Teaching Science to Infants
Teaching Science to Infants by Romola Showell, first published in 1979 by Ward Lock Educational, was written to help teachers with little science knowledge to teach science in infant and first schools. It comprises ideas set out under 24 topics which include some physical science topics as well as nature study. Aims To ensure…
Alternatives for Science Education
Alternatives for Science Education was produced and published by the Association for Science Education (ASE) in 1979. Its sub-title, A Consultative Document, indicates its aim and status. In addition to being a document of considerable historical interest, it contains arguments of continued relevance. The working group that produced…
Candles
The Teaching Primary Science book Candles uses the study of candles to illustrate how much science can come from the study of everyday objects. It describes a selection of the many investigations which start from candles and which give some idea of what science is. The first two chapters discuss matters of classroom organisation…
Paints and Materials
The Teaching Primary Science book Paints and materials draws upon some of the materials and techniques of artistic expression to explore ways of asking questions and finding answers in a scientific way. Each chapter contains an activity and a list of materials for practical experience. This is followed by an analysis of the activity…
Aerial Models
The Teaching Primary Science book Aerial models concerns activities which are likely to arouse interest, excitement, enterprise and competition. The book recognises that whilst these actions can be used as stimuli leading to scientific work, measurement and the acquisition of new knowledge, there can be problems in relation to materials,…
Musical Instruments
The Teaching Primary Science book Musical instruments uses instruments and other materials readily available in primary schools as the basis for investigations through which children can begin to understand and enjoy aspects of physics. The book aims to provide help for those teachers and student teachers who do not specialise in…
Science From Wood
The Teaching Primary Science book Science from Wood was intended to complement the two texts in the Science 5/13 series Working with wood, stages one and two and Working with wood background. The activities proposed were expected to apply more to younger age groups, with suggestions of ways of using the most economical sources of…
Mirrors and Magnifiers
The Teaching Primary Science book Mirrors and magnifiers describes activities which can be carried using these materials at any age. The book pays attention to problems such as holding mirrors upright and choosing and using hand lenses. Teaching methods are discussed and there is reference to learning objectives selected from those…
Fibres and Fabrics
The Teaching Primary Science book Fibres and fabrics contains many suggestions for classroom work about fabrics and paper, both of which are made from fibres. It begins with a discussion of some of the problems of teaching and organising this topic and considers how they might be overcome. There are then several chapters focusing…
Science From Water Play
The Teaching Primary Science book Science from water play contains many suggestions for organisation and for activities arising from water play with infants to more structured investigations of floating and sinking with older children. It discusses equipment and classroom organisation and provides some case studies and question for…
Seeds and Seedlings
The Teaching Primary Science book Seeds and seedlings contains many suggestions for class organisation and for activities relating to this topic. It acknowledges and makes suggestions for addressing the problem of what to do between sowing seeds and producing seedlings and then harvesting. The book combines information and suggestions…
Introduction and Guide to Teaching Primary Science
This introductory book to the series Teaching Primary Science consists of chapters which show the teacher how to develop science from the interests of children. Some sections deal specifically with methods of teaching, resources etc, and show teachers how to choose topics from other books in the series. Most chapters deal with…
With Objectives in Mind
The Science 5/13 book With objectives in mind states the education convictions underpinning the project as being that: • In general, children work best when trying to find answers to problems that they have themselves chosen to investigate. • There problems are best drawn from their own environment and tackled largely…
Using the Environment 2: Investigations Part 1
The Science 5/13 unit Using the environment 2: investigations part 1 contains many questions and suggestions designed to help children work actively and purposefully in depth. This is most likely to happen when children find something of particular interest. The focus of part one of this unit is to ensure that this interest leads…
Working with Wood, Stages One and Two
The Science 5/13 unit for teachers Working with wood stages one and two contains suggestions for practical activity relating to wood. It includes comment on ways of starting work, suggestions for children's activities and guidance about the materials they might use. It aims to show how working with a familiar material can contribute…
Trees, Stages One and Two
The Science 5/13 unit for teachers on Trees, stages one and two contains suggestions for things children could do when working with trees and ideas about why they might do them. It uses trees as a ready source of material for observation and investigation which is likely to further the development of children's scientific understanding.…
Time, Stages One and Two and Background
