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View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- review their learning during the sequence, using the class science journal and word wall.
- create a drawn model of their accessibility solution, using force arrow diagrams to demonstrate where the forces are working.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- contribute to team discussions about forces acting on objects.
- use visual and oral language to represent and describe forces using arrows.
- use oral, written and visual language to describe forces and reflect on their learning during the sequence.
In the Act phase, assessment is summative.
Students working at the achievement standard should:
- be able to explain the effect of frictional, gravitational and magnetic forces on the motion of their model accessibility solutions.
- be able to communicate their understanding of their ideas to persuade people to use their accessibility solutions.
Refer to the Australian Curriculum content links on the Our design decisions tab for further information.
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Optional: Demonstration copy of the Accessibility solution plan Resource sheet
Optional: Demonstration copy of the Accessibility solution evaluation Resource sheet
Each group
Optional: Various materials to make a prototype of their accessibility solution
Accessibility solution plan Resource sheet
Accessibility solution evaluation Resource sheet
Lesson
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkScience education consists of a series of key ideas and core concepts that can explain objects, events and phenomena and link them to the experiences encountered by students in their lives. The purpose of the Anchor routine is to identify and link students’ learning to these ideas and concepts in a way that builds and deepens their understanding.
When designing the Act phase of a teaching sequence, consider the core concepts and key ideas that are relevant. The Anchor routine provides an opportunity to collate and revise the key knowledge and skills students have learned, in a way that emphasises the importance of science as a human endeavour.
What have we learned?
Remind students about the amazing landscapes of Australia: beautiful beaches, mountains and deserts. Everybody should be able to enjoy these landscapes, and we can use our understanding of forces to make it easier for people who may be less mobile to visit these places.
Re-examine the data and ideas collected in the class journal over the course of the teaching sequence.
Discuss what conclusions students have drawn about:
- the shape of the vehicle that might be best for different terrains, e.g. a larger surface area on sand.
- the material of the vehicle/parts of the vehicle that increase friction, allowing the vehicle to grip the surface to move.
- the material of the vehicle/parts of the vehicle that reduce friction, allowing the vehicle to move easier.
- the possible use of magnets to attract/repel the vehicle or to reduce friction.
- the weight of the vehicle and the person in it, and how this might affect movement.
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkEach student comes to the classroom with experiences made up from science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and resources in their life. The Connect routine is designed to tap into these experiences, and that of their wider community. It is also an opportunity to yarn with community leaders (where appropriate) to gain an understanding of the student’s lives, languages and interests. In the Act phase, this routine reconnects with the science capital of students so students can appreciate the relevance of their learning and the agency to make decisions and take action.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the everyday occurrences, phenomena and experiences that might relate to the science that they have learned. How could students show agency in these areas?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhat do people need from our design?
Discuss the properties accessibility solutions would require. Relate the discussion to any specific context/location you have selected (see the Preparing for the sequence tab on the Sequence overview page for more details).
If there are particular members of the community that would use the accessibility solution, students could be invited to explore their perspective.
Optional: Survey the school or local community about an area they think needs to be more accessible, and/or how it may be made more accessible.
- What sort of people/things might need to be transported on your chosen terrain?
- What forces will you need to consider?
- What properties are important for your particular accessibility solution?
- What else do you have to consider?
- How might the vehicle need to change/adapt for different weather conditions?
Use the identified properties to produce a set of criteria for designing the accessibility solution that students can use as an evaluation and reflection tool.
See the Accessibility solution evaluation Resource sheet for an example that can be used as is or modified to suit your needs.
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhen students use their knowledge and skills in new ways, they also have an opportunity to develop and use their creative and critical thinking skills. With scaffolded support, they can become more confident to work in a team and develop a stronger sense of autonomy. This results in stronger student outcomes, attitudes and sense of empowerment.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider what activity would allow students to showcase their knowledge and skills. Consider the current abilities of your students. What are they capable of explaining? What props could they design or build that would support their explanations? How much information would they need in their design brief to support their thinking? How does this connect with their lives and interests?
Designing an accessibility solution
Using the steps of the design thinking process, students use their understanding of forces and motion to design their accessibility solution.
Define
In order to create the design brief for the challenge as a class, outline the problem in a simple manner.
How can we create an accessibility solution using our knowledge of forces to allow somebody less able to access your chosen landscape/terrain?
These are some example question prompts. These should be modified and added to suit any specific design focus/context you have selected.
- Who will you design for? A baby who can’t walk yet, somebody who is less able/a wheelchair user?
- How is the terrain more difficult/less accessible?
- What materials will you use?
- What else will be important to consider to support movement?
Alternatively, you might provide a pre-prepared design brief to the students.
Ideate
Brainstorm ideas related to the design of an accessibility solution. At this stage, to support creative thinking, every idea offered by students should be recorded in the class science journal. No idea should be discounted, as the practicality/possibility of each idea will be considered in the next stage of design.
As students offer ideas, ask probing questions (Why do you think… or How do you know that…) to draw out the reasoning and evidence behind the idea.
- What/who are you transporting?
- What properties are important?
- What will happen if it rains?
- What forces will you need to consider?
Prototype
Provide students with time to draft design ideas for their accessibility solutions. Students might create several models during this process. At each stage of the design process, encourage students to consider how the design would work for their chosen terrain. Encourage students to keep each prototype drawing (even if they decide that it is not appropriate) so they can record how their thinking has changed and their design has improved over time.
At the end of the allocated time, students should have one clearly identified, labelled, and annotated final design, naming parts of the accessibility solution, the materials that they have selected, why they have selected them, and using force arrows to show the force involved, including their direction and magnitude.
Optional: Once students have drawn their design, they can use available materials to create a prototype for their design. Encourage students to be creative about the idea of their prototype.
Test
Students use the Accessibility solution plan Resource sheet to develop a testing procedure for their preferred design. Discuss what criteria students’ accessibility solution would need to meet in order to satisfy the design brief, e.g. grip to the terrain, not sink into the sand, float in heavy rain.
Brainstorm ideas for testing the solutions against the criteria, such as testing the models in the school sandpit. Ask students to record what criteria each students’ accessibility solution need to meet in the ‘Criteria’ section of their Accessibility solution plan Resource sheet.
Ask students to negotiate what tests they will use and to provide reasons for their choices. For example: We chose to pull our models across the sand/through the school terrain to see how easily they would move with a 200g weight.
Allow students time to complete their planning and (optionally) to conduct their tests.
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkA key part of Science Inquiry, the Communicate routine provides students with an opportunity to communicate their ideas effectively to others. It allows students a chance to show their learning to members of their community and provides a sense of belonging. It also encourages students to have a sense of responsibility to share their understanding of science and to use this to provide a positive influence in the community.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider who might be connected to the students that have an interest in science. Who in their lives could share their learning? What forum could be used to build an enthusiasm for science. Are there members of the community (parents, teachers, peers or wider community) who would provide a link to future science careers?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkSharing our designs
Share
Ask students to discuss their design with others. Encourage students to ask questions to provide peer support and informal peer assessment of students’ model and advert. Students might ask questions, such as:
- Is the material carefully considered to reduce/increase friction? Why did you use that material?
- How did you use magnets?
Students share their designs with an appropriate audience, pitching their accessibility solution and its properties. They might do this by organising a class presentation, by recording a video of the students’ design pitches, or by taking photographs of each design for students to annotate.
Use the Accessibility solution evaluation Resource sheet for self- and peer assessment.
Reflect on the sequence
You might:
- refer to the list of student questions asked in the TWLH chart during the Launch phase. Determine which questions have been answered throughout the learning sequence, what the answers to the questions are, and the evidence that supports these claims. Address questions that have not been answered during the learning sequence, discuss why they might not have been addressed, and potential investigations that might support students to answer them.
- consider what students have learned about forces and motion, and how ideas can be used to support accessibility and equity.
- discuss why it is important to understand how forces interact to make movements easier or more challenging. Discuss kinds of jobs that would need to use this understanding, how it might apply to everyday life and how it might make you think about the ways you move things around.
- look up Mechanical Engineer Rafsan Chowdhury on the Primary Science Teaching Trust's A Scientist Just Like Me page, and discuss what a materials scientist does.