As part of the ongoing work of the class your child will cover a wide range of science outcomes. These
include:
Electricity - Circuits
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Electricity - Batteries
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Separating Materials
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Materials - Dissolving
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Planet Earth – Food Chains
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Planet Earth - Plants
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Changes in Materials
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Planet Earth – Living Things
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Sound
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The experiences and outcomes in science provide opportunities for children to develop a range
of inquiry and investigative skills, scientific analytical thinking skills and develop attitudes and
attributes of a scientifically literate citizen. These skills are:
This leaflet is designed to provide you with information on the various science units and advice
on how you can support your child at home.
ELECTRICITY - CIRCUITS
ELECTRICITY - BATTERIES
I have used a range of electrical components to help to make a
variety of circuits for differing purposes. I can represent my circuit
using symbols and describe the transfer of energy around the
circuit.
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To begin to understand how batteries work, I can help to build
simple chemical cells using readily-available materials which can
be used to make an appliance work.
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By the end of our science unit on ‘Electricity – Circuits’ your
child should know:
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In order for electricity to flow a complete circuit and a source of
power is needed.
Sources of power are cells (batteries) and mains.
Electrical energy is transported through the National Grid to
our homes, schools, workplaces etc.
Mains electricity is dangerous.
Energy can be transferred by an electrical current
Switches and other devices can be used to alter or stop the
flow of electricity.
Circuits can be drawn using a set of standard symbols to
represent electrical devices.
Electrical current carries energy from the battery around the
complete circuit.
When you increase the number of bulbs in a series circuit the
bulbs (current) will become dimmer.
When you increase the number of cells in a series circuit the
bulbs (current) will become brighter.
Electrical energy can be converted to other forms of energy to
provide lighting and heating and to make things work, for
example televisions, hairdryers etc.
By the end of our science unit on ‘Air Resistance and
Friction’ your child should know:
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A battery is a storehouse of energy
Batteries release electricity as a result of a gradual chemical
reaction
The chemical reaction produces a flow of electrons between
the two poles
When all the chemicals are used up the battery is said to be
flat
Other chemicals can be mixed to make electricity
An ordinary non rechargeable battery is made up of a zinc
container and carbon rods soaked in a strong acid,
You can create a battery using vinegar instead of a strong
acid and different coins for the zinc and carbon.
Acid in citrus fruit can also be used as a substitute for the
strong acid.
Electrical inventions from the past have shaped our lives
today.
Many inventions over the years have used electricity
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Key Words:
Battery, portable, power source, chemical energy, transfer of
energy, powerful, weak, chemical reaction, generate electricity,
electrical inventions, acid, metals.
Key Words:
Electricity, electrons, circuit, power source, electric current, safety,
dangerous, components, bulbs, buzzers, motors, wires, switches,
battery, cells, conventional symbols.
CHANGES IN MATERIALS
By contributing to investigations into familiar changes in substances
to produce other substances, I can describe how their characteristics
have changed.
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By the end of our science unit on ‘Changes in Materials’ your
child should know:
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Materials are the substances from which all things are made.
Our environment is full of different materials, often mixed
together.
Material is a word used to describe all the possible substance
things are made from. These will include: metals, wood, textiles,
plastics etc.
The properties of a material tell us how it can or might be able to
be used.
Water exists in three forms: solid, liquid and gas
Gases do not have a fixed volume as solids and liquids do.
Gases are more easily compresses than solids and liquids.
Gases and liquids can flow and change shape but continuous
solids have a fixed shape
Some properties change in different circumstances such as in
water, higher/lower temperature etc.
The material chosen for a purpose will depend on its properties,
if it is to be used effectively.
A chemical reaction is very difficult to reverse.
In a chemical reaction the bond between the particles of the
substances are broken and reform in a different arrangement as
a new substance.
Key Words:
Solids, liquids, gas, materials, substances, chemical reactions,
properties, evaporated, melted, heated, solidifying, reversible,
irreversible, Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen.
SEPARATING MATERIALS
I have participated in practical activities to separate simple
mixtures of substances and can relate my findings to my
everyday experience.
