Science in the New Zealand Curriculum
Achievement objectives
Level 4: Making Sense of the Nature of Science and Its Relationship to Technology
Students can plan and carry out a "fair test" and make decisions about whether the conclusions drawn from an investigation are soundly based.
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 32
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/science/curriculum/p32_33_e.php
Levels 3 and 4: Developing Scientific Skills and Attitudes
Focusing and planning: Students can design "fair tests", trials, and surveys with an attempt to control for obvious variables.
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 44
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/science/curriculum/p44_51_e.php
Level 4: Making Sense of the Material World
Students can:
- investigate and group common materials in terms of properties
- investigate and explain how uses of everyday materials are related to their physical and simple chemical properties.
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 96
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/science/curriculum/p96_97_e.php
The teacher's intended outcomes were for the students to:
- investigate using "fair testing" as independently as possible
- explain how the properties of materials influence their selection for various uses.
The intended outcomes were aligned to the following "big ideas":
- Scientists use "fair tests", controlling all the variables except those that are manipulated and responded to, when this is a good way to answer their question.
- Scientists compare their results by measuring them where possible.
- The uses of materials depend on their range of properties.
The students began by working in groups on the properties of materials, using activities taken from pages 102–103 of Making Better Sense of the Material World. The students used the library and the Internet to find the origins of various common materials and ways to test the materials for their properties and uses. In their groups, they identified some "mystery fabrics" supplied by the teacher and investigated the best material to use for a face mask to protect against dust on a dusty track. The class compared and discussed the various approaches used by the groups.
The teacher used a class discussion about the hazards of farm-bike riding (a familiar experience for these rural students) to lead into discussion about the properties that riders need in their protective clothing. Each student chose one of the properties and developed ways to test various fabrics for that property.
During their investigations, the students made progress reports. Their reports generated discussion that helped them to improve their investigations. On completion, the students shared and discussed the results of their investigations in class presentations. Finally, the students used the information they had gathered to design an ideal farm-bike suit.
Although it's not illustrated here, the teaching also provided for self-assessment and peer assessment as the investigations proceeded. The teacher could use the students' assessment results to plan further opportunities for them to conduct investigations.
Teacher-student conversation
Planning Ben's investigation:
| Teacher: |
What will you test your materials for and why? |
| Ben: |
I'm going to test them for being durable when they're getting rubbed against the road, when they're wet, and for getting sharp objects fired at them because those are all things that can happen when you're riding a motorcycle that you need protection from. |
| Teacher: |
What fabrics do you predict will be the front-runners? |
| Ben: |
I think the leather will come first because it seems stronger, then rugby jersey fabric because it seems thicker. |
To move Ben towards the next learning step, the teacher could help him to focus on:
- evaluating his investigation, for example, by asking "How can you be sure that your measurements are reliable?" and "Would repeated tests get the same results?" (investigating in science)
- explaining more challenging situations requiring the coherent connection of a range of scientific ideas. The consistency of his achievement at level 4 and the brevity of his labels suggest that Ben is capable of this (developing and communicating scientific understanding).
The teacher could:
- focus on another type of investigation in a unit on the Material World (for example, systematic, detailed observing)
- provide opportunities, in a unit on the Material World, for Ben to use his own ideas on clothing for other uses (for example, what to wear when using a chainsaw).
References
Ministry of Education (1993). Science in the New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education (2001). Making Better Sense of the Material World. Wellington: Learning Media.
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