Building STEM Capability in Schools
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Introduction
The aims of today’s session are to:
• Share our understandings of what is meant by
STEM in the classroom
• Characterise and compare Higher Order
Thinking in Science and Engineering
• Illustrate how we may develop Higher Order
Thinking through reasoning tools
• Develop strategic inroads for increased and
sustainable STEM practice
General Capabilities
Australian Curriculum
Overarching Ideas
Australian Curriculum
Classifying with Variables and Values
Year 7 Aqueous Mixtures and their separation
Classifying with Variables and Values
Applying classification to understanding the
conceptual models of mixtures
Defining a problem and designing a
solution
Applying classification to understanding the
conceptual models of mixtures
Balance Beams
• A beam can be made to balance by using
different masses at different distances from
the centre
Try to make it balance!
• Put a 400 g mass two holes from the centre
• Try to balance the beam with different masses at different distances on
the other side. Write in all of the combinations of mass and distance that
make the beam balance.
Mass on Side B
Distance on Side B
(No of holes from pivot)
Mass x Distance
Results
• What do you notice about the product of
mass x distance?
If you have a smaller mass, you can compensate for
it by hanging it further out
• What is the relationship between mass and
distance?
If you can only hang the mass a short distance from
the centre, you can compensate for this by using a
heavy mass
Proportionality of variables
Proportionality of variables
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Visualising the Hypothesis
The hypothesis is a short statement that states
the relationship between the independent
variable and the dependent variables.
The hypothesis is tested with an investigation.
CMorritt
Problem: As the height of the ramp increases
what happens to the time taken for the toy
car to travel down the ramp?
What an hypothesis may look like;
dependent
variable(units)
If the independent variable is increased then
the dependent variable increases.
Directly proportional
independent variable
(units)
Hypothesis: If the height of the ramp is
increased then the time of travel increases.
time of travel
(sec)
Toy cars rolling down a ramp
Directly proportional
Height of ramp
(cm)
What an hypothesis may look like;
dependent
variable(units)
If the independent variable is increased
then the dependent variable decreases.
Inversely proportional
independent variable
(units)
Hypothesis: If the height of the ramp is increased
then the time of travel of the car decreases.
time of travel
(sec)
Toy cars rolling down a ramp
Inversely proportional
Height of ramp
(cm)
What an hypothesis may look like;
dependent
variable(units)
If the independent variable is increased then
the dependent variable does not change.
dependent variable
is constant
independent variable
(units)
Hypothesis: If the height of the ramp is increased
then the time of travel of the car does not change.
time of travel
(sec)
Toy cars rolling down a ramp
velocity is constant
Height of ramp
(cm)
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Reasoning Patterns
Reasoning pattern
Description/details
Students are exposed to situations where they must control all independent variables other
Control and exclusion than the one under investigation (the ‘fair test’). This can be extended to situations where
of variables
more than one independent variable impact upon the dependent variable. This also
includes elimination of non-relevant variables during experiments.
Using information given, students explore proportionality and ratio.
Proportionality and
This type of thought requires pupils to understand the use of multiplicative reasoning rather
ratio
than simple additive functions i.e. that the ratio always remains constant.
Students deal with the manipulation of independent variables to keep a system constant,
Compensation and
i.e. in equilibrium. This means decreasing one variable as another increases to hold a
equilibrium
constant value.
Students work with systems of organising and classifying that shows the hierarchical nature
Classification
of grouping in this manner and the flexibility of classification systems to match the purpose
it has been employed for.
Students work with real-life relationships which can be complex and hard to discern due to
uncontrolled variables associated with them.
Correlation and
This emphasises the needs for large, repeat samples to reduce chance effects due to
probability
uncontrolled variables.
Analysis of collected data to determine the effect (and therefore relationship) between
variables allows students to engage in higher order thinking around data.
Students work with hypotheses and theories (including those that are self-devised) to
Formal models
explain observed phenomena and behaviour in a variety of situations and conditions. This
includes testing, reselecting and refining these models based on evidence.
Where to from here?
• Science and STEM activities need to incorporate
opportunities for critical and creative thinking
• Conscious consideration of reasoning patterns and
scaffolding this for students when adapting existing
resources or developing new resources helps
develop higher order thinking and stem capability
• Look at Curriculum to identify opportunities and
overlap when planning – reasoning patterns sit in
multiple places
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