Scootle

Homepage link

Introduction
Scootle is a free website which allows the user to access a multitude of resources relating to the Australian curriculum, including the science curriculum. Filled with information, simulations and games based on the science curriculum, Scootle is a great tool to use for teachers when lesson planning as it allows for independent learning that is still structured.

Instructions
After creating a free scootle account, click on the "browse resources" tab and select "science".

Scroll down to year 10 science > biology and then the ACSSU185 (The theory of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of living things and is supported by a range of scientific evidence.

Select the biology food web activity to learn more about an antarctic food web. Students should copy down the food web in detail into their exercise book to document their new knowledge.

Outcomes Covered
SC5-7WS processes, analyses and evaluates data from first-hand investigations and secondary sources to develop evidence-based arguments and conclusions
SC5-14LW analyses interactions between components and processes within biological systems
LW2 Conserving and maintaining the quality and sustainability of the environment requires scientific understanding of interactions within, the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecosystems.
c. describe how energy flows through ecosystems, including input and output through food webs (ACSSU176)
f. evaluate some examples in ecosystems, of strategies used to balance conserving,
protecting and maintaining the quality and sustainability of the environment with human activities and needs

Wordle

Homepage Link

Introduction
Wordle is a web app which allows the user to make "word clouds" based on words found in a block of text. This tool is excellent for students to use to find key words in a passage they are reading or to present the key ideas in an assessment task in a creative way.

Instructions
Click the link above to go to the wordle homepage. Click the create tab at the top

Next enter the text you wish to turn into a word cloud. Alternatively the URL of an RSS feed may be entered. Lastly, click the submit button to view your word cloud.

The word cloud below is based on a passage on climate change. An excellent use for wordle is as a way to start a class discussion or mind map based on the topics that come up relating to climate change. In this example, the words which come up are change, weather, past, climate, processes and conditions.

Syllabus Dotpoints
Stage 5
SC5-13ES explains how scientific knowledge about global patterns of geological activity and interactions involving global systems can be used to inform decisions related to contemporary issues
ES3 People use scientific knowledge to evaluate claims, explanations or predictions in relation to interactions involving the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
c. evaluate scientific evidence of some current issues affecting society that are the result of human activity on global systems, eg the greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, effect of climate change on sea levels, long-term effects of waste management and loss of biodiversity
d. discuss the reasons different groups in society may use or weight criteria differently to evaluate claims, explanations or predictions in making decisions about contemporary issues involving interactions of the Earth's spheres

Exploratree

Homepage


Introduction
Exploratree is a web app which allows the user to create "thinking guides", diagrams or mindmaps to compile information in a visual way. There are a variety of different templates available to users that are grouped under headings like: map your ideas, explore, solve problems, analyse and different perspectives. Exploratree is a simple way to compile information that does not require a user to sign up. It is a great alternative to traditional mind maps done on a whiteboard as it allows the user to save and come back to the diagram. This can be useful for teachers gathering information for students or as a way for a student to submit their work in an assessment task.

Instructions
Exploratree is extremely simple to use and requires minimal knowledge of computers. A user can either create their own thinking guide or create one from scratch. To do this, the user clicks on their preferred option on the homepage, as shown below.

Once a template has been selected, it can be edited by simply clicking the "do it" button at the top of the editing page. To display work, click the "show it" button or one of the share links

Use in Class
Exploratree would be an excellent revision tool for HSC students looking to compare and contrast something. For example, the patterns in nature topic in the preliminary course calls on students to compare and contrast things, and this would be an excellent way to either present information as a small informal assessment task in class or as revision for the end of year exam. This can be done using the compare and contrast template shown below:

Outcomes Covered
8.1 13.1
b) selecting and using appropriate media to present data and information
c) selecting and using appropriate formats to acknowledge sources of information
d) using symbols and formulae to express relationships and using appropriate units for physical quantities
e) using a variety of pictorial representations to show relationships and present information clearly and succinctly
8.3.4.2.1 compare the roles of respiratory, circulatory and excretory systems
8.3.4.2.2 identify and compare the gaseous exchange surfaces in an insect, a fish, a frog and a mammal
8.3.4.2.5 compare open and closed circulatory systems using one vertebrate and one invertebrate as examples

Socrative

Website (for teachers) and App (for students)

Introduction 
Socrative is an app which allows teachers to set quizzes for their students and get real-time results. An excellent tool to use during a revision lesson or at the end of class, socrative is an effective tool as it can be used as an informal assessment for the student or a tool to see how the class is going as a whole.

