K-6 Science and Technology Curriculum Directorate within COGs Harry Vassila Curriculum Directorate Science and Technology Units

Workshop Overview Issues in teaching K–6 Science and Technology Teaching Science and Technology Progression of Science and Technology learning Linking teaching to assessment Science and Technology Units

Workshop materials Participants workbook Key information Evaluation form Science and Technology Units

Activity 1 Questions about Science & Technology In this activity participants will have an opportunity to discuss issues that impact on their teaching of Science and Technology. Participants workbook page 1 Science and Technology Units

Why does Science and Technology learning matter? Science and technology makes an important contribution to the quality of life of Australia’s citizens. Science and Technology learning enables young people to be informed participants in the development of a fair and responsible society. Scientifically and technologically capable students are: interested in, and understand the world around them critical, innovative and enterprising able to identify questions, investigate and draw evidence-based conclusions able to make informed decisions about scientific and technological developments. make informed decisions about the environment, and their own health and well-being Science and Technology Units

Continuum of Learning K-12 In science and technology students study K-6 Science and Technology Science 7-10 (+ stage 6 electives Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth & Enviro, Senior Science) Technology stage 4 (+ 5&6 electives Agriculture, Design and Technology, Food, Graphics, industrial, Textiles, info & software) The processes of investigating and designing form the continuum of learning Science and Technology Units

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus The foundation statements replace the stage statements in the Science and Technology K-6 Outcomes and Indicators document .(December 2005 NSW Board of Studies) Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus and Support Document 1991 (pages 1 to 7 and pages 19 to 31) Science and Technology K-6 Outcomes and Indicators 2000 NSW Board of Studies (replacing pages 9 to 17 of syllabus) New Syllabus 2011 implementation Science and Technology Units

K-6 Science and Technology Syllabus Investigating Scientifically The Natural Environment Living Things Earth and its surroundings Physical Phenomena Design and making The Made Environment Built environment Products and services Information and communication Using technology Science and Technology Units

Find out what is currently known. The Science Process Find out what is currently known. Identify and analyse a problem Identify variables From observations, ask a question or pose a problem. Form an hypothesis Publish Conduct trials Carry out the experiment, observe, measure and record data Evaluate the experiment and the methods used Evaluate the findings in relation to the hypothesis Use science knowledge to develop explanations for patterns, trend or relationships in data Organise data, calculate, construct graphs Analyse data: identify patterns or trends and relationship between variables Science and Technology Units

The Technology Process Set milestones Identify resources Evaluate similar solutions Analyse the needs Establish success criteria Identify a need or opportunity Reflect on the design process used Use success criteria to evaluate the solution Define the design task Draw or model and refine ideas Produce the solution Identify, test and select techniques Manage safety risks Use success criteria to evaluate ideas and choose best options Develop production skills Prepare final design representations Science and Technology Units

Activity 2 Science and Technology progression of learning In this activity participants will have the opportunity to become familiar with Science and Technology Foundation Statements, Syllabus Outcomes and Big ideas and to consider the progression of learning. Participants work book page 2 Science and Technology Key information Science and Technology Units

Activity 2 Science and Technology Units Investigating Scientifically Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Designing and Making Science and Technology Units

Continuum of Science and Technology learning ES1 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 Increasing capacity to apply the processes of investigating scientifically and designing and making Increasing sophistication of conceptual understanding of science and technology Science and Technology Units

Progression in Science and Technology learning Progression of student learning in Science and Technology is most evident in the increasing levels of sophistication students bring to the process strands of Investigating scientifically and Designing and Making In Kindergarten the process is heavily scaffolded and largely teacher guided. By Year 6 students’ understanding of the processes should enable them to engage in and manage scientific investigations and develop design solutions more independently . The process strand is the learning focus of all COGs units of work. Science and Technology Units

What student learning matters most in Science and Technology? In Science and Technology we want students to become increasingly independent in their ability to think and work scientifically and technologically. Learning in Science and Technology emphasises first-hand experiences in the processes of investigating and designing and making. Assessment should also. Assessment of a student’s performance in Science and Technology focuses on the processes of investigating and designing and making, in the context of the relevant content strand. Science and Technology Units

