Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit contributes to the development of background knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective primary school and early childhood teacher in science and technology. It builds upon the first science unit by broadening pre-service teachers’ understanding of a range of science and technological concepts. This unit again engages pre-service teachers with the themes of matter and energy within a sustainability framework, but with a particular focus on a range of concepts that are relevant to various primary school and early childhood curricula such as earth and space, life and living, ecosystems and biodiversity, matter and materials, energy and change, design and technology.
This unit aims to assist pre-service teachers to further develop deep knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective primary school and early childhood teacher in science and technology education, particularly focusing on the curriculum themes of matter and energy within a sustainability framework.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitLearning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain the nature, role and importance of energy ...
Learning Outcome 01
Research and analyse technological innovation and ...
Learning Outcome 02
Examine and understand a range of concepts that ar...
Learning Outcome 03
Demonstrate an understanding of and apply the proc...
Learning Outcome 04
Engage in independent and collaborative learning w...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include a range of the following topics, ensuring that all elements identified in the Unit Description and Learning Outcomes are addressed:
- Energy, energy transformations, energy conservation
- Design for sustainability e.g. house design, cars, eco-villages, permaculture
- Design processes, systems and products
- Materials and their structure and uses
- Structure and function in living systems
- Earth and Space
- Relevant national, state and territory curriculum documents
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow students to progressively demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: A technology task: design, cr...
Assessment Task 1:
A technology task: design, create and evaluate a presentation or investigation. (see details below)
50%
Assessment Task 2: Examination or Presentation an...
Assessment Task 2:
- Examination or
- Presentation and Critical Essay (see details below) <
50%
Assessment Task 1
A technology task: Design, create and evaluate a presentation or investigation (50%)
Identify, design, create, trial and report on the effectiveness of a learning resource to enable an adult to understand the interplay of science and technology in the development of a concept drawn from relevant primary school and early childhood curricula documents.
This is an individual assessment task that incorporates a peer feedback component.
Part A (10%) Peer Review of Proposals
Each student will identify a problem and conduct background research into the associated science and technological concepts to inform the design of an artefact/solution to the problem. These design proposals, along with a set of criteria and a process for evaluating the final artefact/solution will be submitted/presented for peer feedback.
Peer feedback will involve each person reviewing the proposals of a number of other students and providing constructive feedback to assist them in addressing the assessment criteria in the task rubric.
Part B (40%) Final Report
Each student will implement their design and evaluation, which will involve constructing and testing their artefact/solution. The final report will include the design plan, incorporating any peer feedback from Part A; documentation/evidence of the construction process; data collected during the trialing of the artefact/solution; and a written evaluation based on evidence collected in the trial and critical reflection of the processes undertaken during construction.
Assessment Task 2
Examination OR Presentation and Critical Essay (50%)
Examination
A 1.5-hour examination including multiple choice and essay questions associated with the topics covered in this unit. (50%) OR
Presentation and Critical Essay This task has a group and an individual component.
Group Component (30%)
In pairs, students will plan and implement a 40-45 minute student-centred activity to develop understanding of the concepts associated with one of the topics covered in this unit. In addition, the partners will submit:
- an 800-word referenced, critical essay outlining the scientific and technological concepts associated with their topic; and
- a 300-word statement on how they worked co-operatively and collaboratively in their group.
Individual Component (20%)
On the completion of all presentations, individual students need to submit an 800-word essay that synthesises their learning of the range of concepts covered in class presentations. Appropriate references to the set readings and other literature should be incorporated.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to progress and demonstrate their understandings in this unit. Participants will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to support learning, including: lectures, tutorials, project and fieldwork. Learning will be enabled by collaborative group work, student presentations; in particular those that require students to reflect on their learning, engagement in community project/field work in local sites.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total with a normal expectation of 36 hours of directed study and the total contact hours should not exceed 36 hours. Directed study might include lectures, tutorials, webinars, podcasts etc. The balance of the hours then become private study.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
ACECQA CRITERIA
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge: