1994 School Magazine

Girls' Grammar ^chool a3tisbane 1994

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FORTE;'OnO CorTURE IN' JITNIOR. SCIENCE

he Junior Science Department is in a state of flux at In Vessels, the students are asked, in a letter issued by a the moment as it wholeheartedly embraces a curriculum government department, to submit a hull design for a fleet of

river-going vessels which are required to haul building materI- als from company premises at Fig Tree Pocket to the construc- tion site at Murarrie. Barges are the preferred mode of transport

development project which endeavours to design learning activities consistent with current psychological, philosophical, historical, and SOCiological conceptions of the growth of scien-

in an effort to avert the cost of repairs to bridges and roads which would be se- verely damaged by he ary traffic and loads over the ten year duration of the building project 2. Students should generate andbe exposed to a diversity of ideas. Students will be given the opportunity to design and test their own alu- minium foil hulls before discussing their results with other members of the class They will investigate the features of a vessel which will allow it to carry its maximum load without sinking 3. 0 p p o rtu nities should be created for srii- dents to learn and en- gage in processes of sci- entific explanation, agreement, and presen- tation. Throughout the unit students will be required to present their views to and their their peers teacher. The main purpose

Iific knowledge. The in- troduction of portfolio practices in Years 8 and 9 is a step towards this goal. A portfolio is a conec-

tion of artefacts produced by students and used by them to demonstrate their understanding of the con- cepts pertinent to the topic under investigation. it must be stressed, however, that a successful science portfolio is more than a method of assessment Instead, the practice of putting the portfolio to- gether encourages stu- dents to take more respon- sthility for their ownlearn- ing as they are compelled to monitor and evaluate their learning in order to provide the teacher with documentary evidence of their understanding. Stu- dents are also exposed to ^I, . discrepant views when- they discuss their ideas with their peers and with their teachers. The dis- course which ensues can be illuminating for teach- ers and students alike.

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of these conversations is to facilitate the progression from initial diversity of ideas to a view of the problem that represents a consensus by virtue of its scientific plausibility 4. Investigation should stem from students' reason- ing processes. 11 is acknowledged that alternative hypotheses accompany the diversity of ideas held by class members. Students are given the opportunity to test their ideas about what contributes to a vessel's load carrying capacity. Typically many of the array of student-held ideas on this topic can be anticipated, allowing for necessary preparation to occur 5. Students should be encouraged to present their ideas in public forums. Historically, the culture of science has tendered the results

in Year 8, the introductory Chemistry unit, which includes a study of the techniques used to separate substances, was converted to a portfolio-based unit in which students had to address the problems caused by the uncontrolled disposal of household wastes. Students looked at the types of substances that pollute waste water in their own home environment and discovered how difficult it is physically to remove these pollutants. in Year 9, a portfolio activity has been included as an extension to the study of Force. This extension activity, called Vessels, is based on a model developed by public schools in Pinsburg in the United States. it will be used here to illustrate the theoretical framework on which portfolio practices are constructed I. The task should be anchored in a meaningful con- text.