Essential

Es s e n t i a l What you
need to know

Essential Primary Science

Primary ●

a r y
Great ways to

Science P r i m teach science

●
In line with QTS
standards
Contains over 200 activities ready for you to
try out in your classroom!
S c i e n c e
If you are teaching or learning to teach primary science, this is the toolkit to support
you! Not only does it cover the essential knowledge and understanding that you
need to know, it also offers over 200 great ideas for teaching primary science – so no
more late nights thinking up creative new ways to teach key concepts!
In addition, this book offers you practical guiding principles which you can apply to
every lesson. There are tips on how to ensure each lesson includes both practical and
investigative elements and suggestions on how to make your lessons engaging,
memorable and inclusive.
Each chapter is organized around the following structure:
● What science do you need to know and understand?
● What science do your pupils need to learn?
● What is the best way to teach these topics in the primary classroom
at KS1 and KS2?
Sample pupil activities are also included and there is coverage of how to deal with
common misconceptions within every chapter.
Written in a friendly style, the authors draw on their own teaching experience and
understanding of the National Curriculum and QTS standards to provide an essential

Cross & Bowden

guide to teaching primary science.

Alan Cross is Senior Fellow in the School of Education, University of Manchester, UK.
Adrian Bowden (Travelling Science Limited) delivers science shows to primary aged
pupils throughout North West England.

Cover design Hybert Design • www.hybertdesign.com

www.openup.co.uk
Alan Cross & Adrian Bowden
Essential Primary Science
Essential Primary
Science

Alan Cross and Adrian Bowden

Open University Press
McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill House
Shoppenhangers Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
England
SL6 2QL

email: [email protected]
world wide web: www.openup.co.uk

and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121–2289, USA

First published 2009

Copyright © Cross and Bowden 2009

All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the
purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be
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EC1N 8TS.

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

ISBN-13: 978–0–335234–60–8 (hb) 978–0–335234–61–5 (pb)

ISBN- 0–335234–60–7 (hb) 0–335234–61–5 (pb)

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Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk

Printed in the UK by Bell and Bain Ltd, Glasgow
To Sue and Sara
for their support, encouragement, and suggestions
Contents

Acknowledgements ix

1 Introduction 1
2 Life processes – plants 16
3 Life processes – animals 51
4 Variation and diversity 93
5 Environment 110
6 Materials 132
7 Rocks and soils 173
8 Forces 187
9 The Earth in space 217
10 Electricity 245
11 Sound 266
12 Light 284

Appendices 305
Bibliography 308
Index 311
Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the copyright holders of the following material for
permission to reproduce artwork in Essential Primary Science.
Data Harvest Group Ltd., 1 Eden Court, Leighton Buzzard, Bedforshire LU7 4FY
Figure 2.14 Hand-held data logger
Figure 3.17 An electronic pulse sensor
Millgate House Education Ltd., Unit 1, Zan Industrial Park, Wheelock, Sandbach
CW11 4QD
Figure 2.11 Concept cartoon
The University of Manchester Children’s University, The University of Manchester,
Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL
Figure 9.8 Page from a website simulation – shadows
Sherston Publishing Group, Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wiltshire
SN16 0LH
Figure 2.2 A simple drawing of a flowering plant
Figure 2.5 A section through a leaf
Figure 3.4 The human skeleton
Figure 3.5 Structure of the human knee joint
Figure 3.6 The human heart
Figure 3.8 Components of human blood
Figure 3.14 A human tooth
Figure 3.15 The digestive system
Figure 9.1 Eight planets and Pluto (dwarf planet) orbit our Sun to make up our Solar
System
TTS Group Ltd., Park Lane Business Park, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
NG17 9GU
Figure 2.10 Stereo microscope
The authors also wish to thank Gary Holmes for redrawing the artwork for all other
figures.
1
Introduction

In this book, we recognise that as a teacher or student teacher you may have to move
quickly from a low level of personal knowledge and understanding of science to a
much higher level, as well as learn how to teach it to others! The following chapters
are based on the three things you need to know:

• what science the teacher needs to know and understand;

• what science the pupils need to learn; and
• effective ways to teach that science in primary classes.

In England, this means that pupils have opportunities to learn the science required by
the National Curriculum (DfEE/QCA, 1999). For you as a teacher, we take that
science further so that the book complies with the TDA (Training and Development
Agency for Schools) standards for subject knowledge (TDA, 2007: Q14, 15) and
suggests ways to teach science, including many references to science investigations,
thus strongly supporting your achievement of TDA standards related to subject
teaching (TDA, 2007: Q10, 25). This means that you can approach the teaching of
primary science with increasing confidence. In this chapter, we outline basic prin-
ciples and ideas about teaching science that will set you on the right path to help you
experience early success. The most important contributors to this success will be your
own commitment to learn, reflect, and act to further pupil learning.
Following an explanation of the structure and background of the book, this chap-
ter will summarise several key ideas or principles that you can use to guide your own
learning and teaching of science. Teaching includes all those things a teacher does
which influence the learning of pupils in classrooms (Stenhouse, 1975). In this book,
we focus on the personal knowledge and understanding of science required by pri-
mary teachers and the actions planned and taken by teachers in classrooms to provide
primary pupils with the opportunities for learning science. Classroom teaching is
cyclic in that teachers begin with ideas about what pupils should learn, find out what
the pupils already know, understand and can do, design experiences for pupils that
will provide opportunities to learn, and then lead the review of that learning before
2 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

considering the next steps. Our intention is to help you to develop a growing com-
mand of science education. You will derive much of this from your personal science
knowledge and understanding, your ability to provide effective experiences for pupils
in science, and your enthusiasm for the subject. If you are a trainee teacher in
England, you must ensure that your science teaching reaches the standards set out by
the TDA (2007). This includes your personal understanding and knowledge of
common misconceptions and of teaching science for learning that is safe at all times
for pupils (TDA, 2007: Q10, 14, 15, 17, 25a–d, 30). We have additionally placed extra
emphasis on environmental science, including climate change, as we take the view that
primary teachers should have a growing knowledge and understanding of the science
behind environmental issues.
Two important clarifications are required. First, our chapter subheadings include
the phrase ‘know and understand’, as we recognise that no book can guarantee com-
plete understanding of all these science topics. Each chapter will help to increase your
awareness of your personal knowledge and understanding in science. In a similar vein,
we recognise that we cannot include all possible teaching methods, but do include
examples that previously have worked well in primary classrooms. These will give you
a great starting point, although we encourage you to adapt and develop the sugges-
tions to suit you, your pupils, and the particular learning that is your objective.
Second, although we refer to the investigative element of science and suggest activ-
ities, you will need to further strengthen your background knowledge, understanding,
and practice of science investigation. We recommend materials such as those available
in resources and books, including Making Sense of Primary Science Investigations by
Goldsworth and Feasey (1997) and chapter 2 of Peacock (1998) or chapter 3 of
Sharp et al. (2000), which are practical and highly readable. Your understanding of
the teaching of primary science will be further enhanced by reference to other well-
presented and relevant educational research, which is usefully summarised by several
authors (Harlen, 1999; Sharp, 2004; Roden, 2005).

Organisation of the book

Each chapter deals with a significant section of science understanding for both you as
teacher and your pupils. The length of the chapters varies depending on the science
involved; for example, materials are an important part of science in the National
Curriculum (DfEE/QCA, 1999), so this is reflected in the length of Chapter 6. After a
short summary of the content, each chapter reviews the essential science background
knowledge you require in ‘What the teacher needs to know and understand’. In add-
ition to reading the text, please complete the activities provided in these sections and
make use of the recommended internet links. We know these will assist your learning
greatly and can often be adapted to work with pupils. You might also consider them if
you find yourself supporting colleagues. Each chapter then summarises ‘What the
pupils need to know’ by the end of either Key Stage 1 (5–7 years) or Key Stage 2
(7–11 years). These short sections are based on the National Curriculum (DfEE/
QCA, 1999) and the QCA (1998) science scheme. The former is quoted verbatim.
However, we have only added learning objectives from the QCA (1998) scheme,
which we believe include content not referred to specifically by the National
 INTRODUCTION 3

Curriculum (DfEE/QCA, 1999). Occasionally, we have added other items we feel are
appropriate, for example on the environment. Third, each chapter suggests ‘Ways to
teach . . . [the science topic]’. Here you will find a selection of effective explanations,
demonstrations, and approaches from which you can select ones that you feel are
appropriate for your pupils. You will find a range of pupil activities, including sugges-
tions that will enable development of pupils’ investigative skills. We include ideas for
discussions – both whole-class and small-group discussions – which themselves can
lead to questions the pupils can investigate. Where investigative elements are increas-
ingly pupil-led, science can become even more meaningful. It is widely accepted that
pupils who learn science through hands-on investigations learn more effectively and
that learning stays with them longer (Wenham, 1995). Icons in the margins indicate
links within science to other subjects and highlight sections which deal with safety.
The suggested activities do not necessarily constitute lessons but may be part of a
lesson. Each activity includes a learning objective that can be adapted but should be the
focus of your teaching, as this helps pupils understand why they are doing an activity.
These, like the activities, can be rewritten to suit your objectives. Activities are not pre-
sented in a particular order, so you should consider borrowing and adapting ideas from
one section to another and from one key stage to another. Some include a little repetition
so ensure that you actively use and adapt the most useful ones for your learners.
In these sections, boxes are inserted that refer to what Driver (1983) and we
prefer to call ‘alternative understandings’. However, we have adopted the language
used more often in school and these are entitled ‘common misconceptions’. Each
misconception is stated in speech marks, as if a pupil has stated it. This draws atten-
tion to the fact that it may not be correct. After a brief explanation, we have usually
suggested an activity or discussion point to help challenge the misconception. In the
margin of the pages you will find boxes to indicate that the text includes a link to
another part of science, an issue about safety (ASE, 2001) or options that use infor-
mation and communication technology, including the internet. Science education
presents many opportunities for the learning of literacy and numeracy; a selection is
indicated in the margin along with references to other subjects. Science can enhance
learning in these subjects and learning in science can itself be enhanced by more
literate and numerate pupils.
At the end of each chapter you will find a short summary of content and a list of
common misconceptions. These could be used within your development diary
(Appendix 3) to review your learning. Can you see ways to challenge these mis-
conceptions? Are they ones you once held? You might reveal other areas of
uncertainty by utilising the short multi-choice self-test questions at the end of the
chapter. These short self-tests are representative not comprehensive and so are only
indicators of your learning.

Rationale
The natural world is a wonderful place. Almost all of us have stared into a flower or at
the night sky with awe and wonder. As far as we know, we are the first living creatures
to have sought to explain the universe and where we fit into it. Science provides one of
Spiritual
the most effective tools for doing so.
 4 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

This book is founded on the need for all learners to engage with their science
learning. Science can be daunting for teacher and pupils. The approach advocated
here is to be honest about the challenges and the rewards of learning science. Primary
science teaching can utilise learners’ interest in the world, encourage questions in the
classroom and an active engagement with each person’s understanding and skill in
science. Primary science provides many opportunities for the use of key numeracy
and literacy skills, for example presenting the results of an investigation to an
Numeracy and
literacy audience.
It is worth reminding ourselves that as primary teachers our concern is science
education and, as part of that, science itself. By this we mean that while in school we
and our pupils engage in scientific behaviour; however, the reason we do this is not for
science enquiry or discovery alone, but also so that our pupils will learn about science
and the world. What you as a teacher understand and know about science and science
education is crucial to this learning. An important part of the special knowledge you
require as a teacher is pedagogical knowledge. Alexander (2004) summarises peda-
gogy as the ‘act and discourse of teaching’. This book will assist you with examples of
some of the best ways to teach science. It is our hope that by reflecting on and thinking
about your learning and the learning of your pupils, you will engage in a personal
discourse about the ways you teach science most effectively. During your training and
afterwards, your growing confidence should allow you to gain even more as a teacher
through, for example, discussion with others.
Part of this knowledge of science is the nature of science. Take a look at Table 1.1
and consider the ways in which you view science and how as a teacher you convey
science. Unfortunately, society sometimes encourages a stereotypical or negative view
of science (Driver, 1983). As a primary teacher you are in a powerful position to
affect the long-term view that pupils take of science. Can you see ways to present a
positive view of science to your pupils? Although this book will assist you, it is best to
be explicit with pupils about the nature of science from the start.

Table 1.1 Views of science?

Science is not: Science is:

dull interesting
closed expanding, creative
exclusive inclusive
magic real
always straightforward sometimes complex
always as it seems sometimes counter-intuitive
able to solve all problems a way we can tackle problems
able to answer all questions a powerful way to seek answers
only for one group of people for all
 INTRODUCTION 5

Guiding principles
As well as knowing what you understand about science, as a teacher you also need to
be clear about what your weaker areas are and the ways that you might take that
learning forward. This approach to learning is known as ‘metacognitive’ learning,
which can be defined as knowing about knowing (Flavell et al., 1977). Thus a meta-
cognitive learner is self-aware, reflective, and pro-active about what they know and
understand in science and how they learn. Key indicators of effective adult learners
are that they are self-motivated and self-directed. We hope that you will take on these
ideas about your own learning and accept that all sources, from internet simulations to
concept maps, audits and tests, are useful tools for you as a learner. This book pro-
vides many pedagogical ideas (ideas relating to teaching children). We accept that
adults and pupils learn in similar but not necessarily identical ways. For example, you
are likely to be more experienced at reading diagrams than an average eight-year-old
and may therefore gain more from studying them. Alternatively, you may know that
you find diagrams less helpful and therefore know that you must seek other sources to
learn from effectively. You might also recognise that you need to strengthen your
capacity to deal with diagrams.
Learning is different for all learners. In science, each learner starts from where
they are, thus your first act as a teacher should always be to find out or elicit what the
pupils already know and can do. Reference to assessment records and pupils’ science
books is essential, as is helping pupils to review their own learning to date. This
elicitation can be the first stage in what is referred to as the ‘constructivist approach’,
which is based on the idea that pupils construct their own learning. Social constructiv-
ists see this as occurring alongside others, including other pupils and adults, in social
settings such as classrooms (Vygostky, 1988). After initial orientation of the learner
with the aspect of science, and elicitation, the teacher is advised to provide learning
experiences that will challenge any misconceptions held and seek to move pupils
towards the scientifically accepted view. These ideas have much to offer teachers and
to this we add the important notion of pupil engagement. To utilise powerful ideas
such as constructivism, the pupils must be engaged in their science and their learning.
You, as their teacher, require a growing repertoire of ideas to gain and maintain the
attention and involvement of pupils.
Vygotsky’s (1988) view was that learners require a ‘knowledgeable other’ to guide
them through ideas and experiences so that they have the best opportunity to learn.
This occurred, he suggested, in a ‘zone of proximal development’, where learners are
guided and supported to a point where that guidance is no longer required. These
ideas are linked to those of pupil autonomy, which recognise the need for pupils to
become more independent or ‘self-governing’ (Baud, 1987). As teacher you are the
‘knowledgeable other’. Individual pupils require varying amounts of support, which
can include, for example, the teacher guiding with questions or modelling science
language and behaviour.
You might extend metacognitive approaches to your knowledge of teaching, in
this case of teaching science. What is your present knowledge and understanding
of teaching science? What have you learned about teaching science for learning?
What have you learned from experienced practitioners? In which circumstances do
6 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

you learn best about teaching science? How do you make best use of your
experiences?
The teaching ideas provided in each chapter of this book aim to increase your
repertoire of options for teaching for learning. These have the potential to turn satis-
factory lessons into good or very good lessons. By very good in this context we mean
lessons in which all pupils learn well. The book does not, however, provide a complete
scheme of work. Rather, it provides high-quality guidance. This guidance includes the
following principles, which might underpin your teaching for learning in science:

• finding out (eliciting) what children already understand, know, and can do;
• making lessons memorable;
• including elements to capture and hold pupils’ attention;
• making science fun by including both enjoyment and challenge;
• ensuring learning in science is based on pupil interaction;
• making science questions a key focus;
• ensuring teacher and pupils pose and seek to answer ‘why’ questions;
• providing a considerable emphasis on language (including scientific) and
communication;
• ensuring a high level of engagement with science and purposeful practical science
activity;
• ensuring investigations are increasingly pupil-led – that is, initiated and planned
by pupils;
• involving pupils in self-review, assessment, and reflection about their learning in
science.

If, as a teacher, you can gain the full attention of an individual, they can learn
from your teaching. Without their attention, you will simply be background noise.
The ideas provided in this book have been tried and tested over many years by the
authors. What works for one learner will almost certainly not work for all learners.
This links to a problem that all science teachers experience, that we often ask pupils to
generalise from an instance (McGuigan and Schilling, 1997). That is, we provide an
experience, say thermal insulation of warm beakers with different materials, and hope
pupils will learn from that experience – that is, to be able to talk about and ideally
explain what is happening and apply this learning to other examples of thermal insula-
tion. For many learners, that one instance is insufficient to fully cement the learning.
Thus, you should consider options to conduct or at least illustrate and discuss other
instances of, in this case, thermal insulation. One simple approach that could provide
other instances is to utilise your pupils’ senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell).
Most science lessons can utilise the first three safely. If you consider the use of sight,
sound, and touch when teaching difficult ideas, you can have some confidence that at
least one will work for a proportion of children and another with another group in the
class. Ensure pupils have time to observe the phenomenon, to see posters or simula-
tions, to talk about and hear different ideas and views, and handle the materials. A
practical investigation by the pupils might offer all of these opportunities for learning.
 INTRODUCTION 7

It is also worth considering that different teachers might teach equally success-
fully in different ways. Thus you may find that teaching methods that a colleague
finds less successful are an overwhelming success for your pupils’ learning. Remem-
ber that classes vary considerably. You should therefore see your pupils as the most
important variable when considering what approach to take, but also be mindful of
other variables, including: the particular science topic; your personal strengths,
including your science and pedagogic knowledge and understanding; the need to
stress investigations in science; the resources and the time available.
When thinking about how to approach a science lesson, consider the following:

• How and when will I express the learning objective(s)?

• What teaching methods, including pupil activities, should I employ?
• How will I introduce and encourage the pupils to use the science language?
• Will these lessons engage pupils?
• How can I involve pupils more?
• How will pupils be able to develop investigative skills?
• How will pupils further their understanding of their own learning in science?
• To what extent do these pupils need to see, do or hear things?
• How can I play to the strengths of my resources and my skills?

For pupils to feel part of their own learning in science, you might take comple-
mentary approaches. First, give them increased autonomy in Science 1 and, second,
share with them ideas such as those of constructivism and metacognition. These
approaches support ‘thinking about thinking’, which offers a powerful way to make
science learning more personal. This approach fits very well with important
emphases in primary education, including personalisation of learning and
Assessment for Learning (AfL) (DCSF, 2008).

For more information on metacognition, visit:

http://www.gse.buffalo.edu/fas/shuell/cep564/Metacog.htm
We will refer throughout to learning tools such as internet-based and other
science simulations, which we believe should complement learning but never
take the place of hands-on experience of, say, magnets. Simulations can assist
learners and their teachers by representing ideas, utilising language, and review-
ing, introducing and challenging ideas, but they cannot replace essential
personal experience of, for example, the strength of different magnets.

Language/literacy and science

It is a basic tenet of primary education that language is central. Language is also very
important in science and science education. Some science ideas and concepts can be
expressed mathematically, but to a far greater extent the medium of learning science
8 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

in classrooms is language. Therefore, as much emphasis as possible should be placed

on pupils engaging with and using appropriate language in their science education
(Yore et al., 2003). Words are often used very precisely in science, so point out to
pupils that they will come across words such as ‘force’ that are used in all sorts of
ways, such as air force, storm force, and Parcel Force, but in science its meaning is
special, focused, and limited to pushes and pulls.
Speaking and listening are major vehicles for learning in science, as are the differ-
ent forms of writing and drawing. Pupils’ learning will benefit given very regular
opportunities to talk and discuss as well as to write about their science. The idea of do,
talk, and record applies well here – that is, pupils doing things, talking about them and
what they mean, and then recording what has occurred and their thoughts. Written
science can occur on classroom posters, books, text, diagrams, interactive white-
boards, internet sites, blogs, and resources published by others as well as those written
by pupils. The development of literacy in science presents a wealth of opportunities
for pupils to strengthen language and language skills in a very meaningful context.

The importance of questions

There is a possibly apocryphal story of an apple falling on Isaac Newton’s head,
which was the trigger for him to think about why things fall to Earth. Whether or not
an apple ever fell on Newton’s head, he was very interested in falling objects as an
example of objects moving in relation to one another (in this case, the apple and the
Earth). His key word was, of course, ‘why’? Armed with a question that can be
investigated, the scientist has made the first, and perhaps the most essential, step
towards the answer.
Questions are at the heart of science and of science education. The teacher and
pupils should together be asking questions and seeking answers. Your understanding
of the different questions that can be asked by pupils and teachers and the ways these
can be handled will allow you to utilise questions rather than fear them.
As a teacher, you should develop the following skills yourself so that you can best
enable pupil learning of science. Questioning skills for teachers include:

• using questions in all aspects of science (for example: focusing attention, estab-
lishing links, making things explicit; utilising predictions, seeking explanations
and motivating);
• learning to pose questions about the world;
• learning to pose questions that can be investigated scientifically;
• understanding that pupils often misunderstand our questions;
• using the power of questions in your science teaching, including Elstgeet’s
(1985):
– open and closed questions,
– productive questions,
– attention-focusing questions,
– measuring and counting questions,
 INTRODUCTION 9

– comparison questions,
– action questions,
– problem-posing questions,
– children’s how and why questions.

