NST1502 Tutorial
NST1502 Tutorial
NST1502
Year module
BARCODE
CONTENTS
Page
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 4
2 OVERVIEW OF NST1502 ................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Outcomes ............................................................................................................................ 5
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ................................................................................. 5
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS ......................................................................... 6
4.1 Lecturer(s) ........................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Department ......................................................................................................................... 6
4.3 University ............................................................................................................................ 6
5 RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................... 6
5.1 Prescribed book(s) .............................................................................................................. 6
5.2 Recommended book(s) ....................................................................................................... 6
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) .......................................................................................... 6
5.4 Library services and resources ............................................................................................ 7
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ...................................................................................... 8
6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme ..................................................................... 8
7 STUDY PLAN ..................................................................................................................... 9
8 PRACTICAL WORK ........................................................................................................... 9
9 ASSESSMENT.................................................................................................................... 9
9.1 Assessment criteria ............................................................................................................. 9
9.2 Assessment plan ............................................................................................................... 10
9.3 Assignment numbers ......................................................................................................... 10
9.4 Assignment due dates ....................................................................................................... 10
9.5 Submission of assignments ............................................................................................... 11
9.6 Other assessment methods ............................................................................................... 19
9.7 The examination ................................................................................................................ 20
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY ............................................................................................... 22
10.1 Plagiarism ......................................................................................................................... 22
10.2 Cheating ............................................................................................................................ 23
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below: ............................................ 23
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NST1502/101
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Dear Student
As part of this tutorial letter, we wish to inform you that Unisa has implemented a
transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In response to this
charter, we have also placed curriculum transformation high on the agenda. For your
information, curriculum transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred
scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the
scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and
philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be integrated at both the programme
and module levels, as a phased-in approach. You will notice the implementation thereof in
your modules, and we encourage you to fully embrace these changes during your studies
at Unisa.
1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the module Natural Science and Technology for classroom 2 (NST1502). I am
delighted to have you as a student and will do my best to make your study of this module
successful. You will be well on your way to success if you start studying early in the year
and resolve to do the assignments properly. You will receive several tutorial letters during
the year. A tutorial letter is our way of communicating with you about teaching, learning
and assessment.
This Tutorial Letter 101 contains important information about the scheme of work,
resources and assignments for this module. The actual assignments, assessment
standards, instructions for the completion and submission of assignments, the prescribed
study material and all other resources form part of this tutorial letter. I have also included
certain general and administrative information about this module. Read it carefully
and keep it at hand when working through the study material, doing the assignments,
preparing for the examination, and addressing questions to your lecturers.
You must read all tutorial letters you receive during the year immediately and carefully, as
they always contain important, and sometimes, urgent information. This module is
blended meaning that we use a combination of printed and online material to engage with
you.
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2. OVERVIEW OF NST1502
2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this module is to provide prospective candidate teachers with an overview
of science, specifically the Natural Sciences, in the GET school curriculum. It identifies
core concepts such as the scientific method, science process skills combined with the
knowledge strand Life and Living and the knowledge strand Planet Earth and Beyond. It
explores how that knowledge and skills might best be mediated in the classroom. By
the end of the module, y o u will have a clear idea of some of the core skills and
knowledge you would require in becoming science teachers.
2.2 Outcomes
Specific outcome 1:
Specific outcome 2:
Plan a range of effective science activities applicable to the intermediate and senior
phases of school, with specific focus on the Natural Science knowledge strands Life and
Living and Planet Earth and Beyond.
3. CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight
dimensions. In response to this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on
the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes the following pillars:
student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment
practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion of African
epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be integrated at
both programme and module levels as a phased-in approach. You will notice a marked
change in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with how the
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content is conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes
during your studies at Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of transformation.
4.1 Lecturer(s)
E-mail: [email protected]
4.2 Department
4.3 University
Read the Study @ Unisa brochure for details on how to contact the University.
5. RESOURCES
Students are encouraged to make use of available textbooks, e-books and other resources
via the library catalogue.
Students are encouraged to make use or e-reserves available via the library catalogue.
E-reserves can be downloaded from the Library catalogue. More information is available at
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
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Recommended guides:
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6. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how
to access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit
assessment and how to participate in forum activities via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130
Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices
and updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24
hours for your account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this
immediately after registering at Unisa, by following this link: [email protected]
Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official
correspondence with the university and will remain the official primary e-mail address on
record at Unisa. You remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.
