Light is a topic that is often taught in year 3 (ages 7-8) in English schools, where children learn that light is needed for us to see, that it can be reflected from shiny surfaces and that shadows form when light is blocked by an object. They may also have some experience of how the size of shadows changes when the distance between a light source…

All teachers know that the opening few minutes of any lesson can be the critical part. It is the chance to set the scene, to establish order and sense of purpose, to enthuse and grab attention and perhaps to establish boundaries. It launches the learning. Bob Kibble discusses ways of setting out the shape and direction of lessons without using a…

In this article, year 6 teacher (ages 10-11) Rebecca Towner-Yates shares a case study where science led the way for learning in her class. Based on her experience, she concludes that science can offer opportunities for children who may otherwise switch off from learning to switch back on. Science can offer the disengaged a path back, a chance for…

In this article, Megan Shenton, a final-year trainee teacher at Nottinghom Trent University, describes using "The Big Question" in her science teaching in a move away from objectives. The Big Question is an innovative pedagogical choice, where instead of implementing a learning objective, a question is posed at the start of the session…

Assessment is not something that stands alone and teachers need support to develop their understanding of both assessment practices and the subject being assessed. Teachers at Shaw Primary School were fortunate to take part in the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project and, in this article, the outlines how science and assessment can…

In this article, Helen Wilson, Bridget Holligan, and Pam Hanley share outcomes from the "Thinking, Doing, Talking Science" (TDTS) project, which encourages children's learning and engagement with science through simple and effective activities. The article contains the following prompts used to facilitate discussion during "The…

As a teacher, author Verity Jones found for many years that the science knowledge and understanding of the children she taught in year 6 (age 10-11) was being compromised by the pressures of a government focus on maths and literacy and a short-sighted approach to how to teach those subjects in a cross-curricular way. As the science coordinator for…

Introducing concepts through an integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approach can promote interest and motivation (Bennett, Lubben and Hogarth, 2007; Bybee, 2010). However, implementing such an approach effectively in a classroom setting, with relevant links, is a challenging task. Some concepts lend themselves more…

As student teachers, authors Emily Clark, Laura Hornsby, Abigail Howard, and Kathryn Pople were aware of what the class had already covered on World War 2 (WW2). It was unclear to them, however, what knowledge the children actually had acquired from the lessons. In this article these student teachers describe their use of concept mapping as they…

ARKive is an initiative of the UK-based wildlife and educational charity, Wildscreen, whose mission is to promote the conservation of the world's biodiversity through the power of wildlife imagery. ARKive aims to produce a comprehensive wildlife guide to the natural world for those who cannot travel there by working with the world's very best…

The school the authors were working in had an established ethos of involving children in their own learning and allowed them to contribute their ideas to the planning of units of learning. Their planning was based on what the class teacher and children had previously begun in their food and nutrition topic. Although the children could not be…

As part of a Teachers' International Professional Development (TIPD) group, ten primary science teachers, including Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs), local authority consultants and science coordinators, representing seven schools in Islington, London, were invited to visit the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. The aim of the trip was to: (1)…