SURNAME & NAME : STUDENT NUMBER : SUBJECT :
MAPHUMULO MTHOKOZISI, N. 207503878 SOCIAL SCIENCE (PGCE) 601
According to a Life Science CAPS document term 2 should cover the following topics
a)
Content Coverage:
1) Plant and animal tissues , ii) organs iii) support and transport systems in plants, iV) and support and transport system in animals , The CAPS book document indicates that the learners must also be assessed through one formal recorded class test and mid-year examination. The Life Science Learners books the following topic are covered in term 2 1) Topic 4: Tissues and organs (continued) but this excludes plant tissues and programme of assessment and class test in term 1. It proceeds with unit 2-4. Ii) 2) Topic 5: Life Processes in plants and animals – Support and transport system in plants. Topic 5 start from unit 1 to 3. This also includes content summary and test practice. Both the Life Science CAPS document and Grade 10 Learners Book there is uniform content coverage. Both of the learner’s book and CAPS document indicates that learners should cover Plant and animal tissues. The books may differ according to how their topics are outlines but the objectives are still the same.
b)
Order of topics :
According to Life Science CAPS document the Term 2 covers four (4) topics ordered as follows i) Plants and animal tissues (continued), ii) Organs, iii) Support and Transport System in Plants, IV) Support System in Animals. It also covers assessment. According to Life Science Grade 10 Learners Book Term 2 covers the following topics i)
Order
Tissues and organs (continued) ii) support and transport systems in plants We shall device a comparative table to see if the order of topics agree or disagree between the Life Science CAPS document and Life Science learner’s book. We are looking at grade 10 for both components.
of Topics
5
CAPS Book Doc. Main topic
Sub topic
No. of Units
Support and transport systems in plants.
-Anatomy of Dicotyledonou s Plants. -Transpiration
No units
Order of Topics
Learner’s Book Doc.: G-10 No of Main subtopics topic covered 6 Topic: 5 Support and transport systems in plants.
Main topic
Subtopic
Support Systems in Animals
-Skeletons No -Human units Skeleton -Function of the skeleton. -Joints. -The role of the following in human locomotion.
Subtopic
No. of No. of 2 Units subtopic covered. - Anatomy of Units Unit-1:(1.12 dicotyledonou s plants. (unit1) -Transpiration (units 2) -Transport of water and food in plants (units 3)
1-3
1.3)
Unit-2:(2.12.2) Unit-3:(3.13.3) Total = 9 subtopics
Learner’s Book Doc.: G-10
CAPS Book Doc.
No of No of Main units subtopics topic covered
Term No.
Subtopic
Term No.
No of No of 2 Units. subtopic covered
6
6
16
Support system in animals
-Types of Units Skeleton. 1-5 -The human skeleton. -Joints. -Human locomotion. -Diseases that affect skeleton.
Unit-1:(1.11.3) Unit-2:(2.12.4) Unit-3:(3.13.2) Unit-4:(4.14.6) Unit-5 : (5.1-5.3) Total = 19 subtopics
2
From both the CAPS book document and the Learner’s guide book there is same main topic that learners need to deal with for term 2. I have been looking at grade 10 and thereby make use of the table above to determine if Grade 10 Learner’s Guide book is compliance with CAPS book document. I have been looking at Topic (5&6) which are found in Learner’s Guide to compare it to CAPS book topics that are in term 2 for grade 10. The CAPS book document does not specify any unit of any topic in the textbook. There may be many forms of learners guide so one could not judge compliance of Life Science Learners book to CAPS. But the subtopics covered in Grade 10 learner’s book reveal that there a total of 19 subtopics. In other hand the CAPS document indicates 16 number of subtopics covered. This mystery is caused by the fact that some of the subtopics of the CAPS book documents have been crashed into two words that must cover one aspect. For example, on the Grade 10 Learners Guide Book from unit 1 indicates that a teacher must teach –anatomy of dicotyledonous plants. Under this topic there are three topics including 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. One need to observe that in that specific unit, stem and roots makes up separate subtopics to be taught. In contrast to that the CAPS book document take both stem and root as one subtopic. But that does not means that CAPS book does not mean that Learners guide does not comply with CAPS book document. The fact is that the CAPS book is much more advanced than the CAPS book document. As you compare many more other topics found from Learner’s guide using the table above you will discover that there are many topics that appear separate from CAPS document to the ones in the Grade 10 Learners Book you will notice that Learner’s guide covers all topics and subtopics indicated in the CAPS books. The Grade 10 Learners Book has experiments designed for assessing learners. In addition to that there are some learner activity which forms enquiry that onto which most test assessment questions are drawn. The CAPS book document indicates that learners should be assessed based on one formal recorded test and midyear examination. In addition to that the CAPS book document agrees that learners should be assessed using practical work, exercise activities, on which learners are given worksheet. There are variety of other