UNIVERSITY OFKWAZULU ..NATAL

INYUVESIYAKWAZULU ..NATALI

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS &

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION (Edgewood Campus)

BACHELOR OF EDUCATION

May/ June EXAMINATIONS - 2011

Module Title Natural Science Method 2 Code EDNS202 EC

Marks 100Duration 120 minutes

Internal Examiner Dr R Mudaly External Examiner Dr J Coleman

INSTRUCTIONS

. Answer all questions in your answer book

. Candidates are requested, in their own interest to write LEGIBLY.

• This paper consists of 13 numbered pages (including appendices) and

6 questions

1

Question 1 29 Marks

1.1 Practical work which involves learners handling primary materials or secondary

sources of data enables learners to understand the nature of the world.

Describe four features of practical work which make it different from "regular"

science lessons. You may represent your answer in the form of a table. (8)

1.2 Refer to Appendix A and Appendix B. Read the activity sheet in Appendix Band

answer the questions in this exam (1.2.1 to 1.2.4).

1.2.1 Name the knowledge area which is the focus of this activity. (1)

1.2.2 Which is the specific aim which mainly informs the design of the activity, 1, 2 or

3? (1)

1.2.3 List four skills which are associated with this activity, which are being developed.

Write a reason by describing the activity to support your answer. Represent your

answer in the form of a table like the one below:

Skill Reason (from activity)

(8)

(5)1.2.4 Re-design this activity using a problem-solving approach.

1.3 Many teachers claim that they cannot conduct practical work because their schools

lack laboratory infrastructure and equipment. In several poorer communities and

schools, improvisation has been used successfully to teach Natural Sciences. Describe

six advantages of improvisation in practical work. (6)

2

Question 2 20 Marks

2.1 Describe six rules that you will develop to ensure that learners observe safety in

the laboratory when they work with animals. (12)

2.2 Girls may be encouraged to participate actively in science lessons. Describe 4

strategies that you will use in the Natural Sciences classroom to encourage girls'

participation. (8)

Question 3 7 Marks

3.l List 5 tasks/activities which a teacher can use to form part of formal assessment in

Natural Sciences. (5)

3.2 Refer to Appendix B. The mark allocation has been excluded from the activity sheet.

Explain why this is disadvantageous to the learner. (2)

3

Question 4

4. Examine the following concept map.

8 Marks

Electricity

source~

l_s_ol_ar 1

I is

source. ~

Pebble bednuclearreactor

advantage advantage is

clean IS

~ is

EJ~ advantage

expensive

Disadvantage ~

radiation pollutants

causecause

Healthproblems

4.1 Assess the concept map by copying and completing the rubric. (6)

Criteria Mark Total

Each proposition 1

Each domain 1

Each cross link 2

Total

4.2 Write 2 propositions from the concept map which are scientifically incorrect. (2)

4

Question 5 15 Marks

Specific Aim 3.2 refers to the importance of engaging learners with alternative

systems of knowing.

5.1 One of the ways that teachers of Natural Sciences (and Technology) may use to

motivate learners to learn about indigenous knowledge, is by teaching about biopiracy.

Use 3 examples of indigenous plants to describe how you can make learners aware of

biopiracy. Include the uses of these plants in your answer. (9)

5.2 Indigenous science, sometimes known as ethnoscience, has been described as the

study of systems of knowledge developed by a given culture to classify objects,

activities an events of its given universe (Hardesty, 1997). There has been a

growing interest in the potential contribution of Indigenous Knowledge to

development at a time when current developmental models have proven not too

successful. Describe two current problems which are related to modem world

practices. State how the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Natural

Sciences learning area can assist learners in constructing knowledge about solutions

to these modem day problems. (6)

Question 6 21 Marks

Read the lesson transcript in Appendix C and analyze it by answering the following

questions.

6.1 Describe any three practices of the teacher which are based on the constructivist

learning theory, by citing, firstly, the practice of a constructivist teacher (as

outlined by Brooks and Brooks, 1999) and, secondly, by providing evidence of

constructivist teaching practice from the transcript. (12)

6.2 Describe three ways which show how the teacher could teach the same lesson but

plan activities differently to strengthen the constructivist approach in the

classroom. (9)

5

APPENDIX A

Natural Science Method 2

Specific Aims and Assessment

CAPS

1. SPECIFIC AIM 1: ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES (of Natural Sciences concepts,processes, phenomena, mechanisms, principles, theories, laws, models, etcetera)

The following cognitive (thinking) skills comprise the range of skills that all learners should develop in the contextof working through the curriculum in a school year. These skills also indicate what should be assessed, at theappropriate grade level, in a variety of assessments during the year. Note that not every skill will be assessed inevery assessment, but teachers must ensure that, by the end of the year, learners have been assessed on all ofthese.

1.1 ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE

Skills

Learners must...

• access infonnation from a variety of sources (teachers, reference books, textbooks, internet, experts,peers, parents etcetera).

• select key ideas obtained from resources.• recall and describe knowledge of Natural Sciences.Assessments

In order to assess these competences (or cognitive skills), teachers should use the following verbs in thetasks or assessments that they set: state, name, label, list, define, describe, explain and any other verbsthat would show that knowledge of the subject is being assessed.

1.2 UNDERSTAND AND MAKE MEANING OF NATURAL SCIENCES

Skills

Learners must...

• analyse acquired knowledge.• evaluate acquired knowledge. "• synthesise (or reorganise) knowledge to derive new meaning using written summaries, flow charts,

diagrams and mind maps, etcetera.

6

Assessments

In order to assess these competencies (cognitive skills), teachers should use the following verbs in the tasksor assessments they set: explain, compare, rearrange, give an example of, illustrate, calculate, interpret,suggest a reason, make a generalisation, interpret information or data, analyse, predict, select, differentiate,or any other suitable verbs which would indicate that understanding of the subject is being assessed.

1.3 APPLY KNOWLEDGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES IN NEW AND UNFAMILIAR CONTEXTSSkills

Learners must...

• analyse and evaluate knowledge and apply this to new and unfamiliar contexts.Assessment

In order to asses these competencies (cognitive skills), teachers should use the following verbs in thetasks or assessments that they set: explain, interpret, predict, compare, differentiate and select, aswell as any other appropriate verbs which would assess a learner's ability to apply knowledge. Thekey is that the learners will have to apply knowledge about something that they have learnt, andwhich they understand, in a context or situation about which they have not yet acquired specificknowledge.

2. SPECIFIC AIM 2: INVESTIGATING PHENOMENA IN NATURAL SCIENCESThe following range of skills relate to doing practical work in Natural Sciences. All seven skills will not apply toevery practical activity equally. The skills are aligned to what learners would be doing in the normal course ofdoing practical work. Teachers must select those that apply to, and which can be assessed in, the context ofspecific activities. By the end of the Grade 7 year, at least the first six skills must have been assessed at agrade-appropriate level.

Learners must be able to:

2.1. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

This is essential, especially in the lower grades and in large classes. Teachers cannot expect alllearners to use unfamiliar equipment

and to do so independently without giving them a clear set of instructions to follow. The amount ofassistance required would indicate .'

the level of performance in this regard. Adherence to safety rules would be part of this.

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2.2. HANDLE EQUIPMENT OR APPARATUS

This should include knowledge of the apparatus, that is, naming it and knowing what it is used for. Itincludes a variety of different kinds of equipment. "Handling equipment" is a generic skill and wouldapply to any equipment used for many different kinds of investigation. Handling improvised equipmentrequires the same skills as would be required for handling standard laboratory equipment.

2.3. MAKE OBSERVATIONS

A variety of different kinds of observation is possible and observations can be recorded in differentways, such as:

• drawings.• descriptions.• grouping of materials or examples based on observable similarities and/or differences.• measurements.• comparing materials before and after treatment.• observing results of an experimental investigation which will involve recording information in an

appropriate way.• counting.

2.4. RECORD INFORMATION OR DATA

This should include recording observations or information as dra\'.~ngs, descriptions, in simple tableformat, as simple graphs, etcetera. Again, this skill of "recording" is transferable across a range ofdifferent scientific activities.

2.5. MEASURE

Learners should know what to measure, how to measure it and have a sense of the degree ofaccuracy that is required. A variety of things could be measured, including length, volume,temperature, weight or mass, numbers (counting), etcetera. Measuring is a way of quantifyingobservations and in this process learners should learn to make estimations.

2.6. INTERPRET

Learners should be able to convert information from one form (in which it was recorded, for instance atable) into, for example, an appropriate graph.

Learners should be able to perform appropriate simple calculations, to analyse and extract informationfrom tables and graphs, apply knowledge of theory to practical situations, recognise patterns and/ortrends, appreciate the limitations of experimental procedures, make deductions based on evidence.

8

2.7. DESIGN/PLAN INVESTIGATIONS OR EXPERIMENTS

Not all investigations are based on the "classic" dependent-independent variables and controls. Forexample, an investigation could

involve observing soil profiles or counting populations.

Also, designing an investigation is a different process from planning an investigation.

