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Senior 1

Manitoba Foundations

for Scientific Literacy

2.3

Manitoba Foundations for Scientific Literacy Senior 1 Science

The Five Foundations

To develop scientifically literate students, sciencelearning experiences must incorporate the essentialaspects of science and related applications. Theseessential aspects, the foundations for scientific literacy,have been adapted from the Pan-Canadian Science

Framework to address the needs of Manitoba students.Manitoba science curricula are built upon the followingfive foundations for scientific literacy:

A. Nature of Science and Technology

B. Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment (STSE)

C. Scientific and Technological Skills and Attitudes

D. Essential Science Knowledge

E. Unifying Concepts

In the following pages each foundation is described andaccompanied by general learning outcomes, whichfurther define expectations for student learning. Thesegeneral learning outcomes represent the goals of sciencelearning in Kindergarten to Senior 4.

Manitoba Foundations for Scientific Literacy

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Senior 1 Science Manitoba Foundations for Scientific Literacy

A. Nature of Science and Technology

Students must learn that science and technology arecreative human activities with long histories in allcultures of the world.

Science is a way of learning about the universe. Thislearning stems from curiosity, creativity, imagination,intuition, exploration, observation, replication ofexperiments, interpretation of evidence, and debate overthe evidence and its interpretations. Scientific activityinvolves predicting, interpreting, and explaining naturaland human-made phenomena. Many historians,sociologists, and philosophers of science argue that thereis no set procedure for conducting a scientificinvestigation. Rather, they see science as driven by acombination of theories, knowledge, experiments, andprocesses anchored in the physical world.

Scientific theories are being tested, modified, and refinedcontinuously as new knowledge and theories supersedeexisting ones. Scientific debate on new observations andhypotheses that challenge accepted knowledge involvesmany participants with diverse backgrounds. This highlycomplex interplay, which has occurred throughouthistory, is fuelled by theoretical discussions,experimentation, social, cultural, economic, and political

Producing science knowledge is an intrinsicallycollective endeavour. There is no such thing asstand-alone science. Scientists submit models andsolutions to the assessment of their peers who judgetheir logical and experimental soundness byreference to the body of existing knowledge.(Larochelle, M. and J. Désautels, 1992)

influences, personal biases, and the need for peerrecognition and acceptance. Students will realize thatwhile some of our understandings about how the worldworks are due to revolutionary scientific developments,many of our understandings result from the steady andgradual accumulation of knowledge.

Technology is concerned mainly with proposing solutionsto problems arising from attempts by humans to adapt tothe environment. Technology may be regarded as “...atool or machine; a process, system, environment,epistemology, and ethic; the systematic application ofknowledge, materials, tools, and skills to extend humancapabilities....” (Technology As a Foundation Skill Area:

A Journey Toward Information Technology Literacy,1998). Technology includes much more than theknowledge and skills related to computers and theirapplications. Technology is both a form of knowledge thatuses concepts and skills from other disciplines (includingscience) and the application of this knowledge to meet anidentified need or solve a problem using materials,energy, and tools (including computers). Technology alsohas an impact on processes and systems, on society, andon the ways people think, perceive, and define theirworld.

This Science Framework is designed to emphasize boththe distinctions and relationships between science andtechnology. Figure 1 illustrates how science andtechnology differ in purpose, procedure, and product,while at the same time interacting with each other.

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Adapted with permission from Bybee, Rodger W. Science and Technology Education for the Elementary Years: Frameworks for Curriculum

and Instruction. ÓThe NETWORK, Inc.

