The initial aim of this project
was to produce a series of activity packs
for Primary School teacher to use. Each pack
would contain the background information for
the topic being taught along with paper and
ICT based activities for the students to complete
whilst studying the “Materials and Their
Properties” section of the Science National
Curriculum. The £2000 of school based
money would be used to provide around 15 school
days to help me to complete the project.
Description
Early on in the project
I felt the needed to produce the background
scientific knowledge for the teachers to
use in the one place rather than scattered
throughout he modules. I therefore produced
a booklet containing all the relevant scientific
knowledge taking the teacher to Key Stage
3 in this area of Science. The booklet also
contained some of the common misconceptions
that students had. The process of writing
this booklet meant that I had to visit all
the areas of Science that I would be producing
resources for. This meant that I had a better
view of the project as a whole from the
outset. These notes were trialled as part
of the Cambridgeshire Advisory Service “10
Day Science Course”. I received positive
comments regarding the booklet as well as
some advice on how it could be improved.
In order to make the resources
as accessible and useful to teachers as possible
I decided to match the resources to the QCA/DfEE
Science scheme of work for Key Stages 1 and
2. The clear framework on which the scheme
is based made it easy for me to select sections
of work that were relevant to my project.
The modular nature of the scheme also meant
that I could judge the timing of the completion
of each module. I decided to resources for
one of the modules per half term. Since I
had spent the first half term preparing the
Background Scientific Knowledge Booklet it
meant that I would have five modules to complete
by the end of the Summer Term.
The first module I completed was “Unit
6C – More about Dissolving”. Within
this module I looked at producing resources
that would help a teacher use different learning
styles. For example, I created a “story
board” writing frame that allows pupils
to write up their practical work in easy steps
alongside using pictorial ideas instead of
written ones. The results from the dissolving
Sugar practical leant themselves to being
analysed by a spreadsheet, hence I produced
an autographing activity sheet for students
to input their results into. As part of this
section I also provided teacher instructions
to enable them to produce autographing activities
themselves. I could envisage this type of
activity helping teachers as part of the Teachers
NOF portfolio of evidence (this was another
area that Primary Teachers found difficult
fitting in to their busy schedules).
The second module of work I
provided resources for was “Unit 6D
– Reversible and Irreversible changes”.
In this module I wanted to bring experiments
to the pupils that their schools may not have
the equipment to provide. I used interactive
Powerpoint presentations to show students
different chemical reactions as well as producing
a quiz for the students to complete. Using
the drop down menu function within Word I
produced a closure exercise worksheet that
allows students to use pre-selected words
to complete the exercise. As a revision exercise,
I produced a series of key words flash card
to aid revision. This whole group learning
activity was another example of a different
learning style be implemented into the resources.
The third unit of work was
“Unit 5D – Changing State”.
Here, I focussed on summary exercises with
both ICT and Non ICT versions of an activity.
On the Internet, I found some excellent sites
that really explained the water cycle so I
included their addresses in the resource booklet
as well. I am currently working my way through
the finishing touches of both this module
and the fourth module “Unit 4D –
Solids, liquids and how they can be separated”.
I will have both of these units ready for
presentation at the GTF seminar on Friday
22nd June.
Dissemination of my work has
been central to each part of my project. I
am indebted to the help and advice of Shan
Oswald the County Advisor for Science who
offered help and advice with the booklet and
also provided opportunities for me to meet
Primary School Teachers. I have attended a
Meeting of Heads of Science as well as Primary
Science Co-ordinators meetings. I will place
the resources on to a CD ROM that can be given
to any interested party. The work will also
feature in next years “10 Day Science
Course”. I hope the place my resources
on the GTF website so that they can be viewed
world-wide. Unfortunately, I have not use
the GTF work as part of my MEd research as
time constraints has meant that visiting Primary
Schools next year would be very difficult,
preventing me from gaining access to Primary
Classes.
As with any project, time is
always difficult but I have just about managed
to keep on schedule with the production of
resources. The work so far has been produced
both within school and in my own time during
Holidays and evenings. The project has allowed
me to gain a better insight into Primary Science
Education that has been excellent professional
development for me. I have enjoyed the challenge
that the fellowship has offered to me and
would recommend it to any teacher who wanted
to improve their own work practices.