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By the end of our science unit on ‘Separating Materials’
your child should know:
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A mixture is two or more materials mixed together but still
physically separate
Solids of different sizes may be separated by using a sieve
e.g. sand and peas.
Insoluble solids may be separated from a liquid by filtering the solid is left on the filter paper. A sieve may be used if
the particles are large enough.
A solution is formed when one or more substances (the
solute) dissolves in another (the solvent)
A solution is transparent (but may be coloured)
Soluble solids may be separated from a liquid by
evaporation – the solid is left behind in the dish.
A solvent other than water is called a non aqueous solvent.
Chromatography may be used to separate a mixture of
coloured dyes.
Magnets may be used to separate iron particles from other
materials.
Key Words:
Dissolving, soluble, insoluble, solutions, solvent, solute,
mixtures, filtering, evaporation, filtrate, residue, magnets,
chromatography, reversible, irreversible.
MATERIALS- DISSOLVING
PLANET EARTH - LIVING THINGS
By investigating common conditions that increase the
amount of substance that will dissolve or the speed of
dissolving, I can relate my findings to the world around me.
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I can identify and classify examples of living things, past and present, to
help me appreciated their diversity. I can relate physical and
behavioural characteristics to their survival or extinction.
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By the end of our science unit on ‘Materials - Dissolving’
your child should know:
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Solubility is the ability of a solid to dissolve in a liquid.
The solid is the solute
The liquid is the solvent
When the solid will no longer dissolve the solution is
described as saturated.
Solubility is affected by a number of factors:
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The size and shape of containers
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The volume of water used
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Whether the material is liquid, solid or gas
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The amount of materials each time
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The particle size of solids e.g. powder, granules
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The temperature of the water
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Whether or not you stir the water.
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How long you stir the water for
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How quickly you stir the water
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Solubility of the solvent is also
A fair test is where you change only one variable.
A solution is formed when one or more substances (the
solute) dissolves in another (the solvent)
A solution is transparent (may be coloured)
Key Words:
Dissolving, soluble, insoluble, solutions, solvent, solute,
mixtures, repeated results, variables, fair test.
By the end of our science unit on ‘Living Things’ your child
should know:
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Living things can be classified into animals and plants.
Plants can be classified into flowering and non flowering.
Animals can be placed into two main groups; vertebrates and
invertebrates
Vertebrates have backbones and can be placed into 5 classes –
mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles.
Invertebrates are classified into smaller groups, the 5 main groups
are: Athropods, Echinoderms, Protozoa, Molluscs and Annelids.
Classification keys can be used to group animals in a scientific
way.
Keys usually consist of a set of written descriptions that have a
starting point that is quite general with descriptions becoming more
and more specific until the description can only fit one animal.
Animals and plants have become extinct due to a changing
environment and also due to human activities.
Some species are at risk today (endangered) due to a drastic
reduction in their numbers.
Living things are suited to their environment and through changes
in their habitat they have had to adapt in order to survive.
Living things can be protected in a variety of ways, e.g. National
Parks, WWF, rare breed societies etc.
Ecotourism can encourage tourists to protect environmental areas
and the animals and plants which live in it.
Key Words:
vertebrates, invertebrates, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds,
molluscs, arthropods, echinoderms, protozoa, annelids, flowering
plants, annual, biennials, perennials, non-flowering plants, mosses,
conifers, ferns, extinct, endangered, threatened, habitat, environment,
adaptation, survival, predator, prey, destruction, ecotourism, climate
change, rainforests.
PLANET EARTH – FOOD CHAINS
I can use my knowledge of the interactions and energy flow between plants and animals in ecosystems, food chains and webs. I have
contributed to the design or conservation of a wildlife area.
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By the end of our science unit on ‘Inheritance’ your child should know:
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Green plants are called producers because they make/produce their own food inside themselves using water and sunlight in a
process known as photosynthesis.
The sun is very important for all living things, without the sun the plants would not grow, without plants there would be no animals
All food chains will start with a producer and this will usually be a green plant.
Plants are living organisms; they need nourishment in the form of water, nutrients and light to survive.
