During science classes, students should be given a chance to observe and describe phenomena under controlled conditions, search for explanations, and compare their explanations to those of their peers and of scientists. They should be given a chance to create hypotheses, make predictions, devise investigations, analyze results, and evaluate their positions. This unit builds upon understandings and abilities developed by students during elementary science, language arts, and social studies classes as well as from their extensive experience with energy in their daily lives.
This unit has been written to illustrate how the Dimensions of Scientific Literacy and the Common Essential Learnings can be emphasized in an activity-based science classroom. Most of the activites used come from the Suggested Activities section of the Curriculum Guide. A variety of instructional methods and evaluation strategies are encouraged. There are opportunities for adapting the topics and teaching to the needs and interests of the students. Incorporating Indian and Métis perspectives in the classroom and encouraging participation in a variety of roles by both females and males is illustrated and encouraged.
Many of the goals expressed in the previous paragraph can be achieved through appropriate use of cooperative learning groups. Group activities require individual commitment to the task and a sustained, quality commitment to the group. There must be concrete, legitimate evaluation of the group's performance at specified intervals by each individual member of the group. This stimulates individuals to maintain a commitment to the group, and provides information for the group about their progress in the task and about their progress as a functional group. Ideas on cooperative group learning can be found in Together We Learn by Judy Clarke.
Benefits of cooperative group learning include:
Books (See Bibliography for citations)
Newspapers (Saskatchewan dailies are listed)
Video (all available from Media House Productions)
Materials
Unit Schedule
| Lesson | Description |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks before start | ask students and parents for donations of complete newspapers, broken small appliances, burned-out light bulbs, flashlights |
| lesson 1 | activity 1 - 20 to 30 minutes during initial
class. 20 to 30 minutes to discuss
definitions during next class period. activity 2 - introduce the concept |
| lesson 2 | two 30 minute class periods |
| lesson 3 | one 30 to 45 minute period |
| lesson 4 | activity 1 - one 30 minute period, and
continuing through as time permits over the
next four periods activities 2 and 3 - two to three 30 minute periods |
| lesson 5 | activity 1 - 30 minutes for video, 10 to 45
minutes for disucssion activities 2 and 3 - three 30 minute periods |
lesson 6 | 5 to 10 minutes of brainstorming followed by 20 to 25 minutes of questions selecting and planning of research |
| lesson 7 | one 30 minute period (continue lesson 6 research and writing) |
| lesson 8 | activity 1 - 30 minutes activity 2 - from two to four 30 minute periods activity 3 - 15 minutes |
| lesson 9 | two to four 30 minute periods |
| lesson 10 | four 30 minute periods |
Each lesson has one or two ideas for assessment. Some of these are student self-assessment. Student self-assessment can be used both by the student as formative evaluation and by the teacher as information for formative and summative evaluation. Group self- evaluation instruments are mainly formative assessment information for the group's internal use. Information from checklists and anecdotal records completed by the teacher can be used to create written reports or included in the student's portfolio. Some of the lesson assessment items may be reused on a unit end examination. Lessons 4, 7, and 9 contain examples. A concept map or web dealing with energy might also be a useful item on a unit-end test. Terms could be supplied for students to map (web) or students may be asked to supply their own terms related to the central concept.
Alternatively you may wish to use or adapt the group self-evaluation checklist.
For the most part, grade six students will be able to produce and understand operational definitions better than conceptual definitions. Assign one of the forms of energy to each group in the class. It is not important whether there are two or more groups with the same term as long as each term is assigned to at least one group. Ask the group to write a definition for that form. They may research their term using texts or dictionaries, but the definition they produce must be understandable to them and to the rest of the students in the class.
When each group has finished its definition, they will present it to the rest of the class. Any other groups with the same definition will also present their definition of that term to the class. Through a class discussion, the class will modify, clarify, and enhance the definitions presented to create a class definition. The definitions can be either operational or conceptual but should be more than an example. When the class has reached consensus on a definition, record that definition on a small poster. Do not include the name of the form on the sheet with the definition. Post these definition posters on the walls of the room. These posters become sort of a matching exercise, to match each definition with its corresponding name on the large poster.
1.1 Identify various forms of energy.
3.2 Understand the social and cultural forces which
underlay technological developments.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect
culture and society.
