Creative ideas to teach primary physics: Stars and space

The new science curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 encourages a variety of approaches to pupils’ scientific investigations – but how creative can you be in a subject where the boundaries are so fixed? Ed Walsh examines the power of creativity within constraints, and gives a range of example activities to teach the physics-based topic, stars and space.

It is true that in science, especially primary science, the outcomes of activities are often set and closed. Pupils are expected to get the ‘right’ answer, and if they do so, their experiment is deemed to have succeeded. Unfortunately, this may result in children developing the idea that science is a set body of knowledge, and as such, exploration is pointless, since it’ll simply take them to the same conclusions other people have already found – an attitude which is the complete antithesis of scientific thinking!

Create an account to read this article

£7.00+ VAT

One-off purchase

Purchase and Download today

Register for free

No Credit Card required

Register for free
Access to 3 free articles
Free TeachingTimes Report every month

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#42524"
  ["title"]=>
  string(27) "An education from the earth"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(58) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/an_education_from_the_earth/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1437656003)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-42524-2"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(342) "Introducing children to notions of environmental citizenship and instilling a love of nature is essential, not only for the future of our planet, but for our children’s physical and mental wellbeing. Richard Harvey provides some practical ideas for integrating the natural world into all aspects of the primary curriculum."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(366) "... guide the children throughout all stages ofthe build and ensure they know all the detailsabout the materials used, the building processand the impact their new space has on theenvironment.Making links across thecurriculumAs mentioned earlier, it is important that schoolsdo not separate environmental citizenship fromthe rest of the curriculum. Some ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(27) "An education from the earth"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(342) "Introducing children to notions of environmental citizenship and instilling a love of nature is essential, not only for the future of our planet, but for our children’s physical and mental wellbeing. Richard Harvey provides some practical ideas for integrating the natural world into all aspects of the primary curriculum."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "ideas"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "primary"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5643) "should ensure thatthe staff and pupils work together to plan anddesign it. When children get involved in thedesign process, they develop a sense of prideand empowerment. Teachers should be trainedto guide the children throughout all stages ofthe build and ensure they know all the detailsabout the materials used, the building processand the impact their new space has on theenvironment.Making links across thecurriculumAs mentioned earlier, it is important that schoolsdo not separate environmental citizenship fromthe rest of the curriculum. Some schoolsmay choose to teach specific environmentalawareness lessons, but teachers should alsoensure that the concept is embedded in allareas of academic study. There are a numberof ways teachers can link environmentalcitizenship with the different areas of thecurriculum:EnglishTo incorporate environmental citizenship intoEnglish lessons, teachers need to find waysto get creative. Natural surroundings can beused as inspiration for a tale or poem, and ideasabout the environment and how our actionsnow could affect the future can inspire somevery interesting fictional pieces. Could pupilsimagine a dystopian future where the earthhasn’t been protected as it should? And don’tforget the opportunities for non-fiction writing.Could pupils write an information or explanationtext about the plants and animals they seeon their school grounds? Alternatively, havethem imagine that the local council wants tobuild houses on their school field. Tasks couldinclude writing a letter to persuade the councilto