In a recent conversation with a school, science came up as a subject that teachers were keen to discuss. Particularly how children of differing reading/writing abilities can successfully discuss and record the same science investigation.
A useful way to enable all children 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 pupils use the microphone to record their predictions, methods and observations.
A set to look at on LearningGrids is Reversible and Irreversible Changes – Talk, which looks at six materials and how they might be changed. Pupils consider whether the changes shown are permanent, or whether the materials can be returned to their original states.
The activity is open-ended – some children might describe what they can see in the pictures while others might give detailed interpretations of what has happened, and recognise 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, children could use the set as a prompt for writing. Some pupils may confidently write from their recordings; however, others may require further support. For those pupils, 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 brilliant scaffolding for all pupils 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 info@cricksoft.com or call 01604 671691.
