Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Developing
a
Scope and Sequence
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
The fundamental step in the design of
effective teaching and learning
programs is the establishment of a
program overview with a scope and
sequence plan.
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
When developing this plan teachers should
consider the following:
Syllabus
requirements
Flexibility
Further
considerations
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Program Overview
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Content mapping grids demonstrate the
development of student ‘learn about’ and
‘learn to’ content across a stage in relation
to the identified scope and sequence.
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Syllabus requirements

each unit of work must address at least one
Prescribed Focus Area
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Syllabus requirements

all knowledge and understanding outcomes and
essential content is addressed within the
appropriate stage
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate

content addressed within the appropriate stage
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate

the selected Prescribed Focus Area and skills
essential content is appropriate to achieve the
relevant Stage 4 or Stage 5 outcomes
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Syllabus Requirements

the selected skills essential content is appropriate to
achieve the relevant Stage 4 or Stage 5 outcomes

a minimum of 50% of course time must be allocated to
practical experiences
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Why do we do practical work?
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Practical work provides opportunity for:

Getting a feel for natural phenomena

Developing investigation skills

Providing a basis for conceptual understanding

Giving a sense of the nature of science

Providing the excitement of inquiry and
discovery
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Types of practical work:
Demonstrations
 Explorations
 Recipe-style exercises
 Investigations
 Projects

They are undertaken within a context.
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
Students who understand the nature of
scientific evidence should be able to detect
when:
 Conclusions are not consistent with data
 Fact and opinion are intermingled
 Graphs distort the appearance of data
 Averages mask variation in data
 High levels of precision are unwarranted
Question 7 : Sun, Earth and Moon
The diagram below shows the relative
movements of Earth and the Moon around the
Sun. It is not drawn to scale.
QUESTION 7
How long does it take for the Moon to go once around the
Sun?
%
response
Option 1 1 day
Option 2 1 week
Option 3 1 month
Option 4 1 year
24.2%
4.0%
13.9%
56.2%
Distracter Analysis
This response may be based on a student’s
common experience of when the moon is
visible or when the sun would appear
This response may indicate a student having
a poor recollection of the movements of the
moon around the Earth
This response may be based on a student’s
knowledge or recollection of the movements
of the moon around Earth.
This response would suggest an accurate
knowledge of the movement of the moon
and Earth around the sun.
Extended answer tasks - Heating ice




A science class was doing
an experiment to observe
temperature changes when
heating ice.
Each group started the
experiment with four cubes
of ice and a small amount of
water in a beaker.
They heated the beaker,
with constant stirring, over a
low Bunsen burner flame as
shown in the diagram below.
They measured the
temperature every minute
and recorded the results in a
table.
One group of students obtained the following results
a)
b)
Using the information from the result table, describe
what was happening in the first 9 minutes of the
experiment.
Using your knowledge of the particle theory, explain
why this happens.
THE PARTICLE THEORY OF MATTER
ALIAS
THE KINETIC MOLECULAR THEORY
These theories are essentially the same.
The Kinetic Molecular Theory emphasizes the movement of
the particles.
1. All matter consists of extremely small particles. (A drop
of water is made up of 30 billion billion (3 x 1019 )
particles of water.).
2. All particles of one substance are identical.
3. The spaces between particles are very large compared
to the size of the particles themselves.
4. The particles in matter attract one another.
5. All particles of matter are constantly in motion.
Curriculum Leadership Workshop for Science Head Teachers
Science Unit Curriculum Directorate
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