Controlled Assessment Unit
In teaching science in England, at the end of the academic year, it is expected that year 9s will independently plan and carry out an experiment, known as a controlled assessment unit or CAU. In order for students to receive their qualification, they must show their literacy skills and handwrite a full lab report. This included cross referencing their results to a secondary source and a full evaluation of their method.
As this is the first time year 9s were exposed to CAUs, I had to find ways to ensure that the planning phase would not be overwhelming. One of the ways I did this was use colored paper. Different colors would represent different parts of the experiment they were responsible for. Students loved this idea as it was clear to them which pages I would be referring to and clear for them as they knew which piece they were working on. Since their CAU’s require a lot of writing, students were encouraged to use green paper to write out their thoughts as a rough copy then transfer that to lined paper.
As this is the first time year 9s were exposed to CAUs, I had to find ways to ensure that the planning phase would not be overwhelming. One of the ways I did this was use colored paper. Different colors would represent different parts of the experiment they were responsible for. Students loved this idea as it was clear to them which pages I would be referring to and clear for them as they knew which piece they were working on. Since their CAU’s require a lot of writing, students were encouraged to use green paper to write out their thoughts as a rough copy then transfer that to lined paper.
During the planning phase of the experiment, I also made headings for each part of the experiment and placed them on table groups. Students could then move to the table with the heading they were working on. This allowed me to formatively assess what part my students were working on an make sure they were following the correct guidelines of the experiment.
By the end of the unit, I was amazed to see the progress of my students, after all their planning they were able to tell me what they were doing in the experiment and why. Over all, I am pleased with how this large and seemly overwhelming task was taken on so well by my students.
By the end of the unit, I was amazed to see the progress of my students, after all their planning they were able to tell me what they were doing in the experiment and why. Over all, I am pleased with how this large and seemly overwhelming task was taken on so well by my students.
The video below is of two of my students explaining what they are measuring in their experiment.