test tube) Appearance (Characteristics)1
2
Take a very small amount of each chemical in turn and shake it gently with water. If the solid disappears, and the liquid is left clear, that chemical is soluble. If the liquid is still cloudy, that chemical is insoluble.
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Activity 1 Living and non-living things
Activity 2 Chemicals
car milk grass
cloud seaweed rose
bird nature energy
fish snail rain
insect tree rain
planet cat fox
wind human fire
moss book water
Activity sheet 2
Names …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Divide the chemicals into two groups, using solubility as the characteristics for deciding how to divide them.
Group Chemicals (letters) Solubility (Characteristics)
3
4
Now use both characteristics together to divide the chemicals into four groups.
Write the appearance characteristic here
Group 1 Group 2
Group 3: soluble
Group 4: insoluble
Look at the selection of tins and packets. Sort them out so that you can store them on the shelves on the drawing of the cupboard. Alternatively use drawings or pictures.
Write a label for each shelf, saying what the characteristics of the things on that shelf are. Sort the tins and packets onto their right shelf. Make a note of what you decide.
Which things were particularly difficult to classify?
Where would you put them? Why?
Have other groups used the same classification system as you?
Think of why other people may not have used the same system.
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Activity 3 Store cupboard
Activity sheet 3
Names …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Look at the pictures of big animals. All of these animals share at least one characteristic, they all have backbones.
Sort them into three or four groups. Use these rules: Each group must have at least two animals. The members of a group must share at least one characteristic. Each group must be different from every other group.
Look at some of the other groups’ classifications.
Have they got the same groupings of animals as yours?
How are their groups the same?
How are their groups different?
Are their groups better than yours are? Why do you think they are/are not?
Put a tick by the classification activity you found easiest. Put a cross by the one you found most difficult.
Activity 1: Living and non-living things Activity 2: Chemicals
Activity 3: Store cupboard Activity 4: Big animals
Why was the one you ticked the easiest?
Why was the one you marked with a cross the hardest?
Has every other group ticked and crossed the same things?
Write a group sentence describing someone in the group and using the word characteristic.
Why do you think it is useful to be able to classify things?
Adapted from: Thinking Science; P.Adey, M. Shayer and C. Yates 2001
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Activity 4 Big animals
Activity 5 Thinking back
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Moss
Car Cloud Bird Fish
Insect Planet
Wind
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Milk
Seaweed Nature Snail
Cat
Human
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TreeBook
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BambooTiger
Fire Water
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An Interactive Framework
Focusing / initiating activity (ies)e.g. Post-box, interviewing
to focus thinking to clarify ideas, attitudes
and values to share ideas
Generating QuestionsWhat questions do you have about…..
Finding answers to questionsIndividually, small groups, whole class
Research from library, books Survey students, teachers, parents, others Carry out investigations Use the internet, CDs, videos Contact ‘experts’ Invite an ‘expert’ to visit
Presentation of findingsIndividually or in groups
Written report Role-play Charts, mobiles, models Poems, songs Video, CD, DVD Mock TV interview
Purposes of the approach
The term ‘interact’ is used here in the sense of an interchange of talk among people who respect each other’s ideas. From a teacher’s point of view this begins with a genuine desire to know what the learner thinks (and why). The main purposes of an interactive approach to teaching and learning are: To identify the student’s ideas and questions To provide students with stimulating experiences either to confront and explore those ideas or as a
basis for developing ideas; in either case the experiences should help students raise questions To help students develop, clarify, modify and extend their ideas through seeking answers to
questions they are interested in (or can be interested in) or through checking proposed answers To encourage students to reflect critically on how they came by an idea and whether it is a sensible
and useful one To assist students develop the skills they need to ask better questions, plan and carry out
investigations, and construct and communicate ideas To help students realise that explanations of why things behave the way they do are frequently not
‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but are rather consistent with evidence or inconsistent, useful or less useful, plausible or not plausible, intelligible or not intelligible, and
To convey to students an awareness that their ideas are valued.
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Classifying AnimalsCo-operative Learning Activity
Groups of 4 Each group member has a card Do not show your card to the other members of the group Each person reads out one clue at a time from their card Use the clues to fill in the sheet below
Features:
Scientific name:Means:
Adapted from: A Selection of Teaching Strategies and Presentation IdeasCompiled by Warren Bruce and Barbara SpurrPublished by the Teacher Support Services, Christchurch College of Education
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CLASSIFYING ANIMALS
All animals have backbones.
Mammals are animals.
Mammals suckle their young.
Humans are mammals.
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Mammals have hair or fur.
Animals are divided into two groups.
Homo sapiens means wise man.
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An invertebrate does not have a backbone.
Some animals have a backbone.
Mammals give birth to live young.
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A vertebrate has a backbone.
Some animals do not have a backbone.
The scientific name for humans has two parts.
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Cells the Building Blocks of Living Things
Making a Model CellCooperative LearningTask: Working in small groups make a plant or animal cell collage / poster
Each group chooses whether they want to make a plant or animal cell
Each member of the group chooses several organelles from the list until they are all distributed
The Cell membrane / Cell wall person draws the outline on the large sheet of paper. (Remember animal cells do not have a cell wall).
Each person cuts out their chosen organelles and arranges them on the large sheet of paper. (In plant cells the large vacuole sits in the centre of the cell).
When all the parts have been assembled glue them to the poster
Cut out the labels and glue them on to the poster, link the labels to the appropriate organelle with an arrow
Using the notes provided read and summarise one of your chosen organelles. Your notes need to include the structure and function (what it does) of your chosen organelle
Each member teaches the structure and function of their organelle to everyone
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else. The other members can ask questions if they have not understood
Now each person passes their notes to the person on their right to read
Continue this until each person has read all the notes
Share your poster with the rest of the group
Plant Cell
Animal Cell
Nucleus(Nucleolus, Nuclear Membrane, Chromsomes)
Nucleus(Nucleolus, Nuclear Membrane, Chromsomes)
Mitochondria MitochondriaGolgi bodies Golgi bodiesEndoplasmic reticulum
Endoplasmic reticulum
Cytoplasm CytoplasmRibosomes RibosomesVacuole (Large
Vacuole(If present
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Central) small)Lysosomes LysosomesCell membrane
Cell membrane
Chloroplast CentrioleCell wall
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The Digestive SystemAdapted from an idea developed by Rachael Dalley and
Azra Moeed, Victoria UniversityCooperative Learning
Task: Working in small groups create a digestive system collage / poster
Each member of the group chooses an organ from the list until they are all distributed
You can either use the outline of the body provided or draw your own on a sheet of paper
Each person cuts out their chosen organ and positions it on the sheet of paper
When all the parts have been arranged glue them to the poster
Cut out the labels and glue them on to the poster, link the labels to the appropriate organ with an arrow
Using the notes provided read and summarise those about your chosen organ. Your notes need to include the structure and function (what it does) of your chosen organ
Each member teaches the structure and function of their organ to everyone else. The other members of the group can ask questions if they have not understood
Now each person passes their notes to the person on their right to read
Continue this until each person has read all the notes
Attach the notes to the poster
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Share your poster with the rest of the group
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Liver StomachPancreas
Duodenum
Bile Duct
Gall Bladder
Pancreatic Duct
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The Human Heart and Circulatory System
Work together using the information provided, to label the diagram to show the parts of the heart and the circulatory system
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The Human Heart and Circulatory System The left auricle collects
blood from the lungs.
The auricles have thin walls and ‘collect’ the blood.
The pulmonary artery leaves the right ventricle.
The vena cava is a vein that returns deoxygenated blood from the body to the right auricle.
Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
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The ventricles are below the auricles.
Arterial blood is brighter red as it leaves the left ventricle.
The aorta takes arterial blood from the heart to the body.
The pulmonary vein takes oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left auricle.
Semilunar valves separate the ventricles from the arteries
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The right auricle collects blood from the body.
