Introduction to Science

1. Introduction to Science Primary GTP 2009/10

2. What is Science?

3. What is science? • The word science comes from the Latin Scientia meaning ‘knowledge’ • Literally, science is about knowing about the world

4. Primary Science • An intellectual, practical, creative and social endeavour which seeks to help children better understand the world in which they live • Involves them in thinking and working in particular ways in the pursuit of reliable knowledge (Sharp et al, 2002)

5. The Nature of Science Science and primary science may mean different things to different people. What is your view of the nature of science?

6. No One Correct View! However, a mature understanding of the nature of science recognises the tentative nature of some scientific knowledge

7. A broad consensus on some aspects:- • Scientific enquiry involves the collection of data (evidence) to test/lead to explanations • Scientific explanations are based on generalisations (laws) and theoretical models (theories)

8. A broad consensus:- • Proposing a law or theory always involves an element of uncertainty (i.e. they are inevitably conjectural) • Choices between theories are based on criteria such as accuracy of prediction, consistency, coherence, breath of scope etc. Judgement, however, is involved in deciding how these apply to any given case.

9. Science in the National Curriculum 2 Key stages in Primary • KS1 Y1&2 • KS2 Y3-6 4 Attainment Targets • Sc1: Scientific Enquiry • Sc2: Life processes & living things • Sc3: Materials and their properties • Sc4: Physical processes

10. SC1Scientific Enquiry What is it?

11. SC1 Scientific Enquiry • Ideas and Evidence • Importance of collecting evidence, linking cause & effect, creative thinking. • Investigative skills • Planning (P) • ask questions, decide how to find answers, predict, fair test. • Obtaining & Presenting evidence (O) • Control risks, explore, observe, measure, check, repeat, communicate. • Considering Evidence & Evaluating (C & E) • Comparing, patterns, conclusions, explain, review.

12. Investigative skills:Not just a fair test! • Pattern Seeking Observing & recording natural phenomena, carry out surveys the seeking patterns • Classifying & Identifying Arranging objects into sets, recognising objects as members of sets • Exploring Making careful observations, or a series of observations • Making Things Designing, testing, adapting an artefact or system • Fair test Exploring relationships between variables

13. How can we find answers? Pupils come up with many questions. Can they recognise how to find the answers? Sort the questions on water or woodlice into the correct type of enquiry.

14. Deciding on an approach New Star Science

15. Deciding on an approach Scientific Enquiry Games ‘Planning Posers’

16. The Fair Test • Children should be able to say whether a test is fair or not. • To do this they need to be able to identify variables (what can vary).

17. Falling Seed What affects a seed’s fall?

18. Junior Investigation Our stimulus Having ideas! Developing a question. Aspects we could change To collect our results we could measure or observe.. Our Question: How does .. affect ..

19. My prediction: When I change … what will happen is.. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ I am going to make it a fair test by… ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Finding Patterns in Results (what I changed) (what I measured/observed)

20. When I changed what happened was.. ___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I think this happened because … ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ To improve the investigation I would .. ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

21. Variables • What could be changed? • What would you measure/observe to judge the effect? • What would you need to keep the same for a fair test?

22. Observing, Recording, Presenting Obtain your results Present your results in an appropriate way (or ways)

23. Analysing and evaluating • What pattern did you notice in your results? • Why do you think you got this pattern? • Can you be sure of your results? Why? • What improvements would you make if you did it again?

24. Progression in Scientific Enquiry • How do pupils move up through the levels?

25. Level 5 Levels Ladder Content & models ( eg energy, forces) Level 4 Level 3 Recall & scientific Vocabulary Level 2 … because … Level 1 Comparisons Simple observations

26. Variety in Presenting! Present the results of your investigation as a song to the tune of your favourite nursery rhyme