Science
Department for Education 2013
Science stimulates and excites pupils' curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them. It also satisfies their curiosity with knowledge. Because science links direct practical experience with ideas, it can engage learners at many levels.
At Wheatfields our key aims are:
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To stimulate and excite children's curiosity and enthusiasm for science
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To help pupils to learn to question and discuss scientific issues that may affect their own lives
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To engage pupils as learners at many levels through linking ideas with practical experience and developing an ability to apply principles to new situations
- To present a variety of experiences to broaden, challenge and change children's ideas
At Keystage One pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and physical phenomena. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions and to link this to simple scientific ideas. They begin to evaluate evidence and consider whether tests or comparisons are fair. They begin to use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. They share ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables with the help of computers if it is appropriate.
At Keystage Two pupils learn about a wider range of living things, materials and physical phenomena. They make links between ideas and explain things using simple models and theories. They apply their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas to familiar phenomena, everyday things and their personal health. They think about the effects of scientific and technological developments on the environment and in other contexts. They carry out more systematic investigations, working on their own and with others. They use a range of reference sources in their work. They talk about their work and its significance, using a wide range of scientific language, conventional diagrams, charts, graphs and computing to communicate their ideas.
The Science Curriculum is divided into two areas; Working scientifically and Science Knowledge (Biology, Physics and Chemistry)
Here is the overview outlining the topics and key skills taught during each key stage:
Key Stage 1 |
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Working Scientifically: During years 1 and 2, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the units listed below.
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Year 1 |
Plants – identifying and naming common plants and describing their basic structure Animals, including humans – identifying and naming common animals and their diets Everyday Materials – identifying and naming everyday materials, describing properties and grouping materials Seasonal Changes – observing changes and describing weather in each season |
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Year 2 |
Living things and their habitats – exploring and comparing differences between living, dead and things that have never lived, studying habitats, simple food chains Animals, including humans – life cycles, basic needs of animals, diet, exercise and hygiene Growing plants – plant life cycles, what plants need to survive Uses of everyday materials – identifying and comparing everyday materials, finding out how some materials can be changed |
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Key Stage 2 |
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Lower KS2 Working Scientifically: During years 3 and 4, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the units outlined below.
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Year 3 |
Plants – identifying and describing the functions of the parts of a flowering plant, exploring what plants need for growth, investigating how water is transported in plants, life cycles including pollination, seed formation and dispersal Light – recognise that light is needed to see, notice that light is reflected from surfaces, protecting our eyes from light, recognise how shadows are formed and change Rocks – comparing and grouping rocks, describing how fossils are made, recognising how soils are made Animals, including humans – digestive system, teeth, food chains Animals, including humans – nutrition, skeletons |
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Year 4 |
Living things and their habitats – grouping and classifying living things, changing habitats Sound – how sounds are made, how sounds travel, pitch, volume Forces and magnets – comparing how things move, how magnets repel and attract, describing magnets as having two poles States of matter – solids, liquids and gases, changing states, water cycle Electricity – constructing circuits with switches and buzzers, recognising common conductors and insulators |
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Upper KS2 Working Scientifically: During years 5 and 6, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the units listed below:
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Year 5 |
Living things and their habitats – differences in life cycles between mammals, amphibians, insects and birds, reproduction in some plants and animals Animals, including humans – changes in the human life cycle, puberty, gestation periods Living things and their habitats – classifying living things, micro-organisms Properties and changes of materials – comparing and grouping materials, dissolving, separating materials, reversible and irreversible changes Forces – gravity, air resistance, water resistance, friction, mechanisms (levers, pulleys, and gears) |
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Year 6 |
Evolution and inheritance – recognise changes over time, adaptation, evolution Earth and Space – solar system, movement of the planets, day and night Animals including humans – circulatory system, diet, exercise Light – how light travels, how we see, shadows Electricity – electrical symbols changing the brightness of a lamp in a circuit, comparing circuits, using |
SCIENCE WEEK 2017
"I like doing experiments and investigations because it makes it more fun and makes your brain work hard." by a Year 3 pupil
Science in the school grounds:
CROSS CURRICULAR SCIENCE - THE VIKINGS
Investigating the best Viking weapon:
SEPARATING MATERIALS using sieving, filtering, evaporation and magnets:
THE ROCKET MOUSE INVESTIGATION:
HAVING FUN IN SCIENCE....
Measuring and observing how magic snow behaves when water is added:
DEVELOPING OUR SCIENCE QUESTIONING AND PREDICTING: