Key Concepts in Primary Science: Audit and Subject Knowledge (Critical Teaching) - Softcover

Cooke, Vivian; Howard, Colin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1910391506 ISBN 13: 9781910391501

Publisher: Routledge, 2016

Synopsis

This is essential reading for all primary science trainee and beginning teachers who want to strengthen their science subject knowledge. Each chapter tackles a major theme of the new national curriculum and breaks it down into key concepts. For each concept there is a detailed audit to help readers identify their current levels of knowledge and understanding along with areas for development. This is followed by concise definitions, key terminology, detailed examples and ‘in practice’ ideas to clearly relate theory to classroom practice. Finally, readers are invited to re-check their understanding and assess their level of competence at the end of each section. The text enables teachers to feel secure in their subject knowledge and confident about effectively conveying that information to their pupils through appropriate subject-specific pedagogy.

About this title

About the Author

Vivian Cooke is a senior lecturer in primary science education at the University of Worcester. She began her teaching career as a primary school teacher with responsibility for science, design and technology and ICT. She has worked in two other higher education institutions as a senior lecturer in science on postgraduate, undergraduate and Masters’ courses as well as being course leader for early years, primary and the two-year PGCE.

Colin Howard is a senior primary lecturer in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) at the University of Worcester. He has been involved in primary education for over 24 years of which 14 years has been as a successful head teacher in both small village and large primary school settings. He has been involved in inspecting schools for the Diocese of Hereford as a S48 SIAS Inspector. He has recently been awarded a Phd linked to his interest in the influence that school buildings have upon their stakeholders.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Key Concepts in Primary Science

Audit and Subject Knowledge

By Vivian Cooke, Colin Howard

Critical Publishing Ltd

Copyright © 2016 Vivian Cooke and Colin Howard
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-910391-50-1

Contents

Acknowledgements, viii, 
Meet the authors, ix, 
1. Introduction: the importance of good subject knowledge, 1, 
2. Animals and humans, 5, 
3. Plants, habitats and living things, 18, 
4. Evolution and inheritance, 31, 
5. Everyday materials and their properties, 40, 
6. Earth and space, 54, 
7. Rocks, 66, 
8. Light, 79, 
9. Forces, motion and magnets, 89, 
10. Sound, 102, 
11. Electricity, 111, 
Taking it further, 125, 
Index, 128, 

CHAPTER 1

Introduction: the importance of good subject knowledge

Who this book is for

This book has been written to enable trainee teachers on a university-based training route to develop a secure grasp of the primary science curriculum. It has also been designed to support more independent study for trainee teachers following any other alternative route into teaching such as School Direct or an assessment-only route. This book may also be useful if you are a recently qualified or qualified teacher.

Why this book is needed and chapter features

There is a growing body of research (Wellcome Trust, 2011; Ofsted, 2011, 2014) indicating that science, although now identified as a core subject, has a diminished profile in primary teaching (Ofsted, 2014). Recent Ofsted reports (Ofsted 2011, 2014) throw further light on the teaching of science by outlining the lack of specialist science knowledge among existing teachers.

This book has been written in response to these findings to allow you to develop an understanding of the concepts and knowledge outlined in the national curriculum for science at both Key Stages 1 and 2 (DfE, 2013). Given the importance of such statutory documents, each chapter starts with direct reference to this national framework. This will help you to develop your own knowledge of which aspects of science should be taught throughout each key stage. This book has also been written to encourage you to promote the successful delivery of primary science through creative, inspiring and practical lessons.

This book will help you to achieve Qualified Teacher status by enabling you to address aspects of the Teachers' Standards (DfE, 2013). In particular, it will help you meet Teachers' Standard 3, which requires you to demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge.

To be an outstanding teacher of primary science, you will be expected not only to have a strong subject knowledge, but also an understanding of children's ideas and possible misconceptions about science. Science includes a number of topics that are areas of weakness with many teachers – for example, topics in the physical sciences such as electricity and forces. This lack of subject knowledge will often result in children's misconceptions about science being left unchallenged in primary school, leading to the children making limited progress in their learning. It is also important that you can apply your subject knowledge in the classroom to make it accessible to the children you are teaching.

In addition to having a secure subject and pedagogical knowledge, it is vital that you develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science. The national curriculum (DfE, 2013) describes this aspect of science as 'working scientifically' and states that this strand should not be taught separately, but should be embedded within the content of the other topics in the programme of study. Answers to scientific questions can be gleaned through the use of scientific enquiry, such as identifying, classifying and grouping, observing over time, pattern-seeking, researching and using secondary sources, as well as comparative and fair testing activities. Consideration of the need to work scientifically has therefore been embedded within the variety of practical activities offered within each chapter.

