Throckley Primary School Science Overview Early Years
Autumn
Children experience art and design through EY Curriculum ‘World’ strand: ‘Understanding the World. Use all their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials. Explore collections of natural & human-made materials with similar and/or different properties. Talk about the differences between materials, and changes they notice: cooking & melting, changing state, sinking or floating, letting or preventing light passing.
Spring
Explore how things work via cogs, pulleys & toys. Explore and talk about different forces they can feel (water pushing up on a boat, elastic, magnets). Plant seeds and care for growing bulbs to observe growth and decay. Understand the key features of the life cycle of an animal, nurturing caterpillars while they metamorphosise.
Summer
Recognise some environments that are different from the one in which they live (both natural & human made, local & national). Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world (noting & recording the weather over the seasons, witnessing the effect on animals and plants).
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Seasonal changes
Uses of everyday materials
Light
Living things & their habitats
Living things & their habitats
Living things & their habitats
Observe the seasons change; associated weather; day length
Properties of materials; physical properties; suitability for purpose
Light & dark; light sources; sun safety; reflections; shadows
Objects, materials & properties (Y1)
Seasonal change (Y1)
Life cycles of animals; metamorphosis; detailed structure of flower; sexual & asexual reproduction
Binomial classification; complex classification keys; microorganisms
Wearing coats or sun cream based on weather (EYFS) Daily weather chart (Reception)
Characteristics; basic classification keys; suited to an environment; human impact on the environment Habitats (Y2) plant life cycle (Y3)
Plant life cycle & structure (Y3) classification (Y4)
Weather (Geography Y1) Explorers (History Y1) Mark making (Art Y1)
Waterproof hat (DT Y2)
Everyday materials
Living things & their habitats
Rocks
Materials/ objects; name everyday materials; group by property
Living, once living & never alive; habitats provide for needs; simple food chains
Group & compare rocks; rock cycle; fossil formation; soil composition
Different textures of materials; features of classroom environment (EYFS) Toppling tower (DT Y1)
Everyday materials (Y1)
Habitats (Living things Y2) Living things & their habitats (Y2)
Seasonal Change (Y1) Where do different animals live? (Geography Y1)
Animals, including humans
Identify common vertebrates; carnivores, herbivores and omnivores; structure of animals; link human body parts to senses
Offspring grow into adults; basic needs of animals; humans need a healthy diet, hygiene & exercise Describe animals (Y1) herbivores, carnivores, omnivores (Y1)
Plants (Y3) Where do different animals live? (Geography Y1) Amazon rainforest (Geography Y3)
Identify animals and plants (Y1)
Animals, including humans
Names of common animals (EYFS) life cycle of a butterfly (Reception)
Seasonal changes (Y1)
Mountains (Geography Y3) Natural disasters (Geography Y4)
Attenborough & Goodall (History Y2)
Environmental damage (Geography Y6) Diet affecting mood (DT Y6)
Animals, including humans
Animals, including humans
Animals, including humans
Four teeth types; organs of the digestive system; food chains (predators, producers, prey)
Human life cycle; gestation periods; puberty & menstruation; old age
Cardiovascular system organs; composition of blood; transport of nutrients & water; effect of drugs; impact of exercise on heart rate
Parts of the body (Y1) human nutrition (Y3)
Human body (Y1) human offspring resemble the parent (Y2) Animals, including humans (Y4)
Need for exercise (Y2) muscles (Y3) digestive system (Y4)
Puberty (PSHE Y5)
Animals, including humans (Y5)
Animals, including humans (Y3) Making bread (DT Y4)
Forces & magnets
States of matter
Forces
Light
Objects & surfaces; friction & forces; magnetic poles & attraction
Classify solids, liquids & gases. Ordering change. Water cycle.
Balanced forces; gravity; friction; air & water resistance; mechanisms
Properties of light; refraction; forming shadows; colour spectrum
Materials (KS1)
Everyday materials (Y1) uses of everyday materials (Y2)
Forces act between objects & surfaces (Y3)
Light & shadow (Y4)
Rocks (Y3)
Electricity (Y4)
Journey of a river (Geography Y5)
Pulleys & Gears (DT Y5)
Uses of everyday materials (Y2)
Animals, including humans
Electricity
Earth & space
Healthy food (DT Y2)
Human nutrition; seven nutrition types; skeleton & muscles
Renewable energy; appliances; series circuits components; conductors & insulators
Movement of the Earth, Sun & Moon; oblate spheroids; the planets; night & day; phases of the Moon.
Uses of materials (Y2)
Seasonal change (Y1) light (Y3)
Animals, including humans (Y2)
Forces & Magnets (Y3)
Sound (Y4)
Where do different animals live? (Geography Y1) Modify food to taste (DT Y1)
Living things & their habitats (Y5)
Living things & their habitats (Y4)
Animals, including humans (Y1) Weather and seasons (Y1)
Food chains, habitats & the wider environment (Y4)
Parts of the body (Y1) Human nutrition (Y2)
Earth & Space (Y5)
Working scientifically investigations Assessment & consolidation of prior knowledge.
Balanced diet (DT Y3)
Victorians (History Y4)
Plants
Plants
Plants
Sound
Properties & changes of materials
Evolution & inheritance
Identify & name wild & garden flowers; identify evergreen and deciduous trees; basic structure of plants
Seeds & bulbs; germination and survival needs (water, light, heat)
Function of the parts of plants; water transportation; basic needs of plants (nutrients, light, space); pollination
Vibrations; sound travelling; pitch & amplitude; soundproofing
Properties of materials; solutions; extracting solids, liquids & gases; reversible and irreversible change
Inheritance; variation; adaptation; natural selection; fossil record
Names of common plants; planting a seed (EYFS) Weather and seasons (Y1)
Plants, including trees and basic structure (Y1) Plants (Y1)
Linking parts of the body to senses (Y1)
Plant structure (Y1) Bulbs and germination (Y2)
Light (Y3)
Plants (Y2)
Tuned percussion (Music Y3)
Local forest habitat (Geography Y2) Attenborough/ Goodall (History Y2)
Materials (KS1) magnets (Y3) electrical conductivity (Y4) States of matter (Y4)
Fossils formation (Y3) living things are suited to their environment (Y4) Forces (Y5)
Electricity Electrical current; voltage; output of components; circuit symbols;
Local forest habitat (Geography Y2)
Working scientifically investigations Assessment & consolidation of prior knowledge.
Electricity (Y4) Properties & changes of materials (Y5) Industrial revolution (History Y6) Use switches (DT Y6)