Frameworks for Talk in Science

Subject: Chemistry
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 11 - 14
Order Number: 15073

These 'Frameworks for Talk in Science' are intended for use by Key Stage 3 and 4 by Science teachers who value effective talk in their laboratories and see that, through talk, students are best placed to learn, understand and write. Although beneficial for all pupils, they will be particularly useful for pupils whose first language is not English and are still developing fluency.

All the examples included are intended for whole class use and can be adapted to suit any Science syllabus, as talk is an essential part of the learning process. These Frameworks will help the pupils to engage in focussed and meaningful discussion to enhance their learning.

The material is structured in a way that enables teachers to use them as they stand. However, they have been written and set out in an adaptable format for the paired and group work tasks that regularly take place in a busy laboratory.

The material uses Literacy, as well as Science objectives, to provide an assessment base for the work covered which acknowledges the need to include Literacy in the Science lesson. Clear explanations and guidance on how to use the material are included and each task contains a number of pupil sheets to guide them through the task and the learning. Assessment for Learning teaching strategies are used throughout the tasks encouraging independent learning and increasing the engagement of pupils. For teachers not familiar with Assessment for Learning a clear explanation of the strategies used has been included.