1. PMSS 2015 Continuing Professional Learning Program

2. Session 4: The Importance of Representations Facilitators Sophia McLean: Professional Learning Manager Louise Rostron: Professional Learning Consultant

3. Workshop purpose You are here to experience and understand the prime importance of representing understanding using multiple modes in the learning area of science.

4. Workshop outline (90 minutes) INTRO:Purpose, outline, outcomes (5 mins) ENGAGE:The three literacy terms - a review (10 mins) The phenomenon of “dissolving” EXPLORE:Explore the phenomena of “dissolving” and “diffusing” using (20 mins )multiple modes of representation EXPLAIN:The importance of multiple representations (20 mins) Literacy focuses across the curriculum resources The development of a “literacy of science” from simple to complex ELABORATE:Investigate and represent the “rate of a reaction” (30 mins) EVALUATE:Re-visit the three literacy terms and link to workshop activities (5 mins)

5. Outcomes On completion of this module participants will understand: the prime importance of multiple modes of representation in understanding science concepts more about the phenomena of “dissolving” and “diffusing” the ways representations can be differentiated across year levels the range of “literacy focuses” used in science and how these contribute to students’ construction of an argument that representing understanding is a crucial part of the science inquiry process

6. ENGAGE Continuing Professional Learning Program

7. Answers to Literacy Quiz Drawing a representation at the beginning of an inquiryEL Learning and using symbols for an electric circuitLOS Creating an accurate labelled diagram of a flower after observing its partsLOS Discussing what you think you know about changes to matterEL Using the QCER process to interpret/analyse data from an investigationSL Writing an explanation of an observation using appropriate scientific languageLOS Discussing observations at the Explore phase of a unitEL Creating a data table and graph from an investigationLOS Role play what you think is happening when you observe something/first timeEL Drawing a “light ray” diagramLOS Drawing a conclusion based on evidenceSL Reasoning about an investigation/linking observations with the science conceptSL Asking questions of others about their data and evidenceSL Talking about a phenomenon at the Engage phaseEL Making a decision about a health issue after reading a science articleSL Critically reading an advertisement based on scienceSL Accurately interpreting a graphSL Planningand conducting a fair testSL Helping to create a “word wall” about the concept of “forces” LOS

8. Represent what you observe Try representing what you think is happening by creating a drawing or diagram, an explanation or some other form of representation. Try using more than one mode if possible. Potassium permanganate in water.

9. EXPLORE Continuing Professional Learning Program

10. A whole body role play representation Potassium K+ Permanganate MnO4 – Hydrogen H Oxygen O Potassium Permanganate crystals: Four people: each person labelled head and feet with a Potassium ion (K+) and a Permanganate ion(KMNO4) Water molecules: Three people: one Oxygen and two Hydrogen atoms

11. If a solid sample of Potassium permanganate is placed in water, the water molecules will interact with the Potassium cations and the permanganate anions held in the crystal to break the ionic bonds that hold the crystal together. This is a process of dissolving the crystal into solution. You will not be able to see the Potassium ions, but the permanganate ions are purple even in solution and you will see the water slowly darken (perhaps turning pink or violet first near the solid and finally taking on a uniform purple color). This second phase is the diffusion of the the ions into the solvent. This process will speed up if the solution is heated or stirred. Eventually one ends up with a homogeneous solution of Potassium permanganate in water. The water is the solvent and the Potassium permanganate is the solute. A description of “Potassium Permanganate in water”

12. EXPLAIN Continuing Professional Learning Program

13. The Five Whys Why is it important for students to have opportunities to create multiple representations of their understanding?

14. A developing literacy focus Line drawing: We use a line drawing to show what an object looks like without lots of detail. A line drawing includes simple lines usually using a pencil. Drawing: We use a drawing to illustrate an idea or an object. A drawing includes lines to represent a likeness, image, plan or design, usually using a pen, pencil or crayon. Annotated drawing: We use an annotated drawing to show an idea or object. An annotated drawing includes a picture and words or descriptions about the idea or object. Annotated diagram: We use an annotated diagram to show the parts of an object and what they do. An annotated diagram might include an accurate drawing, a title, a date and a few words about each of the parts. A line or arrow joins the words to the part. Labelled diagram: We use a labelled diagram to show the shape, size and features of an object. A labelled diagram might include a title, an accurate drawing, a scale to show the object’s size and labels showing the main features. A line or arrow connects the label to the feature.

15. Re-represent your understanding using two different level drawings or diagrams Dissolving and diffusing Potassium Permanganate in water

16. ELABORATE Continuing Professional Learning Program

17. Investigate: The rate of reaction What is the question for investigation? What are the variables? What equipment do I need? VARIABLES GRID (M = Measure) Rate of reaction of a fizzy tablet (M)

18. QCER Q:What question are you trying to answer? C:What is your claim at this point? E:What specific evidence do you have to support your claim? R:How does the evidence support the claim? Can this be linked to a science concept? Are there alternative explanations for the data collected? How accurate is the data? Students need encouragement to move from making claims only to citing evidence to support the claims. Older students can make full conclusions with claims, evidence and reasoning. The Question Starters can be used to model and practise this process.

19. Australian Curriculum:Science Science Inquiry Skills Science Inquiry Skills content is described in two-year bands. There are five sub-strands: Questioning and predicting Planning and conducting Processing and analysing data and information Evaluating Communication Each of these skills requires and includes “representations”.

20. Examples of representations in science investigations writing a question for investigation (questioning and predicting) completing a variables grid (planning and conducting) entering data into a data table (processing and analysing data and information) making claims about the investigation (evaluating and communicating) drawing a representation of what happened in an investigation (evaluating) participating in an evidence – based discussion (evaluating and communicating) Each of these skills requires and includes “representations”.

21. EVALUATE Continuing Professional Learning Program

22. Re-visit the three literacy terms Everyday literacies Literacies of science Scientific literacy How and when did you use each of these in this workshop?