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How Science works

Photo of two students doing an science experiment The philosophy of science is a critical component of the education for any young person. 'How Science works' is a theme that runs through every science GCSE and is mainly concerned with the scientific process. Essentially, young people will be assessed on their skills as well as factual content in each science GCSE. This is a departure from previous science GCSEs as the intention is that students should be able to relate the scientific content to their everyday lives. This section collects together all the relevant material about 'how science works' for the busy practitioner. Information that does not fit easily in to the sections 2.1-2.4 will be found in 'generic guidance' area.



Summary of this section

  • Generic guidance
    This page provides generic teaching and learning resources for teaching Triple Science GCSEs.
  • Data, evidence, theories and explanations
    This page contains resources to support teaching of data, evidence, theories and explanations within the 'how science works' component of Triple Science GCSEs. Materials include an online resource providing learners with basic information on the theory of evolution and extinction, the home page of the Natural History Museum, the homepage of Kew Gardens, links to resources on conservation and wildlife.
  • Practical and enquiry skills
    This page support the teaching of practical and enquiry skills. Materials include a website giving a wide selection of clips and interactive activities relating to physics, a creative Science site, the ‘Innovations in practical work’ page of fun and simple experiments to entertain and teach, a website which puts some of Hollywood’s most famous sequences to the test and the Institute of Physics webpage.
  • Communication skills
    This page supports the Communication Skills within the context of 'How Science Works'. Resources include a web link about hazards and safety in the science laboratory, interactive games to keep a family warm, Institute of Physics resources, a book that includes information about some of the key misconceptions that have been uncovered by research, and ideas about a variety of teaching approaches for challenging their alternative ideas.
  • Applications and implications
    This page provides resources to support teachers delivering How Science Works within the context of triple sceince. Resources are avaialble on cloning and ethics, daily live broadcasts from the Darwin Centre of the Natural History Museum, case studies of different renewable energy source projects, a concise factsheet from UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy, science Upd8 web link, a website with links to articles on cloning, including the ethical debate and the story of Dolly the sheep, monthly podcasts from Cancer Research UK, a website of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children with links to articles and leaflets on bioethical issues setting out the pro-life case on topics such as abortion and euthanasia.

Materials

AQA (1) | Case Study (3) | Edexcel (1) | Guidance (1) | OCR (1) |

AQA (Showing 1 of 1 available)

  • htm  TeachersTV: How Science Works: In the ClassroomWeb link
    Teacher's TV video about improving teaching of the 'How Science Works' strand of GCSE science. Suitable for all specifications. Resource for Continuing Professional Development.

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Case Study (Showing 3 of 3 available)

  • htm  Natural History MuseumWeb link
    Home page of the Natural History Museum, promoting the discovery, understanding, enjoyment, and responsible use of the natural world. Links to many online resources and information on events and publi...
  • htm  Renewable Energy: The CAT information serviceWeb link
    Webpage with links to articles and leaflets from the Centre for Alternative Energy (CAT) on a variety of renewable energy issues, including solar water heating, domestic windpower, green electricity, ...
  • htm  CERN The world's largest particle physics laboratoryWeb link
    CERN and the LHC homepage. Gives detailed information about CERN and all its major projects including the LHC. Features the latest news and gives links to explain the physics behind the projects.

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Edexcel (Showing 1 of 1 available)

  • htm  TeachersTV: How Science Works: In the ClassroomWeb link
    Teacher's TV video about improving teaching of the 'How Science Works' strand of GCSE science. Suitable for all specifications. Resource for Continuing Professional Development.

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Guidance (Showing 1 of 1 available)

  • htm  TeachersTV: How Science Works: In the ClassroomWeb link
    Teacher's TV video about improving teaching of the 'How Science Works' strand of GCSE science. Suitable for all specifications. Resource for Continuing Professional Development.

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OCR (Showing 1 of 1 available)

  • htm  TeachersTV: How Science Works: In the ClassroomWeb link
    Teacher's TV video about improving teaching of the 'How Science Works' strand of GCSE science. Suitable for all specifications. Resource for Continuing Professional Development.

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