From the range of activities and learning activities I have selected one sequence to illustrate the materials, activities and assessment that are used to deliver the course.

TEETH

The theme of teeth arose for three reasons. It was Dental Health Week (there is a week for everything), one of the students had been to the dentist and another was having major problems with an abscess on a tooth.

So, a personal issue can always be turned into something to investigate.  Where to start?  We read two pieces of work I had collected over the years. . One was a story by Barry Dickens describing his (fictitious?) experience of having all his teeth removed, a common experience for people in the past. Click here to view the Dickens article.  This elicited great discussion of personal horror stories of visiting the dentist.  What a way to encourage my students to go to the dentist! The second work was an article written by Norman Swan published in The Age Good Weekend, comparing health today with the not so distant past, especially dental health. Click here to view the Swan article. 

After these uplifting discussions I introduced a discussion about the causes of tooth decay where we investigated tooth structure, acid in the mouth, eating throughout the day etc. We had already investigated acidity in foods and other substances and discussed the pH scale, and so we investigated acidity in toothpastes. I usually explain in words while demonstrating to the class the procedure I would like them to follow. The students are familiar with the methodology due to their previous examination of food. The students entered their results in a table on the board. Click here to view the experiment.  They discovered that most of our toothpastes are acidic. They brought their own to test the next week. Some choose to change their personal toothpaste. We then discussed personal dental care.  They then wrote a report of the experiment. The class prepared the written report as a group effort. I encouraged them to work out the order in which they carried out the various steps and wrote this on the board. They then copied the final draft down after they had agreed to its accuracy.

This theme offers enormous opportunities to explore related social issues such as the cost of dental care, getting an appointment at a private dentist or the Dental Hospital, finding a dentist, fear of the dentist. These are all areas that can be covered in the literacy classroom- advocacy, community health centres, using the telephone, cost of treatment.

As we wished to concentrate on the scientific and technological aspects I left all that to my colleague with whom I work closely and share these students, and investigated:

• Why do we have teeth?

• Investigation of our own teeth.  Different types - following a diagram 3, deciduous teeth, what else is deciduous? Purposes of each type of tooth.

• Remembering the tooth fairy - losing teeth, eruption of new ones.  Are we wise when we get our wisdom teeth?  (Origin of the term - wisdom teeth)

• Other animals that have teeth, comparing them with ours, why are they the same, why are they different. One of the students brought in a video on sharks - sharks have big scary teeth but they clean up animal rubbish in the ocean, a very important job4

• Other uses of teeth - identifying people (forensic science), fossil record

Areas of Assessment for the topic ‘Teeth’

Reading a text

• Discussion

• Personal word dictionary

Experiment

• Practical skills

• Following instructions

• Completing a table

• Writing a report

Word find

Writing a personal narrative

Writing a journal

Following a diagram

Teach the planned sequence of activities

This sequence of activities would take place over two; two-hour classes over two weeks: 4 hours.

Class 1:

Discussion

• Dental Health Week

• visit to the dentist

• abscess on the tooth

 Reading

• B. Dickens

Diagram

• tooth structure

Discussion

• why teeth decay

  • structure

  • diet

  • dental care

  • mouth chemistry

Personal narrative

Practical work to investigate acidity of toothpaste.  Experiment

Class 2:

Discussion

• previous week’s outcomes

Reading

• N. Swan

• personal word dictionary

Diagram

• tooth plan: compare to self

Repeat practical work of class 1 to test acidity of student’s own personal toothpaste

Journal

Monitor learners progress through the course

During the sessions I am constantly aware of including all students in the activities and through active questioning I monitor what the students are learning. I frequently repeat activities like the toothpaste test from session to session to reinforce processes for setting up an experiment.  I use the white board to build up vocabulary. I frequently summarise and relate the current experiment or topic with activities done before.

While there is a fairly regular pattern to the sequence of activities I must be prepared to be flexible. Flexible enough to respond to a question or an event that has captured the classes imagination. I must also respond to the mood of the group and know when concentration is flagging or when there is a good opportunity to move from group work to individual work.