Scientific enquiry

Science

Primary

A panel discusses one pupil's learning from Year 6 science

A panel reviews a Year 6 science lesson with particular attention to the learning experience of one of the pupils, Nicole. Science co-ordinator and deputy head of St Mary's Primary School in Birmingham, John Blaney is part of the panel reviewing his Year 6 on planting and growing. John, is joined by a Jane Turner, the Deputy Director of the East of England Science Learning Centre; and Veronica Knight, Year 2 teacher, on the panel which discusses the reactions of Nicole. Jane Turner also provides advice and suggestions on how to help the children get the most from science in future lessons.

KS1/2 Science - KS2: Learning with Nicole: Lesson Review

A primary AST leads a Year 4 class in a science investigation

Sally Crowe, a primary AST leads a Year 4 class from Latchmere Primary School, Kingston upon Thames in a science investigation. The class is split into groups with the objective of planning and conducting an investigation into separating various solids and solutions. Sally, who is also a year 5 teacher and best practice manager, gives the pupils a sense of responsibility by allowing them to choose their own roles, methods and techniques during the investigation. Sally focuses on the importance of pupil participation from planning right through to the practical experiment itself. Pupils prove to be successful in their investigations by becoming actively involved in complex science lessons with minimal support and input from the teacher.

KS1/2 Science - Practically Science

Investigating different materials at Key Stage 2 science

This programme looks at a KS2 science lesson devised by Year 3 class teacher Clare James. The lesson was inspired by visits the children made to a working water mill. Clare decides to bring the outside environment into the school by inviting mill education officer Elfyn Morris into the classroom with his model water wheel and grindstone. Clare also enlists the help of Jane Turner from the Science Learning Centre. The lesson consists of a selection of activities, including: <ul> <li>A clay table which the children can use to replicate the textures of materials they found at the mill</li> <li>A scratch test table where pupils investigate the hardness of materials</li> <li>A display of photographs and drawings showing what they've learned</li> </ul> The children also report back and demonstrate their findings to each other. The programme concludes with Clare and Jane's analysis of how the lesson went, with discussion about what worked well and what could be improved for next time.

KS2 Science - Materials: Lesson and Review

Visiting a watermill for KS2 science

This programme begins with Year 3 class teacher Clare James, from Canterbury Cross Primary in Birmingham, and Jane Turner from the Science Learning Centre on their way to Sarehole Mill in Hall Green. The purpose of their visit is to see if the water mill might be a suitable location for a Key Stage 2 science lesson on materials. The mill contains a wealth of different materials for the children to discover in an interesting and stimulating setting. Clare and Jane discuss the pros, cons and pitfalls of such a visit and Clare enlists the help of the mill's education officer Elfyn Morris to assist her on the day. When the children arrive they are given a "material trail worksheet" to help them conduct their investigations. They are also encouraged to ask questions about the materials they find around them. The programme concludes with Clare and Jane looking back on how the day has gone and assessing how successful the visit has been in meeting the learning objectives.

KS2 Science - Materials: Visiting a Watermill

Watch how inspirational magic can help make maths and science fun

Watch how inspirational magic can help make maths and science fun, exciting and creative. Also, learn how to do the tricks yourself. Former space scientist-turned-mathmagician, Dr Mark Biddiss, visits a north London school and demonstrates magic tricks and wacky science investigations to a group of thrilled pupils and teachers. Find out from Mark how to use card tricks and simple experiments to help stimulate higher order thinking skills, problem solving and communication and reasoning skills. Teachers can use these as starter activities or as full maths and science investigations, and they cover curriculum topics including number pattern, space, shapes and measures.

Magic Science and Maths

An innovative task turns Year 6 pupils into forensic scientists

Four primary teachers plan an innovative project to engage and excite pupils in science by constructing a real life crime scene investigation. The project will allow Year 6 pupils to behave like real forensic scientists, which demands a great deal of imaginative planning from the teachers. They choose a suitable crime and crime scene, involve local police, and plant evidence. A list of suspects of school staff is drawn up and the science used in the investigation is discussed. The children arrive at school, welcomed by the crime scene and a dramatisation of what has happened.

Part 1 - Planning the Crime

Pupils gather forensic evidence after discovering a crime scene

A crime scene has been discovered by Year 6 pupils at Wylde Green Primary School in the West Midlands. Scenes of Crime Officer Robin Slater invites the children to become crime scene investigators, gathering and examining evidence from the scene. The pupils interview and take fingerprints from suspects, use microscopes to examine fibres and assess chromatography in an attempt to unravel the mystery. The evidence links all five suspects to the crime, but only DNA fingerprinting will reveal the real culprit.

Part 2 - Collecting the Evidence

Will DNA testing finally reveal the school burglar?

Blood found at the crime scene is the only piece of evidence yet to be investigated in the Year 6 CSI Science project. Teachers use secondary science equipment to enable the children to undertake their own DNA testing. Will the resulting DNA fingerprints help solve the school burglary? Included in the programme is an interview with Professor Sir Alec Jefferys, the man who discovered DNA fingerprinting in 1984. He discusses the social impact of his discovery, and how it has changed forensic police work forever.

Part 3 - DNA Fingerprinting

The culprit is revealed as the teachers reflect on the project

All the suspects are brought before the Year 6 pupils as they present the evidence gathered during the investigation. The burglar is finally revealed thanks to DNA tests undertaken by the children, who are delighted with their work as the culprit is led away and arrested by the police. In the second part of this programme, the teachers evaluate how successful the project has been, how well the activities demonstrated the science and what they've learned from running a crime scene investigation.

Part 4 - The Verdict

Ways of using ICT to enliven primary science lessons

This programme shows how a primary teacher is using ICT to enliven science lessons. Year 4 teacher Helen Hardie has incorporated a range of uses of ICT into her weekly science investigations. By using data loggers, digital video cameras and interactive slideware, she involves and engages her pupils from the outset. Looking at the best way to insulate a cup of tea, graphing software lets pupils make sense of the temperature readings they collect. Easy-to-use ICT places the investigation firmly in the eager hands of the pupils.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Primary Science

> Scientific enquiry