UNIT 3: PLANNING AND PRACTICAL FOR SCIENCE ACTIVITY

UNIT 3 : PLANNING AND PRACTICAL FOR SCIENCE ACTIVITY

Concept mapping

Planning and
practical for science
activity

Planning a The using ICT in Process in Special needs for

methodology in practical class practical teaching laboratory
practical class

10 Objective

1.1 To know how to plan the practical activity.

1.2 To determined the teaching process during practical work.

2.0 INTRODUCTION

For most pupils the move from primary to secondary school sees the move from doing

science in the classroom to doing science in the laboratory. Science becomes marked off from

other curriculum areas and pupils are inducted into the strange and mysterious world of Bunsen

burners and conical flasks. To what extent does that move hinder or enhance effective science

teaching, there is an acute danger that this demarcation of the subject given by many seconday

science teachers that what they are now embarked on is real effectiveness science teaching

because you cannot really do science without a science laboratory. In reality, much effectiveness

science education is carried out in the primary sector and this evidenced by the enthusiansm the

pupils have for the subject when they arrive in secondary school. Within two years much of that

enthusiams has evaporated – could this be due to the presentation of science as being something

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set apart from the rest of the curriculum and a subsequent sense of alienation in pupils to the

rituals and practices of the scholl science laboratory? These are question we want you to

consider as you work through this chapter.

3.0 Planning and methodology in Practical science

There are no easy solutions for the improvement of science instruction. We are faced

with two significant realities the amount of knowledgeable to be learn is overwhelming for

students and teachers, and new knowledge his being constructed at a rate that is equally

overwhelming. Given these realities, what alternatively to the improvement of science education

remain viable? It has been argued elsewhere that our best hope may be in new efforts to help

students so they have a better chance to grasp the major ideas in science discipline and also to

help them learn how to knowledge is constructed, partly to facilitate their learning and partly to

help them understand the nature of science. The two strategies presented in this chapter are

examples of what Braid describes as metacognitive strategies that facilities students ability to

take control of their learning.

i. Concept mapping

One of major objectives of the new science curricula of the 1950s and 1960s was

to encourage the teaching af science in a manner that world depart from the all

common practice of memorizing what Schwab and Brandwein (1962). Concept

mapping is a powerful tool to identify both valid and invalid concepts and

propositions students hold prior to a segment of laboratory instruction. There is

owerwhelming evidence that most science instructions, including laboratory

work, does little to alter students misconceptions. The result is that they do the

experiments but they do not see the meaning of the events or records they have

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studied. Their misconception are not modified. We find that the use of concept

maps not only can alert teachers to misconceptions have provide descriptions of

techniques for teaching students how to do concept mapping.

3.1 The using of ICT

In science teaching ‘interfacing’ broadly means attaching an experiment to a

computer. The purpose of interfacing is to collect experimental data straight into the

computer memory. Apart from eliminating some errors while taking reading, a particular

advantage of this approach is that it permits continuous reading from experiments that

would otherwise be too rapid or too slow. For example, the discharge of capacitor can be

measured, or the fluctuation in temperature and oxygen in the pond can be monitor over a

week or more.

The sensors are normally set running by software which is capable of storing,

saving, and presenting the data collected. The variety of sensors is ever widening,

example; pH, movement, light, temperature, heart rate and a glimpse through a supplier’s

catalogue will probably whet your appetite, but there have a few snags. For most science

department budget the sensors and interface boxes are expensive. In your school or

college there may only a few sensors. They may have been brought over several years

and so may be from than one manufacturer, in which case they will not mix and match.

To ensure your ICT experience includes teaching with this equipment you may have to

use the equipment as a part of demonstration or else have the interfacing as part of a

circus of activities. The circus approach will require a particular teaching style that you

may wish to discuss with your mentor in school.

