Science Curriculum Introduction and Study Notes: EUB 210 Introduction and Core Strands

Unit Overview and Personnel

• EUB 210: Science Curriculum is a unit focused on developing the knowledge and skills necessary for effective science teaching in a primary school context.

• Teaching Team:

  • Dana Burfeen: The tutor for the course. She is a science specialist teacher currently working in a primary school four days a week, teaching students from Prep to Year $6$. She holds a PhD in marine biology and has over $15$ years of experience teaching, coordinating, and writing science units at the university level (predominantly at UQ).
  • June: The unit coordinator. He has a background as a secondary school educator and is a current Deputy Principal with significant leadership experience.

Teaching Philosophy and Classroom Context

• Science in Primary Education: Primary school science is fundamentally about understanding the world. While specific vocabulary (such as distinguishing between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks) is required, the primary goal is fostering a sense of adventure, creativity, and inquiry.

• Pedagogical Approach: High-quality science teaching combines inquiry-based learning with explicit teaching. These methods are not mutually exclusive but work hand-in-hand to provide a structured yet exploratory learning environment.

• Contextual Challenges: Primary teachers are expected to be experts across many fields, often with a heavy focus on English and Mathematics (e.g., using DIBELS reading assessments). This unit aims to build teacher confidence in science knowledge and classroom-ready practical skills.

• Classroom Logistics: Primary classrooms usually lack formal laboratory setups (e.g., Bunsen burners, specialized sinks). Effective teaching involves utilizing household items, outdoor spaces (like the school oval), and wet areas (such as verandas or classroom kitchens) for experiments.

Canvas Navigation and Administrative Procedures

• Attendance and Participation:

  • Online Role: Students must locate their name on the Canvas "online role" tab and mark their presence with a "tick," "x," or "here" every week. This helps the teaching team track students even if they shift between online and face-to-face registration.
  • Weekly Check-in: A "vibe check" where students provide a number from $1$ (barely there) to $10$ (best) to indicate their current state. This allows the tutor to gauge the energy levels of the online group ($n \approx 80$ students).

• Communication:

  • Burning Questions Board: A central discussion board for unit-wide queries. Students are encouraged to answer each other's questions due to the high enrollment ($n \approx 300$).
  • Email Policy: As the tutor works in a school Monday through Thursday, emails sent during school hours will be answered after hours, typically within $2\text{ business days}$.

• Schedule and Weekly Structure:

  • Weeks 1–3: Focus on introductions, unit overviews, and Science Inquiry ($1$ and $2$).
  • Week 4: Online drop-in for assessment collaboration. No formal new content is delivered that week to allow for group work.
  • Weeks 5–8: Professional Experience (placement) where no classes are held.
  • Weeks 9–13: Sequential focus on the Science Understanding strands: Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Space Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

Assessment Item 1: Science Inquiry Presentation

• Weighting and Format: worth $40\%$ of the total grade. This is a group task performed in groups of $3$ students. The final product is a recorded PowerPoint presentation of approximately $15\text{ minutes}$.

• Task Requirements:

  • Inquiry Question: Create an original, primary school-appropriate investigation question. Suggestions include sport-related contexts (soccer, volleyball) or conservation/environmental topics.
  • Primary Data Collection: Students must conduct an investigation and collect their own data (e.g., counting traffic for environmental risk assessment or performing a fair test).
  • Data Representation: Findings must be presented using appropriate primary forms, such as bar graphs, picture graphs, or line graphs.
  • Scholarly Justification: Every decision in the inquiry must be justified using literature. Scholarly references refer specifically to research articles from the last $5\text{ years}$, not just textbooks or websites.

• Marking Criteria:

  • Inquiry Question and Method ($25\%$): Focuses on creativity, curriculum alignment, and coherent methodology.
  • Learning and Teaching Justification ($25\%$): Demonstrates deep knowledge of the value of investigations in science.
  • Science Learning Environment ($25\%$): Considers how the inquiry can be enacted in a physical primary classroom, including literacy, numeracy, and ICT capabilities.
  • Communication and Referencing ($25\%$): Proficient use of English and adherence to $APA\,7$ referencing standards.