Pupils’ questions often provide a potential starting point in science, although you
will often have to help pupils form questions: ‘As we can’t all agree which material will
be the strongest, could we ask a question that would help us to find the answer?’ The
questions posed by pupils at this point often need reworking, for example they might
ask, ‘Which material is best?’ Part of our science teaching is to ensure that pupils learn
to pose questions that can be investigated. Thus, such a pupil question might need to
be adjusted. ‘What do we mean by “best”?’ You might then consider if you can
employ any useful ‘w’ words, such as ‘which’, ‘when’, ‘where’ or ‘why’, as these can
often improve a science question. The most challenging science questions often begin
with the words ‘why’ or ‘how’.
You can further improve your teaching by ensuring that alongside other ques-
tions you pose ‘why’ questions; for example, ‘You predicted that the large parachute
would fall the slowest and that is what happened. Why did that happen?’ This ques-
tion challenges everyone in the classroom to move towards an explanation. The
pupils’ attempts to explain may require rewording so that they become even more
useful.

Pupil #1: ‘It’s because of air.’

Teacher: ‘But what is the air doing?’
Pupil #2: ‘There’s more air hitting it’ [pupil uses hand to demonstrate].
Teacher: ‘That’s right. The bigger parachute canopy hits or catches more air. So
there is more . . .?’
Pupil #2: ‘There is more air resistance’.
Teacher: ‘You’re right, the bigger canopy creates more air resistance’.

Explaining what pupils observe is perhaps the hardest part of science for them. They
may appear to know the background science and the observation they have made
may appear to you to be clearly linked and obvious. However, you may be dismayed
when pupils struggle to link the science to what they have seen. This is perhaps
another example of the difficulty of generalising from an instance. Annual reviews
published in England (QCA, 2004: accessed at http://www.naa.org.uk/
naa_19199.aspx), based on analysis of pupils’ responses to the English national
Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs), repeatedly illustrate the difficulty. For example,
‘To help improve performance pupils need opportunities to explain why some
materials appear shiny’. Such evaluation provides little guidance as to how a teacher
might best provide such opportunities for learning and unfortunately perhaps
reinforces a view that our teaching for learning is motivated by a need to improve
performance on tests.
10 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Dealing with pupils’ questions

One common area of anxiety for non-specialist primary teachers is what they antici-
pate will be difficult science questions from pupils. Teachers can understandably be
concerned first about whether they will know the answer and only second with the
options for responding. We hope that as you gain confidence in your subject know-
ledge and understanding and in your pedagogical skills, you will become more con-
cerned about the options you have for responding rather than about whether or not
you know the answer. You should always show that you are pleased that the question
has been asked, perhaps by pausing and offering praise while thinking about the
options for your response. You might like to use the question to:

• find out more about what the pupils know – ‘What do you think? Do any of us
have any ideas?’ Explore the topic – ‘Have you seen that happen? Is this similar to
anything else you have seen?’
• find out more about their understanding – ‘Can you tell me why you ask that? Do
you think there is an answer?’
• stimulate interest – use the pupils’ own questions to fire their enthusiasm for
science: ‘What a great question, how could we find out?’ ‘Could we investigate
this ourselves?’ ‘Could a book help us?’
• scaffold learning – for example, assist pupils in making links – ‘Have you seen this
before? What did we learn about this last term/yesterday?’

Sheila Jelly (1985) suggested a useful approach that included, among other ideas,
an analysis of the question and a consideration of whether the question can be turned
to a practical activity. With all age ranges it is helpful for the teacher to encourage
questions, such as setting up an ‘our questions’ poster on the classroom wall. These
questions do not have to be answered at once. Pupils can try themselves to find out the
answers to the questions on the wall by doing their own research. Try a ‘Wiki’ poster
headed by the pupil’s question and encourage others to assist with explanations or
suggestions, perhaps on Post-its (you will need to monitor this for misconceptions).
Another idea is to do this in the format of a computer-based ‘blog’.
One word of caution, although this will not occur very often, if a pupil asks a
‘why’ question and responds to your answer with another ‘why’ question, you will
soon find yourself at PhD level science. For example, you respond to a simple ques-
tion about an object falling with ‘it falls because of gravity pulling it towards the centre
of the Earth’. If the pupil then comes back with another question, for example ‘Why
does gravity do that?’, you are now approaching the limits of current scientific theory,
as there is no complete accepted explanation of what gravity actually is and how it
works. At this level, most specialist science educators would be unable to give a
complete answer. Accept this and focus on praising the question poser, being honest
and taking things forward positively; for example, ‘We can learn a great deal in the
class about the effect of the force of gravity on different objects’.
 INTRODUCTION 11

Teacher confidence
We hope this book will have a dramatically positive effect on your confidence to teach
science. It is intended to encourage you to engage with two essential ingredients for
increased confidence to teach: (1) your own knowledge and understanding of science
and (2) your repertoire of ideas for teaching science. Just as we advocate gaining and
holding pupils’ interest, it is necessary for you to become actively engaged in your
own learning in science and hopefully very much engaged with ideas in science.
Your repertoire of teaching methods includes much of what Lee Schulman
(1987) called ‘pedagogical content knowledge’. This knowledge of the most effective
ways to teach a topic was to him the essential knowledge of a teacher. For example,
pupils’ misconceptions or alternative ideas can mistakenly be seen as bad, as ideas to
be purged as quickly as possible. A more realistic view is that they are inevitable, to be
expected, and to be recognised and challenged. Misconceptions are themselves a
good example of Schulman’s pedagogical content knowledge. The recognition and
anticipation of common difficulties, including errors and misconceptions, will allow
you to strengthen teaching and learning (Table 1.2).
As a teacher of primary science you will ‘collect’ common errors and misconcep-
tions in science, remembering from term to term and year to year those aspects of a
topic that caused difficulties. Teachers encounter these misconceptions informally

Table 1.2 Examples of common errors or misconceptions

Aspect of science Difficulty, error or Possible approach

misconception

Rocks and soils Soil is just dirt Question is posed – ‘What is soil made
from?’ Pupils examine soil samples with
magnifier to observe mineral content,
organic content, and living content
Earth in space Learner states incorrectly Observation of shadows moving
that that the Sun orbits demonstrates movement of the Sun across
the Earth the sky but this alone is not evidence of the
Earth orbiting the Sun. Models can be used
comprising a globe and a ball as the Sun.
This, alongside posters and web-based
simulations, can illustrate the accepted
scientific view of the relative movement of
the Sun and the Earth
Scientific Learner fails to see the The experiment is likened to a test to
investigation need to repeat an determine which of two footballers is better
experiment at scoring from penalties. If we give each of
them one attempt, will the result be
reliable? Should we give them 3 attempts to
score or 10 or 100? Which would be the
most reliable result?
12 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

when chatting to colleagues, ‘discovering’ them with pupils in the classroom, spotting
them in test results, being taught about them on courses or when reading research.
Recently in a science lesson one pupil was observed to say, ‘I think that the plant was
unhealthy because I think it was drowned in the darkness’. While most such state-
ments are incorrect, they often contain some truth. This pupil clearly has a sense of
the darkness being bad for the plant. Her teacher might ask her to explain what she
means, and then challenge the pupil’s statement by asking her about darkness and
establishing that it is the absence of light and that perhaps this can help us to explain
the plant’s condition.
Knowledge of common errors and misconceptions in science will give you con-
fidence as you anticipate and, even better, plan to deal with them and learn to use
them in lessons to promote learning. For example, when preparing for lessons about
dissolving, it will help to know that many learners confuse dissolving and melting (see
Chapter 6 on materials). Share the idea of misconceptions and errors with pupils:
‘Some people find this easy, some find it puzzling, some think . . .’.
Another very powerful influence on your confidence will be your enthusiasm and
enjoyment of teaching science. Be aware of those aspects of science and science
education which interest you and you enjoy and share these with pupils. Importantly,
make sure that you sound positive about all of science.

The importance of practical work

It is worth saying here that not all authors and researchers agree exactly about what
we mean by practical work and studies have tended to focus on secondary age pupils
and on the amount of practical work and not its quality. Several research studies of
secondary education are quite negative about the quality of practical work
undertaken. Research into secondary teachers’ understanding of practical work has
identified teacher knowledge as a limiting factor (Pekmez et al., 2005).
We understand practical work to include engagement in which pupils manipulate
materials and experience phenomena in science lessons. Smith and Peacock (1995)
recognise four sub-categories of practical science activity: learning a practical skill;
exploring; observation of a demonstration; and investigation. Although not necessar-
ily required as part of a practical activity, we feel that more often than not in primary
classrooms practical work will involve working with others.
In recognising practical activity, early writers discussed aspects of primary educa-
tion (Piaget, 1973; Rousseau, 1979) as fundamental to learning. However, the need
for, or value of, practical work in science has been questioned by some like Gott and
Duggan (1995) and Hodson (1998), who, for example, question the time devoted to
practical work, note the proportion of time pupils have been observed off-task during
practical work, and the confusion that they have observed in classrooms with the
teacher pursuing an educational objective and pupils becoming sidetracked or simply
misunderstanding the purpose of the work. Researchers and writers recognise
potential positive outcomes of practical work, including the opportunity to aid
science learning, as a context for literacy (Gipps et al., 2000) and numeracy learning
in action, to teach and assess skills, and to practise and develop skills in Science 1. If
for no other reason than there is limited time in primary schools for science, primary
 INTRODUCTION 13

educationalists should be clear about exactly what are the benefits and drawbacks of
practical work. There are clearly aspects of science that cannot be taught practically,
such as aspects of space science and the working of the organs of the human body.
Wellington (1998) questioned student teachers about the purpose of practical
science in primary classrooms and summarised their responses into three categories:

• cognitive arguments – helping them to learn;

• affective arguments – motivating and exciting;
• skills arguments – developing scientific and other transferable skills.

Wellington considered that these are reasonable arguments but, like other authors,
does not accept them at face value. Pupils and teachers when asked to justify practical
work often respond in terms of motivation of pupils; unfortunately, there is no
research evidence to link pupils’ interest and motivation in science with the amount of
practical work completed (Harlen, 1999). Harlen usefully concludes that practical
work is a ‘means to various ends and not an end in itself’.
We might conclude that practical activity is not of itself a good thing, rather it is
the communication and reflection before, during, and after that is educational: ‘we
learn not by simply carrying out practical work but by reflecting on the experience it
yields in the light of previous experience’ (Peacock, 1998). For most researchers, it is
the combination of practical work and pupil talk that leads to learning (Mercer, 1995).
Barnes (1976) pointed to clear links he perceived between pupil talk and pupil think-
ing: ‘The more a learner controls his own language strategies and the more he is
enabled to talk aloud, the more he can take responsibility for forming explanatory
hypotheses and evaluating them’.

Assessment, self-assessment, and feedback

Why must schoolteachers assess pupils’ learning in science? Because they must be
able to inform themselves, the pupil, the school, and others of pupils’ achievements.
Our focus here is on the teacher and the learner. The teacher needs to know about
pupils’ achievements to plan future lessons and inform others; pupils should be
engaged with their own learning so that they want feedback on what they have learned
and how they can learn more. Thus pupils benefit from teacher assessment and their
own personal self-assessment, supporting their thinking about thinking or knowing
about knowing (metacognition). Teachers’ assessment of pupils and pupils’ self-
assessment are most effective when they work alongside one another. The two will
hopefully overlap with the clearest expression of this being teacher feedback to pupils
during and after lessons.
Perhaps the single most powerful tool in lessons is the clear expression of sharp
learning objectives. These can be expressed and utilised in different ways, including
learning outcomes, perhaps in the form of ‘We are learning to . . .’, or success criteria
(Table 1.3), framed perhaps as ‘What I am looking for . . .’. Such clarity assists your
assessment of pupils’ achievement in science and pupils’ self- and peer assessment.
14 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Table 1.3 Example of a learning objective and success criteria

Learning objective Success criteria

To name the main external On a diagram correctly label

parts of a flowering plant flower, stem, leaf, and root

This clarity will have a positive effect on the feedback you give to pupils both orally
and written so that you can comment on whether they have achieved the objective and
how they might improve.
Elicitation of pupil understanding at the start of a science topic has already been
mentioned in this chapter. This is a form of assessment but with a particular purpose
– to inform teaching for learning. Teachers use a variety of methods to obtain evi-
dence to make a judgement. In addition to explicit tests and assessment questions,
they will observe pupils and their work during lessons followed by review of the
pupils’ responses. This means that activities designed to progress learning also
provide evidence for assessment, including concept cartoons, concept maps, games,
DARTs (see example in Table 2.1), POE (three prompts: Predict, Observe, Explain),
and so on, most of which are legitimate teaching methods but all of which can reveal
something of the learners’ achievements. Teaching methods such as these are
exemplified throughout this book. They should be recognised for their value in elicit-
ing or revealing pupils’ learning so that a pupil or teacher can then assess (i.e. judge)
the extent of learning. The assessment is driven by the teacher and utilised by teacher
and learner to reflect on and analyse what has been learned, what has been partially
learned, and what has not been learned.

Establishing and maintaining interest

Pupils are almost always interested in themselves and the extent to which they are
learning. To encourage pupils’ interest in science lessons, identify aspects of science
or contexts that link to pupils’ lives or interests. Most primary aged pupils are
enthusiastic about protecting the environment and love animals; they may also be
interested in the human body or in sports, and are highly engaged by unusual
phenomena. Learn to think how they think. Keep abreast of the news and media,
news stories about exploration, the natural world, and so on, which will be of interest
to pupils. Establish a notice board in the classroom with newspaper and magazine
clippings. Be aware of current crazes among pupils, as simply adding the name or
image of a popular superhero or character can often hook their interest. Give other-
wise routine activities extra interest by linking to the real world or an occupation of
interest to pupils. You could try teaching the science of materials through a forensic
approach to, for example, ‘the scene of the crime’. The simple strategy of linking the
science to the real world at least in the lesson introduction and plenary usually raises
interest and adds greatly to a lesson’s relevance. For example, ‘Now that we know
which material causes the most friction, if you wanted non-slippery shoes what would
you ask for in the shoe shop?’
 INTRODUCTION 15

Your own apparent interest in the world and science will be highly influential. We
therefore suggest that as well as considering your pupils’ interests, you are mindful of
your own. If a teacher is not highly engaged by the science or by how it is being taught,
there is much less chance of the pupils being interested.
Make science lessons interesting with a new material, a new angle or new teaching
methods. Simply moving furniture, working in different groupings, moving to a dif-
ferent room or outside can have a big effect. Plan elements to capture and hold pupils’
attention, and consider at least one significant stimulus per topic: a visit, a visitor to
school, a challenge, a competition, a special day. The simple strategy of getting every
child to become involved at the front of the class at some point means they expect to
be involved and enjoy being, and seeing classmates being, involved. Make science fun
by including both enjoyment and challenge. Game-like activities can make some parts
of science enjoyable, and you may remember your own sense of delight when you
mastered a tricky idea. Make sure you challenge pupils with harder concepts in sci-
ence. Perhaps inspire them with some of the really big ideas in science, such as the size
of space. Visit, for example, http://www.bigskyastroclub.org/pale_ blue_dot.htm to
find out about Carl Sagan’s famous Pale Blue Dot photograph.
Challenge yourself by saying that your lessons will be memorable, include fea-
tures and elements that will stay with a pupil for years. Examples in this book, includ-
ing edible rocks (Chapter 7), the dance/drama simulation of the movement of the
Earth and Moon (Chapter 9), and the role-play of a food chain (Chapter 5), will be
just that. Consider the development of the pupils’ enthusiasm for science as a long-
term target in your teaching. We can all imagine a situation where pupils score very
well on tests but have been turned off the subject for life. This, if it occurs, is a
travesty. Pupils who enjoy a topic learn more about that topic. It ought to be possible
to steer a more productive path, resulting in pupils achieving as well as they can and
maintaining interest in, or better, enthusiasm for, or even better love of, the subject and
learning.

Conclusion
As a primary teacher you are a primary science teacher. Your attitude, growing
understanding and knowledge of science, and how to teach it, are very powerful
factors in generating interest, and even love, of science learning. This book will pro-
vide an opportunity to think about what you know about science and aspects of
science education. By engaging with your own learning in science, you will undergo a
process that your pupils will need to experience if they are to learn and become more
aware of their own learning and achievement. Make it your aim that pupils will learn
as much as possible and that at the end of term they will be looking forward to more.
2
Life processes – plants

About this chapter

This chapter is about plants. We first summarise the main groups found in the
plant kingdom and describe the main parts of a flowering plant, the
structure of flowers, and how pollination, fertilisation, seed formation, seed
dispersal, and germination are part of the life cycle of the flowering plant. We
describe the basic life processes of plants, plant cells, and a number of
tissues found within plants, as well as factors that affect the health of a plant.
The second part of the chapter highlights what pupils need to learn about and
in the final part we suggest some of the best ways to teach pupils about the life
processes of plants, including common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know

and understand
Does the exception prove the rule?
Because there is so much variety in the biological world, whenever humans try to
make a statement about plants there is almost always an exception to the rule. For
example, is it true that ‘all plants are green’? Can you identify plants that are not
green?
There are a few, for example the Japanese red maple tree. Plants that are not
green still have chlorophyll (which normally makes a plant green) but it is being
masked by other non-green pigments. There are also plants whose leaves have a grey
or silvery appearance.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 17

Plants are widespread and exhibit great variety

Plants are living things; they begin life, grow, reproduce, and eventually die. Some
plants live for a few months whereas others live much longer. Some of the oldest trees
on the planet could be over 4000 years old. These are the very long-lived species of
bristlecone pine. In the United Kingdom, we have yew trees that are over 2000 years
old. Parasitic plants such as some species of dodder, which can be seen in the UK, live
on other plants and literally suck sugars from their host. Mistletoe is an example of a
partial parasite. It is parasitic but because it contains chlorophyll it can also
photosynthesise.

The plant kingdom

The plant kingdom is vast and amazing in its diversity. Plants have adapted or evolved
to exploit all but the very harshest environments on Earth, from the frozen tundra to
deserts and from the local park to the deepest ocean. Classification of organisms is
complex; it is a science on its own.
The easiest way to understand the breadth of the plant kingdom is to split it into
four main groups: mosses and liverworts; ferns; conifers; and flowering plants. These
groups are a simplification, but a fairly accurate one.

Figure 2.1 Simplified plant kingdom

The simplest types of plants are mosses and liverworts. They have very primitive
leaves and stems. Mosses often grow in damp places such as moorland, but can also
be found on roofs and in lawns. Liverworts are less common than mosses and form
mats of small lobe-like or disc-like leaves on the surface of soils and rocks. You may
have seen them in very damp, shady places, for example by the side of a stream or
waterfall. The next group, the ferns, is one people are more familiar with. Ferns often
have large leaves and a more complex internal structure than mosses and liverworts.
They have larger stems and vessels inside to carry water and nutrients through them.
They include the very common plant we know as bracken, which grows in the coun-
try on hillsides. You may well be familiar with the third group, conifers. These are
cone-bearing plants, and familiar examples include the spruce tree (often used as a
Christmas tree), Douglas fir, and Scots pine. Most of these are evergreen and do not
lose their small, needle-like leaves, but some are not, such as the larch. The final group
are the flowering plants. These include small plants we all know such as bluebells and
daisies, but also larger ones like ash and lime trees, whose flowers may not be as
obvious.
Spend a few minutes in a local park or garden (remember it is illegal to pick
flowers, this is only allowed in a private garden) and try to find examples from each of
the above groups.
18 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

A simple pocket guide to wild flowers and trees will give you great insight into
the diversity of plants. Several websites will assist in this way. Try the following:
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages_intros_indexes/english_index.htm

Organisms often confused with plants

Algae (including seaweeds) are not plants. Scientists used to classify them as plants,
but more recently they have been shown to be markedly different. Like plants they are
able to make their own food by photosynthesis, but unlike plants they do not contain
specialist organs and structures. Seaweeds are a more complicated type of algae, but
are still very primitive organisms. Algae are part of a group called the ‘Protoctista’.
Fungi are not included in the plant kingdom because they do not photo-
synthesise, and they too are classified separately in their own group (imaginatively
titled ‘Fungi’). Lichens are not plants because they are made of a combination of algae
and fungi, neither of which are part of the plant kingdom.

Structure of a flowering plant

Figure 2.2 A simple drawing of a flowering plant

You should be very familiar with the basic structure of a flowering plant. You should
be able to draw a plant with its main parts. Try to draw a generic plant including some
of the parts listed in Table 2.1. Then compare your picture with the figures in this
chapter. Try also unravelling the sentences in Table 2.1.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 19

Table 2.1 DARTs activity

A muddled sentence DART (based on Wellington and Osbourne, 2001)

A root is the using energy from sunlight.

The stem anchors the female part of the flower.
Each leaf holds the plant to the ground.
The stigma makes sugar plant upright.

For more information and illustrations about plants, visit

http://users.pipeline.com.au/~jpearce/Plant_Default.htm

What do plants need to survive?

