Science Workshop for Parents - rivervalepri.moe.edu.sgrivervalepri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u143/Communications/Rivervale... · parts and functions ... Systems Body Systems Plant Systems

Science Workshop for Parents2018 - Lower Block

School of Excellence, Individuals of Character

10 February 2018

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Aims of Learning Science • provide students with experiences which build on their interest

in and stimulate their curiosity about their environment

• provide students with basic scientific terms and concepts to helpthem understand themselves and the world around them

• provide students with opportunities to develop skills, habits ofmind and attitudes necessary for scientific inquiry

• prepare students towards using scientific knowledge andmethods in making personal decisions

• help students appreciate how science influences people and the

environment

2School of Excellence, Individuals of Character



Coverage of Workshop

1) Coverage of Syllabus in P3 and P4

2) Teaching Lower Block Science

3) Question Type and Answering Techniques

4) Alternative Conceptions

5) Interesting websites on Science

6) Q & A session




1) Science Syllabus




Part 1: Lower Block Science Syllabus


Five themes

Cycles

Primary 3 Primary 4

Living

and

Non-

Living

Things

Materials

Diversity SystemsCycles SystemsSystems SystemsEnergy SystemsInteractions

Cycles

in plants

and

animals

Matter

Plant

parts and

functions

Human

systems –

Digestive

system

Light

and

heat

energy

Magnets

5



The Primary Science Syllabus

Where

do we

get a

copy of

the

2014*

syllabus

?

http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/sciences/files/scie

nce-primary-2014.pdf6School of Excellence, Individuals of Character



Summative Assessment – P3

SA1 (Term 2) SA2 (Term 4)

Diversity Living and Non-living thingsPlantsAnimalsFungi & BacteriaExploring Materials

Living and Non-living thingsPlantsAnimalsFungi & BacteriaExploring Materials

Cycles Life cycles of some animalsLife cycles of plantsMatter

Weightage 50 marks – SA1(100%)

80 marks – SA2(100%)

Overall 40% 60%




Summative Assessment – P4SA1 (Term 2) SA2 (Term 4) *SBB

Systems Body SystemsPlant Systems

Body SystemsPlant Systems

Energy Light Energy Light EnergyHeat Energy

Interactions Magnets & their PropertiesMaking MagnetsUsing Magnets

P3 topics P3 – CyclesLife cycles of some animals and plantsMatter

Weightage 100 marks – SA1 100 marks – SA2

Overall 40% 60%




Syllabus Change

THEME CHANGES

Diversity Classifying animals into amphibians and reptiles

Diversity Hardness (scratch test) is taken out of syllabus

Cycles Pupils required to know the cycles for animals introduced in TB (butterfly, beetle, mosquito,

grasshopper, cockroach, chicken and frog)Otherwise, will be labelled as Animal X




Things to note – not required• Pupils are only required to identify the muscular and skeletal

system. Detailed knowledge of the muscular and skeletal systems(such as names of the bones/muscles in the body and descriptions of how they work) are not required.

• Pupils are only expected to know that Iron and Steel are magnetic materials. Recall of other magnetic materials such as nickel and cobalt is not required.

• The laws of reflection are not required.

• Recall of the rate of heat transfer of specific materials (such as different types of metals) is not required.

• Pupils are not required to recall names of specific living things (e.g. guppy) and their characteristics (e.g. give birth to young alive)




Science Process skills• Observing• Comparing• Classifying• Inferring• Predicting• Analysing• Evaluating• Communicating• Generating

possibilities

• Formulating hypothesis

• Creative Problem Solving

• Decision-making

• Investigation




Process Skills in Primary ScienceComparing Identifying the similarities and differences between

two or more objects, concepts or processes.

Classifying Grouping objects or events based on common characteristics.

Inferring Interpreting or explaining observations or pieces of data or information.

Analysing Identifying the parts of objects, information or processes, and the patterns and relationships between these parts.

