Assessment

The web-based activities in the Bodies, Bones and Movement unit provide opportunities for assessment. Many of the modules have a section that allows the children to record what they think they know at the beginning (initial assessment) and to compare it afterwards to what they now know having completed the unit (end of concept assessment). This encourages children to engage in some self-assessment but the information can be used by the teacher as a formative method of assessment. In many instances the children are invited to record things that they would like to know about a topic and teachers may find this useful in assessing what children know or wish to know. Children's initial ideas or questions can be used as a basis for class work.

In many cases where children are asked to record what they know they are asked to record pictorially. This avoids possible difficulties with terminology or language in general. All three modules (All About You, Bones and Muscles and Movement) have a test yourself section with true/false quizzes within each. These can be used as a form of summative assessment for the teacher and child to see how well they have understood and remembered. The quizzes are also designed as fun tasks for the children of this age group. They are self-correcting.

1. Cutting out the names of the bones (see Bones section) and grouping these bones according to certain criteria. Example grouping them according to where in the body they are found or according to size or shape.

2. Taking one of the true or false quizzes within the unit and using it for class revision. In pairs children can be given a small true and false card. As they hear the statement they must as a pair decide whether the statement is true or not. This activity can be extended by asking the children to compose some of their own quiz questions.

In conjunction with the activities completed on-line in the Bones, Bodies and Movement site the teacher can introduce further activities which stimulate children's thinking around the general topic of the human body. Teachers can do this by giving children further practice in asking and answering questions.

Enquiry skills and asking questions can be developed by setting up a questions' board/chart. Here for example children can write some of their questions about the human body (using pieces of paper or 'post its' on a large board or chart) and display them for classmates to attempt to solve.

Children should be encouraged to try to find the answers to the questions posed through a variety of means. They should be encouraged to notice that some questions can be answered through observation, others can be answered through reading for information, while others might be best answered through investigations or experiments.

Consider what questions might children ask about Myself/Human Body.

Examples of questions which children might ask and display on a 'questions board' are:

Will your stomach burst if you eat too much?

Can you sneeze with your eyes open?

Are all our fingers as strong as each other?

Children should be encouraged to ask:

Which question would I/we like to try to answer?

How might I/we find out the answer to that question?

It is intended that the material encountered within this unit will be suitable for the majority of children and a wide ability range within third and fourth class level. A variety of activities and methods are used and the large amount of visual information is designed to support the less able reader. For children with particular learning needs , teachers will need to choose sections of the units within which the individual child will be most likely to achieve success. Teachers may also find ideas which would suit particular learners in the following section entitled Classroom Activities. Many of these are suggestions for 'hands on' type activities.