SEB Bulletin October 2006 - Want to know more about ?...KS2 Science
Key stage 2 of the National Curriculum refers to children aged 7 to 11 (i.e. years 4-6, or what is often called 'junior' age). The Areas of Study are:
- Scientific enquiry
- Life Processes and Living things
- Materials and Their Properties
- Physical Processes
Scientific Enquiry is a theme that is taught across all three areas of study, in appropriate contexts. This covers investigative skills (planning, obtaining and presenting evidence, considering evidence, and evaluating).
Biology is covered in ‘Life Processes and Living Things’. Some examples of the topics studied are; humans and other animals, green plants, variation, classification, and living things in the environment.
The National Curriculum is a legal requirement, and many teachers use the guidelines from QCA (the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) to help delivery. These are available online at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/science The QCA scheme divides Key Stage 2 Science into units, which are allocated to each of years 3 to 6 inclusive. About a third of the units are biology-based: for example, 'Helping plants grow well' is a year 3 unit, 'Moving and Growing' in year 4, 'Life Cycles' in year 5 and 'Micro-organisms' in year 6.
Using the QCA scheme of work makes timetabling easy, and there are many publications and internet resources to support them. One problem for science teaching in primary schools is that few teachers are science specialists, and science may be delivered by teachers with very little background in science. Unfortunately, some aspects of the science curriculum require specialist knowledge and non-specialist teachers need support. Courses are run by local education authorities, but funding, and releasing teachers to attend them, can be an issue. It is not uncommon to hear some primary school children say things like 'Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen'. Unfortunately, un-learning is difficult in future years.
Primary schools have no laboratories, or laboratory assistant, yet practicals can be quite complex and take time to prepare. Equipment may be expensive, and children of this age may be quite clumsy. Teachers become very skilled at borrowing equipment from high schools and being creative in producing equipment in a 'Blue Peter' style. Some primary schools also use the science teachers at their local high schools as a resource. Health and safety can also restrict practical activity. When studying 'Microbes' in year 6, pupils would mainly use videos and secondary resources. However, they might investigate whether dry or damp bread grows micro-organisms better by putting the bread in a sealed polythene bag, which is then kept sealed while pupils observe the results.
Some schools have wildlife areas and gardens, maybe with a pond to support learning. Health and safety means that access to such areas is not as free as it once was. Risk assessment procedures mean that less spontaneous use is made of them. Visits, for example, to zoos, wildlife parks and museums also happen, although teachers are mindful of keeping the cost for parents to a minimum. Visiting speakers, such as a nurse or school dentist can be helpful.
In recent years, there has been increased emphasis on investigative and experimental work, and much less 'naming of parts' learning. Children learn how to plan and carry out an investigation, what kind of measuring will take place, with what device, what data will be collected, and how to present it in graphs charts and tables. Children generally love the practical, hands-on experience. ICT pervades the units for data collection. For example, a temperature probe might be used in a compost investigation. For data handling and communicating results, databases, spreadsheets, graphical packages and word processing are encouraged.
One aspect of the National Curriculum that makes it difficult is its emphasis on 'spiral learning'. This means that a concept, such as photosynthesis, is introduced at KS2, and revisited at each subsequent stage. This can be very demanding at primary school level, where some children may find the concepts too difficult to grasp, especially when the teacher may not be a science specialist. Then, at later stages, the wonder of learning something new may be lost, as children re-visit topics they have covered previously, but adding just a little more detail. The science topics covered in primary and secondary schools have many similarities, differing only in details and in the approach used.
Assessment
Teachers are expected to assess their pupils all the time, assigning them to levels 1-5. In KS2 it is expected children will be between levels 3 to 5. Formal written tests and informal tests (such as talking) are used. In each year, teachers should have an idea of the level each of their pupils has reached.
In science there are no optional SATS, for years 3-5 inclusive, as there are in numeracy and literacy. The only external test is the mandatory KS2 SATs in May of year 6. Children are expected to have reached level 4 at this stage (just before their transfer to secondary school). Level 5 represents exceptional performance, and level 3 or below is unsatisfactory. The results of these national tests are published annually as part of the primary school league tables. This can cause problems for a small rural school with one special needs child, who can have a big effect on the percentage reaching the required level.
Many thanks to Anne Tomlinson of Whitegate C of E Primary School, Cheshire
Pauline Lowrie
Sir John Deane's College
Northwich, Cheshire