Copyright © UCLES 2008

Biology Workshops

October 2009 Singapore

Language and Practical Work in Biology

Teaching

Introductions

Workshop programme – day one

• Setting the scene

• Identify, develop and share practical ideas

• Practical approaches to developing

language in science

Workshop programme – day two– Identify, develop and share practical ideas

– Investigations:

» Developing and embedding skill development

» Planning

– Identify, develop and share practical ideas– Investigations:

» Resources for analysing and evaluating

» Ideas about investigations

– Showcase and summing up– Embedding ICT

Exploring the space between teaching

science and languages

Practical work

InteractivityLanguage

What does the specification say?

- AS/A level

Assessment

objectives

Weighting (%) Components

Knowledge with

understanding

45 Papers 1,2 and 4

Handling information and

solving problems

32 Papers 1,2 and 4

Experimental skills and

investigations

23 Papers 31/32 and 5

Practical work

What does the specification say?

- IGCSE Practical work

What does the specification say?

- AS/A levelPractical

work

• “..candidates

should spend at

least 20% of their

time doing

practical work,

individually or in

small groups...”

What does the specification say?

- assessment (AS/A level)Practical

work

Teacher‟s schemes of work and

the sequence of learning activities

should reflect this balance.

What does the specification say?

- A2 paper 5

“It should be stressed that candidates

cannot be adequately prepared for this

paper without extensive laboratory work

during their course of study.”

Practical work

Activity 1.1 – Why practicals?

Handout 1.1.1 – Categorising purpose

Practical work

Why practicals?

Some groups to use:

1. validates accepted theory

2. develops student skills in using and manipulating

scientific equipment

3. practises scientific methods

4. demonstrates a procedure

5. demonstrates a process or concept

Practical work

Summing up

...and the extras?

...links

...fitting the spaces

Practical work

InteractivityLanguage

What does the specification say?Practical

work

Practical work should:

• Develop skills

• Reinforce theory

• Develop understanding of scientific method

• Motivate through enjoyment

Ways of

working

http://www.cart

oonstock.com/c

artpreview.asp?i

mageref=jlvn50

9

Interactivity

Interactivity? Interactivity

Why?

» Engagement

» Encourages processing

» Addresses different

learning styles

Outcome?

» Develops understanding

» Promotes recall,

application and

enjoyment

» Uses language

Ways of workingInteractivity

Would this help?

Finally the Fundamentals

Language

What the specification says...Language

IGCSE

...programmes of study ... will feature a variety

of learning experiences designed to enhance

the development of skill and comprehension.

Candidates will be expected to give

biologically correct definitions of any of the

terms printed in italics

Scientists and language

Language

How does it feel?

• Teacher instructions

– Each candidate must be supplied with the following...

(ii) two ongebruikt clean katoenen knop wrapped in

paper/cling film/foil.

• Student instructions

– Note: Make sure that you verlof voldoende

onbeproefd amylase and starch solution to

volledig the rest of this experiment.

Language

Copyright © UCLES 2008

Biology Workshops

October 2009 Singapore

Language and Practical Work in Biology

Teaching

Practical challengesPractical

work

Let’s not do

practical work

Hmm... 9

reasons

why not?

Activity 2.1 – issues with

practical work

• In your group come up with 9 reasons not to

do practical work. Write the reasons on

separate cards.

• Arrange the list in order of priority

• Place in order as a diamond with the most

important reason at the top

Practical work

Solution focussed

• Top concerns?

• Realistic solutions to solve practical

difficulties

– At the very least the specification demands it.

Practical work

Types of practical work

• Demonstrations and class practicals

– to validate theory

– to learn procedures and skill

• Investigations

– how science works

Practical work

Activity 2.2 – Sharing ideas

Practical opportunities – issues and

solutions

• Handout 2.2.1; 2.2.3 x4 per person

•Reference list 2.2.2

•http://www.biology-resources.com/

• http://www.practicalbiology.org/

• Your specification

• Your scheme of work

Practical work

Sharing ideas

• Top issues raised?

• Practical resources?

• CIE to collate and

circulate all the

information to delegates

Practical work

Copyright © UCLES 2008

Biology Workshops

October 2009 Singapore

Language and Practical Work in Biology

Teaching

How much language do we need?

• What are we going

to do about

hedgehogs???

• Just when will they

learn to share the

hedges?

Language

WordsLanguage

hogs

hedges

hogging

New words – multiple meanings

• Introducing an

unfamiliar

concept –

pouring plates

Language

Similar soundsLanguage

poor

pore

pouring

poring

Similar sounds

Plates

Language

Confusing phonetics? Language

Spelling and pronunciation

Plaits

What are we talking about? Language

Today we will learn

how to pour plates

and use them to

grow bacteria‟

Interacting with language in

science

Reference:

Language and Literacy in Science Education –

Jerry Wellington and Jonathan Osborne

Detailed practical strategies for developing

language skill alongside science teaching.

