Overview

This year 5 science project was an extension of ideas around classification they had previously studied. The project asked pupils to consider perspective, and how perspective is key in considering how things are classified.

Pupil Learning Objectives

· To consider different ways of classifying objects
· To invent classification systems
· To create a website to communicate and test classification systems
· To test each others’ classification systems
· To discuss subjectivity in Science

Project description

This project began in the classroom with three sessions spent developing pupils’ ideas about classification before they came to present them using ICT. Pupils began by describing what was in their classroom and then grouping the objects they had chosen. We then considered an alien coming into the classroom and how they might classify what they saw. The pupils worked collaboratively on their tables and re-classified the classroom but from a specific point of view (mums, babies, police officers, dogs). After this introduction each table was asked to split into two halves, one half to create a collage of artwork and objects about the sky with as many objects or living things that they can think of on it. The other half did the same with the ground. They created these collages as panoramic views and photographed them with the digital video camera.

When they came in to Highwire, they were shown how to make virtual reality environments out of their artwork. They were asked on the computer to look at their artwork, and from the perspective they had had before, to categorise all the items. They took the individual items, grouped them and scanned them. They then made a game where they described the particular interests of their perspective (with a picture of them dressed up in role). They created a game where the user had to decide what the categories were, and drag the right objects into the right categories. This linked to a page giving the answers and the reasons why.

Creative thinking and behaviour: Evaluating the effects of ideas

In this project the pupils were asked to imagine they were someone else and classify from that point of view. However, it was more complex because they were also publishing for an audience, and therefore had to consider what the user would think and how they would understand the information they were receiving. When the pupils were first asked to produce the work from a particular perspective, they began to see that there were many ways to look at classification. However, it was towards the end when they put the whole game together and ‘played’ each others’ work that particular questions arose about perspective, such as ‘who’s right?’ and ‘does it mean that everybody is right? The challenge was around whether there was a hierarchy in these views of classifying the same information. They also questioned classified items that crossed over between different perspectives, and they were asked to think of why different perspectives may produce similar categories for classification. Although the class had known they were all working on the sky and the ground, but with a slightly different approach, when they shared their work, there was a moment of realisation that perspective indeed makes a big difference, and this led to a very engaged whole class discussion.

Key features of ICT that enabled and supported pupils’ creativity

Provisionality - While they were making their pieces, even after the artwork had been scanned in, pupils would think of an item they had not thought of earlier, and they were able to include that. This provisional nature of computers enabled them to continue to develop their ideas because they knew that their work could be changed.

Multi-modality - The game-like effect kept pupils on task and engaged with the creation of their perspectives. It is extremely useful that the nature of multi-modality can mean that information is not put into hierarchies, so perspectives were given equal weight in order to examine the nature of hierarchies. The thought of an audience answering their questions prompted by playing their guessing and dragging game encouraged quality work.

Interactivity - It was the interactivity of the technology that contributed to the pupils’ thinking when they became their own audience and were able to interact with what they had produced. This challenged them to ask new questions.