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MakingConnections

Focus on Science and Literacy

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Workshop purpose

You are here to experience and create a shared

understanding of the fundamental link between science

and literacy and examine its application in the

PrimaryConnections program.

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Workshop outline (90 minutes)

INTRO: Purpose, outline, outcomes(5 mins)

ENGAGE: To capture participants’ interest and elicit ideas prior knowledge about(15 mins) “Genetics”

EXPLORE: To explore the link between “everyday literacies” and “literacies of(15 mins) science” using a labelled diagram of the DNA molecule

EXPLAIN: Consolidate the links between science and literacy with explanation of the(20 mins) DNA molecule

ELABORATE: Analyse the literacy focuses in curriculum units(20 mins)

EVALUATE:Summarise, reflect and evaluate(15 mins)

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Outcomes

On completion of this module participants will understand:

• the fundamental link between science and literacy

• the shared meanings of the terms “everyday literacies”, the “literacies of science” and “scientific literacy”

• some concepts from the Biological sciences field of Genetics

Participants will be able to describe:

• and demonstrate several “literacies of science”

• ways to evaluate the quality of “literacies of science”

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ENGAGE

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Four stages of learning

Aware that I know Aware that I don’t know

Unaware that I know Unaware that I don’t know

AWARE

UNAWARE

KNOW DON’T KNOW

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Claims claims claims!!!• Whenever a student makes a representation about a science

phenomenon whether verbal, written, gestured, drawn ….they are making a “claim” about what they do or don’t understand at that point.

• These claims are like “gold” and provide teachers with insights into students’ thinking. Delving into these claims with questions is like digging for more gold.

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EXPLORE

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A bold statement

“You cannot claim to know something without

being able to represent it!” (Prof Vaughan Prain, La Trobe University)

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The confusion!

Three different expressions are used.

What do they mean? How are they similar?

How are they different?

literacies of science

scientific literacy

everyday literacies

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Labelled diagram

• Draw a labelled diagram of a DNA molecule

• Discuss the size of the molecule and where it is located

• Make a list of what you don’t know about the representation and discuss how you might find out

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Everyday literacies

• are the literacy skills students bring to the learning process

• are tools of learning

• are processes and practices that represent what learners know, do or demonstrate when they represent and communicate understanding

• involve multiple modes of representation.

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EXPLAIN

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Diagrams of DNA

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Literacies of science

• are particular language practices, processes and products that students learn about and use to represent and communicate their understanding of science concepts and processes

• are multi-modal: factual text, data tables, labelled diagrams, symbols, graphs, models, drawings, computer-generated images, gestures, role-plays.

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July 25th 2014Rosalind Franklin’s 94th birthday

Visual representations can drive the science understanding…DNA

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The relationship

Literacy skills do not develop in

isolation from a context.

In PrimaryConnections:• students use everyday literacies

and learn literacies of science

• the science context provides a

meaningful purpose for literacy development.

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So what is scientific literacy?

The use of everyday literacies to learn

about science concepts and processes –

including the development of the literacies

of science – contributes to students’

developing scientific literacy as they

learn about, communicate and represent

science understanding.

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Scientific literacy is a high priority for all citizens, helping them to:

• be interested in, and understand the world around them• engage in the discourses of and about science• be sceptical and questioning of claims made by others about

scientific matters• be able to identify questions, investigate and draw evidence-

based conclusions• to make informed decisions about the environment and their

own health and well-being.

Defining scientific literacy

Goodrum, D., Hackling, M. and Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

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Scientific literacy develops

___________________________________________________None/very little informed adult

‘The notion of progress in scientific literacy is fundamental to the growth in students’ knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes and the ability to use that knowledge and understanding in everyday situations.’

Goodrum, D., Hackling, M. and Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning

of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

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ELABORATE

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Literacy focus - table

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What was changed (independent variable)

What was measured/ observed(dependent variable)

Each row should show a different treatment, organism, sampling site etc.

Table of the number and type of organisms found in a sample of leaf litter

Organism type Number of organisms

leaves 29

Woodlouse 10

Beetle larva 4

Spider 2

Literacy of science - data tables

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Statistics and Probability - Data

F– represents data and interprets data displays made from objects

2– gathers and organises data, displays data in lists, tables and picture graphs, and interprets the results

4 - selects appropriate methods to collect data, and constructs, compares, interprets and evaluates data displays, including tables, picture graphs and column graphs

6 - uses appropriate methods to collect data and constructs, interprets and evaluates data displays, including dot plots, line graphs and two-way tables

….Data Collection, Single variable Data Analysis, Bivariate Data Analysis…

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Literacy focus - graph

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Literacy of science - graphs

Horizontal (x) axis:What was changed (independent variable)

Vertical (Y) axisWhat was measured/ observed(dependent variable)

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2007 TRIAL

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Graphs: Questioning for analysis

What is the story of your graph?

Do the data in your graph reveal any patterns?

Is this what you expected? Why?

Can you explain the pattern? Why did this happen?

What do you think the pattern would be if you continued the line of the graph?

How certain are you of your results?

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The story of graphs

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Quality matrix for improving representationsLiteracy of science: graph

Features Characteristics of a high-quality product

Opportunity for improvement

Title Clear and accurate Write in a straight lineCheck spelling

Horizontal axis Straight lineClear labelRegular incrementsUnits of measurement

Write label clearlyMeasure the increment spaces

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QCERQ: What question are you trying to answer?

C: What is your claim at this point?

E: What specific evidence do you have to support your claim?

R: How does the evidence support the claim? Can this be linked to a science concept? Are their alternative explanations for the data

collected? How accurate is the data?

Students need encouragement to move from making claims only to citing evidence to support the claims. Older students can make full conclusions with claims, evidence and reasoning.

The Question Starters can be used to model and practise this

process.

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Literacy development at the Elaborate phase

• Students use their everyday literacies to plan and conduct the investigation

• Students learn the literacies of science suitable for their investigation such as data tables and graphs

• Students develop scientific literacy though the investigation process and the evidence-based discussions of the results

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EVALUATE

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2007 TRIAL

PrimaryConnections links science with literacy by supporting

students to:• use their everyday literacies to construct their understanding of

science concepts and processes• learn the particular literacies of science• develop scientific literacy using science as the meaningful

context by representing and re-representing their understanding and critically analysing their findings

In summary

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A bold statement

“You cannot claim to know something without

being able to represent it!” (Prof Vaughan Prain, La Trobe University)