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MakingConnections

Science and literacy

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Science and literacy

Facilitator/s:

Date:

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Workshop purpose

You are here to develop your knowledge and

understanding of the links between science and literacy

and to experience their application in PrimaryConnections

curriculum units.

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Workshop outline (90 minutes)

INTRO: Purpose, outline, outcomes(5 mins)

ENGAGE: To capture participants’ interest and elicit ideas about the similarities and (20 mins) differences between the terms ‘everyday literacies’, ‘literacies of

science’and ‘scientific literacy’

EXPLORE: To explore the relationship between everyday literacies and literacies(30 mins) of science

EXPLAIN: Consolidate the links between science and literacy(10 mins)

ELABORATE: Analyse the literacy focuses in a curriculum unit and experience (20 mins) critical literacy

EVALUATE: Summarise, reflect and evaluate(5 mins)

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Outcomes

On completion of this module participants will be able to:

• support students in representing science concepts, ideas and findings using the literacies of science

• describe and apply the literacy practices and focuses from the PrimaryConnections curriculum units

• support students in improving the quality of their literacy products.

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The confusion!

Three different expressions are used.

What do they mean? How are they similar?

How are they different?

literacies of science

scientific literacy

everyday literacies

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Global café

Have a chat about the terms. What do they mean to you?

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Everyday literacies

• are the literacy skills students bring to the learning process

• are tools of learning

• are processes and practices that represent what learners know, do or demonstrate when they represent and communicate understanding

• involve multiple modes of representation.

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Literacies of science

• are particular language practices, processes and products that students learn about and use to represent and communicate their understanding of science concepts and processes

• are multi-modal: factual text, data tables, labelled diagrams, symbols, graphs, models, drawings, computer-generated images, gestures, role-plays.

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The relationship

Literacy skills do not develop in

isolation from a context.

In PrimaryConnections:• students use everyday literacies

and learn literacies of science

• the science context provides a

meaningful purpose for literacy development.

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Quality matrixLiteracy of science: graph

Features Characteristics of a high-quality product

Opportunity for improvement

Title Clear and accurate Write in a straight line

Check spelling

Horizontal axis Straight line

Clear label

Regular increments

Units of measurement

Write label clearly

Measure the increment spaces

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Water works investigation

Home water use detectives!

What did we find?

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So what is scientific literacy?

The use of everyday literacies to learn

about science concepts and processes –

including the development of the literacies

of science – contributes to students’

developing scientific literacy as they

learn about, communicate and represent

science understanding.

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Scientific literacy develops

___________________________________________________None/very little informed adult

‘The notion of progress in scientific literacy is fundamental to the growth in students’ knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes and the ability to use that knowledge and understanding in everyday situations.’

Goodrum, D., Hackling, M. and Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning

of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

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Scientific literacy is a high priority for all citizens, helping them to:

• be interested in, and understand the world around them

• engage in the discourses of and about science

• be sceptical and questioning of claims made by others about scientific matters

• be able to identify questions, investigate and draw evidence-based conclusions

• to make informed decisions about the environment and their own health and well-being.

Defining scientific literacy

Goodrum, D., Hackling, M. and Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

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Examples of literacy products from Water works

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Critical literacy

Critical literacy activities in science develop students’ questioning skills and encourage them to be sceptical about scientific claims made by others.

Image: Stock.xchng

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PrimaryConnections links science with literacy by supporting

students to:

• use their everyday literacies to construct their understanding of science concepts and processes

• learn the particular literacies of science

• develop literacy skills using science as the meaningful context

• represent and re-represent their understanding through using literacy processes and creating literacy products.

In summary