change their plan, or creating emotivecampaign posters and leaflets.The natural world can also be a usefulvehicle to develop speaking and listeningskills. Role-play is a useful way to developchildren’s empathy and understanding. Whynot hot-seat the animals living in your localarea? Ask them: How are their lives affectedby irresponsible and thoughtless humanbehaviour? What would they like the class todo about it? Outdoor classrooms and canopiescan also be the perfect stage for storytellingand performances.ScienceExperiments and discoveries are much moreinteresting when they’re hands-on. Teachersand pupils can take science lessons outsideand learn about nature first-hand. Create aliving garden and give children the opportunityto learn about the water cycle, pollination,composting and how plants interact with otherareas of the natural world such as minibeastsand birds. Can the pupils create a food webbased on the plants and animals in their classgarden?Biology isn’t the only science relevant tothe environment. Combine it with chemistryfor an investigation into the properties ofplastic, metal, cardboard and other man-madematerials. What impact do these have on theenvironment when we throw them away?Which materials can be recycled? Take yourclass out into the school grounds to make a listof the litter and debris they see on the floor.How much of the litter is biodegradable? Whathappens when materials rot?Physics-based topics can be explored outsidetoo. Let pupils experience the weather and theseasons for themselves. Measure the shadowscast by trees on the playground at various timesof the day. Have children and parents chart thestars in the sky together – can they see theimpact of light pollution?MathsMaths lessons are the most typically associatedwith the classroom, but it is possible forteachers to move away from the whiteboardand use classes for more natural interaction.The natural world creates plenty of opportunityfor data collection – could your pupils record datarelated to cloud cover, rainfall or temperature?An extension to this would be to compare theBritish climate with others around the world.For younger children, counting rings on tree-stumps, identifying shapes on minibeasts andmeasuring angles on leaf veins are other uniqueways to bring the environment and numeracytogether.Other subject areasWorking with nature in all the core subjects will15Volume5.4nCreativeTeaching&LearningCurriculumInnovationinspire children to think about how importantthe environment is to everyday activities.However, there are a number of subjectsoutside the core areas of the curriculumthat can also benefit from the inclusion ofenvironmental citizenship.The natural world, for example, is acornerstone of geography. Conduct fieldworkon your school grounds, at local rivers or inlocal wooded areas. Map the school grounds,marking buildings and different types of terrain.Can pupils follow a simple map to find sometreasure? Can they use grid references or acompass? Chart local weather patterns andcompare the climate with countries in Europe,Africa, Asia or the Americas. All the betterif your school is partnered with a school inanother country and pupils can compare theirdata with that of their foreign counterparts.The arts too benefit from interaction withnature. Using natural objects as artistic toolsor for still-life drawings is a creative way forchildren to see the environment as somethingthat should be admired and cared for. Musiclessons can also be enjoyed in the greatoutdoors; teachers can encourage pupils touse their surroundings as inspiration or evenas the instruments.Finally, growing vegetables and herbs as partof PSHE, religious education, or cooking andnutrition is an interactive way to learn aboutsustainability and environmental stewardship,and to feel engaged with the concept ofhealthy eating. Spending more time outdoorsand learning about the environment can alsohelp children to understand their rights andresponsibilities, and how they can play anactive and important"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(4) {
        [0]=>
        string(8) "creative"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "teach"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "physics"
        [3]=>
        string(5) "space"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(41) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(false)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(8) "creative"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Creative Teaching & Learning