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The good news is that interfacing is rarely very demanding of the power of the

computer. Even an old computer will usually be perfectly suitable to connect to an

interface box to collect data. The problems may arise with a software. Interface boxes

require a software that you will have to learnt how to use it. It is quite possible to a data

to be collected and storing in computer running old dedicate software, but you may found

that you may have insufficient time to educate pupils in the use of software. Most

manufacturer continue rewrite and upgrading their software making their package more

intuitive, graphical and user friendly. But then you may find that the latest versions may

work under a recent operating system such as windows xp that won’t run an old machine.

But don’t despair, a fallback position is to use the old 386 with the interface box and its

sensors to capture the data, save that data to the file on the floppy disc, and reopen the

data under excel in other machine. The feasibility of this approach will depend on

facilities in school, and your experience is enthusiasm! You should learnt how to collect

and storing data and how to reopen it in excel. Once learned, the principle will apply to

other combination of hard – and software that you may encounter in future.

Many of the problems mentioned in the last few paragraph will diminish as pupils

get older and may become competent, autonomous users. At this stage, if not

earlier, you may wish to take advantage of another feature of many data loggers.

They can be used away from the computer. Several types can be taken out of lab,

for example to make reading as part of an ecological study of a pond. Security and

battery life permitting, the interface box can be left to gather data over a

protracted period. The box is then brought back to the lab or plugged into a laptop

and the data downloaded. In principles this is simple enough but you are strongly

advice to try it out several times before undertaking anything important such as

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examination coursework. An inadvertent touch on a button at the wrong time may

bring tears (for teachers and pupils!).

3.2 Process of teaching in pratical class

3.2.1 Planning

It is appropriate at times to employ simulations teaching technique that reduce

significantly the complexity of reality, enabling students to work with simplified models

of the system they are studying. Good teaching with simulations engages students in

discussing and examining the similarities and different between model and reality. It is

often helpful to have students examine the fidelity of the situmulation and discuss how

they might create a better simulation. The use of simulation and practical activity

provides special opportunity for student to examine investigative techniques. The

question of what is an appropriate sample size, for example is one that merits attention. In

conventional school labs, there is often too liltle time for sufficient number of trials or

sample or sizes still in order.

3.2.1 Presenting

Using a word processor is not just about improving the presentation. You can use

a word processor in the many ways you might have used pencil and paper or paper only

tasks. As a teacher you can create, sequencing activities, completion tasks, and error

correction task. In sequencing activities, pupils use the mouse to drag and drop the

sentences written by tou in the correct order. For completing task, it just need to complete

the short accounts with phrases missing. And for error correction task, what you need to

do is, you write the account with deliberate errors, pupils find and correct them.

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A whole range of text processing activities is a available to you, though of course

these are not science specific. Many pupils will wish to include diagrams of their science

apparatus in their reports. This is potentially a great waste of time. Until pupils have

reasonable graphics skills, and probably good and apopriatiate software, it will be hard

for them to create worth while diagrams. It is unlikely that science lessons are an

appropriate occasion on which to develop pupils graphical skills. You, the teacher, have a

variety of other strategies in this area including :

• Pupils leave a blank space in their report and draw, in pencil on the print out.

• You provide a ready drawn image on the computer for them to incorporate.

3.3 Special needs of teaching laboratories

3.3.1 Discipline

For the safety of everyone concern, a strict discipline must be maintained in the

laboratory by the lecturer or demonstrator in charge of the class. A strict compliance with

the standing laboratory regulations, as displayed in the laboratory, should be insisted

upon. The student must not be allowed to become scapegoat for the untidy habits of other

and every laboratory workers., whatever his position must be required to share the

responsibilities for the state of the laboratories.

3.3.2 Laboratory clothing

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All students and teachers should wear a laboratory coat. This is a proctective

measure and is especially important in the case of female persons, whose clothing is the

most dangerous in the laboratory. The other advantages of wearing laboratory clothing

are obvious if a coat which has had a good wear is inspected.