Instructions
Teachers

Click the website link above and create a free account.

Once on the teacher homepage or dashboard, click the "manage quizzes" tab at the top of the page

 Next, click the "Create Quiz" button and begin entering questions

Below is an example of a multiple choice quiz on organelles

Students

Download the app from the link above. Enter your name, room number and begin answering the questions the teacher has set!







The teacher then can view the class results.

Lesson Integration
Socrative is an ideal tool for informal assessment at the start or beginning of a lesson to either look at what the students have learnt during the lesson, what they have retained from last lesson or as a formative tool to see what they already know at the start of a lesson or unit. Following on from my example above, it is a great app for testing HSC students about a particular topic such as cells and microbiology.

When used like this, outcomes covered could include:
7.1.6.3.1 explains why the biochemical processes that occur in cells are related to macroscopic changes in the organism
8.3.1.2. identify cell organelles seen with current light and electron microscopes

PhET

Link to Homepage

Introduction
PhET is a website containing multiple simulations for maths and science. The science simulations can be used for all year levels, from primary school to the HSC and even university. Simulations are downloaded directly onto the computer and a teacher would therefore be able to upload them to the school's online learning system, removing the need to navigate the website. However, a screencap of the website is included below to show the large variety of simulations they have available.




















Included with each simulation is a section where teachers can upload ideas for class activities and questions, making the site an excellent world wide collaborative tool. Included below is an example of the page for a basic forces and motion simulation. As you can see below, the top of the page contains the download link and information about the simulation itself and the bottom part of the page has tips for teachers and teaching ideas.

Instructions
One simulation looks at the states of matter according to particle type, particle movement, temperature and pressure.

The different particles that can be looked at are neon, argon, oxygen and water. Changing states of matter can either be achieved by changing the temperature meter at the bottom of the screen or selecting a preferred state. The particles at each state move accurately according to how the particle behaves in real life. Shown below is an example for water as a solid, liquid and a gas. Also included as a tab on pressure change, but as this is not included in the stage 4 syllabus (see outcomes below), it will not be discussed here.

Use in Class
This simulation can be used at a basic stage four to the HSC chemistry level to investigate states of matter. However, it could be a really useful tool in year seven or eight to engage students with the animation, whilst also demonstrating change of states in an accurate and informative way. It would be really beneficial used in an informal setting so the students could play around with settings and make their own discoveries about states of matter.

A suggestion for an informal class could be asking each student to select an atom or molecule they want to look at and get them to investigate and write down what happens when the temperature is changed and at what temperature things started to happen.

This model would also be a great way to start a conversation about CW1 point f, as it allows students to look at the simulation from a skeptical, scientific perspective.

Outcomes Covered
Stage 4
SC4-16CW: describes the observed properties and behaviour of matter, using scientific models and theories about the motion and arrangement of particles

CW1 The properties of the different states of matter can be explained in terms of the motion and arrangement of particles. (ACSSU151)
a. describe the behaviour of matter in terms of particles that are continuously moving and interacting
b. relate an increase or decrease in the amount of heat energy possessed by particles to changes in particle movement
c. use a simple particle model to predict the effect of adding or removing heat on different states of matter
d. relate changes in the physical properties of matter to heat energy and particle movement that occur during observations of evaporation, condensation, boiling, melting and freezing
e. explain density in terms of a simple particle model
f. identify the benefits and limitations of using models to explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases

Dipity

Click Here

Introduction

Dipity is an app which allows the user to create and present their own timelines. In doing this, students can get a visual representation of the time between events, and it allows them to consolidate their knowledge by putting it in a visual summary. This can be used over a variety of topics all the way from stage 4 to stage 6. This is because the student can add as much or as little information as they need to for a particular topic.