Language

Surprising findings about

language in science

“main problem lay in the

„vocabulary and usage of

normal English in a science

context‟ (Cassels and

Johnstone 1985)”

Language

Words used in science – scientific

words

Specifically used for

science

Have everyday meanings

too

cathode; ion; law; filament;

producer; electron; energy;

aromatic

Language

Words used in science – semi-technical

With one meaning With dual meaning

diverge; key; characteristic;

displace; gain; optimum; light;

negative; reproduce; naked

Language

Words used in science – non-technical

With one meaning With dual meaning

Estimate; initial; rate;

standard; omit; external;

minimum

Language

Taxonomy of words (adapted from

Wellington 1983)Level of

difficulty

Category Subcategories

1 Naming Familiar objects, new names

New objects, new names

Names of chemical elements

Other nomenclature

2 Process Capable of being shown

Not capable of being shown

3 Concept Derived from experience (sensory)

With dual meanings eg work

Theoretical constructs (total abstractions,

idealisations eg atom, field, frictionless body)

4 Mathematical –

term or symbol

Meaning detached from our experience

How students feel – receiving

language in science

• Demonstrations

– e-science channel 4 video clip – Generating

electricity the ecological way.

Language

How students feel

We gave them four minutes

to grasp• Instructions

• Background information

• Key facts

• Sequence of a process

• We used oral and visual

material

Language

How students feel

Discussion points:• what would we be expecting students to

assimilate from a clip like this in a class?

• How would a student feel?

• What problems would students have and

why?

• How could they be overcome? – what

strategies could you use?

Language

Using a new toolLanguage

How can we help?

Making the learning transfer more effective

• Some ways of involving students:

– Complete a flow chart outline which has some steps missing

– Order a sequence of statements

– Order a sequence of images, match captions to them.

– Cloze

– Match beginnings and endings of descriptions of steps

– Complete tables of steps in the process, with purpose and

quantities, etc.

Language

Activity 3.1 – Demonstrations

• choose a technique or experiment you routinely

demonstrate

• design a re-enforcement exercise a class could carry

out during the demonstration

Language

Activity 3.2 – Text exercises

• Work individually or as a pair:

Handout 3.2.1

Exemplars 3.2.2

Writing materials

Own text books

Journals, news articles and text books as provided

Sharing ideas

Describe your resource to others in the group

Language games

• Articulate,

• Just a half-minute,

• Dominoes – sequencing

• Odd one out,

• Pictionary,

• Stepping stones - the nitrogen cycle

• Speakers corner

• Word wall

Activity 3.3 – Articulate

• Brainstorm lists of biology words that are

either „structures‟ „functions‟ or‟ processes‟.

• Using a different coloured pen for each type

of word write out your words on the small

cards provided.

• Shuffle your group‟s cards. Swap your cards

with another group

• Play articulate

And to finish...Who am I?

• Some ways we classified

words:– Names

– Processes

– Concepts

– Mathematical

– Single meaning

– Dual meaning

– Specific to science

– Non-technical

Copyright © UCLES 2008

Biology Workshops

October 2009 Singapore

Language and Practical Work in Biology

Teaching

Overview

Outline:

• Consider what we need to teach pupils about

investigative science

• Investigate, paying particular attention to

how skills are being developed

• Critique examples of ways to help students

and devise our own

What is Science?

“Science is a special method of finding

things out.”

(Nobel Prize winning physicist,

Richard Feynman,)

Aspects of investigations – AS

Aspects of investigations – A2

Aspects of investigations – A2

Higher level skills

8.2 Planning

Defining the problem

• Candidates should be able to:

– identify the dependent and independent variable in the experiment or

investigation;

– express the aim of the experiment or investigation as a prediction or

hypothesis, both in words and in the form of a predicted graph;

– identify which variables must be controlled.

Aspects of investigations - O level

5. identify problems, design/plan and carry

out investigations, including the selection

of techniques, apparatus, measuring

devices and materials;

Aspects of investigations – IGCSE

• Candidates may be required to do the

following:– plan an investigation, including suggesting

suitable techniques and apparatus.

What does the specification say?

- AS/A level

Assessment

objectives

Weighting (%) Components

Knowledge with

understanding

45 Papers 1,2 and 4

Handling information and

solving problems

32 Papers 1,2 and 4

Experimental skills and

investigations

23 Papers 31/32 and 5

Activity 4.1 – A simple investigation

Step 1 - Beginning an investigation

Make up the model seeds

Drop them from 2 metres to test how

they fly

Make a group list of your

observations

A simple investigation

Step 2 – Coming up with an idea to test

– Use your observations to make a list of possible

factors that could affect the rate of drop of the

seed.

