At Altmore, Science is taught through a broad and balanced curriculum. We aim to develop the children’s scientific minds and to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Science at Altmore is also about developing the children’s ideas and helping them make sense of the world they live in through investigations and explorations.
Our aim is that all children will:
- Be engaged and challenged
- Develop scientific skills and confidence over time
- Develop their scientific vocabulary
In EYFS
In Early Years, teachers use the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Development Matters to plan and sequence a set of lessons. Their planning ensures children have opportunities to experience a wide range of activities linked to ‘Understanding the World.’ The children are encouraged to explore and find out about people, places and the environment they live in. These activities ensure the children are able to develop their vocabulary and build on what they already know.
The children in Reception have taken part in some very exciting learning experiences that they have thoroughly enjoyed. These hands-on experiences have led the children to develop their understanding of the world around them. The children were focusing on the texts: The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett and The Ugly Duckling. Before the children started reading the stories, they made predictions about animals that hatch from eggs. The children were able to use what they already know about animals to help them answer the question. Here are some of the children’s predictions.
In order to support the children’s understanding and provide them with real life experiences, each classroom was delivered some eggs that would hatch into chicks. These experiences enabled the children to watch the process of an animal growing and going through all the stages of the life cycle.
Once the eggs had arrived, the children made daily observations and wrote these down in their duck diaries. This helped them understand and develop their knowledge on the lifecycle of a duck. Children had the opportunity to use subject specific vocabulary such as incubator, hatch, and duckling.
In KS1
In Key Stage 1, Science is taught through a broad and balanced curriculum, each Science topic is integrated into the term’s topic.
Year 1 topics:
Superheroes | Splendid Skies| Moon Zoom| Paws, Claws and Whiskers | Bright Lights Big City |
Year 2 topics for the academic year:
Towers, Tunnels and Turrets | Street Detectives | Land Ahoy | Wriggle and Crawl | Beachcombers
Teachers plan lessons using the scheme of work designed by Cornerstones. This is adapted to ensure the National Curriculum objectives are met and the Working Scientifically objectives are taught side by side. Working Scientifically Skills:
- asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
- observing closely, using simple equipment
- performing simple tests
- identifying and classifying
- using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
- gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.
Teachers also use a progressive bank of vocabulary to ensure children are developing their language as their knowledge and skills develop. Lessons planned allow the children to make explorations and investigate where applicable, this encourages the children to be curious learners who ask questions about what have seen or what they have found out. They are encouraged to use specific vocabulary taught in the lesson during their independent activities. These are also displayed in the classroom so the children are able to use them and refer back to them during their learning.
Useful websites
Books linked to Science
Our World
A Scientist like me
Bloom
TITCH
The Storm Whale
Argh! There is a skeleton inside you!
