Learning to Learn

Learning to Learn Yr 7 Parent Evening 16th February, 2011

What is the program about? • A program for all Yr 7 students • Raising expectations • Embedding literacy and organisational skills • Lisa Muir

Why are we doing this? • Better learning outcomes for students • Setting the bar high at start of HS

Literacy and organisational skills need to be explicitly taught.

Parents can help at home.

What happens at school? 5 periods on the Learning to Learn Booklet Sharon Russell

Booklets – what is inside? 2. Comprehending Text 1. Getting Organised 3. Navigating Text Books Learning to Learn Year 7 Program 6. Study 4. Reading for Information 5. Writing

Booklets – what is inside? 1. Getting Organised: Understand school expectations:- timetable, books, using a diary, homework, study

Booklets – what is inside? 2.How to start comprehending a text. Jan Curran

Literacy • Unpacking a text – checklist

Unpacking a Text • Background knowledge (look at headings, sub headings, key words, diagrams) • Talk about vocab & key words • Box layout – breaking text into meaningful parts • Identify main point of paragraph • Identify visuals, determine function, link to text

Read the whole text first… Why? • Gain understanding of overall meaning • Understanding text layout (able to more successfully locate information in comprehension)

Vocab Intro & definition Read and box paragraphs, stating main idea Description of how played Detailed info on breathing/cultural significance Detailed look at visual – ‘making’ - box Usage- where, when & by whom Discuss visual and indicators pointing to related information 1. Selection of timber 2. Length & seal 3. Outside treatment of wood 4. Sealing holes 5. shape

GAIL BROWN QUESTION TYPES

Right There Question What is the didgeridoo made from? A. The didgeridoo is made from a tree branch hollowed out by termites. Think & Search Question What steps are followed in making a didgeridoo? A. In making a didgeridoo, the Aboriginal people would follow the following steps: select a branch hollowed out by termites, soak the branch in water and clear out the termite residue, cut the branch to length (1 – 3m), seal the mouthpiece with beeswax, strip the outside bark away and finally seal any holes with beeswax. On My Own Question Why are the shapes of didgeridoos so varied? ? A. Didgeridoos come in a variety of shapes because they are made from naturally occurring branches.

STRATEGY - STEPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT ANSWER

Q. What is the didgeridoo made from? Write answer in full sentence ensuring correct punctuation.

Booklets – what is inside? 3. Navigating a Text Book • Contents • Index • Page • Headings • Subheadings QUIZ

Booklets – what is inside? 4. Reading to find information More Quizzes

Reading Skimming: to quickly work out what the text is about • Look: headings, diagrams, pictures, words in bold • Read: first and last paragraphs • Find: main idea

Reading Scanning: to find specific information • Scan to find e.g. “word that mean”, “sentence that tells”, “name of”, “property of”, date, heading etc • Look for single words related to specific information

Reading Visual Literacy • Make connections between ideas in text and images • Locate information in pictures / text • Interpret illustrations, symbols, diagrams • Identify and interpret textual features

Booklets – what is inside? 5. Writing

Writing - Summarising • Pick out main ideas – topic sentence • Reduce to key words • Dot points, abbreviate & punctuate

Writing – Graphic Organisers

Writing - Note Making • High expectations – students create their own notes most of the time • Use the frameworks given

Writing - TXXXC • Forces students to write beyond a simple sentence. • Scaffold can be used by all staff in all classes. • Preparation for Persuasive Writing tasks - NAPLAN.

Writing - Word Banks and Spelling • Assists in discussion and in writing responses • Subject specific technical words • 3-4 syllable words • Look-Say-Cover-Write-Check

Writing - Text Types Back of Learning to Learn Booklet - Example of assessment tasks - Marking criteria - Scaffolds, word banks - Models of written responses

Yr 7 Scaffolds – Text Type booklet Information Report Procedure Explanation Description Persuasive Text Discussion Narrative

Booklets – what is inside? 6. Study

Helping students to see the links… Structured Topic Overview • De-mystify the topic (like introducing a text – tell them what it is all about) • Provide a graphic organiser – (shows the overall picture) • Tell them what to study • Tell them when to start studying