– Choose one factor to investigate

– Decide how you will go about investigating it –

what you will need to alter, how many repeats,

what you must record, and how you will do this

A simple investigation

Step 3 – Prepare to investigate

• Identify and record:

– The independent variable

– The dependent variable

– Variables that must be controlled (and how you

will do this)

A simple investigation

Step 4 – Prepare to record your results, then

investigate.

Draw up a table for your results

Carry out your investigation and record your

results.

A simple investigation - discussion

• The importance of the preliminary work.

• Identifying and controlling variables

• Formulating a hypothesis

• Controlling variables

• What will students find difficult?

• What will teachers find difficult in managing

this investigation?

Extracts from paper 5

And for 6 marks

IGCSE paper 5 and 6

Helping students – a critique of

exercises and checklists

• Activity 4.2

– With your group discuss the content and format

of the students help sheets provided

– Complete the summary sheets provided

– Handout 4.2.1

– Resource sheets 4.2.2 a/b/c/d

Summing up

Sharing practical concerns

Sharing suggestions about planning help

sheets.

Copyright © UCLES 2008

Biology Workshops

October 2009 Singapore

Language and Practical Work in Biology

Teaching

Workshop 5 – further investigations

• Specification requirements

• Develop the skills: where and how?

• Review resources to support analysis and

evaluation

• To finish – An ICT based investigation

Specification requirements – A2

Higher level skills

8.3 Analysis, conclusions and evaluation.

Dealing with data. Candidates should be able to:

• work out which calculations are necessary for making conclusions from

provided data, including those designed to assess error levels,

confidence limits, statistical tests and means of presentation of data;

• use calculations to simplify or explain data;

• use appropriate statistical tests to assess the variability of data or the

statistical differences between samples;

• use tables and graphs to point out the key points in quantitative data,

including the variability of data.

Specification requirements – A2

• Candidates should know how to choose and carry

out the key steps of statistical methods designed to

assess variability in data including

– range

– inter-quartile range

– standard deviation

– standard error.

Specification requirements – A2

• EvaluationCandidates should be able to:

• spot anomalous values in provided data and suggest how to deal with

such anomalies within familiar contexts, suggest possible explanations

for anomalous readings;

• assess whether the provided readings have been replicated sufficiently,

and describe the adequacy of the range of data given;

• use the information given to assess whether selected variables have

been controlled effectively;

• use these evaluations and the information given to make informed

judgements about how much confidence can be put in any conclusions

Specification requirements – O Level

• interpret, evaluate and report upon

observations and experimental data

• evaluate methods and suggest possible

improvements.

Activity 5.1 – Develop skills: what,

where and how?

Handout 5.1.1

Exam question papers for your specification

Mark schemes

Supporting resource off prints

Your specification and/or scheme of work

Investigation – your concerns

Discussion points:

What are the key issues and

concerns you have about

investigative skill?

How can these be addressed?

Fun with reaction times

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sle

ep/sheep/

• How can you investigate?

Copyright © UCLES 2008

Biology Workshops

October 2009 Singapore

Language and Practical Work in Biology

Teaching

Outline

• Conference theme review and

embedding ICT – 40 mins

• Your favourites, your requests, your

ideas, your views – 20 mins

Conference theme review

• Aspects we considered:

– Central place of practical work in science

– Teaching investigative skills

– Need for a focus on language and literacy in science – impossibility of separating interactive learning methods from

language use in science;

– Using multiple interactive approaches

What ICT?

Where does ICT fit?

How can I

embed ICT?

Bringing in ICT

Multiple media

• ICT – just another tool

in the box

– The art of the teacher

– Feeding your creative

talent...

A source of material – the web

• Resources for

– Starters

– Worksheets

– Powerpoints

– Practicals

– Quizzes

– Animations

– Student research

and presentation

– Finishers ...

Embedding ICT – some strategies

Teaching with

tools

Independent

learning

Teaching tools

• Multimedia Science School as a tool

Independent learning a)

Teaching about gas

exchange in a fish

How it worked:

– Independent learning -

ICT

– Consolidation –

worksheet questions

– Dissection of fish heads

Independent learning b)

Using animation to learn about a

process – independently

• Mitosis– Provide students with illustrated key to

terms and a sequence of screen grabs

from the animation

– Students then create a stepwise

description of the process

Embedding ICT – some strategies

• Making use of

multiple media –

introducing

organelles

• Multimedia lessons

meeting a range of

learning styles –

multiple approaches

Integrated with practical work

Some resource ideas

• Websites

• Practical biology http://www.practicalbiology.org/

• BBC – Bloom – climate change

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/flash.shtml

• Discovery channel http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/planet-earth-

jungles-birds-of-paradise.html

• Utube and teachertube

• Bioscope

• Simulated experiments

• Multimedia Science School

Show and tell – over to you

• Favourite websites – show and tell

• Favourite multimedia resource

• Favourite interactive activity

• Favourite practical activity

• Favourite investigation

Conference review

• Feedback for the future

Workshop close