Up and running Embedding LTSS Lessons into Schemes of Work Sarah - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Up and running Embedding LTSS Lessons into Schemes of Work Sarah O’Doherty

April 2013 Academy invited to and agreed take part in the ‘Let’s Think’ research project. July 2013 Academy was accepted onto Cohort 1 of the research project.

Training and Planning time September 2013 Whole science department attended 1 day training for LTSS lessons 1 – 4. October 2013 Planning involved having practice (run through) lessons with Y8 or Y9 classes and then teaching the lesson to all Y7 students. Teachers jointly planned lesson 1 and 2 and filmed a lesson to then reflect back on. December/January ½ day in school training session with all 2013/14 science staff. Teachers jointly planned lesson 3 and 4.

The reality of challenging circumstances. February-June 2014 • Huge upheaval in Academy, with many staff redundancies, staff leaving and lesson disruption. • ‘Let’s Think’ lessons were stopped as staff struggled to deliver the core curriculum on a day to day basis.

Back on track • HoD produced a plan for each ½ term May 2014 for 2014-2015 to include ‘Let’s Think’ practice lessons for Y9, ‘Let’s Think’ lessons embedded for Y8 and Y7. June 2014 • Whole department then wrote ½ term schemes of work to include the ‘Let’s Think’ lessons. • These were built into the Activate 1 and Activate 2 SoW.

September 2014 • Autumn 1 Y7 SoW – Working Scientifically – ‘Let’s Think’ lessons were taught in order and we planned investigative lessons to focus on the ‘Let’s Think’ skill being taught. • Autumn 1 Y8 and Y9 – ‘Let’s Think’ practice and actual lessons planned so that Y9 practice lesson took place before Y8 actual lesson. Note: Academy had 100 minute lessons.

Weeks Lesson Y7 Autumn 1 1/2 1 KS3 SATS paper – base line testing 2 LTSS L1 – beakers/cylinders Bunsen burners, certificates, lab equipment (scientific drawings) 3 Candles burning investigation 4 Spinners investigation 5 Holly leaves – length v prickles investigation 3/4 6 LTSS L2 – Relationships Working scientifically 7 Jelly investigation – suggesting own variables 8 SitN – Debating – chewing gum/stations/who is the best? 9 SitN – Beetroot juice/PED’s – what length will athletes go to? 10 MRSA 5/6 11 LTSS – L3 – Graphs Data collection and graph work eg. Height/weight 12 BP salt solutions – graph work/tables - using thermometers. 13 FP salt solution – probes/data loggers – accuracy & precision 14 Practice assessment – Choice of investigation – squash balls/temp, crater size, disappearing cross. 15 Practice assessment – Cont … . 7/8 16 Assessment – Sand paper investigation 17 Assessment cont … 18 LSS – 1&2 – Using the library 19 Improvements lesson 20 DBC speaker/ LSS 1.6 Editing a scientific book.

Weeks Lesson Y8 Autumn 1 1/2 1 LTSS L5 – Ramp & balls. B1.5 Unicellular 2 C1-2.1 Elements 3 C1-2.2 Atoms 4 C1-2.3 Compounds 5 C1-2.4 Chemical formulae 3/4 6 Mendeleev & history of the periodic table project 7 LTSS L6 – Getting sorted B1-2.1 Levels of organisation 8 B1-2.2 Gas exchange 9 LTSS L7 – Sorting animals 10 B1-2.4 Skeleton 5/6 11 B1 2.3 Breathing 12 B1-2.5 Movement in joints 13 B1-2.6 Muscles LTSS L8 – Special relationships 14 15 SitN – extracting information? 7/8 16 Investigate the effect of exercise on pulse/breathing rate 17 SitN – choice of tasks from Y7 scheme 18 LTSS L9 – As one goes up….. 19 Assessment 20 RAG and improvements lesson

Weeks Lesson Y9 Autumn 1 1/2 1 LTSS L6 – Getting sorted - practice SitN -5.1 - Introduction 2 SiTN – 5.1 Save the Rennets 3 SitN - 2.2 Solar tower 4 SiTN – 2.3 Ecoplastic 5 LTSS L7 – Sorting animals - practice 3/4 6 SitN - L3.5 Peer review 7 SitN – L3.3 Chewing gum 8 SitN – 5.2 Science editors 9 LTSS L8 – Special relationships - prac 10 LSS 3.1 – Decoding article worth – stem cells and asteroids (articles folder) 5/6 11 LSS 3.2 - Deciding if the article is worth reading 12 LSS 5.1 - Writing a summary 13 LTSS L9 – As one goes up….. - practice 14 LSS 5.2/3 – Structuring/arranging a scientific article 15 LSS 5.6 – Compiling a bibliography 7/8 16 LSS 5.4 – Writing a scientific article – investigative project. 17 Writing a scientific article – investigative project cont … 18 RAG and revision 19 Assessment 20 RAG and improvements.

September 2014 • Department taught ‘Let’s Think’ lessons throughout the SoW. • Students engaged with the lessons • and teachers engaged with teaching the lessons.

Lessons learnt…. • Plan the lessons into the SoW, ensuring the Y8 practice lessons are taught at least a week before the Y7 actual lesson. • Ensure there is 1 whole lesson (60 mins) for a ‘Let’s Think’ lesson. • Ensure the whole department works together and are teaching the lessons at approximately the same time – staff confidence and discussions about the lessons are invaluable! • Don’t give up, even if you think you are too far behind.