STANSW has partnered with The University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) to provide NSW teachers training on practical activities that encourage critical scientific thinking amongst students!
This pilot program, based on the UC Berkeley’s Scientific Thinking for All – A Toolkit, is designed to equip students with the skills to think critically when using and evaluating information.
The program is aligned with the new NSW syllabus and comprises of 4 x 1 hour sessions, with teachers participating in hands-on activities in each session.
By participating in the pilot program, NSW teachers have the opportunity to learn how to arm students with tools for scientific thinking, and how to use these ideas in the context of real issues at the intersection of science and society, ranging from water quality to land use.
Delve into:
- Explicit instruction of critical thinking skills in a context
- Scientific inquiry
- Lateral reading
- Evaluation skills – Accuracy, reliability, validity
- Scientific communication
- Facts vs value
- Contemporary contexts
Pilot Program Overview
Session 1 – Evidence and iteration (aligned most with year 7-8): Skipton’s water
When: 5 March, 7.30am-8.30am
What: This session will demonstrate an activity where students introduced to a fictional scenario about providing clean drinking water for a town. They make a decision based on available information. They are then provided with additional data and revisit their decision. Teachers will then lead their students to discuss the role of evidence in decision-making. The concepts of relevance, accuracy, and reliability of evidence are introduced.
How to register: Register here.
Session 2 – Evidence and iteration (aligned most with year 7-8): Water quality challenge
When: 11 March, 7.30-8.30am
What: This session will demonstrate an activity where students work together to design and build simple water-filtration devices. They test their filtered water for turbidity, pH, and simulated contaminants (red food dye). They collaborate with other groups to share results and improve their designs. The process illustrates unit concepts such as iteration, collaboration, and science as a human endeavour.
How to register: Register here.
Term 2 Sessions
More details to come on the below sessions for term 2.
Session 3 – Group Decision making (aligned most with year 9-10): Evaluating energy facts
Session 4 – Group Decision making (aligned most with year 9-10): Building Initiative