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Science Handbook

Introduction

SAS Science in Practice (Approach B: Vocational learning strand) - Authority-registered subject

Welcome to online SAS Science in Practice. This handbook will help you to understand how the course is set up.

SAS Science in Practice is an authority-registered subject. You will receive 4 points towards your QCE, but not towards an OP.

Lesson 1 40 minutes

You will spend the first week of your course working through this handbook – it contains important information. If you have any other questions, contact your teacher.

What the course is about

The Science in Practice course provides you with a practical and investigative approach to learning Science. The course (over four semesters) is based on units designed to promote vocational education such as communication technologies, sport science and consumer science. The course also develops your general knowledge, literacy and scientific skills.

Course Structure

The course covers at least three of the following ‘course organisers’:

• science for the workplace • resources, energy and sustainability • health and lifestyles • environments • discovery and change.

Activity

What job can you get?

animal breeder wildlife carer hairdresser Science for the workplace

fisheries inspector conservation worker miner Resources, energy and sustainability

enrolled nurse fitness instructor dental technician alternative health therapist Health and lifestyles

aquaculture technician park ranger farmer ecotourism guide Environments

telecommunications technician computer service technician journalist research assistant Discovery and change

The Work Rate Calendar (WRC)

The WRC includes the lessons to complete each week as well as assessment items due dates. Refer to the WRC to see what you have to do and what you have to send in. PRINT it out and display it in a prominent place in your work area. Refer to it daily.

Check your WRC

Lessons are completed according to the Work Rate Calendar (WRC). Usually 4 lessons per week. Provided you have organised all your materials, each lesson should take you 40-45minutes. There is also time allocated to complete assessment tasks and attend a 1-hour web-conference lesson each week.

Web conferencing is use to discuss and compare ideas with your teacher and classmates. Pre-reading will be given for some sessions so that the discussion can be more productive. If you cannot attend the web conferences you’ll be required to do alternative work as stipulated in the course material.

Course Structure

Study Plan

A study plan (the course outline) is the school’s plan of how the course will be delivered and assessed.

Equipment and materials you’ll need

Science Experiment Kit

You have to buy your Science Experiment Kit from your school. It contains a range of materials and equipment that might be a little harder for you to obtain or difficult to obtain in small quantities. School-based students do not receive a kit, you need to negotiate access to the science lab at your school.

Check your science kit now

Many of the materials and equipment you will use can be collected from around your own home. Some of these will require some planning on your part to make sure they are ready when you need them.

Non-consumable items Saucepans, plates and bowls, glass jars, bottles and cutlery are examples of non-consumable items. After use, wash these items thoroughly.

Consumables These are materials that can only be used once for example food items, cardboard boxes and paper towels.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you don't have the required items, speak to your teacher about alternatives as soon as possible, or arrange to buy the required items. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required equipment ahead of time.

General Equipment/Materials required:

• reliable, high-speed internet access • access to a computer and printer • a supply of lined A4 paper • a supply of A4 photocopy paper • Help Sheet Folder • ring-binders/folders for course material • stationary (biros, pencils, eraser, sharpener, highlighters, scissors, sticky tape, PVA glue (e.g. wood glue), ruler • a headset for web conferencing • a telephone close to your work area • access to a DVD player • digital camera

Activity

My shopping list:

Plugins The course use several plugins that you will need to have installed on your computer. If you are having difficulties viewing some files then you may need to update your plugnins. Audacity Macromedia Flash Player Adobe Reader Java Internet browser - Firefox

Resources that will be provided: DVD with supplementary course material

Help files

One of the problems with distance education is that the student has so much information available, that they are often overwhelmed and don’t know what to do! Find and use information as need be, for example, if you have to do a practical involving heat – read the help file on “Safety with heat”!

Don’t know how to do something? Consult the help files in Blackboard FIRST, then ask your question in “The Microscope” wiki, if you still don’t know what to do, ask your teacher.

Science Help Files

• Risk Assessment • Safety in the lab, workplace, home • Writing a Scientific Report • Observations – how to • Taking accurate measurements • Interpreting data, charts, tables, graphs • Qualitative and quantitative data • Graphing and graphic analysis • Answering exam questions • Formulating and testing hypothesis • Justifying • Evaluating • Writing a discussion • Decision-making processes • Questions for guest speakers • Conducting surveys • Statistics • Using a data logger • Glossary (including terms used in SIP)

Study / Research Skills Help Files

• What makes a good Distance Education student? • Organisational / Self management skills • Concept Map (Graphic Organiser) • Flow charts (Graphic Organiser) • Compare/contrast (Graphic Organiser) • SWOT (Graphic Organiser) • PMI (Graphic Organiser) • Venn diagram • Keeping a learning log/blog • Journals and Portfolios • Lessons – what to do • Work returns • Avoiding Plagasirm • In-text referencing • End text referencing • Annotated Bibliographies • Note taking • Preparing for an assignment • Research Skills (internet, other) • Informative text • Persuasive argument • Planners – year planner, weekly timetable, assessment calculator