Figure 1: Science and Technology: Their Nature and Relationship

Science(Seeks answers to

questions that humans

have about the

natural world)

NewProblems

NewQuestions

Technology(Seeks solutions to

problems arising from attempts

by humans to adapt to the

environment)

Applies ScientificInquiry Strategiessuch as hypothesizing

and experimenting

Proposes Explanationsfor the phenomena in the

natural world

Applies Problem-solving Strategiessuch as designing,

building, and testing

Proposes Solutionsto human problems of

adaptation

Social Applications andEnvironmental Implications of

Explanations and Solutions

Personal Actions Based onExplanations and Solutions

Purpose Purpose

Procedure Procedure

Product Product

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The following general learning outcomes (GLOs) havebeen developed to further define expectations related tothis foundation area. (For a complete listing of ScienceGLOs, see Appendix.)

Nature of Science and Technology General

Learning Outcomes

As a result of their Early, Middle, and Senior Yearsscience education, students will...

A1. recognize both the power and limitations of scienceas a way of answering questions about the worldand explaining natural phenomena

A2. recognize that scientific knowledge is based onevidence, models, and explanations, and evolves asnew evidence appears and new conceptualizationsdevelop

A3. distinguish critically between science andtechnology in terms of their respective contexts,goals, methods, products, and values

A4. identify and appreciate contributions made bywomen and men from many societies and culturalbackgrounds towards increasing our understandingof the world and in bringing about technologicalinnovations

A5. recognize that science and technology interact withand advance one another

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Figure 2: Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is a decision-making model thatconsiders the needs of both present and futuregenerations, and integrates and balances the impact of

economic activities, the environment, and thehealth and wellbeing of the community.

Public awareness and understanding of the conceptof sustainable development and its practices areessential. If we are to change our way of life wemust equip present and future generations with theknowledge and training to put sustainabledevelopment into effect. (Sustainable Development

Strategy for Manitoba, 1994)

Economy

QualityofLife

EnvironmentHuman Healthand Well-being

B. Science, Technology, Society, and the

Environment (STSE)

STSE understandings are an essential component ofscientific literacy. By studying the historical context,students come to appreciate ways in which cultural andintellectual traditions have influenced the questions andmethodologies of science, and how science, in turn, hasinfluenced the wider world of ideas.

Today, most scientists work in industry, where projectsare more often driven by societal and environmentalneeds than by pure research. Many technologicalsolutions have evoked complex social and environmentalissues. Students, as future citizens, must recognize thepotential of scientific literacy to inform and empowerdecision making of individuals, communities, anddemocratic society as a whole.

Scientific knowledge is necessary, but is not in itselfsufficient for understanding the relationships amongscience, technology, society, and the environment. Tounderstand these relationships, it is essential thatstudents understand the values related to science,technology, society, and the environment.

To achieve scientific literacy, students must develop anappreciation for the importance of sustainabledevelopment. To this end, this Science Framework

integrates the Sustainable Development Strategydeveloped by the Province of Manitoba (see Figure 2).

There can be no greater contribution or more essentialelement to long-term environmental strategies leadingto sustainable development that respects theenvironment…than the education of futuregenerations in matters relating to the environment.(UNESCO, 1988)

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Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment

(STSE) General Learning Outcomes


B1. describe scientific and technological developments,past and present, and appreciate their impact onindividuals, societies, and the environment, bothlocally and globally

B2. recognize that scientific and technologicalendeavours have been and continue to be influencedby human needs and the societal context of the time

B3. identify the factors that affect health, and explain therelationships among personal habits, lifestyle choices,and human health, both individual and social

B4. demonstrate a knowledge of and personalconsideration for a range of possible science- andtechnology-related interests, hobbies, and careers

B5. identify and demonstrate actions that promote asustainable environment, society, and economy, bothlocally and globally

As students advance from grade to grade, they identifySTSE interrelationships and apply decision-making skillsin increasingly demanding contexts, as shown below:

· complexity of understanding — from simple,concrete ideas to abstract ideas; from limitedknowledge of science to more in-depth and broaderknowledge of science and the world

· applications in context — from contexts that arelocal and personal to those that are societal and global

· consideration of variables and perspectives —from one or two that are simple to many that arecomplex

· critical judgement — from simple right or wrongassessments to complex evaluations

· decision making — from decisions based on limitedknowledge, made with the teacher’s guidance, todecisions based on extensive research, involvingpersonal judgement and made independently

The following general learning outcomes (GLOs) havebeen developed to further define expectations related tothis foundation area. (For a complete listing ofManitoba’s Science GLOs, see Appendix.)

