Lesson 9: Strategy 1 - The Power o f Observation

Via ice sure to match the learning activities w ith learning outcomes. Examine the table below.

Target Competencies

Describe sources of light, sound, heat, and electricity

; Practice safety and precautionary measures in dealing with different types of weather

Learning Activities/Experiences

• Interactive discussion on sources of light, sound, heat, and electricity • Describing the sources of light, sound, heat, and electricity indicated by the picture prompts • Viewing dips/lecture on safety and precautionary measures when dealing w ith different types of weather • Simulating different weather conditions and the rig h t response or reaction to each weather condition in the classroom

• Participating in institutional/departm ental earthquake drills

Step 7. Design learning materials.

The teachers should keep the fo llow ing guidelines when designing learning materials for elementary science.

• The materials should be aligned w ith the content and performance standards in the curriculu m guide.

• The materials should contain activities that allow different forms of interaction among the students and between the teachers and the students.

• The activities should be varied and may em ploy a combination of the fo llo w in g : inquiry-oriented investigations, cooperative groups, use of technology, and simulations. • The activities indicated in the materials should provide adequate tim e and opportunities for the students to acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes

• Opportunities must be provided for the students to develop an understanding o f scientific inquiry. • The content should be accurate and developm entally appropriate for the learners. • Opportunities to learn should be consistent w ith contemporary models of learning. • There should be consistency between learning goals and assessment. • Assessments should stress the application of concepts to new or different situations. • Assessment tasks should be fa ir for all the students. Scoring guide or rubric should be included as well.

Activity D. 1.

On yourow n, chose one competency to unpack. Identify assessment strategies, learning experiences, and materials aligned w ith it. Complete the table below w ith your answers.

Content Standard:

Performance Standard:

Competency Topic/Content Assessment

Experiences Materials

III. Lesson Synthesis

What are the benefits of unpacking strategies in the curriculum guide?

How do you feel about our week-long plan? Is it feasible? Can you im p le m e n t your plan?

U N I T III: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE

Introduction

This u n it discusses various teaching strategies that can be adapted in the classroom forteach ing physics and earth science.

The Basic Elements of Inquiry Methods

All in quiry methods are predicated on specific assumptions about both learning and learners. Inquiry teaching requires a high degree of interaction among the learner, the teacher, the materials, the content, and the environm ent. The most challenging part is that it allows both the learner and the teacher to become persistent seekers, interrogators, questioners, and ponderers.The end result is whenever the learner poses the question every Nobel Prize w inner has asked: "I wonder what would happen i f ... ?" It is through inquiry that new knowledge is discovered. It is by becoming involved in the process that the learners become historians, economists, scientists, engineers, poets, businessperson, artists, writers, researchers-even only for an hour or two in class.

Basic Tenets of Inquiry Teaching (Orlich e t a l., 2 0 0 7 )

• Inquiry methods require the learners to develop various processes associated with inquiry.

• The teachers and the principals must support the concept o f in quiry teaching and learn how to adapt th e ir own teaching and adm inistrative styles to the concept.

• The students at all ages and levels have a genuine interest in discovering som ething new or in providing solutions or alternatives to unsolved questions or problems.

• The solutions,alternatives, or responses provided bythe learnersare n o tfound in textbooks.The students use reference materials and textbooks during in quiry lessons ju st as scientists and professionals use books, articles, and references to conduct th e ir work.

• The objective of in quiry teaching is often a process. In many instances, the end product of an inquiry activity is relatively unim p ortan t compared to the processes used to create it.

• All conclusions must be considered relative or tentative, not final. The students must learn to modify their conclusions as new data are discovered.

• The learners are responsible for planning, conducting, and evaluating th e ir own effort. It is essential that the teacher plays only a supportive role, not an active one (that is, the teacher should not do the work fo r the students).

• The students have to be taught the processes associated with in quiry learning in a systematic manner. Every tim e a "teachable m om ent" arrives, the teacher should capitalize on it to fu rther the b u ild in g of in quiry processes.

• Inquiry learning complicates and expands the teacher's work, owing to the many interactions that may emanate from in quiry teaching and learning.

Basic Inquiry Processes

Listed below are the basic inquiry processes in order of complexity (Orlich et al., 2 0 0 7 ).

1. Observing

2. Classifying

3. Inferring

4. Using numbers

5. Measuring

6. Using space-time relationships

7. Communicating

8. Predicting

9. Making operational definitions

10. Formulating hypotheses

11. Interpreting data

12. Controlling variables

13. Experimenting

Each in quiry process requires progressive intellectual development, and that as this development takes place for one process, it spurs development on other processes. Development of observing, classifying, and measuring skills, for example, speeds development of inferring skills.

These processes are found in every learning episode that involves inquiry. Inquiry is not sim ply asking questions; it is a process for conducting a thorough investigation, and as such, it applies to all domains of knowledge.