Animals cannot make their own food. Animals get their energy by consuming (eating) other organisms.
All animals are consumers ( they consume/eat)
All living things need food to give them the energy to grow and move. A food chain shows how each living thing gets its food. It
shows who is eating who. The arrow means "is eaten by"
Note that the arrows are drawn from food source to food consumers ... in other words, you can substitute the arrows with the words
"eaten by"
Most food chains have no more than four or five links.
There cannot be too many links in a single food chain because the animals at the end of the chain would not get enough food (and
hence energy) to stay alive.
Most animals are part of more than one food chain and eat more than one kind of food in order to meet their food and energy
requirements. These interconnected food chains form a food web
Key Words:
Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, producer, consumer, Primary Consumer, Secondary Consumer, Tertiary Consumer, predators, prey,
decomposers, food chain, food web, photosynthesis.
PLANET EARTH - PLANTS
SOUND
Through carrying out practical activities and investigations, I can
show how plants have benefited society.
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I have contributed to investigations into the role of micro organisms
in producing and breaking down some materials.
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By the end of our science unit on ‘Micro organisms’ your child
should know:
By the end of our science unit on ‘Planet Earth – Plants’
your child should know:
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Plants are the producers in all food chains
A food chain will begin with a green plant
An animal may be a carnivore but a plant will still be at the
start of its food chain.
Animals are dependent on plants
Plants need animals to help disperse their seeds.
Humans eat different parts of plants in their daily diet e.g.
stem, roots, flower and the leaves.
The fruit of plants has been the inspiration for artists for
many years.
The planting of tress benefits society in many different ways,
e.g. climate, fuel, medicine, food, paper.
Trees help keep the air clean and breathable thus improving
air quality
Rainforests are very important to the world: they store
carbon dioxide and help deter the Greenhouse effect; they
also provide us with food, fuel wood, shelter, jobs, and
medicines.
Key Words:
Food chains, producers, photosynthesis, seed dispersal, wind
dispersal, animal dispersal, water dispersal, carnivores,
interdependent, climatic benefit, air pollution, Greenhouse Effect.
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Ears detect vibrations allowing us to hear
The main components of an ear are: outer ear, ear canal, ear
drum, 3 small bones (hammer, anvil and stirrup), cochlea and
nerve to brain.
Sound vibrations travel through different materials
Sound travels most quickly through solids and slowest through
gases.
Sound will not travel through a vacuum
Sound travels in a straight line and can reflect off things
making echoes.
It is possible to change some solids so that sound travels
better through them.
Pitch describes how high or low a sound is.
The pitch of sound is related to its frequency – the higher the
frequency the higher the pitch.
The pitch of some musical instruments can be altered by
changing the length, thickness or tension of the vibrating part.
The amplitude of a sound is its volume.
The loudness of musical instruments can be altered by
changing how much they vibrate; e.g. hitting a drum harder
increases the vibrations and therefore increases amplitude.
Sound waves can be seen using an oscilloscope: high pitched
notes give waves which are very close together while low
pitched notes have waves which are further apart. Quiet notes
give shallow waves while loud notes give deep waves.
Animals use sound to communicate with each other and also
to track their prey.
Some animals can hear sounds above the human range.
Key Words:
Vibrations, echoes, ear canal, ear drum, hammer, anvil, stirrup,
cochlea, pitch, amplitude, communicate, frequency, sound waves,
ultrasound, oscilloscope
How You Can Help Your Child
Talk to your child about the science topics they are investigating in school.
Encourage your child to watch news items or programmes related to the world of science
Read and discuss newspaper articles with your child, encourage him/her to take these into class
Further explore the ideas they are learning– there are lots of fantastic websites out there that are being constantly
updated.
Assist them with any science homework they may have
Allow them to recreate with your supervision experiments they may have carried out in school
How You Can Help Wester Cleddens
If you have any science skills, knowledge or experience and feel that you can help enhance the science
learning experiences of our pupils please contact the school office.
All our science parent information leaflets are available to view on our school website. Have a look at them
all as you may be able to offer your help within other classes.