APPENDIX 2:
DEVELOPING ESSENTIAL LEARNING SKILLS AND ATTITUDES THROUGH SCIENCE
The New Zealand Curriculum specifies eight groupings of essential skills to be developed by all students across the whole curriculum. These are communication skills, numeracy skills, information skills, problem-solving skills, self-management and competitive skills, work and study skills, social and co-operative skills, and physical skills. Information skills and problem-solving skills are embedded in scientific investigation. Possible learning experiences related to the other essential skills are listed in this appendix.
POSSIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES RELATED TO COMMUNICATION
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Communication in science may include:
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Students could be learning by:
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- using the means and the media appropriate to message and audience;
- using written, spoken, and visual language;
- using graphical and symbolic representations;
- drawing diagrams, mapping, and constructing models; recording and presenting data;
- using communication technologies;
- critically discussing scientific reports.
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- making a clay model of an insect (L 1.1, L 2.1);
- reporting to a group about where particular animals were found at the beach (L 2.4);
- writing poems about why we wear different clothing in different seasons (E 2.3);
- audiotaping an interview with an expert on bird song (L 3.2);
- making a chart of the different types of rubbish found in the local park (M 2.1, M 3.1);
- talking about their ideas after reading a School Journal article on plastics (M 3.2, M 4.2);
- explaining to friends how a kina moves (L 5.2);
- drawing an annotated diagram of a rátá flower
(L 5.2);
- drawing a poster demonstrating the physics in sailing a yacht (L 5.4);
- constructing a concept map to show the relationships between earthquakes, volcanoes, and the Earth's crustal plates (E 6.1);
- making a video about growing cut flowers for export (L 6.4);
- finding out about the role of ráhui in the guardianship of natural resources (E 7.4, E 8.4, N 5.1(b));
- explaining their ideas about the pollination of a flax flower to their classmates (L 5.2, N 5.1);
- drawing a graph relating the strength of concrete to its sand content (M 6.4, E 5.1, N 5.2);
- writing instructions on using a computer programme that draws ray diagrams (P 7.4);
- presenting a seminar on the science involved in a photocopying machine (P 7.4, N 7.2);
- debating New Zealand's use of agricultural pesticides (M 8.4).
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POSSIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES RELATED TO NUMERACY
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Numeracy in science may include:
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Students could be learning by:
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- counting;
- estimating and measuring quantities;
- calculating;
- using calculating aids and measuring instruments;
- using mathematical operations and symbols;
- expressing patterns as equations, tables, and graphs;
- understanding and expressing uncertainties;
- using statistical methods when appropriate;
- using computer spreadsheets;
- determining uncertainty in measurements.
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- seriating a collection of leaves according to attributes negotiated by the students (L 1.2);
- plotting the position of shady areas in the playground (E 2.3);
- counting the number of crabs under a stone (L 3.4);
- reading a class-made rain or wind gauge (E 3.1);
- measuring the height of the bounce of a ball (P 3.3);\
- graphing data about the elasticity of a loaded rubber band (P 3.3);
- plotting the position of places where cockroaches
are found (L 3.4);
- quantitatively surveying rubbish left in the school grounds (M 3.1);
- measuring the duration of a hum to indicate lung capacity (L 4.3);
- measuring the temperature of different-coloured objects left in the sun (P 5.3);
- estimating the total surface area of the leaves on a tree (L 5.2);
- surveying a rocky shore, using quadrats and transects (L 5.2);
- mapping greenstone locations in New Zealand (E 6.4);
- plotting data to establish the relationship of the bending of a beam to different applied masses (P 6.3);
- using a pH meter to determine the acidity of soil samples (M 6.2, N 6.1);
- describing the need for standard units when measuring physical quantities (P 7.3);
- calculating the number of moles of a substance produced during a particular reaction (M 8.4);
- using a computer spreadsheet program to analyse and plot the relationships between light intensity, area of a solar cell, and the electrical voltage generated (P 8.2).
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POSSIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES RELATED TO SELF MANAGEMENT AND COMPETITION, AND TO WORK AND STUDY
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Self management and Competition, and to Work and Study in science may include:
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Students could be learning by:
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- working both independently and co-operatively with others;
- taking responsibility for personal safety in the science classroom;
- organising practical activities carefully to ensure valid conclusions;
- being honest when recording and validating data;
- repeating tests when unexpected results occur;
- persevering when faced with learning difficulties;
- learning how to learn;
- making personal decisions about one's own learning;
- becoming responsible for one's own learning;
- entering a science exhibition or science project competition.
