Approaches

• Active learning and planned, purposeful play
• development of problem-solving skills and analytical thinking skills
• Emphasis on children explaining their understanding of concepts, informed discussion and communication.
• development of scientific practical investigation and inquiry.
• use of relevant contexts, familiar to young people’s experiences.
• appropriate and effective use of technology, real materials and living things.
• building on the principles of Assessment is for Learning.
• collaborative learning and independent thinking.
• assessing risk and benefit of science applications.
• demonstrate progress through their skills in planning and carrying out practical investigations, inquiries and challenges, working individually and collaboratively, promote thinking skills, provide opportunities to consolidate and apply learning and describing and explaining their understanding of scientific ideas and concepts.
• The key concepts have been clearly identified using five organisers:
  • Planet Earth
  • Forces, electricity and waves
  • Biological systems
  • Materials
  • Topical science.
• While every child and young person needs to develop a secure understanding of important scientific concepts, their experience of the sciences in school must develop a lifelong interest in science and its applications.
• stimulate the interest and motivation of children.
• use questioning very well to recall and consolidate learners’ knowledge through peer and self-assessment.
• move away from low level tasks such as copying notes, cutting out sections from handouts, pasting into jotters and colouring in .
• working independently as well as collaboratively giving opportunity to discuss
• learning out-of-doors, field trips, visits to science centres, local, national and sometimes international facilities .
• develop scientific literacy and investigative work.
• scientific communication through slideshows, scientific information posters, photographs, film clips or role play and other types of performances.
• Learning outcomes and success criteria are often shared with children and young people in order to focus their learning and to allow them to understand what learning will look like and allow them to evaluate their learning.
• Good Practice Example 30 In a pre-school nature kindergarten, the children spend almost all of their time outdoors. This provides them with a rich natural environment which is used very effectively to promote early science skills and develop children’s interests in living things. Children are developing their powers of observation and investigation very well. They are well aware of change and its effects on them, for example, their own growth, changes in weather, trees, flowers and plants. Children enjoy observing living things, for example, they know where to find the ‘toad’ outdoors in the garden. They are learning about planting and growing and know that you need sunshine and rain to make some things grow for example, carrots, peas, onions, strawberries, tomatoes, planting trees. Through their daily walks into the wild wood, children explore their natural environment and fulfil their inquiry, creativity and problem-solving skills.