gsps science workshop for parents (primary 5) workshop for... · science workshop for parents...

GSPSScience Workshop for Parents(Primary 5)Mrs Loy-Chow Yoke YeongMrs Sabrina Neo

Welcome5 March 2016

Programme for workshop

• Objectives of workshop

• Science Curriculum Framework and overview of syllabus

• Approaching Science Questions

• Strategies in answering Science questions

• Enjoying Science with your child

Objectives of workshopScience Curriculum Framework and overview of syllabusApproaching Science QuestionsStrategies in answering Science questionsEnjoying Science with your child


Objectives of workshop

Parents will be able to pick up strategies to:

• support their child's learning of science

• understand the transition from Lower Block to Upper Block

• help them to manage Science assessment in school

Science Curriculum

Framework

• The science curriculum seeks to nurture the student as an inquirer.

• The end goal is for students to enjoy science and value science as an important tool in helping them explore their natural and physical world.

Science: Inquiry-based

Approach

• Teaching science as inquiry must go beyond merely presenting facts.

• Pupils must be actively engaged in the collection and use of evidence; formulate and communicate explanations based on scientific knowledge.

P5 Themes/ TopicsThemes Topics

Systems • The plant transport system• Air and the respiratory system• The circulatory system• The unit of life (Cells)• Electrical systems• Using electricity

Cycles • Reproduction in plants • Reproduction in humans• Water and changes of state• The water cycle

Energy • Energy in food• Forms and uses of energy• Sources of energy

Skills and ProcessesSkills Processes

Observing Creative problem solving

Comparing Decision making

Classifying Investigation

Using apparatus and equipment

Communicating

Inferring

Formulating Hypothesis

Predicting

Analysing

Generating possibilities

Evaluating

Approaching Science

Questions

• To answer questions well, students need to:

• Remember: Possess science knowledge

• Understand: Understand science concepts

• Analyze , Apply, Evaluate, Create: Link science concepts

• Communicate: Express science ideas clearly

Remembering• Can the student recall, restate or remember learnt

information?

• Examples:

• List the properties of liquid.

• What do plants need to make food?

Understanding• Can the student explain ideas or concepts?

• Examples:

• Classifying an organism in a classification table.

• Why do we need to use waterproof materials to make a rain coat?

Applying• Can the student use the information in a familiar /

unfamiliar situation?

• Examples:

• Connect understanding of expansion of matter on heating to gaps on metal bridge.

Analysing• Can the student break down information into parts to

explore understandings and relationships?

• Examples:

• Predict the effect of a diseased small intestine on the health of the person.

• Predict what will happen to the plant if the roots are removed.

Evaluating• Can the student justify a decision or course of action?

• Examples:

• Explain why the experiment is not a fair test.

• Based on the results, which material should she use for her curtains?

Creating• Can the student create new ideas and information using

learned information?

• Examples:

• Design an experiment to test a hypothesis.

Objectives of workshopScience Curriculum Framework and overview of syllabusApproaching Science QuestionsStrategies in answering Science questions Enjoying Science with your child


Strategies for answering

Science Questions

Students generally have difficulty answering Science questions which test them on their analytical and thinkingskills. As a result, many of them do not score well in these questions. They need to know how to apply concepts and skills learnt to real world situations.

Approaching Qns in General

• Read and understand the question

• Study and interpret the diagram/ graph/ table (if any)

• Look out for key words and highlight/underline/circle them

• Identify the topic which is tested

• Recall the related concepts and write them down

• Link the concepts to the question

Answering Multiple Choice Questions

• Eliminate the incorrect options and choose the best answer

• TAKE

• Topic

• Aim

• Keywords

• Elimination

Answering Open-ended

Questions

• Take note of the marks awarded to each question

• Use scientific concepts/ reasoning

Key Words and Expected

Answers

Key words in question Expected Answer

What…

Which part…

State...

Name…

• one word answer

• a short sentence

Recalling of facts

Reasons are not needed


Answers


How…

Describe...

Explain…

Why…

Give a reason…

Answers require application of concepts.

For description of experiments, a detailed procedure is expected


Answers


What is the aim of the experiment?