The Science 5/13 unit Time, stages one and two suggests classroom activities concerned with the scientific aspects of time. It was also hoped that the study of time would lead into other subjects and to creative writing. Through these activities children gather an increasing awareness of the duration of events through enquiry into…
Structures and Forces, Stage One and Two
The Science 5/13 unit Structures and forces stages one and two proposes classroom activities stemming from the observation of structures in the world around: building, bridges and some natural structures. Only static forces are included. A number of questions are raised which can lead to model making and active enquiry into the strength…
Science from Toys, Stages One and Two and Background
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers Science from toys stages one and two and background comprises a number of sections focused on particular toy. In each section, sufficient background material is given so that teachers can see where suggested lines of development can lead, and immediate information is provided regarding the science…
Minibeasts, Stages One and Two
The Science 5/13 unit Minibeasts stages one and two is about the ‘creepy crawlies’ of the animal world, meaning mainly invertebrates. This focus was selected because of the wide variety of these creatures normally available in any environment and accessible for first-hand observation by children. These enquiries can lead…
Metals, Stages One and Two
The Science 5/13 unit Metals, stages one and two, describes practical situations and enquiries in which children’s attention is focused on the use and properties of metals. In this unit, activities for stage one and stage two are in separate sections and written in contrasting styles. The stage one activities are set out to…
Like and Unlike, Stages One, Two and Three
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers Like and unlike stages one, two and three has a wider range in the suggested activities than most other units, covering stage three (transition to abstract thinking) as well as the two earlier stages. There are two chapters (Chapters 2 and 4), which are written particularly to suggests topics which…
Holes, Gaps and Cavities, Stages One and Two
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers Holes, gaps and cavities stages one and two is concerned with The unit is concerned with a number of facets of 'holes, gaps and cavities', all of which lead to gathering experience. The first chapter suggests children make their own collection .of 'holes', make lists of holes,…
Coloured Things, Stages One and Two
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers Coloured things stages one and two provides suggestions for children's activities some of which relate directly to colour itself whilst others use an interest in coloured things as a springboard to other areas of investigation. Each chapter has an environmental theme rich in starting points…
Children and Plastics, Stages One and Two and Background
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers Plastics for stages one and two is concerned with children’s exploration of the man-made plastics in the world around. It is not concerned with the chemistry or the production of plastics but with the variety and uses of plastics. The unit falls into two main sections. The first section suggests…
Change, Stages One and Two and Background
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers on Change stages one and two describes a range of activities that build children’s ideas about change and how it occurs. Rather than being a topic to pursue as a whole, it contains ideas that can be woven into other topics. However, one theme 'Changes in the kitchen' has been given…
Science 5/13 Units for Teachers: Early Experiences
The Science 5/13 Unit for teachers entitled Early experiences focuses on science for the youngest children (infants) in the primary school. Unlike other Units of the project, the activities proposed in Early experiences cover a range of activity-based topics and relate only to the objectives stated for the first part of stage one,…
Match and Mismatch: Raising Questions - Leader’s Guide
The Progress in Learning Science book entitled Match and Mismatch: Raising Questions: Leader’s Guide is in two parts. The first provides notes and suggestions for continuing professional development (CPD) leaders about the organisation of timing and use of materials. The second part reproduces the material in the teachers’…
Match and Mismatch: Finding Answers
The Progress in Learning Science book for teachers entitled Match and Mismatch: Finding Answers provides information about the kind of learning experiences which are likely to help children at various point in their progress towards their learning goals in science. It thus complements Match and Match: Raising Questions which focuses…
Match and Mismatch: Raising Questions
The Progress in Learning Science book for teachers entitled Match and Mismatch: Raising Questions is a collection of information, guidance and points for discussion about children’s learning, development and classroom provision for progress. This material is organised in 20 topics, grouped into two introductory topics and three…
Using the Environment 4: Ways and Means
The unit Ways and means, from Science 5/13, deals with the provision of facilities, equipment and raw materials children need for all stages of their outdoor investigations and for resulting activities on their return to school. While the suggestions for plants in the school grounds will remain appropriate he information provided…
Using the Environment 2: Investigations Part 2
The Science 5/13 unit Using the environment 2: investigations part 2 follows on from part one focusing on what and how children can investigate in the outside environment. The first three chapters are concerned with helping children to become more aware of the things that change: the weather, living things and the landscape. Two…