Good resources are critical to the success of teaching argumentation. But for optimum use, and an awareness of how to adapt existing resources and design new resources efficiently, a critical analysis of the goals of any argumentation activity must be considered. In addition, it is important to consider the processes involved in using a resource as this determines its effective implementation and can help in future design.
The purpose of this unit is to consider the process of designing activities that support argumentation and group work in science and how activities can be integrated into lessons and schemes of work. The unit introduces a variety of different resources and activities that can be used with students in both key stage 2 and 3, many of which are linked to the films on the website where they can be seen being used by teachers and students; other examples of activities are also provided. The unit explores how teachers conceptualise lessons that support argumentation and group work and has links to lesson plan outlines with accompanying commentary which reveals the rationale behind their design. Films of the lessons are linked to the outlines, allowing their enactment to be observed.
The references for these can be found in the key publications list.
Examples of each of these resources are explored in this unit and links made between them, films of lessons where they have been used and lesson plan outlines. Additional information and commentary are also provided which you may wish to refer to as you watch the films. After each film, read the section of the lesson outline that relates to the film you have watched and consider the commentary that accompanies the outline; this helps explain the decisions the teacher made in planning this part of the lesson.
There are four tasks associated with this unit; Tasks 5 and 6 are focused on the films, Tasks 7 and 8 are designed to support you developing your own lesson plans. You may find it useful to read these before watching the films; this is essential for Task 5.
Task 5: For each of the resources you watch being used in the films consider the following things:
This CPD unit has been developed by AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust for use by science teachers in the UK.
Unit authored by Shirley Simon, Paul Davies and Jillian Trevethan at the Institute of Education, University of London. Website design by Graphite Digital.
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