During the next science class, discuss what they discovered about the references to energy. Then identify the references by section of the paper Ä news, display advertising, classified advertising, sports, entertainment, and so on. Which section has the most references? Rank order the sections of the paper by the number of references. In what other ways can you analyze the references?
As an ongoing project, look for advertisements that encourage people to use more energy. Also look for those that encourage energy conservation. What techniques do the ads use to try to get their message across?
Factors of scientific literacy
1.4 Examine conversions of energy between forms.
1.5 Assess the efficiencies of conversions of forms of
energy.
2.1 Investigate how these forms of energy are formed and
transmitted.
3.1 Examine their experience with technologies involving
light, sound and electricity.
4.1 Make careful observations during activities and
discuss observations with others.
4.2 Strengthen perceptual abilities through concrete
experiences.
Resources
This lesson can be a source of performance assessment items. One could involve a demonstration of how to apply electricity to a bulb to make it light. Another might involve tracing the path of electricity through a bulb or a model or diagram of a bulb.
An example of a test item based on this lesson is:
Look at the diagram of the bulb. Would the bulb would work if it was put together as shown in the diagram? Explain why.
Activities
Carefully remove the glass from an incandescent light bulb. Is the filament still completely or partially intact? If it is completely absent find out where it goes by inspecting a new clear glass bulb. Trace the path of electricity in the bulb. What are the uses of the structures that aren't part of the circuit in the bulb? How does a light bulb produce light? Draw a diagram of a light bulb.
Why is it dangerous to break a fluorescent tube? Are there other ways to produce light? How many ways of producing light can you discover? (Teacher's note: These questions may be assigned for homework. Ask students to bring back answers for next class. One question might be assigned to the students from each group. Make sure to emphasize that it is dangerous to break fluorescent tubes. Let them do the research to find out why.)
Factors of scientific literacy
1.4 Examine conversions of energy between forms.
2.2 Recognize how individuals use and depend on these forms of energy.
3.1 Examine personal experiences with technologies involving light, sound, and electricity.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect culture and society.
4.1 Make careful observations during activities and discuss observations with others.
4.2 Strengthen perceptual abilities through concrete experiences.
Materials
Ask the students to write a paragraph describing what they have learned or what they understand about a flashlight (or other appliance) as a result of having taken it apart. This paragraph could be done in class, outside of class time, or on a test. If done in class or outside of class time, some students may wish to include the paragraph as part of their portfolio.
Their diagrams and explanations of their concept of a clothes dryer may also be graded. If this is to be done, the students should be given the critieria for grading before they start the project. Some critieria might be:
Ask each group to draw a diagram of the path electricity would take through the flashlight, and then write a story pretending they are an electron in one of the dry cells, getting ready to embark on the voyage through the bulb and back to the cell.
Encourage students to work cooperatively in the prewriting stage, when they are generating and organizing ideas. During the drafting and postwriting stages encourage them to work both individually and in groups as appropriate, using a word processor program if possible. Investigate how you can make word processors available and useful to your students. For a further explanation of the stages of the writing process consult English Language Arts: A Curriculum Guide for the Elementary Level.
Repeat this activity with other small appliances, but not with old television sets. The coil in a television set may be charged with up to 25 000 volts.
What are some alternative ways of drying clothes? What are some advantages and disadvantages of each?
Factors of scientific literacy
1.2 Compare and contrast forms of energy.
1.3 Demonstrate how we recognize the presence of energy in a system.
1.4 Examine conversions of energy between forms.
2.1 Investigate how these forms of energy are formed and transmitted.
3.1 Examine personal experiences with technologies involving light, sound, and electricity.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect culture and society.
4.2 Strengthen perceptual abilities through concrete experiences.
Materials
Write a review of the video Sound Advice for grading and for possible inclusion in a portfolio. Criteria for grading should be available to students before they write their review.
Activities
How do the grooves, pin and cone each contribute to the production of sound? Why don't you have to move the pin (or the needle of a regular pick-up) from track to track on the record to play the whole record?
How do our vocal cords produce sound? When we whistle how is the sound produced? How does holding a blade of grass flat between the two thumbs cause a sound when one blows into the gap between the thumbs? Do birds have vocal cords to produce their sounds? When an object is going very quickly through the air, why does it make a whistling sound? What do all these ways of making sound have in common. What is a siren disk? What are other ways of making sound?