Evaluating Assessing the reasonableness, accuracy and quality of information, processes or ideas and also the quality and feasibility of objects.

Communicating Transmitting and receiving information presented in various forms – written, verbal, pictorial, tabular or graphical.




2) Teaching Lower Block Primary Science




Helping your child to revise Science

Importance of key concepts / ideas

Strategies for recall

Mnemonics

Mind maps

Online resources for drawing mind maps




Importance of key concepts and ideas

Scientific vocabulary are used in answers to explain

scientific concepts better, with lesser room for errors.

The current testing of Science is on scientific concepts

and their application in different situations.

There is a need to relate how an answer relates to a

concept or how the concept is applied.




Strategies to help in recalling

Mnemonics

Is a learning technique that aids memory. To

improve long term memory, mnemonic

systems are used to make recall easier as it

helps us to organise, retain and remember

information.





Steps to create Mnemonics

1.Take the information that you need to remember and choose

one word out of each of the phrases that is meaningful.

2.Choose the first letter from each of these words.

3.Make a word (acronym) or sentence from it or a combination

from it.

4.The sentence should be made easy to remember by making it

humorous.






Mnemonics (Example 1)

Seeds need

W

O

W

to germinate

Plants need

S

A

W

to make food

Warmth

Oxygen / Air

Water

Sunlight

Air

Water




Example 2

P3: Properties of Materials

S

T

A

F

F


Strength

Transparency – Ability of material to allow light to pass through

Flexibility

Float / Sink

Absorbs water or not (waterproof)




Mind maps

•a graphic organiser

•represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked

•arranged around a central key word or idea




An example

Image from beautifylminds.com.sg





Uses of mind map

Helping children to recall previous knowledge and

identify areas with misconceptions or that have been

forgotten.

Helping pupils to understand and retain latest

knowledge.

Connecting prior knowledge with new knowledge.

Identify things that pupils have forgotten or has not

been able to make connections.




3) Answering Techniques for Different Question Types




1. Identify and interpret the key information given in the question.

(highlight/annotate)

2.Identify the topic and concept(s)applicable to the question.


Strategy to understand the Qn



Identify and interpret the key information given in the question. (highlight/annotate)

Study the following table carefully. The table

below shows the characteristics of 5 organisms,

V, W, X, Y and Z.

OrganismMoves from

place to placeMakes its own

foodResponds to

changesAble to

reproduce

V √ √

W √ √ √

X √ √ √

Y √

Z √ √

Which of the organism(s) in the above table can beclassified as living things? [1m]

Headings Characteristics of Living Things




Study the following table carefully. The table below shows the

characteristics of 5 organisms, V, W, X, Y and Z.

OrganismMoves from

place to placeMakes its own

foodResponds to

changesAble to

reproduce

V √ √

W √ √ √

X √ √ √

Y √

Z √ √

Which of the organism(s) in the above table can be classifiedas living things? [1m]

Topic: Diversity

Concept: All living things are able to reproduce. Thus W, X and Z are living things.




3. Answer the question in the appropriate manner

using most appropriate words (scientific vocabulary) to express answer.

4. When asked to explain, it is important to linkhow the concept is applied in the situation given.


Strategy to understand the Qn



Answer the question in the appropriate manner using most appropriate words (scientific

vocabulary) to express answer.

It shows that heat reduces/weakens/loses/ lower down / take away some of the _________________________.

Rachel carried out the activity shown below.

What does the experiment above show about the effect of heat on magnetism? [1]


magnetism / magnetic force



Some question words…1. State – To write down a fact

2. Relationship – How the variable tested affects the

observation

3. Explain – link science concept into explanation

4. Compare – to group things based on common

characteristics

5. Classify – to identify similarities and differences

between objects, concepts or processes




Some question words…

6. Why – Give reason

7. What – stating some observation, variable,

object etc…

8. Which – choose the right object, variable etc…

9. When - time

10. How – method. way of doing something etc…




Types of Questions

• Identify / State• Similarity and Differences• Aim / Hypothesis• Relationship / Conclusion• Variables• Fair Test• Explanation Questions




Question (1)

Gabriel classified some animals into two groups, A and B, as shown below.

