Curriculum overview for science
Key areas of science
•Plants
•Animals, including humans
•Living things and habitats
•Materials
•Energy
•Forces, Earth and space.
. Our science curriculum consists of six key areas of science and three key strands, linked to the National Curriculum. Progression documents ensure that essential knowledge and skills are revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.
Key strands Scientific knowledge and understanding of: Biology
• Living organisms and vital processes Chemistry
• Matter and its properties Physics
• How the world that we live in ‘works’.
Working scientifically Processes and methods of science to answer questions about the world around us.
Science in action
Uses and implications of science in the past, present and for the future.
Our units include opportunities for short and full investigations which enable the children to work as scientists and develop their skills through a six-step cycle:
Enquiry cycle
• Posing a question based on observations
• Planning and predicting - considering variables for fair testing (where appropriate) and predict outcomes.
• Observing, testing and measuring – collecting data (quantitative and qualitative) that will answer the question, using planned methods and selecting appropriate equipment.
• Recording –recording in various ways to support the identification of patterns and trends.
• Concluding – summarising findings by seeking patterns, analysing data and explaining trends using scientific knowledge and communicating using scientific vocabulary.
• Evaluating – considering factors that may have affected results and considering what further questions need answering.
Both formative assessment and end of unit summative assessments inform our planning. These are recorded and shared with the subject leader.
