MAKING SENSE OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO TECHNOLOGY: LEVEL 5

ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES

Students can

(a) relate interpretations of the result of their investigations to their original ideas, questions, and predictions;
(b) explain how different cultures have developed understanding of the living, physical, material, and technological components of the environment, e.g., Polynesian navigation systems, Māori medicinal plants, Chinese astronomy;
use their knowledge of a scientific idea to identify and describe examples of technology in which that idea is applied;
investigate how knowledge of science and technology is used by people in their everyday life, e.g., knowledge of the nutritional value of food groups and diet, knowledge of effects of drugs on body systems.

Students could be learning by:

researching and writing a case study on topics such as antibiotics, Teflon plastics, the electric fence, and ailerons, to emphasise the link between science and technology (P 5.4, M 5.2);
interviewing a kuia about Māori herbal remedies (M 5.2);
negotiating within a group the questions to ask about a Māori fishing calendar (L 5.4);
tracing the development of drift-net fishing and its impact on the environment (E 5.4);
investigating the development of the silicon chip and its prevalence in familiar technology (P 5.4);
using findings from an investigation to justify the selection of products such as acne cream, toothpaste, soap, cereal, or cat food (M 5.2).

ASSESSMENT EXAMPLES

Teachers and students could assess the students':

ability to relate the results of their investigations to their original ideas, when they explain their conclusions during a 'report back' session;
knowledge of the contribution Pacific Islands people have made to the development of cropping techniques, when the students present a seminar;
ability to use their scientific knowledge, when the students prepare a historical summary of the technological developments arising from the discovery of radio waves;
ability to locate and organise information, when the students prepare a speech on achieving a healthy vegetarian diet or on the dangers of smoking.