Teaching and Learning in Science in Society

The approach to teaching and learning suggested on this web site assumes that teachers will not be experts in the scientific topics but will, with the aid of the resources provided, be able to support and facilitate student learning.

Many of the activities suggested for the A2 topics use the range of techniques already familiar from the AS course. AS Science in Society students have learned to analyse unfamiliar information, to express opinions supported by evidence and to critically evaluate arguments used by others. They have developed these skills in a variety of ways including discussion, debate and role play as well as by working through some of the Learning Skills for Science activities on this site.

At A2 they will build on these skills so that they can analyse longer texts, produce longer more sophisticated arguments and research an issue efficiently. However they will also be introduced to new ways of working, in the case studies and in the problem based learning activities that are a part of every topic.

In each of the six schemes of work we not only offer a range of activities that are similar to, or a natural development from, the activities in the AS programme but also include two significant additions that are designed to help students rise to the challenge of the A2 course:

• a structured episode of problem-based learning expected to last for two or three hours of class time.
• one case study in the style of a Unit 4 exam but designed to teach part of the topic and featuring the evaluation of a range of related documents, including a scientific paper, using ideas about how science works.

Last updated: 3 December 2009