An education from the earth

23 Jul 2015

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#42923"
  ["title"]=>
  string(33) "Stars, sounds and simple circuits"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(63) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/stars-sounds-and-simple-circuits/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1455208160)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-42923-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(343) "... for Key Stages 1 and 2 encourages a variety of approaches to pupils’ scientific investigations – but how creative can you be in a subject where the boundaries are so fixed? Ed Walsh inspires with a range of ideas to spark pupils’ imagination in physics and encourage creative, learner-led enquiry."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(340) "... be a response to these.The new science curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 encourages a varietyof approaches to pupils’ scientific investigations – but how creative canyou be in a subject where the boundaries are so fixed? Ed Walsh inspireswith a range of ideas to spark pupils’ imagination in physics ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(42) "Stars, sounds and simple circuits"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "stars"
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(366) "The new science curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 encourages a variety of approaches to pupils’ scientific investigations – but how creative can you be in a subject where the boundaries are so fixed? Ed Walsh inspires with a range of ideas to spark pupils’ imagination in physics and encourage creative, learner-led enquiry."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(8) "creative"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "ideas"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "physics"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5740) "Focuson: Science48Volume6.2nCreativeTeaching&LearningStars, soundsand simplecircuits49Volume6.2nCreativeTeaching&LearningFocuson: ScienceCreativity is a key component ofeducation. Of course we want pupilsto express their creativity – more thanthat, we want to provide opportunitiesthat will develop it. Why wouldn’t we? However,it’s easier to see how that might happen in someareas of the curriculum than others. Pupils can createartwork in art, models in design and technology, and writing inEnglish. What about science though? Can children be creative there?Surely science is pretty much fixed, at least to the extent that ideasin the primary curriculum stretch. After all, isn’t the key challenge of thecurriculum to get pupils to understand what’s already been determined?Creativity within constraintsIt is true that in science, especially primary science, the outcomes ofactivities are often set and closed. Pupils are expected to ‘get the rightanswer’ and, if they do so, the experiment is deemed to have succeeded.Children may develop from this the idea that science is a set body ofknowledge, and that exploration will simply take them to the sameconclusions that other people have already found.The key, however, is to remember that working creatively isn’t –and shouldn’t be – counterposed to working under constraints. It issometimes tempting to imagine that the fewer constraints applied toa context, the more creative it is possible to be, when, in fact, someof the most creative responses that society has produced have beenin response to some very challenging constraints. The originalbrief for the Citroen 2CV car, for example, included being ableto safely transport a basket of eggs across a ploughed field. Incomputing, amazing games are produced using programminglanguages that won’t work unless strict rules are observed.Likewise, in science, there are constraints – some of whichare absolute whereas others arise from what’s safe,practical and affordable in a primary school. Creativitycan be a response to these.The new science curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 encourages a varietyof approaches to pupils’ scientific investigations – but how creative canyou be in a subject where the boundaries are so fixed? Ed Walsh inspireswith a range of ideas to spark pupils’ imagination in physics and encouragecreative, learner-led enquiry.Focuson: Science50Volume6.2nCreativeTeaching&Learningand to an area with very little light pollution, thenight sky truly is a wonder to behold. Peopleof ancient civilisations named constellationsbecause they recognised the regular patternof stars and, within that, certain arrangements.The constellations are a way of navigating thenight sky, and naming them is a clever wayof learning your way around. Our modernconstellation system comes from the ancientGreeks, who named them after characters fromtheir stories and fables – characters that werefamiliar to their culture.What might we use in the 21st century toname the same patterns? A tumble drier? An icecream scoop? A top hat? Pupils can be suppliedwith drawings showing the arrangement ofstars in a variety of constellations and askedto use their imagination to suggest modernnames. Show a few examples of traditionalconstellations, such as Orion, and let pupilssee that they shouldn’t be too constrained bythe precise shape.This is not simply an exercise in ‘what doesthis look a bit like?’. A key learning point, andone that takes people quite a time to appreciate,is that when we look out at the universe, weThe proposition explored in this articleis that there is a range of opportunities forpupils to think and work creatively in science.They don’t require ‘taking a holiday’ from theprogramme of study – indeed they assistwith delivering it effectively, especially withthe new curriculum’s increased emphasis onchild-led investigation and its encouragementof a variety of approaches to enquiry. Theopportunities for creativity in this article arefrom three topics from the physics area, whichis sometimes the part that teachers feel lessconfident with.Stars and spaceA careful reading of the programme of studyfor science in KS1 and 2 reveals that this topicis less about collating information on planetsand more about using models to produceexplanations, such as how ideas about theSolar System have changed over the yearsand the factors that cause day and night anddetermine its length.Naming constellationsHaving recently moved out into the countryside51Volume6.2nCreativeTeaching&LearningFocuson: Sciencedo so from a particular perspective – that ofthe Earth. Constellations look as if they consistof stars that are close together, but this isn’tnecessarily true. Standing outside a field, agatepost close to you may seem to be linedup with a telegraph pole on the far edge, yetthe pole is much further away. It also drawsout a key skill in science – that of looking forpatterns and exceptions. Stars appear in thesame pattern night after night, but the planets‘wander around’, and it was this that firstalerted observers to their different nature (infact, the word ‘planet’ means ‘wanderer’).Exploring the constellations also provides away into the stories attached to their traditionalnames. A useful resource in exploring the nightsky and the myths behind the constellations isthe freely downloadable ‘Stellarium’ program(stellarium.org), which can be installed on aPC. This open source planetarium for yourcomputer displays the sky visible from anyplace on any date, shows features"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(8) "creative"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "ideas"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "primary"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "physics"
        [4]=>
        string(5) "stars"
        [5]=>
        string(5) "space"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(41) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(false)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(8) "creative"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Creative Teaching & Learning

