Introduction
Student engagement in lessons is key to ensuring that students have optimal opportunity to learn the concepts, theories and practices that are being taught as part of the lesson.
This assignment explores how teachers can use various visuals within the classroom to aid in learning around the curriculum area of Science Mind maps, graphic organizers, concept cartoons, digital learning objects and trans-disciplinary thinking.
Chemistry Mind Map
The mind map below has been designed around the Foundation Year chemistry strand, ‘Objects are made of materials that have observable properties’, focusing on how each of the elements in this strand can be explored, investigated and taught using Aboriginal Pedagogical practices (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA] 2014).
The mind map highlights how different elements of the 8 Aboriginal ways of learning can be applied to the sub strands of the Curriculum with more than one way of learning being able to be applied to each (Yunkaporta 2009).
Biology Graphic Organizer
A concept map can be used to explore the Foundation Year Biology concept that ‘living things has basic needs, including food and water (ASSU002)’ (ACARA 2014). A concept map, such as the one depicted below will be used by the students to explore their current level of conceptual understanding. Students will be guided by the teacher to create a concept map about what animals need to live. Different things that animals require to live will be linked together to generate a concept map to reflect students current knowledge of the topic. This exercise will effectively engage students in the lesson by generating discussion and thought about their current knowledge, and enables visualization and interaction to generate the final concept map. This map can then act as a tool for extension to build upon current knowledge and students can expand the concept map as new concepts are discovered throughout the unit of work.
Figure 1: Animals needs concept map
Concept Cartoon
The content cartoon is targeted at Foundation Year students and has been designed around the physical science outcome ‘explore and understand that the way objects moves depend on a variety of factors including their size and shape (ACSSU005) (ACARA 2014). The cartoon poses the correct scientific theory along side two common alternative conceptions about how dropped objects fall. The concept cartoon depicted below follows the protocol outlined by Keogh, Naylor and Wilson in Kabapinar (2005) which outlines that they will have; minimal amount of text, present scientific ideas in repeatable everyday situations, alternative conceptions are based on students understanding and could be seen as credible ideas, the correct scientific idea is depicted, alternative conceptions appear as equals with correct scientific concept.
The concept cartoon will be used as the initial engaging activity within a lesson on object fall speeds. As a class group the cartoon captions would be read out either by the teacher or by individual students, after reading the cartoon the class will be asked to form small groups and discuss which of the three opinions is correct about how objects fall.
In the small groups children would discuss what they see and hypothesis what they think is likely the correct answer. The cartoon will encourage children to discuss their current knowledge around the topic, which may well include alternative conceptions and to consider what they have observed previously to determine if their beliefs and observations match. After students have had there group discussions the class would reform to discuss what students believe to be the correct theory. The lesson will then move into the explore phase where students will test their theories to discover which character has the correct theory of how objects fall.
Figure 2: Concept cartoon map
Digital Learning Object
The below digital learning object is an interactive computer program that could be used as part of a biological science unit or lesson around the Australian Curriculum learning outcome ‘living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017) (ACARA 2105).
The program could be used to explore how living things can be categorized based on their features and characteristics and could be applied as part of a whole class activity on the digital whiteboard or as a group or individual activity on ipads or computers in the classroom. Through the use of colour and sound, this learning object gains students initial focus by appealing to their visual needs, it then can hold students focus by applying interaction, a game like approach and age appropriate content throughout the learning process.
Transdisciplinary Thinking: making links
The lesson plan below has been designed to be used in the explore phase of a landscapes and weather integrated unit of work and applies the working scientifically investigation process, where students; investigate, explore, and discover truths around science concepts (Hackling 2005). The unit of work and the associated lesson plan have been designed to support student learning around Geography, Science and Mathematics. In the outlined lesson plan, students will undertake a half day excursion to explore landscape and weather concepts in a field environment. The lesson plan focuses student learning around their previous experiences of weather conditions, thus drawing on Tytler’s theory that student engagement can be achieved by creating lessons that are relevant to students lives and interests (Scamp and Preston 2015). Students will apply mathematics skills through; classifying objects as either natural or man-made, tallying wind strength results, use numbers to record temperatures and asking questions and gathering responses to make inferences from information.
Geography: Landscapes and Environments
Learning Ares: Science, Geography and Mathematics
Year Level: Year 1
Timing: 1/2 day
Topic: Explore: What landscapes and landforms can we see in our environment and what weather conditions can be observed in these environments
Intended learning Outcomes:
- Students build on initial knowledge of landscape and landform terms
- For students to start to recognize that weather and seasons effects animals and animals and people
- Students start to conceptualize how weather can vary in different locations and at different times of year
Curriculum Connections: Science
• Daily and seasonal changes in our environment effect everyday life (ACSSU004)
• Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape (ACSSU019)
• Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE021)
• Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer questions (ACSIS025)
• Use informal measurements to collect and record observations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS026)
• Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables and through discussion, compare observations with predictions (ACSIS027)
• Compare observations with those of others (ACSIS213)
Curriculum Connections: HASS
• Natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location, how they change and how they can be cared for (ACHASSK031)
• The weather and seasons of places and the ways in which different cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, describe them (ACHASSK032)
• Activities in the local place and reasons for their location (ACHASSK033)
• Collect data and information from observations and identify information and data from sources provided (ACHASSI019)
• Sort and record information and data including location, in tables and on plans and labeled maps (ACHASSI020)
Curriculum Connections: Mathematics
• Develop confidence with number sequences to and from 100 by ones from any starting point, Skip count by twos, fives and tens starting from zero (ACMNA012)
• Choose simple questions and gather responses and make simple inferences (ACMSP262)
• Represent data with objects and drawings where one object or drawing represents one data value. Describe the displays (ACMSP263)
Inquiry Questions:
• – Natural or man-made objects?
