Literacy in science

1. Literacy in science Strasbourg September 28, 2012 Sonja M. Mork Norwegian Centre for Science Education

2. My background • Part of the Norwegian Framework for Basic Skills (FBS) group • Leading the science curriculum group in revising the curriculum • Research and development on literacy in science Focus today • Experiences from using the FBS in revising the curriculum • Examples from the Norwegian Centre for Science Education

3. Mission impossible? Clarify literacy/basic skills, but • Not increase the workload • Keep teachers freedom to choose methods • Clarify all five skills • Use the right levels of the FBS grid

4. FBS and revision of curriculum • Increases awareness and establishes a common understanding of basic skills • Provides a vocabulary for communicating about basic skills • Vital for subject curriculum groups to have the freedom to use the basic skill grids on each subjects premises Example All subject curriculum groups should use the term oral texts Completely unfamiliar term in science Accepted to not use this term in science

6. The Budding Science and Literacy Project naturfagsenteret.no/buddingscience • Inspired by Seeds/Roots at Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley • Focus on inquiry-based science and literacy in primary schools • Activities: Do it; read it; write it; say it Talk it: Which glue is the best? Write it: Students write down the receipe Do it: Students make their own glue Read it: Wondering on what things are made of and why

7. Writing logs in grade 3 We are going to write a log on what we did yesterday and today. You are going to write in your own words. The sentences on the board is only for assistance After 5 min: A log is that you write about the work we did After 8 min: A log is to write about what we have done. A kind of report • After 20 min: Uses 2 min to clarify: • Don’t write all you read about in the book yesterday • Should write more about what you did when you did research • Must write about the experiment, what you did. That is the part that is exciting to read about afterwards • You can use concepts from the concept wall After 32 min: The text should be written in such a way that someone who has not been here can understand what we have done when he reads the text

8. Working drawings in grade 4 Grade 4 has been exploring the concept of system and they have been introduced to the genre working drawing. The teacher is giving them a new task: You are going to make a system for sorting balls in the gymnasium You must make a working drawing and name the different parts. Just like we did with the cherry pitter

9. Working drawing What a system! Before I used to saything, butnow I cansaysystem Student grade 4

10. Hunting letters and numbers in nature • Arranged by the Norwegian Centre for Science Education • All age groups • Combining outdoor and indoor • Explicit task: • Find letters and numbers in nature • Make a ppt presentation or a poster • Write a description of what you have found

11. Observe Look! I’m a J! …and now I’m a C

12. Write a description t is made of stone and water

13. Details or big picture? Water on a birds feather makes an O Birds in the air make an F

14. Scientific curiosity Who made this S on the leaf? How did it happen?

15. Present

16. Make presentation Engagement Creativity Learn letters Write Observe Talk Ask questions Take pictures Reflect Outdoor + indoor