IDEAS Resources

This file from the IDEAS pack is a set of resource materials to support the teaching of ideas, evidence and argument in school science education. It consists of 15 sample lessons which can be used by teachers wishing to try out some or all of the approaches. The learning goals of the IDEAS lessons are different. Traditionally, most school science lessons emphasise activities that help school students to understand the concepts and ideas of science - what are called conceptual learning goals. Whilst these are still a feature of these materials, these lessons give more priority to the following goals (as explained in the introduction): 

• Cognitive learning goals
• Epistemic learning goals
• Social learning goals

Each of the activities for the lessons come with an introduction which provides: the Aims; the Learning Goals of the Activity; Teaching Points which highlight knowledge the students may need for the activity; a Teaching Sequence which suggests how the materials might be implemented in the classroom; and Background Notes which are provided where some of the background science needs further elaboration.

The activities:

1. Burning a Candle
2. Generating Energy
3. Circuits
4. Why does the Moon have Phases?
5. Euglena: Plant or Animal?
6. How we see things?
7. Mixtures, Elements and Compounds
8. Should we have a new zoo?
9. Identifying Rocks
10. Dropping a Box
11. Snowmen
12. The Golfer
13. Heating Ice to Steam
14. Evaluating Data
15. Going Red