week 8. scientific skills (ii)

EDU555 CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

Educational Emphasis

(Scientific Skills)

Scientific Skills 0 Logical operations of thinking in investigations. They

are either;

0 Basic (Science Process Skills)

0 Integrated (Manipulative Skills)

0 Basic Process Skills

0 Observing, comparing, classifying, quantifying, inferring,

predicting and communicating.

0 Integrated Process Skills

0 Embodied in experimenting which includes hypothesizing,

controlling variables and classifying data.

Basic Process Skills

Science Process Skills (SPS)

1. OBSERVING most basic and fundamental of the process skills.

One cannot compare, classify or perform the

other process skills without being a good

observer. We observe objects or events through

our five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste and

hearing.

Example: Describing a pencil as yellow

The Process of observing can be:

0Qualitative – this is identifying and naming

the properties of an object such as its shape,

color, size, texture, smell, and sound.

0Quantitative – This kind of observation

involves measurement.

0Change – it could be the result of crushing,

pounding, burning, cutting, decaying, etc.

2. COMPARING

Comparing is using observable properties in discovering similarities of and differences between objects and phenomena. Through comparison, we are able to identify relationships among objects and phenomena observed.

3. CLASSIFYING

There is an overwhelming number of things around us – nonliving and living things. Order can be attained by observing similarities, differences and interrelationships and by grouping them accordingly to suit some purpose.

Example: Placing all rocks having certain grain size

or hardness into one group.

4. INFERRING

While observing is getting information by using one

or more senses, inferring is explaining or

interpreting an observation.

Example: Saying that the person who used a

pencil made a lot of mistakes because the eraser

was well worn.

5. PREDICTING

Predicting is the process of using past observations or data along with other kinds of scientific knowledge to forecast event or relationships. A statement not based on observation is not a prediction. It is simply a guess.

Interpolation – is predicting new data based on and within a trend/ pattern of

previously observed data.

Extrapolation - is predicting new data outside or beyond the range of previously

observed data.

6. QUANTIFYING

Quantifying is making and manipulating quantitative

observations.

This involves:

1. Using numbers

2. measuring

3. using time and space

Example: Using a meter stick to measure the length

of a table in centimeters.

7. COMMUNICATING

Expressing ideas in many forms, such as orally, in writing or

with graphs, diagrams, tables of data or photographs is a

way of communicating.

Example: Describing the change in height of a plant over

time in writing or through a graph.

Integrated Process Skills

Manipulative Skills

MANIPULATIVE SKILLS

These skills involve using

equipment and materials

properly and accurately,

preparing setups for

investigation, and handling

specimen carefully.

THANK YOU