If you put a string on the balloon, will the vibrations cause the string to vibrate. What type of sound (rock, classical, jazz) or instrument (clarinet, tuba, piano) cause the most or best vibrations?
Lesson 6
Factors of scientific literacy
1.4 Examine conversions of energy between forms.
2.1 Investigate how these forms of energy are formed and transmitted.
2.2 Recognize how individuals use and depend on these forms of energy.
3.1 Examine their experience with technologies involving light, sound and electricity.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect culture and society.
Resources
Each student should complete the checklist on page 89 with respect to their activity within the group.
The group may also be assigned a grade based on their presentation. Criteria for marking might be:
The question list could be expanded to include questions about light and sound as well. This activity is intended to be done over the course of 1 to 2 weeks, as other lessons are progressing, as an ongoing research project.
Factors of scientific literacy
1.4 Examine conversions of energy between forms.
1.5 Assess the efficiencies of conversions of forms of energy.
2.2 Recognize how individuals use and depend on these forms of energy.
2.3 Prioritize energy use in our lives.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect culture and society.
Assessment
Since this is a whole class discussion, anecdotal records written immediately after class may be useful. The topic may serve as a source of questions for open response test items. An example of such an item is: "The class agreed that light bulbs give off heat that is often wasted. Suggest two things that can be done to reduce the waste heat produced by lighting."
Activities
Analyze the list of useful conversions. Are there trends which can be determined? Does one form of energy appear more often than others? Are there some conversions that are useful but not essential?
Repeat with the list of "not useful" conversions. If the conversions are not useful, what effect do they have on us and on the way we live our lives? Does not useful mean the same as not essential? Which of the conversions classified as not useful could be easily dispensed with?
Factors of scientific literacy
Objectives
2.1 Investigate how these forms of energy are formed and transmitted.
2.2 Recognize how individuals use and depend on these formsoof energy.
2.3 Prioritize energy use in our lives.
3.1 Examine personal experiences with technologies involving light, sound, and electricity.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect culture and society.
Assessment
Each lab group should complete the group self-assessment on page 88 with respect to their investigation about colour.
Activities
If each group has a different use, ask them to present their ideas orally to the whole class. An alternative way to present their ideas might be to create a story describing life that has adapted to no light or draw a mural depicting such adaptations.
Factors of scientific literacy
Objectives
2.1 Investigate how these forms of energy are formed and transmitted.
2.2 Recognize how individuals use and depend on these forms of energy.
3.1 Examine personal experiences with technologies involving light, sound, and electricity.
4.1 Make careful observations during activities and discuss observations with others.
4.2 Strengthen perceptual abilities through concrete experiences.
4.3 Understand how knowledge is created and evaluated in science.
Resources
Assessment
If students draw diagrams of devices that use mirrors, the diagrams can be analyzed to determine whether the devices would work as indicated. Peer evaluation could be used for these diagrams.
A station could be created with a light source, two mirrors and a target. The task would be to get the light to bounce off both mirrors and then hit the target.
Activities
Experiment with how plane mirrors reflect light. Can you state a rule that describes how light reflects from a plane mirror?
See if the same type of image formation is possible with a diverging mirror. (These are the mirrors that say on them: "Warning! Objects may be closer than they appear.")
1.2 Compare and contrast forms of energy.
2.2 Recognize how individuals use and depend on these forms of energy.
2.3 Prioritize energy use in our lives.
3.1 Examine personal experiences with technologies involving light, sound, and electricity.
3.2 Understand the social and cultural forces which underlay technological developments.
3.3 Appreciate how technological developments affect culture and society.
Assessment
The short stories produced can be included in individual student portfolios.
Activities
Individually, pick one of the forms and visualize a life without that form of energy? How would you adapt to survive? What other forms of energy or what changes in behaviour would help you accommodate the loss of use of the form you have chosen?
Write a short story that describes the ideas you have about how your life, and life in general, would change without that form of energy. Share your story with the other members of your group after you have completed the drafting process. Use their reactions and input during the postwriting process. If word processing programs are available for you to use at home or in school, use them for this assignment.