Preparing a Terrarium Environment for Chosen Plants
LITE case study

Background
Learning outcomes
Implementing the technology unit
Generating ideas and strategies
Selecting and developing solutions
Constructing and refining
Evaluating and testing

Background

Biotechnology is a complex technological area, with a raft of associated issues. While these issues should form an important part of a biotechnology programme at any level, it can be difficult to find an appropriate vehicle to teach the area, particularly with young children.

This case study explores how the framework assisted a teacher to broaden her own understanding about bio (or bio-related) technology, enabling her to assist her year 1 class to achieve well in the area. It includes work samples from some of her students, who learned about the differing needs of terrarium plants then set about planning and preparing an environment to suit their chosen plants.

The terrarium topic

The terrarium topic arose through a combination of teacher and student interest. Having been a LITE research teacher for over a year, Joan had already moved forward significantly in her understanding of technology and technology education. As often happens, her enhanced understanding had highlighted knowledge gaps and Joan felt that she was lacking in the area of biotechnology.

After extensive thought and discussion, Joan concluded that taking a narrowly focused view of biotechnology (such as manipulation of genetic material) was unfeasible in planning for year 1 students. Taking a broader bio-related view of the area opened up a wider range of topics, which kept the essential living component to the fore. Joan's students had already shown interest in the process of re-potting a couple of indoor plants for the classroom earlier that term. This existing interest seemed like a natural prelude for more advanced concepts, and the idea of preparing environments for indoor plants was begun.

The effective technology teacher of young children must allow children control and scope in decision making, while ensuring that their programme is structured enough to be manageable. While Joan made a prior decision that from a range of indoor planting possibilities her students would be preparing terrarium environments, she was careful to ensure their ownership of and enthusiasm for the idea in ensuing discussions with them.

Her next task was to begin the planning process, using the LITE Planning Template. Like all the LITE teachers, Joan's central focus in planning, teaching, and assessing technology was the way her students integrated conceptual, procedural, societal, and technical aspects of technology in their realisation of a technological solution. This formed the basis for her expectations about overall practice as shown in her planning chart below (see the section Overall student technological practice, which also specifies relevant achievement objectives from the technology curriculum). It is worthwhile noting the relevance of AO 2a as the principles of optimisation and, to a lesser extent, aesthetics, were central to the terrarium topic.

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