ACARA v9 CONTENT DESCRIPTION “write and create texts to communicate observations, findings and ideas, using everyday and scientific vocabulary”
Builds on watching the sky and writing down what we notice. We spent a whole day measuring how a shadow moves and changes. Now comes the last step: telling other people what we found. We can share it with a drawing, a clear sentence, or a chart, using everyday words and the right science words so the class understands.
We measured the shadow all day
We put a pole in the playground and measured its shadow at the same spot each hour. In the morning the shadow was long. Near the middle of the day it grew short. In the afternoon it grew long again, pointing the other way. We found out something real, and now we want to tell the class. The trick is to pick the way that shows our finding most clearly.
Pick a way to share what you found
You measured the shadow each hour and want to tell the class how it changed. Each way of telling does something well and misses something else.
You found out that the shadow was long in the morning, short at midday, and long again in the afternoon. Pick a way to share this and see what it is good at and what it leaves out.
Choose a response to see what is gained and what is given up.
A chart tells the numbers
When our finding is about how long or how many, a chart is a great way to tell it. We wrote down how long the shadow was each hour in centimetres. In a chart, the taller the bar, the longer the shadow. Anyone can look at the chart and see the answer straight away, without us saying a word. The chart does the telling for us.
Show the shadow lengths in a chart
We measured the shadow of the pole each hour and wrote down its length. Switch between the table and the bar chart to see how a chart tells our finding to the class.
The chart tells the class our finding without a single word. The short middle bar shows the shadow was shortest at midday, and the tall bars at each end show it was long in the morning and the afternoon. A chart can share a finding all by itself.
Say it clearly
When we write a report, we want our sentence to say exactly what we saw. A clear report tells what really happened, like "the shadow was shortest at midday." A fuzzy sentence, like "it did a thing," does not help anyone know what we found. Using the right science word, like shadow or measure, makes our meaning clear. Sort the notes into clear reports and fuzzy ones.
Which notes clearly report what we found?
We watched the shadow all day and wrote some notes. Decide which notes clearly tell what we observed, and which are too fuzzy to be a good report.
Claim: These notes clearly tell the class what we observed about the shadow.
The shadow was long in the morning and pointed away from the sun.
We measured that the shadow was shortest at 12 pm, only 8 cm long.
It was sort of a fine kind of a day, I suppose.
By the afternoon the shadow grew long again, pointing the other way.
Something maybe happened to the pole at some time or other.
Decide whether each statement is evidence for the claim, or not.
Why this matters
A finding only helps others once we share it. When we draw a labelled picture, write a clear sentence, or make a chart, we let the whole class learn what we found out. Using everyday words and the right science words makes our meaning clear. Sharing what we found is how science grows, and it is the very last step every scientist takes.
Quick self-check
1. You measured how long a shadow was each hour. Which way tells the class the best?
2. Which sentence clearly reports what you saw?
3. A science word like "shadow" helps your report because it...
4. Why do we draw a labelled picture as well as writing words?
5. After you find something out, why is it good to tell other people?