Scientific Enquiry And Social Studies Curriculum, TMA (Tutor-Marked Assignment), SUSS, Singapore

Question 1: Lesson observation and transcription 

Observe and record ONE (1) DOW lesson. Include the below:

a. The transcript of the event

– Include the details of the teacher-child interactions that took place – what was said and done, when and how. The details you provide should enable the reader to have a clear idea about what had transpired.

– The event could be lessons/activities that last anywhere from 5 to 50 minutes. What is critical is that the details provided are rich and deep enough to be usable for analysis. See examples of the log of teacher talk from the Anji Play Ladder under the Pipa Tree and the Marva Colins SPALDING language and literacy lesson clips – uploaded under MODULES.

Example:

b. A copy of the lesson plan (what the school/HQ has provided for this lesson or what the teacher had used/written before carrying out this lesson).

Question 2: Reflections on the observed lesson 

a. Compare the kind of integration that happened in this event with the thematic and constructivist approaches to integration as presented in this course by addressing the below questions:

i. Briefly define thematic and constructivist approaches to curriculum integration.

ii. How meaningful and/or superficial was the curriculum integration that happened in this event? Address this question by applying the definition of ‘meaningful’ and ‘superficial’ curriculum integration as presented in this course.

iii. What could/should have been done to enable a more natural, meaningful curriculum integration to happen in this lesson? How so? Address this question by proposing ONE (1) critical thing the teacher could do based on the role of the constructivist teacher presented in this course and the rationale for this proposal.

b. What do you think could have caused the integration to be not as meaningful and/or natural in this lesson? Address this question by answering the below sub-questions:

i. Examine the challenges involved in the planning and implementation of this lesson by discussing ONE (1) critical challenge faced by teachers.

ii. Based on what had transpired as described in the information you have provided in Q1, discuss:

– The diversity of developmental stages observed amongst the children in the group

– How the teacher was able (or not able) to respond to the situation that arose as the result of the developmental diversity amongst the children

iii. Suggest ONE (1) thing that the teacher could do to be more responsive to the differences exhibited amongst the children

Question 3

Why it is important to use an enquiry-based approach to science education as opposed to the traditional approach? Discuss this question in terms of the benefits to children’s development, using examples from at least two of the three areas of science covered in this course.