Variety is the Spice
of Science Life
NAIGS 2007
Anne Goldsworthy
www.annegoldsworthy.co.uk
The Vision
Primary Science for the 21st Century
Wynne Harlen
Children should
• Be engaged in enquiries they have helped
to formulate
• Work collaboratively in groups towards a
shared and agreed understanding of their
enquiry and how to interpret their findings
• Collect evidence by first hand observation,
with the aid of data-logging where
appropriate and from secondary sources
ASE Guide to Primary Science
2006 - Wynne Harlen
• Work purposefully, aware of the goals in
terms of learning and the quality criteria by
which they and others will judge their work
• Present their enquiry plans and findings to
others and comment constructively on
other’s plans and reports
• Use peer and self assessment to improve
work
• Recognise what makes an enquiry ‘scientific’
• Reflect on what and how they have learned
and on what helped their learning
ASE Guide to Primary Science
2006 - Wynne Harlen
We also want children to …
• Be excited by science and amazed by
the way world works
• Gain an increasing awareness of how
science works and what scientists do
• See science as relevant to their lives
• See how science links with other
subjects
Creativity back in Favour
“FOUR OUT of five primary schools are
abandoning traditional subject teaching and
introducing theme-based lessons.
A poll of 115 schools by The TES reveals a
significant shift away from secondary-style
subject lessons towards cross-curricular classes
on topics such as chocolate or space-travel.”
• Working very well in some schools e.g. Balsall Common
Primary, Solihull and Bursted Wood Primary, Bexhill
Article in TES, 8th June 2007
But beware the simplistic …
• THEMES = EXCITEMENT & CREATIVITY
• SUBJECTS = BOREDOM & ROUTINE
• Let’s go for exciting teaching with a rich
variety of approaches that involve and
engage all children
“Excellent teaching gives children the life
chances they deserve... Enjoyment is the
birthright of every child. The most powerful
mix is the one that brings the two together.
Children learn better when they are excited
and engaged - but what excites and engages
them best is truly excellent teaching."
Excellence and enjoyment: A strategy for
primary schools
Four suggestions for the
variety show
• Set science in exciting contemporary
contexts
• Help children learn about and use the
skills of science enquiry
• Teach science concepts effectively
• Offer different ways of recording
and communicating
Cool Science Project
• One year project funded by Astra Zeneca run by
Bob Ponchaud & AG
• 4 groups – Sheffield, Blackpool, Oxford, Monmouthshire
• Mainly Y4/5/6/7 pupils
Aims
• Promote discussion of contemporary science issues &
active learning
• Evaluate impact of the Primary UPD8 resources
• Look at the effect of Primary UPD8 based teaching on
pupils’ awareness of scientists & what they do
You can do this ….
• Help children to use secondary
sources to find out about foods….
Help children to produce a display
illustrating adequate and varied
diets.
• From QCA Scheme of Work 2000
Or you can do this …
With a web link to
this …
Locals in eastern Australia
ravaged by a plague of
locusts could now take the
ultimate revenge - eating
them.
Two government workers have
responded to the crisis by
producing a specialist
cookbook of more than 20
locust recipes called Cooking
with Sky Prawns
The book's author says locusts
are more nutritious than beef
Producing work like this
…
‘Before’ and ‘After’ Questionnaire
Results from one year group - Y6
• Only schools that had done most ‘core’
units included.
• Rural and urban contexts.
• N = 258 (as of May 2007)
Scientists work in laboratories
doing experiments….
80
70
60
50
Before
After
40
30
20
10
0
Always
Often
Sometimes
Never
Scientists agree about what
they find out…..
60
50
40
Before
After
30
20
10
0
Always
Often
Sometimes
Never
How much can science help
us with recycling?
45
40
35
30
25
Before
After
20
15
10
5
0
A Lot
Some
A Little
Not at All
How much can science help
us with farming?
45
40
35
30
25
Before
After
20
15
10
5
0
A lot
Some
A little
Not at all
One school’s experience
What was the effect on the children?