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- sharing magnifying glasses when studying small animals (L 2.1);
- meeting scheduled recording times when measuring temperature over an extended period of time (E 2.3);
- asking questions when they have not, at first, understood ideas about density (P 4.1/2);
- holding a conference with a partner who is preparing to report to the class on an independent investigation into household acids (M 5.2, M 6.2);
- learning how to locate books on single-celled organisms in the library (L 5.1);
- fulfilling a negotiated contract in the time allocated, for example, completing a series of experiments on corrosion (M 5.3);
- reporting actual results of an experiment on sedimentation (E 5.1/2);
- working co-operatively in groups in planning a debate on the designation of an area of commercial forest, which contains a sizeable population of little spotted kiwi, as a National Park (E 5.4);
- checking on instructions about the use of a laser when they remain unclear after several readings (P 7.4, N 6.2);
- completing a long-term investigation into the chemical composition of different pottery glazes (M 8.1/2);
- using a range of information when researching the safety aspects of bungy jumping (P 8.1, N 7.3).
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Note: Success and satisfaction in learning are often related to setting realistic goals, and organising time, skills, and resources, both human and material, efficiently and effectively. As self-management skills and work and study skills are closely integrated, these skills are combined in this section.
POSSIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES RELATED TO SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND CO-OPERATION AND SOCIAL ACTION
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Social relationships and co-operation and social action in science may include:
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Students could be learning by:
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- working both independently and co-operatively with others;
- listening to and acknowledging the views of others;
- considering the safety of others when working in a science laboratory;
- negotiating particular responsibilities of group members;
- knowing how to express concerns confidently, or to ask questions of appropriate people or organisations;
- being sensitive to the learning needs of others.
- being aware of current scientific issues of concern to society;
- caring for the local and global environment;
- being able to express an opinion about an issue related to the consequences of the application of scientific knowledge;
- caring for plants and animals;
- caring for laboratory and classroom equipment;
- critically evaluating the consequences of the applications of scientific enquiry.
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- reaching a consensus about the likely position of the stomach in the body (L 2.2);
- considering the safety of others when using electrical equipment (P 3.4);
- coming to a group agreement about the layout of the science table display on everyday materials (M 4.2);
- being involved in a project planting indigenous trees
(E 3.4, E 4.4);
- negotiating particular responsibilities of group members when organising a family science evening on 'investigating light' (P 4.1/2);
- canvassing local views about a factory which is polluting your neighbourhood (M 4.4);
- being an effective member of the group when collecting data as part of a bush study (L 4.4);
- establishing the protocol prior to interviewing tangata whenua about the use of a nearby river, lake, or forest
(E 5.4, E 6.4, E 7.4);
- interviewing members of the community about fluoridation of the local water supply (M 5.4);
- critically analysing the scientific claims used to support a product in a television advertisement (N5.3, N6.3);
- making a submission to the government on the use of pesticides (N 7.3, M 7.4, E 7.4);
- writing a letter to the local newspaper about noise levels adjacent to airports (L 7.4, N 6.3, N 7.3, N 8.3);
- reaching an agreed position on the milling of indigenous timber (L 6.4, L 7.4, N 7.3, N 8.3);
- using science skills to provide relevant data for a newspaper report on the irradiation of foods
(L 8.4, N 8.3);
- listening to and evaluating different views on topics such as the use of nuclear energy (E 8.4, N 8.3);
- working with a group to design a hand tool for a person with arthritis (P 8.4, N 7.3).
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Note:
- Successful scientific investigation increasingly involves people working in teams as well as independently. The findings of scientific investigations are frequently applied to social contexts. Developing the skills and attitudes involved in being an effective member of a group, and being a responsible member of an increasingly interdependent society, are important outcomes of learning in science.
- Although it is possible to identify different skills which relate to social relationships and co-operation and social action, in practice the possible learning experiences generally apply to both social relationships and co-operation and social action and therefore have not been separated in the table.
POSSIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES RELATED TO PHYSICAL CO-ORDINATION
Physical
co-ordination in science may include:
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Students could be learning by:
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- manipulating equipment;
- using tools and materials appropriately;
- using equipment and materials safely;
- making fine measurements.
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- making a clay model of an animal (M 1.1, L 1.2);
- making a musical instrument out of bottles and water (P 1.1/2);
- working in a group to build a tower out of used computer paper and sticky tape when investigating simple structures (P 2.1/2);
- finding out about the bounce time of a different number of pupils on a trampoline (P 3.1/2);
- using a methylated spirits burner to investigate expansion of metals (M 4.2);
- using the microscope to observe plant cells under high power magnification (L 5.1);
- preventing contamination when making yoghurt
(L 6.1);
- using a geological hammer with precision and care when searching for fossils (E 7.1/2);
- using pipettes and burettes for volumetric analysis
(M 7.4);
- taking care when assembling apparatus to manufacture aspirin from methyl salicylate (M 8.3).
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Note: Scientific investigation gives students many opportunities to develop fine motor co-ordination skills as they use tools and manipulate equipment in the classroom or in the field with precision, efficiency, and safety. They are also often involved in making fine measurements.
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