Science Planning Guidelines for Teachers

Session 2024-25

Table of content
Three Steps for Effective Planning ............................................................................................................... 2
Step 1: Strengthen Your Subject Knowledge ........................................................................................... 2
Step 2: Collaborate and Write the Planner ................................................................................................ 2
Step 3: Reflect and Proofread .................................................................................................................... 2
How to Write the Planner ............................................................................................................................... 3
Phase 1: Discuss and direct teaching ....................................................................................................... 3
How to know if the effective discussion is happening in the class ................................................... 3
Benefits of discussion ............................................................................................................................. 3
Methods of direct teaching...................................................................................................................... 3
What I have learnt today .......................................................................................................................... 3
Phase 2: Active learning ............................................................................................................................. 4
Phase 3: Practice ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Phase 4: Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 4
Surprise quiz ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Announced test ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Diary .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Guidelines for Notebook ................................................................................................................................ 5
What should be in the notebook ................................................................................................................ 5
How the notebook should look .................................................................................................................. 5
 Three Steps for Effective Planning

Follow these three steps for planning:

1. Strengthen your subject knowledge
2. Collaborate and write the planner
3. Reflect and proofread

Step 1: Strengthen Your Subject Knowledge

Step 1 is for all teachers regardless of whether they are writing a planner for that specific
grade or not.
Read these resources to enrich your subject knowledge.
 Framework objectives
 Learner’s book
 Workbook
 Resource books
 Teacher’s guide
 Previous progression test
 Do research on the internet
Also, discuss with the subject leader and senior teachers how to teach a particular topic.

Step 2: Collaborate and Write the Planner

Sit with your colleagues to discuss how you are going to teach a topic. Make a mind map
after your discussion and ensure everyone signs it.
Attach the picture of this document with your planner.

Step 3: Reflect and Proofread

After writing the planner, read and reflect.
While reflecting, check whether it has these points:
 Follow planning guidelines
 Simple and to the point
 Creative and engaging for the students
 A new teacher can easily follow
 Written as what students should be doing e.g. “Learners will solve workbook pg.8”
Seek feedback from colleagues and have the planner proofread by the subject leader.
 How to Write the Planner

Follow these four phases for teaching a particular topic or topics.

1. Discuss and direct teaching
2. Active learning
3. Practice
4. Assessment

Phase 1: Discuss and direct teaching

Discuss with students by asking them open-ended questions or through the thinking
routines.
After the discussion, teach the topic.

How to know if the effective discussion is happening in the class

 Students are building on each other’s responses.
 Minimum input by the teacher and maximum responses by the students.
 No factual information is being bombarded by the teacher.

Benefits of discussion
Discussion offers two important benefits:
1. Developing scientific thinking
Purpose of the discussion is to scaffold scientific thinking in students. Students with
stronger scientific thinking will find it easier to tackle unseen written exams compared to
those who only know the concepts. Beyond exams, fostering an interest in and aptitude for
scientific thinking can benefit students in their higher education.
2. Deeper understanding
A teacher who can facilitate effective discussions in class will create deeper and more
lasting understanding among learners. Students will be able to relate and link concepts
more effectively when they possess a deeper understanding.
Methods of direct teaching
 Lecture method
 Playing a video
 Giving a book/reading material to read
 Showing the Learner’s book on the computer screen for the students to read
What I have learnt today
After direct teaching, ask students to write in their notebooks: “What I have learnt today”.
In “What I have learnt today”, ask students to summarize today’s lesson in their notebooks
in words (for Grade 1 only) or points. Teacher could also write important points on the
board for students to write in the notebook.
 Phase 2: Active learning
Plan a simple activity related to the topic to strengthen students’ understanding of the
concept.
Get the ideas from the teacher’s resource/ Learner’s book/workbook/internet/ twinkle.com/
for the activity.
It could be done on the notebook or in practical.
Avoid making 3-D models unless specified in the syllabus.
Phase 3: Practice
Practice can be done in the workbook or in the notebook. Practice in the notebook will
include questions from the progression tests.
Avoid making worksheets.
Phase 4: Assessment
Surprise quiz
Conduct a surprise (unannounced) short quiz of 5 marks after the topic is completed.
Short quiz could be on the workbook or notebook.
Include questions from the progression test or workbook in the quiz.
Do not make worksheets for surprise quiz. Only mention the question in the planner, print
pictures if needed for the question.
There should be one surprise quiz after every 1 or 2 weeks.

Announced test
Send diary of announced test. Don’t include more than 3 topics at a time.
Announced tests should be once a month and of 15 marks or more.
Include questions from the progression test or workbook; design worksheets for
announced tests. Make questions on worksheet as done in exams, one or two questions
per page.
Both campuses can collaborate on creating announced tests.
 Diary

The homework should be sent on Teams once or twice a week.

Homework could be in the form of:
 Read the provided reading material
 Complete the question in the notebook
 Practice questions from the workbook
 Announced test
 Research about a specific topic
 MS forms or any other online link

Guidelines for Notebook

What should be in the notebook

 Term Index
 Interim syllabus
 Reading material (not required for every topic)
 “What I have learnt today”, after direct teaching
 Any activity (eg. cut and paste, sorting, diagrams, mind maps) done in active
learning (not compulsory after every topic)
 Questions done for practice
 Short quizzes (once every one to two weeks)
 Announced tests (once every month)
 Interim tests (twice every term)
 Poster (as per mentioned in the syllabus)
 Practice investigation (as per mentioned in the syllabus)
 Student pictures while doing any activity (minimum one is required per term)

How the notebook should look

 Creative; by adding activities such as sorting, mind map, diagrams etc.
 Scientific; by including tables and scientific enquiry questions.
 Easy to follow; notebook work should be designed in a way that during
reinforcement students can easily revise for the exams.