Science capabilities

The science capabilities have been described as what the Nature of Science strand looks like in action.

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Knowing about the science capabilities helps to deepen science understanding - whether they're used during a 5-minute teachable moment or a carefully planned science unit.

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There are some simple steps educators can take to include the capabilities. This often starts with the questions we ask and the language we use.

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From the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement

Working with ākonga

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Notice things. Ask questions:

• What is different about .....?
• What is the same about ......?
• What did you notice .....?

Model words that help them describe what they notice:

• describe precisely
• compare
• use words that have precise science meanings (melt, beak)

Practise describing things in more detail:

• When describing size, what are they comparing the size to.

Help them explain what they notice with questions like:

• Why do you think that happened?
• Have you seen something like this before?

Help them use what they notice as evidence:

• What did you notice that makes you think that?
• What other things do you notice that make you sure that your thinking is correct?

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The following recorded PLD webinars demonstrate practical ways of incorporating the science capabilities.

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If you are short on time, each webinar has a table with the PowerPoint slide numbers and the video timecode to target your needs.

Gather and interpret data is all about observation.

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Observation is an essential part of science and mātauranga Māori. Through observation we collect data, which enables us to make sense of the natural world. Observation is a skill and with practice and guidance students can learn to observe more scientifically.

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We gather data by using our senses to make observations.

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Interpreting data involves making meaning from observations. A conclusion you draw from observations is called an inference.

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An easy way to differentiate the two is:

Observation: I see . . .

Inference: I think. . .

The following activities help to develop observation skills and thinking.

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The first 3 activities are indoors and the last 2 are outdoors.

Using and critiquing evidence

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Scientific explanations needs to be supported by evidence that is based on observations.

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It's important to evaluate the trustworthiness of the evidence.

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Interpret representations involves learning how and why data is presented the way it is.

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Learning to understand the symbols of science is an important part of communicating in science. Reading graphs can be treated as a comprehension exercise in both language and science literacies.

Engage with science

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This capability incorporates the other capabilities to engage with science in a real-life context.

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The following activities encourage ākonga to use many of the science capabilities and to enact sustainable behavioral changes.

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