strategies that must be used for assessing learners including homework exercises, essays and tests. The investigation also count as strategies used to assess learners. In the grade 10 Learner’s Book , Topic 6 : that is about – Support systems in animals …, there are evident cases in which there are units giving some topics on which you are expected to assess learners conceptual understanding of their work. For example, in the grade 10 learner’s book –Unit 1 in which teachers must teach Types of Skeleton …, under subtopic heading 1.3 that deals with ‘Endoskeleton’:- the learner activity 2 is given. That activity ask learners to compare types of skeleton. It is found on page 115 after you may have passed Topic 6 cover page which is on page 112. You could notice that this learner activity has all aims that are prescribed by the CAPS document. In addition to that , you should notice that the grade 10 learner Book has some programme of assessment for class test and programme of assessment with clear outline of *term . You can make use of the CAPS book document to compare which investigation sections you can teach to match things that you will use to examine learners. Because of these reasons, I will argue that Learners Book are comply with CAPS document. You can refer to the table that is used to compare CAPS document to Learner’s Book above. NB we have used a table method to compare the compliance with CAPS document.
Readability: Topic:
Unit:
Subtopic
The scale for Reading Ease score:
Flesch-
Number
of
s Readability Readability Readability Score: Ease Score: Score: 30-50 90+ 60-70 Academic Prose
5 5 6 5 6 6
1 3 2 2 1 5
1.2 3.2 2.1 2.1 1.3 5.2
48.8 37.2 59.8
V. Easy
-
Kincaid Grade Level:
words & style
Standard (non–fiction) e.g. Mass fiction, nonfiction.
71.6 76.0 66.0 -
6.5 6.0 8.9 6.9 10.7 8.6
100 - Aerial 100 - Aerial 100 - Aerial 100 - Aerial 100 - Aerial 100 - Aerial
The analysis of the Readability indie cates that most topic 6 subtopics carry academic prose. Their scale for Reading Ease score for topic 6 units falls between scale readings of 30-50. For example the table above shows that topic 6: unit 2, subtopic heading number 2.1 on function of skeleton has Readability Score equal to 48.8. This is academic prose. See all topics that has a value of 6, note that their scale for Reading Ease score fall on the Readability Score of 3050. The topic 6 topics have Flesch-Kincaid Grade Levels of 8.7-10.7. For example Topic 6 unit 5: subtopic heading 5.2 on Rickets has a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level equal to 8.6. That means that a child in grade 8 would be able to read these text. This is according to USA schools Readability standards ‘A Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of 7.2 means that an average child in grade 7 at a United States school should be able to read the text. In contrast to topic 6 most topic 5 subtopic headings have Scale for Reading Ease score that falls between 60 -70 . Reading Ease Score for most topic 5 subheadings is standard. That means topic 5 is not very easy nor it is academic prose. Topic 5 carries non-fiction text. The type of these topic may be associated with scientific topics that demands teacher’s ability to teach learners inquiry. Teacher investigate, conduct experiments and learners participate to observe and device solutions. Topic 5 lessons are not difficult than topic 6 lessons. This is because it carries Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level equal to 6. For example topic 5: unit 1 subtopic heading 1.2 on ‘The stem’ equal to 6.5. This means that an average child grade 6 at US school should be able to read these texts. The standard of grade 10 Learner’s Book is too much low compared to the ones used in USA. The SA Grade 10 Life Science Learner’s Book carries less weight compared to the ones used in the US schools. This means that SA Life Science is moderate and also doable. For a US child coming to do Life Science in a SA grade equivalent to USA, he might feel like he is doing previous grade work. Question 3:
This book has a fairly good appeal to the readers. The book is targeting learners and teachers who read and write for academic reasons. The first thing that learner often rush to see is who are authors concerned for a book. Some books are most prescribed for teaching or reading and they are relevant in a specific period of time. The topic of this book is in bold type and it also indicates subject and grade. All of these things is what you come across in the cover page. This book has a very good structure and layout which makes it marketable. The cover page outline the topic, grade and authors. As mentioned, this mentioned this information is in bold type. The next page opens with contents. There is a neat and clear indexing of topics. Term to which topics belong are also outlined. There are a clear outline of topics, subtopics and their subtopic headings divided into units. For example, the term 2 deals with topic 5 & 6 and some few topics that belongs to Topic 4. There is clear outline of Units which enhance usage of a textbook. For example, each topic has its Units that have subtopics with clear page numbers. This teacher’s and learners to be able to say to navigate through a textbook browsing topics to be covered. There is a beautiful Index page that