TRIAL MakingConnections Science and literacy

TRIAL Science and literacy Facilitator/s: Date:

TRIAL Workshop purpose You are here to develop your knowledge and understanding of the links between science and literacy and to experience their application in PrimaryConnections curriculum units.

TRIAL Workshop outline (90 minutes) INTRO:Purpose, outline, outcomes (5 mins) ENGAGE:To capture participants’ interest and elicit ideas about the similarities and (20 mins) differences between the terms ‘everyday literacies’, ‘literacies of science’ and ‘scientific literacy’ EXPLORE:To explore the relationship between everyday literacies and literacies (30 mins) of science EXPLAIN:Consolidate the links between science and literacy (10 mins) ELABORATE:Analyse the literacy focuses in a curriculum unit and experience (20 mins)critical literacy EVALUATE:Summarise, reflect and evaluate (5 mins)

TRIAL Outcomes On completion of this module participants will be able to: support students in representing science concepts, ideas and findings using the literacies of science describe and apply the literacy practices and focuses from the PrimaryConnections curriculum units support students in improving the quality of their literacy products.

TRIAL The confusion! Three different expressions are used. What do they mean? How are they similar? How are they different? literacies of science scientific literacy everyday literacies

TRIAL Global café Have a chat about the terms. What do they mean to you?

TRIAL Everyday literacies are the literacy skills students bring to the learning process are tools of learning are processes and practices that represent what learners know, do or demonstrate when they represent and communicate understanding involve multiple modes of representation.

TRIAL Literacies of science are particular language practices, processes and products that students learn about and use to represent and communicate their understanding of science concepts and processes are multi-modal: factual text, data tables, labelled diagrams, symbols, graphs, models, drawings, computer- generated images, gestures, role-plays.

TRIAL The relationship Literacy skills do not develop in isolation from a context. In PrimaryConnections: students use everyday literacies and learn literacies of science the science context provides a meaningful purpose for literacy development.

TRIAL Quality matrix Literacy of science: graph FeaturesCharacteristics of a high-quality product Opportunity for improvement TitleClear and accurateWrite in a straight line Check spelling Horizontal axisStraight line Clear label Regular increments Units of measurement Write label clearly Measure the increment spaces

TRIAL Water works investigation Home water use detectives! What did we find?

TRIAL So what is scientific literacy? The use of everyday literacies to learn about science concepts and processes – including the development of the literacies of science – contributes to students’ developing scientific literacy as they learn about, communicate and represent science understanding.

TRIAL Scientific literacy develops ___________________________________________________ None/very littleinformed adult ‘The notion of progress in scientific literacy is fundamental to the growth in students’ knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes and the ability to use that knowledge and understanding in everyday situations.’ Goodrum, D., Hackling, M. and Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

TRIAL Scientific literacy is a high priority for all citizens, helping them to: be interested in, and understand the world around them engage in the discourses of and about science be sceptical and questioning of claims made by others about scientific matters be able to identify questions, investigate and draw evidence- based conclusions to make informed decisions about the environment and their own health and well-being. Defining scientific literacy Goodrum, D., Hackling, M. and Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

TRIAL Examples of literacy products from Water works

TRIAL Critical literacy Critical literacy activities in science develop students’ questioning skills and encourage them to be sceptical about scientific claims made by others. Image: Stock.xchng

TRIAL PrimaryConnections links science with literacy by supporting students to: use their everyday literacies to construct their understanding of science concepts and processes learn the particular literacies of science develop literacy skills using science as the meaningful context represent and re-represent their understanding through using literacy processes and creating literacy products. In summary