| Physics |
Lesson
15: Are mobile phones bad for
your health? |
| Curriculum
Key: |
OCRA
P1 |
|
OCRB
P1h |
(plus
Additional Science specifications) |
Objective(s)
1.
Be able to use information to
form an opinion or argument.
2. Understand the importance of
evidence to support a claim or
a new theory. |
Resources
needed
Starter
Task cards for each group.
Copies of newspaper articles and
press release for each group.
Information cards for each group.
Copy of map and task instructions
for each group.
PowerPoint - “Mobile Phones”. |
Starter:
10-15
minutes
Introduced
on PowerPoint slides 1 and 2.
Recap on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Students have to sort the parts
of the spectrum into the correct
order and match the parts of the
spectrum with their uses and possible
dangers. They then answer questions
based on the EM spectrum.
|
Teacher
input/assessment
Distribute
Starter task instructions and
cards.
Display slide on PowerPoint and
explain the starter task.
Go through answers after task
(answers included). |
Main
Activity 1: 10-15
minutes
Students
are given two newspaper articles
and a press release from a mobile
phone company. They have to answer
a series of questions based on
the articles.
They should comment on the importance
of evidence when making a claim.
|
Teacher
input / assessment
Distribute
newspaper articles and press release
with activity instructions.
At the end of the task ask students
to volunteer their answers. |
Main
Activity 2: 20-25
minutes
Students
are told that a mobile telephone
company want to put a new mast
up in a town, with a choice of
three sites. The students are
to decide where they should place
the mast, working in small groups
(3 – 4). They are give a map and
the task sheet (which has some
information) and have 5 minutes
to make a decision. They are then
given 4 information cards and
have 10 minutes to make a final
decision with supporting evidence. |
Teacher
input / assessment
Distribute
instructions and maps and information
cards in an envelope (students
must not see these before they
are instructed to do so).
Teacher to use PowerPoint presentation.
Students will write down their
findings.
NB: There is no right or wrong
answer!! |
Plenary:
5-20
minutes (depending on method of
presentation)
Students
could present their findings to
the rest of the group.
The Class could debate on the
best position of the new mast.
The teacher should end the lesson
by stressing the importance of
having evidence to support a scientific
idea. |
Teacher
input / assessment
Act
as mediator during presentation
/ Discussion. |
Learning
Outcomes:
All
students must: Be
able to make a decision based
on information given.
Most
students should: Be
able to justify their decision
with evidence provided.
Some
students could: present
their decision to a class and
justify with scientific evidence. |
Key
Skills: scan
articles to select evidence and
reject conjecture.
Key
words: electro-magnetic
spectrum, radiation
Homework:
Survey
the locations of mobile phone
masts in their local vicinity. |
Differentiation:
More
able: can
offer a rationale for the application
of a scientific approach to making
a decision.
Less
able: can
make a decision based on evidence. |
