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Part (i):
Skamp references Goodrem by stating, Primary students enjoy science when
it is student centred and there is a focus on investigation (Skamp, 1998). The
investigation process being carried out in the Early Stage One classroom at St
Josephs Alstonville is on a sustainable project. The use of the PREP, (Play,
Research, Exploration and Practice) as explained by Phethean (2008),
prepared the students to investigate, design and build a sustainable project. It
is beneficial in the classroom environment to carry out the investigation
process as the assistance the children need is readily available to them as
well as possible resources they may require. The students in our group
aspired to design a sustainable chicken farm based on one students drawing
of a chicken farm in the initial first lesson relating to sustainability. In order to
design and build a sustainable chicken farm, the students had to first explore
which materials would be best suited for building the farm and the many
components of the farm. This project is significant in the classroom because it
encourages the children to explore and question what they already know to
make it better for the environment.
In order for this design to become a success, the students have to first test
the materials to determine which materials are best suited. Helping the
children focus on a specific material and the importance of its properties will
assist them to transfer this knowledge to other situations in the future
(Saunderson, 2000). By listing different materials and labelling their pros and
cons, we made a list of materials that would possible be used in the fair test.
Through guidance, the children decided to test what materials would be best
suited for a water tank. Many ideas fluttered about including, cardboard,
plastic and tin. After a discussion about a fair test, we discussed variables and
which ones we would need to change and keep the same. The children said
the amount of water needed be remain the same and the materials needed to
change. After a fair test, involving the same amount of water, paper and the
materials, the children determined that the tin held the water the best and
didnt leak or spill. By having an input in the planning process, I was able to
guide the students through the fair test, which allowed some room for
exploration for the students, this was crucial because children need to

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facilitate their own learning as much as possible and by giving them the
opportunity to plan and carry out this fair test, they were able to have an input
into their on learning. By giving the children guidance, they were easily able to
understand the purpose of the test and perform the test the best way possible.
I believe I allowed the children to explore the test and investigation process,
however, I was able to help keep the children on track by asking questions
relating to the test that the children understood. According to Joyce et al,
2005, Experience tells us that children are not always able to discuss
controlling variables and they often forget the process involved when setting
up a fair test. I had to remind students of the process involved with the fair
test multiple times, however they were still engaged and interested in
revealing the outcome. And by understanding that the fair test is significant, it
kept the children interested in the test by only changing one factor at a time
while keeping all other conditions the same (Science Buddies, 2002). This
allows the students to make sound predictions and determine the outcome.
Refer to the appendix for the fair test report and planning.

It is crucial for a child to explore and have some control over their own
learning. The investigating process was enjoyable for the children and
although some predicted the correct outcome, others were surprised by the
results. At the end of the fair test, all students agreed the tin was best suited
for the water tank because the other materials simply did not hold the water
like they had predicted. I agree with Phethean (2008), when he states that
play helps a childs interest in science, it helps them to work with each other to
resolve issues and develop a childs creativity and use of their imagination.
Throughout the fair test, some children grasped the concepts more so than
others, and were able to detail reasons why certain materials were less likely
to work than others. For example, one students suggested that cardboard
wouldnt be a very good material because it would just soak up the water and
wouldnt hold it. Whereas another student believe that the cardboard box
would hold more water. Where she was correct, however in the end it ended
up soaking it up. By the end of the fair test, the children understood the

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properties of the materials and why certain materials would be better for
certain uses.
Linking the childrens investigation to the New South Wales Science Syllabus
(2014), there are two outcomes that would be addressed throughout the
investigation process. They are:

Explores

their

immediate

surroundings

by

questioning,

observing using their senses and communicating to share their observations

and ideas STe-4WS
-

Shows interest in and enthusiasm for science and technology,

responding to their curiosity, questions and perceived needs, wants and

opportunities STe-1VA. (BOS, 2014)
The children would achieve these outcomes firstly by exploring the materials
that are present in their lives everyday and questioning their usages and
purpose. Through the fair test, they were able to communicate their ideas and
what they observed to each other and record their findings, which in return
would allow the children to facilitate their own learning and link to the next
outcome of showing interest and enthusiasm. By providing a hands on
experience in the classroom, students are more likely to be engaged and
enthusiastic about science. According to Haury and Rillero (1994), Students
in a hands-on science program will remember the material better, feel a sense
of accomplishment when the task is completed, and be able to transfer that
experience easier to other learning situations.
Part (ii):
In my experience, I believe it is important for the children to understand all the
concepts and ideas that we expect to be delivered throughout the design
process. Weeks 3 8 were a great way to engage and educate the students
on the concepts that were going to be expected to be seen in the design.
Being able to answer questions the children has not only allowed me to be a
part of their learning experience, but also showed me just how much the
children were yet to learn. The hands on learning experience gave greater
understanding of the concepts for both myself, and the students. The
workshops also provided valuable information that the children could take
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home and change their home life and make it better for the environment
especially regarding waste, water and energy. I found the facilitation of this
project to be very rewarding and I believe our group was able to engage and
interest the students throughout the whole process, which enabled us to
design and produce a quality sustainable chicken farm.
The open investigation that the children carried out allowed them to control
their own learning experiences but asking questions about a problem and
investigating ways to answer them.

