During the June holidays, 34 students took part in the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad Competition under the Junior section. Our students won a total of 1 Silver, 3 Bronze and 3 Honourable Mention awards.
4 teams have participated in this year Amazing Science X-Challenge 2010 which requires them to create a stand-alone, self-explanatory exhibit that demonstrates a particular scientific concept unique to the physical sciences. One of our teams has emerged as the winners for the Special Mention Prizes of $150 and a medal.
Congratulations to Arthur Lee and Millie Thng from S1-04 for achieving Merit Awards for the Singapore HeritageFest 2010, "Artefactually Speaking" Storywriting Competition!
Singapore VEX Robotics Championship 2010 Our Robotics Club participated in the Singapore VEX Robotics Championship 2010 (3 - 4 June 2010).
The club has obtained Silver for 2 out of 3 categories of the competition, for "Team Alliance" and "Best Programming Skills". The team was also awarded the "Judges Award" trophy for Best Newcomer.
1. To prepare SST students to be the leaders in industries, entrepreneurs and technopreneurs of the 21st century, the Science Department in SST provides a well-designed curriculum which aims to enable students to
Develop scientific knowledge, skills and attitudes through inquiry and applied learning approaches
Appreciate the processes of developing scientific knowledge and technological applications, as well as recognise their impact on society
Become creative thinkers and innovators by stimulating their curiosity, interest and enjoyment in Science
Become responsible citizens in a technological world, capable of making informed decisions in matters relating to science and technology
Heart of the Discipline
2. Science is a human intellectual endeavour to study our natural world through systematic observation, experimentation, and analysis. The goal of science is to deepen our understanding of the natural world and to be able to explain and predict events and phenomena through the formulation of basic principles, laws and theories that represent our best ideas of how nature works. The main purpose of technology (or engineering), on the other hand, is to increase our efficiency and effectiveness in the world, and our enjoyment of it.
3. In the 21st Century, Science and Technology share an increasingly interdependent relationship. While Technology draws on our knowledge of the natural world, built up through scientific experimentation in designing solutions for specific problems, advancements and major breakthroughs in Science are often in tandem with innovations in technological tools and processes.
4. The SST Science Curriculum provides students with the opportunity to conceptualise and draw relationships between studies of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and translate conceptualised scientific knowledge into real world context in an innovative and enteprising manner for the good of the society. The Science Curriculum is hence scaffolded from the construction and understanding of scientific knowledge with core General Science modules in lower secondary to specialised Science subjects and applied Sciences in upper secondary.
5. The lower secondary syllabus is designed with an emphasis on integrating the teaching and learning of science within the context of the students’ experiences in daily life, society and the environment. Through a modular approach that focuses on materials, transportation, health, environment communications and investigative skills in science (ISS), students will be able to develop specific scientific investigation skills.
6. Through the upper secondary syllabus, students will develop deeper understandings of scientific concepts through ‘O’ level sciences such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Applied subjects of industrial relevance such as Biotechnology, Environmental Science and Technology and Fundamental of Electronics will be offered. Industrial attachment opportunities and interdisciplinary project work in the third year further enhance every SST student’s capacity to apply their knowledge in real world context equipped with 21st century skills.
Assessment
7. Assessment will comprise written exams and performance-based tasks to measure students’ understanding of the content knowledge, science process skills, as well as demonstration of the 10 Cs (21st century skills), particularly critical thinking, creativity, intellectual curiosity, collaborative and communication skills.
8. Written assessments will provide evidence of students’ understanding and application of scientific concepts and skills learned. Performance-based tasks aim to assess students’ ability to apply scientific knowledge and practical skills. Furthermore, interdisciplinary projects would also be implemented to assess skills relevant to science as well as the 10 Cs.
9. Examples of science-based assessments include practical examinations that require students to exhibit mastery of experimental skills, investigative projects related to the real world in the form of prototypes in various forms, knowledge and application-based response questions and multiple choice questions.
Pedagogical Approaches
10. Inquiry-based learning is the main pedagogical approach to learning of science in SST, which aims to enhance learning based on greater student involvement in their learning process, learning through multiple channels and sequential phases of thought processes. Knowledge acquisition and retention is thus more authentic and meaningful when students derive their own investigative content through knowledge construction.
11. Through integrated and applied learning approaches, students will experience applying knowledge of science in the real world through creativity and innovation, such as in project-based learning. It emphasises the relevance of applying what is being learnt in the content knowledge and science process and investigative skills to the real world, and making that connection as direct and apparent as possible. This focus on a real life application will often require students to focus on learning and applying the skills and knowledge they need to tackle a challenge, implement a project or collaborate as a team. The nature of applied learning also means that there will be greater involvements of the students and teachers in partnerships and collaborations with external organisations or individuals. These partnerships provide the necessary out-of-school context for students to demonstrate and apply the relevance of what they have learnt.
Glossary
12.Inquiry Approach
Pedagogical approach where the curriculum seeks to nurture the student as an inquirer, and the teacher as the leader of inquiry. The scientific inquiry approach leverages on the predisposition that students are natural inquirers who seek to understand the world around them and thus seeks to fuel this curiosity. Pedagogies that engage students to come up with their own questions of interest on a specific topic and conduct investigations as a way to learn about the topic would be used. The essential features of Inquiry, Question, Evidence, Explanation, Connections and Communication would be emphasised where relevant for conceptual development.
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