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Copyright © UCLES 2008
Biology Workshops
October 2009 Singapore
Language and Practical Work in Biology
Teaching
Introductions
Workshop programme – day one
• Setting the scene
• Identify, develop and share practical ideas
• Practical approaches to developing
language in science
Workshop programme – day two– Identify, develop and share practical ideas
– Investigations:
» Developing and embedding skill development
» Planning
– Identify, develop and share practical ideas– Investigations:
» Resources for analysing and evaluating
» Ideas about investigations
– Showcase and summing up– Embedding ICT
What does the specification say?
- AS/A level
Assessment
objectives
Weighting (%) Components
Knowledge with
understanding
45 Papers 1,2 and 4
Handling information and
solving problems
32 Papers 1,2 and 4
Experimental skills and
investigations
23 Papers 31/32 and 5
Practical work
What does the specification say?
- AS/A levelPractical
work
• “..candidates
should spend at
least 20% of their
time doing
practical work,
individually or in
small groups...”
What does the specification say?
- assessment (AS/A level)Practical
work
Teacher‟s schemes of work and
the sequence of learning activities
should reflect this balance.
What does the specification say?
- A2 paper 5
“It should be stressed that candidates
cannot be adequately prepared for this
paper without extensive laboratory work
during their course of study.”
Practical work
Why practicals?
Some groups to use:
1. validates accepted theory
2. develops student skills in using and manipulating
scientific equipment
3. practises scientific methods
4. demonstrates a procedure
5. demonstrates a process or concept
Practical work
What does the specification say?Practical
work
Practical work should:
• Develop skills
• Reinforce theory
• Develop understanding of scientific method
• Motivate through enjoyment
Interactivity? Interactivity
Why?
» Engagement
» Encourages processing
» Addresses different
learning styles
Outcome?
» Develops understanding
» Promotes recall,
application and
enjoyment
» Uses language
What the specification says...Language
IGCSE
...programmes of study ... will feature a variety
of learning experiences designed to enhance
the development of skill and comprehension.
Candidates will be expected to give
biologically correct definitions of any of the
terms printed in italics
How does it feel?
• Teacher instructions
– Each candidate must be supplied with the following...
(ii) two ongebruikt clean katoenen knop wrapped in
paper/cling film/foil.
• Student instructions
– Note: Make sure that you verlof voldoende
onbeproefd amylase and starch solution to
volledig the rest of this experiment.
Language
Copyright © UCLES 2008
Biology Workshops
October 2009 Singapore
Language and Practical Work in Biology
Teaching
Activity 2.1 – issues with
practical work
• In your group come up with 9 reasons not to
do practical work. Write the reasons on
separate cards.
• Arrange the list in order of priority
• Place in order as a diamond with the most
important reason at the top
Practical work
Solution focussed
• Top concerns?
• Realistic solutions to solve practical
difficulties
– At the very least the specification demands it.
Practical work
Types of practical work
• Demonstrations and class practicals
– to validate theory
– to learn procedures and skill
• Investigations
– how science works
Practical work
Activity 2.2 – Sharing ideas
Practical opportunities – issues and
solutions
• Handout 2.2.1; 2.2.3 x4 per person
•Reference list 2.2.2
•http://www.biology-resources.com/
• http://www.practicalbiology.org/
• Your specification
• Your scheme of work
Practical work
Sharing ideas
• Top issues raised?
• Practical resources?
• CIE to collate and
circulate all the
information to delegates
Practical work
Copyright © UCLES 2008
Biology Workshops
October 2009 Singapore
Language and Practical Work in Biology
Teaching
How much language do we need?
• What are we going
to do about
hedgehogs???
• Just when will they
learn to share the
hedges?
Language
New words – multiple meanings
• Introducing an
unfamiliar
concept –
pouring plates
Language
Similar soundsLanguage
poor
pore
pouring
poring
Similar sounds
Plates
Language
Confusing phonetics? Language
Spelling and pronunciation
Plaits
What are we talking about? Language
Today we will learn
how to pour plates
and use them to
grow bacteria‟
Interacting with language in
science
Reference:
Language and Literacy in Science Education –
Jerry Wellington and Jonathan Osborne
Detailed practical strategies for developing
language skill alongside science teaching.