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C. Scientific and Technological Skills and Attitudes

A science education that strives for scientific literacy mustengage students in answering questions, solving problems,and making decisions. These processes are referred to asScientific Inquiry, Technological Problem Solving (DesignProcess), and Decision Making (see Figure 3: Processes forScience Education). While the skills and attitudes involvedin these processes are not unique to science, they play animportant role in the development of scientificunderstandings and in the application of science andtechnology to new situations.

Each of these processes is described on the followingpage. Attitudes, an important element of each process,are also examined.

Scientific Inquiry

Satisfying curiosity

about events and

phenomena in the

natural world.

What do we know?

What do we want to

know?

Knowledge about

events and phenomena

in the natural world.

Scientific Question

Why does my coffee

cool so quickly?

An Answer:

Heat energy is trans-

ferred by conduction,

convection, and

radiation.

Technological

Problem Solving

(Design Process)

Coping with everyday

life, practices, and

human needs.

How can we do it?

Will it work?

An effective and

efficient way to

accomplish a task or

meet a need.

Technological

Problem

How can I keep my

coffee hot?

A Solution:

A styrofoam cup will

keep liquids warm for

a long time.

Decision Making

Identifying different

views or perspectives

based on different or

the same information.

What alternatives or

consequences are

there? Which choice

is best at this time?

A defensible decision

in the particular

circumstances.

STSE Issue

Should we use styro-

foam cups or ceramic

mugs for our meeting?

A Decision:

Personal health, the

environment, cost,

and availability must

be considered along

with science and

technology

information.

Purpose:

Procedure:

Product:

Example:

Figure 3: Processes for Science Education

Adapted with permission of the Minister of Education, Province ofAlberta, Canada, 1999.

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Scientific Inquiry

Scientific inquiry is a way of learning about the universe.It involves posing questions and searching forexplanations of phenomena. Although no single“scientific method” exists, students require certain skillsto participate in science-related experiences.

Skills such as questioning, observing, inferring,predicting, measuring, hypothesizing, classifying,designing experiments, collecting, analyzing, andinterpreting data are fundamental to scientific inquiry;as are attitudes such as curiosity, skepticism, andcreativity. These skills are often represented as a cycle.This cycle involves posing questions, generating possibleexplanations, and collecting and analyzing evidence todetermine which of these explanations is most useful andaccurate in accounting for the phenomena underinvestigation. New questions may arise to re-ignite thecycle. It must be noted, however, that many scientificinquiries, past and present, do not necessarily follow aset sequence of steps nor do they always start at the“beginning” of the cycle: scientists can be creative andresponsive to scientific challenges as they arise.

Technological Problem Solving

Technological problem solving seeks solutions toproblems arising from attempts by humans to adapt tothe environment. In Kindergarten to Grade 8 science,students have been developing these skills using a cycleof steps called the design process. This design processincludes the proposing, creating, and testing ofprototypes, products, and techniques in an attempt toreach an optimal solution to a given problem. Feedbackand evaluation are built into this cycle. In Senior Yearsscience, technological problem-solving skills areincorporated into a decision-making process.

STSE Issues and Decision Making

Students, as individuals and global citizens, are requiredto make decisions. Increasingly, the type of issues theyface demand an ability to apply scientific andtechnological processes and products as they relate toScience, Technology, Society, and the Environment(STSE). The decision-making process involves a series ofsteps which may include:

· clarification of the issue

· critical evaluation of all available research

· generating possible courses of action

· making a thoughtful decision

· examining the impact of the decision

· reflecting on the process

Students should be actively involved in decision-makingsituations as they progress through their scienceeducation. Not only are decision-making situationsimportant in their own right, but they also provide arelevant context for engaging in scientific inquiry,problem solving, and the study of STSE relationships(see Figure 4: Decision-making Model for STSE Issues,p. 2.11).