To allow you to become confident and competent in your science subject knowledge and subject-specific pedagogy, it is important that you are able to identify your strengths and areas of weakness. Therefore each chapter provides a subject knowledge audit to allow you to identify any gaps in your knowledge. This is then followed by a concept map of the key concepts dealt with in each chapter. The associated vocabulary is highlighted and the key concepts defined, together with examples. This is followed by an illustration of activities that can be used to teach the particular concept. At the end of each key concept, you are prompted to reflect on your understanding. A list of useful websites and further reading is given at the end of the book to provide you with the opportunity to develop your subject knowledge and understanding further. It is hoped that you will then revisit the initial subject audit and assess how your knowledge and understanding has improved in each area.

Chapter outlines

Chapter 1 – This introduction provides a discussion of the importance of good subject knowledge in the teaching of science. It provides information on the format of each chapter and the reasoning behind it.

Chapter 2 – Animals and humans – examines the factors that are essential for living organisms to develop, flourish and survive. It also covers aspects of life processes such as nutrition and basic physiology.

Chapter 3 – Plants, habitats and living things – explores the classification of living things, food chains, the growth of plants, the life cycle of flowering plants, and the functions and parts of a flower. Familiarising children with different classification keys is suggested, as well as making use of the outdoor world by visiting the local area and attempting to identify food chains. We suggest observing the germination of a seed and recording the changes using a diary, as well as using a digital microscope to observe the inside of bulbous plants. Finally, role play is promoted as a means of understanding pollination.

Chapter 4 – Evolution and inheritance – examines how humans and living things have evolved and adapted through time and how artificial and natural selection plays a vital role in evolution. It also looks at how the concept of the survival of the fittest and how such changes through the generations have made them dominant in a particular environment. It also considers the role of the fossil record in investigating how living things have evolved over time.

Chapter 5 – Everyday materials and their properties – looks at the concepts of the physical and chemical properties of materials, changes of shape, the particulate nature of matter, solid, liquids and gases, changes of state, dissolving and chemical change. Suggestions are made for sorting activities, understanding mechanical change by modelling clay, and considering what happens when cornflour is mixed with water. Working with ice balloons to understand melting and freezing and devising fair tests to consider which type of sugar will dissolve the fastest are suggested as activities. Making popcorn to explore chemical change is also featured.

Chapter 6 – Earth and space – explores the concept of the Moon, the Sun and stars, seasons, planetary motion, the solar system, and day and night. It describes how to teach children about the different time zones on Earth and recording the passage of time. It suggests keeping a Moon diary and making collages with pupils to help them understand the seasons. It prompts you to use secondary sources of information with your pupils to find out about different constellations and different models of the solar system that have been suggested in the past.

Chapter 7 – Rocks – covers the origins of rocks and soils and provides an understanding of the variety of rock types that exist on Earth. It considers the many and varied life forms that have lived on Earth and how a record of their existence may be found in the fossil record. It also provides an understanding of the processes of weathering and erosion that have helped shape the Earth.

Chapter 8 – Light – focuses on the sources of light and how light travels. It has been devised to help you teach about how we see light and how natural phenomena such as shadows are created. It encourages consideration of the properties of reflections and how light can be bent. Finally, it looks at colours and how rainbows are formed.

Chapter 9 – Forces, motion and magnets – promotes an understanding of the main concepts associated with forces such as friction and gravity. It considers what a force is, how forces are quantified and how objects are affected by resistant forces. Levers, pulleys and gears are studied to show how forces can be applied to our everyday lives. Magnets are also examined, including the forces they apply to each other and to some metals.

Chapter 10 – Sound – explores how sounds are created and how they reach our ears. It promotes an understanding of the key ideas associated with sound, such as pitch and loudness, and how they can be varied. Finally, alongside an exploration of our hearing, it considers how echoes are created and used to benefit humans and other animals.

Chapter 11 – Electricity – describes what electricity is and discusses series circuits, conductors and insulators, voltage and static electricity. It asks you to think about the uses of electricity and gives suggestions for making series circuits, incorporating conductors and insulators, and changing the voltage and resistance. There is a suggestion for lessons using secondary sources of information to research thunder and lightning.

Summary

In summary, this book:

• encourages you to audit your subject knowledge over a range of scientific topics;

• provides the required subject knowledge to teach the national curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2 (DfE, 2013);

• highlights and defines essential scientific terminology;

• illustrates how concepts can be taught in practice through examples;

• encourages you to reflect on and develop your subject knowledge by directing you to further reading sources and websites.

