Chapter 1: THE NEED TO TEACH ABOUT THE PROCESSES OF SCIENCE

Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science

THINK Science has a particular way of understanding the world, trying to connect the
past with the present. When we do science, we ask ourselves three basic questions: (1)
What is this?, (2) How does it work?, and (3) How did it become like this?

Scientific Ways
Science works in specific ways. We have to remember that:
1. Science relies on evidence from the natural world. This evidence is logically
examined.
2. Although we must be flexible in our thinking, we should still follow the scientific
process guided by some parameters. and interpreted by scientists using reasoning.
3. Science is embedded within the times.

Scientific Principles
Science has the following principles:
1. Science assumes that we can learn about the world by gathering evidence using our
senses and the extensions of our senses, such as tools or equipment.
2.Science uses and tests evidence from the natural world in order to explain science
concepts or phenomena substantially.

3.Science is a process of continuously learning about the world around us.

4.Scientific claims are tested and accepted based on observations and rejected if these
fail the test.

Steps in the Scientific Method

This is a process where one carefully gathers and examines evidence by doing
experiments, running tests, and exploring observations in an effort to answer some
questions in a logical manner.

1. Make an observation - A good observation can help you create great questions.
2 Ask a question - Once you observe something and are curious about it, you start
asking questions about it.
3.Do some background research-Find out if other people have asked the same question
before.
4.Make a hypothesis- It refers to an educated guess about how things work.
5. Make a prediction-You can make a prediction of what might happen if you do
something to the thing you are curious about.
6.Do an experiment - This is to test your prediction. You start doing the experiment,
then collect data, gather measurements, and analyze the results of your experiment.
7.Analyze your data - You may put the results of your experiment in tables or graphs to
make it easier to analyze.
8. Draw your conclusion - After analyzing your data and presenting it in tables, charts,
or graphs, you can state a conclusion based on evidence.
9. Tell people about what you found out-Communicating the results of your experiment
in an oral presentation and/or in written form in a poster or a journal helps other people
who are interested in the same topic to interact with you.

Lesson 1.2: Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
In collecting evidence or data about things around us, one must have these basic
science process skills:

Observation -In observing, we use our five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and
hearing. This is the most basic skill in science. This involves exploring looks (color,
shape, and size), sounds, texture, temperature, pressure, tastes, and smells or odors.
Communication - Communicating is the process of letting other people know what we
are doing and thinking. We communicate in science by speaking, reading, and writing.
VERBAL, NON-VERBAL, PARA VERBAL
Measurement - We measure height, weight, length; volume, temperature, and density.
Unconventional Ways of Measuring
Children can use unconventional ways of measuring, also known as "nonstandard
measurement," like measuring something by using one's hand, one's feet, or any object
such as coins, paper clips, or a piece of string for measuring.

Conventional Ways of Measuring

Children can start with using "inch blocks" when learning how to measure how long an
object is as a concrete representation of what "one inch" really is.

Classification - When there are so many objects, events, and living things around us, it
is easier to study these when we classify them based on similarities, differences, and
interrelationships that we observe.
Inference - We infer when we try to figure out why and how an event happened,
Prediction - When we predict, we offer our best guess on what might happen in the
future based on facts or pieces of evidence. We are making a forecast of what we might
observe in the future.

Lesson 1.3: Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills

Students in science should be able to develop these skills in order for them to learn how
to pursue searching for knowledge by themselves. All scientific inquiries rest upon one's
ability to use these skills carefully, accurately, and appropriately.

The six integrated science process skills are:

identifying and controlling variables - When making experiments, we try to identify
variables, control variables, and check the effect of changing certain variables one by
one.
formulating and testing hypotheses- Formulating a hypothesis means you predict or
make a guess of what might happen if you manipulate one variable. In other words, you
might think, "if I change this, perhaps this might happen."
defining operationally- When you define variables operationally, you give a precise
meaning or a specific procedure for measuring the variable. This is to make sure that
our investigation is consistent. This also makes communicating with other people more
accurate. So, before you make any measurements when you do an experiment, you
must decide how exactly you will measure each variable.
interpreting data- When we interpret data, we give meaning to all the data we collect.
We first decide how to gather the data we need, organize it in a table, make charts or
graphs about the data we collect, then analyze it to make valid conclusions.
Experimenting- In this process of experimenting, we try to investigate the effect of
changing one variable on the change of another variable.
constructing models- When we construct a model, we are trying to make a visual
representation of an object or concept that may be too small or too big to observe in the
classroom, or that cannot be measured directly. We want to show how something looks
like and/or how something moves.

CHAPTER 2 L2. 1 DEPED FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING SCIENCE

Lesson 2.1:

The curriculum guide given by the department of education (DepEd) emphasize the
need to develop science literacy and culture among the Filipinos, whether or not they
pursue careers in science, specifically: scientific, technology, and environmental
literacy, as found in the introduction of the guide.

The K to 12 science curriculum envisions the development of scientifically,

technologically, and environmentally literate and productive members of society who
manifest skill as critical problem solvers, responsible steward of nature.

THE INTENDED OUTCOMES

The overall outcome of studying is found in a small rectangle at the top of a framework
above. It emphasize the need to develop scientific, technological and environmental
literacy among the student.

SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
The conceptual framework of science education or DepEd framework has a circle
divided into three parts showing the understanding of science knowledge which
includes:

(1) understanding and applying scientific knowledge,

(2) demonstrating scientific inquiry skill, and
(3) developing and demonstrating scientific attitudes and values, all of which were
discussed in chapter 1.
ATTRIBUTES NEEDED IN SCIENCE

Five attributes necessary in science are found around the center of the framework.
These are the attributes we went our student to develop as they study science and
hopefully, to continuously develop even after they finished studying in school. These
include being
(1) An effective communicator,
(2) A critical and creative problem solver,
(3) An informed decision maker,
(4) An innovative or inventive thinker and
(5) A responsible steward of nature

LEARNING THEORIES AND TEACHING APPROACHES

At the lowest part of the framework is a rectangle filled with little squares. The four
squares at the button of the rectangle are the theories (Constructivist, Social Cognition,
Social Cognition, Learning model, Learning Style theory, and brain-based learning), and
the four squares in the upper part of the rectangle are the teaching approaches
(Multu/Interdisciplinary Approach, Science-technology-Society Approach/ Contextual
Learning, Problem/issue-based Learning, and inquir-based approach) suggested by
DepEd for teachers to use in teaching science.

A brief review of the afore mentioned theories is as following:

Constructivism posits that peoe construct or develop their own Local understanding
of the world based on their own experience, Beliefs, culture, values and prior
knowledge. This theory is associated With "learning by doing" or "active
learning".

This implies that Teachers should understand students thanking’s and match
instructional strategies to what students can do. And teachers should response students
to plenty of hands experiences to help students to build their foundation of learning.

Social Cognition Learning Model or the Social Cognition Learning theory say people
gain knowledge by observing other people in the context of their interactions with them,
their experiences, and through influences by media. The role of adults, more peers, and
the media is very important, Teachers can use modeling, collaboration, and use media
in their teaching.

Learning style theory assumes that children have several learning style but may exhibit
a preferred learning style. Some prefer learning through visual, auditory, or tactile
kinesthetic ways. But since there is a high interconnectivity within the brain, as teachers,
we want to offer multiple pathways for presenting material, for engaging or working with
the material, and for expressing what they learned in assessment. We should cater to
all this preferences, so that all students are served. The reason being, if we label
students, we actually limit them.

In relation to this is the multiple intelligence theory that can show students
strength, being dominantly
(1) logical-mathematical,
(2) linguistic,
(3) musical,
(4) spatial,
(5) body-kinesthetic,
(6) interpersonal,
(7) intrapersonal, or
(8) naturalist, or a combination of several of these.
.

Brain-Based Learning or BBL is a latest findings on how the brain work based on
researchers in neuroscience, psychology, and education.

BBL believes in the plastically of the brain as changes through one's life.

1. Approach- Teachers should try to teach the whole brain. This means to both left-
dominant and right- dominant

2. Priming-Teacher should prime students on the new topic by connecting prior

knowledge with new topic to be discussed.

3. Novelty- Teachers must balance novelty with structure. They should create a
dynamic, multisensory, and novel environment for learning.

4. Motivational Strategies-Teachers should provide strategies of positive emotions

and encouragement that would motivate students to feel safe even when making
mistakes while trying to learning something.

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, we discuss the framework for teaching science and proposed by the
Department of education (DepEd). It contained the desire learning outcomes: science
content knowledge, inquiry skills, which includes all the science process skills
introduced in the previous lesson. And a positive scientific attitude.

The learning theories support science education studied here include Constructivism.
Social Cognition Learning Model, leaning style theory and based-learning.

The different student-centered teaching approaches recommended by DepEd for

teaching science include Multi/Interdisciplinary approach, Science-Technology-Society
Approach/Contextual learning, Problem/issue based learning and inquiry-based
approach. The following lesson in this chapter present these teaching approaches found
in the DepEd conceptual framework for science, plus a few more teaching methods
used to effectively teach science around the world.

Lesson 2.2
The 4 A's Lesson Activity Plan
The 4 A Lesson Plan is said to be "learner-centered," where the teacher acts as a
facilitator. This is commonly used by public school teachers for any subject. It seem to
be anchored on cognitivism, and other learning theories previously mentioned, focusing
on how information is received by the learner, organized, stored to memory, and
retrieved by the mind when needed.

Lesson Plan
A lesson plan is a roadmap that teachers create to structure daily activity in their
classrooms. It outlines what students will learn during each class period, how the lesson
will be taught and how student progress will be measured.

Parts of Lesson Plan

I. Objectives
II. Content
III. Procedure
IV. Evaluation
V. Assignment/Agreement
VI. Remarks
VII. Reflection

The 1st A:
Activity
Activate prior knowledge

Engaging the learners to the activities that will link them to activate their prior
knowledge.
The 2nd A:

Analysis

Acquire new Knowledge.

Promoting higher order thinking.

The 3rd A:
Abstraction
The content of the lesson.
The concrete ideas will turn into an abstract idea.

Ways in doing Abstraction:

1. Present the new lesson.
2. Discussion
3. Create an activity to check if learning has occurred.
4. Generalize.

The 4th A:
Application
Applying the learnings.
Transforming the learnings into new situations.

LESSON SUMMARY
In this lesson, you had the opportunity to use the 4As lesson plan, which is currently
being promoted for use by DepEd in various subjects. The 4As are actually found in the
Procedure part of a regular lesson plan, It starts with (1) activity, where the teacher
introduces a motivating, interesting, hands-on, and concrete activity that can link prior
knowledge to the new lesson. This is followed by (2) analysis, where the teacher finds
out the readiness of the students for the new lesson, checking for understanding,
making sure that the prerequisite skills are acquired, facilitating discussions moving
from lower to higher order thinking skills, and introducing the new lesson. Then comes
(3) abstraction, so students can go from concrete to abstract, with the teacher giving
guided and independent practice for mare in-depth understanding, followed by the
development of generalizations. Finally, there is (4) application, where students are
given the opportunity to apply their new knowledge to a new situation