QUESTION 1 1.1 science or knowledge of objects or processes observable in nature, as biology or physics, as distinguished from the abstract or theoretical sciences, as mathematics or philosophy,can be the sciences collectively that are involved in the study of the physical world and itsphenome na, including biology, physics, chemistry, and geology, but excluding social sciences,abstract or theoretical sciences, such as mathematics, and applied sciences any one of these sciences. 1.2 Science is bigger than human-centered subjects like history, literature, language, music, art. Perhaps it’s overwhelming to think deeply about the implications of concepts like evolution, the big bang, subatomic particles. We can get out of our comfort zone pretty fast. 1.3 Science is a moving target, forever advancing and getting more complicated. It’s hard to keep up and really hard to catch up. What you learn in high school is often so different by the time you have kids of your own that you can’t easily help them with their science homework. Science changes faster than iPod models. Science is like a foreign language but is not taught that way. The vocab is pretty rough. Words like “biogeochemical” or “neurotransmission” don’t work well in our texting, tweeting world. Why is it that the only writing that kids learn with regard to science is IMRAD? Science is an extreme sport for the brain, and needs to be practiced like that. If we take some time off from science, which most people do, it’s hard work to get back in shape. Meanwhile, the vocabulary has changed. In meaningful activities there is less control over the outcome of the response. The instructor may not know how the reamer will respond to the question. The information exchanged during meaningful activities is similar to the kinds of information that language reamers will be using on their own outside the classroom. Meaningful activities include: Yes/No questions: Questions which require a yes or no answer (e.g., Does your host family have a telephone?) True/False questions: Questions or statements which require a true or false answer. (e.g., Riga is the capital of Lithuania.) Binary-choice questions: Either/or questions (e.g., Do you like formal dinners or casual ones?) Wh- questions: Questions beginning with any of the Wh- question words: when, what, where, why, who, how (e.g., Where is the supply room?) Following directions: Each student is given a map. Oral directions are given and students follow, indicating understanding by arriving at the final destination. Guided role ploy: The instructor provides guidelines as to the roles that will be played and responses that should be given during the role play. Paraphrase drills: Learners are asked to paraphrase a sentence given by the instructor or another learner. Information Gap: Each reamer is given information that another reamer needs in order to complete the activity. (Davies 1898 ) Natural science education is essential because it is of immense value in the pupil's personal lives as well as in the lives of their communities. The value of natural science education may be summarized as follows: Natural science education provides experiences that can lead to the development of basic scientific literacy. All children need to become scientifically literate in order to function effectively in a contemporary society and economy that rely heavily on science and technology. Natural science education creates a basic understanding of nature and everyday technological devices. Children who perceive nature and technology as being understandable, develop greater confidence than those who view nature and technology as mysterious and magical (Gega 1994:16). Natural science education contributes to community upliftment by developing scientifically literate persons who can cope with basic socio-scientific problems. Natural science education can help develop a spirit of inquiry necessary for lifelong learning. Natural science education can help create an awareness of, a sensitivity to, and concern for nature and the environment. Natural science education as a search for truth may teach the virtues of honesty, humility and responsibility. Especially when first introduced, meaningul activities may be difficult for reamers to carry out. It is worth investing the time necessary for students to understand how to do these exercises, however. They can be adapted to many competencies, and provide a good means of assessing student readiness to perform similar language tasks outside the classroom. At this stage of the sequence it is also important for the teacher to step back eventually and allow reamers to attempt the tasks without teacher intervention. In this way, learners can demonstrate that they are ready to move to the next stage in the sequence. 1.4 Because the scope of a scientist's observations are restricted to testable and repeatable natural laws and phenomenon, there are important matters which lie beyond the field of scientific investigation: Science cannot make moral judgments. 1.5 A speculative theory is an attempt to explain an observation without a sufficient foundation of scientific facts. Such a theory may sound right, may be pleasing to our senses, and may even offer a possible explanation of an observation. However, the observation may also have other possible explanations which can be very different. What makes a theory "speculative" is the possibility of other theories and the lack of sufficient evidence to prove which one of these theories is the right one. A speculative theory must also be subjected to experimental validation. For example: When a person does not come home from work at the time his wife expects him to be home, the wife will usually develop a speculative theory as to the reason her husband is not home. There can be many possible theories, but the wife does not know which is the right one. If she chooses to believe in one specific theory, it would be a speculative theory. Speculative theories cause a lot of controversy in society. When scientists debate speculative theories, their objective is usually to find the truth. However, when non-scientists debate speculative theories, their objective is rarely the truth. Many debates over famous speculative theories are more about promoting a social, emotional, religious, or anti-religious agenda. A fact is something which is well proven and established by experiments. All experiments yield the same consistent results. All attempts to disprove the fact have failed, and will most likely always fail. 1.6 One of the greatest things we can teach our children is to love learning. Science is a great medium to do so. Children are inquisitive explores by nature and science offers lots to explore. Because much of science is hands-on, it appeals readily to most children. QUESTION 2 1.The ‘knowledge framework’ is designed to help students explore, discuss, and form an understanding of each of the eight areas of knowledge. The knowledge framework isn’t a formal element of the TOK essay or presentation (ie, it isn’t directly assessed); instead, it is designed to present various consideration points that that can then be used to compare and contrast the different areas of knowledge, as well as tying them to the ways of knowing. 2. Child Science was born amid the social changes that occurred in the shift from the twentieth to the twenty-first century. We experienced a remarkable improvement in the quality of transmitted communication due to the transformation from the vertically oriented society of the twentieth century to one based on horizontal relations in the twenty-first century, from the specialization of the sciences and technology to a comprehensive, integrated approach, and dramatic advances in printing, publishing, broadcasting, communications and the internet, and other technology related to social information. This was the background in which Child Science was conceived. 3. Classroom Discipline. Discipline is defined as the practice of teaching others to obey rules or norms by using punishment to correct unwanted behaviors. In a classroom, a teacher uses discipline to ensure routine is maintained, school rules are enforced, and the students are in a safe learning environment. 4. A quality science education is essential to the future success of all students, as is proficiency in the English language. Since limited English proficient (LEP) students learn English skills most effectively when they are taught across the curriculum, it is especially productive to integrate science and English teaching. An integrated curriculum that teaches science in a way that is understandable and meaningful to multicultural students, as it promotes increased English language proficiency, can be developed for students at all educational levels, and does not require teachers with knowledge of the students' native languages. QUESTION 3 3.1 Hands-on activities are the ideal method of teaching Natural Sciences. Give a critical analysis of this statement by referring to school science teaching. (10) About hands-on activities, it is an idea that needs to be qualified. It is true that the agent of intellectual learning is the activity of the learner's own mind and that knowledge gained during well-structured hands-on activities is better remembered than purely verbal explanations. It is also true that knowledge gained in a familiar, relevant and problem-solving context is better understood and integrated. 3.2 What must Natural Sciences educators pay attention to if they were to transform child science into true scientific understanding? (6) The educator must ensure that the learners have acquired the necessary prior knowledge so that they can understand the purpose of the activity. It is your duty as teacher to prepare the children's minds for the activity and/or any research that they must do. A teacher's job, and moral duty, is to TEACH. The teacher must not assume that the children will learn academic subject matter in an incidental, spontaneous manner. It is important that teachers always bear in mind that academic subject matter is seldom mastered by children (and adolescents) without good teachers who take very seriously their responsibility to teach i.e., to structure lessons and learning activities, to explain subject content, to question and to lead and guide children's observations and enquiries. It is simply not true that direct instruction (which includes verbal teaching) results in passive learners.