A sentence stating what you hope to find out from the experiment.

• Eg. To find out if the intensity of light affects the rate of photosynthesis.

What conclusion can you draw…

A sentence stating the outcome of the experiment.

What can you say about…

What is the relationshipbetween…

States a related scientific concept, property, relationship or pattern

Sabrina Seah_2015

• Questions asking for ‘relationship’ usually involve two

variables.

• Recall: What is a variable?

• any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in

differing amounts or types.

1. Independent variable

- the variable that scientist change during the

experiment, also known as the CAUSE.

2. Dependent variable

- the variable that is affected due to the change

made, also known as the EFFECT.

An iron nail becomes a magnet when it is placed in a coil of wire joined to

batteries. Joel sets up 4 set-ups as shown below and found that the iron nail

with 40 turns around it is able to attract the most number of paper clips after

30 minutes.

QUESTION:

What is the relationship between the number of coils around the iron nail and

the strength of the electromagnet?

Step 1: Identify Topic/ConceptTopic/Concept: Magnet/Factors

affecting the strength ofan electromagnet

Step 2: Look out for the TWO variables involved in the question

What is the relationship between the number of coils around the iron nail and the strength of the electromagnet?

Step 3: Identify the cause and effectCAUSE: INDEPENDENT VARIABLE –variable that changesEFFECT: DEPENDENT VARIABLE –variable that is affected due to the change

Number of coils around the iron nail =

Variable that changes in the experiment!

CAUSE!

Therefore the EFFECT will be the strength of the

electromagnet!

CAUSE

EFFECT

QUESTION:

What is the relationship between the number of coils around the iron nail and the strength of the electromagnet?

Step 4: Answer the question in this mannerAs the __________ increases/decreases,

(cause)the _____________ increases/decreases.

(effect)

CAUSE

EFFECT

ANSWER:

As the number of coils around the iron nail increases, the strength of the electromagnet increases.

Sabrina Seah_2015

• A conclusion is a statement which summaries the result of

an experiment.

• There are generally 2 types of conclusions depending on the

context of the questions

1. Type A: Relationship

- Describing the relationship between the variables in the

experiment, given in a result.

- The result is usually in the form of a data (table).

2. Type B: Scientific Explanation

- Stating a reasonable scientific explanation based on

observation.

- Diagrams (in any forms) are usually given and a

pattern/trend can be observed from it.

Four strips of paper, P, Q, R and S of the same size of thickness but of different

materials was dipped into 200ml of water as shown below.

The bar graph below shows the final amount of water that is left in each

container after 15 minutes.

QUESTION:What can you conclude from the results above?

Step 1: Identify the topic/concept

Topic/Concept: Materials/Absorbance of water in materials



Type of conclusion: SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION

Step 2: Identify the type of conclusion.Thought process:

1. What are the evidence/clues provided? – Graph2. What are the variable(s) involved? – Final amount of water left

3. Since there’s only 1 variable involved, can it be a conclusion describing a relationship?



SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT:

Absorbance of water

QUESTION:What can you conclude from the results above?

Step 3: - Analyse the diagram to check for a

pattern/trend- Write down the conclusion based on the

scientific concept you have identified.

ANALYSING THE DIAGRAM:

Q has the most amount of

water left =

It is the least absorbent

material.

ANSWER:Material Q is the least absorbent material.

Harold cuts 4 similar paper into 4 different dimensions and dropped each of

them from the same height. He recorded the time that each paper took to land

on the ground in the table below.

QUESTION:

What can Harold conclude from the results above?

Step 1: Identify Topic/ConceptTopic/Concept: Materials / Surface area

Dimension of paper Time that it took to land on

the ground (s)

5cm x 5cm 2

10cm x 10cm 5

15cm x 15cm 15

20cm x 20cm 20





the ground (s)

5cm x 5cm 2

10cm x 10cm 5

15cm x 15cm 15

20cm x 20cm 20

Step 2: Identify the type of conclusion.Thought process:

1. What are the evidence/clues provided? – Table2. What are the variable(s) involved? – Dimension of paper/Time that it took to land on the ground

3. Which type of conclusion is best fitted for this question?

Type of conclusion: RELATIONSHIP





the ground (s)

5cm x 5cm 2

10cm x 10cm 5

15cm x 15cm 15

20cm x 20cm 20

Step 3: - Analyse the table and identify the cause and effect

- Write down the conclusion by describing the relationship between the 2 variables.