For many students, the transition from school education to tertiary education is beset with
anxiety. This is also true for first-time students to Unisa. Unisa is a dedicated open
distance and e-learning institution. Unisa is somewhat different from face-to-face/contact
institutions. It is a mega university and all our programmes are offered through a blended
learning mode or fully online learning mode. It is for this reason that we thought it
necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support so that you can
seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few
barriers. In this regard, we offer a specialised student support programme to students
entering Unisa for the first time. We refer to this programme as Unisa’s First-Year
Experience (FYE) Programme. The FYE is designed to provide you with prompt and
helpful information about services that the institution offers and how you can access
information. The following FYE programmes are currently offered:
• FYE website: All the guides and resources you need to navigate through your first
year at Unisa can be accessed using the following link: www.unisa.ac.za/FYE.
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• FYE e-mails: You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and
motivated.
• FYE broadcasts: You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics
related to your first-year studies (e.g., videos on how to submit assignments online).
• FYE mailbox: For assistance with queries related to your first year of study, send an
e-mail to [email protected]
7. STUDY PLAN
8. PRACTICAL WORK
9. ASSESSMENT
• Visual evidence shows the ability to use relevant resources for an enquiry-
based approach to develop basic as well as integrated science process skills.
• Reports show the ability to know and apply basic science process skills (observing,
measuring, recording and communicating data) as well as integrated science
process skills (analysing, interpreting, predicting, hypothesising, and
experimenting) within an inquiry-based approach to science.
• Reports show the ability to plan and execute science activities and to reflect on
the process.
• Explanations with examples demonstrate an understanding of how an inquiry-
based approach to science relates to the school curriculum.
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9.2 Assessment plan
• All information on when and where to submit your assignments will be made
available to you via the myUnisa site for your module.
• Due dates for assignments, as well as the actual assignments are available on the
myUnisa site for this module.
• You need to obtain a year mark average of 50% from the assignments to gain
admission to the examination.
• The examination will count 51% towards the final module mark.
• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the landing page of
myUnisa for this module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you
upon registration.
• Please start working on your assignments as soon as you register for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due
dates for the submission of the assignments.
• Modules offered by Unisa are either blended (meaning that we use a combination of
printed and online material to engage with you) or online (all information is available
via the internet). In all cases of online engagement, we use myUnisa as our virtual
campus.
• From 2023, the myUnisa virtual campus will be offered via a new learning
management system. This is an online system that is used to administer, document
and deliver educational material to you and support engagement with you.
• Look out for information from your lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to
determine how to access the virtual myUnisa module site.
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• Information on the tools that will be available to engage with the lecturer and fellow
students to support your learning will also be communicated via various platforms.
• Additional information on the use of the myUnisa site for the module as well as
features to engage and communicate with your lecturer and other students will also
be made available via the online site for the module.
• Therefore, log on to the myUnisa site for your module to gain more information on
where to complete and/or upload your assignments and how to communicate with
your lecturer.
As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete three (3) assignments for this module,
with the first one being a multiple-choice assignment written on Moodle.
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9.5.1 Assignment 01 (100 Marks)
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QUESTION 1
Use the words in the box below to complete the missing words.
testable; when something is unusual or different from the norm; eyes; ask good
questions; predicts
[10]
QUESTION 2
a. Matter
b. Element
c. Atom
d. Protons
e. Molecules
f. Atomic number
g. Periodic table
h. Chemical bond
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i. Hydrogen bond
j. Compound bond
k. Ionic bond
[22]
QUESTION 3
3.1 Differentiate between a plant and an animal cell in table format. (10)
3.2 A cell is made up of different organelles. List four organelles and their
functions. (8)
3.3 Differentiate between endocytosis and exocytosis. (2)
3.4 Use a diagram to distinguish between simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion. (10)
[30]
QUESTION 4
4.1.1 What is the name of a double layer of phospholipids (called lipid bilayer)?
a. It gives the cell shape and protection and it regulates the movement of
substances into and out of the cell.
b. It makes protein and produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
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a. Major role of green pigmentation and cell division; close to the nucleus
b. Photosynthesis and green pigment; in the cytoplasm
c. It opens to the nucleus.
a. the flagella
b. the cillia
a. mitochondria.
b. ribosomes.
c. Cytoplasm
[18]
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QUESTION 5
The scientific method is used in all sciences, including psychology, physics, geology and
chemistry. The scientists in these fields ask different questions and perform different
tests. Show some insight in the scientific method by applying its steps to the practical
problem given below. Also include drawings/diagrams in each step.
5.1 You are preparing breakfast in the morning. You put two slices of bread in the
toaster and press the button. But your bread does not toast.
