Active Learning in the

Science classroom
Task

On your desk, you should see a marble, paper, card,

scissors, sticky tape etc.
Using the materials provided (and any others you can
get your hands on!), build a structure which will allow
your marble to travel from the table to the floor as
slowly as possible.
You will have 30 minutes to complete the structure.
In your group, using the Post-It notes, write down key
words (one on each Post-it note) which explain:

a) HOW you worked out the best design for your

structure?

b) HOW / WHY you were motivated to complete the

task?
Building understanding
Knowledge isnt something we are given, its
something we construct.
What we learn is based on what we already know or
understand.
If learning is to mean anything, it must link onto our
existing framework of understand.
 Motivation, engagement, initiative,
autonomy, ownership, commitment

Think about the goals..

Use tasks which have an explicit goal, set by the teacher.
Use tasks where students can set their own interim goals.
Use task which allow students to adjust the goals in response to their
own learning needs.

Think about the person..

Use tasks which give students a sense of autonomy and ownership.
Use tasks which allow students to develop a sense of their own.
Use tasks which allow students and teacher to work with and for each
other (relatedness)
Share with your partner next to you:

Choose one or two activities/tasks you have done in your

classroom that utilised the six key points.

Motivation, engagement, initiative, autonomy, ownership,

commitment
The role of teacher during the activity

Pose questions instead of giving answers

Create a supportive and inspiring environment
Help students to recognise that making mistakes and
getting stuck and unstuck is positive and the food and
drink of learning
Encourage pursuit and engagement with personal
interests.
Encourage collaboration!
Please sit in groups of 3.
Task

Person A = drawer
Person B = first runner
Person C = second runner

- When I say go, Person B will run to the front, and look at the
picture for 30 seconds.
- After that, Person B go back to your group and describe the
picture to the drawer who must draw the picture on the blank
paper provided without ask any questions.
- After that, Person C will run to the front and look at the picture
for 30 seconds.
- Person C go back to your group and describe the picture to the
drawer and the drawer is allowed to ask any questions.
Language is important
Learning through language

Children, we now know, need to talk, and to experience a

rich diet of spoken language, in order to think and learn.

Robin Alexander, 2004

.language provides us with a means for thinking

together, for jointly creating knowledge and
understanding.
Neil Mercer, 2000
Task
In group, plan a 2 minute explanation on activities which
enables learners to build their understanding, which use
language effectively.

Dialogue, Writing, Reading, Listening or Science/Math

specific words.
Assessment for learning in
the Science classroom
Task

In a group, prepare a 1 minute presentation about how

to make a cup of tea.
Task

Listen to each other present.

On the Post-it notes provided, write down your

feedback.

Your
feedback!
!!
Task

Take your feedback, team up with those on your

table, and sort the feedbacks into formative and
summative feedback.

Use the feedback to guess at the criteria which your

audience was using when writing their feedback.
What does quality feedback look like?
Feedback includes telling students what they have done
well and what they need to do to improve.
Worksheet
Consider each of these and then tick those that you
consider to be examples of good formative feedback
Statements 2, 5, 6, 13, 15, 16 and 17 are positive and give
praise for a students work, but they do not highlight exactly what
the student did well or provide any guidance for improvement.

Statements 8 and 12 do not give sufficient direction to the

student on how to improve their work.

Statements 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 19 and 20 are examples of

quality, formative feedback, as the student is receiving guidance
on how to improve their work.

Statement 10 is very negative and insulting to a student.

Assessment for learning
Teachers role: move from presentation of ideas to
exploration of students ideas, involving them in the
exploration.

Students role: more active, realising that learning

depends on readiness to express and discuss ideas, not
always on getting things right (irrespective of
understanding)

Strategies: providing feedback, sharing criteria with the

learner, self- and peer-assessment, effective
questioning.
Components of assessment for learning
Learners receive feedback about how to improve
their learning.

Learners understand what successful work looks

like for each task they are doing.

Students become more independent in their learning,

taking part in peer and self-assessment.

Questioning to enable the learner, with the help of

their teacher, to find out what level they are at.
Task - Market place
Your group will be allocated one of the four strategies:

- Providing feedback
- Effective questioning
- Sharing criteria
- Peer- and self-assessment
Task - Market place
Your job is to provide a market stall of strategies,
chosen from the example around the room

(www.mikegershon.com)

You should choose 5 of them to showcase at your stall,

where you should be able to explain to visitors.
(a) Your reasons for choosing this strategies.
(b) How it contributes to assessment for learning
(c) How you can use it in your science / math teaching.
Thank you