Cambridge IGCSE™ Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences - Webinar Presentation

David Martindill

Head of Science

Author for Cambridge University Press

Online professional learning tutor and experienced examiner

Objectives

1. How can we make our teaching and learning more ________ ?

2. What is ________ assessment and how can we use it?

3. How can we ________ better lessons?

Objectives

1. How can we make our teaching and learning more ____A____?

2. What is ____B____ assessment and how can we use it?

3. How can we ____C____ better lessons?

Objectives

1. How can we make our teaching and learning more active?

2. What is formative assessment and how can we use it?

3. How can we plan better lessons?

Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences – new Syllabus

New Syllabus

For examinations in 2025, 2026 and 2027

New resources from Cambridge

Building Brighter Futures Together

Building Brighter Futures

Active Learning Part 1

Which classroom is better?

What is our job as teachers? or

The traditional model of instruction is when knowledge is transmitted from a teacher to learners

= Learners should do something in lessons

“Active Learning describes a classroom approach which says that learners are active in the learning process by building their own knowledge and understanding”

Science teaching moves away from: Science teaching moves towards:

Teacher talks more than learners. Learners engage in on-task discussion in pairs and small groups.

Classrooms are mainly quiet.

Questions and debate are evident.

Learners learn by memorisation. Learners learn from a range of sources.

Mistakes are seen as negative. Mistakes are an opportunity to learn.

Lessons focus on the completion of written tasks. Lessons focus on working towards clearly understood learning outcomes.

Teacher talk is usually information and instructions. Teacher talk is with learners to confirm understanding and support learner-to-learner discussions.

What is our job as teachers? or and

If Active Learning is new to you…

Start with a small amount and build on this slowly

• Think, Pair, Share

• What’s the question?

• Converting information from text into a picture

• Summarising the content of a lesson in a ‘Tweet’

• Taboo

Example active learning activity: Taboo

Learners are to describe a concept to their peer without mentioning 3-4 key terms. This forces them to reconsider their vocabulary and consider deeply their knowledge of the topic.

Differentiation is easy – increase the number of taboo words

Examples include:

• photosynthesis (without ‘light,’ ‘glucose’ or ‘oxygen.’)

• electrolysis (without ‘electrode,’ ‘electrolyte,’ or ‘current.’)

Let’s get active!

Please rank order the following 5 tasks:

1. Answer an extended-response question.

2. Design a laboratory investigation.

3. Listen to a lecture.

4. Make a poster.

5. Phone a friend to discuss homework.

Please type your rank order into the Chat Box. E.g. 2-4-5-1-3

Any task can be active

1. Answer an extended-response question… … in small groups, with each member responsible for a different part.

2. Design a laboratory investigation… … using a list of equipment they they have selected from around the house.

3. Listen to a lecture... … while completing a missing-word worksheet to reinforce what is covered.

Any task can be active

4. Make a poster… … with a number of others and in competition with other groups.

5. Phone a friend to discuss homework… … halfway through completing it.

Formative assessment Part 2

Types of assessment

Formative assessment

Provides information to help

learners improve

Summative assessment

Questioning

Traffic lights

Thumbs up and down

Feedback ONGOING

Provides information that shows how much learners have understood

Tests

Exams

Coursework

FINAL

What is wrong with this feedback?

Types of feedback

Type of feedback

Impact

Grade

Grade + Comment

Little impact or negative

Little impact

Just comment

Positive impact

Comment + Action

Strong positive impact

Feedback should: Be positive

Tell learners where they are in their learning

Help them to improve

What

AfL activity: Odd one out

Give learners three words, and ask them to find as many ways as possible to identify the ‘odd one out.’

This is a very clever way of encouraging holistic thinking.

Examples include:

• friction, pressure, air resistance

• solid, liquid, gas

Building Brighter Futures

Part 3

Case study: Planning a lesson

Planning a lesson

Identify the learning objectives

The objectives must be measurable. Know about the process of transpiration matter State what is meant by transpiration

Describe the effect of various factors on the rate of transpiration

Explain the effect of various factors on the rate of transpiration

The problem with the first one: How do you know that they know?

Use command words

State Describe Explain

Planning a lesson

What do we want them to learn?

How are we going to teach them this?

Introduction: Assess prior knowledge

Share learning intentions and outcomes

Create an enthusiasm for learning and the reason for the lesson

Lesson Activities and Resources

Break the lesson into several ‘chunks’

Each ‘chunk’ is an activity Can be teacher centred or learner centred or both

Introduction

Main activities (several)

Plenary/ review of learning

Example plenary activity: What’s the story?

Given a number of key terms, learners are asked to produce a short paragraph using all/ most/ some of them in the correct context. This removes the ‘cognitive load’ of AO1 (recalling key words) and facilitates their demonstration of higher-level skills (AO2).

Examples include:

acid, alkali, pH, high, low

refraction, total internal reflection, critical angle, normal

Three example activities

All three activities allow the teacher to circulate during the activity, to monitor and address misconceptions and misunderstandings as learners engage in their dialogue.

Building Brighter Futures

Building Brighter Futures Together

Building Brighter Futures

Any questions?

Any questions?

What opportunities are there for truly co-ordinated teaching and learning?

Why are some of the topics the same as those in Cambridge Lower Secondary?

Why do we not just teach learners the information and knowledge that they need?

Why is it important for children to ask questions and feel safe to make mistakes?

Building Brighter Futures Together