1 Unit overview In this unit we'll be concerned with what type of science forms the basis of science education, and for what purpose. You'll explore these issues by reading the text that follows and by tackling the activities that are included; there are also a number of readings. In the latter part of this unit (Sections 10–14) we'll consider some of the practical problems involved in delivering an effective curriculum in science and look at key questions relevant to all three educational tiers –
Learning outcomes After studying this unit, you should be able to: demonstrate an understanding of problems associated with defining the Nature of Science; write in an informed way about the purposes of compulsory science education; be aware of the educational complications and implications associated with the phrase ‘the public understanding of science’; show an ability to comment critically on curriculum proposals that aim to promote science citi
Parliament and the law
How are rules made and who can influence this procedure? This unit will introduce you to the rule-making processes in of the UK Houses of Parliament in Westminster. You will examine how laws are enacted and how it is possible for unelected bodies and people to influence the content of such laws. First published on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 as Author(s):
Acknowledgements Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this unit: Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence
Author(s):
9.5 Tables Using a table or just a set of columns can help you to analyse information and ideas. You can vary the number of columns and rows as needed. The following activity provides an opportunity for you to summarise information in a table. 9.3 Linear notes This is the most common form of note-taking. It involves writing in sequence the points you want to note. As with all note-taking, the aim is to pick out and record the most important points. Avoid simply writing out most or all of the text again. Try to write your notes in your own words as this will help you understand what you have been reading about. Also add a reference to which page(s) of the text your notes refer so you can easily find your way back to the relevant part of the te 8 Magistrates Magistrates have been a part of the English legal system since the Justice of the Peace Act 1361. Their main role has always been in the criminal justice system. There are now over 30,000 magistrates (also known as Justices of the Peace) hearing over one million criminal cases per yea 4.11.1 Procedural ultra vires This is where the enabling Act sets out the procedural rules to be followed by the body which has been given the delegated power. The court can find the delegated legislation to be ultra vires and void if these rules were not followed. In the Aylesbury Mushroom case (1972) Agricultural Horticultural and Forestry Industry Training Board v Aylesbury Mushrooms Ltd (1972) 1 All ER 280 delegated legislation required the Minister of Labour to consult ‘any organisation … appe 4.8 Professional regulations Certain professional bodies, such as The Solicitors Regulation Authority, have delegated authority under enabling legislation to regulate the conduct of their members. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has power to control the conduct of practising solicitors under the Solicitors Act 1974. The General Medical Council regulates the conduct of its members under the Medical Act of 1858. It has four main functions: to keep up-to-date registers of qualif 4.3 Types of delegated legislation There are different types of delegated legislation: Statutory Instruments byelaws Orders in Council Court Rule committees professional regulations. 3,3,7 Royal Assent You have already seen references to Royal Assent in this unit. The monarch formally assents to a Bill in order for it to pass into law. Royal Assent has never been withheld in recent times. Queen Anne was the last monarch to withhold a Royal Assent, when she blocked a Scottish Militia Bill in 1707. The Queen feared a Scottish militia might be turned against the monarchy. Since the sixteenth century no monarch has actually signed a Bill themselves. Instead, the monarch signs what are kno 3.3.4 Report stage A Bill that has been amended in committee stage is reviewed by the House in which it started. The amendments will be debated in the House and accepted or rejected. Further amendments may also be added. Introduction This unit is designed as an introduction to the academic study of the concept of rules, but will also serve as an introduction to a variety of different writing styles that are used in the academic world. It will challenge you to think about why some statements are rules and some are not, and what it is that distinguishes rules from habits and customs. It also looks at more formal rules and how such rules are applied and enforced. Rules shape our lives because they set out what we may and may 3.2 The evolution of the EU The EU has grown out of a series of intergovernmental political initiatives which have been expressed in a number of treaties. These treaties form the building blocks that give authority and power to the institutions and law-making bodies of the EU. The process is evolutionary, as treaties are reviewed and amended to reflect both the changing membership and the vision of the EU. The EU is founded on several treaties: The treaty that established 2.4 The European Court of Human Rights Common law and the court hierarchy, statutory interpretation and judicial precedent are all peculiar to the domestic English law. The European Court of Human Rights operates in a different way. The rights in the European Convention on Human Rights are stated in general terms and are interpreted according to international legal principles. For example, Article 31(1) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties states: 6.5.1 Presumptions When determining the meaning of particular words the courts will make certain presumptions about the law. If the statute clearly states the opposite, then a presumption will not apply and it is said that the presumption is rebutted. The main presumptions are: A presumption against change in the common law. It is assumed that the common law will apply unless Parliament has made it plain in the Act that the common law has been altered. 1.3.1: The mean and the median This subsection looks at two ways of finding an ‘average’. The first produces the mean, which is what was originally meant by ‘average’, and what most people think of when they talk about an average. The second gives the median, which might more accurately be described as a ‘typical’ or middle value. They will be illustrated using the following batch of heights. The heights in metres (measured to the nearest centimetre) of a group of seven people are as follows 1.2.3: A typical shopping basket This subsection discusses using a typical basket of goods to analyse price changes over time. However, what is meant by ‘typical’? Think back to the last time you went shopping. What did you buy? The electric light bulbs that you have just stocked up on are unlikely to be in your shopping basket next week, whereas milk may well be there every week. And there may be items—a new toothbrush for example—that you buy from time to time, but not this week. To monitor price change 7 OpenMark quiz Hopefully, thinking about how your solution to a mathematical problem might be marked, will help you to produce better solutions for yourself, as well as for somebody else. Now try the quiz and see if there are any areas you need to work on. 6.5 Solutions to ‘making a lawn’ Learning from the marking of the previous questions, write out a good solution to the following problem. Suppose you have some friends who are planning to put a new lawn in their garden. The lawn is to be 12 m by 14 m and they have a choice of either laying turf or sow
Activity 7: Completing a table
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Example 18: Making a lawn
