Teachers using the Hub
One website with many uses
Barbara Ryan – with Greta Dromgool
September 2015
@NZScienceLearn
www.sciencelearn.org.nz
© 2015 The University of Waikato | www.sciencelearn.org.nz
The New Zealand Curriculum advocates that
many of the major challenges and
opportunities that confront our world need to
be approached from a scientific perspective,
taking into account social and ethical
considerations.
The Science Learning Hub is a repository of
up-to-date NZ science resources in
contextual settings.
© 2015 The University of Waikato | www.sciencelearn.org.nz
Contexts
Science stories
Greta Dromgool teaches Year 7 & 8 students.
Greta teaches science in an intermediate
school. She uses the Science Learning Hub
frequently for her science teaching. Let’s see
what Greta says about the Science Learning
Hub and how she uses it.
Make SLH links
accessible to students
• Links to the SLH on the school’s ultranet
• SLH App on student devices
“The links direct students to the NZ Research articles and help
them learn something beyond the classroom.”
SLH activities increase
engagement of students
Activities:
• Relate to school topics
• Are interesting to students
• Have great visuals
• Are practical
• Are easily accessible
An example: Introduction to DNA
Adapting the ideas
• Greta used text and photos from the activity to
make up a set of instructions. These are laminated
and used for group work.
• The activity suggests students extract DNA from
tomatoes, but Greta adapts the activity to use
whatever fruit is in season.
An observation focus – using
Observing earthworms
Developing science capabilities
- gathering and using evidence
through observation
Greta wanted her students to know how to make and record detailed
observations and to understand that scientists build knowledge through
observation and written information. Over the course of the year, she
aimed to build on these foundation ideas.
Instead of a major focus on students discerning the characteristics of
earthworms, Greta placed emphasis on the skills of observation.
Observing earthworms aim/learning intentions
Aim: To explore earthworm anatomy and the nature of science.
Learning intentions:
Identify various physical characteristics.
Describe how an earthworm uses its circular and longitudinal muscles to move.
Discuss how students’ observations and experiences in the classroom mirror those
of real scientists.
Greta’s altered aim/learning intentions
Aim: To observe living organisms and appreciate the way scientists gather evidence.
Learning intentions:
Identify observation as a way of gathering evidence.
Make multiple observations using more than one sense.
Record observations in multiple ways.
Learning about observation –
Nature of Science
Why is it important to be good at observation? (We might miss or
misrepresent important information.)
Observing earthworms
Students observed earthworms in small groups – listed what they
could see. Some students used hands lenses and made
measurements.
Video clip – Physical adaptations
for life underground
Reading
– Pasture earthworms brochure
Students discussed new scientific vocabulary such as dorsal,
segment, clitellum and prostomium
They asked questions among themselves – do they sleep? Do
they have a brain?
http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Science-Stories/Earthworms/Observing-earthworms
Second Observation
The second time they drew and labeled an earthworm – recording observations on a
specified worksheet. Students used tools such as hand lenses, rulers and the
earthworms brochure.
Students talked about the benefits of observing closely.
“Looking through magnifying glasses, it’s actually really fun,
because when you look up close, they look very different. You get
to measure them and time how fast they are”.
Interactives and animations
Label the heart
An alternative to dissecting sheep’s hearts
Making connections between real
artefacts and models or diagrams
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© 2015 The University of Waikato | www.sciencelearn.org.nz
Thanks!
Questions and comments?
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