Skills include:

• identifying a problem.• hypothesising.• selecting apparatus or equipment and/or materials.• planning an experiment.• suggesting ways of recording results.• understanding the need for replication or verification. _In Grade 7, learners must be assisted to plan and/or design a simple investigation or experiment."

Note: Skills 2.1 to 2.6 (following instructions, handling equipment, making observations, recordinginfonnation, measuring and interpreting infonnation) would all be required, in one form or another, inorder to carry out an experiment or investigation. By separating seven different kinds of skills (2.1 to2.7), these skills can apply to the variety of different kinds of practical work that is appropriate for aparticular grade in Natural Sciences, including simple investigations or experiments. This approachmakes it easier to assess learners in a range of different circumstances and it enables a teacher tojudge a learner's ability to do science. The skills are based on what learners would do in the nonnalcourse of doing practical work. However, there are some circumstances in which only some of theseskills would apply and not every skill can be assessed in every practical task.

3. SPECIFIC AIM 3: APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE AND APPLICATIONSOF NATURAL SCIENCES INSOCIETY

3.1. UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY AND RELEVANCE OF SOME SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES

Skills

Learners must...

• access relevant infonnation from appropriate sources.• select key ideas to construct the history of specific discoveries.• describe the history of specific discoveries from past and present cultures.• evaluate the relevance or importance of these specific discoveries for society.

9

As far as possible, these aspects should be linked to and taught with topics and content that arerelevant to a discovery or a scientist.

3.2 RELATIONSHIP OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE TO NATURAL SCIENCES

Note: Examples that are selected (and that should, as far as possible, reflect different South Africancultural groupings) will also link directly to specific areas in the Natural Sciences subject content.

3.3 THE VALUE AND APPLICATION OF NATURAL SCIENCES KNOWLEDGE IN INDUSTRY, INRESPECT OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND IN EVERYDAY LIFE

This is about the applications and relevance, that knovv\edge of Natural Sciences has found in variousaspects of society. Examples should be relevant to the subject content that learners are dealing with at aparticular time. For example, there are career opportunities in respect of socio-biology and animalbehaviour, plant pathology, game management, environmental impact studies, preservation ofbiodiversity, palaeontology, paleoanthropology, agriculture, horticulture, environmental law, sciencejournalism, biotechnology and genetic engineering, and many others. Examples of some of thepossibilities are included in the appropriate topics. Learners should be made aware of careers, but theseshould not be discussed or taught in great detail.

Skills

Learners must...

• analyse and evaluate the application of Natural Sciences in everyday life ( both positive and negative

consequences).

• analyse, discuss and debate the ethical and legal issues.

• become aware of some career opportunities in Natural Sciences.

10

1 ' ASSESSMENT TASK

. Work in groups.'Before you begin,

;',[~ad, t~e a,5Sj$~rnen~,,. :.Lequir~mentsat the">'e'rid '"dfthis task. ."

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1{ ,-,~j (1·'·' .

< You WILLNEED •••>

waterboiling tubepeanutlaboratory needlespirit burner.

'5555'"55'55'''''''''

Thermometer

Boiling tube

Water heating

VL--- Needle

-r---- Cork or wood

Finding out how much storedenergy is In a peanut

APPENDIXB

Assessment tasks...........................................................

Measuring the stored energy in foodWe can measure the amount of energy in food by burning the food andmeasuring the amount of heat it gives out. Then we can calculate theamount of energy given out, in kilojoules (kj).1. Follow these steps, using the table below to record your results and the

formula below to do the calculation:a) Put 20 ml of water in a boiling tube.b) Measure and record the temperature of the water in the boiling tube.c) Take a large peanut and spike it on the end of a laboratory needle.d) Hold the peanut in the flame of a spirit burner until it starts to burn.e) when it is burning, hold it under the boiling tube and use it to heat

the water. Place the peanut back in the flame if it goes out, andcontinue the heating until the nut is all burned out.

f) After the peanut has burned up completely, measure and record thetemperature of the water.

g) Calculate the amount of energy provided by the peanut.

(Note: There should always be enough water in the boiling tube so that, bythe time the seed is all burned up, the water has not yet boiled, but hasshown a rise in temperature.)

Amount ofTemperature of Temperature Rise in

waterwater before of water after temperatureheating (0C) heating (OC) (0C)

This is the formula for calculating the amount of energy in the peanut:

amount of water (ml) x rise in temperature (OC)x 4,2 = amount of energy (kJ)1 000

2. Discuss with your group:a) Do you think all the energy in the peanut went into heating the

water? Explain.b) Where did the energy in the peanut come from originally, and how

did it get into the peanut?c) When you eat and digest a peanut, what are all the things that the

energy is used for in your body? Make a list.d) By what process is the energy in the peanut released into your cells?

