| Questioning and Predicting | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make observations in familiar or unfamiliar contexts | In familiar contexts, may or may not access background knowledge to make meaning of the encounter. Represents what they are seeing and experiencing with limited or unconnected details.
In unfamiliar contexts, does not access background knowledge to make meaning of the encounter. Represents what they are seeing and experiencing with limited detail |
In familiar contexts, accesses some background knowledge to represent what they are seeing and experiencing with some accuracy and detail.
In unfamiliar contexts, may or may not access background knowledge to make meaning of the encounter. Represents what they are seeing and experiencing with some detail |
In familiar & unfamiliar contexts, accesses background knowledge to clearly and accurately represent what they are seeing and experiencing (incorporating learned scientific vocabulary) with relevant detail. | In familiar and unfamiliar contexts, represents and makes connections between what they are seeing and experiencing and applies it to other contexts and/or makes inferences |
| Example Context: An egg drop activity–students are given materials and need to design and construct a structure to protect the egg from breaking when it falls | ||||
| “I saw it fall. It fell down. There’s an egg. The egg is white. Chickens make eggs. There is newspaper too. My grandpa likes to read the newspaper.” | “The egg was in a newspaper package. It was made from cups and newspaper. I saw the egg in the package fall and it landed on the ground and broke. It fell from the ladder. The kid who was holding it dropped it. The egg broke and it was gross. There was a big mess to clean up. I hope I don’t have to clean it up.” | “The egg was protected by newspaper and cups to absorb the force when it hit the ground. It dropped 3 m to the ground. The cups were supposed to protect the egg, but the force of the impact was too strong, so they crumpled. The red cup didn’t crumple as much as the white ones did.” | “I watched the egg fall three metres pretty quickly. I thought the cups would absorb the reaction force of the impact (Newton’s 3rd Law) and prevent the egg from breaking, but it didn’t work. The egg rolled out of the cup. It was kind of like if the cup was a bike helmet and the egg forgot to put on its chin strap.” | |
| Questioning and Predicting | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identify questions to answer or problems to solve through scientific inquiry | May ask questions and identify problems when engaging in science activities – though these are not necessarily connected to the phenomena being observed/ experienced. When provided with pre-written questions, they may or may not recognize which ones would be scientifically testable. | When engaging in science activities, asks their own questions about the phenomena they are observing/ experiencing. May generate possible explanations for their questions, but these explanations are not necessarily scientifically testable. When provided with pre-written questions, they can recognize which ones would be scientifically testable. | From their observations, they form ideas and suggest questions and explanations to observe/test the phenomena they are observing through scientific inquiry. Their possible explanations do not need to be “correct”, but they do need to fit the available evidence. | When making scientific observations, they consistently question what they are observing and consider different possible explanations. They may make multiple predictions and they can consider ways to test which of their predictions is the most likely to be true. |
| Example Context: During the Tomatosphere classroom experiment, Ss plant two types of seeds–one set has been exposed to outer space-like conditions and the other hasn’t–and make daily observations of the plants as they grow. Teacher gives Ss questions and asks them to consider which ones could be scientifically tested, for example: (1) What makes plants grow best? (2)How does soil affect the growth of tomato plants? (3) How does the duration of light exposure affect the plants’ growth? (4) How does a tomato plant grow from a seed? (5) How does the amount of water provided affect plant growth? As they record their daily observations, the teacher also encourages students to generate their own questions and to think of other experiments that they could do involving plant growth. | ||||
| “I think that “What makes plants grow best?” is a good question to test scientifically because we study how plants grow during science class. For my own plant experiment, I am curious about do astronauts have pockets? Also, why did the labels on some of the plant pots get rubbed off but not on all of them?” | “Questions (3) and (5) would be the best ones to answer with a scientific experiment. They both have specific questions about how changing one thing (amount of light/water) will affect another thing (plant growth), which means that we could do an experiment where one set of plants gets, like water or more light, and another set doesn’t get that. That would be a fair test. As for my own plant experiment, I don’t have a question of my own that I am curious about, so I think I will use the idea that the teacher gave me.” | “I noticed that the Tomatosphere plants in our classroom grew taller than the ones in the classroom next door. The windows in our classroom get more sunlight in the morning and next door they get more sun in the afternoon. This makes me wonder if maybe morning sun is better for plant growth than afternoon sun. For my plant growth experiment, I want to test this by planting two seeds in the same location, one that gets sun all day long. I will cover one of them with a box in the morning and then at lunch time I will take the box off and put it on the other plant.” | “I wonder why the plants in our classroom are taller than the ones next door? I know that it could be because of a difference in the amount of light, water, or nutrients they received. But it could also be some other factor–I’ve heard plants grow better when you talk to them or play music. Maybe kids in our class spent more time talking to the plants than kids in the other class did. There are so many possible variables! I guess one thing you could do if you wanted to control the experiment is that halfway through the experiment our classes could have traded plants. That way both sets of plants are subjected to the same growing conditions for the same amount of time.” | |
| Questioning and Predicting | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make predictions about the findings of their inquiry | May select a possible outcome from a list provided. May make unrelated predictions about their own scientific inquiry. | Makes reasonable predictions about the outcome of a scientific inquiry based on a list of possible outcomes provided. Their predictions are based on observations they have made and/or the scientific content knowledge they are exploring in class. | Makes predictions about their scientific inquiry. Their predictions are reasonable and based on information they have received through their scientific observation and/or other classroom activities. | Makes complex predictions about the outcome of a scientific inquiry that include the impact of different variables on possible outcomes. May also be able to predict which ones are more/less likely to be true based on what they have observed scientifically and/or based on content knowledge they explored in class. |
| Example Context: (idea from Science World): During a unit on Force and Motion, students are given two balls of different masses (ex. tennis ball & soccer ball) and given a chance to compare how their actions affect the how the balls roll, drop and move. Ss will observe closely, ask questions and make predictions as they:
|
||||
| “The ball will fall.”
“When the ball hits the ground, it may kill an ant.” |
“If I drop the balls from the same height, I think that the soccer ball will hit the ground before the tennis ball because it is heavier. Also, the tennis ball will probably bounce higher than the soccer ball does after it hits the ground. I’m not exactly sure why tennis balls are more bouncy than soccer balls, but I know they are. I’ve played with them both before and I noticed that.” | “When I drop the tennis ball on the ground, it will hit the ground and then bounce back in the opposite direction. This is because of Newton’s third law. The falling ball is exerting a force on the ground, but the ground is also exerting an opposite force on the ball.” | “I predict that it will be easier to get a ping pong ball to start moving than a tennis ball. I will need to use less force to start the acceleration because it is so light. If I blow lightly on a ping pong ball, it will start moving, but to make the tennis ball move, I think I will need to push it lightly with my finger. Of course, if it was a bowling bowl, I would probably need to use my whole hand and give it a hard push in order to make it move even a tiny bit. Newton’s First Law says that the amount of force required to make something start moving depends on its mass.” | |
| Planning and Conducting | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decide which variable should be changed and measured for a fair test | During scientific investigations, they replicate the experiment with the variables provided. | During scientific investigations they can identify the variables in an experiment from a set of provided options and identify whether a test was fair or unfair. | Designs a fair test that can be investigated. When prompted, during scientific investigations they can accurately describe how changing or measuring different variables may make the experiment more or less fair. | During scientific investigations and discussions, they will notice and remark (without being prompted) on how changing or measuring different variables could affect the fairness of the experiment. They are able to consider how complexity may emerge due to different aspects of the selected variable. |
Example Context:
Students are exploring mixtures through the question “What happens to things in water?”. They have been provided with a variety of substances (sand, sugar, salt, baking powder, oil, etc.) and have been asked to record their predictions for what will happen when each of the substances goes into the water. Once their predictions are recorded, they will do the test and record their observations.
