PRIMARY SCIENCE
Education Consultancy
The new science curriculum
for Years 5 and 6
Led by Naomi Hiscock
[email protected]
www.primary-science.co.uk
Aims
• To be familiar with the changes in the new
curriculum and how these affect current
curriculum maps
• To explore in more detail working
scientifically and on going provision
• To identify areas for support in the next
session
The new curriculum - timeline
• Finalised in September 2013
• Can be implemented in year 3 and 4 now,
must be in place for September 2014
• Year 1 and 5 in place for September 2014
• Year 2 and 6 in place for September 2015
The new curriculum - rebranding
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Scientific enquiry is now called working scientifically- it is still at the core of
the curriculum
SC2 – life processes and living things
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SC2 – materials and their properties
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Animals, including humans
Plants
Living things and their habitats
Everyday materials
Uses of everyday materials
Rocks
States of matter
Properties and changes of materials
SC4 – physical processes
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Light
Forces and magnets
Sound
Electricity
Earth and space
The new curriculum - changes
• Some content has gone
• Some has moved
• Some is new
– What do you want to focus on during the next
session?
Progression
• Progression in knowledge is more clearly
mapped out
• Pick a strand and explore how the year 5
and 6 content builds on other phases.
• Is progression clear in all strands?
New opportunities
• Greater focus on outdoor learning – less
so than in other year groups
• An opportunity to rethink how we approach
science
– There are not 6 units per year
– Ongoing unit – life cycle of plants and animals
year 5
Working scientifically
• Focus on different types of enquiry
– Exploration – making and drawing circuits
– Comparative/fair testing – testing electrolycra
– Classification – living things
– Observation over time – sun shadows
– Researching – planets
– Pattern seeking – lung capacity
Exploration
• Build as many different circuits as you can.
• Draw each circuit and record any
additional observations.
Testing electrolycra
• Does it conduct electricity?
• Does it matter where you connect it?
• What happens when you stretch it?
• How does the amount of stretch affect the
light from the bulb?
Classification of living things
Plants and animals
• What are the main differences between
plants and animals?
Additional living things
Are these plants or
animals or a different
group?
Jigsaw activity
What other animals are similar to your one? Make a list.
What characteristics do all these examples share?
Other animals
• What animals do not fit into one of these
groups?
• Any questions arising?
Unusual animals
Create a branching database
• Choose one animal from each group.
• Ask yes/no questions to sort them
• Test the branching database with different
animals. Does it always work?
Observing over time
What would it have
been like an hour
before this picture
was taken?
What is this
picture of?
What will happen
next, after six
hours?
What will
happen next,
after an hour?
What would it have been like
twelve hours before this
picture was taken?
Researching
• Identify what you want to know first.
Pattern seeking
• Usually linked to plants, animals and
people
Balloon rockets
• Explore how you can control how far the
balloon rocket travels.
• Carry out systematic investigations so that
you can control how far it goes.
Working scientifically
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planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions,
including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with
increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when
appropriate
recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific
diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and
line graphs
using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and
fair tests
reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions,
causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results,
in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute
ideas or arguments.
Accuracy and precision
• You can measure precisely if you have the
correct equipment and can read the scale
• You are accurate in your measurements if
they are all close to the ‘true’ answer
• In the balloon rocket investigation were
you accurate and precise?
Gap tasks
• When planning consider the type of
enquiry that children will be using
• If appropriate, plan a series of linked
investigations so that children can draw on
evidence from more than one set of data