The ventricles have thick walls and are the pumps that circulate the blood.
The pulmonary artery takes deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Since the heart is seen as if in a dissection of a person facing you, the left side is drawn on the right.
There are cuspid valves between the auricles and the ventricles.
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The heart has four chambers (2 ventricles and 2 auricles).
The left ventricle is larger than the right ventricle.
The left ventricle pumps blood to the body.
The lungs oxygenate the blood.
Deoxygenated blood is dark in colour
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THE HUMAN EYE The eyeball is filled with a
clear jelly-like fluid called the vitreous humour.
Colour the retina with a thin green line.
Colour the iris with brown, if you have brown eyes, with blue if you have blue eyes.
The optic nerve attaches to the eyeball at the 4 o’clock position.
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The iris is seen as two flaps that come in front of the lens from opposite sides. They do not meet.
The eyeball contains all the structures needed to gather and focus light, and to send information to the brain.
Colour the optic nerve with red.
Label the lens on the lens itself; other labels can use the arrows.
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The iris determines ‘what colour eyes’ you have.
The cornea bulges out in front of the lens and iris.
An optic nerve carries information from the eye to the brain.
The retina covers the inside surface of the eyeball, from the 11 o’clock position to 7 o’clock.
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Colour the vitreous humour with yellow.
The lens is shaped like a squashed oval.
The pupil is an open area between the ‘flaps’ of the iris.
There is a blind spot on the retina where the optic nerve joins the eyeball.
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CONSTRUCTING A CIRCUIT
There are two bulbs in the circuit.
There is a battery in the circuit.
© Warren Bruce 1994
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The switch is open (off) in the circuit.
The bulbs are in parallel.
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One bulb can be switched on or off.
There are two cells in the circuit.
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There is one switch in the circuit.
© Warren Bruce 1994
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“Jigsaw” TaskInvestigating the Plane
as a working system
Home Group: Number yourselves 1, 2, 3, or 4Go to expert group 1, 2, 3 or 4Read the material providedEach group focuses on one specific aspect of a plane (see below). Read the information with the following general questions in mind:1. What is the science of flight?2. What is the function of the individual parts, how do they work and interrelate with each other?Then focus on your particular part and think about
Expert Group 1ControlsFlapsAileronsRuddersElevatorsHow do they work and assist flight?
Expert Group 2ForcesWeightDragThrustLiftWhat effect do they have on how a plane
Expert Group 3DesignShape of body and wingsAerodynamicsThink about how all the other aspects impact on the design of the plane
Expert Group 4The Human ElementLanguageLawNavigationThink about the effect of flight on the
Return to your original HOME GROUPEach member reports back what they have found out about the plane as a working system As a group draw and label a working diagram of a plane. Label the individual parts and write a short explanation of how they workTry to indicate how the different parts of the plane
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Barrier Activities
Involves: Listening actively and exchanging information Speaking, naming, questioning, describing, debating, verifying information,
learning new words Exploring new ideas Students making new ideas their own by allowing them to explore the ideas
What You Need: A resource sheet A picture or list, one with an Á’ sheet and one with a ‘B’ sheet Some of the listed words or pictures are the same, some different
What You Do:Pair the students in mixed ability pairsSit students facing one another Ensure the students cannot see their partner’s sheetCall one student Á’ and the other ‘B’The students take turns to describe one section on their sheetsTheir partner responds to the description that their corresponding picture, diagram or explanation is the same or differentThe students can self assess or report their results to a teacherEnsure that students do not look at each others sheet during the taskOn completion each pair compares their answers for accuracy and discusses any errors
Some Alternatives:If there are six boxes per sheet, each partner will describe three and listen to three descriptions.The process can be used to complete a crossword where one student has Down answers and the other has Across answers. The process can be used with real objects, i.e. leaves or vegetablesIt can be used for classifying where one student has a picture of an animal and the other has a key.
