Imagine you are employed as a teacher in an education setting where the management has decided to cut back on the inclusion of Science within the curriculum. Write a report to the management team that outlines the importance of integrating Science content, processes and concepts for children aged 0-3 years of age. This report is a useful way to articulate the values and relevance of Science in early childhood and primary education.

Related learning outcomes

This assignmentassessesthe following unit learning outcomes:

1. Summarise the critical importance of Science content, processes and attitudes in teaching young children.

3. Develop and critique explicit and systematic teaching approaches to science and technology appropriate to the content area and levels of understanding of the children they teach.

5. Investigate the categories of science and the content and concepts within them.Include the following headings:
   1. Executive summary: A short, clear summary of the whole report.
   2. Table of contents.
   3. Introduction:
      
      • Introduce the issue and outline the key aspects of your report.
      • Include a rationale for why you think Science is important in the early years of learning.
   4. Key points:
      
      • Include points 1-3 outlined in the assignment criteria.
   5. Conclusion:
      
      • Short summary of key points.
      • Recommendations for the management team about how and why Science can and should be included in the early childhood curriculum.

   Be sure to utilise the following guide to report writing -Writing your report (PDF 174 KB)- to help you develop this assignment.

   Additional resources

   The following resources will support you in completing this assignment:

   • Referencing guideLinks to an external site.(this includes guidelines on how to cite and reference ACARA and ELYF).
   • Assignment supportLinks to an external site.
     Teaching Period 3, 2017
     • Home
     • Announcements
     • Syllabus
     • Modules
     • Assignments
     • Grades
     • Collaborate
     • Library

     Assignment 1: Report

     Print

     Teaching period 3, 2017

     EDU30002: Science and Technology

     Assignment 1: Report

     Word limit: 2000 (+/- 10%)Weighting: 40%Due date: 5pm AEDT Monday11 December 2017 (Week 6)

     After you have read this information, head over to theAssignment 1 Q&Adiscussion board to ask any questions and see what your peersare saying about this assignment.

     Assignment overview

     Assignment details

     Submission details overview

     Assignment criteria

     1. Summary of importance of teaching Science content, processes and attitudes.
     2. Inclusion and explanation of at least two Science categories (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences) with examples of relevant conceptual understandings and learning for infants and toddlers.
     3. How Science is described in the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework. (Although infants and toddlers are not included within the Australian Curriculum it will strengthen your argument to understand the continuum of Science education expectations from birth-to-year six).
     4. Depth and breadth.
     5. Academic expression.

     Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:

     Criteria	No Pass	Pass 50-59%	Credit 60-69%	Distinction 70-79%	High Distinction 80-100%
     Summary of the importance of science content, processes and attitudes. (25%)	Did not meet criterion.	Summary focuses on the importance of science and how this aligns to teaching. Completed key aspects of the requirements but could be more succinct and/or include relevant examples.	As per Pass and: Includes examples of Science processes and attitudes.	As per Credit and: Includes supporting literature.	As per Distinction and: Identifies the alignment with Science content, processes and attitudes and the benefits these have on teaching young children.
     Inclusion and explanation of at least two Science categories (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences) with examples of relevant conceptual understandings and learning for infants and toddlers.	Did not meet criterion.	Clear links between Science categories and developing conceptual understandings.	As per Pass and: Examples are provided that illustrate how Science categories and concepts are explored with a particular age group.	As per Credit and: Some examples outline the importance of conceptual understandings and how children learn about science.	As per Distinction and: Chosen examples demonstrate acknowledgement of Science concepts, set high expectations for young children’s learning and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the categories for teaching Science.
     How Science is described in the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework. (20%)	Did not meet criterion.	Report outlines some understandings of how the EYLF and Australian Curriculum inform Science teaching.	As per Pass and: Examples are provided that demonstrate aspects of Science from the two curriculum documents.	As per Credit and: Inclusion of principles and ideas from the curriculum documents.	As per Distinction and: Deep thinking that integrates principles and ideas from the curriculum documents into your arguments and rationale.
     Depth and breadth. (20%)	Did not meet criterion.	Report identifies some of the key ideas and and potential benefits of Science curricula for learning. Some reference has been made to the unit materials and recommendations have been included in the report.	As per Pass and: All aspects of the report are completed and ideas flow seamlessly. Clearly identifies contributing factors and effects. Relevant and clear recommendations.	As per Credit and: A clear rationale with supporting literature. Recommendations include a high level of understanding of Science pedagogy and practice.	As per Distinction and: All of the elements have been completed and demonstrate a high-level of pedagogical understanding. Recommendations include a deep understanding of the importance of integrating Science content within the early childhood education context.
     Academic expression. (10%)	Did not meet criterion.	The report is satisfactorily structured although contains some extraneous information and/or repetition that reduces the clarity of the discussion. There are minor errors and/or inconsistencies with grammar, spelling and expression. APA referencing has been attempted.	Report contains little by way of excess information or repetition and is generally clear in both purpose and execution. The writing is mostly free of errors with grammar, spelling and expression. APA referencing has been adhered to on most occasions.	Report is clear, well-structured and easy to read. Only minor errors with grammar, writing conventions, spelling and expression are evident. APA referencing has been adhered to consistently.	Report is clear, well-structured and easy to read. Relationships between concepts are clearly explicated and easy to follow. There is evidence of independent learning and the understanding of writing conventions. The writing is free of any errors in grammar, spelling and expression. APA referencing has been adhered to consistently with no errors.

     Assessment declaration and statement of authorship

     By submitting my assignments below I declare that:

     • this is an original piece of work and no part has been completed by any other person than signed below
     • I have read and understood the guidelines onHow to avoid plagiarismLinks to an external site., and no part of this work has been copied or paraphrased from any other source except where this has been clearly acknowledged in the body of the assignment and included in the reference list
     • to avoid plagiarism detection, I have noted on the front page of my assignment that I have previously submitted this for another unit (Name of unit and TP)
     • I have retained a copy of this assignment in the event of it becoming lost or damaged.

     I agree and acknowledge that:

     • I have read and understood the declaration and statement of authorship above.
     • I accept that use of my Swinburne account to electronically submit this assignment constitutes my agreement to the Swinburne Assessment Declaration.
     • If I do not agree to the Swinburne Assessment Declaration in this context, the outcome of my assignment may not be valid for assessment purposes and may not be included in my aggregate score for this unit.

     Further information relating to the penalties for plagiarism, which range from a formal caution to expulsion from the University, is contained in the Swinburne StudentPlagiarism and academic integrityLinks to an external site.page.

   •