parents’ seminar · food chains & webs interactions • adaptations • man & the...

Springdale Primary School 1

Parents’ Seminar


1. Primary Science Education2. Science Curriculum & Syllabus3. Components of Science Curriculum4. Process skills in Science & SMART SDPS5. Excelling in Science6. Support from Parents

Overview


To provide primary students with experiences which build on their interest & stimulate

their curiosity about their environment basic scientific terms & concepts to help them

understand themselves & the world around them opportunities to develop skills, habits of mind &

attitudes necessary for scientific enquiry

Aims of Primary Science


www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/sciences/.../science-primary-2014

Science Curriculum Framework

http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/


Thematic & Spiral

Theme Lower Block (P3 & 4) Upper Block (P5 & P6)

Diversity • Diversity of living & Non-living things

• Diversity of materials

Cycles • Cycles of Plants & Animals (Life Cycles)

• Cycles in Matter

• Cycles in Plants & Animals (Reproduction)

• Cycles in Water

Primary Science Curriculum


Thematic & Spiral

Themes Lower Block (P3 & 4) Upper Block (P5 & P6)

Systems • Plant System (Plant parts & functions)

• Human System (Digestive System)

• Plant System (Respiratory & Circulatory systems)

• Human System (Respiratory & Circulatory systems)

• Cell System• Electrical System



Thematic & Spiral

Themes Lower Block (P3 & 4) Upper Block (P5 & P6)

Interactions • Interaction of Forces (Magnets)

• Interaction of Forces (Frictional, Gravitational forces, forces in spring)

• Interaction within the Environment

Energy • Energy Forms & Uses (Light & Heat)

• Energy Forms & Uses (Photosynthesis)

• Energy Conversion



Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Systems• Cell System

Cycles• Reproduction

in Plants & Animals

Cycles• States of

water• Water

Cycle

Systems• Electrical

System• Plant Systems

(Respiratory & Circulatory systems)

• Human Systems (Respiratory & Circulatory systems)

Energy• Energy

from food(p6 topic

for post-exam)

P5 Science Topics



Energy• Photosynthesis

• Energy Conversion

Interactions• Effects of a

force

Interactions• Types of forces • Environmental

factors• Populations &

communities• Food chains &

webs

Interactions• Adaptations• Man & the environment

Revision

P6 Science Topics



Energy• Photosynthesis• Energy Forms(excl conversion)

Interactions• Effects of a force

(excl types of forces)

• Environmental factors

Interactions• Populations &

communities• Food chains• Adaptations

Interactions• Man & the environment

Revision

P6F Science Topics


1. Practical Sessions in the laboratory2. Process Skills Worksheets3. Progress Check Worksheets*4. Performance Tasks5. Topical Revision Papers6. MC Online 7. Eco-trails8. Learning Journeys

Components of Science Curriculum


1. Learning Journeys (LJ) Inquiry-based LJ provide students with outdoor experiential learningP6 Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

2. Eco-Trail @ SDPSP5 (Term1: Seeds dispersal in Eco-garden)

Outdoor Science Activities


Process Skills/ SDPS Sharing


In “A Handbook for Science Teachers in Primary Schools” (Teo, Nora., 2003) states that process skills help students to …

“deal with expectations that are relevant in all parts of life and find out things for themselves. The acquisition of such skills contributes to our students’ general mental development and helping them to learn how to learn.”

Importance of Process Skills


1. Observing2. Comparing3. Classifying4. Using apparatus & equipment5. Inferring6. Predicting7. Analysing8. Evaluating9. Generating Possibilities10. Communicating

Types of Process Skills


Process Skills for P5 & P6P5 Process Skills Skills and Processes involved

State the purpose of an experimental control Investigation

Using apparatus and equipment

Write a cause-effect relationshipbetween the changed variable and dependent variable

Generating PossibilitiesAnalysing

Formulating Hypothesis

Write a scientific formulation Generating Possibilities Formulating Hypothesis

State the reason for taking repeated readings Investigation


P6 Process Skills Skills and Processes involved

Graph reading (Multi-trends) Comparing Analysing

Write a procedure for an investigation using verbs (Set-up/Place, measure, record, repeat)

InvestigationCommunicatingCreative problem solving


State the ways in which precision, accuracy and reliability is obtained in an experiment.

InvestigationCommunicating



Process Skill: Cause-effect relationship

Process Skill: Writing a Cause-Effect relationship


Writing a cause-effect relationship between variables involves the skill of analysing how one variable changes with the other. In a fair scientific investigation, there is one changed variable (Independent variable / cause) and one result (dependent variable / effect) which is being measured. Questions require students to analyse graphs, charts or tables and involve context of real-life applications.

Cause-effect relationship



Danny wanted to find out if the surface area of the plate affected the time taken

for hot porridge to cool down. He set up the experiment as shown below.

He poured 100 ml of porridge with a temperature of 90oC and measured the

time taken for the porridge to reach a temperature of 30oC. He repeated the

experiment with plates of different surface area and presented his results in

the graph shown below.


What is the relationship between the surface area of the plate and the time taken for the porridge to cool down?

When _the surface area of plate (changed variable) _____________ (e.g increases/decreases),

the _time taken for the porridge to cool down (measured

variable) (e.g. increase / decrease / remain

constant).



SMART SDPS

SMART SDPS Sharing


SMART SDPS:A strategy to answering Science Questions

SMART SDPS


Jenny placed Jar Y in a transparent covered box at room

temperature while she placed jar Z in a transparent covered

box in the refrigerator. Each jar contains 5 similar seeds and

the same amount of cotton wool.

Everyday, she added an equal volume of water into both jars. Everyday, she added an

equal volume of water into both jars.

(a) What was the aim of Jenny’s experiment? [1]

Jar Y Placed at room temperature

Jar Z Placed in refrigerator

SMART SDPS


Reproduction in plants/

Germination

To identify the changed variable to write the aim

The changed variable is presence of warmth. Jar Y (at

room temperature), Jar Z (in refrigerator)


Study the

problem/question

What do I understand from the information /

data?

Jenny wants to find out if seeds can

germinate in warm or cold temperature.

Decide on a plan /

concept

Have I solved similar questions before?

Yes / No

What concept should I use?

Comparing

Writing aim

SMART SDPS

What concepts/skills should I use?


Present my answer I will apply the concept by referring to the question

stem.

Concept: Seeds need the right temperature eg.

warmth to germinate.

I will write out the answer.

Jenny wants to find out if seeds can germinate with

warmth or without warmth. OR

To find out if warmth is a condition for seeds to

germinate.

Study my answer Does my answer make sense?

Are concepts applied in my answer?

SMART SDPS


Science Misconceptions

Springdale Primary School

What are Science Misconceptions?

Misconceptions in science can be described as preconceived notions, non-scientific beliefs, naive theories, or conceptual misunderstandings. These are situations where a person knows and believes does not match what is known to be scientifically correct.

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What are Science Misconceptions?

Most students who have science misconceptions are NOT aware that their concepts are incorrect. When they are simply told they are wrong, they often struggle to give up their misconceptions –especially if they have held a misconception for a long time.

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How do misconceptions occur?

1. Children creating knowledge based on their naive and intuitive understanding.

e.g. ‘batteries contain electricity as they can power devices’ when batteries contain chemical potential energy which can be converted to electrical energy.

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Source: www.kiasuparents.com



2. Children being taught misconceptions by their caregivers who have long-standing misconceptions.

e.g. ‘Be careful or you’ll be hurt by the steam coming out from the kettle. The steam is the white stuff coming out from the spout.’ Steam is the invisible vapour created with the conversion of boiling water into hot water vapour and the white stuff is the mist condensed by the steam losing heat to the surroundings.

