2018 - TEACHING THE NSW SCIENCE K-10 CURRICULUM
The information and links provided in this section of the wiki are focused on improved scientific understanding, for both students and teachers, with context-sensitive reference to the current NESA Australian K-10 syllabus.
The fundamental problem:
All of the research shows that most people develop a personal, scientific ('Naive Physics' ) view of the world that is arrived at by a blend of repeated personal experience, intuition, common sense and school/text-book learning.
If you think that authentic scientific investigation results in a, similarly logical, compelling and intuitive explanation that roughly confirms this naive understanding of the physical world, you would be wrong! 1)
Each section starts with the intent to identify and remedy well known, core misconceptions revealed by rigorous, primary school science research/studies.
Video 2. Why Science Education is Flawed (1.5min)*
- IF UNABLE TO ACCESS YOUTUBE, TRY:Viewpure
- ADDITIONAL VIEWING SUGGESTIONS (for teachers only):
- Video Harvard graduates explain photo-synthesis (5min)
- Video Why conventional exams will soon disappear (just watch first few minutes)
Video 2. Steve Jobs - Commencement Speech 2005 (14min)
A call to action
This wiki contains a variety of authentic, evidence-based, learning projects, activities and teaching strategies, whilst providing a content and philosophy that remain fully linked to the current NESA Australian K-10 syllabus.
Please choose one topic from this wiki, complete the related quiz (completed both by teachers and students) and then share one science activity with your students.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT QUIZZES (using Google Forms)
At the top of each quiz, you will see something like:
THIS IS A QUIZ - IT IS NOT A TEST It is to help you find and understand correct answers - not mark you down for incorrect answers!
The purpose of formative assessment is NOT to put a grade in the grade-book.
When we are teaching we want to collect evidence and data as to how the students are understanding the material. We then use that evidence to form or change what we do next.
Formative assessment can take many shapes: observations, checks for understanding, asking questions, and quizzes.
As a bonus, the evidence you collect from pre versus post test quiz scores may help teachers construct more authentic comments for student reports.
A Reminder About How We Do Science:
References
1)
Michio Kaku: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=711VklH-4fA