Adapted from: A Selection of Teaching Strategies and Presentation IdeasCompiled by Warren Bruce and Barbara SpurrPublished by the Teacher Support Services, Christchurch College of Education
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Key Word Chase – Living WorldDeveloped from an idea developed by Anne Goldsworthy
Start The place in which an organism lives
Habitat An animal that eats plants
HerbivoreThe complete sequence of
developmental events in the lifetime of an organism
Life history Microscopic grains produced by flowers
Pollen An animal with a spinal column and internal skeleton
Vertebrate The production of new organisms either sexually or asexually
Reproduction A green plant pigment that is essential for photosynthesis
Chlorophyll Living things that eat other living things for food
Consumers An animal that eats animals for food
Carnivore A group of species that inhabits a given area
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CommunityThe chemical that carries the genetic information in most
organisms
DNADeoxyribonucleic acid
The outermost layer of animals skin cells or the outer tissue layer
of a plant
Epidermis A tree that has leaves all year
Evergreen The hard covering on the outside of the body of many invertebrates
Exoskeleton The juvenile stage in the life cycle of most invertebrates
Larva Finish
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Key Word Chase – Material WorldDeveloped from an idea developed by Anne Goldsworthy
Start A substance that turns litmus paper red
AcidA compound that reacts with acids by fizzing and releasing
carbon dioxide
Carbonate The process in which a solid mixes completely with a liquid
DissolvingAn investigation in which a
number of trials are run, each trial being different in terms of one
variable only
Fair test A liquid that allows another substance to dissolve in it
Solvent A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of substances
pHA blend of two or more
substances that are mixed together but have not reacted chemically with one another
Mixture The process in which a vapour or gas changes into a liquid
Condensation A soluble base
AlkaliA substance that changes colour
in response to the acidity or alkalinity of a substance
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Indicator A common vegetable that can be used as an indicator
Red cabbage The process of changing state from a solid to a liquid
Melting A group of atoms held together by chemical bonds
Molecule A substance that is the same throughout
Homogeneous The process in which a liquid changes to a gas or vapour
Evaporation Finish
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What You Need: Jubes or another type
of jelly lolly Toothpicks
What You Do:
Using only toothpicks and lollies make a self-supporting structure.
Guidelines for building the structure This activity can either be done in groups or individually Each group should receive a set amount of toothpicks
and lollies To finish or win the challenge each group should either
build the tallest structure possible, the structure that can bear the most weight, a simple structure like a house or bridge or the structure that most resembles a famous building, for example the Eiffel Tower.
A time limit is optional.
The Science Ideas: What’s Going On Here?What shapes are the strongest? Square and triangles are very strong shapes. If you use both triangles and squares in a structure the tower will be more rigid.Even though the structure appears still, the parts are always pulling and pushing on each other. Structures remain standing because some parts are being pulled or stretched and other parts are being pushed or squashed. The parts that are being pulled are in tension. The parts that are being squashed are in compression. Strong structures such as towers, bridges and beams have to be able to cope with pushing (compressive) and pulling (tensile) forces. For example, two bricks side by side can withstand pushing forces, but not pulling forces. A rope can withstand pulling forces but not pushing forces. What shapes can you think of that are strong when you push or pull them?
Bridges are great example of structures that use simple shapes for strength. Triangles form the strongest structure because all three sides bear the load. Compression pushes down equally on two sides of the triangle, causing the base to be pulled equally in two directions, which creates tension. In a square, two sides of the structure bear the load.
Adapted from: http://www.csiro.au/helix/sciencemail
Applications The triangle is the strongest shape. Triangles are used to make a very strong form called a truss. A truss is a type of frame which is designed to be stiff. Before steel, trusses were made of wood or iron. Now they are almost always made of steel, though some concrete trusses exist, and some smaller examples use timber. Circles are also among the strongest shapes in nature. External and internal stress distributes itself evenly throughout a circular structure. Plant stems and tree trunks are examples of the strength of the circular shape. A bicycle is also an example of a structure that uses simple shapes for strength. The frame of a bicycle is made up of triangles, the frame is tube shaped and the wheels are circles reinforced with triangles. This makes the bicycle a very strong machine.
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