Educating Children from Nursery to 13 Years
SCIENCE
SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Science describes the intellectual and practical activity allowing children to study the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
Studying science at South Lee is about sparking the curiosity of the children in the world around them and beyond. They can explore and answer their own questions as well as understanding how scientists as questions to develop theories and scientific ideas. Scientific thinking skills and the ability to plan, conduct, analyse and evaluate experimental hypotheses are accessible to all children and children thrive and excel in this subject due to their ability to apply their reasoning and logic to their scientific thinking.
Children explore the historical development of scientific theories, gaining an understanding of how major scientific ideas contribute to technological change, industry, business, medicine, and education, thus impacting on the quality of life on Earth and beyond.
Our programme of study comprises four areas: scientific enquiry, life processes and living things (Biology), materials and their properties (Chemistry), and physical processes (Physics). These subjects are often taught in a cross-curricular way and children will not always have a topic identified as falling into one of these areas discreetly.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them” – Gallileo Gallilei
Reception
The focus in Reception class is on the children achieving the Early Learning Goals in the Understanding the World Area of Learning.
Years 1 and 2
In Years 1 and 2, the teaching of science falls under the banner of Topic. These are cross-curricular lessons where children cover certain aspects of Science, along with humanities subjects.
Year 1 Topic covers the following aspects of science:
Materials - Natural and man-made, clothing
Forces – Push and Pull
Light and sound
World weather - hot places cold places
Animals, including humans
Plants
Year 2 Topic covers the following aspects of science:
Weather and symbols
All about me
What do I need
Human life cycles
Looking after ourselves
[diet exercise medicine germs]
My skeleton
The Nile flooding
Food and farming
Materials natural and manmade
Properties of materials
Key inventions
Forces- explore Ramp height/ surfaces Friction
Pollution/ caring for the environment Great Barrier Reef
Signs of life Differences animals/humans Classification Habitats and associated animals Food sources and chains/Parts of a plant, needs to grow, types of plants/ new plants life cycles
How materials change Electricity and sources of light
In Years 3-8, the children have Science lessons in the lab and can participate fully in practical aspects of the subject.
Year 3
Michaelmas Term
Animals including humans
Rocks and Soils
Lent Term
Forces and Magnets
Plants 1
Summer Term
Plants 2
Light
Year 4
Michaelmas Term
Electricity
States of Matter
Water Cycle
Lent Term
Digestion and Teeth
Sound
Summer Term
Food chains
Living things, classification and the environment
Year 5
Michaelmas Term
Earth and Space
Forces
Lent Term
Materials
Reversible and irreversible reactions
Summer Term
Life cycles of animals and plants
Year 6
Michaelmas Term
Electricity
Light
Lent Term
Properties of materials and separating materials
Living things
Summer Term
Humans as organisms
Genetics and Inheritance
Year 7
Michaelmas Term
Atoms and the Periodic Table
Pure and Impure substances
Lent Term
Gas exchange and cells
Health and reproduction in plants and animals
Summer Term
Forces
Waves
Year 8
Michaelmas Term
Photosynthesis and respiration
Space and the Universe
Lent Term
Electricity and magnetism
Chemical reactions
Summer Term
Chemical reactions
Inheritance