Instructions
Dipity is relatively simple to set up. Although creating an account is required the student can log in with Facebook or Google if they wish to, as well as signing up with their school email if they have one.


Next, simply click on the "Create a Timeline" button and the following screen appears:

Fill out the information for the title and information about the timeline, adding events and information as needed

The resulting timeline should look like this:

When one of the events is clicked on, the following information box pops up:

Outcomes Covered
One use of timelines in science is in stage 5 chemistry. Here, students need to have a working knowledge of different models of atoms and the discoveries that have been made over time. One way to show this is with a Dipity timeline as seen in the above screenshot. In class, students would be required to research the different models then summarise their new knowledge in a timeline.

SC5-16CW explains how models, theories and laws about matter have been refined as new scientific evidence becomes available
CW1 c. outline historical developments of the atomic theory to demonstrate how models and theories have been contested and refined over time through a process of review by the scientific community

Khan Academy

Homepage

Introduction

Khan Academy is a free website with educational videos covering a range of topics including history, economics, maths and science. The science section of Khan Academy is vast and covers many topics in physics, chemistry and biology. A major advantage of the website is that it allows students to work through content at their own pace. When they're in class they have to keep up with the pace that the teacher sets, but in Khan Academy they can pause videos and go back to any sections they didn't understand and view them again.

In addition to educational videos, there's an entire section below each video which gives users an opportunity to ask questions and quiz each other. There's also a section called "tips and thanks" under each video where many users have linked to educational games and sites that may be useful for furthering students' knowledge.

These videos could be used in conjunction with or instead of direct classroom instruction. By using this "flipped classroom" approach, there is more time for students to undertake practical work and they can work through the content at their own pace for homework, perhaps giving them a greater understanding of the content then they would have otherwise. If used in conjunction with traditional classroom teaching, Khan Academy provides a way for students to revisit and revise information they may have forgotten, didn't understand in class or just want to have a fresh perspective on.


Instructions

To begin using Khan Academy, click the link at the top of the post. This will take you to the Khan Academy homepage. The site recommends that you sign up in order to get extra features such as progress monitoring and interactive revision exercises, but this is not needed to unlock the basic content of the site.

To view the lessons, click the "Subjects" tab at the top of the screen and select your subject. I clicked science > biology

There are four biology topics that are covered. I clicked on "cellular and molecular biology".

From here, all the content in cellular and molecular biology is displayed. I chose to look at an overview of organelles.

As you can see here, there is the main video section of the page and also the questions and comments section below. The videos are hosted through youtube and therefore can be embedded in the online learning system of a teacher's choice, if they choose to do so.

Example in class
An example of how to use Khan academy would be as the flipped classroom. Take for example a lesson on states of matter. Instead of covering this material in class, the students could watch one or two videos at home and learn the theory, then perform an experiment during class that further expanded their knowledge or allowed them to see the theory in action.

Outcomes Covered
Stage 4
SC4-16CW: a student describes the observed properties and behaviour of matter, using scientific models and theories about the motion and arrangement of particles
CW1 The properties of the different states of matter can be explained in terms of the motion
and arrangement of particles. (ACSSU151)
a. describe the behaviour of matter in terms of particles that are continuously moving and interacting
b. relate an increase or decrease in the amount of heat energy possessed by particles to changes in particle movement
c. use a simple particle model to predict the effect of adding or removing heat on different states of matter
d. relate changes in the physical properties of matter to heat energy and particle movement that occur during observations of evaporation, condensation, boiling, melting and freezing
e. explain density in terms of a simple particle model
f. identify the benefits and limitations of using models to explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases