1. PGCE Science Week 2 Children’s ideas and constructivism
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2. University of WinchesterPGCEFT 2011-12
Directed Tasks
Harlen and Qualter (2009) Ch1 and Ch 2. What aspects of these case studies would you draw on to suggest approaches to primary science teaching. Consider the differences/similarities between KS1 and KS2.
Oliver (2006)-discuss your views on creative science teaching with your peers. Were you taught science in this way?
Safety Workshop- reminder that all activities should be risk assessed.
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Learning intentions
Develop enquiry skills of predicting, hypothesising, fair testing
Explore the importance of children’s ideas in science
Know the importance of constructivist theory in science teaching
Identify some common misconceptions, elicitation strategies, models and analogies using materials as our context
Consider progression of ideas for school planning
View QCA schemes of work for science
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4. Safety in Primary Science
“Risk assessment is little more than common sense and prudent primary teachers do it informally as a matter of course” (Ellis 2001, p7)

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Science Enquiry
When pupils:
have to make their own decisions
use some investigational procedures e.g. observing, measuring
Definition from AKSIS project in Sherrington, R (1998) ASE Guide to Primary Science Education. Hatfield:Association for Science Education.
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6. Types of investigations associated with science enquiry
Information-seeking
Comparing or fair-testing
Pattern-finding
Hypothesis-generating
How-to-do-it
From Harlen, W (2000) The Teaching and Learning of Science in Primary Schools. London: David Fulton.
Adapted from types identified in AKSIS (ASE /King’s College Science Investigations in Schools) Project.
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7. Types of investigations associated with science enquiry
Exploring
Classifying and identifying
Pattern seeking
Fair testing
Investigating models
Making things or developing systems
Goldsworthy, A (2002) Learning to Investigate in Sherrington, R (ed) (2002) ASE Guide to Primary Science Education Cheltenham, Stanley Thornes, 63-70
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8. A range of process skills used in science enquiry
Also defined differently by different authors but do share some common themes
Raising questions
Predicting/Hypothesising
Observation
Gathering evidence
Planning including equipment selection
Recording
Fair testing
Interpreting evidence
Drawing conclusions
Evaluating
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9. Prediction and Hypothesis
Guess – speculation about the result of an investigation
Prediction – a forecast of what will happen, an expected outcome, based on previous knowledge of everyday experiences or scientific knowledge
Hypothesis – a tentative idea or explanation to be tested , which need not be correct but it should be reasonable in terms of the evidence available, and possible in terms of scientific principles, is provisional since there may be others consistent with the evidence
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10. Modelling a classroom activity to help children learn to predict
Order the statements from the least to the most useful.
Identify whether each statement is a prediction or hypothesis.
How did you decide which was the most useful statement?
How did you decide which was the least useful statement?
Where do the statements that give a scientific reason come on your list?
Adapted from Goldsworthy,A. & Feasey.R. (1997).
Making Sense of Primary Science Investigations.
Revised edition. Hatfield: Association for Science Education, pp22-23
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Compare your list
I think the little pieces will dissolve first.
I think the little pieces will dissolve first because they’re little.
I think the little pieces will dissolve first because my Dad breaks it into little pieces when he makes jelly.
I think the little pieces will dissolve first because little bits of sugar dissolve faster than a sugar lump and I think the same thing will happen with jelly.
I think the little pieces will dissolve first because the water can attack them more easily.
I think the little pieces will dissolve first because there’s more surfaces in touch with the water.
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12. Predicting and hypothesising are part of planning investigations...
planning is implicitly focused by a prediction
predicting encourages children to think ahead
predicting helps them to consider variables
a prediction gives clues to the measurements that might be taken
a hypothesis has a reason in a form that can be tested… may lead to an investigation
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Controversy…..
Feasey and Goldsworthy (1997) suggest predicting becomes hypothesising...
Harlen (2000) suggests a prediction is invariably based on a hypothesis (implicitly if not explicitly)
Predicting and hypothesising are closely related
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14. ‘Materials’ in the Foundation Stage
Find references to exploration of materials in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage
What experiences could you provide for young children that would encourage them to explore materials and their properties?
Why is early exploration so important?
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15. Sc3 Materials and their properties
Refer to the National Curriculum: Science (1999)
Make a list of the materials that they suggest pupils should be taught about.
Then identify the properties that they suggest pupils should be taught about.
Can you link the materials and the properties?
Which materials will you use to develop pupils’ ideas about properties?
Where there is a good match of materials and properties then here is a good opportunity for you to develop Sc1.
Where there is a weak match, here is the place to develop meaning, of materials, or properties and of the nature of science.