Write a short list of the things plants require to survive. You should have listed air,
light, warmth, space, water, and nutrients. Individual species may have become
adapted to survive on small amounts of the above. For example, cacti can grow in
areas of very low rainfall. They rarely have what we would recognise as leaves, since
these would increase their surface area and thus water loss.
These requirements allow plants to carry out their life processes (the mnemonic
MRS NERG may help you recall these): movement (limited in plants), respiration,
sensitivity, nutrition, excretion, reproduction, and growth.

Table 2.2 The seven life processes in plants

Life processes Examples

Movement (limited) Plants grow towards the light; flowers open in sunlight; some flowers
track the Sun during the day
Respiration Air moves into and out of leaves; sugars react with oxygen in plant
cells to produce energy for the life of the cell and for growth
Sensitivity Plants respond to changes in light intensity and changes in
temperature
Nutrition Most plants make their own food using carbon dioxide, water, and
energy from sunlight
Excretion Most plants excrete oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, and
carbon dioxide and water vapour as by-products of respiration
Reproduction Some plants can reproduce sexually and asexually
Growth Plants grow, in many cases, throughout their lives
20 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Movement
Movement for plants is different to that of animals. Place a potted plant by a
window and over the following days its leaves will turn towards the light (phototrop-
ism). If a potted plant is knocked over and left it will do what comes naturally: its
green shoots, turning upwards, will grow towards the light and if free from the
flower pot its roots will grow downwards due to gravity! Another type of movement
occurs when, for example, dandelion seeds are blown on the wind. They can be
transported across long distances and are widespread in Britain, throughout Europe,
and most of Asia.

Watch a film of plant movement including tropisms at the following website:

http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/earlygrowth/photomorph/
photomorph.html

Plants obtain energy from the Sun

Plants obtain energy from the Sun (in the form of light) and use it to make
sugars. This is called photosynthesis. The word equation for photosynthesis is as
follows:

sunlight
carbon dioxide + water chlorophyll
glucose (sugar) + oxygen

Thus during the daylight hours, plants consume water, light energy, and carbon
dioxide so as to produce sugar and oxygen. This only occurs in the parts of the plant
that contain chlorophyll. Like animals, plants also require cellular respiration, which
means that they use some of the sugar they make plus oxygen to undertake the work
of each cell so that the plant can grow and reproduce. This cellular respiration in
animals and plants is the opposite of photosynthesis, as it uses sugar and oxygen to
release energy, producing carbon dioxide and water as by-products.

Other plant requirements

Plants draw water from the soil, transporting it to their leaves, where some is used in
photosynthesis and some is returned to the atmosphere through the stomata on the
underside of the leaves. This process is called transpiration. You can demonstrate this
by tying a plastic bag (remember: keep plastic bags away from young children) over a
small branch of about ten leaves on a potted or garden plant. Leave the bag in place
for 12–14 hours and you should observe condensation on the inside of the bag as a
result of the plant transpiring.
Plants require mineral nutrients from the soil, including compounds of nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium (gardeners know these by their elemental symbols – N, P,
and K respectively). These enter the plant dissolved in the water taken in by the roots.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 21

They are essential for the healthy functioning of the plant, including as ingredients of
plant proteins (nitrogen). Plants that lack nutrients often become stunted.
Gardeners buy products labelled ‘plant food’ but this term is not scientifically
correct because plants make their own food in the process of photosynthesis. The
so-called ‘plant food’ bought in garden centres would be better labelled as ‘plant
health supplements’, as it does a similar job as the supplements that we may take in the
form of vitamins and minerals. It is important to note that plants do not get their food
from the soil, but that they manufacture it themselves using the process of
photosynthesis.

Figure 2.3 Input and output from a leaf

The health of plants can be adversely affected if they are short of any of their
basic needs. Plants also suffer from viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases. They can be
damaged by the weather and by being eaten by insects, birds and other animals, and
can be badly affected by parasitic plants. Some plants are adapted with defences such
as stinging leaves, spikes, and chemicals that can make the plant unpalatable or poi-
sonous. Herbs that we use to cook with have chemicals to deter insects from eating
them (we like them in small quantities though!) and yew trees have berries that are
extremely poisonous to humans, but not to some birds.

Plant cells
A plant cell is easily distinguished from an animal cell by the presence of a vacuole,
cell wall, and chloroplasts. The cell vacuole contains cell sap and helps to main-
tain pressure within the cell so that it keeps its shape. The chlorophyll, essential for
22 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 2.4 A plant cell

photosynthesis, is found in the – often numerous – chloroplasts. The whole cell is

protected by a thick wall whose functions include preventing loss of water, providing
protection, and maintaining shape. The cell wall is made of cellulose, which is made
from glucose. In common with animal cells, the nucleus is the home of the genetic
material and this is the control centre for the cell’s activity.

The structure of a leaf

Figure 2.5 shows a section through a leaf, illustrating numerous plant cells forming
several tissues, each of which performs a specific function.
Similar cells are grouped together in tissues. The cells in different tissues have
different functions – we say they are specialised. For example, the cells near the top
surface of the leaf are arranged to maximise light uptake and contain many more
chloroplasts. The central spine of the leaf is made up of bundles of cells called the
mid-rib, part of the transportation system for water and nutrients into, and sugars out
of, the leaf. This mid-rib divides and sub-divides into leaf veins. Each leaf has a waxy
outer layer (cuticle) on its outside. The waxiness reduces water loss from the leaf.
There are tiny holes (stomata) along the bottom of the leaf which can open and close
to allow air in and out of the leaf.
If possible, take a few minutes to observe leaves from above and below; see if you
can identify the structures above. Is the leaf of a darker green on its upper side? If so,
you are observing the concentration of chloroplasts in the upper tissue of the leaf.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 23

Figure 2.5 A section through a leaf

The basic structure of a flower

Figure 2.6 Structure of a flower

24 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Can you describe the function of the flower parts shown in Figure 2.6?

• petal
• stigma (the top of the carpel)
• stamen (made up of anther and filament) (male part of the flower)
• ovary (bulbous female part of a flower found below the style)

Take a few minutes to find and examine a flower (take care if you have an adverse
reaction to pollen). As there is great variety in flowering plants, you may have dif-
ficulty identifying the parts in some. If possible, examine a few examples (especially
useful are buttercups, lilies, roses, and tulips).

Pollination and fertilisation (sexual reproduction in plants)

The anthers produce minute pollen grains. These are released and are transported
(by wind or on the body of an insect) to another flower. When the pollen grain reaches
another flower of the same species and lands on the stigma, pollination has occurred.
The pollen grain then grows a short tube into the ovary and its nucleus (containing
the male genetic material) passes from the pollen into the egg cell (ovule). The follow-
ing fusion of the nucleus from the male pollen grain and the nucleus of the female
ovule (containing the female genetic material) forms one complete cell with a full and
unique set of genetic material (this process is called fertilisation). This zygote, consist-
ing of one cell, then divides rapidly to produce a plant embryo. The ovule becomes a
seed, with the embryo inside. Food is laid down in seeds in structures called coty-
ledons. The outer wall of the seed hardens and thickens to form a protective coat.
Plants have developed structures to promote pollination. For flowering plants this
is the flower, the purpose of which is to attract flying insects (bees, moths, butterflies,
and flies). Some flowers have brightly coloured petals, which insects recognise as a
signal that nectar is available. There is great variety here, for example white flowers
are often attractive to moths flying at night. In addition, some flowering plants
produce scent that some insects find attractive.
Not all plants are pollinated by flying insects, for example grasses are wind-
pollinated. These plants produce green flowers with no petals and no nectar. Pollen is
literally blown through the air to another plant. Some trees are also wind-pollinated,
including the oak. Many people have never noticed its tiny flowers in the spring.
Plants that are wind-pollinated have to produce massive amounts of pollen (so that at
least some will hit the right target), as those who suffer from hay fever know to their
cost!
The life cycle of a flowering plant includes a number of specific terms, such as
germination, which you should teach to pupils.

Figure 2.7 The life cycle of a flowering plant

 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 25

The structure of seeds

Each seed’s outer surface dries and hardens as the seed becomes ripe. The seeds of
flowering plants contain an embryo plant and a large store of starch to supply the
energy for growth (Figure 2.8). In some plants the cotyledon is one single unit,
whereas in others it is split into two halves. All flowering plants are divided into one of
two groups, depending on whether their seed contains one cotyledon (mono-
cotyledons – usually smaller seeds like grasses, onions, wheat) or two cotyledons Energy

(dicotyledons – broad beans, peas).

Figure 2.8 Monocot and dicot seeds

Dispersal of plant seeds

The seed will germinate and grow well if somehow it can move away from its parents
so that it will not suffer from competition for light and water. Seeds do this in different
ways; some fall to the earth and bounce or roll away, others hitch a ride!
Link up the dispersal mechanisms with the examples:

blown by wind gorse or broom

mechanical flicking tomato
eaten and later deposited coconut
carried by water dandelion
 26 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Germination of seeds

Figure 2.9 Germinating seeds

Some plants make clones (asexual reproduction)

Sometimes, plants produce new plants as ‘clones’ of themselves. The young produced
by this method are genetically identical to the parent plant. Examples of asexual
reproduction in plants include:

Variation and
Diversity
• strawberry plants produce runners
• willow trees send up shoots from their roots
• daffodil bulbs form more bulbs
• crocus corms form more corms
• spider plants produce shoots supporting baby plants which will easily root
• potato plants produce tubers (potatoes)

Each of these structures – corms, bulbs, runners – has the capability to become a new
plant that is identical to the parent. This means that the species will continue. How-
ever, only sexual reproduction can lead to young that vary from their parents.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 27

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

1(a) about the differences between things that are living and things that have
never been alive;
1(c) to relate life processes to animals and plants found in the local environment;
3(a) to recognise that plants require water, light, warmth, air and space in order
to grow;
3(b) to recognise and name the leaf, flower, stem and roots of a flowering plant;
3(c) that seeds grow into flowering plants.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— to treat plants with care (QCA 1B)

— that plants provide food for humans (QCA 1B)
— that flowering plants produce seeds (QCA 2B)
— that seeds produce new plants (QCA 2B)
(QCA, 1998)

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

1(b) that the life processes common to plants include growth, nutrition and
reproduction;
3(a) the effect of light, air, water and temperature on plant growth;
3(b) the role of the leaf in producing new material for growth;
3(c) that the root anchors the plant, and that water and minerals are taken in
through the root and transported through the stem to other parts of the
plant;
3(d) about the parts of the flower and their role in the life cycle of flowering
plants, including pollination, seed formation, seed dispersal and
germination.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)
28 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Children should learn:

— that plants provide food for us and some plants are grown for this (QCA
3B)
— that plants need healthy roots, leaves and stems to grow well (QCA 3B)
— that plants need water, but not unlimited water, for healthy growth (QCA
3B)
— to consider conditions that might affect germination and how to test them
(QCA 5B)
— that many fruits and seeds provide food for animals including humans
(QCA 5B)
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘plants’ at Key Stage 1

When planning activities for this topic, be mindful that some activities will fit into
forty- to fifty-minute lessons blocks quite easily; however, because plants require time
to grow, thought and flexibility will be required in the setting up and monitoring of the
experiments.

Pupil activity 2.1

Living and things that have never been alive

Learning objective: Learn that some things are alive and some things
never have been.
Resources required: a living plant, dead leaves, a piece of wood, dried
foodstuffs, examples of materials that have never been alive, such as
rock, brick, metal, and ceramics

Ask pupils to compare living things and things that have never been alive and ask the
question, ‘How do we know the living things are alive?’ Look at the plant and a pupil
as examples of living things. Pupils will talk about breathing, moving, eating, making
noises, etc. Move now to things that have never been alive, such as glass, brick, rock,
plastics, metals, ceramics, and water, and ask why we are so sure they have never been
alive. This is harder, but these have never eaten, breathed, and never had babies, and
so on.
Extend this if you feel appropriate by taking the same approach with things that
were once alive like a dried flower or dead leaves. For most pupils, it is clear that these
were once alive but are now dead. Take this further with examples such as wood, wool,
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 29

and bread. Now you will have to assist some pupils to be clear about these examples,
what they are and where they came from, and that they were once either part of an
animal or a plant.

Pupil activity 2.2

What do plants need?

Learning objective: Learn that plants need water and light to be able to
grow (extend with soil, warmth, air, space).
Resources required: compost, seeds (mung beans, broad beans, peas
are easy to grow), plant pots or trays, plants

Before pupils start this activity show them the equipment and materials, ask them
what things are called and what they are for. Explain that they are going to plant seeds
and demonstrate the method suggested on the seed packet (depending on the pupils’
achievement in reading they could read some of the text on the packet) (make the text
Literacy
bigger with a photocopier or classroom visualiser).
Ask pupils how we might observe and record the growth of the seedlings. Make
hand lenses available and record height with life-sized drawing or pieces of string or
paper cut to length. Ask the pupils what it is plants need to grow. They may know
about light and water, but what about heat (warmth) and soil? Ask them if a plant
could grow without light. Could one grow without water? How could they find out?
This could easily be turned into an investigation by growing seedlings in different
conditions. One group could try a plant or seedling with no light compared with one
with light. This can simply be done by putting the plant or seedling in a cupboard.
Another group could compare a watered plant to one that is not watered. When the
plants fail to thrive in the darkness or from not being watered, you may want to
rescue them once the experiment is done, as the pupils may think we have been cruel
to the plants! Soil can be a bit more confusing. Seeds don’t need it to germinate, they
just need something damp. Young seedlings grow well on damp towels. However,
once the seed nutrients have been used up by the seedling, it will require a fresh
supply of nutrients, which it will need to get from soil. If it does not get them, it will
fail to thrive.

Additionally, you might use games and simulations from the internet to intro-
duce, summarise or as a homework activity. For example:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/plants_grow_fs.shtml
30 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 2.3

The perfect hotel for plants

Learning objective: Learn about the life processes of plants.

Resources required: potted plants or seedlings, paper, pencils and
crayons, audio recorder

Ask pupils to design a table top for the classroom that will act as a perfect indoor
garden for plants. Remind them that plants need water, room to move a little and
grow, they need air to breathe, light to make food and warmth. Ideas might include
heating, a fan, ventilation, lights, a water supply (watering can), soil or compost, a
compost bin, a thermometer, an indoor greenhouse. Ask pupils to discuss ideas with
another pupil before they start.
Ask them to draw clearly because some of the best designs will be used to make a
plant growing area in class. They should include the tools and materials needed and
label parts so that it is clear that the plants’ needs will be provided for.
Review pupils’ ideas, checking that these relate to the needs of plants. Ask pupils
to describe the features they have drawn and record their voices to make a commen-
tary about the plant growing area. Encourage them to talk about the needs of plants,
for example ‘Plants need room to grow’.

Pupil activity 2.4

Observing plants and plant material

Learning objective: To make careful observations of plants and name leaf,

flower, stem, and roots.
Resources required: plant material, hand trowel, books of wild flowers,
hand lenses

If possible take the pupils outside to an area of the school site with plants and bushes,
and ask them to observe leaves, shoots, branches, and flowers (be aware of pupils who
may suffer from hay fever). Ask them to speculate about parts of the plants that are
hidden underground. Before collecting samples, explain that this is not allowed out-
side private gardens, that you cannot do this in the wild or in the park. Ask selected
pupils to remove a small number of leaves, shoots, etc., to take back to the classroom.
Alternatively, if the area needs weeding, involve pupils in digging up a selection of
weeds (a weed is a wild flower growing in a garden where it is not wanted by humans),
explaining what you are doing.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 31

In the classroom, spread out plant material on white paper or trays and ask pupils
to observe it initially without any magnifiers. Explain that they will be instructed to
wash their hands thoroughly after this activity and that the plant material and dirty
fingers must not go near their mouth, eyes or food. Again be aware of pupils with
allergies. Explain that we are now going to observe the plant material. Ask them what
we mean by careful observation. Then ask them to look at the leaves and ask open
questions, such as: ‘What shapes can we observe?’ What colours can we see? Can you
describe any lines on the leaf? What does the edge of the leaf look like?’
This is a great opportunity to introduce magnifying glasses; give these out and
explain that the object must be still and in a well-lit place. They should then hold their
head still and move the lens to and fro to focus the object. Younger pupils should be
asked to talk about what they see. Ask them to examine the two sides of a leaf and to
talk about similarities and differences. If you have access to a visualiser or computer
microscope and data projector, use this equipment to show magnified images to the
whole class.
Discuss what has been observed, the detail, the variety, re-use all the vocabulary,
talk about how these plant parts fit on the plant and into the life of the plant. For
young pupils this can be very general, for older ones you can expect more detail and
more prior knowledge. This pattern of observation can then be applied to other plant
parts, including flowers, shoots, buds, stems, and roots.

Common misconception
‘It’s just a plant!’
Some pupils will treat plants and plant material as if they have no value. They
will have seen others damage and destroy plants and may not have experience of
people who value plants. This is an important role for you as teacher to show
that plants are wonderful, a miracle of nature and vital to all of us on Earth. Try
to show that every plant should be cared for by each one of us. Amazing facts
about plants can help – for example, an oak tree can support thousands of
insects, many trees can live for hundreds of years, plants can survive in Death
Valley and in the frozen Arctic. Go for awe and wonder in as big a way as
possible. In addition, try to grow at least a couple of potted plants in the class-
room, with designated pupils in charge of their care.

As lessons progress, younger pupils should be introduced to observation using a

range of magnifying lenses, including small and larger hand lenses (glass lenses where
possible), larger lenses on a stand, plastic pots with lenses in the lids, and ideally
binocular microscopes and microscopes linked to computers and large screens. In
each case, teach pupils to use the equipment.
32 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 2.10 Stereo microscope

Pupil activity 2.5

Seeds grow into seedlings

Learning objectives: That a seed can grow into a seedling and be able to
identify the growing leaves, stems, and roots of a plant. Learn to recognise
growth as a life process that plants do (MRS NERG: movement,
respiration, sensitivity, nutrition, excretion, reproduction, and growth).
Resources required: plates, damp paper towels, seeds (for easy
suggestions, see below)

One of the best seedlings (young plants) to grow is mung beans (often called bean
sprouts). These can be sprouted easily from seeds on damp paper towels. They grow
rapidly and produce two large leaves and large roots. These are both easily observed.
The seedlings are very easy to handle (tell the pupils to pick them up by the leaves). In
contrast, many teachers are familiar with cress. Mung beans are as easy as cress to
grow, but cress is not as easy to handle by the pupils, and is very readily damaged.
Nevertheless, growing both of these plants could make for interesting comparisons.
Ask the pupils to identify the three main parts of the plant; the leaves, stem, and
roots. Can they draw and label them? Can they say what each part is for?
They may know that roots suck up water, but do they know that they anchor the
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 33

plant? They are probably familiar with leaves, but do they know that they collect light
from the Sun to make food inside the plant? The stem is often overlooked, but you
can tell them this carries water from the roots to the leaves, holds the plant above the
soil, and helps it grow above things that may be in the way so that it can reach up
towards the light.
Which aspects of MRS NERG can you get the pupils to focus on?

Pupil activity 2.6

Which parts of plants do we eat?

Learning objective: That we eat different parts of different plants,

including their fruits, leaves, stems, and roots.
Resources required: a range of fruits and vegetables. These should
include edible fruits, leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds (for details
see below)

Infants in school now receive a piece of fruit or vegetable every day but do they know
what part of a plant they are eating? Remind them of the parts of a typical plant, such
as root, leaf, stalk, flower, and fruit. Start with a discussion about the ones the school
has delivered.
They may know that they eat fruits such as apples, tomatoes, tangerines, and
cucumber (actually a fruit!). Ask them if they have ever seen the seeds (pips) inside.
Ask them what the seeds are for. If they eat carrots, ask them which part of the plant
they are eating; they may be surprised to find out it is the root! Have they noticed in
the school salad bar that there is lettuce to eat? What part of the plant do they think
that is? They may be surprised to find that these are leaves.
Ask them to sort a range of edible parts of plants into the parts we eat. Give them
a mix of different plant parts, but don’t tell them what fruit or vegetable they are or
what part of the plant they are. Tell them that nothing must be eaten in the lesson. Can
they identify which part of the plant each item is from? Do they know its name?

• For leaves use lettuce, cabbage, leek, and spinach

• For stalks try celery, rhubarb, and beansprouts
• For flowers try broccoli, cauliflower, and nasturtiums
• For fruits use apples, pears, and bananas
• For seeds use cut tomatoes, strawberries (they’ll have to look closely), peas, and
beans
• For roots try parsnips, carrots, and turnips

Once the pupils are confident in naming the plant parts and the fruits and vegetables,
give them photographs of more exotic ones they are unfamiliar with to see if they can
figure out what part of the plant it came from. Photos can easily be downloaded from
the internet.
 34 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Ways to teach ‘plants’ at Key Stage 2

Pupil discussion 2.7

Concept cartoons as a stimulus for discussion

Literacy – speaking
and listening Learning objective: Thinking about what we already know about plants.
Resources required: concept cartoon

Both at the start and at the end of a topic such as this, it is useful to elicit from the
pupils what they know about aspects of plant life. Use a question or a concept cartoon
(Naylor and Keogh, 2000) to stimulate discussion.