3.3.3 Bench cleanliness

During practical periods the benches should be kept clean and tidy and all

spillages of chemicals and stains should be immediately wiped up to protect both the

benches top and personal clothing. At the close of the class of the bench top sould be

cleaned down with a squeegee and finally with a swab, before the student leaves the

laboratory.

3.3.4 Waste containers

All students should be trained to use the waste containers which should be

provided and wide-mouth bottles or other suitable waste containers should be provided in

chemistry laboratory for tarry residues. This prevents the permanent containers and also

prevents sinks from being abused.

3.3.5 Reporting of damage

Accidents which may happen, involving damage to instruments, may not be

serious if the damage is reported immediately. No attempt should be made by the student

himself to effect repairs to an instrument, for even though he may act with the best of

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intentions an instrument, for even though he may act with irreplaceable damage may be

done. This rule is particularly important as applied to balance mechanism and to

microscope lens systems. Similarly the temperature setting on ovens, furnaces, or

incubators must never be altered without permission. No student should handle any

precision instrument unless he has received instruction in its use.

3.4 Conclusion

The planning and practical for science activity arise from the fact that they are heavily

populated by persons undergoing training. Because the students have reached different levels in

the instruction, no two teaching laboratories, even though they may be used for teaching the

same subject, are exactly alike in design or equipment. For these reasons they differ considerably

from non-teaching laboratories. Certain basic needs are, however, common to all teaching

laboratories.

Question

1. Why must have plan during teaching practical science?

A. To guide teacher do the right things

B. To help teachers prepare the practical class

C. To enhance student with the ability in science lab

D. To help student to have a better chance to grasp in major idea

1. Two strategies present in this chapter are

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I- Concept mapping III- Science curriculum

II- Metacognitive IV- Laboratory instruction

A. I & II C. III & IV

B. I & IV D. I & IV

1. The using of ICT in practical science is;

A. To make the learning become more attractive and convenience

B. To help teacher present the diagram or video that related in the topic

C. To collect the experimental data straight into computer memory

D. To complete the lesson

1. The example of sensors are;

I- Ph III- Science curriculum

II- Movement IV- Laboratory instruction

A. I & II C. III & IV

B. I & IV D. I & IV

1. The advantage of using ICT?

A. To make teacher easier to explain about science situation

B. To help teacher enhance their teaching skills

C. To make student feel curios while study science

D. To complete the need of teaching

1. Process of teaching practical in planning is best teaching, why is so?

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A. Engage student in discuss and examining between model and reality

B. To let student investigate about biology in their life

C. To make sure that student are ready for their lesson

D. To plan wisely so student can enjoy during their practical class

1. What activity teacher can do during presentation?

I- Sequencing activities III- Error correction task

II- Completion task IV- Question and answer

A. I, II and III C. I, II and IV

B. I, III and IV D. All above

References

Amritage, Philip and Fasemore, Johnson. (1977). Laboratory Safety: A Science Teacher’s

Source Book, Heinamann Education Books, London.

Chisman, Dennis (1987) Preliminary Issues, Practical Secondary Education: Planning for

Cost- Effectiveness in less Developed Countries, Commonwealth Secreteriat, London.

Fahkru’l-Razi Ahmadun, Chuah Teong Guan and Mohd Halim Shah. 2005. Safety:

Principles & Practices in the Laboratory, Penerbit Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang.

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Hegarty-Hazel, Elizabeth (1990), The Student Laboratory and the Science Curriculum: An

Overview, The Student Laboratory and the Science Curriculum, pt.1, pg.3.

McGrath, Dennis M. (1978), Some General Considerations, Laboratory Management and

Techniques For School and Colleges, Anthonian, Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh-Singapore.

Woolnough, Brian E. (1991). Setting the scene, Practical Science, pt.1, pg.6. Woolnough,

Brian E. (1991). Setting the scene, Practical Science, pt.1, pg. 13.

Woolnough, Brian E. (1991). Setting the scene, Practical Science, pt.1, pg. 14.

K. Guy. Laboratory organization and administration. London Butterworths

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