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Setting a context
Sc3 Materials and their properties
Making Sandcastles
Mixing sand and water to find the ideal proportions for making the strongest sandcastle.
An everyday experience in which the familiar context can develop scientific thinking and process skills
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Fair Testing
… occurs within the context of planning and carrying out investigations.
… is set up to answer a question such as ‘What will happen if?’
6- 7 year olds can consider fairness AFTER carrying out a test.
Older pupils can consider fairness BEFORE doing a test.
Fairness involves a discussion about variables.
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What are variables?
Factors in an investigation that can be changed or kept the same.
Within Key Stages 1 & 2 children will proceed from not requiring variables to manipulating one variable.
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19. Why do I need to know about variables?
So you can:-
Help children succeed with their investigations
Manage investigations in class
Understand the progression in Sc 1
Assess children’s attainment in Sc 1
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Variables (factors)
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES (IV) - identify what is to change. Changed by choice, different each time.
DEPENDENT VARIABLES (DV) - identify what is to be observed. Dependent on our actions. Measured to obtain results.
CONTROLLED VARIABLES - identify what is to be kept the same so that the effect of the IV can be observed.
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Planning Boards
Introduction
Uses :
Children need help to identify variables. This can be done through questioning. What are you trying to find out? What do you want to observe/measure? What do you want to change? What will you need to keep the same?
Recording the variables.
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Modelling
Model making is an observation activity… in this case the task encourages close observation of a natural form and the way it behaves … through…
watching behaviour, drawing, asking questions…and then…
planning, making, testing and evaluating. And building confidence in problem solving.
You can provide a starter question to scaffold the learning taking place.
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Setting a context
Sc3 Materials and their properties
Making Sandcastles
Mixing sand and water to find the ideal proportions for making the strongest sandcastle.
An everyday experience in which the familiar context can develop scientific thinking and process skills
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24. University of WinchesterPGCEFT 2011-12
Sandcastles
Select a variable for investigation
Note why you think this variable will have an effect - note prediction and hypothesis
Use a planning board to organise your investigation
Consider safety
Carry out the investigation - note use of observation, prediction, hypothesis, fair testing
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Evaluation
Evaluate carefully your investigative
procedures.
How did you begin this task?
How accurate was your prediction?
What aspects of your procedure might you change if you were to carry out the investigation again?
What surprises were there? What did you discover that you hadn’t thought about or predicted?
What process skills did you use? What level did you work at?
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Section 2
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27. Restructuring, modification and extension of ideas
Constructivist model Scott, P. (1987) A Constructivist View Of Teaching And Learning. Leeds: University Press.
Orientation
Elicitation
Restructuring, modification and extension of ideas
Application of ideas
Review and evaluation of ideas
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28. Constructivism Orientation Arousing children’s interest and curiosity
Setting the scene
Relating to a real life context
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29. Constructivism Elicitation/Structuring
Helping children to find out and clarify what they think
Making ideas explicit to themselves, peers, teachers.
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30. Intervention/Restructuring ‘Making sense’ of ideas
Constructivism
Intervention/Restructuring
Encouraging children to test their ideas: to extend, develop or replace them
‘Making sense’ of ideas
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31. Using new ideas in familiar and new contexts
Constructivism
Application
Evaluation continues
Using new ideas in familiar and new contexts
Helping children to relate what they have learned to their everyday lives
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32. University of WinchesterPGCEFT 2011-12
Constructivism
Review
Helping children to recognise the significance of what they have found out, how they have changed their thinking
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33. Constructivism Children have strongly held ideas
Learning involves the active construction of new meaning
Children may appear to understand new ideas presented to them, but not believe them
Shared meanings, reinforced by social interaction, are difficult to change.
Constructivism has its own language – e.g. children’s ideas, alternative frameworks, misconceptions.
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Concept Mapping
…helps children to explore the structure of their current understanding.
Consider:
What does a concept map look like?
What does it show?
Why is it used?
How is it used?
When is it used?
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35. Concept Mapping – more info
SEE
for Professional Development Unit on concept mapping
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36. Concept Mapping - method
Devise list of key words
Use lines to join the words
Add arrowheads on the lines to show how to read the relation
Annotate the lines with words or phrases to illustrate nature of relationship
Materials – devise your own concept map
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37. Concept Mapping - advantages
Not a test situation
Children’s ideas cannot be marked ‘wrong’
Child has ownership
They are meaningful to the children
Variations are extensive
Can be used as formative assessment tool
Provides a good starting point for discussion
Can be reviewed and built upon
Can be motivating
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38. TASK Solids, liquids and gases – the states of matter
To elicit our ideas on solids, liquids and gases, i.e. the states of matter
You have a set of everyday materials.