Structured Topic Overview • Graphic organisers – using them to organise their notes/ideas about a topic (great for overview/study purposes) • Scaffolding– providing students with a Structured Topic Overview (a summary of content and skills students will cover in the topic) at the beginning of the topic This will allow students to understand what they are doing, how it links together and what they will need to know at the end of the unit. • Provide a word bank - discuss vocab and use as spelling • Provides a study review (use ‘tick-a-box’)

Two formats – choose either or combine both STRUCTURED OVERVIEW USING INFORMATION SCAFFOLD MACRO GROUP MICRO GROUPS (NUMBER WILL VARY) WORD BANK

This structure is flexible – number of columns may vary depending on the amount of information and the number of categories you need to include STRUCTURED OVERVIEW USING INFORMATION SCAFFOLD CELLS All living things are made up of very small basic units called cells. Some living things are made up of only one cell, like bacterial (unicellular organisms). Others, like humans, are made up of billions of cells (multicellular organisms). Although the size, shape and contents of cells may vary, all cells are responsible for carrying out functions that keep organisms alive. MACRO GROUP Observing Cells Cells Cell Division Growth Growth is the process by which all organisms increase in size. As organisms grow they increase in mass and volume How does an organism grow? In multicellular organisms, the answer is that they produce more cells. This occurs through cell division. Fertilisation When a sperm cell and an ovum join, the cell divides millions of times to produce a new organism Persuasive Text: Cloning • Definition • a cell is a self contained unit of living matter • Cells are too small to be seen by the naked eye • Inside a cell is a carefully controlled environment where the chemistry of life takes place • There are many types of cells. In multicelluar organisms different cells do different jobs. • Functions • A cell takes in energy and uses it to build and reproduce • Each part of a cell has a different function • There are many different types of cells. In multicelluar organisms different cells do different jobs. • Types of cells in the human body • .Blood cell • .Muscle cell • .Tissue cell • .Sex cell etc • History-1665 to present day • Hooke, Leeuwenhoek, Dutrochet, Schwann, Brown, Virchov, Ruska • (make a timeline—Num) • Microscopes • To study cells you need a microscope. To see most cells more clearly special chemicals have to be used to stain them. To study multicellular organisms, very thin slices have to made so that light can pass through the cells. • Parts of the microscope • Ocular • Barrel • Objectives • Mirror • Coarse adjustment • Fine adjustment • Arm • Procedure Experiment: looking at cells under the microscope MICRO GROUPS (NUMBER WILL VARY) Animal Cells nucleus cytoplasm mitochondria cell membrane Functions Plant Cells nucleus cytoplasm Mitochondria Vacuole Chloroplast Cell wall cell membrane Functions Asexual Reproduction Sexual Reproduction Monocular microscopes (1 eye piece) Binocular microscopes (2 eye pieces) Advantages/disadvantages Electron Microscopes (much higher magnification without loss of detail) Advantages/disadvantages WORD BANK unicellular, multicellular, membrane, mitochondrion, vacuole, chloroplasts, nucleus, cellulose, organism, rigid, microscope, monocular, stain, magnification, ocular, objectives, adjustment, reproduction, sexual, asexual, division, muscle, tissue

Kick Start Questions 10 – 20 Questions posted on Moodle for review before each topic test • Build in success (if you study these questions you are guaranteed 10 – 20 marks) • Motivating • Builds success motivates builds success • Aiming to create a study pattern in our students which will hopefully take them into SC and HSC • Needs to start Term 1, Year 7!!!! • (Students are also encouraged to study for the rest of the test by referring to the checked boxes on the Structured Topic Overview and then looking at their appropriate notes) Belmont High School acknowledgement

SAMPLE STUDY GUIDE - 20 ‘Kick Start’ Questions Year 7 Science Study Guide Topic: Cells True or False: .Multicelluar organisms are made up of many cells. .Chloroplasts are found in animal cells. .The two lenses that determine the magnification of your microscope are the eyepiece lens and the objective lens. or .An organism composed of only one cell is called a unicellular organism. 5. The nucleus is the control centre of the cell. T F T F T F

How parents can help 2. Comprehending Text 1. Getting Organised 3. Navigating Text Books Parents 6. Study 4. Reading for Information 5. Writing

Questions?

Learning to Learn