Stars, sounds and simple circuits

11 Feb 2016

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43488"
  ["title"]=>
  string(38) "SLT 7.6 Preparing children for puberty"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(67) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/slt76-preparing-children-for-puberty/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1489407472)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43488-1"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(281) "Young people have long complained that the sex and relationships education (SRE) they receive at school and at home is ‘too little, too late’. Lucy Emmerson suggests that knowledge about puberty, taught creatively in Primary Schools, is a good place to start."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(359) "... contrast with text book diagrams that depict a labelled slice throughthe reproductive system.Art is also ideal for expressing the emotional and psychological dimensions ofpuberty. Ideas about how to take a creative approach to puberty education are set outin The Puberty Issue, a free resource for teachers with lesson ideas ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(38) "SLT 7.6 Preparing children for puberty"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(281) "Young people have long complained that the sex and relationships education (SRE) they receive at school and at home is ‘too little, too late’. Lucy Emmerson suggests that knowledge about puberty, taught creatively in Primary Schools, is a good place to start."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(7) "primary"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "stars"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5681) "opportunities.“”http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/resources/curriculum-design.aspxhttp://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/resources/curriculum-design.aspxhttp://www.jkp.com/laying-the-foundations-second-edition.html92Vol 7.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileEducatingchildrenthen be built on in Years 5 and 6. Remember that children will have noticed visiblechanges amongst older peers or siblings, but may not have had any discussion withan adult about the more and less visible body changes. The key is not to save it all upfor one big puberty talk at the end of primary school, but to talk about change andpuberty as something that is normal.Ten tips from young people for good quality pubertyeducation1. Include more detail about body ,changes such as pubic hair growth, vaginal discharge and wet dreams.2. Show a diverse range of body shapes in teaching resources.3. Explain that there is a wide spectrum of experiences of puberty, including the age that it starts, and that this isnormal.4. Address the emotional and psychological dimensions of puberty.5. Take the opportunity to challenge gender stereotypes.6. Start talking about puberty earlier.7. Make it clear that sexual feelings (or the absence of them) and development are normal.8. Plan opportunities for pupils to ask questions.9. Find ways to involve parents and carers too.10. Invite discussion about different cultural and religious practices relating to puberty.A question at the heart of many children’s feelings about puberty is ‘am I normal?That is why it’s important to include details about body changes such as vaginaldischarge and wet dreams. Many young people report that no one told them that theseoccurrences were normal and they spent years worrying about them.Learning about puberty is also an opportunity to understand about diversity andthe wide variation between people. Art creates space to look at the diversity of humanbodies, which may contrast with text book diagrams that depict a labelled slice throughthe reproductive system.Art is also ideal for expressing the emotional and psychological dimensions ofpuberty. Ideas about how to take a creative approach to puberty education are set outin The Puberty Issue, a free resource for teachers with lesson ideas for all Key Stages.It is also worth reflecting on how puberty education reinforces or addresses genderstereotypes. Are girls and boys split for lessons about puberty? If so, are they broughtback together to share learning? And what is the rationale for separate lessons? Boyshttp://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/resources/sex-educational-supplement.aspx93Vol 7.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileEducatingchildrenand girls alike say they want to learn about periods and wet dreams, and tools suchas anonymous question boxes can help overcome embarrassment to ask questions infront of peers. Young people identifying as transgender, non-binary or other gendersare most likely to rate their puberty education as inadequate, and unnecessarilysplitting the class into girls and boys can create an artificial divide.Pupils will enjoy handling puberty products such as menstrual pads, menstrualcups, tampons, deodorant, razors and shaving cream. To encourage critical reflectionabout how we make choices about the products we ,use try the following activitywith top primary or lower secondary pupils. Collect a selection of products and laythem out on a table. Ask pupils to sort the products according to different criteriasuch as essential / non-essential, for girls / boys / both, and prompt pupils to look atthe marketing and packaging. Does everyone agree? Products are often marketed toreinforce gender stereotypes and the idea that the product is essential. This activity canalso prompt discussion about hair removal and the fact that attitudes to this changewith fashion, and over ,time and is in fact a personal choice. For more ideas aboutchallenging gender stereotyp ,es take a look at The Gender Issue, which has lesson ideasfor a gender-aware approach throughout SRE.For older children , the new National Curriculumscience programme of study includes pupils learningabout ‘the structure and function of the male andfemale reproductive system including the menstrualcycle’. Government guidance on SRE (DfEE, 2000)emphasises that teaching must focus on boys as muchas girls and should aim to build self-esteem.Knowledge of anatomy is an important foundationfor enabling young people to talk openly about thebody and to understand concepts such as fertilityand infertility, conception and contraception, and thetransmission and prevention of sexually transmittedinfections. But learning about the body must go beyondbiology, it is also an opportunity to teach young peoplethat their body is their own and that intimate contactwith other people’s bodies must be based on consent.Ofsted has highlighted that relationships educationis a particular weakness in secondary school SRE. This isbacked up by survey findings, with more than ourf in tenGovernment guidanceon SRE (DfEE, 2000)emphasises thatteaching must focus onboys as much as girlsand should aim to buildself-esteem.“”http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/resources/sex-educational-supplement.aspx94Vol 7.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileEducatingchildrenReferencesSex Education For .um .(2016) Heads or Tails? What young people tell us aboutSREyoung people reporting that they had not learnt about how to tell when a relationshipis healthy (46%) or abusive (44%). Half (50%) of young people had not discussed"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(8) "creative"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "ideas"
        [2]=>
        string(5) "teach"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "primary"
        [4]=>
        string(5) "stars"
        [5]=>
        string(5) "space"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