Please sort them into solids, liquids and gases.
Sort them as they are, and don’t include the container in your decisions.
These materials have been chosen to match what we
think are suitable for you. You may need to adapt the
selection of materials to match your pupils in school.
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Definitions
Nuffield Primary Science (1993) Materials Key
Stage 2 Teachers Guide, London Collins Educational.
“A solid has definite shape. It remains that shape unless a force acts on it.... Cotton wool can be easily changed [but] it does have a definite shape.” P91
“A liquid has no fixed shape but it keeps the same volume when it is poured into a different container” p91
“A gas has no fixed shape or volume... Fill [s] the whole of the space in which it is contained.” P91
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Children’s ideas
Particles are different according to their state eg gas molecules are round, solid cubic
Size of molecule determined by state eg gas = small, solid = large
SOLID – hard, heavy, powders seen as liquids, soft solids such as pastes difficult to classify
LIQUID – flow, pour, compared to water, viscous liquids difficult
GAS – most difficult, air as one gas, include sprays/smoke, gas as dangerous
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41. Elicitation – concept cartoons
Visual representation of scientific ideas
Dialogue form
Give alternative viewpoints
Scientific ideas applied in everyday situations
Alternatives given equal status
Scientifically acceptable viewpoint included
See Keogh and Naylor concept cartoon materials Keogh, B. and Naylor, S. (2000) Concept Cartoons in Science Education Sandbach: Millgate
See
See
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42. TASK Use the same set of materials
This time decide which are pure substances and which are mixtures.
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Progression
Moving forward through a defined sequence of learning targets
A sequence of increasingly demanding activities
Development in learning from one understanding to another broader or deeper understanding( refer to Harlen and Qualter (2009) p.124)
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Resources
QCA Schemes of Work
science
SPACE Research
Reports
Nuffield Primary Science
Scheme
A framework for Medium Term Planning.
TASK: Familiarise yourself with these resources
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Section 3
Student Activities
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46. Student led Practical ‘Changing Materials’
Rusty nails/ items
Chocolate buttons/ ice
Balloons, narrow necked small bottles, bicarb and vinegar
Salt /sugar / spoons / beakers /water
glass mirrors / cans of liquid cold from the fridge
dough and bread
popcorn and popped corn
clay & pottery
Plaster of Paris as powder and as set *NOTE SAFETY
alcohol hand gel
Talk about:
What you notice before and after the change?
Is this change
- physical or chemical?
- reversible or irreversible?
Can you talk about how energy is involved?
Note Sc1 skills of predicting and hypothesising
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47. Changing Materials – themes for revision
The states of matter - solid / liquid / gas
Particles have energy - materials change because of changes in the energy that the particles have. Energy can be transferred in different ways. Consider:
Diffusion
Convection
Conduction
Materials change - Change of state and chemical change .These also relate to the amount of energy particles have.
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Changing Materials
Chemical change
makes new materials i.e. different stuff with new properties
changes the composition of the molecules
can be difficult to reverse
results in new materials being formed.
Change of state
is one kind of physical change
does not change the chemical composition of the molecules
can usually be reversed easily
does not produce new materials.
Conservation of mass
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Children’s ideas
identify melting in water but
do not generalise to others situations
use ‘melting’ / ‘dissolving’ / ‘turning into water’ as the same thing
KS1 – evaporation – water disappears
KS2 – evaporation – water turns into air, rather than vapour in air
(Russell et al.1991)
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Student Activities
Give your 5 min lesson to a small group of your peers.
Once each person has given their lesson discuss and reflect on this activity. Consider what skills and knowledge were used. What questions were raised by yourself and others in the group. How did you feel whilst you were delivering your lesson. Was it well timed? Was the activity/ resources/ vocabulary suitable? How did you know? Keep a record in your reflective journal. How did you recognise if learning was taking place?
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Directed tasks 
1. Read Roden (2005) Use the ‘personal response’ tasks to prompt reflection for next session.
Read Harlen and Qualter (2009) Ch.5 ‘Children’s Own Ideas’ & Ch.9 ‘Helping development of scientific ideas
Complete the CONFIDENCE AUDIT on the Learning Network (LN)
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Directed Tasks
Preparation for next week
READ: Harlen and Qualter (2009) Ch 12 ‘Teachers’ and children’s questions
Next week you will discuss and practise using different types of questions.
What is the difference between ‘productive’ and ‘unproductive’ questions?
What types of productive questions are there and what is the purpose of each in encouraging children’s scientific enquiry?
What reasons do H&Q (2009) present for the use of open and person-centred rather than closed and subject centred questions?
What are the implications from this reading for your planning on SE?
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