Assessment Item 2: Portfolio of Learning

• Weighting and Format: worth $60\%$ of the total grade. This is an individual task submitted at the end of the semester.

• Part A (Detailed Workshop Analysis):

  • Choose one workshop from weeks $9–13$.
  • Provide a written summary of all activities.
  • Include a labeled image of the student personally performing the activity.
  • Map the activity to the relevant curriculum content descriptors.
  • Explain the science concepts, key vocabulary, and common misconceptions (e.g., confusing "weathering" with "weather").
  • Justify the sequencing of activities using constructivist models (e.g., the $5\text{Es}$ model or "Launch, Inquire, Act").

• Part B (Summary of Other Workshops):

  • Select two additional workshops from the remaining four.
  • For each, provide a shorter summary including the science concepts, descriptions of activities, real-world context, and links to literacy, numeracy, and ICT capabilities.

The Australian Curriculum: Science (Version 9.0)

• Curriculum Rollover: Schools in Queensland are currently transitioning from Version $8.4$ to Version $9$. In state schools, English and Mathematics were updated this year, and Science must be updated by the end of next year.

• Structure of the Curriculum:

  • Science Understanding (SU): Divided into four sub-strands:
    1. Biological sciences: Focus on living things and ecosystems.
    2. Chemical sciences: Focus on materials and their properties.
    3. Earth and space sciences: Focus on Earth's resources, changes, and astronomical positions.
    4. Physical sciences: Focus on forces and energy (e.g., light, heat).
  • Science as a Human Endeavour (SHE): Consists of two sub-strands:
    1. Nature and development of science.
    2. Use and influence of science.
  • Science Inquiry Skills (SIS): Consists of five sub-strands:
    1. Questioning and predicting.
    2. Planning and conducting.
    3. Processing and analyzing data and information.
    4. Evaluating.
    5. Communicating.

• Key Changes in Version 9: There has been a significant reorganization of content, particularly in Earth and Space sciences. For example, the water cycle has moved from Year $7$ down to Year $4$.

State and School Contextual Requirements

• CARF (Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Framework): This document defines the minimum required instructional time for science in Queensland state schools. There has recently been a reduction in mandated science time across most year levels.

• Time Allocations:

  • Prep: $20\text{ hours per year}$ (approx. $30\text{ minutes per week}$).
  • Years 1–2: $20\text{ hours per year}$ (approx. $30\text{ minutes per week}$).
  • Years 3–4: $40\text{ hours per year}$ (approx. $1\text{ hour per week}$). This is a decrease from the previous allocation of $1\text{ hour and }45\text{ minutes}$.
  • Years 5–6: $1.5\text{ hours per week}$. This is a decrease from the previous allocation of $1\text{ hour and }45\text{ minutes}$.

• Learning Resources:

  • The primary textbook is "Teaching Science Constructively" by Scamp and Preston (ensure the edition matches Version $9$ curriculum).
  • Primary Connections (the "Launch, Inquire, Act" model) is a key pedagogical resource in Australian schools.

Questions and Discussion

• Q: Can I use AI for the assignments?

  • A: AI may be used for executive functioning tasks, such as creating a checklist of steps (e.g., "Step 1: Read criteria, Step 2: Research"). It can also be used for checking syntax. However, it must not be used to produce the content or the resources of the assignment. Further specific questions regarding using AI to check drafts against the marking matrix should be posted to the discussion board for a formal answer from the coordinator.

• Q: What if I have a conflict with the online time?

  • A: Recordings are provided for all online sessions. While live participation is preferred for group interactions, students can watch recordings and reach out with questions via the discussion board or email.

• Q: Do textbooks count as scholarly references?

  • A: For the highest marks on the assessment, you want research articles (primary literature). Textbooks are foundational and helpful for definitions, but they do not replace the requirement for current scholarly research articles. Justify the inclusion of any specific pedagogical theory (e.g., Piaget or Vygotsky) with specific page numbers per $APA\,7$ guidelines.

• Q: are there group requirements for the portfolio?

  • A: No. Assessment $1$ is a group project turned in once for the entire group. Assessment $2$ is entirely individual, though the activities found within the portfolio are the result of workshop collaborations.