ICT Help Files

• ICT checklist • Icons • Blackboard • Set up a filing system • Create a document • Creating a homepage • Discussion board etiquette • Email etiquette • Chat etiquette • Podcasts • To resize a scan or photo • Plugins • Audacity • Macromedia Flash Player • Adobe Reader • Java • Internet browser – why use Firefox • Clickers in the classroom • Wikis • Web conferencing • PowerPoint / Prezi • Utube • Webpage

Managing your time

Lesson 2 40 minutes

Managing your time

What plan do you have in place to allow you to complete the requirements for SAS Science in Practice, Year 11 and 12? You need to think about this and set in place behaviours which will allow you to be successful.

A minimum of three hours per week is required to undertake this course.

What do I have to send in?

Assessment is continuous throughout the course. In continuous assessment all assessment tasks have a formative purpose to help you attain higher levels of performance. Later, as the course develop, assessment items become summative.

There are three main types of assessment you will complete. They are:

• Instant Feedback Tasks – continuous throughout the entire course. • Formative tasks – Year 11 only • Summative tasks – Year 12 only

Instant Feedback tasks

Instant feedback tasks are complete during your lesson time. It is quick way to determine if you are on track and understand the content covered in the topic.

Formative / Summative tasks

The formative / summative tasks you complete during each semester are the assessment items that will be used to determine your overall grade for each end–of-semester report. Your teacher will also use these tasks to judge your participation in the course. You will submit work approximately every two weeks of the course, or as required by the WRC.

Submit the work in the format required – e.g. in the digital dropbox in Blackboard, email as an attachment to your teacher, send in the mail. Remember that if you send work in the mail, you must attach a ‘Lesson Attachment Form’ – this was sent out with your program material.

You will complete at least four Formative / Summative tasks each year. These tasks can be:

• Practical projects • Assignments • Portfolios • Supervised assessments.

The tasks are assessed according to three general objectives:

• Knowing and understanding • Investigating • Connecting and concluding

Criteria sheets

You will be rated according to an A-E standard. The Criteria Sheets provide a clear specification of each of the standards. It provides the basis for teacher judgment about your achievement. It also provide you with the opportunity to evaluative your progress.

Authentication of student work

It is essential that judgments of student achievement are made on accurate and genuine student assessment responses. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the work is your own, particularly as you have access to electronic resources.

Particular methods the teacher may use to authenticate your work include:

• viewing plans and drafts of your work • keeping checklists of the development of responses • your use of in-text citations and referencing

Refer to the Study Area Specification Document on the QSA website for more details on the course.

The use of ICT

The course is rich in learning experiences involving the use of scientific instrumentation and technology. You get the opportunity to use computers (e.g. spreadsheets, accessing the internet, creation of webpages or blogs), presentation software such as PowerPoint or Prezi, podcasts, wikis and discussion boards, blogs, web-conferencing and telecommunication technologies.

In your Laboratory

In your Laboratory

Planning and conducting experiments is arguably the best part of Science! In the SAS Science in Practice course you get to design and perform experiments, look for patterns, construct meaning from your results and prepare presentations to illustrate and support your conclusions. Investigations often also include research.

By conducting investigations and collecting your own data for analysis, you develop and refine many scientific skills that scientists use all the time.

But where do you find equipment and materials to conduct these investigations?

When required, set up a work area on a table where you can conduct your experiments and investigations. Try to keep everything else off the table to prevent accidents. It is your responsibility to behave in a manner that minimises risks to ensure a safe environment for yourself and the others.

Print, read and sign the document below. Display it in a prominent place in your work area.

My Laboratory Rules

Do... • keep your experiment kit in a safe place • always follow the instructions given exactly • have all recommended materials and safety equipment ready at hand • keep notebooks and folders away from the experimental area • read the MSDS for any chemical before using it • clean up any spills at once • allow hot items to cool before touching them • tie long hair back and avoid loose clothing • wash up all equipment, clean bench top and wash hands when done.

Do not... • start any experiment before informing your home tutor • leave an ongoing experiment unattended • eat or drink while doing experiments • taste or smell any chemical unless instructed to do so • mix chemicals together unless told to do so • use flames unless told to do so (observe rules for using fire) • put any solid objects or chemicals down the sink.

Certification I have read and understood these laboratory rules. I agree to observe them during all investigations.

Signed: Date: (Student)

Witnessed (Home Tutor)

Use common sense at all times.

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