Figure 2.11 Concept cartoon (reproduced with permission from Naylor and Keogh, 2000)
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 35

Pupil activity 2.8

Writing a better account than existing books/sources about plants

Learning objective: Learn about plants by researching in secondary

sources.
Resources required: a set of suitable books and internet access

Pupils might examine secondary sources such as reference books and the internet to
find out about the functions of parts of the plant. Using the grid in Table 2.3, they
should note the titles of books and websites they will examine and in each row identify
an aspect they are interested in. They should then examine each source, making notes
Literacy – non-
about the aspect chosen. Notes are made in the table so that after this period of chronological
writing
research pupils can write their own account combining a number of sources.

Table 2.3 Parts of plants

Book or website

Eyewitness BBC
Visual science
Dictionary: Find Out Growing clips:
Plants by D. about Plants Plants by growing
Plant part Brown www.tomatozone.co.uk by S. Pollock Peter Riley plants

Stem

Root

Flower

Leaf
 36 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 2.9

A ‘space capsule’ providing for the life processes of plants

Learning objective: Learn about the life processes of plants.

Resources required: potted plants, paper, pencils, and crayons

Recap with pupils the life processes of plants (movement, respiration, sensitivity,
nutrition, excretion, reproduction, growth) and ask them to design a space capsule
that will have placed within it all the things that plants would need if being taken to
another planet. Pupils might work on their own design; more challenging and inter-
active would be to have groups working together on A1 size sheets of paper.
Encourage creativity and detail in terms of what things would be on the space
craft and their appearance. You can allow windows for sunlight but this will weaken as
you fly away from the Sun. You might challenge them to explain how things will work
and where all the energy is going to come from. Other challenging points would relate
to the soil and air. They might realise that plants can make their own food, but that it
would be necessary, for example, to have animals on board to respire and provide
carbon dioxide.
Conclude the lesson with the news that this arc or spaceship exists and they have
been passengers all their lives, can they name Planet Earth? You might point out that
such a spaceship is probably far too expensive to build and that we don’t yet know of
Environment another planet worth going to, so we really should look after the one we have got!

Pupil investigation skills 2.10

Seeds germinating and seedling growth

Learning objectives: Learn from observation that seeds germinate and

that roots and shoots grow from the seed. Recognise growth as a life
process in plants (MRS NERG).
Resources required: egg boxes or plant pots, compost, seeds

This activity builds on the simpler one done previously in the Key Stage 1 section.
Observation of plants should include growing seeds in the classroom. Each pupil
can grow cress or other safe seedlings (any salad seeds, such as mung beans; for
advice, see ASE, 2001) in one-sixth of an egg box. Get them to grow a variety of
different seeds. Seeds will germinate on damp compost or cotton wool. This can be
done as part of a fair test but is also worth doing for pleasure and observation. Find
time for daily observations using hand lenses, measuring, and recording. Young
pupils can use non-standard measures such as cutting a strip of paper to the same
length as the height of the seedling. Alternatively, pupils might make life-sized models
of the seedlings from Plasticine.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 37

An introductory observation can include the observation of sprouting seeds

bought at a local supermarket. Larger bean seeds can be grown inside glass jars, or
more safely, in transparent, plastic cups. Plant the seed against the side so that its
germination and growth can be observed. Wrap the cup in opaque paper or card
when you are not observing. Pupils will be able to observe the emergence first of the
root and later the leaf shoot, and that the former always grows downwards and that the
latter always grows upwards.
The pupils could carry out an investigation into whether larger seeds grow larger
roots and shoots. They could compare cress, mung beans, peas, and beans. Ask them
to think about why a bigger seed might produce a larger-growing seedling. They may
work out that the larger seeds contain larger stores of food that the seedling needs,
before it starts to make enough of its own food by photosynthesising using its newly
grown leaves.

Figure 2.12 Bean seeds growing in a transparent jar

Watch web-based time-lapse films such as the following:

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/time-lapse/time-lapse.asp?pic=26
Extend this work by moving on to seed dispersal, perhaps using an interactive
whiteboard game, such as:
http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/plants_
pt2/dispersal.htm
38 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 2.11

Exploring the role of the leaf, root, stem, and flower

Learning objective: Learn about the functions of the leaf, root, stem and
flower of flowering plants.
Resources required: plant material, potted plants, magnifiers

If you take so-called weeds from the school garden or wild area, pupils will be able
observe a whole plant. An alternative is to take potted plants out of their pot for short
periods; the root ball can be left bare or put inside a see-through bag. This will allow
pupils to observe the roots and then to discuss their function. They might draw and
press plant parts to create a poster or class book. Try to find a range of different plants
for pupils to examine, so that they can recognise the similarities and differences
between leaves from different species, or roots from different species. Even stems
vary, although this is not often appreciated.
In addition to learning to recognise and name the major parts of plants, older
pupils should learn about the function or role of the parts in the life of a plant. Having
examined plants and their parts, pupils should be asked to discuss the functions of
these parts. Pupils might be asked to draw a cartoon or comic strip to articulate their
understanding of the role of plant parts. For example, the leaves can be seen as little
sugar factories, the stem as a motorway with water tankers, and the roots as pipes
sucking up water. The flowers are like huge, colourful advertising boards to draw the
insects in.
Discuss with them how plants carry out similar living processes to those of ani-
mals, and what differences there are (recap on MRS NERG).

Common misconception
‘Plant material comes from the soil’
It is a common misconception that most of the material in the tissues of a plant
comes from the soil via the roots. This is far from the truth, as most plant
material is made of carbon from carbon dioxide in the air. The idea that pupils
may have is that the plant is somehow ‘eating’ the soil, which would be eventually
used up. The misconception may arise because plants are made of solid stuff and
soil is made of solid stuff, and so in the pupils’ minds the two are related. They do
not see how gaseous carbon dioxide could become incorporated into the solid
plant structure. But it is. Plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis to make
glucose, which also contains carbon. These glucose molecules can be combined
by the plant to make cellulose. Green stems and the trunks of trees are both made
of cellulose. The main component of paper and card is also cellulose.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 39

Teacher demonstration 2.12

Demonstrating how the vessels carry water up the stem

Learning objective: To understand that the stem has a role in transporting

vital water around the plant.
Resources required: carnation flower, red or blue food colouring, bottle of
water

Mix some food colouring with the water, making a very concentrated mixture, the
darker the better. Place the carnation in the water and leave overnight. Pupils may be
surprised to see that the food colouring will even reach the petals, showing the water is
transported up the stem to all parts of the plant.
A similar demonstration can be done with a cut stick of celery left in food colour-
ing overnight. In this case, the colour cannot reach the tip of the plant, but if you cut
the stem into sections you will clearly see the vessels stained by the food colouring.

Pupil activity 2.13

Grouping and classifying plants

Learning objective: Learn to group leaves (or flowers) according to the

features we can observe.
Resources required: a set of potted plants or a set of plant materials,
leaves or flowers (otherwise pictures may be used to make the set bigger)

Ask the pupils to conduct observations of the plant material answering the following
questions: ‘What can we see? What shapes, colours, and textures can we observe?’
Now ask them to suggest ways to group the material; for example, green and non-
green leaves; hairy and non-hairy leaves; smooth edged and non-smooth edged leaves;
leaves of all green and leaves that are green with other colours. Now demonstrate how
questions can help us identify a plant. Pupils could use and construct simple keys as
illustrated in the activity in the Chapter 4, ‘Variation and Diversity’.
The observation of plants leads on to classification, initially into groups decided
by pupils. Don’t worry if you cannot identify a plant that you find, and even if you
know the name, you may hold back the information and ask the pupils to use a poster
or pocket guide. Pupils can construct descriptive names including their own ones just
as the early botanists did (e.g. Joel’s Yellow Spike Leaf).
40 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 2.14

Classifying plants – a moss plant I know

Learning objective: To recognise that plants can be classified and to know

some of the commonly occurring plants in local habitats.
Resources required: access to the school site

Ask pupils about different plants they know, explain that most of these are flowering
plants, and that this lesson is about these and the non-flowering plants. Introduce the
simple classification of the plant kingdom – that is, the flowering plants, the conifers,
ferns, mosses and liverworts. Ask them to suggest where we might find one of each,
ideally on the school site.
Use the internet or pocket guides to illustrate the different groups and explain
that they are going with you on a plant safari around the school site to identify, draw,
and/or photograph examples from as many groups as possible. There are a range of
common plants that grow on school sites. In grassy areas, daisies, buttercups, dan-
delions, and mosses can often be found. In flowerbeds you will often find daffodils
and roses. In unkempt areas or even through cracks in the pavement, you might
observe thistles, nettles, and docks.

Common misconception
‘I have found a plant Miss, this mushroom’
It is a very common error to assume that fungi are plants. They are not, they do
not photosynthesise, and the children will never see a green one.

Pupils should be introduced to the idea that plants can be organised into groups.
Several pocket guides to plants are organised in colour sections according to the
colour of the plant’s flower. The disadvantage here is that not all the plants will be
flowering when you observe them. Ideal for the identification of plants are the ‘Clue
Books’ published by Oxford University Press, which ask questions of the reader about
a plant. The book then guides the reader to other clues and thus ultimately to the
name of the plant. More ideas for observation, grouping and classifying along with
these identification keys are given in the Chapter 4, ‘Variation and Diversity’.
Pupils might make drawings, take rubbings, save media representations of
specimens (not from the wild), take photographs and construct diagrams, flow charts,
posters, audio commentaries, and multi-media presentations to illustrate plant group-
ings. They should learn sufficient scientific terms to describe plants and plant material
but also participate in more creative, descriptive speaking and writing about, for
example, the grandeur and power of trees.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 41

Pupil activity 2.15

Observing flowers

Learning objective: Learn to recognise the parts of a flower and their

arrangement.
Resources required: flowers, hand lenses, binocular microscope,
computer microscope or visualiser

This should begin in the earliest years, observing the general form and some detail of
colour, form, etc. Attention should be drawn to familiar flowers as well as less familiar
ones. Key words such as petal and stem should be used and attention should be drawn
to the beauty and diversity in the plant kingdom. After a check on the pupils’ sensitiv-
ity to pollen, ask them to observe the flowers looking for the parts of the flower in the
centre. Later use a poster to direct more observation so that everyone has observed
each of the parts concerned.
In the later primary years, it is necessary for pupils to become familiar with flower
structure and to be able to name and describe the function of the main parts of a
flower. The best way to do this is a combination of real plant material and high-
quality illustrations on posters, in books, and on the internet. For this you will need to
quickly survey the school site, perhaps collect potted plants or access a garden where
you have permission to collect flowers, or maybe a local florist will give you bruised
and slightly damaged flowers they would otherwise throw away. Good flowers for this
are roses, buttercups, daffodils, tulips and lilies, in fact any open flower of reasonable
size where the main parts can be seen.
Smaller flowers are useful as they can reveal detail under magnification – this can
lead to a ‘wow!’ from pupils. Very useful observations can be made using an electronic
microscope or visualiser connected to a projector. That way you can be sure that all
members of the class can see a high-quality picture of plant specimens magnified ×10
or more.

Observe time-lapse photography of flowers opening at:

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/time-lapse/time-lapse.asp?pic=28

Common misconception
‘All flowers look the same’
Flowers illustrated in this and other books often resemble a buttercup or other
common flower. There is enormous variety in the plant world. We often use par-
ticular plants in the classroom because they illustrate our teaching objectives well.
Pupils may enjoy doing research to find unusual looking flowers on the internet.
 42 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 2.16

Making 3D models of a flower

Learning objectives: Learn to recognise and name the internal parts of a

flower. Recognise that reproduction is a life process.
Resources required: coloured paper and card, pipe cleaners, Plasticine

A very powerful way to learn about the structure of a flower is to model one in
Plasticine. Modelling in card and coloured paper is another alternative, as are pipe
cleaners and materials from a fabric box. These models require time to construct but
can assist in making the science memorable. They force the children to pay attention
to the individual parts, and think about what they are for. Pupils may suggest making
the different parts with different colours of Plasticine to emphasise the differences,
or to go for a more natural look and copy the colours that occur in nature (e.g. brightly
coloured petals, contrasting stamens, etc.). Photographs of real plants as well as
idealised drawings from books will help.
Alternatively, fabric plants and flowers with detachable plant parts and labels can
be purchased from educational suppliers. A very useful extension activity is to ask
pupils to prepare a talk for younger pupils based on their own models or a bought
example.
English

Common misconception
‘Flowers look nice, for us’
Plants produce flowers to pass on genetic material – that is, to make seeds and
thus more plants. Our appreciation of them is very subjective. For example, the
flowers of the common privet are not sold by florists because they judge people
would not buy them. Flowers have evolved to attract insects, not humans. How-
ever, humans have selectively bred many plants so that they do look attractive to
us, often making them bigger, brighter, and more colourful than their wild
relations.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 43

Pupil activity 2.17

Role-play flower, pollination, and fertilisation

Learning objective: Learn the function of the parts of a flower in

pollination and fertilisation.
Resources required: none

Ask the pupils to demonstrate flower structure physically. Have one child stand erect
representing the stigma, with four or six others around him or her, with one arm
stretched up, representing the stamen. Around them kneeling with elbows out will be a
further four or six pupils as petals. Now ask the class about the function of each.
You might mention that often nectar is available for the insects at the base of the
stigma. This means that the insect has to push against all the central parts of the flower
to get to the nectar. You might set up another ‘flower’ nearby. Ask the pupils where it
will get pollen from. Stress that while some flowers can get pollen from themselves, it is
better to get it from another flower. Finally, ask another pupil to play the role of an
insect – a moth or a bee. From time to time stop the bee and ask others to explain what
the bee is doing and how this is helping both bee and plant. Can the pupils think of
ways to further improve this activity, perhaps adding something to represent pollen?

Common misconceptions
‘Bees go to flowers to pollinate them, don’t they?’
Children will often talk about the role of the bee as if its purpose in visiting the
plant is to pollinate it. The insect visiting the plant is searching for nectar, a
sugar which the insect needs as food. Its role in pollination is accidental as far as
the insect is concerned, it is unaware of it. The plant has been shaped by evolu-
tion to be attractive to the insect, to signal by sight and smell that this is a nectar
source. To the bee it is free food, to the plant it is an exchange deal! The role-
play above will help pupils to understand this.

‘Bees fertilise flowers’

Many adults and children confuse pollination and fertilisation. This may be
because they sound similar but is more likely to result from a lack of understand-
ing of the reproductive process. Pollination is about genetic material (pollen)
arriving at a flower from another plant; fertilisation is the fusing of the male and
female genetic material. Flying insects are responsible for pollination in some
species of plants. This is best taught through visual and practical illustration
with very clear use of the new language by pupils and teacher.
44 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 2.18

Researching plants using secondary material

Learning objective: Learn about the variety of plant life.

Resources required: a selection of children’s biology books and/or
internet access

In addition to handling plants and plant material, there is much to learn about plants
in field guides, children’s books of biology, and from the internet. It may help to
research specific questions. With the class, try generating ten investigable questions,
such as:

• Do plants live in lakes?

• Is coral a plant?
• What is the biggest plant in the world?
• What is the smallest plant in the world?
• What is the oldest plant in the world?
• Where is the oldest tree in Britain?
• What were the first plants on the planet like?
• What is the most widespread group of plants?

Remember that internet search engines like Google often respond well to questions
such as the above typed into them. As well as questions about the biggest, strongest,
most long-lived, etc., try to encourage ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions, including:

• How do plants in hot deserts survive without much water?

• Why do insects visit flowers?
• Why does the Venus flytrap trap insects?
• How can plants survive the cold in Arctic regions?
• Why don’t trees in Britain grow in the winter?

These will lead you and the pupils to seek explanations. You may go way beyond the
requirements of the National Curriculum (DfEE/QCA, 1999) here, but you may
realise an even greater objective if you manage to give the pupil a lifelong interest in
the natural world!
Some of the pupils’ questions may have the potential to be investigated, for
example ‘Do plants turn to face the sun?’ These pupil questions should be considered
very seriously, perhaps to replace or complement planned investigations to follow.
Pupil-initiated investigations often have more power as they have come from the
children. However, their questions sometimes need to be reframed to make them
investigable.
 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 45

Questions that could be addressed include:

• Do some plants open and close their petals during the day and at night? What
about during the day when the light is low? (Daisies, buttercups and celandine
may be found on the school premises and show responses to light.)
• Will a potted plant turn its leaves towards the light? This is very easy to set up and
answer over a period of days. Pupils might take photographs each day (from
exactly the same place, as movement can be subtle). Note that potted supermarket
herbs, such as basil, do this.

The following investigations would illustrate the life processes of ‘sensitivity’ and
‘movement’ in plants (MRS NERG):

Pupil discussion 2.19

How can we investigate the best conditions for plant growth?

Learning objective: To recognise that growth is one of the life processes in

plants, and it can be influenced.
Resources required: seeds, containers, compost

This remains a focus of interest for research scientists who, for example, hope to find
plants that will provide food in areas of low rainfall. After some discussion of the
pupils’ understanding of the needs of plants, you should ask the pupils to devise a fair
test to show the real effects of different conditions on plants. Investigations of light
intensity, warmth, moisture, and soil are conducted most commonly in primary
classrooms.
These tests can be conducted on seeds to determine the effects on germination,
on seedlings, and on more mature plants. Seeds and seedlings are often used because
they are available, cheap, and plentiful. Seeds are often preferred because they do not
require transplanting. Pupils transplanting seedlings can kill a high proportion
through rough handling. A seedling should be lifted by its seed (first) leaves; no other
part should be touched, as the stem is easily squashed. Make sure the pupils under-
stand the difference between a seed and seedling (the latter being the young, just
sprouted plant). Stress to them that although seeds do not need light to germinate,
once a seedling starts to grow it will need light.
One problem with such experiments is that they require days or even weeks to be
completed, so that lessons have to be planned to allow time for setting up the experi-
ments, measuring the plants (perhaps at a given time each day), and dealing with the
results and conclusions.
Pupils can investigate the conditions that suit plants. As plants need warmth,
light, water, and nutrients, all can be investigated to explore the effects of different
conditions. The three investigations that follow enable pupils to develop their investi-
gative skills by, for example, asking them to concentrate on predicting/planning in
 46 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

one, recording/measuring in a second, and displaying results in graphic form in a

third.
After they have carried out their investigations, you might ask pupils to reflect on
the question, ‘Is what plants need different from what animals need to grow?’

Pupil investigation skills 2.20

Growth conditions – light

Learning objectives: To investigate the light conditions required for

healthy plant growth. Learn that plants make their own food using energy
from light – the life process of ‘nutrition’ (MRS NERG).
Resources required: pots, compost, seedlings, boxes, light meter

A classic experiment is to investigate the effects of light intensity on plants. Plants can
be grown in different intensities of light. This can be done simply in a qualitative way
by growing one plant in the dark, another in normal light, and a third in shaded
conditions. This can be achieved in shoe boxes with different sized windows cut into
the sides and lid. Time can be measured by young pupils in terms of the days the
plants are grown in this way.

Figure 2.13 Five plants grown in different light conditions

If you have a light meter or data logger, you might create environments for the
plants that are identical except for the available light.
ICT

Figure 2.14 Hand-held data logger

 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 47

Pupil investigation skills 2.21

Growth conditions – water

Learning objective: To investigate the effect of water on healthy plant

growth.
Resources required: containers, seeds or seedlings, syringe to measure
water, cotton wool or tissue paper

Seedlings can be grown from seeds in a range of containers in an identical medium

such as cotton wool or tissue paper soaked with different amounts of water, perhaps
0–50 ml per day or every 2–3 days. The containers might be placed in plastic bags to
control evaporation. Ask the pupils what might happen if the seedlings get too much
water (they can rot, or get a condition that makes them all fall over and die called
‘damping off’). Ask them what will happen if the plants get too little. Stress that this is
the kind of test scientists do, so they know just the right amount of water a plant might
need.
In an emergency, if your seeds fail, you can buy bags of germinating or sprouting
seeds from many supermarkets.

Pupil investigation skills 2.22

Growth conditions – temperature

Learning objective: To investigate the effect of temperature on healthy

plant growth.
Resources required: containers, seeds (to sprout) or seedlings, syringe to
measure water, cotton wool or tissue paper, cool and warm environments

To investigate how warmth affects seeds or seedling, compare some grown indoors
with some grown outdoors. Ask the children to predict which will grow the best. The
indoors ones should certainly be warmer and grow more. An extension activity would
be to grow some outdoors in a propagator and some indoors in a propagator. A
propagator is simply a seed tray with a clear plastic lid, which acts like a mini green-
house. The clear lid is able to trap the heat from the Sun inside it effectively, raising
the temperature of the air inside. It also stops the seedlings from getting a draught,
which would reduce the temperature. Can the pupils predict which of the following
will be best and worst places for the potted seedlings to grow: (1) indoors on a
windowsill, (2) indoors on a windowsill in a propagator, (3) outdoors, and (4) out-
doors in a propagator?
48 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 2.23

Growth conditions – soil

Learning objective: To investigate the effect of soil conditions on healthy

plant growth.
Resources required: containers, seeds (to sprout) or seedlings, syringe to
measure water, growing mediums such as cotton wool, tissue paper, sandy
soil, clay soil, sand, gravel, compost

Here the pupils control all the variables but vary the soil or medium in which the
plants are grown. Ask them to discuss the relative merits of cotton wool versus soil,
compost versus sand, etc. They may know that plant compost from the garden centre
contains lots of things added to help plants grow, while sand contains virtually noth-
ing. Ask them if they see a lot of plants growing on a beach. Is plant compost better
than soil, and if it is should we fill our gardens with it?
Stress that it is the growing plant (seedling) that you are interested in, as seeds will
sprout on virtually any wet medium and so are not the object of this investigation.
Pupils often find it confusing to see seeds and very young seedlings growing quite
happily without soil. Remind them that soil is needed to provide nutrients for healthy
growth, once all those in the seed have been used up. Nutrients are needed by plants
like we need vitamins and minerals.
Remember that the objective is for the pupils to plan and carry out the investiga-
tion themselves. You will, as teacher, need to be sensitive to past achievement and the
need to challenge them to work more independently in groups and alone.