help an educator to also navigate with page reference. Next to Index it is indicated that it is in page 305. Indeed as you unfold the text book to page 305 you will arrive into a bold typed underlined topic written as INDEX. The index page reference has instruction concerning how it is used. For example page reference in bold indicate where you can find definition or explanation of key terms. In other hand Page reference in italics indicate where you can find illustrations. The fact that the word anthropoids has number 115 written in bold type means that in page umber 115 is where you can find definition , explanation and illustration of this term. The grade 10 Learner’s guide is enriched with glossary which allow a teacher and learners to be able to look at a dictionary meaning of some terms. This is very attractive in terms of textbook usage as it save time that an instructor is looking for meaning in other sources. The textbook multipurpose status from being a learner’s source of information, a dictionary and source of inquiry activities defines it compliance with readability. The textbook has ability to draw reader’s attention by making attractive topics, indicating the term and arrange units to outline the subtopics and their headings. There are clear page numbers getting highlighted and they also correlate to page numbers as they unfold in the book. Even the way things are understood by the learners scaffold according to how the front cover page expect the topic to be arranged. You have no stress for asking yourself what type of learner activity you might need, as CAPS learner’s book simple direct you to page number to which you will get learner activity required. Where you demonstration the CAPS textbook indicates using pictures, diagrams. Another exiting thing that one should notice is the fact that the CAPS book textbook also indicate where
Question 4: The FOLS Grade 10 Teacher’s Guide which introduce topic 5: on Support & transport systems in plants is useful for giving direction on how to teach grade 10 Life Science topics. The teacher’s guide opens with topic 5 overview that introduces a teacher to key concept to be discussed with learners. The overview summarises all ideas that a teacher need to consider,
which is to give steps to be followed when teaching and processes to be followed. The topic 5 overview also create a link to depict the outcomes for learner activities to be covered. For example the topic 5 overview summary outline that the underlined topic looks at the plant tissues involved in support and transport , and internal structure of roots , stems and leaves of plants. Then it assert that the aim is to investigate factors affecting the rate of transpiration, the movement of water into plants and across the roots , the forces responsible for upward movement of water in xylem vessels , the translocation of manufactured substances as well as secondary thickening and annual ring. Then you have to make use of this Grade 10 Teacher’s Guide together with Grade 10 Learner’s Book for your lesson preparation. For example, most topics in the page 55 of Grade 10 Learner’s Guide also match what you will see in the page 92 of Grade 10 Learner’s Guide more specifically when you look at main topic and Unit 1 -3 subtopic headings. The Grade 10 Teacher’s Guide also remind teachers about activities that need to be covered in Grade 10 Learners Book. Teacher’s Guide is very useful for educators because it has a set of answers that correlate to questions used for learner activities. Teachers must have skills for being able to compare the activities that are found in the Grade 10 Teacher’s Guideline to the actual activities that are found in the Grade 10 Leaner’s Guide. Teacher’s Guide help teacher’s to determine which resources will be required in order to conduct the Life Science Learner activities. In order words this helps teachers for planning and preparation for Learner activities. For example the page 56 of Grade 10 Teacher’s Guide highlighted that for ‘Topic 5 planning’ teacher has to look at which Unit to be taught and make use of the corresponding ‘Resources needed’ for conducting that experiment. When you are planning to teach Unit 2 , you are going to deal with transpiration and for this subtopic heading you can turn to page 56 of Grade 10 Teacher’s on which there is ‘topic 5 planning’ section . That is where you can choose Unit 2 on Transpiration and look at The ‘Resources needed’ column to see what resources you are going to need for teaching or conducting the leaner activity under that section. For example in that section it is outlined that Unit 2: transpiration require the following ‘Resources needed’ included potometer, soft green leafy shoot, drinking straw, and a potted plant etcetera (etc.). This information can be used together with Grade 10 Learner’s Guide on the corresponding topic, under the same Unit 2 and on same learner activity. For example, the page 101 of Grade 10 Learner’s Book of Life Science indicates that Unit 2 is on transpiration. Under Unit 2 now on the next pages including page 102 to 103 there is activity 7 and activity 8. The Activity 7 is about how will learners use a potometer to measure rate of transpiration. The most interesting thing is the fact that you make use of the instructions given by teacher’s