Each in quiry process must be carefully developed and systematically practiced. So you must decide how much of each lesson w ill be devoted to b u ild in g cognitive skills and how much to mastering processes.

I. What is Observation?

"People's minds are changed through observation and not through argument."

-W ill Rogers

"Reason, Observation, and Experience; the Holy Trinity of Science."

-Robert Green Ingersoll

Of all the in q u iry processes, observation may be the most im p o rta n t to scientists and other experts. W ith o u t observation, very few questions would be asked. Observation is the core, foundation, principle, and rationale for the existence of science. Moreover, it is driven by curiosity and the need to find patterns and answers to questions. Inquiry depends upon observations to provide data for processes such as predicting, hypothesizing, and in ferring. Unexplained events and occurrences are constructed through in quiry processes. The unexplained becomes reality by creating conclusions, theories, principles, and laws. W ith o u t special attention to observations, there w ould be little advancement in science.

For some people, observing could be described using the s o n g " ForYour Eyes Only." But observation is much more than the use of eyes to see. It involves the use of all senses: seeing, tasting, hearing, touching, and sm elling. The sense of sight is often predom inant so that we become aware of the natural world, but a better understanding of ourselves and our surroundings is possible as a result of the interaction of our different senses.

Technically, observation is defined as an act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence often involving measurement w ith instruments (Merriam-Webster). It involves not only one skill but actually two or more skills.

Basic science concepts such as classification, ordering, and seriation are learned through sight and touch but-in some cases can be learned with the use of other senses as well. Science ideas such as energy, black holes, and ecology are based more on mental abstraction than observable data. These ideas are made concrete through symbols, models, diagrams, and formulas.

Basic knowledge is learned through sense observations. Observing is not unique to scientists; every human being uses observations, consciously or unconsciously, on a daily basis to make decisions. Bronowski (1981) says:

Science is not only rational; it is also empirical. Science is experiment, that is orderly and reasoned activity. It does not watch the world, it tackles it. (p.104)

People other than scientists are less likely to understand the significance of observations for decision-making. Scientists are actively and consciously engaged in using observations through formal methodology.

B. T e a c h in g and L e a rn in g T h r o u g h O b se rv a tio n

Consciously using observation is ju st as im portant to teachers as it is to scientists and other professionals. Observing helps construct reality and make sense of the classroom environment. Watching children and listening to them while they are engaged in science activities provide a wealth of data about what they are learning. Instructional strategies, curriculum content, and assessment techniques can be revised or deleted according to the set of facts collected during observations of children (Foster, 1999). Gathering data from actual teaching experiences is much more effective than exclusively trusting curriculum guides to inform the teachers about the best practices. Curriculum guides typically express general viewpoints of teaching, which may have little relevance to individual classroom situations.

Learning to observe is a significant inquiry process for children to consciously use w hile they are engaged in science activities. Children of all ages are continuously collecting data about the world around them , but they may not be consciously aware of th e ir actions. By using th e ir senses, children consciously learn to construct reality by exploring objects in the real world around them, which also includes interactions w ith peers and adults. Teachers can help children learn to trust th e ir own observations, which w ill provide them with experiences in becoming good problem solvers and in dependentthinkers.

A . T h e D eve lo pm e n t of F a c ts From O b s e rv a tio n s

Why are observations im portant to scientists? Usually they attem pt to find answers to questions by looking for patterns in nature, numbers, or controlled experiments.These pa tte rn s. are detected in data collected through the use of senses, which we w ill call sense data (Foster, 1999). Patterns are interpretations made by the observer of the collected data.

B. T h e D eve lo pm e n t of C o n c e p ts From O b s e rv a tio n a l F a c ts

A new view of education is taking shape that reflects science as the understanding relationships between systems and their parts. The emphasis is on process rather than products, and through processes, relationships among facts (products) become apparent and m eaningful. The contemporary view of science is based on understanding patterns and relationships among organized ideas, which are called concepts.

C . In d ire c t O b s e rv a tio n s

Most of the tim e, we collect data through direct observations. In other science disciplines including biology, chemistry and physics, there are instances wherein we rely on indirect observation. Scientists cannot directly observe the intricate processes w ith in the human body, the motion and structure of molecules or galaxies, or the other layers of the earth. Microscopes, telescopes, computers, radar, and sonar are examples of technologies that help increase the a b ility to observe.The knowledge created through indirect observation is referred to as inferences (Foster, 1999). In other words, conclusions are deduced from indirect data. Knowledge bases in biology, chemistry, and physics began w ith direct observation, but the desire to know more has taken the knowledge to levels th a t must rely on technology for collecting data.

III. Sample Lesson Plan

Topic: Force and Motion

Grade Level: Grade 3

Learning Competencies:

The learners should be able to:

1. describe the position of a person or an object in relation to a reference point such as chair, door, another person;

2. identify things that can make objects move such as people, water, wind, magnets; and

3. describe the movements of objects such as fast/slow, forward/backward, stretching/ compressing.