Summary of key learning points:

• the structure of the plant kingdom;

• the names and functions of the main parts of flowering plants;

• the parts of a flower;

• the life cycle of flowering plants;

• basic life processes of plants, including the word equation for

photosynthesis;

• that tissues and organs of a multi-cellular organism carry out specialised

functions;

• that most organisms are made up of cells and almost all cells have a
nucleus which controls their activities;

• that the health of an organism can be affected by a range of factors.

 LIFE PROCESSES – PLANTS 49

Self-test
Question 1
Green plants (a) respire at night only, (b) use energy from the Sun to produce food,
(c) carry out some of the life processes seen in animals, (d) do not move

Question 2
Plant tissues (a) perform specialised functions, (b) require nutrients from the soil, (c)
are all green, (d) can photosynthesise if they contain chlorophyll

Question 3
Healthy plants (a) can suffer without essential nutrients, (b) require water and light
to photosynthesise, (c) can be killed by vertebrate action, (d) require space, air, and
warmth

Question 4
Flowers (a) are pollinated by many flying insects, (b) are fertilised before pollination,
(c) can be pollinated more than once, (d) cannot self-fertilise

Self-test answers
Q1: (b) and (c) are correct; (a) is wrong since plants respire during the day and night;
and (d) is wrong, though movement in plants is limited and quite different to
movement in animals.
Q2: (a), (b), and (d) are correct; (c) is wrong, since not all plant tissues are green;
root tissue is never green, as it does not contain chlorophyll.
Q3: All of these statements are correct. Vertebrates cause damage when they eat
plants or by excreting waste products that can build up to toxic quantities. It should
be added that invertebrates have the potential to cause plants a great deal of harm,
for example by eating the plant or growing on or in the plant tissue.
Q4: (a) and (c) are correct; (b) is wrong because fertilisation follows pollination; and
(d) is wrong because many plants can self-fertilise, although this tends to be a last-
ditch emergency measure if normal pollination and fertilisation has not occurred.

Misconceptions
‘It’s just a plant’
‘Plant material comes from the soil’
‘I found a plant Miss, this mushroom’
‘All flowers look the same’
‘Flowers look nice for us’
50 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

‘Bees go to flowers to pollinate them don’t they?’

‘Bees fertilise flowers’

Webliography
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages_intros_indexes/english_index.htm
(index of wild flowers)

http://users.pipeline.com.au/~jpearce/Plant_Default.htm
(information and illustrations)

http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/earlygrowth/photomorph/
photomorph.html
(video of plants responding to light)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/plants_grow_fs.shtml
(science games and simulations)

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/time-lapse/time-lapse.asp?pic=26
(time-lapse video of germination)

http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/plants_pt2/
dispersal.htm
(seed dispersal simulation)
3
Life processes – animals

About this chapter

This chapter deals with the science you need to know and understand about
life processes in animals. It contains aspects about the Animal Kingdom and
provides a focus on human biology, including the main parts of the human
body, conditions for life, animal cells, and the basic life processes. It will
inform you about the functioning of the major organs and organ systems in the
body. Several references are made to health, how to look after different parts
of the human body, and major causes of harm such as drugs. The second part
of the chapter refers to what the pupils need to learn. This section is followed
by one that suggests effective ways to teach life processes in animals, includ-
ing examples of common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Resources required: a mirror

Since primary aged pupils are required to learn principally about human biology,
it will be our focus here. This therefore means that your teaching of human biology
will be able to contribute to Personal, Social, and Health Education
(www.teachernet.gov.uk/pshe/) as well as important aspects of the Every Child
Matters agenda (www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ete/), such as keeping healthy.
 52 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

What is an animal?
Animals do not photosynthesise; for nutrition they eat other living things. They usu-
ally move freely, have bodies made of many cells, and reproduce sexually. They
include large organisms such as the blue whale and smaller ones invisible to our eyes
(e.g. dust mites). The Animal Kingdom is divided into groups or phyla, which
includes all the animals with backbones (vertebrates) and those without backbones
(invertebrates).

Variation and
diversity

Figure 3.1 The main groups within the Animal Kingdom

Some of the above words are familiar to us, others need some explanation and ex-
amples often help: annelids are types of worms, echinoderms include starfish and sea
urchins, arachnids include spiders, crustaceans include woodlice, molluscs include
snails, cnidarians include jellyfish. Animals are adapted to their environment in all sorts
of ways: a stick insect’s body and movement are adapted so that it will blend in with
twigs and branches on a tree; tortoises on some Galapagos Islands have shells shaped
like a riding saddle, which allows their neck to reach up higher on bushes for the leaves
they eat. Let us now look at some of the detail of how the bodies of animals work.

Conditions required for life

The life processes for animals can be remembered by the mnemonic MRS NERG:
movement, reproduction, sensitivity, nutrition, excretion, respiration, and growth.
Animals require similar conditions to those required by plants:

• food – animals cannot photosynthesise and so must eat plants or other animals;
• air – to breathe;
• water – to drink;
• warmth – animals can only survive at certain temperatures (warm-blooded
animals require greater quantities of food than cold-blooded animals, which is
used to keep their internal body temperature constant);
• light – in humans vitamin D is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight, and
this is one of the main sources of it;
• shelter – animals require shelter to rest, avoid predators, breed, and raise young.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 53

Animals are often physically adapted as a result of natural selection to live in

particular habitats; for example, the Arctic fox lives where other foxes could not live
because it has extremely thick fur. Animals can also adapt their behaviour to suit
different environments; for example penguins in South Africa spread their flippers to
lose heat, whereas those in Antarctica huddle together to keep warm.

Animal cells
Animal cells form the various tissues such as nerve, heart, and muscle. As a primary
teacher you need to be able to distinguish between animal and plant cells. Animal cells
are different to plant cells, which have chloroplasts, cell vacuoles, and cell walls. Each
animal cell includes the main constituents illustrated in Figure 3.2. The form and
detail of cells of the body vary, as they are specialised within body tissues that perform
different functions, including muscle, lung, and brain tissues.

Figure 3.2 An animal cell

Growth and the human life cycle

The life cycles of different animals vary: some are born live, others as eggs, some have
dormant periods, others undergo metamorphosis (butterfly, frog), and some spend
part of their life cycle inside another animal (such as parasitic worms). The human
life cycle below is very familiar. From birth until late adolescence, rapid growth is
stimulated by growth hormones released by glands in the body. Healthy growth
requires energy and that an individual eats a balanced diet. Towards the end of life
some cells die, only a proportion of which are repaired or replaced; at this stage there
is no growth.
Primary pupils are not taught about sexual reproduction in primary school
science. In science, we teach about the human life cycle and changes that occur at the
54 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 3.3 Life cycles

different stages. Thus it overlaps greatly with Personal, Social, and Health Education
(PSHE). You may be asked to teach aspects of the PSHE programme that deal with,
for example, changes that occur in the bodies of boys and girls as they approach the
teenage years. For girls, this includes mention of the menstrual cycle. This part of the
curriculum is often taught by a visiting nurse. As sex education is a sensitive subject
for some parents, they are often consulted in a meeting immediately before the period
of teaching.
Sexual reproduction occurs when sexually mature adults have sexual intercourse,
coinciding with the female’s monthly ovulation or production of a fertile egg. Fertil-
isation occurs when the male and female gametes, the egg and the sperm (each
containing half of the required genetic material), fuse. The resulting zygote, initially a
single cell, multiplies into a bundle of cells that continue to grow into an embryo and
later a foetus. Non-identical twins result when the female produces two separate
fertile eggs at the same time and these are fertilised separately by two different sperm.
Thus the two individuals have quite different genetic material. Identical twins result
from the fertilisation of one fertile egg and the resulting cell or bundle of cells splitting
and separating to form two genetically identical individuals.

Movement and the human skeleton

Humans like many other animals have an internal skeleton that grows as we grow.
Some animals such as insects have an external skeleton (exoskeleton) that does not
grow. This means that as they grow they have to periodically shed the skeleton and
form a new one.
The functions of our skeleton are threefold. First, to provide support and shape
to our body; second, to allow movement through the skeleton’s joints, and third, to
protect our internal organs (for example, the skull protects the brain). Our skeleton is
an organ made of living tissue, and has a blood supply as well as nerves. You should
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 55

Figure 3.4 The human skeleton

know the name and location of major bones in Figure 3.4, as well as how the different
joints move and about how to care for bones.
The joints of the human body move in different ways; some move in one plane,
such as your knee joint, whereas others move in numerous planes, such as your
ankle, hip, shoulder and neck joints. Take a minute or two to examine your joints.
Very slowly (take care) turn your head from side to side and slowly look up at the
ceiling and back down at this text. Muscles all over your chest and back have pulled
and relaxed in a coordinated way to move your skull, resting as it does on top of your
backbone. Now put your elbow on the desk and slowly raise your hand. As it rises
your biceps muscles in your upper arm are contracting (and pulling) while your
triceps behind your upper arm are relaxing. Now lower your hand and the muscles
so that the biceps relax and the triceps contract. The muscles act in opposition,
relaxing and contracting. Repeat this and feel the contraction and relaxation with
your other hand. Your knee joint is similar, allowing movement in one plane only.
Your hip joint, a ball and socket joint, can be observed if you stand up, steady
56 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

yourself by holding on to a solid object, and carefully lift one foot and move that leg
first slightly forward, then slightly back, then outwards and back. Are muscles
pulling and relaxing? Several sets of muscles are involved here as the movement is
complex. It involves several muscle sets in your lower back, buttocks, and leg. You
can probably feel them moving a little. There is not time here to examine all your
muscles but try turning the palm of your hand up to the ceiling and as you wriggle
your fingers can you see movement in your lower arm? This is because the muscles
that move your fingers are in your lower arm and connected to your finger bones by
tendons. Tendons are strong non-muscular fibrous strands that transfer the move-
ment of your muscles to the bones. Each joint is lubricated by synovial fluid to avoid
bones rubbing and grinding on one another. The joint is surrounded by strong
fibrous tissue that protects the joint and holds it together; these components are
illustrated in Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5 Structure of the human knee joint

All movement in your body results from the movement of muscles. These
include heart muscle, muscle attached to bones, and smooth muscle, which creates
movement of internal organs such as your intestine through which food is gently
squeezed.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 57

Circulation of the blood

Figure 3.6 The human heart

The circulatory system is rather like a figure of eight. The heart is composed of two
sets of chambers for pumping blood first to the lungs (pulmonary circuit) and on its
return pumping blood to the whole body (systemic circuit).

Figure 3.7 The circulatory system modelled as a figure of eight

58 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

The four chambers of the heart act as two pairs with the right atrium and right
ventricle receiving blood from the whole body and pumping it to the lungs. Here the
blood picks up oxygen and disposes of carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then
returns to the heart and is pumped by the left atrium and left ventricle around the
body. The aorta (artery) transports blood from the heart to the whole body where it
divides and the resulting blood vessels subdivide repeatedly to the point they become
very fine capillaries. Here they are in close proximity to the cells that make up the
body tissue. The blood arriving in the capillaries provides cells with oxygen and sugars
as well as taking away carbon dioxide and other waste materials. The blood, now
deoxygenated, returns to the heart via the veins from where it is pumped back to the
lungs to start the cycle again. Backflow of blood is prevented by small valves in the
blood vessels and by the constant beating of the heart.
People are often confused that blood vessels seen in the skin look blue or grey
rather than the red they expect. In fact, the blue/grey colour is seen because we are
seeing the tissue of the blood vessels rather than the blood. Blood is bright red when it
leaves the lungs and darker red as it returns to the lungs. On diagrams it is marked red
when oxygenated and blue when it is deoxygenated.

Look at an internet simulation, for example:

http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/pharm/hyper_heart1.html
Pause the heart to observe movement and watch the bright red blood from the
lungs flow through the heart to the body.

Figure 3.8 Components of human blood

 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 59

Blood is made up of different components. The main liquid component is called

plasma. Red blood cells carry oxygen; these are very numerous and give blood its
colour. White blood cells are less numerous but have an important role attacking and
destroying invading bacteria. The last component to mention here are platelets, which
are responsible for clotting the blood when wounds occur (without which most of us
would have bled to death by now).

Breathing
There are two things you need to know about mammalian lungs. First, they have air
going in and out constantly and, second, blood is constantly flowing through them.
Inside the lungs the air and blood are brought into close proximity so that gases can be
exchanged (gaseous exchange).

Figure 3.9 Gaseous exchange in mammalian lungs

 60 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Blood flowing to the lungs (often coloured blue in diagrams) is laden with carbon
dioxide (CO2) and low in oxygen (O2). The blood vessels branch down to fine capil-
laries and come into contact with the alveoli (small air sacs). Here O2 enters the blood
and CO2 leaves the bloodstream and is exhaled. The blood becomes oxygenated and
returns to the heart.
Lung tissue appears spongy as it contains no skeleton or muscles, so how you
might ask do the lungs constantly move to inflate and deflate? When we breathe in it
appears that the air going in is inflating the lungs, rather like a balloon when we blow it
up. The truth is that air is sucked in, the question is how?
The lungs fill most of the cavity created by the rib cage, which is a sealed unit. You
can feel your ribs but not so easily the muscle between them. This muscle is able to
expand the rib cage, pushing the ribs apart and increasing the volume inside the rib
cage. Put your hands on your chest as you breathe in, can you feel the expansion? As
the lungs are attached to the rib cage, this increases their internal volume and lowers
the air pressure inside the lungs (see Figure 3.10). In addition, the base of the chest

Figure 3.10 Expansion and contraction of the chest cavity in breathing

cavity is a sheet of muscular tissue known as the diaphragm. This also moves down-
wards, further increasing the volume of the chest cavity. As long as the airway is open,
air will now rush in for a breath. Almost immediately the muscles of the rib cage
contract, reducing the volume of the chest cavity and thus the lungs push the air out
again. This constant inflow and exhaling provides a constantly changing supply of air.
Your lungs are important to you and so caring for them is essential; regular
Health exercise is required (avoiding over-exertion) to keep them functioning well, as is the
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 61

avoidance of dusty or smoky environments or environments containing dangerous

gases. Smokers inhale a noxious mix of harmful gases and chemicals, which, even over
a short period, adversely affect the efficiency of their lungs. Smoking over a short or a
longer period can lead to diseases that adversely affect the individual’s health and
contribute to the death of a large amount of smokers.

Respiration
It is important to grasp the distinction between breathing and respiration. Breathing
is largely a mechanical process of moving gases in and out of the body. Cellular
respiration is principally a chemical process that produces energy for the cells and
thus the body to use (this also occurs in plant cells).
Oxygen is transported through blood vessels of smaller and smaller diameter, Energy

until they become fine capillaries, in which it is in close proximity to living cells.
Oxygen passes into the cells and carbon dioxide passes out into the bloodstream.
Within each cell the oxygen is used in cellular respiration to release energy from
sugars and the waste products are water and carbon dioxide.

glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water and energy

Sensitivity
This section deals with the different ways in which your body is sensitive to, and can
then react to, your environment.

Structure and function of the ear

Compressions of air or sound waves enter the ear canal and hit the ear drum, which
vibrates as a result. This vibration is passed to the small bones in the middle ear,
which pass the vibrations onto the oval window of the cochlea. Inside the cochlea the
sound travels as vibrations through a liquid to the auditory nerve and then on to the
brain.
A sense of balance is achieved by the semicircular canals in the inner ear, which
are filled with fluid. If you move your head with your eyes closed or in a dark room Sound

you should be able to feel your head moving. Tiny hairs in the canals sense the
movement of the fluid and signal via nerves to the brain that movement has occurred,
side to side, forward and backward, and up and down! When you spin around repeat-
edly, the fluid starts to move and continues to move for a while after you stop. Hence
when you stop spinning, you feel as if you are still moving (if you try this, do so with
great care).
Our two ears provide a stereo effect which we experience as a car drives past.
Even with our eyes shut we are aware of the movement as the sound of the car travels
from one side of our head to another. Those who suffer deafness in one ear are unable
to perceive this ‘depth’ to sound.
 62 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 3.11 Sound waves are compressions in the air

Sound is caused by materials vibrating and is passed through the air by tiny
compressions of air molecules. When we hear sound we are responding to the tiny
compressions of air that spread out in all directions from an object vibrating in air.

For further explanation and simple graphics, try:

http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/Class/sound/u11l1c.html

Structure and function of the eye

When you look into someone’s eyes, you are looking into a hole! Use a mirror to
examine your own eye. The pupil is a hole and so it appears black because almost no
light is reflected out of the eye as the retina absorbs it all, converting the information
Light into nerve impulses, which then travel to the brain along the optic nerve. You will
notice the iris as the coloured ring around the pupil. The iris is muscular so that it can
vary the size of the pupil ‘hole’ according to the brightness of the environment. The
white of the eye is the sclera, which is the strong fibrous outer coating of the eye. You
don’t notice the cornea, which refracts light onto the lens as it enters the eye, or the
Light & lenses lens, which also refracts the light focusing the light onto the retina. The muscles
surrounding the lens change its shape so that it will focus light from objects at differ-
ent distances from the eye. Also transparent is the conjunctiva, which is protective.
People suffering conjunctivitis have an infection of the conjunctiva. The pink spot of
tissue on the nose side of each eye is the tear duct and is responsible for keeping the
surface of the eye moist. Its other function is to help signal emotions in the form of
tears.
Our two eyes give us a perception of depth so that we can ‘see’ how far things are
away from us. This helps us when using our hands to manipulate small objects. We see
in colour; this gives us an advantage when, for example, selecting food, as we can spot
a fruit that is slightly ‘off colour’. In shades of grey the rotten food might not be so
obvious.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 63

Taste
Our sense of taste comes principally from nerve receptors (taste buds) in our tongue.
Different parts of the tongue are sensitive to different chemicals in food, which we
perceive as the tastes of salt, sweet, bitter, and sour. Try tiny amounts of sweet and salt
on different parts of your tongue. Tongues evolved to help us detect foodstuffs that
would help us survive, sugar and salt not being freely available in large amounts in the
natural world. The other main survival purpose is to allow us to identify foods that
might be hazardous, such as bad food or a poison. Toxic plants often have a bitter
taste. Several plants and animals have evolved to defend their bodies by including
deadly toxins in their body tissue, such as deadly nightshade, deathcap fungi, and
several tropical tree frogs.

Figure 3.12 The taste areas on the human tongue

Touch
Your skin has touch receptors that react to pressure and heat. This allows you to
handle objects and to feel surfaces and degrees of heat. Some parts of the body have
many touch receptors (fingertips) and others less.

The nervous system

This is a network of specialised nerve cells (neurons). It includes the central nervous
system (CNS), comprising your brain and spinal cord. Messages are sent and
received very quickly. Nerve cells known as receptors receive information about the
environment (including that inside the body); your CNS then sends messages to
muscles and glands to initiate a reaction. Other cells, known as effectors, link to
muscles that move part of your body in response to electrical messages, or to glands
that release hormones into the bloodstream. The response of nerve signals to the
64 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

effectors can be involuntary, such as those controlling movement of food through the
digestive system; or the reaction can be voluntary, involving the brain in making a
decision, for example to flee in the case of danger to life.

The endocrine system

The endocrine system controls several aspects of the body’s functions. This system of
chemical messages is slower but the effects tend to last longer. Glands release hor-
mones into the bloodstream that can affect more than one organ in the body. Most
people have heard of adrenaline, which is released at times of threat or excitement.
Adrenaline prepares the body for so-called ‘fight or flight’ by speeding up the heart
and the breathing rate. Another example is the sex hormones of oestrogen (female)
and testosterone (male), which initiate the onset of the secondary sex characteristics
(hair growth, muscle development, development of breasts) at puberty and regulate
the production of sex cells (sperm in males and eggs in females) as well as the
menstrual cycle in females.

Nutrition
Structure and function of teeth
The teeth and mouth act as the first step in the way our bodies deal with food.
The front eight incisors can nip and cut pieces of food (bites from an apple),
whereas the four canines provide a more powerful cutting and gripping action.

Figure 3.13 Adult teeth

 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 65

The eight premolars and twelve molars chew food into much smaller pieces, thus
increasing the surface area of the food. This allows digestive juices to be much
more effective.
Pupils will know about ‘first’ or ‘milk’ teeth, which are lost and are replaced by the
set of 32 ‘adult’ teeth. Each tooth has an outer enamel that is hard and brittle (the
hardest material in your body). This is supported by the bone-like dentine within
which is the spongy pulp, which carries the blood supply to the tooth and the nerve
endings.

