In a recent conversation with a school, science came up as a subject that teachers were keen to discuss. Particularly how students of differing reading/writing abilities can successfully discuss and record the same science investigation.
A useful way to enable all students to show their understanding in science is to use Clicker Talk Sets. The benefit of these sets is that they don’t require any form of writing, as students use the microphone to record their predictions, methods, and observations.
Reversible and Irreversible Changes, a Talk Set on Learning Grids, looks at six materials and how they might be changed. Students consider whether the changes shown are permanent, or whether the materials can be returned to their original states.
The activity is open-ended – some students might describe what they can see in the pictures, while others might give detailed interpretations of what has happened and recognize, for example, that the candle represents both a reversible and an irreversible change. As such, the activity is suitable for a range of abilities.
Having recorded their ideas, students could use the set as a prompt for writing. Some students may confidently write from their recordings; however, others may require further support. For those students, Word Banks are a great way to support their writing by providing key words that can be easily inserted into their text with a click or a tap!
LearningGrids also has a range of science investigation Word Banks and Clicker Boards that provide fantastic scaffolding for all students as they develop their knowledge and skills at writing up investigations.
For an overview of the science sets available on LearningGrids, you can explore the Science tab or search for your current topic. If you would like any further guidance using Clicker to support your science lessons, you can talk to our friendly Education Consultants! Email us at usinfo@cricksoft.com or call 203 221 2697.