SLT 7.6 Preparing children for puberty

13 Mar 2017

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43780"
  ["title"]=>
  string(28) "Engineering a new curriculum"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
    [1]=>
    string(16) "Leading Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(62) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/slt82-engineeringanewcurriculum/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1506430975)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43780-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(234) "Rather than just address STEM teaching as discrete subjects, primary and secondary schools would do well embed it within an engineering curriculum focused on the problem-solving orientations of engineers, suggests Bill Lucas."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(350) "... a kind of problem-based learning. For the teachers involved, it became obvious that, not only could they deepen their pupils’ knowledge, they could also teach in a way that was engaging, creative and likely to develop young engineers.  Rethinking pedagogyCentre for Real-World Learning’s Model of Engineering Habits ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(5) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(28) "Engineering a new curriculum"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["author"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Bill Lucas"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(234) "Rather than just address STEM teaching as discrete subjects, primary and secondary schools would do well embed it within an engineering curriculum focused on the problem-solving orientations of engineers, suggests Bill Lucas."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(7) "primary"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5635) "Earlier this year, with my colleagues at the universities of Winchester and Manchester, I published the results of a two-year research project, which we believe has profound implications for the curriculum at all levels within the education system. Although it addressed a particular problem, our inability to create, as a nation, enough high-powered engineers, the report  Learning to be an Engineer: implications for the education system,  found that  a new reframing of the curriculum in terms of set of problem-solving  habits of mind typically found in top engineers was more important to prioritise than the set of subjects typically associated with engineering, such as maths, physics and design and technology. One of the most effective ways of developing young engineers in schools is a playful experimentation with the use of authentic design processes, a kind of problem-based learning. For the teachers involved, it became obvious that, not only could they deepen their pupils’ knowledge, they could also teach in a way that was engaging, creative and likely to develop young engineers.  Rethinking pedagogyCentre for Real-World Learning’s Model of Engineering Habits of MindThe teachers taking part in our research realised that teaching engineering, like developing creativity, depends at least as much on experimentation and imagination as it does on subject knowledge. They drew on three ‘signature pedagogies’2 – the engineering design process, playful experimentation and authentic engagement with engineers. The signature pedagogies – teaching and learning methods – were selected as those most likely to help pupils think like engineers.Gomer Junior School in Hampshire, for example, introduced engineering sessions in every year group each Thursday  morning from 09.00-12.00. The sessions integrated maths, literacy, science and IT with the aim of motivating learners and fostering understanding of real-world applications of STEM subjects by experiencing hands-on activities, such as The Space Race project featuring Tim Peake’s Principia Mission3,  and involved programming Crumble-controlled moon buggies.  Underpinning their teaching and learning was a version of the engineering design process, the STEM Wheel. STEM WheelBy contrast, Medway University Technical College (UTC) in Kent focused on raising awareness among staff and students about the six engineering habits of mind, their usefulness and ways of integrating them into the curriculum. Whole-school assemblies were organised around each habit of mind and icons for use on posters and rewards postcards were created. The systems thinking one is shown  below.The popular ‘Be Like Bill’ social media meme (above) was also adapted to explain the meaning of each engineering habit of mind, in this case problem-finding.Medway UTC’s strategies to cultivate awareness of EHoM had an important impact on those teachers in subjects such as art and English, who felt much more included in the overall engineering mission of the school.Some possible problems with problem-based learningThe teachers were, in essence, using a set of approaches associated with the approach known as problem-based learning (PBL). PBL is a hands-on method of teaching which focuses on messy, real-world problems and encourages students to explore these in depth and over time. Interestingly, PBL produces negative reactions from some researchers and, in the second part of this article, I explore some of these and offer some counter arguments.1. Constructivist teaching which allows pupils to explore problems in less structured ways is not as effective as direct instruction.An example of such a critique is a paper by Paul Kirschner, John Sweller and Richard Clark. The first part of the title of the article suggests their line of argument – Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching4 Kirschner and his colleagues draw on thinking about working memory and about the acquisition of expertise. They are right to remind us that novices and intermediate learners often need specific instruction to master core concepts and key skills, but they fail to ask a more fundamental question  about the learning outcomes which are desired by teachers. Obviously, young engineers, for example, need to have some mathematical and scientific knowledge, but they also need to be able to apply this in the real world. PBL was invented by those training doctors who had become concerned that trainees had good knowledge, but little ability to put this into practice with patients. There is now a journal devoted to understanding PBL with rigour and subtlety5 and, from meta-analytical research, it is possible to understand its application a much more nuanced way. PBL does not have to be a binary alternative to direct instruction, nor was it in our engineering research. Rather, it can be combined with moments of didactic input as required. By the same token, the idea of ‘minimal instruction’ forces some unhelpful binary thinking about the nature of learning when, in reality, structures such as the engineering design process, when well used, bring structure to pupils’ enquiries.2. The concept of PBL is unhelpful An extension of the previous argument, this one is easy to deal with for it assumes that there is a common understanding of what PBL is when there is not. Johannes Strobel and Angela van Barneveld"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(5) {
        [0]=>
        string(8) "creative"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "ideas"
        [2]=>
        string(5) "teach"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "physics"
        [4]=>
        string(5) "space"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(2) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(16) "Leading Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

Engineering a new curriculum

26 Sep 2017