Figure 3.14 A human tooth

Tooth decay occurs when a diet containing too much sugar leads to growth of
dental plaque, a sticky film that accumulates on the teeth from food debris and bac-
teria. The bacteria themselves cause little problem; it is their excreted waste materials
that are acidic and which destroy tooth enamel. For healthy teeth, food and drink that
is high in sugar should be avoided, good dental hygiene should be followed, and
regular check-ups at the dentist booked up.

Human digestive system

This begins in the mouth with the mastication (chewing) of the food by the teeth. As
this occurs, saliva is mixed with the food and special chemicals in the saliva known as
enzymes begin to break up the food. When the food is physically broken into swallow-
able portions, it is pushed down the oesophagus by muscles that act in a wave to
squeeze the food down to the stomach.
66 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 3.15 The digestive system

In the stomach, the food is churned by muscles so that gastric juices are mixed
well with it. A ring of muscle around the exit to the stomach holds it there until it is
released into the small intestine where the digestible foods, including sugars, are
absorbed into the bloodstream. From the small intestine, food moves to the large
intestine, where water is absorbed into the bloodstream from the undigested food.

Table 3.1 Summary of food types and contribution to life processes

Type of food Example Broken down to Examples of use

Carbohydrate bread, potatoes, rice sugars, e.g. energy in cellular respiration

glucose
Proteins meat, milk, beans amino acids to make new protein for growth
Fats and lipids butter, margarine, glycerol and fatty storing energy, insulation
nuts, fish oil acids
Vitamins vegetables, fruit, liver not broken down support growth, healing and repair
Minerals salt, milk, cheese not broken down assist nerves and muscles, bones,
teeth, and red blood cells
Water drinks and food not broken down prevents dehydration
Fibre fresh fruit and largely keeps the digestive system healthy
vegetables unchanged and helps movement of bowels
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 67

Egestion
The food minus the elements that have been digested finally arrives in the rectum
where muscles form it into stools or faeces. Faeces are composed of the materials that
could never be absorbed (e.g. plant matter such as cellulose). It is stored until you go
to the toilet, when strong muscular contractions push the faeces out.

Excretion
The body excretes carbon dioxide and water vapour in exhalation from the lungs,
water and salts in sweat and urea, produced in the liver, via the urine.

Keeping healthy
As a teacher you should know about the principles and science behind healthy living,
including diet, exercise, rest, and avoidance of harmful habits or factors. As a teacher
you will be in a very powerful position to give positive messages. Do remember that
your pupils need to learn these things but that they do not buy the food in their home
and may themselves be worried about the health of parents who smoke.
Personal social and
health education

Diet
It is important to realise that our digestive system evolved in the distant past when
humans had (as some humans do now) less reliable food sources. In our modern
world, we can suffer as individuals from overabundance. We often opt for foods that
are high in salt, sugars, and saturated fats (which would be rare in most ancient
human habitats and so we have evolved to find them highly desirable), avoiding the
essential green and whole foods. While fads and diets come and go, there are basic
principles to live and eat by that we can pass on to pupils.

Ten top tips for healthy eating

Food is important and fun
Food rules apply in some religions and cultures and to some individuals
Basic food hygiene rules must be learned and followed
Beware of faddy diets
Only accept food from reliable sources
It is good to try new safe foods
Avoid excessive salt, sugar, and saturated fat
Ensure that you eat several portions of fruit and vegetables each day
(5 a day campaign)
If you eat meat, eat a mix of protein each week (e.g. red meat, chicken,
fish, cheese) and avoid excess
Sugary foods and drinks are OK only as a treat
68 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

These principles do not cover all foods, but provide guidance for adults and children.
Healthy balanced diets tend to lead to healthy, more active individuals. A useful visual
guide is provided by the healthy eating pyramid in Figure 3.16.

Figure 3.16 The healthy eating pyramid

The food pyramid gives a useful visual representation of the proportions of different
food that make up a healthy diet.

Sunlight
Sunlight can harm the eyes if a person looks, even for a second, directly at the
Sun. Over-exposure to sunlight can also damage the skin in both the short and
long term. We have all seen redness and even blistered skin on those who have been
over-exposed to radiation from the Sun. In the longer term, sunlight can cause skin
cancer. Pupils should learn to cover up, avoid the strongest midday sunlight, and use
high-factor sun creams.

Drugs
Pupils should learn that drugs can harm you but that some are medicines that can
make you better if taken in the correct dosage. You will need to explain that medicines
should be obtained from a qualified professional employed in a recognised and
accountable setting (e.g. a doctor, a dentist, a nurse, a pharmacist). Children should
only take medicines under the supervision of a parent or carer and never from a
stranger or someone they do not trust.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 69

Exercise
Exercise is important for all but ill human beings. This may include walking each day
and at least weekly sessions of exercises, such as jogging, cycling, running or dancing.
Exercise can be cardiovascular – that is, active enough to raise your heart rate. Exer-
cise can also focus on suppleness and on stress release. Also important is avoidance of
long periods (other than sleep) of complete inactivity and of course over-exertion.
Children should be involved in around one hour of physical activity every day.
Schools often provide two hours of physical activity each week as part of the
curriculum (e.g. games, gymnastics, dance, swimming).

Mental health and rest

The mental health of young people is not always regarded as an issue that teachers
should consider. One’s mental state influences and is influenced by other aspects of
our health. It is important for young people to feel loved, valued, and cared for and for
them to learn to provide these things for others including, for example, pets. You
should be able to talk about the need for rest as part of science lessons on health and
growth. The other aspects may occur in science lessons or lessons on physical, social,
and health education.
PSHE

Pupils’ questions
Finally, when teaching animal biology, pupils may become very interested and may
ask you all sorts of questions. You cannot possibly know all of the answers so you will
have to be prepared to say, ‘That’s a very good question’, ‘What do you think?’, ‘How
do you think we could find out?’, ‘We may find the answer in a book/on the web’, or
‘We could ask the visiting nurse about that’. Rarely will a child ask an inappropriate
question about, for example, an aspect of sexual behaviour. In these cases of natural
curiosity, you should follow the school policy on sex education, consult with a col-
league, and perhaps refer them to their parents or carers. However, if you have any
suspicions about abuse, you should inform the school’s child protection officer (often
the headteacher).

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

1(a) to recognise and compare the main external parts of the bodies of humans
and other animals;
1(b) that humans and other animals need food and water to stay alive;
70 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

1(c) that taking exercise and eating the right types and amounts of food helps
humans to keep healthy;
1(d) about the role of drugs as medicines;
1(e) how to treat animals with care and sensitivity;
1(f) that humans and other animals can produce offspring and that these off-
spring grow into adults;
1(g) about the senses that enable humans and other animals to be aware of the
world around them.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that we have five senses that allow us to find out about the world (QCA
1A);
— that the term ‘animal’ includes humans (QCA 1A);
— that animals including humans move (QCA 1A);
— that babies and children need to be looked after while they are growing
(QCA 2A);
— that animals reproduce and change as they grow older (QCA, 1998).
(QCA, 1998)

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

2(a) about the function and care of the teeth;

2(b) about the need for food for activity and growth, and about the importance
of an adequate and varied diet for health;
2(c) that the heart acts as a pump to circulate the blood through the vessels
around the body, including the lungs;
2(d) about the effect of exercise and rest on the heart rate;
2(e) that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles to support
and protect their bodies and to help them move;
2(f) about the main stages of the human life cycle;
2(g) about the effects on the human body of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs,
and how these relate to personal health;
2(h) about the importance of exercise for good health.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 71

Children should learn:

— that when someone is exercising or moving fast, their muscles work hard
(QCA 4A);
— that the heart and the lungs are protected by the ribs (QCA 5A);
— how to measure their pulse rate and relate it to their heart beat (QCA
5A).
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach life processes – ‘animals’ at

Key Stage 1
Learning about humans and other animals
Pupil activity 3.1

Observing pets in the classroom

Learning objectives: Learn to name the main external body parts of pets.
Learn that animals need food and water to stay alive.
Resources required: pets, pictures of pets, the pet’s cage or tank as
required

Any animals that live in school (e.g. gerbils, fish) will help greatly as pupils can make
longer, regular observations. Pets and other animals can be brought into school for
short visits as long as they are safe (see ASE, 2001). Ask pupils to observe the animal,
perhaps make drawings and take photographs. Ask them to describe the animals.
Pupils should be taught how to provide for the needs of these animals and to deal with
all animals with caution and with care and respect, both for the creature and for
themselves. This also applies to so-called ‘mini-beasts’ (common invertebrates such
as earthworms and woodlice) we might bring into the classroom; these should be
cared for and always returned safely to their habitat. Be aware of pupils who may have
allergies to animals, for example their fur.
Take this a stage further by asking pupils about the things that animals do and
need. Ask questions about whether they grow, move, eat, and respond to what is going
on around them? Do they all eat the same thing, or move the same way? Are some
better at seeing or listening than others? How do we know?
 72 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconception
‘Humans are not animals’
Many pupils will deny that we are animals. Some see us as a special case, a
creature that is neither plant nor animal. Ask them what they think we are?
Explain that planet Earth has many living things that are either plants or
animals, point to different living things and ask them to say ‘plant’ or ‘animal’.
Include ourselves in this, are we plants? So we are . . .? Encourage discussion on
matters such as these, as we want pupils to question, think, and explore the
world. Ask them to identify similarities between us and other animals, including
mammals and of course the higher primates. It is likely that many pupils will
retain their original ideas, so you will have to return to this topic to reinforce our
place in the Animal Kingdom.

Pupil activity 3.2

Naming body parts

Learning objective: To name the main parts of the body we can see.
Resources required: the pupils

Young pupils should be able to name the main external parts of the body: head, eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, neck and shoulders, chest, arms, hands, fingers, body, legs, knees,
feet, toes. You might extend this list to include lips, wrist, hips, ankle, eyelid, knuckles,
elbows, palm. They should also be able to identify and compare these on other
animals. This will lead to a great deal of interest from pupils and hopefully lots of
questions.
First, find pictures of familiar mammals (cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.) for comparison;
always ask about similarities and differences. Then move to less familiar mammals
(elephant, cow, kangaroo, etc.). Ask closed questions: Does this animal have a head?
Where would we find its ears? Does it have hands? Always establish the special names
English
sometimes given to body parts, for example a lion’s mane. What do we call its hands,
its feet? Ask open questions such as, why do all these animals have hair/fur? Encour-
age questions and model question-asking yourself: Why don’t we have a tail? Why are
the hands and feet of animals the shape that they are? You may not be able to answer
them all, so model the behaviour of looking in books, etc. Pupils need to see science as
an exploration of the exciting world. Stress that animals’ bodies are shaped to assist
them in their habitat to do what they need in their lives, just like ours. Ask pupils to
draw or cut out pictures of animals or move pictures on a screen to group animals or
label their body parts.
After mammals, move on to examples of familiar birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians,
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 73

and insects. You cannot cover the whole Animal Kingdom but give examples to show
the range in the animal world, stressing that these animals are as they are to enable
them to live and raise young. For example, the body of a fish is smooth so that it can
swim quickly; a bee has wings so that it can travel quickly from flower to flower, escape
from birds, and fly back to the nest or hive. Try to use the correct scientific words
when you can as long as you do not cause confusion.

Internet games are available to support the naming of body parts:

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=bodypart

Pupil activity 3.3

Exploration of the human senses

Learning objective: Learn through observation about the five human

senses.
Resources required: plastic mirrors, hand lenses, fresh food samples,
recordings of sounds

This topic should involve reference to and use of the senses throughout when, for
example, observing and talking. Specific reference to the human senses will make the
pupils more aware of them. By giving pupils a plastic mirror, they can observe and
draw their own eyes and nose. They can examine their own skin and then observe and
draw the ears, eyes, and the nose of another. Smelling safe things such as food or
drinks can be treated as a game or as a fair test. Pupils should be warned against
smelling mysterious substances. Simple hearing games can help focus pupils’
attention.

A recording of different sounds can be made by the pupils and played to them.
Such recordings can be found at:
www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=sound1f

Being sensitive to what is around us is one of our life processes. Ask the pupils how
our senses help us throughout the day.
74 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 3.4

Comparing and testing the senses

Learning objective: Learn to measure human senses in different

ways.
Resources required: paper and pens, sound-making objects, blindfold

Simple investigations can be conducted by pupils to compare and measure the senses,
including: eye tests – reading text at various distances; hearing tests – asking blind-
folded pupils to point to the source of a sound; touch tests – asking pupils to identify
materials held against their skin; taste testing – to identify flavours; smell test – to
identify flavoured sweets at different distances from the nose. Whichever is selected,
make sure you encourage independence in constructing a simple test.
Remember, some pupils may be unhappy about wearing a blindfold, so ask them
to simply close their eyes. Also be aware that you may stumble across a genuine
problem with a pupil’s sight or hearing; if you do, alert colleagues and parents that a
medical opinion should be sought.

Pupil activity 3.5

We need food and water

Learning objective: Learn that humans and other animals need food and
water to remain alive.
Resources required: a pet or video of pets and/or pet cages/hutches, pet
foods

Pupils know about their own need for food and drink, although they may claim to
dislike water. Most schools now make water available for pupils throughout the day.
You can illustrate their own needs and those of pets and animals. A visiting pet can be
used to illustrate drinking and feeding. Video, including web-based video, is widely
available and can extend the examples you can illustrate. If you illustrate animals like
fish, children may ask if they drink; the answer is that like us they do require water.
Smaller creatures will help to illustrate eating but observation can be difficult, and
often invertebrates collected in a garden will eat each other or die if kept indoors for
more than a day or two.
Look in more detail with pupils at the foods and drinks consumed by the pupils
and identify exactly what they are and perhaps where they come from and which
foods are healthy and which should be avoided or are treats. If you have time, you
might do some simple food preparation, visit a shop or invite someone in from the
food industry to talk and demonstrate, say, cooking to the class. Larger bakeries and
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 75

supermarkets will often assist. It is your job to ensure that pupils get messages about
caring for animals and healthy diets.
Extend this by asking the pupils why they think that animals need food. What
happens if animals (including us) don’t get enough food, or the right kind of food?
Nutrition is one of our life processes and something that all living things do to keep
alive.

Pupil activity 3.6

Getting your food and exercise right

Learning objective: Learn that we must choose healthy foods and take
regular exercise.
Resources required: examples of healthy and less healthy foods

The best way to teach this will be to involve exercise and food preparation and/or
consumption. For the latter, you will need to be aware of allergies and any foods
pupils are unable to eat.
Young pupils almost all love physical activity and will often explain the need for it
in terms of making ‘you strong’. They can, however, be made aware of the range of
activity we call exercise and the amount of exercise that is useful. You should link this
PE/DT
in with PE and perhaps ask them to monitor their own breathing, before exercise, after
different spells and types of exercise, and after exercise. You should warn against
over-vigorous exercise.

Common misconception
‘You have to do a lot of exercise’
For general health and fitness, primary aged pupils should participate in a min-
imum of around sixty minutes physical exercise per day. It helps for pupils to
understand that regular activities such as walking, playing a physical game, etc.,
can be counted as exercise.

Try collecting examples of food eaten by pupils (including healthy and less
healthy items) or at least the wrappings of these foods. Ask pupils to collect data, then
construct a database (tally chart, pictogram, bar chart, pie chart) of the foods that
they eat and if possible the amounts (i.e. number of servings per week). Make a
DT
playground pie chart based on a giant circle and draw in sections with examples of
boxes and cartons and pictures to illustrate the food. If you have access to puppets,
use these to act out good habits of choosing the right foods. Construct a play super-
market/shop in the classroom. This can be very modest but can have a dramatic
effect.
76 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconception
‘If you eat fat, you are fat’
Take care with the word ‘fat’, as for some children it is only about body size. All
children need to know that it is also the word for a set of foods, some of which
should be eaten in moderation (e.g. fats containing saturated fatty acids) and
others that are good for you as part of a balanced diet (e.g. olive oil). If you have
overweight pupils in your class, be sensitive to them and their self-image but you
need to get the messages across.

The concept of a balanced diet should be discussed with young pupils but they
may struggle with the term, so explain to them about having some of the healthiest
foods each day and two or three treats each week. Create a wall chart or display of
healthy foods and ask your class to draw and write captions for different sections. Plan
a class assembly or special edition of the school newsletter on pupils’ health.
This work can be extended to an investigation of diet, which can be conducted in
several ways. Young children might collect information on favourite foods from other
pupils and information from food containers. Ensure that you constantly remind
them about the healthy foods (e.g. fruit and vegetables) and foods that should be
eaten in moderation (e.g. sugary foods and fats).

Pupil activity 3.7

Taking care with medicines

Learning objective: Learn about drugs as medicines.

Resources required: empty, clean medicine boxes

Many adults are cautious about talking about drugs, but it is better that pupils learn
about them from informed adults than elsewhere. Lots of substances are drugs and all
of them can be harmful: medicinal drugs (drugs from the doctor) are good for you in
the right dose only. These are terms that pupils need to know, so use them but be
mindful that some pupils may misunderstand.
Explain that nurses, dentists, doctors, and people we know well and who love us
are the people from whom we should accept medicines. Emphasise that the pupils
should never play with medicines or take them without a trusted adult supervising
them. If the pupils find anything that looks like a medicine, they should not touch it
but instead tell a trusted adult immediately. If a stranger offers them a sweet, they
should not take it – it could hurt them.
Ask the pupils to examine a set of medicine packets. Explain that they should
never take medicines unless from a parent or trusted carer. Ask them to look at the
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 77

features of packets and point out that instructions are written for adults to follow
carefully. You might talk about doses and how they are given and their importance.
Pupils will be able to tell you about their experiences of medicines when they have
been poorly.
A visit to school from a nurse or doctor will add greatly to these messages.

Pupil activity 3.8

We care for animals

Learning objective: Learn to treat animals with great care and sensitivity.
Resources required: modelling bricks, pets or pictures

Check if any pupils are allergic or sensitive to animal hair, etc. The best way to do
this is to model it yourself or ask a visitor to do the same. You should teach caution
that pupils should exercise when presented with a new or unfamiliar animal. Ideally,
the pupils should get close to animals requiring care. Fish and gerbils are easy to care
for, can be left over the weekend, and present great opportunities for observation. So-
called ‘mini-beasts’ can be brought in from the school grounds and a perfect home set
up for them. What do they need? Dark, cool, damp conditions with leaf litter includ-
ing dead leaves. (These creatures need shelter to hide, food, and moisture.)
Pupils should consider the needs of different animals. What is the name of its
home? You should model the care and sensitivity we expect from pupils. Ask them to
design in modelling bricks or on paper an ideal home for the creature, or even better
create a real home.

Pupil activity 3.9

Humans and other animals can produce offspring and these offspring
grow into adults

Learning objective: Learn that adults produce offspring and about the
growth of baby animals including humans.
Resources required: pictures, handprints or footprints of babies, toddlers,
etc.

This will tie in with the PSHE programme and sex education. The National
Curriculum (DfEE/QCA, 1999) at Key Stage 1 only makes a reference to life
cycles and that is as far as it goes in science. Animals produce offspring that are
similar to their parents. Human babies grow from babies to toddlers, through child-
hood and the teenage years to adulthood and later to old age. Pictures of the different
PSHE
stages can be arranged by pupils into the correct order. Establish a collection of
 78 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

footprints and handprints from different aged pupils that can be put in order and
measured. Ask pupils to talk about the differences and similarities between one stage
and the others, perhaps their stage – childhood – and the others. Ask them to illustrate
pictures with the correct clothing and belongings you might expect of the ages and
stages; for example, a baby might have a rattle, a teenager a mobile phone, and an
adult a house.
You can further enhance this learning by asking a parent to bring in a baby or
toddler into class for the pupils to meet and talk to both parent and child.

Ways to teach life processes – ‘animals’ at

Key Stage 2
Pupil activity 3.10

Stop the plaque attack!

Learning objective: Learn about the function and care of our teeth.
PSHE Resources required: toothbrush, toothpaste, flossing materials,
mouthwash, hand lens

Before teaching this topic, write to a toothpaste manufacturer who will normally
supply you with a pack of toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental mirrors, and posters to
assist your teaching of this topic. As part of this science, pupils could observe teeth;
options include looking in a mirror at their own teeth or examining those of another
pupil. Magnification will help using a simple hand lens or perhaps a microscope
linked to a computer.
Can pupils create a dramatic poster, a set of simple rules to guide younger pupils
or a radio broadcast? Explain that bacteria live on their teeth but that the bacteria
themselves do no harm – it is their acidic waste that destroys tooth enamel. Good
dental hygiene keeps the numbers of bacteria down and removes the acidic waste
materials. It prevents the build up of plaque that can lead to gum disease. Plaque is a
combination of bacteria and old food particles, which build up into layers.
If possible, arrange for a dentist or dental hygienist to visit the class to emphasise
these messages about dental care. Such a visit could become a focus of several science
and English lessons, for example researching about teeth and their care, preparing
English
questions, listening, and writing. It may be possible to obtain X- rays of teeth. These
are usually of enormous interest to pupils who will examine them carefully and be
interested in orienting them to their own mouth.
Extend this work by asking the pupils to research/review the amount of sugar in
drinks and learn how sugar leads to an increase in plaque and how this destroys tooth
enamel.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 79

Common misconception
‘It does not matter if my first teeth rot!’
Pupils might feel that their first teeth are expendable as they will be replaced.
They should realise that poor dental hygiene can lead to other problems such as
gum disease and also to damage of the adult teeth, which are dormant under
their ‘first’ teeth.