Language
Surprising findings about
language in science
“main problem lay in the
„vocabulary and usage of
normal English in a science
context‟ (Cassels and
Johnstone 1985)”
Language
Words used in science – scientific
words
Specifically used for
science
Have everyday meanings
too
cathode; ion; law; filament;
producer; electron; energy;
aromatic
Language
Words used in science – semi-technical
With one meaning With dual meaning
diverge; key; characteristic;
displace; gain; optimum; light;
negative; reproduce; naked
Language
Words used in science – non-technical
With one meaning With dual meaning
Estimate; initial; rate;
standard; omit; external;
minimum
Language
Taxonomy of words (adapted from
Wellington 1983)Level of
difficulty
Category Subcategories
1 Naming Familiar objects, new names
New objects, new names
Names of chemical elements
Other nomenclature
2 Process Capable of being shown
Not capable of being shown
3 Concept Derived from experience (sensory)
With dual meanings eg work
Theoretical constructs (total abstractions,
idealisations eg atom, field, frictionless body)
4 Mathematical –
term or symbol
Meaning detached from our experience
How students feel – receiving
language in science
• Demonstrations
– e-science channel 4 video clip – Generating
electricity the ecological way.
Language
How students feel
We gave them four minutes
to grasp• Instructions
• Background information
• Key facts
• Sequence of a process
• We used oral and visual
material
Language
How students feel
Discussion points:• what would we be expecting students to
assimilate from a clip like this in a class?
• How would a student feel?
• What problems would students have and
why?
• How could they be overcome? – what
strategies could you use?
Language
How can we help?
Making the learning transfer more effective
• Some ways of involving students:
– Complete a flow chart outline which has some steps missing
– Order a sequence of statements
– Order a sequence of images, match captions to them.
– Cloze
– Match beginnings and endings of descriptions of steps
– Complete tables of steps in the process, with purpose and
quantities, etc.
Language
Activity 3.1 – Demonstrations
• choose a technique or experiment you routinely
demonstrate
• design a re-enforcement exercise a class could carry
out during the demonstration
Language
Activity 3.2 – Text exercises
• Work individually or as a pair:
Handout 3.2.1
Exemplars 3.2.2
Writing materials
Own text books
Journals, news articles and text books as provided
Language games
• Articulate,
• Just a half-minute,
• Dominoes – sequencing
• Odd one out,
• Pictionary,
• Stepping stones - the nitrogen cycle
• Speakers corner
• Word wall
Activity 3.3 – Articulate
• Brainstorm lists of biology words that are
either „structures‟ „functions‟ or‟ processes‟.
• Using a different coloured pen for each type
of word write out your words on the small
cards provided.
• Shuffle your group‟s cards. Swap your cards
with another group
• Play articulate
And to finish...Who am I?
• Some ways we classified
words:– Names
– Processes
– Concepts
– Mathematical
– Single meaning
– Dual meaning
– Specific to science
– Non-technical
Copyright © UCLES 2008
Biology Workshops
October 2009 Singapore
Language and Practical Work in Biology
Teaching
Overview
Outline:
• Consider what we need to teach pupils about
investigative science
• Investigate, paying particular attention to
how skills are being developed
• Critique examples of ways to help students
and devise our own
What is Science?
“Science is a special method of finding
things out.”
(Nobel Prize winning physicist,
Richard Feynman,)
Aspects of investigations – A2
Higher level skills
8.2 Planning
Defining the problem
• Candidates should be able to:
– identify the dependent and independent variable in the experiment or
investigation;
– express the aim of the experiment or investigation as a prediction or
hypothesis, both in words and in the form of a predicted graph;
– identify which variables must be controlled.
Aspects of investigations - O level
5. identify problems, design/plan and carry
out investigations, including the selection
of techniques, apparatus, measuring
devices and materials;
Aspects of investigations – IGCSE
• Candidates may be required to do the
following:– plan an investigation, including suggesting
suitable techniques and apparatus.
What does the specification say?
- AS/A level
Assessment
objectives
Weighting (%) Components
Knowledge with
understanding
45 Papers 1,2 and 4
Handling information and
solving problems
32 Papers 1,2 and 4
Experimental skills and
investigations
23 Papers 31/32 and 5
Activity 4.1 – A simple investigation
Step 1 - Beginning an investigation
Make up the model seeds
Drop them from 2 metres to test how
they fly
Make a group list of your
observations
A simple investigation
Step 2 – Coming up with an idea to test
– Use your observations to make a list of possible
factors that could affect the rate of drop of the
seed.
