Ed 5860Curriculum in Detail

October 13, 2010

What is a curriculum?• A program put together• Guideline or an outline grade-specific• Provincial guidelines for what teachers are to teach

[standards]

What is it’s purpose?• To see how your students progress related to the

standards• Give the teacher an idea of what expectations there are

for each grade level• To ensure that all students are taught to the same level

NB science Curriculum – general layout

Essential graduation learnings are statements

describing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes

expected of all students who graduate from high

school. Achievement of the essential graduation

learnings will prepare students to continue to learn

throughout their lives.

The Atlantic provinces' science curriculum is guided

by the vision that all students, regardless of gender or

cultural background, will have an opportunity to

develop “Scientific Literacy”

Goals of Canadian Science Education:

-To encourage all students to develop a sense of

wonder and curiosity

-To enable students to use science to gain knowledge

and solve problems

-To prepare students to address science issues in

society-To provide students with a science foundation for

future interests and/or occupations

STSE (Science, Technology, Society, and the

Environment) – Students will develop an

understanding of the nature of science and

technology, of the relationships between science

and technology, and of the social and

environmental contexts of science and technology.

Skills - Students will develop the skills required for

scientific and technological inquiry, for solving

problems, for communicating scientific ideas and

results, for working collaboratively, and for making

informed decisions.

Knowledge – Students will construct knowledge

and understandings of concepts in life science,

physical science, and Earth and space science, and

apply these understandings to interpret, integrate,

and extend their knowledge.

Attitudes – Students will be encouraged to develop

attitudes that support the responsible acquisition

and application of scientific and technological

knowledge to the mutual benefit of self, society,

and the environment.

How does the curriculum work for teachers?

Task : 1. What does the specific curriculum outcome (SCO) for

grade five numbered 303-12 look at?

2. Which unit is it in?

3. Which process of scientific literacy does this unit focus

on? How will that impact your teaching

4. What should the students bring to this lesson as “prior

knowledge”?

5. What activity(ies) does the curriculum suggest?

6. What type of assessments are suggested?

7. How could you modify these suggestions to make your

lesson more locally/culturally relevant for the students?

8. Where will your students next encounter this topic in

their science education? What can you do to help

prepare them for it?

Review

Curriculum (gr. 3 – 5)

Informs Teachers

Guides Teachers

General Information

• Introduction to Curriculum

• Program Design & Components

i. Learning & Teaching Science

- Major tasks of teachers

- Effective teaching of science

i. Writing in Science

- Students use writing to speculate, theorize, summarize,

discover connections, express understanding, raise

questions, and make sense of new information using

their own language.

ii. Processes of Scientific Literacy

a) Inquiry

b) Problem solving Learning Themes

c) Decision making

•Assessment & Evaluation

• Assessment is the systematic process of gathering information on

student learning (Formative assessment)

• Evaluation is the process of analysing, reflecting upon, and

summarizing assessment information for the purpose of

making judgments or decisions based upon the information

gathered (Summative assessment)

• Curriculum Outcome Framework

(Looked at previously – Sept. 29, 2010)

- Essential Graduation Learnings (by grade 12)

Aesthetic Expression

Citizenship

Communication

Personal Development

Problem Solving

Technological Competence

[Everything to this point is common to all curricula

from grades 3 – 5]

Outcomes (grade specific and organized by unit):

General Curricular Outcomes (GCO )

[“Big Picture” understandings]

• STSE 100’s

• Knowledge 200’s

• Skills 300’s

• Attitudes 400’s

Key Stage Outcomes

[“Milestone” understandings]

- For grades 2, 5, 8, & 12 (Provincial Assessments)

Specific Curricular Outcomes (SCO)

- Where the curriculum meets the student

- What you actually teach, assess, and evaluate