The National Curriculum (2014) states,
“A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.”
This statement provides the overarching aims for our science curriculum at Dore Primary School. The National Curriculum also sets out the subject’s scope and content that will be studied in Key Stages 1 and 2. For the Foundation Stage, the Early Learning Goals similarly provide guidance to ensure children are developing their Understanding of the World.
Our science curriculum has been designed to generate fascination within learners about the world around them as well an insatiable curiosity to know and understand more. At Dore Primary School, children gain a deep understanding of scientific knowledge and concepts as well as expertise in the methods and practices of science. Science is taught through half-termly, themed Learning Journeys which allow children to see the interconnectedness of science with other subjects and give rich context and understanding to children’s studies.
SCIENCE – INTENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT STATEMENT:
Science News:
- Y1 Orthoptics visitors!
As part of their science learning about senses, Year 1 have been visited by some University of Sheffield trainee Orthoptists who have taught them lots about the eye and showed them through role play what an eye test would be like if they visited an opticians. - Y1 Autumn Walk
Year 1 went on an Autumn walk to look for seasonal changes. - Y3 Science
In our Learning Journey ‘Fantastic Foods and Brilliant Bodies’ we have been learning all about the bones and muscles of our bodies. The children were given different parts of the body and had to connect them all in the correct place. - Y4 Natural Balms
Taking inspiration from stories of some of the people of the Amazon Rainforest, and how they utilise many of the plants and fruits found in the rainforest, Y4 created a balm useful as a remedy for insect bites and stings from plantain (the grass not the fruit), olive oil and beeswax. We boiled the oil,… Read more: Y4 Natural Balms - Y4 River Fieldwork
To tie in with our ‘Amazonian Adventure’, Y4 learned about the features of rivers, and how water flows through them. To embed the new vocabulary and test out some ideas (hypotheses) we had come up with, we visited Old Hay Brook on a Geography Field Trip. We sketched and annotated what we could see, using… Read more: Y4 River Fieldwork - Y3 Science – different joints
As Scientists, we investigated how our skeleton provides: protection, support and movement. We found out about the different joints: ball and socket, gliding and hinge. We designed a playground game that had to include movement of all 3 joints. We played these games to keep us fit and healthy! - Y1 Cardiologist visit
Year 1 have been learning about the human body and healthy eating within their Learning journey lessons. They have had a special visit from a Cardiologist who talked to them about their bodies and eating healthy. - Y4 Layers of the Rainforest
As part of our ‘Amazonian Adventure’ learning journey, we studied how the flora of the rainforest can be split into different layers: emergent, canopy, understorey and undergrowth/forest floor. To conslidate this learning, children spent an outdoor learning session trying to recreate scale models of the rainforest using scavenged items. - Y3 Science & Outdoor learning – types of skeletons
As Scientists, Year 3 found out about the different types of skeletons: vertebrates (back bone) and invertebrates (no back bone). These skeleton types were further classified into: endoskeletons (back bone and bones in side body), exoskeletons (no backbone and bones outside of body) and hydrostatic skeletons (no bones). We sorted different different animals into these… Read more: Y3 Science & Outdoor learning – types of skeletons - Y3 Science – food groups
As scientists, we found out about the five different food groups: carbohydrates, protein, fats and sugars, dairy and fruit and vegetables. We went on a treasure hunt to find lots of different foods and sort them into the correct group. Then we investigated how different foods have different functions on the body. For example, protein… Read more: Y3 Science – food groups - Y3 Science – food groups
As scientists we found out about the 5 different food groups. We went on a treasure hunt and sorted lots of different foods into the correct food group. We discovered that many foods can fit in more than one food group. - Y3 Science – Food groups
As scientists we investigated the five different food groups: carbohydrates, fats and sugars, dairy, protein and fruit and vegetables. We went on a treasure hunt to find different foods and sort them into the correct group. We discovered that some foods can belong to more than one group. - Start of our the Y5 Fantastic Voyage
Y5H Denmark and Y5P Germany have had a brilliant start to the 2023-24 academic year. Our first learning journey I called Fantastic Voyage and this is an accurate description of the children’s adventure in year 5 so far. As part of their Learning journey we have: - Year 3 Summer Walk
To celebrate the end of Year 3, we enjoyed a lovely walk together up to Blacka Moor (and back!). The children (and parent helpers) were brilliant enjoying the countryside and being together. We spotted some features of plants we had been leaning about (Mainly sticky seed dispersal techniques!) We also collected rocks for analysis the… Read more: Year 3 Summer Walk - Y5 Veg Patch – Harvest Time
Y5 have been harvesting their produce and using it to create a tasty end of term meal. The children harvested, cleaned, peeled and chopped the variety of vegetables and herbs that we have grown this year and used these to cook a tasty meal of roast veg, couscous, salad leaves and feta cheese. The whole… Read more: Y5 Veg Patch – Harvest Time - FS2 Final outdoor learning with Miss Bradley – A camp fire cook up!
What an amazing day we’ve had in Foundation today…everyone helped to pick, wash, chop and cook our vegetables that we planted back in Spring. The children even had a go at fire-lighting using the flint and steel. We added some rosemary to the potatoes and carrot and served them up – so warm and tasty… Read more: FS2 Final outdoor learning with Miss Bradley – A camp fire cook up! - Year 3 Plant Life Cycle Animations
Using all the knowledge from their ‘How does your garden grow?’ Learning Journey, Year 3 worked in teams to make animations showing the life cycles of flowering plants. - Y1 Butterfly House Trip
Year 1 really enjoyed exploring the butterfly house and looking at the different animals! - Love your burial ground Year 3 plant survey
As part of ‘Love your burial ground week’ and the start of our ‘How does your garden grow’ learning journey, Year 3 visited Dore Church to make a botanical survey of the plants growing there. We found all sorts of species of grass, flowers and trees in this unique habitat. We also made some sketches and… Read more: Love your burial ground Year 3 plant survey - Y2 – Science (plants)
In Y2 we have been learning about the parts of plants and what plants need to survive. We have planted beans in the classroom and seeds in our outdoor planters. Over the next few weeks we are going to observe and describe how they grow in different conditions.