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3. Misconceptions might also occur as a difference between the scientific meaning of words and the general meaning of the word.

e.g. Hard (in English) solid and resistant to pressure & Hard (in Primary Science) resistance to scratches.

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4. Misconceptions can also occur through the confusion of concepts with similar measurements.

E.g. Mass (Measurement of the amount of matter in an object with grams and kilogrammes as the unit of measurement in Primary Science) and Weight (measurement of the force of gravity acting on an object with Newton as the unit of measurement in Primary Science).

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5. Misconceptions can occur when there are similar concepts with different theories.

E.g. Many children are confused with gravitational potential energy, which is the energy gained by an object as its height above ground level increases, and gravitational force, which is the force of attraction on objects based on their mass.

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Current Knowledge

Misconceptions

New Knowledge

Science Misconceptions

New knowledge is built on current knowledge

Serious impact on long term learning!

Why should we worry about Science Misconceptions?


Highlights of Science Misconceptions in P5 topics


Misconceptions in P5 Topics


Systems – Cells

Misconception:Bigger living things have bigger cells.

Fact:Bigger living things have more cells not bigger cells. Living things grow bigger in size because their cells undergo cell division and their numbers multiply.



Cycles – Reproduction in Humans

Misconception:All inherited traits are observed in an offspring.

Fact:Not all traits which are inherited are observable. Therefore, it follows that if a trait is not observed, it does not mean that the trait is not inherited.




Source: Upper Block Science Bites by Educational Publishing House Ptd Ltd


Cycles – States of Water

Misconception 1:Water vapour or steam is visible as they can see the white mist when water is boiling.

Fact:Water vapour or steam is invisible and the white mist that they see is actually the water vapour or steam that has condensed into tiny water droplets.




Misconception 2a:Freezing and melting for water takes place at different temperatures.

Fact:Freezing and melting for water both take place at the same temperature of 0⁰C. However, when melting takes place, it gains heat while when freezing takes place, it loses heat.




Misconception 2b:All substances melt and boil at the same temperatures as water (0 ⁰C and 100 ⁰C respectively).

Fact:Melting & boiling for different substances take place at different temperatures from water.




Misconception 3:Water in different states cannot be at the same temperature.

Fact:Water can exists in different states at the same temperature. Eg. as ice is melting, the water that has melted stays at 0⁰C until all the ice has melted.




Time

Temperature of water / ⁰C

0

100

Only Ice at this point

Ice & water exists at this point

Only water exists at this point

Water & water vapour exists at

this point



Misconception 4:The temperature of water changes when it is undergoing a change of state such as freezing, melting and boiling.

Fact:The temperature of water does NOT change when it is undergoing a change of state.




Source: Get Your Concepts Right (Primary 5 & 6 Science) by Marshall Cavendish Education


Systems – Electrical Current

Misconception 1:An electric current flows back to the battery if the circuit is open. The electric current turns at the gap and flows back to the battery since it cannot flow through the gap.

Fact:An electric current will not flow at all in an open circuit.




Misconception 2:Only metals are conductors of electricity.

Fact:

Although most familiar electrical conductors are metals, certain liquids (e.g. salt water and acids), also allow electricity to pass through them. Pure water does not conduct electricity but water containing impurities does.




Misconception 3:

When bulbs are connected in series, the bulb nearest to the positive terminal of the battery will be lit brighter than the one farthest away. This is because electric current is ‘used up’ along the way.




Fact:

When a few bulbs are connected in series, the electric current in the circuit will be lower than the electric current in a circuit with one bulb. However, the same electric current will pass through each of the bulbs to light them up to the same brightness as the electric current does not get used up along the way.



Highlights of Science Misconceptions in P6 topics


Energy – Energy in Food

Plants that are not green do not photosynthesise.




Misconception 1:Plants that are not green do not photosynthesise.

Fact:

Some plants that do not appear green possess sufficient chlorophyll to photosynthesise. The chlorophyll of these plants is masked by the presence of other coloured pigments.




Misconception 2:Plants only photosynthesise using light from the Sun.