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Reflection on

the decision-

making

process

Reflection on

the decision-

making and

implementation

process

Identification of

an STSE issue

Evaluation of

research data

Formulation of

possible options

Evaluation ofprojectedimpacts

Implementation

of a decision

Selection of abest option(decision)

Evaluation ofactual

impacts

Feedback

loop

Feedback

loop

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY

TE

CH

NO

LO

GIC

AL

PR

OB

LE

MS

OLV

ING

SA

FE

TY

TE

AM

WO

RK

SC

IEN

TIF

ICIN

QU

IRY

CO

MM

UN

ICA

TIO

NC

ON

SE

NS

US-B

UIL

DIN

G

Decision-making

Process

Decision-making

and Implementation

Process

DECISION-MAKING MODEL FOr STSE ISSuES

Figure 4: Decisionmaking Model for STSE Issues

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Attitudes

Attitudes refer to generalized aspects of behaviour thatare modelled for students and reinforced by selectiveapproval. Attitudes are not acquired in the same way asskills and knowledge. They cannot be observed at anyparticular moment, but are evidenced by regular,unprompted manifestations over time. Development ofattitudes is a lifelong process that involves the home, theschool, the community, and society at large. Thedevelopment of positive attitudes plays an important rolein students’ growth by interacting with their intellectualdevelopment and by creating a readiness for responsibleapplication of what they learn.

The following General Learning Outcomes (GLOs) havebeen developed to further define expectations related tothis foundation area. (For a complete listing ofManitoba’s Science GLOs, see Appendix.)

Scientific and Technological Skills and Attitudes

General Learning Outcomes


C1. recognize safety symbols and practices related toscientific and technological activities and to theirdaily lives, and apply this knowledge in appropriatesituations

C2. demonstrate appropriate scientific inquiry skillswhen seeking answers to questions

C3. demonstrate appropriate problem-solving skillswhile seeking solutions to technological challenges

C4. demonstrate appropriate critical thinking anddecision-making skills when choosing a course ofaction based on scientific and technologicalinformation

C5. demonstrate curiosity, skepticism, creativity, open-mindedness, accuracy, precision, honesty, andpersistence, and appreciate their importance asscientific and technological habits of mind

C6. employ effective communication skills and utilizeinformation technology to gather and share scientificand technological ideas and data

C7. work cooperatively and value the ideas andcontributions of others while carrying out scientificand technological activities

C8. evaluate, from a scientific perspective, informationand ideas encountered during investigations and indaily life

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D. Essential Science Knowledge

The subject matter of science includes theories, models,concepts, and principles that are essential to anunderstanding of life science, physical science, and Earthand space science. While this Science Framework is notstrictly aligned with these disciplines, the learningoutcomes are intended to help develop importantconcepts from each of these areas.

Life science deals with the growth and interactions oflife forms within their environment in ways that reflecttheir uniqueness, diversity, genetic continuity, andchanging nature. Life science includes fields of studysuch as the study of organisms (including humans),ecosystems, biodiversity, and the study of the cell,biochemistry, and biotechnology.

Physical science, which encompasses chemistry andphysics, deals with matter, energy, and forces. Matterhas structure and interactions exist among itscomponents. Energy links matter to gravitational,electromagnetic, and nuclear forces of the universe. Thelaws of conservation of mass and energy, momentum,and charge are addressed by physical science.

Earth and space science brings local, global, anduniversal perspectives to students’ knowledge. Earth, ourhome planet, exhibits form, structure, and patterns ofchange, as does our surrounding solar system and thephysical universe beyond it. Earth and space scienceincludes fields of study such as geology, hydrology,meteorology, and astronomy.