• – How are landscapes used?
• – What are the weather conditions like?
Resources:
• – Clipboards
• – Man-made versus natural worksheet
• – Temperature and wind strength worksheet
• – Clipboards
• – Digital Cameras
• – First aid kit
• – Student consent and medical forms
• – Bus
Lesson Plan Teaching Strategies
Introduction (15 mins)
Gather students to the mat and have a discussion about the excursion, outlining safety, logistics and expectations
- Inform students that they will be going on an excursion to observe different landscapes and weather conditions within our environment
- Discuss safety considerations including following instructions, stranger danger, staying together as a group and road safety
- Explain to students that they will be completing a landscape worksheet where they will be observing characteristics of the landscape and recording observable weather conditions
- Students will divide into four groups and collect their materials Clear lesson goals
Students are provided with clear information about what they will be learning about and what the expectations are. Students are provided with clear instructions about safety
Group selection
Students grouped based on behavior, capabilities and personality. Peer tutoring can be utilized to support extension and support requirements of students
Learning Activity 1 (45 minutes) Beach environment
Have students exit the bus and gather together for a short activity before undertaking their investigation
Complete a knowledge game where students call out answers to questions posed by the teacher/SSO
- What activities do people do at the beach, ie swimming, sun baking, waking on the jetty?
- What creatures will you find at the beach, ie fish, seagulls, crabs, dolphin,
- What man-made items are found at the beach, ie jetty, chair, building, BBQ
- What weather conditions are best for visiting the beach and what are, ie not, warm, no wind, hot, cold, wet, windy
Each group of students will compete a man-made versus natural worksheet to identify different items within the landscape - Students draw/ write the name of objects under both categories
Students undertake weather observations recording in their science journal what weather conditions they see - Students record their observations using pictures, words or sentences to describe the weather
- Students will use a digital thermometer to record temperature
- Students will mark on their wind worksheet how strong the wind is by using a weather sock and circling the correct image to represent wind strength
- Prompting
Teachers, SSO’s and parents can prompt students with questions - What do you see?
- What does it feel like- hot, cold, windy?
- What creatures do you think will live here?
Peer learning
By using strategic group selection teachers can foster peer learning through extension and support between peers
Time to explore
Students will be provided with time to look, listen, feel and explore the environment
Learning Activity 2 (45 mins) Township exploration
Have students exit the bus and gather together for a short activity before undertaking their investigation. Have students participate in a game of eye spy to draw their attention to observing things in the township
Each group of students will compete a man-made versus natural worksheet to identify different items within the landscape
- Students draw/ write the name of objects under both categories
Students undertake weather observations recording in their science journal what weather conditions they see - Students record their observations using pictures, words or sentences to describe the weather
- Students will use a digital thermometer to record temperature
- Students will mark on their wind worksheet how strong the wind is by using a weather sock and circling the correct image to represent wind strength
Prompting
Teachers, SSO’s and parents can prompt students with questions - What do you see?
- What does it feel like- hot, cold, windy?
- What creatures do you think will live here?
Peer learning
By using strategic group selection teachers can foster peer learning through extension and support between peers
Time to explore
Students will be provided with time to look, listen, feel and explore the environment
Conclusion (15 mins)
As each group of students to pick someone to be the spokesperson for their group.
Have students take turns for naming man-made and natural items that they observed in their landscapes Closure activity
By ending in a recap activity students have an opportunity to assess learning and understanding of weather and landscape concepts
Assessment
Formative:
• – Annotations
• – Are students using landscapes and weather vocab correctly
• – Are man-made and natural items correctly identified by students
• – are students able to record information accurately
• – are students using good social skills
Summative:
• – Are landscape items correctly labelled as natural or man-made
• – Are weather records recorded accurately for temperature and weather records?
Evaluation
• – Did the students engage in the activity?
• – Did students stay on task?
• – What worked well?
• – What would need modifying?
• – Did students have enough time to explore concepts and complete work?
• – What students need follow-up support?
• – Where to from here?
• – How can knowledge gained be extended?
Adjustments for needs of learners
Adjustments in planning
• – Strategic group selection to enable peer learning
• – Use of imagery record sheet to support students with limited literacy
• – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander needs considered through the use of 8 ways of learning teaching pedagogy
Adjustments in teaching
• – Group work for observation, recording and presenting findings
• – Delayed students could be supported during discussions by implementing a buddy system, where they are paired up with an appropriate student to support learning and confidence building
Adjustment in assessment
• – Avoid the use of direct questioning when dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
• – Assess student progress on individual basis to determine learning progress
Adjustment in environment
• – Support workers/ parents/ SSO to support students with complex needs
• – Provide safe space for students to escape from stimulation
References
Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2014) Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
Education Services Australian (2013) Animal Search: is it a mammal? retrieved from http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/L766/index.html
Gatto, L. (u.d.) A simple concept map of what animals need to survive, retrieved from: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/394346511093684757/
Kabapinar, F. (2005) Effectiveness of Teaching via Concept Cartoons from the Point of View of Constructivist Approach. Kuram ve Uygulamada E¤itim Bilimleri / Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice 5 (1) • May›s / May 2005 • 135-146
MacIntosh (u.d.). How to Make a Mind Map, retrieved from: http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/cmacintosh/science.cfm?subpage=16672
Millgate House Education (u.d). Science Concept Cartoons Set 2, retrieved from: http://www.millgatehouse.co.uk/product/science-concept-cartoons-set-2
Skamp, K & Preston, C. (2015). Teaching Primary Science Constructively (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning.
Yunkaporta, T. (2009) Aboriginal Pedagogies at the Cultural Interface, retrieved from: http://8ways.wikispaces.com/file/detail/draft%20report.doc