I Can Explain!

Scientific Literacy

7-9, 9-12

Developing children’s scientific literacy.

Created by PSTT Fellow Alison Eley, “I can explain!” consists of beautifully illustrated, high-quality picture cards and language prompts to facilitate rational discussion.

Children work in small groups to explore scientific concepts. Through developing and practising effective group talk skills, they link ideas with evidence, and use scientific vocabulary with confidence and understanding.

What is inside the ‘I can explain!’ box?

Ten sets of eight ‘sound’ pictures
Ten sets of eight ‘hot and cold’ pictures
Ten copies of a pirate ship (floating and sinking)
Ten copies of a garden habitat picture (plants and animals)
And a 46-page Teachers’ Guide that includes:

a series of activities for each set of pictures
comprehensive science background knowledge
alternative ideas children may hold
language prompts
additional resources for further work

THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

1. Generating simple explanations
2. Challenging the ideas of others
3. Sequencing, generating more complex explanations
4. Grouping and classifying
5. Describing, using scientific vocabulary
6. Justifying a new idea

The children work together as a group rather than individually. They talk and listen to each other, while justifying what they think and, where appropriate, they will be challenging what others think. The activities are designed to be done in a given order as they tend to increase in complexity, although it is not essential to stick to the order, or to do them all.

ISBN: 978-0995481121

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Rationale

What are the benefits of using ‘I can explain!’ ?

Children learn to talk effectively in groups.
Children learn to link scientific ideas with evidence.
Pupil participation is high, including SEN and EAL children.
Assessment for learning opportunities are built in.

Teaching children to think and explain their scientific ideas provides opportunities for them to explore why they believe something to be true. Children often accept given ideas as truths without having the chance to consider why they might be true, or whether alternative explanations may exist. This makes it very difficult for children to explain their ideas to anybody else.

Equally, children need opportunities to consider and explain why they think an idea might be wrong. The conflict between children’s everyday experiences and the experience in the classroom is often inadequately explored. Without the chance to consider their ‘wrong’ ideas, it is difficult for children to give these ideas up.

By constructing their own explanations, children have the chance to explore scientific terminology and use it with genuine understanding. Children might learn to use scientific words but not actually know what they mean, or they might find using the scientific vocabulary hinders their understanding of concepts. Learning science through argument will present children with opportunities to establish a shared language of science, where new vocabulary is used with understanding.

Introduction

Developing talk skills

A video introduction to developing group talk skills and to using “I can explain!”

Watch video