COGs - Managing quality assessment in Science and Technology It is not practical to effectively assess and provide feedback on every aspect of process and content achievement of students during each Science and or technology task or unit. Within a particular Science and Technology task, it is more effective to explicitly focus assessment on: a significant component/s of the application of the process e.g. generating and developing design ideas or conducting scientific investigations the accuracy and depth of understandings about a clearly defined area of a content outcome e.g. characteristics of living things. Process knowledge and skills will be revisited regularly. Effective assessment will enable teachers to judge student’s progress toward the independent application of the processes by the end of Stage 3. Science and Technology Units

Planning for consistent assessment: the school plan School planning involves: Reviewing the existing school plan in relation to Science and Technology syllabus standards Ensuring that the school plan effectively allocates all Science and Technology syllabus outcomes to stages and years Ensuring that for each stage there is a plan that: establishes a progression of Science and Technology learning throughout the stage so that; all content strands are addressed at least once the processes of designing and making and investigating are built upon in each unit of work identifies the focus of assessment in each reporting period. Science and Technology Units

Planning for consistent assessment: the year cohort Amongst the teachers for each year group decide at the beginning of the year: what needs to be taught and assessed for students to progress toward the end of stage standards (see Foundation Statements and Outcomes) the focus of Science and Technology assessment and reporting for each semester/reporting period assessment information to be collected for the purposes of moderation and consistent judgement. Develop class programs and units of work that will allow you to collect the agreed assessment information, with a focus on investigating and designing and making tasks. Identify suitable times during each semester to moderate student achievement across the year-cohort-groups. Develop a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Science and Technology Units

Assessment planning tool Science and Technology Units

Planning for Assessment In this activity participants will identify the progression of Science and Technology learning demonstrated in the Curriculum planning framework for a stage Participants workbook page 3 Science and Technology Units

Science and Technology K-6 Resources Science and Technology Units

Curriculum Support Website The Curriculum Support Website hosts a variety of resources to assist teachers. They include teaching ideas links to resources sample lesson plans professional support article Curriculum Support articles.   www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/scitech/index.htm Science and Technology Units

Policy website https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/ Science and Technology Units

K-6 Science and Technology Syllabus development Time line Phase 1 Syllabus review (Feb – Dec 2007) Phase 2 Writing brief development (Jan – Aug 2008) Phase 3 Syllabus development (Aug 2008 – Dec 2009) Phase 4 Implementation (2011) Science and Technology Units

Timeline for the development of the Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus Steps in the Syllabus Development Process Date Syllabus Review: Board Curriculum Committee established to monitor the syllabus development process Established on 4 May 2007 Research including a literature review, a review of national and international practice Completed October 2007 Evaluation of existing syllabus against criteria approved by the Board of Studies Completed November 2007 Board endorsement of the broad directions for syllabus revision Endorsed on 11 December 2007 Writing Brief Development: Draft writing brief and survey We are here (Term 1 2008) Consultation (6 weeks) From 28 April to 6 June 2008 Consultation report and amended draft writing brief to Board of Studies 16 September 2008 Final Writing Brief published on Board of Studies website October 2008 Syllabus Development: Draft syllabus and survey 19 December 2008 Consultation 6 weeks From 9 Feb 2009 to 20 March 2009 Consultation report and amended draft Syllabus to Board of Studies June 2009 Development and approval of Support Materials By December 2009 Science and Technology Units

Supporting SciTech in the primary classroom CD ROM The professional support CD ROM provides: the Big Ideas, an expanded description of each Science and Technology syllabus outcome, suggesting the content that can be allocated to each stages support for schools to plan and implement effective Science and Technology teaching programs support for teachers to plan effective class programs video sequences to illustrate a progression of learning for the process strands of Investigating (Scientifically) and Designing and Making suggested assessment strategies. Available at http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/scitech/prolearn/cdrom/index.htm Science and Technology Units

Customer Liaison Unit Phone: (02) 9367 8178 Fax: (02) 9262 6270 Email: service@bos.nsw.edu.au Hours of Operation: 8.00am to 4.30pm (Mon-Fri) Science and Technology Units