The problems require some kind of

investigation in order to generate information that will give answers (Hackling,

2005). The children Compiled a list of possible ways to improve the quality of
the chicken farm to make it sustainable. Firstly the children all agreed on the
possible idea of the investigation and design. All the children agreed that the
chicken farm would be beneficial to try and better, and not just for the
chickens, but the humans and the environment also. Then we moved on to
the possible ways we could improve the chicken farm, the children discussed
recycling, water and energy. Next we put a plan into place including what
resources we will need to build this chicken farm, the children named certain
materials we could use as well as ways to build the project and where to start.
After the planning, we started building the design and changed a few things
that we thought needed to be changed, included where the water tank was
placed. Then once the design had been established and made, we evaluated
the process of the design and how next time we could have made it better.
We also ticked boxes on how environmentally friendly it was and how happy
the chickens would be. It was significant to follow all these steps to ensure
that the design and investigation process was carried out correctly, allowing a
purposeful and sustainable project.
To make the chicken farm more sustainable the children should have made a
written plan and stuck to it. They should have used the computers they have
in the classroom as well as what they learnt in the workshops, and done some
research about sustainability and established a more efficient chicken farm.
Although the Chicken Farm was a great success, more measure should have
been taken by myself and the other group leaders to ensure the children
incorporated other aspects of sustainability. The children had the right ideas,

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but in the final product, didnt exactly put them on display. This was an area
where us as mentors could have had a little bit of input to encourage the idea
further.
Within saying that, I would take my experiences I encounter in the small group
and use them as a future-planning tool for a whole class task. The way my
group followed each stage in the process allowed for a engaging, insightful
and quality project. In the classroom environment with a whole class input, I
would ensure all stages of the process are examined correctly to minimise the
time spent off topic. The step-by-step process worked really well and requires
students to use an authentic process of design and production that is relevant
and is used beyond the classroom (DEC, 2011). I would use this task to
encourage students to learn and research and finally produce an object that
they may use at home or outside of the classroom. The way the workshops
were delivered were a vital part in the learning process of the students. The
students were able to reflect on their learning at the end of each workshops
and I think that is crucial for students that age. They were able to draw
pictures and write about their experiences in each workshop. I believe the
Young Scientist Diaries would be fantastic for a whole class approach as it
poses great possibilities for a learner to articulate his thinking and hence
construct meaning from the concepts and information that he faces. I would
be using these hands on experiences of teaching science as a whole class
approach.
The sustainable project would address the following Early Stage One
outcome:
Demonstrates a willingness to engage responsibly with local, national
and global issues relevant to their lives, and to shaping sustainable futures
ST1-2VA. (BOS, 2014)
It would address it by giving students the opportunity to engage in
environment issues that need to be addressed and encourage them to
investigate and design ways in order to fix those issues. For example, in the
project my group undertook, the students included sustainable energy use,
water conservation as well as recycling to help ensure the sustainable future

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of the environment. The project would encourage students and interest them
in the issues faced in the environment today and by giving them the chance to
facilitate their own learning, they would be more likely to participate and have
some sort of input. By having the previous workshops leading up to the
project design and investigation process, the students would have gathered
some valuable background information allowing them to apply it to the project.
By making the project and the learning experience leading up to it fun, the
children naturally displayed a willingness to engage in such issues. Overall
the project was a success and would have adequately met the above desired
outcome.

BOS. (2013). NSW Syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum. 2014, from

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http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/science/sciencek10/outcomes/outcomes-detail/outcomes-content/513/
Communities,

N.

D.

o.

E.

a.

(2014).

Technology

Process.

from

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/designproduce/tec
h_process.htm
Hackling, M. (2005). Working scientifically: Implementing and assessing open
investigation work in science. A resource book for teachers . Western
Australia: Department of Education and Training. Retrieved from http://
www.eddept.wa.edu.au/science/teach/workingscientificallyrevised.pdf
Haury, D., & Rillero, P. (1994). Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching.
from
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eri
c-2.htm
Hess,

K.

(2002).

Variables

for

Beginners.

from

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairprojects/project_experiment_fair_test.shtml
Joyce, C., Hipkins, R., & Macleod, C. (2005). Scientific Reasoning. We need
to get some dots! Primary Science Review, 89, 11-13.
Ong, R. Role of reflection in student learning: a study of its effectiveness in
complementing

problem-based

learning

environments.

from

http://www.myrp.sg/ced/research/papers/role_of_reflection_in_student_
learning.pdf
Phethean, K. (2008). When are you too old to play in science? Primary
Science 105, 12-15.
Saunderson, M. (2000). Whats in a bubble? Australian Science Teachers
Association. Science Activities. 3 (16), 20-26.
Skamp, K. (1998). Teaching Primary Science Constructively (3 ed.).
Melbourne: Cenage Learning.
Investigation Report.
Original Idea.

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Design Statement.

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Fair Test Plan.

Discussion and Conclusion

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Fair Test.

Results.

Final Product.

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