Group A Group B

Grasshopper Chicken

Beetle Sparrow

Butterfly Pigeon

Cockroach Flamingo

State two characteristics that the animals in Group B have.


Topic: Diversity

Concept:Characteristics that are unique to birds



Answer (1)

Topic: Diversity

Concept:Characteristics that are unique to birds

Pupil A Pupil B

Ans : <incomplete ideas>• They have a pair of wings.

(Insects also have a pair ofwings.)

• They don’t give birth to youngalive. (Method of reproductionis not spelled out.)

Ans : <acceptable>• They have feathers as their

outer covering.• They have a beak




Question (2)

Study the two groups of objects below.

The objects in groups, X and Y, have one property that

a paper bag does not have. Identify this property.

Group X Group Y

coin sewing needle raincoat plastic bag


Topic : Diversity

Concept : Property of material



Answer (2)

Topic : Diversity

Concept : Property of material

Observe (O) : The material of the objects in Group X is plasticwhile the material of the objects in Group Y is metal. The paperbag is made of paper.

Interpret (I) : The objects are made from different materials.

Conclude (C) : Classification is based on the property of thematerials of the objects shown.

Ans : The objects in groups, X and Y, are waterproof unlike the paper bag that is not waterproof




Question (3)


Sue placed a leather shoe in each of two identical boxes, A and B. She alsoplaced a packet of silica gel in box A. Silica gel absorbs moisture. The twoboxes were then covered and placed in a corner of a room.

After three weeks, Sue found some grey powdery substance on the shoe inbox B. This was not observed on the shoe in box A.

(a) What could this grey powdery substance be?(b) Where did this grey powdery substance come from?

Topic : Diversity

Concept : Conditions which mould will grow.



Answer (3)


Observe (O) : Both boxes were covered. In Box A, there was silica gelwhile in Box B, there was some grey powdery substance.

Interpret (I) : Silica gel that absorbs moisture implies a dryenvironment. Covered boxes implies a dark and warm environment.

Conclusion (C) : Environment in Box A is dry and warm whileenvironment in Box B is moist and warm.

Pupil A Pupil B

Ans :(a) It can be fungi.

Ans :(a) It can be mould.

(b) It came from the spores on theshoe.

(b) Mould tend to grow in warm andmoist environment.

(a) What could this grey powdery substance be?(b) Where did this grey powdery substance come from?



Question (4)


(a) Ali inverted a clear plastic cup and push it down completely into the tubof water as shown below. Did the water level in the cup rise? Why?

Concept :

Air occupies space. Water cannot be compressed (due to its definite volume)

(b) While the inverted plastic cup is still in the water, pierce a hole at thebase of the cup with a thumbtack. Explain why the water level in the cupstarts to rise.



Answer (4a)


Topic : Diversity

Concept : Air occupies space. Water cannot be compressed (due to itsdefinite volume).

Observe (O) : decide the observation – The water level did not rise inthe cup.

Interpret (I) : Air occupies space in the cup.

Conclusion (C) : Water therefore cannot enter as air occupies the spacein the cup.

Pupil A Pupil B

Ans :No. Air occupies space.

Ans :No. The air in the cup occupies the space andprevents water from entering the cup.

ORYes, the water level rises slightly in the cup asair can be compressed. The air in the cupoccupies the space and prevents water fromentering the cup.



Answer (4b)


Topic : Diversity

Concept : Air occupies space. Water cannot be compressed (due to itsdefinite volume).

Observe (O) : The water level in the cup starts to rise when a hole isbeing pierced at the base of the cup.

Interpret (I) : Volume of water in the cup increases as the air escapesthrough the hole.

Conclusion (C) : Air has escapes through the hole and water moves in totakeover the space previously occupied by the air.