Let the students observe two objects, one that is moving while the other is stationary. (Use materials available from the laboratory room.) Share th e ir observations in class.

EXPLORE

Show the students videos on force and motion (example: moving car, machines). Ask them to describe the movement of the objects whether slow/fast, forward/backward, stretching/compressing.

EXPLAIN

Force is anything that has the potential to change the state of rest or motion of an object. Forces change the speed or direction of the motion of an object. The greater the force applied on an object, the greater the change that w ill be observed in m otion. If an object is more massive, a given force w ill have lesser effect upon the motion of the object.

ELABORATE

Materials for each group: a ping pong ball, a golf ball, a piece of cm/in ruler, spherical objects of varying weights (such as tennis ball or basketball)

1. Provide each group a ping pong ball, ruler, and a g o lf ball.

2. Ask the students to predict and observe what happens when force is applied to an object, and compare the relative effects of a force of the same strength on objects of different we ight by snapping the ping pong ball gently w ith a fin g e r and measure the distance the ball covered with a ruler. Record the distance in centimeters on the force chart (see chart below).

3. Let the students move the ping pong ball as hard as possible w ith one finger. W ith a ruler, measure and record the distance the ball covered on the force chart.

4. Repeat the second and third steps using a g o lf ball. Use a different type of ball if g o lf ball is not available.

5. Have the students compare data w ith other groups and draw conclusions about force applied to objects and its effect on the direction of the object.

6. Give the students enough tim e to explore the effect of force applied to spherical objects of varying weights.

7. Convene the students and let them share in class what they have discovered.

Guide questions for the discussion.

a. What did you discover about the ping pong ball as a force in motion?

b. What did you discover about the g o lf ball as a force in motion?

d. Did the balls move farther when a greater or lesser force was applied to the balls?

e. How would the speed of the object and distance change if force had increased or decreased in strength?

f. What does w e ight have to do w ith force?

8. Guide the students in making a list of forces they see every day (examples: kicking a ball, shooting an arrow, strong winds blowing, flow ing water).

9. Help the students come up with the conclusion that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater the change in speed or direction it w ill produce on the object.

FORCES CHART

I I ■ : - I 1 1

Ball

I Ping Pong Ball

Golf Ball

EVALUATE

Instruct the students to write a paragraph considering this case: What would happen if a golf team decided to practice with a golf club and a ping bong ball instead of a golf club and a golf ball?

2. Let the students to discuss the relationship between force applied to an object and the speed or direction of the object.

Ith e r Direct Observation Activities (adapted from Foster, 1999).

• Observe an ice cube as it melts.

• Identify your own apple when it is placed in a bowl of other apples. Other fru it such as lemons, limes, and oranges can be used instead of apples.

• Give everyone a green leaf from the same kind of tree. Identify your leaf after it has been placed in a pile w ith everyone else's leaves.

A lthough primary children may focus on a few attributes, older children can work w ith a variety of attributes. For example, primary children may focus only on the shape of the leaf w hile upper- grade children can focus on its shape, edges, and veins. Measurements that are either nonstandard or standard can be used to make precise observations.

Soft Movement (Measured in cm) Hard Movement (Measured in cm) Greatest Distance

Knowledge about phases of the moon is usually presented through pictures, diagrams, and illustrations. Sometimes, activities usually consist of observing phases by shining lig h t on a three- dimensional model. Other moon phase activities may use objects such as a basketball to represent the earth, a baseball to represent the moon, and a .lig h t source for the sun. Understanding moon phases requires collecting data through lim ited use of the senses and creating models.

Learning Competencies

The learners should be able to:

• experience collecting data over a long period of tim e (1 -4 weeks);

• create an explanation for moon phases based on data from direct observations rather than textbooks or other sources;

• identify and answer questions that arise from studying moon phases; and

• understand angles and sky directions.

Grade Level:

• Primary through upper grades (noticing differences in phases may be s u fficie n tfo r prim ary grades)

Materials:

• Charts, index cards, or pocket calendars for recording changes in moon phases, angle, tim e, and sky directions

Instructions:

1. Before beginning your observations, write on a sheet of paper an explanation for moon phase creation. Hand this to your teacher. It w ill be given back to you to compare what you learned at the end of the moon phase observation experience.

2. Form groups of 4 -5 members. Choose different days and tim es for collecting data. You w ill share the data together.

3. Devise a way to record your data. For example, on an index card, o utline the horizon and indicate the direction you are looking. Draw the moon's shape and its angle in the sky. Place several observations on one card and use a different card for each observation. Remember to record dates and times.

4. Record the follow ing during your moon phase study: date, tim e of day, moon phase, angle of moon at the tim e of observation, and direction in the sky. You may be recording data as long as two months to ensure enough data are collected to see patterns in the moon phases.