CAUSE EFFECT

ANALYSING THE DIAGRAM:

Dimension of paper increasesANALYSING THE DIAGRAM:

Paper took longer time to land on the ground

ANSWER:

The larger the dimension of the paper, the longer time the paper took to land on the ground.

Sabrina Seah_2015

Features of a graph

1. x-axis (horizontal line)

- independent variable: the variable

that scientist change during the

experiment, also known as the

CAUSE.

2. y-axis (vertical line)

- dependent variable: the variable

that is affected due to the change

made, also known as the

EFFECT.

y-axis

x-axis

When we read graphs, we are actually understanding how

the variable on the x-axis (independent variable) affects the other variable

on the y-axis (dependent variable)

As such, we read the x-axis before the y-axis.

length

weight

Weight (g)

len

gth

(cm

)

When the weight is ____kg, the

length of the spring will be ___cm

0 5 10 15 20 25

10

8

6

4

2

X

Number of

water snails

Number of

water plants

left in the

tank

Describe how the number of water snails affect the number of

water plants in the tank.

X

When the number of water snails is 0, the number of water plants left in the tank is 8.

When the number of water snails is 10 , the number of water plants left in the tank is 5.

*Take note that we always read the x-axis before the y-axis*

- The line(s) on a graph shows you a trend/pattern.

- There are 4 types of straight line graphs.

1. INCREASING TREND

- The line moves upward

2. DECREASING TREND

- The line moves downward

days

height

of plant

(cm)

days

height

of plant

(cm)

As the number of days INCREASES,

The height of the plant INCREASES As the number of days INCREASES,

The height of the plant DECREASES

3. HORIZONTAL LINEAR GRAPH 4. VERTICAL LINEAR GRAPH

As the time INCREASES,

the speed of the car

REMAINS THE SAME.

At the age of 4, Sue’s weight

INCREASES continuously.

time (h)

speed of car

(km/h)weight (kg)

age (year old)

- The steepness (gradient) of a line shows how fast/slow (RATE) a

change is happening.

A

B

TREND:

Both lines A and B are of

increasing trend. They are

both increasing in speed.

RATE:

Line A is steeper than Line B.

A is increasing in speed

FASTER than B.

At time x, A is much faster than B

- When comparing points on a curved line, we can draw straight

lines to compare the steepness of each point on the curve.

The line at A is

less steep than

the line at B.

Therefore the

heart rate is

increasing

FASTER at 45

minutes of

exercise than at

20 minutes of

exercise.

Science in the Outdoors

• Parks

• Playgrounds

• Wet markets and supermarkets

• Playgrounds

Science Outdoors

• Swimming

• Cycling

• Kite flying

• Travelling

Science at home

• Baking

• Cooking

• Doing experiments

• Watching Science documentaries

• Reading Science books together

• Searching for answers from internet

• Observing and explaining causes and effects

• Asking more ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions

Science Resources

• Toys

• Non-fiction books

• Newspaper articles

• Science magazines

• Videos

http://www.techinsider.io/fontus-self-refilling-water-bottle-2016-2

http://www.techinsider.io/fontus-self-refilling-water-bottle-2016-2

How does the rubber band make it easier to open this bottle?

Why do the cutlery on the bottom rack take longer to dry than those at the top? Why does removing the drip tray help?

Asking the Hows and Whys

• How do we make the door less squeaky?

• Explain how installing an exhaust fan in our bathrooms help make the mirrors less misty.

• A fan can move but it is not a living thing. Why?

• Why does one feel colder after getting out of swimming pool than before getting in?

• How to prevent dengue fever?

• Observing beaks, teeth, feet and limbs of animals and using these as evidences to support your answers

Final note …

• Direct their learning

• Participate together

• Inspire their passion

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