Appendix 1: Teacher notes – organisation of the lesson

This lesson, using the Fine beam tube application links directly to a number of topics taught in SHS and the teaching and learning activities associated with it.

Ideas for organising this exemplar lesson link directly to activities and teaching examples in the OpenSTEM Africa CPD units on Using ICT to Support Learning and Effective Questioning.

Overview

If possible, this lesson should take place in the ICT Lab in your school if this can be arranged through your Head of Science and the Head of ICT. If the lesson takes place in the ICT Lab, it may be possible for each student to work individually at a computer; otherwise divide the class so that students are in small groups at a computer.

If it is not possible to use the ICT Lab for this lesson, then try to set up this lesson in your classroom. You may be lucky enough in your school to have a set of ‘empty’ tablets or mobile phones which students can use. Or you may be able to bring into the classroom a laptop connected to the internet or to your school intranet – and perhaps connected to a projector to make it possible for the whole class to view at once. If access to ICT is a real challenge in your school but you want your students to view an experiment, you might be able demonstrate it to small groups of your students at a time, using your own mobile phone

Whatever way(s) you set up the class, it would still be helpful to the students to be able to work in pairs or small groups for at least some of the lesson. Do remember as well that students need desk space to be able to write in their notebooks and to draw diagrams.

Steps in organising the lesson

Step 1: This takes place in the lesson before the one where you and your class access the OpenSTEM Africa Virtual Laboratory fine beam tube application. Have students work in pairs to pre-read the Background section of the exemplar lesson. They should ask each other the questions in the Background section and check with each other that each understands the answers. While they are doing so, you may want to walk round the class and listen for effective questioning – and ask open and effective questions of your own – as this is important for this exemplar lesson.

Step 2: At the beginning of this exemplar lesson, check understanding by asking (again!) the students the questions in the Background section. Organise the class, if possible, to work in the same pairs as in the previous lesson. Have each person in the pair create a table for their calculations for the circular beam measurement in their own laboratory notebook in preparation for their data collection from the practical activity

Step 3: Within each pair, have them check each other’s work and that each has set the table out correctly with the correct headings

Step 4: Make sure that each pair has access to a scientific calculator so that they can make the calculations. It may be that calculators will need to be shared across the class, with each pair using the calculator in turn for one set of calculations and passing it on.

Step 5: Make sure that each pair has access to/can see the computer screen to begin the actual investigation and observation and carry out the measurements. Ensure that each pair knows how to carry out the measurements – or if    you are using a laptop/projector, that you draw on the expertise of the class as you go through each step of the investigation, observation and measurements – i.e., ask them what the next step is. The lilac circle showing the electron path is quite faint, and students may find it easier to do the measurements in a shaded/darkened room, or with a piece of dark fabric over them and the screen.

Step 6: Have the class follow the instructions. Make sure, if working in a pair on a PC, that each student in the pair gets to follow all the steps; if working in a group on a PC, have the group leader ensure that everyone in the group is involved.

Step 7: What they calculate and write in their copy of the table will be agreed between the pair or within the group but allow enough time for everyone in the class to fill in their own table. Have them check each other’s entries with their own.

Step 8: Fifteen minutes before the end of the lesson, tell the students (in pairs) to complete the quiz. The quiz is a particularly important section of this exemplar lesson so do ensure that the students have enough time to complete it.

Note, it is likely that the data collection will take up to one hour and the analysis a further hour.

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