Science


 * =====__**Background**__=====

=
Kirwee Model School's (KMS) senior management team requested the help and guidance from Dr Chris Astall to help them shine a spotlight on Science at KMS. The managment team's overall aim was to review and investigate:=====
 * =====ways Science was being taught in the school=====
 * =====data collection from teachers, students and parents around expectations=====
 * =====professional capability and confidence in teaching Science=====

//P﻿lease complete your reflections in the discussion page.//
|| media type="youtube" key="eLIV7ZWYrcE?hl=en" height="244" width="253" || __﻿﻿﻿﻿media type="youtube" key="E13ttsbOI_4" height="262" width="317"__ __Link of Interest__ - **[|Last Word]**(last-word.com) Created by New Scientist, a place where you can ask questions about everyday science ... and hopefully get an answer.


 * Example of the proposed rotation for Term 2, 2011 Science @KMS**

Weeks 1-5 || **__Rotation 2__** Weeks 6-10 || Fitness || Enterprise Fitness ||
 * || **__Rotation 1__**
 * 9-10.30am || Enterprise
 * 11-12pm || Year 1 || Year 4 ||
 * 12.30pm-1.30pm || Year 2 || Year 5 ||
 * 2-3pm || Year 3 || Year 6 ||

__**Week 11 - Goal Setting and Planning Check**__ CA discussed and collected our goals while scanning over our planning so far. We quickly ran out of time and voiced the idea of coming back in the holidays to have a run through of Ruby Sings The Blues. The date was set for Friday May 29th, starting with a cooked breakfast at school from 9.30am. CA will also be available on that day for further planning checks and questions. We made a timetable of Term 2 for CA and how we would like to use his expertise.
 * Term 1**

__**Week 10 - Goal Setting and Nature of Science Matrices**__ Jobs for next weeks staff meeting: complete individual goals for Chris to collect, timetable Chris for support on Wednesdays in Term 2 - who would like him, when, how often, in what capacity? etc.

SW-B shared a youtube clip of making things fun to change behaviour.

CA shared examples of Goal Setting targets from a previous school.

It quickly arose that we all felt that we needed a shared understanding re: nature of science progressions for next term - for both planning and assessment purposes.

We spent the remainder of the time brainstorming progressions for the four main nature of science skills that we are focussing on next term. This was a valuable time where everyone got to have an input and gain some shared understanding of what exactly is meant by these NOS skills and what we would like the children to learn and/or how they could progress. We used the same format as our learner's qualities rubrics, these will be available for all to use.

Readings: NZ Science Teacher 2011 //Week 7 Reflections/Comment/Feedback//
 * __Week 7 - Nature of Science__**

//Additional notes from staff meeting// Please bring to next week's planning staff meeting (23/3/11): · BSC books · Picture books that could be a motivation for science teaching - Other resources and websites

Ideas for planning so far: · 5 lesson unit that focuses on “Nature Of Science” learning outcomes – context up to teachers, maybe linking to Sustainability, Science postcards, BSC book, picture book. · This unit could be repeated for both Senior and Junior level or adjusted to suit.

__Week 1 - Introduction & Surveys__
 * All teachers and Principal meet with Dr. Chris Astall (Senior Lecturer University of Canterbury) on Monday 31 Jan. 2011.
 * Chris introduced himself to the group and discussed what his role would be in this year's Science PD.
 * The teacher's completed a survey

__Week 2 - The Nature of Science__ First Science PD session. Each teacher has been asked to comment or reflect on the PD so far as well as the two readings given out.
 * Chris lead the staff through different experiments engaging and extending them to think about the "Nature of Science".
 * the staff looked at four different activities to stimulate and engage their thinking
 * the MM
 * the magic black container
 * the cardboard tube
 * the dancing raisins
 * Chris introduced the "Teaching the Nature of Science" - each time each person's understanding andcreativity evolved he brought us back to Key Concepts (7 listed in the reading)
 * At the conclusion of the session Chris explained that he'd used the 5E model throughout the session. He shared
 * Two reading were given out

The science postcards Chris was talking about. Science Postcards