Pupil A Pupil B

Ans :Air escapes through the hole.

Ans :The air in the cup escapes throughthe hole. As air leaves the cup, waterenters from the tub into the cup tofill the space.



Question (5)


Sam conducted an experiment using 3 rectangular boards, A, B and C, which weremade of different materials. Using the set-up shown below, he continued adding 1kgweight onto the board until it breaks. He recorded the amount of weights that eachboard could support before breaking.

(a) Which property of the rectangular board was he testing?

(b) Which board is the most suitable for making a book shelf? Explain your answer.




Example 2

P3: Properties of Materials

S

T

A

F

F


Strength

Transparency – Ability of material to allow light to pass through

Flexibility

Float / Sink

Absorbs water or not (waterproof)



Answer (5a)


Sam conducted an experiment using 3 rectangular boards, A, B and C, which weremade of different materials. Using the set-up shown below, he continued adding 1kgweight onto the board until it breaks. He recorded the amount of weights that eachboard could support before breaking.

(a) Which property of the rectangular board was he testing?

Ans : Strength of the rectangular board

(b) Which board is the most suitable for making a book shelf? Explain your answer.



Answer (5b)


Pupil A Pupil B

Ans : <Incomplete and without comparison>B. It could support 4kg of weights.

Ans : <acceptable and substantiated bycomparison>B. It could support the greatest amount ofweights among the three boards.

Topic : Diversity

Concept : Strength of Material

Observe (O) : to explain the board which is the most suitable for makinga book shelf

Interpret (I) : The board which will be the most suitable for making abook shelf must be strong enough to take the mass of the books.

Conclusion (C) : Board B is the strongest among the 3 boards.



Question (6)


Young

PlantSeed

leaves

If the seed leaves are removed from the young plant, theplant will not continue to grow. Explain why.



Answer (6)


Topic : Cycles

Concept : Seed leaves provide food for germinating seed.

Observe (O) : The young plant will not continue to grow if the seedleaves are removed.

Interpret (I) : Seed leaves are important to the plant’s growth.

Conclusion (C) : Without seed leaves, young plant needs to make itsown food using its leaves. The leaves have however not grown yet.

Ans: The leaves have not appeared yet (½m) and cannot make its own food (½m) so it depends on the seed leaves for food. (1m)



Question (7) – Aim of Experiment

Siti set up the experiment below.

Siti measured the length of the shadow created by the ball at different values of Distance X as shown in the table above.

What is the aim of her experiment?Sc

ree

n

Distance X

Len

gth

of

shad

ow


Distance X (cm) Length of shadow (cm)

10 24

12 20

14 13

16 10



Aim of experiment/hypothesis: Is what an experiment is testing. Most are given in statements like “to find out….” / “to investigate…”

Combines variable altered/changed/tested with the observation/results/measurements

Eg. To find out how the surrounding temperature(variable changed) affects the rate of evaporation of water (measured)

Aim / Hypothesis




One way to remember how to answer Aim questions is to use this structure:

A (altered)iM (measured)

He / she wanted to find out how (what she altered) affects (what she measured)

Aim / Hypothesis




Question (7) – Aim of ExperimentSiti set up the experiment below.

Siti measured the length of the shadow created by the ball at different values of Distance X as shown in the table above. What is the aim of her experiment?She wanted to find out how (What she Altered) affects (what she Measured). She wanted to find out how Distance X affects the length of the shadow.

Scre

en

Distance X

Len

gth

of

shad

ow


Altered

measured



Question (8) – Relationship / Conclusion

The results of Siti’s experiment is shown below.

What is the relationship between Distance X and the Length of the shadow?

Scre

en

Distance X

Len

gth

of

shad

ow Distance X (cm) Length of shadow (cm)

10 24

12 20

14 13

16 10




Relationship : To state how changes / patterns in the variable changed (tested) affects the observations/ measurements. (from graph / results table)

(eg. as …increases, ….increases/decreases)

Eg. As the temperature increases, the rate of evaporation increases.