[20]
Subtotal: [100]
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QUESTION 1
1.1 Planet
1.2 Oort cloud
1.3 Solar system
1.4 Galaxy
1.5 The moon
1.6 Atmosphere
1.7 Earth
1.8 Lithosphere
1.9 A star
1.10 Universe
[20]
QUESTION 2
2.2 When considering revolution and rotation, which one creates day and night,
[10]
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QUESTION 3
3.2 Which other planets are closer to the Goldilocks zone? (2)
[10]
QUESTION 4
4.1 Use a diagram to differentiate between a plant cell and an animal cell. (10)
4.2 Plants alternate between diploid-cell plants and haploid-cell plants. This is
called the alternation of generations. Use a diagram to illustrate the steps of
the alternation of generations in fern plants. (10)
[20]
QUESTION 5
a. protists
b. plants
c. fungi
d. animals
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5.3 Match the terms given in column A with their definitions given in column B and in
the spaces given below the table: (10)
Column A Column B
[20]
QUESTION 6
6.1 Write a two-page essay about the history of mining in South Africa. [20]
Subtotal: [100]
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9.7 The examination
Portfolio
In this module, you are expected to prepare and submit a portfolio. The portfolio is divided
into two sections. The first section requires you to complete specific activities from your
study guide. The second section requires you to answer the provided questions. Complete
all the sections to get full marks.
SECTION A
Section 1 of this portfolio requires you to complete the activities below from your study
guide and submit them with the answers as Section A.
SECTION B
QUESTION 1
1.1 The first step of the scientific method is referred to as the __________. (2)
1.2 We call a step-in scientific method that takes many forms such as seeing,
hearing or feeling, ____________. (2)
1.3 Scientists analyse and interpret data in order to figure out how those data
inform their _____________ and _____________. (4)
1.4 It is the job of science to collect all plausible explanations and to use
scientific testing to filter through them, retaining ideas that are
supported by the_____________. (2)
[10]
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QUESTION 2
2.1 Talk to at least three people who speak different languages and find out
the following:
2.1.1 What is the equivalent word for “universe” in their mother tongue?
Write down the word and specify the language. (6)
(14)
QUESTION 3
3.1 Critically discuss the transport mechanisms across the membrane. (10)
Total: [34]
Sub-total: [100]
The examination
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring
Since 2020 Unisa conducts all its assessments online. Given stringent requirements from
professional bodies and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to
unlawfully assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the
University is obliged to assure its assessment integrity through the utilisation of various
proctoring tools: Turnitin, Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools will
authenticate the student’s identity and flag suspicious behaviour to assure credibility of
students’ responses during assessments. The description below is for your benefit as you
may encounter any or all of these in your registered modules:
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Turnitin is a plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’
submissions against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic
fraud and ghost writing. Students are expected to submit typed responses for utilisation of
the Turnitin software.
The Moodle Proctoring tool is a facial recognition software that authenticates students’
identity during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or
laptop camera. Students must ensure their camera is activated in their browser settings
prior to their assessments.
IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and
provides for both manual and automated facial verification. It has the ability to record and
review a student’s assessment session. It flags suspicious behaviour by the students for
review by an academic administrator. IRIS software requires installation on students’
laptop devices that are enabled with a webcam.
Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious dishonest behaviour arising from
the invigilation and proctoring reports are referred to the disciplinary office for formal
proceeding.
Please note:
Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to
determine which proctoring or invigilation tool will be utilised for their formative and
summative assessments.
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting
them as your own. It is a form of theft, which involves several dishonest academic
activities, such as the following:
• Cutting and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including or using incorrect references.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.
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10.2 Cheating
10.3 More information about plagiarism can be downloaded on the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study @ Unisa/Student-values-and-rules
The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with new and returning students with disabilities.
• If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need
additional time for assessments, you are invited to contact me (Mrs Patricia Photo
at [email protected]) so that you can be assisted.
The Study @ Unisa brochure contains an A–Z guide of the most questions that students
ask. Please refer to this brochure for frequently asked questions.
Hopkins, WG & Hüner, NPA. 2009: Introduction to Plant Physiology. 4th Edition. John
Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, USA.
Olugbemiro, JJ. 1993. African Cultural Perspectives and the Teaching of Science.
ERIC 365-526.
Raven, PH, Johnson, GB., Mason, KA, Losos, JB, & Singer, SR. 2014. Biology.
10th Edition. McGraw-Hill International Edition.
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask http://www.biology.ie/biologyandthescientificmethod
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http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/lines_01
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html
14. IN CLOSING
15. ADDENDUM
None
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