Their teacher is currently leading a class discussion about what would or would not make this a “fair test”. They have been given the following definitions:
|
||||
| Teacher: What are some of the variables in this experiment? What are some important aspects of this experiment that could change our results? Student 1: We are going to put stuff in water and then pay attention to what happens. We have to pay attention to what we are going to see. Teacher: Right. And when we put “stuff” in water, what kinds of things are going to change what we may see? Student 1: I don’t know. Teacher: Will what we see change? Will it be the same every time? Student 1: I don’t know if it will be the same every time. Maybe. | (NOTE: Teacher is leading students to an understanding.) Teacher: What are some of the variables in this experiment? What are some important aspects of this experiment that could change our results? Student 2: There are different kinds of stuff to put in water, like sand and oil and salt. Are those variables? Teacher: Yes, those are variables. Can you think of any others? Student 3: Maybe, like, temperature? How warm the water is? Teacher: Good. What things do we need to keep the same each time to make it a fair test? (…) I’ll get you started –would it be a fair test if the water temperature was different for every substance? If we put oil in warm water and sand in cold water, for example? Student 3: That wouldn’t be fair because we wouldn’t know if what happens is because the water is warm or because it’s a different thing. Teacher: Right. So what other variables do we need to control for a fair test? (Students don’t volunteer anything, so teacher picks up two different size spoons and starts looking at them both in a very obvious way until a student makes a connection.) Student 2: I know one! How much of each substance we put in the water. We should always put the same amount. Student 3: Yeah! And we should make sure that the amount of water we use is always the same too. And that the water is fresh every time… | Teacher: What are some of the variables in this experiment? What are some important aspects of this experiment that could change our results? Student 4: The different types of substances is one variable. I guess the temperature or the amount of the water could be another variable. Teacher: Yes. And what variables do we need to keep the same each time in order to make sure we have a fair test? What are our controlled variables? Student 4: We definitely need to control the amount of each substance we put into the water. We should use a tablespoon each time so that it is always equal. | Teacher: What are some of the variables in this experiment? What are some important aspects of this experiment that could change our results? Student 5: How we stir matters. I noticed some people stir fast and some stir slow. We should all try to stir the same number of times. Otherwise maybe things are dissolving better because of how we’re stirring them, not because of what they are. | |
| Planning and Conducting | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observe, measure, and record data, using appropriate tools, including digital technologies | When conducting scientific investigations makes limited observations and/or inaccurate measurements. Data and observations may not be recorded or may be recorded in an unclear way. | When conducting scientific investigations can use appropriate tools to observe what is happening and measure results as necessary. When provided with a guide or template, records their observations in a systematic way. | When conducting scientific investigations can choose and use appropriate tools to closely observe what is happening and measure results as necessary. Records their observations and measurements in a systematic way. | When conducting scientific investigations closely observes what is happening and carefully and accurately measures results as necessary. May independently identify and choose appropriate tools and methods to observe and record data. |
| Example Context: Today students practised recording accurate scientific data by measuring the temperature of places in the neighbourhood around their school. They are using a scientific tool called a globe thermometer and they have been provided with a worksheet to help them record their observations and measurements. The table below is on the back of the worksheet to help them describe the neighbourhood in objective ways. About half of the students opted to start to work on the worksheet and record their temperature readings as soon as they got outside, and the other half stayed with the teacher and worked together to complete part 1. |
||||
| See here for an example of a student who demonstrated proficiency at the Emerging level while completing this activity. Notice that they worked together in a group with their teacher and peers to record their answers. | See here for an example of a student who demonstrated proficiency at the Developing level while completing this activity. Notice that they worked together in a group with their teacher and peers to record their answers.
* Note–students will be using the same worksheet to measure temperatures again soon, so those who needed help today will be able to demonstrate proficiency by doing it independently next time. |
See here for an example of a student who demonstrated proficiency at the Proficient level while completing this activity. Notice that they worked independently to record their answers. | See here for an example of a student who demonstrated proficiency at the Extending level while completing this activity. Notice that they worked independently to record their answers. | |
| Planning and Conducting | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use equipment and materials safely, identifying potential risks | n/a
NOTE: It is expected that all students will be using equipment and materials safely in order to participate. The teacher needs to set up the classroom conditions in a way that will allow all students in the class to be successful, considering the diverse learning needs of the students. |
During activities and investigations, reliably uses equipment and materials as directed and stores them safely and appropriately when not in use. When asked, is able to identify aspects of the activity or the use of materials that could be dangerous or cause harm. | n/a | |
| Example Context: Students are doing an activity to make a water filter from a 2L plastic bottle. They are using scissors to cut the plastic bottles. After describing the activity, and prior to handing out the materials, the teacher asks students to identify any potential safety concerns. During the activity the teacher observes students as they are working to monitor how they are using the equipment and materials. |
||||
| For classrooms where safety may be challenging, the teacher can consider: – introducing the materials and procedures to students in small groups – allowing students to practice with the materials with direct supervision prior to conducting the experiment | ||||
| Processing and Analyzing Data and Information | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience and interpret the local environment | Retells an experience in the local environment using simple descriptors. Expresses a simple interpretation of the experience. | Retells an experience in the local environment. Uses appropriate vocabulary to describe the experience. May offer a singular interpretation of the experience, or limited perspective of the experience. | Reflects on an experience in the local environment and is able to identify their experience as different from others. Has some insight into how materials, tools, or resources impact their interpretation of the experience. | Offers insightful reflections on an experience in the local environment and is able to clearly articulate and justify how their experience may be different from others. Offers insight into how current materials, tools, or resources impact their experience of the local environment in comparison or contrast to a previous or future encounter. |
| Example Context: Reflections on a wonder walk/ walking Wednesday |
||||
| “I got wet. It rained. I liked it” | “It was raining on walking Wednesday. I’m glad I had an umbrella. It is the only way to stay dry. My friends got wet and they were only wearing a hoodie.” | “On this week’s walking Wednesday, we were asked to reflect on how our brain and body felt walking in the rain. When I walk with my friends, we mostly like to talk. The rain doesn’t bother me, but the umbrellas get in the way of each other when we are trying to talk. We noticed only two of us fit and someone always feels left out. Kids without umbrellas can walk and talk together more easily. We have decided to leave the umbrellas behind next time and put up our hoods so we can walk and talk in a big group.” | “On this week’s walking Wednesday, we were asked to reflect on how our brain and body felt walking in the rain. I have a really expensive raincoat that my parents bought me when we were preparing for a backcountry trip. That was the wettest I’ve ever been! I’m glad my jacket is super waterproof and I’m really comfortable wearing it because it is long enough to cover my butt and legs. It’s so much better than carrying an umbrella because I can use my hands to explore and play on the walk. The best part of having this jacket is that I get to walk and talk with a big group of friends.” | |
| Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identify patterns and connections in data | When observing a scientific investigation describes what is happening using non-scientific language. Observations are simple and not necessarily connected to scientific phenomena. | When observing or conducting investigations identifies the scientific phenomena and patterns as they emerge. Language used to describe is simple and not necessarily scientific vocabulary. | When conducting scientific experiments is able to identify patterns in the results and make connections. Uses relevant scientific language to describe their observations. | When conducting scientific experiments identifies patterns in the results, makes connections, and considers possible explanations for the results they are observing. Uses relevant scientific language to describe their observations. |
| Example Context: Analysis of heterogeneous settled soil samples that have previously been collected and mixed with tap water in glass jars. |
||||
| “We picked up dirt and put it in water. The dirt has sticks and rocks and sand in it. I can see the sticks floating on top. I see some rocks at the bottom. The water is dirty. I see different colours. I can see through some of the water.” | “We collected soil samples. When we poured water into the jar, the soil took a couple of days to separate. I can see layers in the jar. The rocks are at the bottom because they are big and heavy.” | “We collected soil samples from different places. Soil is a heterogeneous mixture made up of many different parts. You can see at the top that the tiny bits of wood are floating on top of the clay. The rocks are at the bottom because they have more density. This was a cool experiment because my jar looked just like three of my friend’s jars and we all collected from different places.” | “We collected soil from various locations. Before the soil was submerged in water it presented as a heterogenous mixture, when we added water, we could see how it separated into its various parts. The lightest and smallest particles, like clay, settled at the top and the most dense organic material, like rocks, settled at the bottom. It’s a lot like the salad dressing you have to shake before you pour, otherwise the oil and vinegar and seasonings end up staying in layers in the jar.” | |
| Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compare data with predictions and develop explanations for results | Retells personal experience of the experiment. May include experiment procedures and results. Uses comparative language to evaluate their results. | Can define and attribute motion to an unbalanced force. Can recognize their own hypothesis in the data set and uses questions to develop an explanation for their result. May begin to make simple connections between experiment results and real world application. | Can compare experiment data to describe and explain how motion is caused by an unbalanced force. Can articulate how their hypothesis is reflected in the data set by explaining the results of the experiment. Can make simple connections between experiment results and real-world application. | Can explain cause and effect of unbalanced forces in the collected data. Connects to relevant scientific understandings in relationship to stated hypothesis. Differentiates between variables and their effect on motion in the experiment by relating results to real world application. |
| Example Context: Experimenting with balanced and unbalanced forces using ramps and cars |
||||
| “I built my ramp better. My car went faster than yours. I won. Yours went slow. Mine went super fast.” | “We built ramps with different surfaces to test how fast or slow cars might go. I predicted the cars would go fast on the ramps that had nothing on them. My car went fast on the ramps with nothing on them. Other ramps and cars still went faster. I wonder how they made it more unbalanced? Did they throw or push the cars harder? We had fun playing with cars and ramps and learning how unbalanced forces make things move. In the real world we are going to have races down the slide at recess.” | “Everyone created a different ramp to experiment with unbalanced forces that proved motion results from unbalanced forces. No motion means it is balanced so I predicted the steeper ramps would cause more motion. They would be faster. In this experiment, the steeper ramps were more unbalanced so the cars did go faster. A real world example would be like riding my bike down a steep hill or a little hill” | “This experiment proved that forces can be balanced or unbalanced. If there was no ramp, or I didn’t push the car, then there was no motion and the forces were balanced. When forces are balanced the object’s motion will not change. It remains stationary. If it is moving, that means an unbalanced force is acting on it. In this experiment I used ramps with different inclines to experiment with force and motion. When the forces are unbalanced the object will change motion, making it accelerate or decelerate. It was interesting to play with friction and gravity in this experiment, and see how less friction and more gravity makes things go faster, like a sled on the hill” | |
| Evaluating | Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluate whether their investigations were fair tests | Performs a test that can be investigated. Selects a single variable from a small range of options. Is able to play with the single variable to explore their understanding. | Plays with variables to determine a fair test. Builds a test with purpose and may or may not be able to recognize multiple variables are at play. Is able to focus on and affect a selected variable. Recognizes that variables and controls (things they change or things that stay the same) affect the results of the test. | Evaluates a fair test by explicitly identifying which variables are at play, and uses a constant control. Understands that a fair test improves the accuracy of results. | Evaluates a fair test with recognition of nuance in variables. Explicitly identifies which variables are at play, which controls are constant and is able to explain how and why their design is fair. |
| Example Context: Design a fair test using a consistent ramp with balls as variables. Justify the design as fair. | ||||
| Teacher observation: The learner was able to play with the resources provided and was curious about the process of repeating the test to investigate variables. | Submitted report:
Objective: Use ramps and balls Materials: books, board, balls Variables to test: 1. Different kinds of balls Controls: 1. Ramp Written Summary: We built a ramp. We raced the balls down the ramp. Teacher Observation: The learner was able to play with the resources to build a test with a clear objective to investigate variables. Variables were inconsistently applied and tests were not always controlled for fairness. Student is focussed on the intended variable without recognition that other variables are also at play. |
Submitted report:
Objective: Test ball speed on a ramp Materials: books, a wide plank, balls Variables to test: 1. Size of ball 2. Material ball is made of (rubber, fabric, leather, wooden) 3. Weight of ball Controls: 1. Ramp position stays the same 2. No added force is provided to propel the ball Written summary: We built a wide ramp with 3 textbooks and a wide plank of wood. We ran three different tests and watched for the fastest ball. In the same test all balls were released at the same time on the same ramp. Test one was with three balls of the same size. One was rubber, one was wood, and one was plastic. Test two was with three balls of the same material. All balls were rubber but of different sizes. Test three had three balls of equal weight and size but they were made of different materials. We only changed one variable at a time to improve the accuracy of the results. Changing more than one variable would make the test unfair. |
Submitted report:
