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Connected 1 2007 (PDF 181 KB)
This resource illustrates how an article from Connected can be adapted to provide opportunities for students to strengthen their capability to gather and interpret data in the context of science.
The Nature of Science strand
Aim | Achievement objectives relevant to this resource |
---|---|
Understanding about science Learn about science as a knowledge system: the features of scientific knowledge and the processes by which it is developed; and learn about the ways in which the work of scientists interacts with society. | L1 & 2: Appreciate that scientists ask questions about our world that lead to investigations and that open-mindedness is important because there may be more than one explanation. |
Investigating in science Carry out scientific investigations using a variety of approaches: classifying and identifying, pattern seeking, exploring, investigating models, fair testing, making things or developing systems. | L1 & 2: Extend their experiences and personal explanations of the natural world through exploration, play, asking questions, and discussing simple models. |
The Living World strand
Aim | Achievement objectives relevant to this resource |
---|---|
Ecology Understand how living things interact with each other and with the nonliving environment. | L1 & 2: Recognise that all living things are suited to their particular habitat. |
Students observe closely and make inferences based on their observations.
This article provides an opportunity for students to differentiate between observation and inference. It draws on both traditional Māori knowledge and modern technologies to find out more about kōura.
Adapting the resource
In this initial activity discourage students from making inferences – just get them to describe what they can see.
If the students say “the kōura walks” ask… | If the students say “the kōura swims” ask… |
What makes you think so? Do you think it uses all its legs for walking? What makes you think so? | What makes you think so? |
In answering these questions, students are making meaning based on their observations, i.e., they are thinking about what they see (interpreting data).
This article contains the answers to these questions but focus on how the students justify their ideas, rather than on what the text says.
What counts as evidence in science are observations (direct and indirect) of the natural physical world. Scientists put effort into ensuring they have robust data (i.e., that their observations are accurate). This often involves measuring something.
Developing an appreciation of what counts as evidence in science 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.)
When you ask, “What do you see?”
When you ask, “What do you think?”
For suggestions about adapting tasks in ways that allow students to show progress in gathering and interpreting data see Learning at different curriculum levels.
If you want to include this activity as part of a larger unit of work, consider providing video footage of kōura. Students would then have opportunities for different sorts of observations, for example, how kōura move, how they feed, and so on.
Connected 1, 2007 contains several other articles with detailed photos that would be good for encouraging close observation and inference. Generally, the information in the text will give teachers the necessary background information to be able to support students as they think about what they observe (that is, make inferences).
The Science Learning Hub has a student activity called Observation: Learning to see about the Maud Island frog. This could easily be adapted for Level 1 and 2 students.
The Building Science Concepts series includes several booklets that all contain activities that could be used to foreground observation for Level 1 & 2 students, for example,
The last 2 booklets are also accompanied by picture packs that could be useful.
Building Science Concepts, animals