Strenthening Teaching and Learning of Energy in Key Stage Three National Strategy

This is one of a suite of continuing professional development (CPD) units from the Department for Education covering the five ‘key ideas’ at Key Stage Three (cells, interdependence, particles, forces and energy). It links with the 2002 Framework for Teaching Science: Years Seven, Eight and Nine and builds on ideas within the misconceptions in Key Stage Three Science CPD unit.

Context
This CPD unit offers background information and practical suggestions to support classroom practice when teaching about energy. Sessions one and two address common misconceptions which secondary students may have and identifies possible starting points for teaching about energy in Year Seven. Sessions three and four consider the transfer and the transformation models for teaching energy and how and when these models can be used. Session five focuses on Sankey diagrams as an energy accounting model.

Development
This CPD unit is designed to be delivered to teachers wishing to improve their teaching of the energy ‘key idea’. It can be delivered as a single day's CPD or as four separate CPD sessions of 45 to 65 minutes. It is particularly useful for non-specialist teachers wishing to improve their subject knowledge and pedagogy. It is also useful for subject specialists to clarify their thinking about teaching energy.

Components
The materials consist of separate tutor notes, participants’ notes and presentations hyperlinked to video files. Additional resources include Energy Transformation Cards and a paper by Professor Robin Millar about the teaching of energy. There is also an additional support pack which is designed for follow up work in a science department supported by a consultant.
The five sessions are entitled:
• Session 1: Where are the pupils coming from?
• Session 2: Where and when to start in Year 7
• Session 3: Different ways of teaching (teaching models) about energy as a key scientific idea
• Session 4: Strategies for using the idea of energy in Year 8
• Session 5: The challenge in Year 9