– Choose one factor to investigate
– Decide how you will go about investigating it –
what you will need to alter, how many repeats,
what you must record, and how you will do this
A simple investigation
Step 3 – Prepare to investigate
• Identify and record:
– The independent variable
– The dependent variable
– Variables that must be controlled (and how you
will do this)
A simple investigation
Step 4 – Prepare to record your results, then
investigate.
Draw up a table for your results
Carry out your investigation and record your
results.
A simple investigation - discussion
• The importance of the preliminary work.
• Identifying and controlling variables
• Formulating a hypothesis
• Controlling variables
• What will students find difficult?
• What will teachers find difficult in managing
this investigation?
Helping students – a critique of
exercises and checklists
• Activity 4.2
– With your group discuss the content and format
of the students help sheets provided
– Complete the summary sheets provided
– Handout 4.2.1
– Resource sheets 4.2.2 a/b/c/d
Copyright © UCLES 2008
Biology Workshops
October 2009 Singapore
Language and Practical Work in Biology
Teaching
Workshop 5 – further investigations
• Specification requirements
• Develop the skills: where and how?
• Review resources to support analysis and
evaluation
• To finish – An ICT based investigation
Specification requirements – A2
Higher level skills
8.3 Analysis, conclusions and evaluation.
Dealing with data. Candidates should be able to:
• work out which calculations are necessary for making conclusions from
provided data, including those designed to assess error levels,
confidence limits, statistical tests and means of presentation of data;
• use calculations to simplify or explain data;
• use appropriate statistical tests to assess the variability of data or the
statistical differences between samples;
• use tables and graphs to point out the key points in quantitative data,
including the variability of data.
Specification requirements – A2
• Candidates should know how to choose and carry
out the key steps of statistical methods designed to
assess variability in data including
– range
– inter-quartile range
– standard deviation
– standard error.
Specification requirements – A2
• EvaluationCandidates should be able to:
• spot anomalous values in provided data and suggest how to deal with
such anomalies within familiar contexts, suggest possible explanations
for anomalous readings;
• assess whether the provided readings have been replicated sufficiently,
and describe the adequacy of the range of data given;
• use the information given to assess whether selected variables have
been controlled effectively;
• use these evaluations and the information given to make informed
judgements about how much confidence can be put in any conclusions
Specification requirements – O Level
• interpret, evaluate and report upon
observations and experimental data
• evaluate methods and suggest possible
improvements.
Activity 5.1 – Develop skills: what,
where and how?
Handout 5.1.1
Exam question papers for your specification
Mark schemes
Supporting resource off prints
Your specification and/or scheme of work
Investigation – your concerns
Discussion points:
What are the key issues and
concerns you have about
investigative skill?
How can these be addressed?
Fun with reaction times
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sle
ep/sheep/
• How can you investigate?
Copyright © UCLES 2008
Biology Workshops
October 2009 Singapore
Language and Practical Work in Biology
Teaching
Outline
• Conference theme review and
embedding ICT – 40 mins
• Your favourites, your requests, your
ideas, your views – 20 mins
Conference theme review
• Aspects we considered:
– Central place of practical work in science
– Teaching investigative skills
– Need for a focus on language and literacy in science – impossibility of separating interactive learning methods from
language use in science;
– Using multiple interactive approaches
Multiple media
• ICT – just another tool
in the box
– The art of the teacher
– Feeding your creative
talent...
A source of material – the web
• Resources for
– Starters
– Worksheets
– Powerpoints
– Practicals
– Quizzes
– Animations
– Student research
and presentation
– Finishers ...
Independent learning a)
Teaching about gas
exchange in a fish
How it worked:
– Independent learning -
ICT
– Consolidation –
worksheet questions
– Dissection of fish heads
Independent learning b)
Using animation to learn about a
process – independently
• Mitosis– Provide students with illustrated key to
terms and a sequence of screen grabs
from the animation
– Students then create a stepwise
description of the process
Embedding ICT – some strategies
• Making use of
multiple media –
introducing
organelles
• Multimedia lessons
meeting a range of
learning styles –
multiple approaches
Some resource ideas
• Websites
• Practical biology http://www.practicalbiology.org/
• BBC – Bloom – climate change
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/flash.shtml
• Discovery channel http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/planet-earth-
jungles-birds-of-paradise.html
• Utube and teachertube
• Bioscope
• Simulated experiments
• Multimedia Science School
Show and tell – over to you
• Favourite websites – show and tell
• Favourite multimedia resource
• Favourite interactive activity
• Favourite practical activity
• Favourite investigation
Workshop close