Objective: How might the shape, weight, or material of a ball affect their speed on a controlled ramp? Materials: 3 books, one wide plank, balls of varying weight, size and materials. Variables to test: 1. Size of ball 2. Material ball is made of (rubber, fabric, leather, wooden) 3. Weight of ball 4. Release technique of the balls 5. Surface of the plank Written summary: We built a ramp with a smooth plank of wood. We added lanes using tin foil so the balls could have a clean run. We also tried to eliminate the release variable by also building a gate from a ruler we lifted to improve fairness. In each of the three tests we were careful to control for only one variable. This made each test fair. |
|
| Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identify possible sources of error | Plays with a single variable to explore how their involvement affects the experiment. May or may not recognize their actions as human error. Is able to recognize they have some control in the outcome of the experiment. | In play was able to recognize that some tests may or may not have been fair. From their play with materials, they recognize that the experiment sometimes went as planned and sometimes did not. | From the fair test that was designed is able to identify possible sources of error in the experiment. Sources of error originate from curiosity and exploration within the experiment. | From the fair test that was designed is able to identify possible sources of error in relationship to variables. Sources of error are connected to real world examples and show how they could adjust the test to be fair. |
| Example Context: Design a fair test using a consistent ramp with balls as variables. Justify the design as fair. | ||||
| Teacher observation:
The learner was able to play with the resources provided and was curious about the process of repeating the test. Demonstrated curiosity in their attempts to interact with the variable in different ways. For example, throwing, pushing and rolling the ball. |
(continued written report) Identify potential sources of error: 1. Sometimes it messed up. Sometimes it worked. 2. The ball blew away. We had to start again. Teacher Observation: The learner was able to play with resources to explore a selected variable. Sources of error were inconsistently accounted for. For example, re-starting an experiment without adjusting for the cause of error (the wind). Next steps would include investigating the cause of error before restarting the experiment. |
(continued written report)
Identify potential sources of error: 1. Someone might trip on the ramp and we have to rebuild it. That would be human error 2. If we are outside and the wind starts blowing, it might blow the light ball off the ramp. This would be an environmental error |
(continued written report) Identify potential sources of error: 1. If different people drop the balls at the same time, they might roll, or push the ball or hold the ball differently with big or small hands. This would be human error. We have adjusted our test by building a gate to make the test fair. 2. We added tin foil lanes to create a clean run. When the wind started to blow, the lanes turned out to be a good way to have adjusted for an unexpected environmental error, like wind. |
|
| Emerging (could look like anything up until these descriptors) | Developing | Proficient | Extending (could look like anything starting from to beyond descriptors) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence | Is able to use an age-appropriate source of information to generate a discussion question. The source may or not be provided by the teacher. Is able to make a connection to the evidence and asks a simple question. | Is able to select, and share an age-appropriate source of information that may or may not have been sourced by the teacher. May or may not recognize the source of information as being unbiased. Makes a connection to the evidence presented. Can prompt a discussion using evidence presented from the selected artifact. | Is able to source, select, share and prompt discussion of an age appropriate reputable and reliable source of information (ie: printed resources, websites, and professionals). Discussion prompt encourages classwide questioning and analysing of information presented. | Is able to source, select, share and prompt discussion of an age appropriate reputable and reliable source of information. Is able to highlight nuances in the evidence. For example, may identify bias. Is able to critically examine the source of information, identify the target audience, and their discussion prompt encourages classwide reflection on how messaging can influence behaviour. |
| Example Context: (Cross-curricular connection to PHE Healthy and Active Living: Analyze health messages and possible intentions to influence behaviour) Soft start critical thinking activity: Present a reliable source of health information with a discussion prompt for the class focussing on the evidence. Understanding and appreciating how health messages can influence behaviour in relationship to structures and functions of body systems. For simplicity this example in context highlights two samples- a variety of exemplars from students would generate richer discussion day after day. |
||||
“This is from the government and tells you not to vape. Vaping is bad for you. Smoking is bad for you. There is a lot of writing on this. What pictures would make kids not smoke?”  |
“This is the poster I chose. I saw it at the dentist office. It tells you what to do. It sounds like what my mom says to do. The poster says it too. It’s an ad to get parents to buy this kind of toothpaste.
My discussion question for you is: how many people brush their teeth two times a day?”  |
“I picked up this pamphlet on vaping from the doctor’s office. It provides good information on the risks and harms of addiction. It was made by the government of Canada. You can visit the website here. My discussion question for you is: how does this poster make you feel? It is supposed to influence you to not vape because it is bad for you. What would make this poster more convincing for you? Is there additional evidence that could be included?” | “This poster is made by a toothpaste company. The first clue for asking questions is knowing they are selling something.
My discussion prompt for you is: In this poster, they recommend kids do many things that are accurate, but they also add in products they are selling that might actually not be needed. Where do you see products being sold and which parts of the poster are reliable information? Where is more evidence required?”
|
|