Scientific Literacy - 'Minibeasts'
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Some teaching suggestions
In each activity students will be involved in making a craft item. To do this successfully they will be reading a procedure. Procedures are difficult texts to follow, so we suggest that some time is spent pre-teaching this text type.
- Ask students if they know what a procedure is. Brainstorm a definition for the term 'procedure'.
- Ask the students what the purpose of a procedure is. Who would read one? Who would write one?
- Brainstorm a list of procedures students are familiar with (making a cup of tea, watering the plants, making a model aeroplane).
- Draw some diagrams on the board breaking down the procedures the students suggested into a series of steps.
A suggested procedure for text activities
Select one procedure from the Minibeasts craft activities.
- Illustrate the structure of the selected procedure using an overhead transparency or similar technique. Explain that a procedure has a:
- 'Title' (which tells you the outcome of the procedure ie. making a zoetrope);
- a section on the 'Things you need' (which tells you what is needed to carry out the procedure)
- and another section on 'What to do'(which tells you what to do to complete the procedure successfully).
- Discuss the purpose of the 'Title' with the class.
- Point out that the 'What to do' section may have various stages to it. Each stage has a series of steps that follow a particular sequence.
- Look at each step individually. Highlight the action word in the steps together. Explain why action words are used and why they are usually at the beginning of sentences (The action word is one of the most important things to know, so it comes first.).
- Ask the students if the text would be easy to understand if the 'What to do' section came before the 'What you need' section.
- Remove all the numbers from the 'What to do' section and jumble up the text sequence. Ask the students to put the sentences into the correct order. Ask if they found the task easy or difficult. Ask why the steps should be numbered.
- Rewrite some sentences on the board so that the action words are not placed in first position and ask the students if the instructions are easy to follow this way.
- Divide the students into groups and give each group a different step. Ask them to draw an A3 sized diagram illustrating their step. Ask the group to elect a member to stand at the front of the class with the diagram. Ask the class to decide the sequence of the pictures and match them to the steps.
- Photocopy the diagrams at a reduced size and give a photocopy of all the pictures to each student. Ask them to paste the pictures into their books next to the appropriate step.
Demonstrating a procedure
Tell the students that they are going to see a procedure demonstrated. Then show the students one of the craft activities: 'How to make a zoetrope, wizzer, picture spinner or flip book' (depending on which is the most appropriate craft activity for the class).
Divide the class into small groups or let the students work individually. Give them a copy of the procedure. Encourage them to make the craft item themselves.
Consolidation
Choose a different craft activity for the class to make. You may want to read through the text with them first and underline the action words.
Encourage the students to make the item.
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