Essential Science Knowledge General Learning

Outcomes


D1. understand essential life structures and processespertaining to a wide variety of organisms, includinghumans

D2. understand various biotic and abiotic components ofecosystems, as well as their interaction andinterdependence within ecosystems and within thebiosphere as a whole

D3. understand the properties and structures of matteras well as various common manifestations andapplications of the actions and interactions ofmatter

D4. understand how stability, motion, forces, and energytransfers and transformations play a role in a widerange of natural and constructed contexts

D5. understand the composition of the Earth’satmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, as wellas the processes involved within and among them

D6. understand the composition of the universe, theinteractions within it, and the impacts ofhumankind’s continued attempts to understand andexplore it

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E. unifying Concepts

An effective way to create linkages within and amongscience disciplines is to use unifying concepts; these arekey ideas that underlie and integrate all scienceknowledge and extend into areas such as mathematicsand social studies. Consequently, unifying concepts helpstudents to construct a holistic understanding of scienceand its role in society. The following four unifyingconcepts were used in the development of this Science

Framework.

Similarity and Diversity

The concepts of similarity and diversity provide tools fororganizing our experiences with the world. Beginningwith informal experiences, students learn to recognizeattributes of materials, organisms, and events that helpto make useful distinctions between and among them.Over time, students adopt accepted procedures andprotocols for describing and classifying objects,organisms, and events they encounter, thus enablingthem to share ideas with others and to reflect on theirown experiences.

Systems and Interactions

An important part of understanding and interpreting theworld is the ability to think about the whole in terms ofits parts and, alternately, about parts in terms of howthey relate to one another and to the whole. A system isa collection of components that interact with one anotherso that the overall effect is often greater than that of theindividual parts, even when these are consideredtogether. Students will study both natural andtechnological systems.

Change, Constancy, and Equilibrium

The concepts of constancy and change underlie mostunderstandings of the natural and technological world.Through observations, students learn that somecharacteristics of living things, materials, and systemsremain constant over time, whereas others change.Through formal and informal studies, students developan understanding of the processes and conditions inwhich change, constancy, and equilibrium take place.

Energy

The concept of energy provides a conceptual tool thatbrings together many understandings about naturalphenomena, materials, and the processes of change.Energy, whether transmitted or transformed, is thedriving force of both movement and change. Studentslearn to describe energy in terms of its effects and, overtime, develop a concept of energy as something inherentwithin the interactions of materials, the processes of life,and the functioning of systems.


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Unifying Concepts General Learning Outcomes


E1. describe and appreciate the similarity and diversityof forms, functions, and patterns within the naturaland constructed world

E2. describe and appreciate how the natural andconstructed world is made up of systems and howinteractions take place within and among thesesystems

E3. recognize that characteristics of materials andsystems can remain constant or change over time,and describe the conditions and processes involved

E4. recognize that energy, whether transmitted ortransformed, is the driving force of both movementand change, and is inherent within materials and inthe interactions among them

Conceptual Organizer

The following Conceptual Organizer (Figure 5) provides agraphic representation of the different components of thescience curriculum. It summarizes the relationshipsamong the Manitoba Foundations for Scientific Literacy,and shows how they are transformed into both generaland specific student learning outcomes in Kindergartento Senior 4.

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Manitoba Science CurriculumConceptual Organizer

LifeScience

PhysicalScience

Earth andSpace

Science

ManitobaFoundations

forScientificLiteracy

General Learning Outcomes (Kindergarten-Senior 4)

K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 S1 S2 S3 S4

Specific Learning Outcomes(Organized into Clusters)

ScientificLiteracy

for LifelongLearning

Essential

Science

Knowledge

Science, Technology,

Society,

and the

Environment

Scientific

and

Technological

Skills

and

Attitudes

Nature

of

Science

and

Technology

Unifying

Concepts

Change,C

onst

ancy

, and

Equilibriu

mSystem

sand

Intera

ctions

Sim

ilarityand

Diversity

Ener

gy

Figure 5: Manitoba Science Curriculum Conceptual Organizer

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