3. Do all seeds have the same amount of energy? Test some other seedsto find out how much energy is stored in them. The bigger the seed,the more water you will need in order to see the rise in temperature.(Suggested seeds: nuts of any kind, sunflower seeds, dried beans.) Alsotest how much energy is stored in a dried leaf.

11

Appendix C

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T Do you still remember the characteristics of living things?S Yes.T List the, if you still remember? Yes.S They reproduce.T (repeated after the child) yes.S They move.T Yes another one.S They breathe.T At the back there. Mohau?S They respond to stimulus.T (repeated after the child).S They excrete.

S There are small fish in water but they are old.T He is saying there are small fish in water but they are old. It is like this small fish is ready to

produce eggs. Which small fish are we talking about here?S Mekulubete (tadpoles).T Is mokulubete a fish?S Madam let us talk about fertilisation in human being.T Yes.S Eh, fertilisation is when the sperm and the egg form a zygote, which is going to develop into a

baby.T Foetus, it is called foetus.S So the foetus is going to develop into a baby.T This is a very good example. She is making an example of a human being. The foetus is in the

womb but it is already like the adult in features even though it is small. So we are talkingabout dwarfs, we are not talking about adults and by small me mean babies ka age. With smallfish we are not talking about the fully matured fish but we mean the small fish by age. That issmall it is going to grow to be an adult. So this is the life cycle of fish. Now let us talk aboutthe life cycle of birds.

S Life cycle of a bird, we have adult bird, eggs and young bird.T What do you call the young bird? Ah then?S We then go to the adult bird again.T Then the adult, even though some processes are not shown, what happens between here.

(pointing between the eggs and the small bird) that is the egg and the young one?S The eggs hatch into the young ones.T What do you call that process in between, where by the adult bird sit on the eggs and make

them warm so that after 21 days they develop into the young ones. What do you call thatprocess?

S Incubation.T Yes incubation. After incubation the eggs develops the young birds, chicks (Tsuonyana).

Others are not listening, they are playing. Locust, what about the life cycle of a locust?S Larva.T The 151 is the larva?S The one is the locust.T Then what?S The larva.T You have locust, larva, ..(They are debating about how to pronounce larva).T Let us not laugh. So there are no eggs in this case?

12

s '0.

T Are you saying there are no eggs?S You have the adult, the larva, the pupa and the adult.T Do you agree? Ba bang are always saying yes. Do you agree that the locust will take the larva

immediately?S No madam.T What happens?S Eggs first before larva.T And then larva followed by pupa (there is noise the teacher is trying to bring order and they

are apologising).T You have eggs, larva, pupa, adult, are you saying that. I have been a Shepard but I have never

seen a pupa developing into a locust. You know that thing the we ask, " Maseru ke kae?"S Yes mokone.T What is it called in English?S Pupa.T What is it develop into? We mean that thing that you play with? You said it is mokone.S It develops into a butterfly.T But what about a locust? Have you seen a small locust without wings?S Yes madam.T Where does it come from?S It is one of the stages.T So in this case we have: adult - larva - nymph - adult. This small locust is called a nymph.S Yes I know it (one said).

T These are the life cycles. How many types of fertilisation have we talked about. (repeated thequestion).

S Internal fertilisation.T (repeated the question).S External fertilisation.T (repeated as she is writing on the board) for internal fertilisation, apart from man which other

organism has it?SCow.T Cow. That is another organism in which internal fertilisation takes place. Apart from fish and

frog which other organism has external fertilisation?S Eh snake and flower.T Did we talk about flowers? Yes?S No.T Which types of reproduction have we talked about in the past?S Sexual reproduction in ....T In which organism? Yes?S In mammals.T Mammals. House fly is it a mammal? Hominy type of living things do we have?S Two.T Which one have we been talking about today?S Animals.T Not plant or flowers. For your assignment, want you to look at the life cycles of housefly and

locust since they fall under the same group of insects. I want you to look at the life cycles ofthese two insects and identify the differences. What do you call the cycle or the style ofdevelopment of the housefly and the style of development of the locust? We will look at thattomorrow.

S Madam does a housefly wink?T He is asking if the housefly can wink. (she explained this question using their language).S Yes but inside.T What kind of an eye does it have?S Compound eye.T A compound eye. By a compound eye we mean ... (not clear, then explained in Sesotho, with

reference to its reaction). So that is all for today.

THE END OF THE LESSON 13