Fact:Plants can make food without sunlight if they receive light from another source. However, the light source must be strong enough so that the plants can make sufficient food for it to survive.




Do you agree?




Misconception 3:Plants CANNOT carry out photosynthesis at night.

Fact:Plants CAN continue to make food without sunlight as long as the light provided by another source is strong enough.




Misconception 4:Plants carry out photosynthesis in the day and respiration at night.

Fact:Plants can make food in the day with the presence of sunlight as well as at night as long as the light provided by another source is strong enough. Respiration occurs all the time.



Energy – Forms of Energy

Misconception:Energy can be created, destroyed or used up.

Fact:Energy cannot be created, destroyed or used up. It can only be converted from one form to another.



Interactions – Forces

Misconception:There are frictional forces acting on stationary objects.

Fact:No frictional force is acting on stationary objects when no force is applied on them.




Misconception:Direction of gravitational force acting on the object as shown in the diagram below.

gravitational force




Fact:Direction of gravitational force acting on the object is always vertically downwards towards the center of the Earth as shown in the diagram below.

gravitational force




Question:The diagrams below show an aeroplane during three different stages of its flight. At which stage(s) does gravity act on the aeroplane?

flying

taking off landing




Misconception:Gravity acts on the aeroplane during landing only.

flying

taking off landing




Fact:Gravity acts on all objects. Hence it will act on the aeroplane at all three stages of its flight - taking off, flying and landing.

flyingtaking off

landing




Misconception:There are no forces acting on stationary objects.

Fact:There are forces acting on stationary objects e.g. Gravitational force




Question: 2 identical objects, A and B, are pushed with the same amount of force across the floor. Which object, A or B, has a greater amount of frictional force acting on

it?


Block A

Block B



Misconception:The surface area in contact with the floor is larger for Block B than Block A. Hence, there is more frictional force acting on Block B.


Block ABlock B



Fact:The amount of frictional force acting on the 2 blocks is the same as they have the same mass. The amount of frictional force acting on an object does not depend on the surface area in contact.


Block A

Block B


Interactions – Adaptations

Misconception:A camel stores water in its hump.

Fact:A camel’s hump does not hold water. It stores fats.



Strategies for excelling in Science &

Support from Parents


Answering techniques during exams1. Highlighting the key words in the Questions2. Identify the topic of the question3. Using all labelled information in the diagram4. Interpret the data in tables and graphs5. Analyse the distractors – elimination technique (MCQ)6. Phrase answers using scientific concepts7. Answer to the context of the question8. Be specific, e.g. “Plants are different in their leaves”

without stating specially how are they different

Excelling in Science


1. Encourage your child to observe, ask questions, experiment & seek their own understanding of the natural environment around them.

2. Actively engage your child by talking about the books they are reading or television programmes on Science they have watched.

3. Provide frequent opportunities for Science learning at home, during outdoor play, trips to parks, zoos, markets, supermarkets, nature reserves, etc.

Build on your child’s interest



4. Foster children’s creative & critical thinking, problem solving & resourcefulness through authentic tasks such as cooking, doing household chores & other everyday activities so that they see Science as part of their daily lives.

Help your children see Science around them



Science in our Everyday…

Why are metal spoons placed inside hot drinks?


Science in our Everyday…

What characteristics should we consider when we select materials to make a raincoat?


• Science Magazines Subscription –National Geographic Explorer, Wildlife Wonder, The Singapore Scientist, Young Scientist

• Science Guide Books - Mini Guide Books by Science Centre, Mini Science Encyclopaedia

• SCV Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet

Go Beyond The Classroom

Learning Resources


Online Resources



Book List -http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/childrens-science

National Geographic Kids –http://kids.nationalgeographic.com

Discovery Kids – http://discoverykids.com/

Online Resources


http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/childrens-science

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

http://discoverykids.com/


Thank you for your attention

parents’ seminar · food chains & webs interactions • adaptations • man & the...

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