Conclusion : answers the aim of the experiment

Relationships / Conclusions




Answer (8) – Relationship / Conclusion

The results of Siti’s experiment is shown below.

What is the relationship between Distance X and the Length of the shadow?The greater the Distance X, the shorter the length of the shadow. As Distance X increases, the length of the shadow decreases.

What can you conclude about this experiment?When Distance X increases, the length of shadow decreases.

Scre

en

Distance X

Len

gth

of

shad

ow Distance X (cm) Length of shadow (cm)

10 24

12 20

14 13

16 10


Distance X increases

Length of shadow decreases



In the experiment below, Roxanne wanted to test how the thickness of Material A affects the time taken for an ice cube to melt. The results of her experiment is shown in the table.

Question (9) – Relationship / Conclusion

Thickness of Material A

Thickness of Material A(cm) Time taken for ice cube to melt (min)

5 3

10 7

15 10

20 15

Lid

What is the relationship between the thickness of Material A and the time taken for the ice cube to melt?

As the thickness of Material A increases, the time take for the ice cube to melt increases.

Question (10) – Variable

Tom wanted to check whether the thickness of Material B affects how many paper clips a magnet can attract.

What is the variable that he must change? What are the variables that he must keep the same?

Thickness of material BHeight Z




Independent variable is the variable tested (Only ONE variable is changed for an experiment). It is the difference between experimental and control set-ups.

Controlled variables are all other variables kept constant for the experiment that would affect the results.

Dependent variable are the observations and measurements to be taken for an experiment.

Variables




Usually, the variable that he wants to test out (and therefore, the only one that he must change) is found in the question stem.

The experiment is trying to find how a variable changes the results of the experiment. Therefore, we must keep all other variables the same to ensure a fair test.

Variables




Answer (10) – Variable

Tom wanted to check whether the thickness of Material B affects how many paper clips a magnet can attract.

What is the variable that he must change? The variable is the thickness of Material B. What are the variables that he must keep the same?Height Z, Number of paper clips, Type of magnets etc.

Thickness of material BHeight Z


Variable to be tested



Question (10) – Fair test/controlTom wanted to check the strength of 3 different magnets.

Is this a fair test?

Mag

net

A

Mag

net

B

Mag

net

C




Fair test: an experiment where only one variable is changed to ensure that the results are due to the independent variable.

Accuracy: Experiments need to be repeated at least three times to ensure that measurements are accurate without errors.

Control / Fair test




Answer (10) – Fair test/controlTom wanted to check the strength of 3 different magnets.

Is this a fair test? No. Only one variable (magnets) must change for an experiment to be fair. The heights that the magnets are hung from and the amount of paper clips below each magnet must be the same.

Mag

net

A

Mag

net

B

Mag

net

C

How many variables are changed in this

experimental set-up?

Question (11) – Explain


Glass A and Glass B are stuck together as shown below.Sandra added ice into Glass B to help separate the 2 glasses.

Explain how the glasses are able to separate when she added the ice into the cup?

Glass A Glass B

Ice



Explain questions are among the hardest questions to get correct. This is because the student needs to provide appropriate scientific reasoning and concepts to explain a phenomenon.

Using the OIC method, we can explain a given phenomenon, provided that we have sound scientific reasoning.

Explain




O – Observation (what is seen or predicted to happen / what needs to be done to a particular experimental set-up to achieve its objective. )

I – Interpretation (Tying in of concepts and how it relates to phenomenon)

C – Conclusion (Explaining or predicting what will happen)

Explain - OIC




Answer (11) – Explain


Explain how the glasses are able to separate when she added the ice into the cup?O – For the cup to be separate, Glass B needs to contract. I – Since the Glass B is hotter than the ice, Glass B would lose

heat to the ice and the glass would contract. C – Therefore, the glasses could be separated as Glass B contracts

and becomes smaller.