Teacher demonstration 3.11

Why do we have different types of teeth?

Learning objective: Learn the different names and functions of human

teeth.
Resources required: apple, bread, scissors, card, two cheese graters

Pupils should learn the names and functions of the teeth. If they have examined their
own or those of others in the last activity, they may be wondering why there is such
variety.
The teeth at the front of our mouths are the incisors. These are for biting lumps
out of food. You could demonstrate their action with a pair of scissors, cutting a piece
of card. Pupils could bite an apple, or a piece of bread; the food left behind will show a
clean cut.
The canines are often familiar to pupils, particularly if they have dogs and cats.
They are pointed for tearing and ripping food, which we cannot normally do with the
incisors. Ask them to think about eating a tough piece of meat, or even a toffee bar. We
automatically use canines for such food.
Finally, the premolars and molars grind and crush food. Ask them to observe
someone eating something that takes some chewing (with their mouths closed!). They
will see the jaw rhythmically grinding away. You can simulate this action by putting a
piece of bread between two cheese graters and rubbing them together, making the
bread break up into small pieces. Many pupils think that the back teeth just move up
and down, but it is the grinding backwards, forwards, and sideways that does a lot of
the work.
To extend these activities, perhaps compare the pupils’ teeth with the teeth of
animals like sheep and carnivores such as a tiger. Can they explain why these animals
have different teeth from each other, in terms of their diets? Nutrition is one of the
life processes for all living things (MRS NERG) and for many animals the finding
and eating of food takes up a huge amount of their time. The pupils might like to
compare a cow’s diet and how long it spends eating to that of a lion and how it hunts
and feeds.
80 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 3.12

My varied diet

Learning objective: Learn about foods and how different foods contribute
to a varied diet.
Resources required: examples of food and/or pictures/adverts

Pupils need to be clear about why our bodies need food and the effects of a well-
balanced diet. They might detail their own diets over a number of days and compare
these with fictitious examples of unhealthy diets you might provide. You might talk
about good foods, others which are good in moderation, and those that should be
consumed sparingly. Discuss these words ‘moderation’, ‘treat’, and ‘sparingly’.
Remember most primary aged pupils are not in control of the food bought for the
family meals and are very much influenced by adverts. Ask the pupils to talk about
decisions they have made to improve their diet. Get them to examine adverts for
food, food cartons, and the information presented. Ask them to interview a selection
of pupils and adults about the food they eat. You could model hot seating where the
pupils ask you questions about your diet. If you do this, you should model positive
actions.

Common misconception
‘My sister’s on a diet, not me’
We all hear about different diets, slimming diets, hi-carb diets, etc. Children
often associate the word diet with these special diets, not realising that what they
eat is their own diet. You might point this out and make sure you use the term
correctly when you focus in lessons on their diet and whether they feel they can
improve it. Perhaps the simplest thing to put to them is the effect of sugary
drinks on their teeth.

Extend this by asking pupils to design a healthy meal. An example IWB activity
can be found at:
http://kids.direct.gov.uk/
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 81

Pupil activity 3.13

Walking around the circulatory system!

Learning objective: Learn through a dance drama about the way the heart
pumps blood around the body, including the lungs.
Resources required: stethoscope, chalk/masking tape, labels, poster
showing a simplified circulatory system

Earlier in this chapter the circulatory system was illustrated as a figure of eight. Draw
a giant figure of eight on the floor of the classroom or on the playground using chalk
or masking tape. After you have labelled the figure as below, ask three or four pupils to
walk around it slowly as red blood cells. Ensure that they follow the arrows and
explain what happens where and confirm this by calling ‘freeze frame’ to stop them.
Then ask them and other pupils to explain where they are in the circulatory system,
where they have just been, and where they are going next and what will happen. Then
set them off adding a few more pupils. Repeat the freeze-frame and questions section.
Use the example of the dance drama to illustrate what is occurring on the poster.

Add to the above by giving the ‘red blood cell pupils’ sheets of red and blue paper
stuck back to back. They can flip these over at the lungs to show red, that they have
picked up oxygen, and again in the whole body to show blue, that they have now given
up oxygen.
82 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconception
‘Blood is sometimes blue and sometimes red’
Having seen diagrams of the heart and circulatory system, pupils may think that
at times blood is blue. You need to point out that this is just the way that
scientists try to make diagrams clear. Oxygenated blood is sometimes described
as bright or cherry red and deoxygenated as a darker red.

Film, photograph or record an audio commentary of the pupils involved and post
this perhaps on the school website.
In addition, pupils can observe their own blood vessels in, for example, their
forearms and hands. Ask them to describe what they see and explain why they can see
what they see. The vessels do not appear red because they are observing the wall of
the vessel not the blood inside. They may be willing to talk about bleeding (but take
care, some pupils may find this difficult and may be excused) about nose bleeds and
cuts. You might tell them that adults have about five litres of blood. To help them
visualise this amount of blood, you could show them two full two-litre bottles (pop
bottles) plus one half full. Blood donation and blood types could also be discussed.
Keep the focus on the main function of the cardiovascular system so that everyone in
the class is gaining that basic knowledge.

Extend this lesson further using internet-based simulations, such as those at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/keeping_healthy.shtml
http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/pharm/hyper_heart1.html

These simulations often run quickly and so are best if they can be slowed, paused, and
show different colours. If possible, obtain a wall poster and a plastic model heart.

Pupil investigation skills 3.14

How does the speed of the heart rate change with exercise?

Learning objective: To understand how the heart can speed up or slow

down, depending on what the body is doing.
Resources required: none

Ask the children to work in pairs and count their pulse rates. You will have to teach
them to find their pulse in their wrist or neck and the pulse of others. They should
learn to ask and wait for permission before they touch other people. If they cannot
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 83

find pulse points, they can often hear another person’s heart by putting their ear
against that other person’s chest. This works well even through clothing. Pupils can
record and then check their prediction. Then ask them to predict how many heart
beats in a minute their heart will do after three minutes of vigorous exercise (say,
running on the spot). They can take it in turns to exercise and then measure. Were
their predictions close? Can they explain the difference between the rates at rest and
after exercise? The data can be gathered in to create a graph of the children’s heart
rates at rest and after exercise.
Remember, discourage over-vigorous exercise and competition.

Pupil activity 3.15

The effect of exercise and rest on the heart rate

Learning objective: Learn about the effect of exercise on the heart

rate.
Resources required: optional – electronic pulse meter

You might lead or suggest an investigation into pulse rates. Elements of this might
include:

• taking the pulse (you will have to teach this) while at rest;
• repeating this after gentle exercise;
• repeating this after moderate exercise;
• taking the pulse rate every minute for five minutes to demonstrate recovery rate
(the time it takes for heart rate to return to a normal resting rate); this is best done
with an electronic pulse meter.

Figure 3.17 An electronic pulse sensor

Pupils need to understand there has to be a direct link from physical activity to
heart rate. Your body needs more oxygen to ‘burn’ sugar so the heart rate (and
84 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

breathing rate) increases. The best illustration available uses a heart monitor linked to
an interactive whiteboard. Here pupils can be asked to do a little exercise, or not, and
then have their heart rate displayed to the class. Stress that rates will vary for different
people so a range of results will be seen. Much of your emphasis should be on
encouraging pupils to look after their heart and have a healthy heart.

The following website demonstrates different activities and their associated

heart rates:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/ keeping_healthy.shtml

Pupils might construct a poster or webpage outlining the essential care of their heart.
(regular exercise, the need for periods of rest, a balanced diet low in saturated fats,
avoidance of over-exercise/strain on the heart).
Extend or conclude this learning by relating it back to the real world and ask why
it is that an animal might need a raised heart rate so as to be able to move quickly.
Catching food and running away are examples they might come up with. Are
there times when humans have to move quickly? Finally, remind them that animal
movement is one of the seven life processes (MRS NERG).

Pupil activity 3.16

Our skeletons are not scary!

Learning objective: Learn about the appearance, arrangement, and

function of bones in the skeleton.
Resources required: X -ray pictures, posters, and/or models of skeletons

Pupils will be aware of their skeletons and will be able to name bones such as the ribs
and skull. They may have heard of sports injuries, including famous footballers break-
ing their metatarsals (small bones in the foot). They should observe books, models,
posters, X-rays, and screens illustrating the human skeleton and skeletons of other
animals. They should learn the names of the main bones (skull, backbone, ribs, pel-
vis). Beyond these we might be happy with foot bones, leg bone, and so on. You can
provide more of a challenge by presenting biological names of bones, including:
femur, fibia, and tibia (leg bones); humerus, radius, and ulna (arm bones). Others
may be learned but this is not essential.
What is important is that the pupils learn a little about the structure of bones and
the purpose of bones. They ought to know that bone is living tissue with a blood
supply and nerves, which is how bones grow. You might include the production of red
blood cells in the tissue within the bone. The purpose of the bony skeleton should be
learned.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 85

purpose of bones: support protection movement

example: backbone skull protects brain hip joints

Groups of pupils might investigate different bones, preparing a short talk on

those bones and their function. Older pupils might prepare resources about bones to
share with younger pupils. This could centre on a book such as Funnybones by Ahlberg
and Ahlberg (1993). They might read all or part of the story with extra information
added in the form of posters and or text.
English

An alternative is to ask them to copy the style of the Horrible Science (http://
www.horrible-science.co.uk/books) series and present the gory side of the
human body! Internet-based games related to the human body may be useful,
including ‘Annie – Put me back together’, which can be accessed at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/podsmission/bones/annie02.shtml

Common misconception
‘Bones are dead’
This may be a product of the bones pupils see on the kitchen table and others
used in art and science lessons. These bones were once alive but now are
dead. Their appearance when dead is like a form of stone, which reinforces
the view that they are inert and lifeless. They may have seen bones before
cooking oozing blood and all will have heard about the pain of broken bones.
This is all clear evidence that bones are living tissue, albeit harder but living
nonetheless.

Bones cannot move or even maintain their position without muscles. Your head is
a good example: whatever position you are in, muscles in your upper body are relax-
ing or pulling your head into position. Pupils can observe skin movements as muscles
move below the skin. Arm and leg muscles can be seen moving as arms, hands, and
feet move. Other muscles such as heart muscles contract and relax all day and night
with little awareness by us, other than we can take our pulse or feel our heart pounding
after exercise.
Pupils might make a model of the elbow joint and try attaching string to simulate
muscles; this is not easy and provides some appreciation of the complexity of the elbow
joint and others like the pelvis, which give even greater movement.
 86 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 3.18 A model elbow joint

Pupil activity 3.17

Our circle of life

Learning objective: Learn about changes and stages in the human life
cycle.
Resources required: pictures of the stages of growth, access to other
pupils

The main stages of the human life cycle include baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult,
and older adult and should refer to birth and death. You should review the different
stages and expect detailed observations from pupils who you might ask to interview
people of different ages either at home or in school. The best way to teach this is to
involve people. Younger pupils can be interviewed, as might older members of staff
you have briefed in advance.
Your class might construct a life story of a fictitious boy and girl, predicting a fit
and healthy future for them, or perhaps a less healthy one if bad choices are made. Be
sensitive to pupils who, for example, may have poor health or be overweight. They
might look at average life spans for humans and the duration of the stages of the
human life cycle. You could point out that due to better health care, diet, etc., Europe-
ans live much longer lives nowadays (average around 70+ years), whereas in other
parts of the world life expectancy is still around 45 years.
You might extend this work by asking pupils to collect data around school about
height and perhaps hand span size of the different age ranges of pupils. They could,
for example, record the mean, mode, and median height of pupils of different ages.
Maths
The result might be a series of graphs summarising all sorts of growth data based on
quite a large population.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 87

Death is an important topic but rarely mentioned; sensitivity is required as pupils

might get upset if they have recently experienced bereavement. Having class pets can
assist, as when a pet dies pupils have an opportunity to discuss what it means. Birth
provides an immediate link to sex education but the primary science curriculum does
Personal social and
not require that you teach this. Each school will have a sex education policy that health education

should be consulted before embarking on this topic.

Pupil activity 3.18

Choices that can harm you

Learning objective: Learn about the effects of tobacco, alcohol and other
drugs, and how these relate to personal health.
Resources required: books, pamphlets, and posters that provide
information about the effects of tobacco and alcohol, as well as access to
the internet

Ask pupils to research and make a presentation about the effects of smoking and
drinking alcohol. Use Table 3.2 as a starting point; challenge the pupils to find out
more from books, other materials, and websites.
Pupils need very strong messages about behaviour that is bad for their health.
Talk to them about how people have cared for them to date and how this will continue,

Table 3.2 Effects of smoking and alcohol use

Drug Short-term effects Longer-term effects

Tobacco • decreased appetite • lung disease

• loss of taste • bronchitis
• shortness of breath • emphysema
• smelly breath, hair, and clothes • heart disease
• hands yellowed • lung, mouth, and throat cancer
• difficulty sleeping • aged skin
• it can have the same effects on those you
live with, i.e. children
• death
Alcohol • addiction/craving • liver damage
• loss of control and accidents • kidney failure
• mood swings/anger • heart disease
• unconsciousness • cancer
• death • stroke
• increased weight
• mental health problems
• diabetes
• death
88 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

but that as they get older they will have more and more responsibility to make
choices for themselves. You might suggest that the human body is a gift and we only
get one; doctors and nurses cannot always cure a problem you have made for your-
self. Pupils should see all drugs as potentially harmful. Some special drugs – medi-
cines – are carefully made and given out by qualified medical staff or people who
love us. These medicines must be taken as we are told to take them, in the correct
dosage. If you take more or less than you should, the drug can be useless or harmful.
Other drugs must be taken very seriously; adults who drink excessive amounts of
alcohol or who smoke must do so knowing the likely effects of these drugs. Pupils
might learn the above principles and prepare campaign material to discourage, for
example, smoking.

Useful websites include ‘Smoking Stinks’ at:

http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/smoking.html

The school PSHE policy and related teaching will focus on helping pupils to say
‘no’ to drugs; the science programme should at a minimum inform them about the
negative effects, including the fact that smoking is responsible for 114,000 deaths a
year in the UK.

Pupil activity 3.19

Why is exercise so important?

Learning objective: Learn about the importance of exercise for good

health.
Resources required: books, pamphlets, posters, and websites containing
information on exercising

Primary pupils should be aware of the need for exercise but need to learn about why
we need to exercise and the amount of exercise that is suitable.

They should look at different exercise regimes, perhaps those of footballers, swim-
mers, and other athletes. Remember to point out that top athletes devote their lives to
exercise but that for them one hour a day of physical activity is enough. They should
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 89

aim for a minimum of one hour a day and take a variety of exercises, including
walking, running, jogging, skipping, swimming, and dancing. Emphasise that a
number of sports and games the pupils play count as exercise.
Ask the pupils to research exercises and then put together a plan for a given
person (e.g. a 10-year-old girl, a 30-year-old teacher). They could write a letter
explaining the benefits of exercising and the consequences of not exercising. You
should explain that exercising does not guarantee good health but it increases the
chances of a longer and better-quality life (as does avoidance of smoking and ensuring
a balanced healthy diet). One spin-off of good health is that if you are ever ill, you have
a much better chance of recovery.

Information about exercise is available on the internet at sites such as:

http://www.netfit.co.uk/younger-webok.html

In all such investigations, you should avoid pupils competing and perhaps strain-
ing themselves and be sensitive at all time to pupils’ circumstances; for example, we
would not recommend collecting data on pupils’ weight.

Pupil investigation skills 3.20

How quickly do we react?

Learning objective: Learn through investigation about reaction time.

Resources required: rulers

Reaction times can be tested by dropping a ruler through the open hand of an indi-
vidual and measuring their response time by marking where they catch the ruler.
Demonstrate this simple test to the class. Ask pupils to predict what will happen.
Make sure you discuss how this will be made a fair test. Perhaps extend this work by
comparing left and right hands.
You might extend this to talk about why humans have fast reaction times. When
can a fast reaction time be useful? What dangers do humans need to spot and move
quickly to avoid? Relate this to life processes (MRS NERG) and how our senses help
us to understand what is good for us and dangerous for us in a given environment. Do
animals use their senses in a similar way?
90 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 3.21

Investigations about range of size of body parts

Learning objective: Learn through investigation about growth and the

range of body size of humans.
Resources required: equipment for measuring length, including tape
measures

Investigate growth in a population of children. Gather data from a class or even better
a sample across the whole school. You might look at one or more features, such as:
overall height, hand span, foot length, shoe size, arm length, head circumference. The
pupils could pose a question to be investigated such as ‘Do people with long arms
have long legs?’ or ‘Do people with small feet have small hands?’ They may be able to
correlate links between body part sizes, but do be sensitive about how the children
collect and present this material. Many pupils do not like to be reminded that they are
small for their age.
Link this activity to the life processes (MRS NERG). Growth is a life process
common to all living things. The pupils could compare the growth pattern of human
children to those of other mammal groups such as cattle. Why do they think humans
take so long to grow to become adults? This is a fascinating question they may like to
research, but there are no easy answers.

Summary of key learning points

• a simplified structure of the Animal Kingdom;

• the names and functions of the main parts of the human body;

• the life cycles of familiar animals;

• basic life processes of animals, including movement, growth, reproduc-

tion, respiration, sensitivity, digestion, and excretion;

• that the tissues and organs of multi-cellular organisms perform special-

ised functions;

• that most organisms are made up of cells and almost all cells have a
nucleus which controls their activities;

• the health of an organism can be affected by a range of factors – for

example, in humans, drugs, exercise and other physical, mental, and
environmental factors.
 LIFE PROCESSES – ANIMALS 91

Self-test
Question 1
Breathing (a) is achieved by the lungs alone, (b) gets oxygen into the blood and
carbon dioxide out, (c) gets carbon dioxide into the blood and oxygen out, (d) is the
same as respiration

Question 2
A balanced diet (a) is just for slimmers, (b) contains no fat, (c) is made up of different
proportions of different food types, (d) contributes to a healthy lifestyle

Question 3
Animal cells (a) contain chloroplasts, (b) have no cell walls, (c) are each controlled by
a nucleus, (d) have a cell membrane

Question 4
Blood (a) is sometimes blue and sometimes red, (b) flows in one direction only
around the body, (c) is plasma, (d) is present in all organs

Self-test answers
Q1: (b) is correct. Although air goes in and out of the lungs, it is the rib muscles and
diaphragm that do all the work in breathing. Respiration is a chemical reaction,
taking place in body cells to release energy from sugar. Breathing is getting air into
and out of the body.
Q2: (c) and (d) are correct. Small amounts of healthy fats are needed for efficient
functioning of the body and diets are simply what we eat.
Q3: (b), (c), and (d) are correct (there is an exception to (c) as mature red blood cells
have no nucleus). Chloroplasts and cell walls are features of plant cells.
Q4: (b) and (d) are correct. Blood is never blue and is not just plasma, as it contains
other elements such as red and white blood cells.

Misconceptions
‘Humans are not animals’
‘You have to do a lot of exercise’
‘If you eat fat, you are fat’
‘It does not matter if my first teeth rot’
‘My sister’s on a diet, not me’
92 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

‘Blood is sometimes blue and sometimes red’

‘Bones are dead’

Webliography
www.teachernet.gov.uk/pshe/
(portal site for PSHE)

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ete/
(main ECM site)

http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/pharm/hyper_heart1.html
(heart simulation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/keeping_healthy.shtml
(exercise/heart rate simulation)

http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/Class/sound/u11l1c.html
(simple animation of sound waves)

http://www.horrible-science.co.uk/books
(the famous Horrible Science books)

http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/smoking.html
(kid’s health website, section on smoking)
4
Variation and diversity

About this chapter

This chapter deals with what you need to learn about variation and diversity. It
includes the role of DNA in inheritance and how the characteristics of indi-
viduals are determined by genetic material. It also covers sexual reproduction,
during which genetic material is copied, recombined, and passed on. It will
explain how this leads to variation in the population and that, under pressure
from the organism’s environment, the resulting natural selection leads to
evolution. Sexual reproduction will be compared with asexual reproduction.
The second part of the chapter will refer to what the pupils need to learn,
and the third part deals with effective ways to teach it, including common
misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Resources required: access to a garden, park or potted plants

Similarity and difference

This part of science is about similarity and difference in individuals and populations,
leading to variation and change over time. It is important that you begin to under-
stand some of the mechanisms that allow change to happen, and that you realise that
change occurs slowly.
You are a member of a species, Homo sapiens. A species is a group of organisms
94 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

that can inter-breed to produce fertile young. Within any species there will be vari-
ation in body size and in features such as the shape of eyes, hair colour, skin tone, etc.
The mechanism that leads to variation is sexual reproduction, which relies on the
inheritance of genetic material from two parents. These inherited genes combine to
provide slightly different instructions to the offspring’s cells, about the way they will
grow and thus their ultimate appearance. Darwin (1872) explained how environ-
mental factors may favour variations that provide a slight advantage; for example, an
individual with slightly longer legs might be able to run faster, so avoid being eaten,
and pass their genes on.
Some species (almost exclusively plants) reproduce asexually as well as sexually.
Asexual reproduction produces clones – that is, new individuals that are exact genetic
copies of their parent. An example is strawberry plants, which produce shoots or
runners on the end of which are small plantlets. These will root and form new plants
identical to the parent plant. Many trees have roots close to the surface, and in many
species these will readily sprout and form a new tree identical to the parent. This
phenomenon is much less common in the animal world so in most cases, like you,
offspring are similar to their parents but not identical.
Just pause for a moment and consider which of your features are inherited from
your mother and which from your father. You undoubtedly share features with both
your parents but you are not identical to either of them. You are a unique individual.