guide to prepare a learner activity before you let the learners to also prepare their activity. This help you as a teacher to be able to guaranty that you have played your facilitative role to demonstrate to leaners conceptual understanding of what factors affecting the rate of transpiration. For example, page 103 of Grade 10 Learners Guide show activity 8 which in which learners are required to conduct an investigation on the use of potometer. The figure 5.10 make use of a labelled drawing of a potometer drawing that is used in laboratories to show learners how to set up and experiment. Then the Grade 10 Teachers Guide will assist with answers for learner activity questions. This place a teacher in the advantageous side for being able to control learner experiment and let then follow instructions carefully. For example page 65 of Grade 10 Teacher’s Guide has
all answers that respond to questions that are given to learners in page 103 of Grade 10 Learner’s Book. For example question number 3 of Activity 8 on Learners Book page 103 asked learners to respond from – 3. Under what conditions was the rate of transpiration the lowest? It also require learners to give reasons for their answer. At the same the same time the grade 10 Teacher’s Guide gives an answer to that question on page 65 of Teacher’s Guide there is activity 8 that show answers to a teacher which correspond to questions that are given in the Grade 10 Learners Book. For example question 3 underlined above the answer reads as follows: Activity 8: Investigating the use of potometer *LB page 103 Transpiration was lowest when the plant was inside a plastic bag. This is because conditions were humid. This means evaporation of water from the leaf slowed down owing to a low water potential in the leaf. Please notice that the Teacher’s Guide will also indicate specific pages in which questions and instructions given are found on Learner’s Book using LB page XXX or YYY. The same thing happen when you are to assess learners using drawings in which learners must label them using some missing words. Teacher is still in the advantageous side as long as she has access to Learners Guide which provide instructions and answers. It also indicates page number to which learner activity is located in the Learner’s Book. Fox example the page 66 and 67 of Teacher’s Guide gives activity 10 in which teacher is expected give learners an opportunity to investigate a process of - water uptake through the roots. In this teacher’s guide it is indicated that this investigation is based on page 106 of Learners Book using (LB page 10). Teacher’s Guide also indicate that activity 10 is found under Unit 3 and also give a subtopic written as: transport of water and food in the plant. A smart teacher can reverse some pages to verify that this topic falls under topic 5. Then in Grade 10 Learner’s Book page 106 you will see activity 10. To verify if this activity falls under unit 3 look at some previous pages and see that Unit 3 that is on –Transport of water and food in plants. Then leave page 107 and open page 92 of Grade 10 Learner’s Book to explore and verify that Topic 5 deals with Support and transport systems in plants. See unit 3 in bold type that indicates that this section is about transport of water and food in plants. This subtopic has got three sub-sub topic headings including 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3. Then the activity 10 to – Investigate water uptake through the root in page 106 falls under Unit 3 under 3.1 and not 3.2. Indeed the Teacher’s Guide is useful for teachers as it provides a direction for how to navigate with activities for learner activity. This helps as educators to plan his lessons successfully. Teacher is able to enter the classroom with confidence that she is able to facilitate learner knowledge .She gains an insights and independent knowledge of being able to be proactive about how to respond from learner’s questions. This is very useful when it is combined with learner’s book as illustrated. However this demands teacher to be trained on how the Teacher’s Guide works together with Learners book. This Teacher’s Guide is useful to let teacher’s integrate the learner activity to lesson plan. For example you can plan to let learners work in their groups, share instruments and discuss topics. You make use of Teacher’s Guide to seek for additional resources such as Video tapes, newspapers and other physical item for improvisation of a lesson. This can also help a school to list important resources that are required for learning such as laboratory equipment, computer basic software tools and additional textbooks.
The overall result whether this Grade 10 FOLS Teacher’s Guide is useful for teachers are positive from Life Science Perspective. This indicates that there has been improvement from how Life Science is taught since the beginning of new CAPS curriculum. In my side I can put 94% overall achievement. The CAPS curriculum can stay for next million years to come. The end: References:
Clitheroe, F. , Doidge, M. and Marsden, F et. al.: (2019): ‘Focus: Life Science Learner’s Book: Grade 10’ Maskew Miller Longman (Edt.), pp. (64-141). Clitheroe, F. , Doidge, M. and Marsden, F et. al.: (2019) ‘Focus: Life Science Learner’s Book: Grade 10’ Maskew Miller Longman (Edt.), pp. (55-71).