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MakingConnections
Science and literacy
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Science and literacy
Facilitator/s:
Date:
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Workshop purpose
You are here to develop your knowledge and
understanding of the links between science and literacy
and to experience their application in PrimaryConnections
curriculum units.
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Workshop outline (90 minutes)
INTRO: Purpose, outline, outcomes(5 mins)
ENGAGE: To capture participants’ interest and elicit ideas about the similarities and (20 mins) differences between the terms ‘everyday literacies’, ‘literacies of
science’and ‘scientific literacy’
EXPLORE: To explore the relationship between everyday literacies and literacies(30 mins) of science
EXPLAIN: Consolidate the links between science and literacy(10 mins)
ELABORATE: Analyse the literacy focuses in a curriculum unit and experience (20 mins) critical literacy
EVALUATE: Summarise, reflect and evaluate(5 mins)
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Outcomes
On completion of this module participants will be able to:
• support students in representing science concepts, ideas and findings using the literacies of science
• describe and apply the literacy practices and focuses from the PrimaryConnections curriculum units
• support students in improving the quality of their literacy products.
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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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Global café
Have a chat about the terms. What do they mean to you?
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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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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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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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Quality matrixLiteracy of science: graph
Features Characteristics of a high-quality product
Opportunity for improvement
Title Clear and accurate Write in a straight line
Check spelling
Horizontal axis Straight line
Clear label
Regular increments
Units of measurement
Write label clearly
Measure the increment spaces
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Water works investigation
Home water use detectives!
What did we find?
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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 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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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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Examples of literacy products from Water works
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Critical literacy
Critical literacy activities in science develop students’ questioning skills and encourage them to be sceptical about scientific claims made by others.
Image: Stock.xchng
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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 literacy skills using science as the meaningful context
• represent and re-represent their understanding through using literacy processes and creating literacy products.
In summary