Glass A Glass B

Ice



Importance of key concepts and words• Key words are scientific words used in science that have specific

meanings, different from daily usage.

• Key concepts are the main scientific ideas that explains why/howsomething occurs.

• Key words are used in answers to explain scientific conceptsbetter, with lesser room for errors.

• The current testing of science is on scientific concepts and theirapplication in different situations.

• There is a need to relate how an answer relates to a concept orhow the concept is applied.




Example 1

Mr Lim switched on the lamp in the room and saw the book on the table.

Explain why Mr Lim is able to see the book on the table.

He switched on the lamp.

There is light in the room.

Key concept: Reflection of light

The light from the lamp travelled to the book and is reflected into Mr Lim’s eyes.

Generic statements




Example 2Siva poured the water at room temperature into a cup and added ice cubes to cool it.

She observed that the temperature of the water dropped to 10oC before increasing again. Why do you think it is so?

The ice is cold.

All the ice melt. There is no more ice after that.

There are only 4 ice cubes.

The water take the coldness from the ice. (MISCONCEPTION)

Key concept: Heat transfer

The water lost heat to the ice cubes, so its temperature dropped to 10oC. After the water was cooled, it became cooler than the surrounding, so it gained heat from the surroundings and its temperature increased.

Generic statements




Example 3Sam used a bar magnet to test whether Material A is a magnet.

What must we observe to show that Material A is a magnet? Why?Material A is attracted to the magnet. So, A is a magnet. The magnet moves away from the material. Test for magnets is attraction. (MISCONCEPTION)Key concept: Repulsion as test for magnets. Material A is repelled by the magnet. Only magnets can repel each other.

Incomplete statements

N S Material A




4) Alternative Conceptions




Alternative Conceptions

• Refers to the misconceptions that we have when interact with the environment around us.

Alternative Conceptions (Kahoot!)

• We will be using Kahoots to test out our misconceptions.

• Using your smartphone or tablet, go to:

https://kahoot.it

Game pin: 5730607Enter your nickname and wait for the quiz to

start.

https://kahoot.it/

MisconceptionsNo Question True False

1. A spider is not an insect.

2. Fungi are classified as non-flowering plants

3. Not all types of bacteria are harmful

4. Plants are non- living things because they do not move from place to place

5. A whale is a type of fish.

6. Mass and weight are two different things.

7. Food is digested in only certain parts of the digestive system

8. A mirror is not a source of light.

9. Some materials are colder than others. E.g. a metal cup is colder than a foam cup.

10. When two objects are attracted to each other, both of them are magnets.

5) Interesting Science Websites




Science Around Us• Rivervale PS Science website

http://rivervalescience.wixsite.com/website• Newspapers• National Geographic or Discovery Channel

– ‘None of the above’– ‘The Magic of Science’– ‘Mythbusters’

• Simple experiments at home• Young Scientist Magazines• National Geographic Magazines / website• Science Adventures (popular bookstore)• Science Spy (popular bookstore)


http://rivervalescience.wixsite.com/website

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHg29sN8yK8



Where to get the ideas for experiments?- Magazines, newspapers, internet

What should I keep in mind when doing experiments with my kids- Safety- Helping your child to see the aim, conclusion,

variables

Example:- opening a toy to look at the parts- balloons and static electricity




• opening a can with can opener

• cooling drinks

• fogging on the toilet mirror

• boiling water, cooking

• observing plants

• heating of electrical devices, etc etc…

Science is all around us!79School of Excellence, Individuals of Character



Fun websites for kids

•How Stuff Workshttp://www.howstuffworks.com

•National Geographic kidshttp://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/

•National Geographic channel http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel

•Discovery channel kidshttp://kids.discovery.com/tell-me


http://www.howstuffworks.com/

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel

http://kids.discovery.com/tell-me



Documents

Science Workshop for Parents - rivervalepri.moe.edu.sgrivervalepri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u143/Communications/Rivervale... · parts and functions ... Systems Body Systems Plant Systems