• ‘The children loved the activities.
They knew what to expect when Cool
Science (UPD8) was on the agenda.
When I said we were about to do one,
there was always a gasp of
anticipation. The children enjoyed
them because there was more
discussion and they had much more
ownership of the lessons.’
Windmill Hill Primary, Sheffield
One school’s experience
What was the effect on teaching?
• ‘We let the children talk more. I found the
ideas for helping them to talk more amongst
themselves very useful, for example not
looking at them when you want them to talk to
each other. Once we spent a whole afternoon
discussing features they thought humans
should evolve in the future. During feedback
the children shared ideas and learnt from each
other. We found that they built on and
adapted each other’s ideas.’
Windmill Hill Primary, Sheffield
The children’s perspective
What are scientists like?
Cross Ash Primary School,
Monmouthshire
Cross Ash Primary School, Monmouthshire
Cross Ash Primary School, Monmouthshire
The children’s perspective
How has Cool Science changed
your views about scientists?
• I thought that scientists didn’t do
anything much interesting and just wore
long white coats and did difficult sums
and were very clever.
• Now I think that that they are very
interesting and help make the world a
better place for everyone and save lives.
Cross Ash Primary School, Monmouthshire
Hannah Y6
The children’s perspective
How has Cool Science changed
your views about scientists?
I thought that scientists made inventions or
worked towards making amazing machines or
gadgets that would change the world, just
sitting in laboratories all day working hard.
Before when I heard the word scientists, an
image of a raving frizzy-haired lunatic came
into my mind! I thought they mixed ingredients
together to make fantastic substances without
really any purpose.
Cross Ash Primary School, Monmouthshire
The children’s perspective
How has Cool Science changed your views?
• Now I think scientists always have a purpose
for whatever they are doing. Some scientists
are inventors and mess around with things
trying to invent and experiment but not many
do that. To become a doctor you have to do
science and also to become a palaeontologist
you have to do science and those are two
entirely different jobs. Many jobs are only
earned if you do science and many of these
jobs are very exciting to do.
Cross Ash Primary School, Monmouthshire
Bethany Y6
A great science resource
www.primaryupd8.org.uk
Special offers for
• ASE members
• Small schools
• Groups of schools
• Teacher delegates at conferences
and Primary UPD8 courses
Scientific Enquiry Games
(Anne Goldsworthy with Bob Ponchaud)
Devised to help teach and revise
scientific enquiry skills
• Planning Posers
• Table Talk
• Fair Test Scramble
Scientific Enquiry Games
Cost for Book and Disc - £25.00
For LAs
• 20% discount for 10 or more (£20)
• 25% for 50 or more (£18.75)
• A special NAIGS deal of £10 cash for
single copies bought at this conference
• Go to Millgate House Stand or
www.millgatehouse.co.uk
Teaching Science Concepts
• Tables pushing up
• Needing light to see
What must be happening if the balloon changes shape?
Press balloon down on head – you can feel forces in neck
pushing back though others can’t see anything happening
Black Paper Tubes
For KS 1 emphasise how
we needed holes to let
light in so we could see
For KS 2, emphasise the
light’s journey from the
light source to the object
and then to the eye.
Contrast hole at top of
tube with hole at bottom.
Why Record?
• To help children learn
• To allow them to communicate
with others
• To provide evidence of what has been happening in
the classroom
Ways to record
• Do a mime (hands only if full
movement difficult)
• Radio or TV interview
• Children take photos or videos
• Devise lesson for younger pupils
• Floor Books and Posters
• Devise a song
Your turn
• Force yourselves to have a go with the
squeeze rocket
• 2 minutes to try things out/work out
what’s happening/consider the science
• Make up a song about it
• Do it to the tune of ….. (nursery
rhyme, well known pop song etc.)
• Ready to sing in 5 minutes
• Add actions if you want
Variety is the Spice of
Science Life!
www.annegoldsworthy.co.uk