FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

HBSC 1103 : INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE EDUCATION

SEMESTER JANUARY 2010
COURSE ASSIGNMENT (30%)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.

The assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the accuracy of the answers given
and the credibility of the supporting arguments, data and references.

2.

Type your assignment using Times New Roman, font size 12 with 1.5 line spacing
on A4 size paper.

3.

Your assignment must be submitted to your tutor before or by the 4th tutorial.

4.

Your assignment should be limited to 10 12 pages.

5.

This assignment is worth 30 % of your final course grade.

6.

Plagiarism in any form is prohibited. Plagiarized materials will not be accepted and no
marks will be awarded for the work.

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

Classroom activities are as varied as the teaching and learning requirements of the class.
Among the many kinds of classroom activities are;

1. Activities that encourage attitudes and stimulate curiosity: these activities are
driven by input that are designed to peak the students interest, capture their attention
and imagination and / or make them wonder. The activities do not need to be
complex or extraordinary, even the most ordinary things, like a leaf falling can be the
focus of an activity if it is presented in such a way as to show the student that there is
science involved in the phenomenon and that the phenomenon leads to much bigger
things.

2. Activities that provide opportunities for skill development: these activities, often
following (1), are designed to allow students to manipulate things and their
surroundings while investigating and exploring the phenomenon that is the focus of
the class.

3. Activities that allow students to work cooperatively and combine ideas: These
activities are where the students pool their ideas and efforts in exploring the focus
phenomenon. They plan, perform and observe the results of experiments together and
then come up with reports that they write together.

4. Activities that provide opportunities for scientific concept development: This is

where the teacher plays an important role. He or she can provide the scientific input
or direct the students to the appropriate scientific input, then help link the information
to the observations the students made.

5. Activities that relate the phenomenon observed to life and everyday experience:
this can be a cooperative effort involving the whole class or it can be done in small
groups. The point is to allow the students to see that the phenomenon they learn is not
an isolated thing. It is part of their lives and it is important.
(Based on Harlen, W. 2000:68 70)

Based on you experience as a teacher, material from the module and course, and other
readings, design a series of activities (encompassing all the types of activities described
above) that you may use in one or more classes to teach the topic given below.

You are designing activities for a class / classes that teach,

Scientific skills, values and attitudes. (Topic 4 and 5 from the module).

You are free to choose any specific skill from the list given in the module.

(Mark allocation: 6 marks per activity. 5 x 6 = 30 marks)

[Total: 30 Marks]

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1.

To complete this assignment you need to design FIVE activities: one of each type of
activity described in the explanation given above.

2.

Your description of the activity must include the following headings:

(a)

Type of activity.

(b)

Purpose of activity.

(c)

Activity logistics (things you will need to ensure that these activities run well)

(d)

Observation guidelines (how the teacher can know if the specific activity he or
she is running is fulfilling its purpose).

(e)

Other headings that you think may provide useful ideas to help the teacher use
the activity you are describing.

3.

The use of teaching aids is highly recommended but you need not include the teaching
aids themselves in your report, particularly if they are large and cumbersome. You
only need to describe them. Use pictures and illustrations is recommended.

INSTRUCTIONS TO TUTORS AND MARKING SCHEME

1.

Please refer to the students guideline for a description of what the students need to do
to fulfill this assignment.

2.

The students will be handing to you a report that contains five activities. These
activities need to abide by the following requirements to be given marks:

(a)

Each activity description has the appropriate headings 2 marks per activity
description.

(b)

Clear description of the activity to be run and monitored (see Students guide
2d). 3 marks per activity description.

(c)

Clear description of teaching aids and how to use them in the activity 1
marks per activity description.