CHAPTER 2

Animals and humans

What do you need to know to be able to teach this topic?

Key Stage 1 of the national curriculum (DfE, 2013) states that children should be taught to:

– describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets)

– identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense

(DfE, 2013: 149)

– find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)

– describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food and hygiene

– notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults

(DfE, 2013: 152)

In Key Stage 2 of the national curriculum (DfE, 2013), teaching should:

– identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat

– identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement

(DfE, 2013: 158)

– describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans

– identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions

(DfE, 2013: 162)

– describe the life processes of reproduction in some plants and animals

– describe the changes as humans develop to old age

(DfE, 2013: 168)

– identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood

– recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function

– describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans

(DfE, 2013: 172).

Key concept: what are life processes?

Associated vocabulary

ageing, amphibians, birds, cells, excretion, fish, glucose, growth, hearing, life expectancy, life processes, mammals, nutrition, reproduction, reptiles, respiration, sensitivity, sight, smell, species, taste, touch

Definitions

Life processes are the processes that define living things as being alive. These life processes include movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition. This can be remembered by the acronym MRS GREN (see Figure 2.1).

Examples

From an early age, children become aware of the variety of life and the existence of common animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. However, they need to understand that common life processes define a creature as living. Key facts include the following:

• Respiration involves a chemical reaction in cells that releases energy from glucose to allow cells to function properly.

• Senses such as touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight enable living things to be sensitive to their immediate environment.

• Living things have a finite life expectancy.

• The process of growth can be seen by changes to the bodies of living things and the ageing process, which, in humans, is typified by the greying of hair and the diminishing function of organs and senses.

• Although things are destined to die, it is important to realise that both plants and animals reproduce, replicating themselves, so that their species can continue to exist.

• By taking in substances that provide nutrition, living things are provided with the energy and nutrients necessary to sustain them and to allow life to flourish.

• This valuable nutrition is absorbed by the bodies of all living things and the waste products are excreted so that toxins do not build up.

• Humans and animals need exercise to keep healthy and fit. A healthy lifestyle increases life expectancy, but taking drugs such as alcohol and nicotine can damage organs and reduce life expectancy in humans.

In practice

Year 2

Pupils can undertake the following activity to gain an understanding of what life processes are necessary to decide whether things are living or not. Ask pupils to imagine they are aliens landing on our planet. How might they tell if a tree is alive compared with, say, a car. Allow them time to discuss this idea and reach their own conclusions of what is necessary for things to be classified as living. Next, ask the pupils to make a list of five other objects that the alien might encounter and again ask them to consider how the aliens might classify them. Provide pupils with a card with an image of MRS GREN on it as shown in Figure 2.1. They can use her to help them check whether their original ideas were correct. You might want to explain some of the more technical terms for them.

Check your understanding

1. Can you name the seven processes associated with living things?

2. Can you describe what each process involves?

Key concept: what are teeth?

Associated vocabulary

canines, dentine, enamel, erupt, gums, incisors, milk teeth, molars, nerves, permanent teeth, plaque, pre-molars, pulp, teeth, teething, tooth decay, wisdom teeth

Definitions

Human and animal teeth are located within their gums, which can be found in the upper and lower jaws. Teeth are used to mechanically break down food by crushing or cutting it up to speed up its later digestion in the stomach. They are made from a hard outer layer of enamel made predominately of calcium phosphate. This covers a layer of living cells called dentine and the innermost layer called the pulp, which contains blood vessels and nerves.

Examples

Young humans develop milk teeth first, which erupt out of the gums during teething, sometimes causing pain and discomfort. These 20 early teeth start to appear between six and 30 months of age and are then slowly replaced while children are at primary school by permanent teeth. These permanent teeth include:

• canines for ripping and tearing;

• incisors for biting and chewing;

• pre-molars and molars for crushing and grinding food.

The molars also include wisdom teeth, which usually take longer to emerge and are often not seen until the late teens, or may not develop at all. Some animals have similar teeth to us; however, others, for example rodents, do not have incisors.

It is important that we brush our teeth from an early age to remove bacteria and the acids and sugars that are deposited on our teeth as a result of eating. These can build up to form a substance called plaque. If this is not removed, it will lead to the development of tooth decay. Regular visits to the dentist are necessary to maintain the health of our teeth.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Key Concepts in Primary Science by Vivian Cooke, Colin Howard. Copyright © 2016 Vivian Cooke and Colin Howard. Excerpted by permission of Critical Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1910391506
• ISBN 13: 9781910391501
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 142