Science

Science at Cookridge Holy Trinity

Science involves the observation and investigation of the world around us. Pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Science teaching must promote in children a curious, questioning attitude that leads to investigation in order to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave and analyse causes.

AIMS OF SCIENCE TEACHING

To deliver the Science Programmes of Study of the 2014 National Curriculum.
To develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
To develop ‘Working Scientifically’ skills through relevant practical tasks.
To equip children with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science.

The staff have worked together to produce four key principles for teaching science in our school which will be referred to in our planning, classroom teaching and displays:

Science is going well when there is practical exploration.
Science is going well when there is engagement and enthusiasm.
Science is going well when there is questioning from children.
Science is going well when there is progression and structure

KS1 Long Term Plan 2017-18
KS2 Long Term Plan 2017-18

Do you want to try science investigations at home? Look here …

Science Bob experiments – lots of them!!
Science Kids – brilliant experiments to try!

A reminder … **Remember to ask an adult permission to do these and tell me how you have got on and bring in any photos too!

Science Photos

Click here to see photos from 2017 – 2018

Science Policy

Year 4 Science Club

Science Investigations

Reception

In reception children will explore the world around them by exploring the similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They will make observations of animals and plants, explaining why some things occur and talk about changes. In the autumn term they will explore light, dark and space, while in the spring they will find out about dinosaurs and fossils. In the summer term they will find out more about animals with a trip to a farm and learn about floating and sinking.

Year One

In year 1 children will learn about plants by identifying and describing the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees. While learning about animals, including humans, they will describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals and identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense. They will also find out about everyday materials and observe changes across the four seasons.

Year Two

In year 2 children will learn about living things and their habitats through exploring and identifying that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants. In the spring term the children will learn about life cycles first hand while observing live chicks in the classroom. They will also find out and observe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy. When learning about animals, including humans, children will describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene. They will also learn about the use of everyday materials.

Year Three

In year 3 children learn about light and investigate the relationship between light, objects and shadows. They also apply their knowledge of forces to investigate magnetic attraction and use their understanding about magnetism to explain everyday phenomena. When learning about rocks, the children are taught to compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and physical properties. Children will identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants and explore the requirements of plants for life and growth, as well as how they vary from plant to plant. While learning about animals, including humans, children will be taught to identify that animals need the right types and amount of nutrition and they get nutrition from what they eat. They will also identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.

Year Four

In year 4 children will learn about living things and their habitats, recognising that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways and explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment. When learning about animals, including humans, the children will describe the simple functions of the digestive system and identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions. Investigations will be conducted into states of matter where children will compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases. Children will also explore sound by finding patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it, as well as patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it. While studying electricity, children will construct simple electrical circuits, identifying and naming the basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers.

Year Five

In year 5 pupils will focus on developing a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas, through exploring, talking and asking questions about scientific phenomena; They will encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. Topics they will learn about will include: living things and their habitats, living things, properties and changes of materials, earth and space and forces.

Year Six

In Year 6 the children will use their understanding of methods of working scientifically to select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions. They will select and use the different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Topics they will learn about will include: living things and their habitats, animals including humans, evolution and inheritance, light and electricity.