Outline

Overview

This is the second of four units in the B. Ed. (Primary) program that prepare students to teach the Science and Technology K-6 curriculum area. This unit of study provides students with a background in science and children's understanding of science in the areas of the natural world (Living Things, materials, force, energy, and Earth and space), the built environment (engineering principles and systems, food and fibre production and material technologies) and digital technologies (digital systems and how digital technologies represent data). A constructivist approach is used to understand the way children (and adults) develop science understanding including alternative conceptions. This will involve students reflecting on and enhancing their personal scientific understanding. Educational research into children's development of science understanding and dispositions towards Science and Technology practices will continue to be explored. Progressing to stage 1 of school, this unit examines pedagogy and learning experiences appropriate for year 1 and year 2 children's learning of Science and Technology. Students will participate in hands-on practical tasks and discuss the development of conceptual understanding and skills including scientific inquiry (processes of working scientifically), design and production processes (development of solutions) and design and productions (of digital solutions). Catering to the learning of all students will be addressed through consideration of adjustments to teaching and assessment strategies in the area of science and technology.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	EDUP2015
Academic unit	Education
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	EDUP2008
Prerequisites ?	EDUP1005 or EDUP1004
Corequisites ?	EDUP2005 or EDUP2009 or EDUP2010
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Christine Preston, christine.preston@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	John Johnstone, john.johnstone@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Reading summaries Written task	30%	Multiple weeks	1350 words
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quizzes Short answer and MCQ	40%	Multiple weeks	1800 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Questioning sequence Written task	30%	Week 03 Due date: 11 Sep 2020 at 05:00	1350 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Reading summaries: Submit 6 reading summaries to make connections between concepts and issues introduced in lectures and tutorials with relevant pedagogical considerations. Students will be selected at random to lead a discussion on the readings each week.
Quizzes: Three online quizzes will assess your science knowledge and understanding of effective strategies for guiding children’s skills in scientific inquiry problem solving, digital technologies.
Questioning sequence: In pairs develop a question sequence to assess and guide students to construct an explanation of a scientific demonstration. Use research on how students’ learn science and effective teaching strategies to inform the sequence.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and assessment. How can you stimulate student inquiry?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Gaining student interest using DE and POE. Asking questions and explaining concepts.	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 02	Earth/space 1: How can children recognise observable changes occurring in the sky and on the land?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Explore changes in sun position (day), appearance of moon and stars (night) and moon shape	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 03	Earth/space 2: What earth’s resources do we use and need to conserve?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Identify and use of water, soil and other resources. Use and care of Earth’s resources ATSIC.	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 04	Physics 1: What are different energy forms? How can we detect and use them?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Identify common energy forms. Exploring characteristics of sound energy.	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 05	How do you teach digital technologies in stage 1?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Digital solutions: digital systems, instructions to control devices	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Physics 2: How are forces used for a purpose? Toys and science as a human endeavour	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Design - can you complete the challenge?	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 07	What types of inquiry are used at primary level?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Inquiry based learning. What is a fair test? Claims-Evidence-Reasoning framework (CER).	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 08	Biology 1: What are the external features of living things? Why do things live where they do?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	What do you know about animals? Exploring insects. What lives in leaf litter and pond water habitats?	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 09	Biology 2: How do living things change as they grow? How do humans use plants and animals?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	What do you know about plants? Growth and change in living things. Humans use of plants and animals for food and fibre.	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 10	Chemistry 1: What changes occur when materials are bent, twisted, stretched? Ho can materials be combined?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Explore: ways materials can be physically changed; Mixing materials.	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 11	Chemistry 2. How do material properties effect their uses?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Exploring the properties of materials. Select and use materials based on their properties.	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 12	What does a STEM approach look like in stage 1?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Learning through STEM and PBL.	Science laboratory (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: The Sydney School of Education and Social Work requires attendance of at least 90 percent of all seminars, workshops or lectures. Where a student is unable to attend at the required rate evidence of illness or misadventure may be required and the student may be required to undertake extra work. Students should discuss the circumstances of their absence(s) with the co-ordinator of the unit of study. Further details are provided in the School canvas site: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/13426

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Required texts.

Skamp, K. & Preston, C. (2018). Teaching Primary Science Constructively. 6th Ed. South Melbourne. Cengage.
NESA. (2017). NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus. NSW Education Standards Authority. https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/science/science-and-technology-k-6-new-syllabus

All other readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate awareness of the contribution of scientific and technological developments to people's daily lives and to the overall personal and social development of young children
LO2. devise appropriate learning experiences for stage 1 primary children to guide their development of skills in science, scientific inquiry (process of working scientifically) and technologies, design and production processes (development of solutions) and design and production (of digital solutions)
LO3. evaluate teaching resources including ICT to effectively engage and support stage 1 students' learning in science and technology
LO4. read and interpret syllabus and curriculum documents to identify required learning outcomes for stage 1 students
LO5. consider strategies to cater to the learning of all students through adjustments to teaching and assessment strategies in the area of science and technology
LO6. reflect critically on research findings and identify implications for teaching and learning practice in both science and technologies
LO7. recall and explain relevant knowledge and understanding in science and technologies
LO8. communicate effectively by demonstrating written and oral communication skills to a professional standard.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 1.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 1.2.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. 2.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. 2.2.1. (Graduate) Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. 2.3.1. (Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. 3.1.1. (Graduate) Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. 3.2.1. (Graduate) Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. 3.3.1. (Graduate) Include a range of teaching strategies. 3.4.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. 3.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. 4.1.1. (Graduate) Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. 5.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 4.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. 6.2.1. (Graduate) Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers. 6.4.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 2.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. 2.2.1. (Graduate) Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. 2.3.1. (Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 3.1.1. (Graduate) Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. 3.2.1. (Graduate) Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. 3.3.1. (Graduate) Include a range of teaching strategies. 3.4.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. 3.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. 4.1.1. (Graduate) Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. 4.2.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 2.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. 2.2.1. (Graduate) Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. 2.3.1. (Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 3.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
	Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) - 1.1.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning. 1.2.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. 3.5.1. (Graduate) Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level – UG and MTeach) -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.2.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
1.3.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.
2.1.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
2.2.1		(Graduate) Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
2.3.1		(Graduate) Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
2.4.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
2.5.1		(Graduate) Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
2.6.1		(Graduate) Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
3.1.1		(Graduate) Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
3.2.1		(Graduate) Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
3.3.1		(Graduate) Include a range of teaching strategies.
3.4.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
3.5.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
4.1.1		(Graduate) Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
4.4.1		(Graduate) Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
4.5.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
5.1.1		(Graduate) Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Overall previous students were very satisfied with this unit. A discussion of weekly readings has been added to workshops.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

EDUP2015: Primary Science and Technology 2

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect