The Nature of Science strand

Physical World and Material World

Students explore the importance of having enough data to draw conclusions.

The original Assessment Resource Banks (ARBs) activity involves the students predicting, observing and explaining where a piece of wood floats in a container of water and oil.

Adapting the resource

1. After the students have carried out the existing activity ask:
   • Do you think you would get the same result if you repeated the activity with the same piece of wood? How sure are you? What could you do to be more certain of your answer?
   • Would you get the same result if you repeated the activity with a different piece of wood? How sure are you? What could you do to be more certain of your answer?
   • Brainstorm as many things as you can that might affect the results. [For example: size of the wood, type of wood, shape, the way it was placed in the container, how dry/ waterlogged it is, etc.]
2. Present the class with 3 possible results from the original ARBs activity (See answers/responses section in Teacher view section for   Where will the wood float? ). Which statements are supported by the data?
   • Wood always floats on water and oil.
   • Some wood floats on water and oil. [This is the only statement supported by the data.]
   • Only small pieces of wood float.
   • All wood eventually sinks.

In order to evaluate the trustworthiness of data students need to know quite a lot about the qualities of scientific tests so they know what questions to ask. Scientists are cautious in the claims they make as it takes only one piece of disconfirming evidence to disprove a theory.

Developing an appreciation of how evidence in science is generated supports students to become scientifically literate, i.e., to participate as critical, informed, and responsible citizens in a society in which science plays a significant role. (This is the purpose of science in NZC.)

Do students realise one trial provides insufficient evidence to make a claim?

Do students realise the importance of evidence that disconfirms a statement?

For suggestions about adapting tasks in ways that allow students to show progress in critiquing evidence see Progressions .

This adaptation could be used whenever students are carrying out investigations – regardless of the context. Science Fairs would provide a rich context.

I Miss My Pet (L2, 3 & 4) Connected 2, 2006

Fibres and Fabrics (L2, 3 & 4) Making Better Sense of the Material World

Magnet investigation (L2, 3 & 4) Assessment Resource Banks

Which of these materials make the light go on? (L2, 3 & 4) Science Online

Types of Rubbish (L2, 3 & 4) Figure It Out: Sustainability, Level 2–3, 2010

Zoom, Zoom! (L3 & 4) Figure It Out: Forces, Level 2–3, 2010

Butterfly transects (L3 & 4) Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust webpage

Marine Metre Squared (L3, 4 & 5) Mm2.net.nz webpage

Disinfecting wastewater interactive (L5) Science Learning Hub

Factors affecting ball bounce (L5) Science Online

Measuring the temperature of the ocean (L5) multiple webpages

NCEA Level 1 Investigations (L5) NCEA on TKI