DNA, genes, and chromosomes

The general size, shape, and make-up of your body is determined by genetic material,
the basic building block of which is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA forms the
basis of genes, which themselves form the chromosomes found in the nuclei of body
cells. Genes contain chemical codes that provide the body with instructions for
particular body features (e.g. eye colour, size, etc.). A recent scientific triumph was
the mapping of the human genome in 2000. Essentially, this is a very long list of the
genes on the forty-six human chromosomes.
Sex cells (sperm and egg) are made in the gonads (female ovaries, male testes).
They are unlike other body cells in that they only contain half the full complement of
chromosomes – twenty-three. During fertilisation, a sperm and egg fuse to form the
first cell of a new individual. This cell now has a combined set of forty-six chromo-
somes containing genes from both parents. This new combination of genes provides
the instructions for the characteristics of the new individual. One genetic combination
controls gender. The sperm carries either an X or a Y chromosome, whereas the egg
carries only X chromosomes, thus when sperm and egg fuse, around half the combin-
ations will be XX (female) and half XY (male). This results in a human population of
roughly equal proportions.
Identical twins are formed when the first cell, formed from the fusion of the sex
cells, divides into two and these two cells become separated. They can then develop
into two individuals with identical genes. Non-identical twins are formed when two
separate ovum are fertilised by two separate sperm. Thus they will develop together
but be genetically different.
Sometimes a mistake occurs when genetic material is copied, for example some
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 95

of the sequence may be lost, moved or added to. This can result in genes that do not
work or work differently. A sudden change in a gene is called a mutation. Most
mutations are not advantageous and so the change is not passed on to future gener-
ations. However, some mutations provide an advantage to the individual carrying
them, making them more successful and so more likely to pass the change on to the
next generation.

Evolution
Evolution by natural selection was first explained by Charles Darwin in his book The
Origin of Species (1872). In it he described numerous examples to support his theory,
including, for example, isolated populations on islands, where over thousands of years
slight differences had become apparent. He saw that in each generation offspring
varied slightly from their parents and that numerous slight changes could add up to
produce more significant change. The key thing he introduced was the influence of
the environment and the pressure it applies to populations. For example, if food was
scarce and the only food available was in high bushes, only the tortoises with the
longest necks would thrive and have offspring. Hence their genes would be passed on
and future generations would have the slightly longer neck. Extinction is a natural part
of evolution; organisms that are not successful eventually die out and become extinct.

Genetics
Darwin’s work caused great controversy at the time and is still not accepted by some
religious groups, despite the overwhelming evidence in its favour. When The Origin of
Species was being published in London, an Austrian monk, Gregor Mendel, was
growing peas and carefully noting the characteristics of parents and offspring. He
noticed that some characteristics were passed on and that the proportion of young
with the characteristic varied but that these proportions were predictable. In some
cases, half the young inherited the characteristic, whereas in others the proportion
was 3:1. Unfortunately, the value of Mendel’s work was not appreciated in his life-
time. It led to the science of genetics and in the last century many of his ideas were
used, together with those of others, by scientists such as Watson and Crick who in the
1950s were credited with the discovery of the structure of DNA. We now see this area
of biology moving rapidly and presenting ethical challenges; for example, genetically
enhanced varieties of crops offer great benefits in terms of crop yields but some fear
they could lead to ‘unnatural or harmful offspring’. Not all of these fears are, it has to
be said, supported by science.

There are internet simulations that illustrate how populations can change over
time, including the following:
http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/genetics/activities/buglab.html
96 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Differences in groups (diversity in a population)

As a teacher you will need to be able to identify differences and similarities in a group
of individuals. It is important that we observe different animals and plants but the
biggest population of living things available to us in a school is human beings, so think
about the characteristics you could study. Examples include height, eye colour, ability
to roll the tongue, handedness, hair colour, arm length, stride length, and hand span.
Height and weight are controlled partially by genes but also by the environment,
including diet and exercise. Weight is, of course, a sensitive subject and pupils could
be devastated if they appeared on a table or graph as the heaviest pupil in class or
school! Skin tone is another area to treat with sensitivity.
Plants can also contribute to this work, perhaps the best example being the height
of seedlings. Peas, beans or common-garden flowers (e.g. nasturtiums) are usually
adequate for these tests. Seedlings grown in similar conditions will show some vari-
ation and the taller, stronger seedlings will thrive while the weaker, smaller seedlings
may not. The longer you grow them the more marked the differences may be, but
there is of course a limit to available space and time. Note that seedlings often look
quite different to the adult plant. The first leaves are different to those that will
follow and are called ‘seed leaves’. The second set and subsequent leaves are usually
the same shape as those found on the parent plant.

Grouping and classifying

You should be confident yourself in identifying similarities and differences between
different animals and plants. This includes similarities and differences from species
to species and, within a species, from individual to individual. If you have a garden
or live near a park, you may be able to observe grassland (a ‘wild’ area would be
more useful than a lawn). From a distance, this looks as if it is made up of identical
blades of grass but, if you get close, kneel down, and observe, you will see a range of
plants, grasses, wild flowers, and mosses. Taking one group of these, such as the
grasses, you may notice colour variation as well as differences in leaf width, stem
length, etc. You should begin to notice that there are different varieties of grass; for
example, taller, faster growing varieties and varieties that are eaten by animals and
others that must be less palatable. Thus we can classify living things according to
these characteristics. Biologists have spent centuries developing a classification
system that is accepted around the world. Some of the terms and the main groupings
identified are presented in Chapters 2 and 3 on plant and animal biology
respectively.
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 97

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught to:

4(a) recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others, and to
treat others with sensitivity;
4(b) group living things according to observable similarities and differences.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that the group of living things called animals includes humans (QCA 2C)
(QCA, 1998)

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

4(a) to make and use keys;

4(b) how locally occurring animals and plants can be identified and assigned to
groups;
4(c) the variety of plants and animals makes it important to assign them to
groups.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— to use keys to identify animals and plants in a local habitat (QCA 6a)
(QCA, 1998)
 98 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Ways to teach ‘variation and diversity’ at

Key Stage 1
Pupil activity 4.1

Me, what I am like

Learning objective: Describe my own appearance and body.

Resources required: paper, mirrors

Let the pupils spend time looking at themselves and aspects of their body. This could
include a self-portrait, perhaps based on the use of a mirror and/or a digital photo-
graph. They might focus on the features of their head or include all aspects of their
body, including measurements of height, arm length, foot size, and so on. They might
record their observations using descriptive writing, or construct a card file detailing
eye and hair colour, height, etc. One way to do this is to produce a ‘pupil passport’
containing all this information.
Maths
Links to other subjects can be made by using the data in mathematics and by
spending time on more accurate drawing and other pictures of ourselves in art and
design.
Art and design

Common misconception
‘We’re not animals’
Many young children will be reluctant to group themselves with animals. They
appear to see three groups of creatures on the planet: plants, animals, and
humans. By looking at the similarities between us and the higher primates
(apes), they may accept the truth.
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 99

Pupil activity 4.2

Me and other people

Learning objective: To use information gathered to look for similarities

and differences between classmates.
Resources required: class data on, for example, hair colour, eye colour,
height, hand span, and stride length

After compiling information and a description of themselves, pupils can use this
information to develop a database about a group or the whole class. This database
could be paper-based in the form of a book or a wall display. It could be stored
electronically and be displayed as electronic cards or as pictograms or block graphs.
Pupils should then be asked to look at the information and talk to classmates as they
answer simple questions, such as ‘How many people have blue eyes?’ and ‘What is the
Maths
most common hair colour?’ Make sure you stress similarity, as well as identifying
differences.

Pupil activity 4.3

Observing other living things

Learning objective: Describe and compare living things.

Resources required: living things – animals or plants

For this activity, there is an advantage if you are able to observe animals, as pupils
can compare them more readily to themselves. Ask pupils to observe pets or a set
of invertebrates or plants in suitable trays or aquaria. First, you should ask them to
describe what they see in as much detail as possible. Can they describe and name
body parts, textures, colours? Can they describe how bodies appear to be
assembled? Then move to ways to group the creatures, which can include many
body segments vs. no body segments, shiny looking vs. dull looking, legs vs. no legs,
and so on. Finally, ask pupils to describe comparisons they make between different
organisms and between those organisms and others including themselves. Differ-
ences should be easy to spot but pupils may need support in recognising and
talking about similarities, such as ‘we have legs and so do they’ and ‘they eat, and so
do we’.
You can extend this work by utilising good-quality field guides that provide
detailed illustrations.
100 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 4.4

Grouping animals

Learning objective: Learn to group animals according to their observable

features.
Resources required: a set of pictures of known animals, including some
that occur locally and some from other countries; model animals are an
alternative

Remind pupils about the great variety of living things and that these can be assigned
to two groups we call animals and plants. Ask them to name animals they know. They
are likely to refer to mammals and may need encouragement to include other groups
such as fish and reptiles. When you have about seven examples, ask the pupils why
they are animals and not plants.
Give pairs of pupils a set of animal pictures which they will later group. Ask the
pupils to help you with a list of words that might help to describe the animals (e.g.
legs, fur, feathers, fins, paws, can swim, can fly, eats meat, eats plants, etc.). Begin by
modelling ways of grouping a set of animals on the whiteboard, for example hairy and
not hairy, legs and no legs, lives on land vs. lives in water. Ask the pupils to look at their
set of animals and to think about ways they are the same and ways they are different.
They should then work with their partner and arrange the pictures into two smaller
groups. They should then add labels, for example:

Figure 4.1 Sorting animals

Ask the pupils to phrase a question that would lead to our splitting them in this way,
for example ‘Which animals are hairy?’
A challenge for higher-achieving pupils would be to ask them to come up with a
different way of making two groups or take it a stage further and begin to think of a
way to subdivide one of the new groups – for example, legs and no legs, eats animals
vs. eats plants.
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 101

Pupil activity 4.5

Grouping plants

Learning objective: Learn to group plants according to their observable

features.
Resources required: a set of leaves, a set of edible fruit, flowers or colour
pictures of fruit, leaves or flowers of common local plants printed and/or
on the electronic whiteboard

Repeat the format of the activity above introducing the plant material or images, the
examples you have, the describing words, and then the grouping activity. This may be
harder with plant material, as pupils may be less familiar with plants and the language
of plants.
Pupils may immediately subdivide a group. If so, use this or another example to
demonstrate this to the class. Make sure that that they record their original grouping
and then move them on to talking about and then subdividing groups.
Alternative ways to record these grouping activities include using photographs on
an interactive whiteboard or on a poster on the floor as in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2 Grouping flowers according to colour

Ways to teach ‘variation and diversity’ at

Key Stage 2
The need to group animals and plants
Pupils should be becoming aware of the great variety of living things in the world.
They are unlikely to be fully aware of the vast numbers of animals and plants here on
Earth. The numbers are too hard to grasp; no person on the planet knows the names
 102 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

of all these plants and animals and nobody could. Try to think of a million residents of
a big town or city all having different names and trying to learn them all! Explain to
the pupils that we need to be able to talk about the characteristics and lives of such
groups as fish, birds, trees, and flowers without knowing all the names. Scientists talk
Spiritual

to each other like everyone else, so if they are going to do science on living things,
they need to be able to talk about groups just the same. At some point, you should
encourage the pupils to consider our wonderful world with this amazing diversity of
different animals and plants living together.

Pupil activity 4.6

What have I inherited?

Learning objective: To recognise features inherited from my parents.

Resources required: the pupils, an older or younger brother or sister

Given that most pupils live with at least one biological parent, you can discuss charac-
teristics they have inherited. Be sensitive to pupils who may not know their parents.
Challenge all pupils to consider which of the following are inherited: height, weight,
eye colour, hair colour, tongue rolling, handedness. If pupils have siblings, ask them to
talk about their features and establish that there is variation between parents and
children and among brothers and sisters.
You can make this lesson more challenging by asking pupils to consider features
that are wholly inherited (e.g. you either have one eye colour or another), others that
are partially influenced by parents (e.g. height, handedness), and ones that are not
inherited (e.g. preference for different foods, love of sport).
Arrange for an older brother or sister of a pupil to join the lesson for a few
minutes. Be aware that they may not share both parents. Ask pupils to talk with a
partner about any similarities and later about differences. Complete this by asking
the siblings to talk about what they see as similar or different about each other.
The class might prepare and ask questions about likes and dislikes, skills, and so
on.
If you have twins in the class or if pupils know twins, you might discuss their
similarities and differences. This can be made even more challenging by referring to
twins who are identical and twins who are not.
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 103

Pupil activity 4.7

Differences in groups

Learning objective: Learn that there is always a range of features within a

group.
Resources required: access to data about a group of pupils

To get a real sense of the diversity and proportion of characteristics in a population,

scientists require a large sample. Ask the class to gather data from a larger sample,
such as the eye colour of children from every age (or selected) range in school.
Challenge them to construct a database including fifty or more pupils. Once they
have the data they can construct tables and graphs to present the information in a
form that can be interpreted. Ask them to use the data to answer certain questions,
such as ‘What is the most/least common eye colour in different age ranges, in the
Maths
whole school?’ Characteristics such as height are affected by age but hair colour and
eye colour are not.
Larger numbers can be hard to come across, although one example is seedlings,
which can be grown in their hundreds, but measuring can become laborious.

Pupil investigative skills 4.8

Grouping living things

Learning objective: Use our observation of features to group living things.

Resources required: pictures of familiar animals, PE hoops

Ask pupils to assemble a set of pictures of known mammals and to discuss with
partners the mammals’ features, such as number of legs, type of feet (claws, hooves,
etc.), hair/fur coverage. In discussion, ask the pupils to describe the range they have
observed and to consider similarities and differences.

Common misconception
‘One similarity is that we have different hair colour’
Often pupils find differences easier to identify than similarities. You may need to
provide examples and encourage pupils to describe similarities, as they are often
too obvious. Start with similarities they spot and then point to others – both have
hair, both have a mouth, both have eyes, both have spotted fur. Share this issue with
the class and challenge them to be as good at observing similarity as difference.
 104 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Provide named labels of familiar animals or plants, including those living on the
school site. Check out the less familiar names and ask pupils in pairs to sort them into
two groups. Challenge them to do this more than once; give them the opportunity to
hear about other pupils’ ideas and to generate more.
They should then organise animals or plants into groups. Splitting a set into two
groups is the first step.

Figure 4.3 Animals in our school garden

There will be many more small animals (invertebrates) on the school site, particu-
larly if you have ‘wild’ areas. So you might then subdivide these smaller creatures into
other groups, including legs and legless, colour groups, animals found on a plant,
animals found on the ground. Similar groups can be made with plants, including leaf
shape, leaf colour, overall plant height, colour of flowers, and where the plant is
growing (habitat).
Beware of two things when working with plant material. First, it is illegal to collect
any living plant tissue from the wild (the school site is fine). Second, only take min-
imum quantities for classroom work, as the loss of leaves and flowers will affect the
plant adversely. Photographs and rubbings are a great alternative.
When observing animals, model a scientific approach and try to be confident
when handling them. Where possible, refer to the wonder of nature and the amazing
way these creatures are suited to their environment. Pupils may espouse such senti-
ments as ‘Slugs are disgusting!’ This can be a genuine phobia, but in the main it is
Spiritual
often a learned response from adults. With slugs, ask them to look closely at their
different features. Ask them why they think a slug is slimy (to make birds not want to
eat it). As long as you emphasise hygiene and make sure the creatures are contained in
a tray or aquarium, pupils can become confident and observe the amazing creatures
on their doorstep.
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 105

Pupil activity 4.9

Making and using keys

Learning objective: Use observable features of living things to use and

construct simple keys for grouping and classifying them.
Resources required: poster paper, a branching database program
(optional), and identification key

Explain that the previous activity of grouping living things leads on to the use of keys,
which can be very straightforward and fun. For example, a set of leaves can be split
into two by posing the following questions: ‘Is it green? Or are the edges smooth? Or is
it hairy?’ Pupils can then add other questions so that a dichotomous or branching tree
is created. Show the following one to them: test it, check it works, improve it if you
can, and then ask a pupil or pupils to suggest a familiar plant to be added (e.g. Rose).
With the rose in mind, follow the key to the Dandelion and ask for a question that will
divide Dandelion and Rose.

Literacy

Figure 4.4 A key dealing with three different leaves

Although children are unlikely to know the names of plants, this should not get in
the way; leaves can be drawn or even stuck onto the paper, or leaf rubbings can be
used. Flowers can be dealt with in a similar way. Begin with a very simple one as above
and then add more examples; this will require new questions and editing of existing
ones. This following example can be used in the same way.
 106 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Numeracy

Figure 4.5 An example of a dichotomous key

This key should be tested. Can the pupils use it? Does it work? Are the questions
good enough? You can then challenge the pupils by adding, for example, a gerbil. (A
picture would be very helpful. Internet search engines offer image searches that are a
good source of animal pictures, and these can be printed out.) Thus the pupils will
Branching keys
have to devise a question to distinguish between a mouse and a gerbil.

There are a number of computer programs that will construct these simple keys
for you on screen. One of the best examples is called Flexitree3, available from:
http://www.flexible.co.uk/
A very simple online game called Animal Game is available at:
http://www.rogerfrost.com/start.htm
It will help pupils think about the questions they can ask.
English

You can further extend this work or reinforce the idea by showing pupils the
format below.
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 107

Figure 4.6 Example of a key presented as a list of clues (a ‘sequential key’) maths

Pupils could then progress to using published versions of these keys or lists of
clues. The Oxford University Press ‘Clue Books’ are excellent examples, as they
include a set of clues, are comprehensive, and use correct botanical terms such as
English
petal and sepal.

Pupil activity 4.10

Using keys to identify local plants

Learning objective: Learn to use identification keys to identify plants.

Resources required: identification key for locally occurring wild flowers
and/or trees

This activity should follow on from those above on grouping and classifying plants
and animals. It must take place when plants are in leaf and at least some in flower. Be
aware of pupils who may suffer from hay fever. Introduce them to simple published
identification keys by illustrating the process of identification with some examples.
Take the class outdoors and in a well-defined area, and following a summary of the
process ask them to work with another pupil to identify one or more trees or wild
flowers. Photographs, sketches, and notes should be taken as field notes to be
reviewed back in class along with the identification.
This can be done in the winter with trees using keys that utilise the twigs only.
This is quite challenging, as the detail to be observed is smaller and less familiar.
108 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Evolution
Pupils may ask about where all the animals came from. You should explain that
science has proved that animals have evolved over many millions of years. You might
tell them that a famous English scientist, Charles Darwin, is the person we credit for
the idea of evolution. Put simply, it is based on the fact that life has been on Earth for
many millions of years, that offspring are not identical to their parents, and that these
tiny changes accumulate in populations because of the environment in which they
live. You may hear about the so-called ‘theory’ of Intelligent Design, which is not a
scientific theory, has no scientific evidence to support it, and should not be taught in
science lessons.

Summary of key learning points:

• a species is a group of organisms that can inter-breed to produce fertile
offspring;

• there is variation within all species;

• the principal agent controlling the characteristics and working of cells and
organisms is their genetic material, DNA;

• reproduction results in DNA from the parent or parents being passed on to

future generations;

• before reproduction, the genetic material of an organism is replicated;

• mutations may occur during the process of DNA replication and during
sexual reproduction, and genetic material will inevitably be re-combined,
both of which will cause variation in the offspring;

• in asexual reproduction (cloning), there is no variation, the offspring look

exactly like the parent;

• biologists believe that variation caused by genetic mutation and re-

combination, coupled with interaction between organisms and their
environment, leads to natural selection and evolutionary change.

Self-test
Question 1
Each species (a) can breed with another species to produce fertile offspring, (b) is
unique, (c) is a group of organisms that can breed to produce offspring, (d) will evolve
into a new species
 VA R I AT I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y 109

Question 2
Genes (a) are found on chromosomes, (b) cannot mutate, (c) are the basic unit of
inheritance, (d) are only found in animal cells

Question 3
Sexual reproduction (a) is basically the same as asexual reproduction, (b) produces
offspring that are non-identical to the parents, (c) is preceded by replication of gen-
etic material, (d) requires more than one parent

Question 4
Evolution by natural selection (a) is accepted by all scientists, (b) results from muta-
tions and re-combinations and rearrangements of genetic material and the influence
of the organism’s environment, (c) was first described by Gregor Mendel, (d) natur-
ally involves extinctions

Self-test answers
Q1: (b) and (c) are correct. Different species cannot breed with one another to
produce fertile offspring; this is a feature within a species not between species.
Species may evolve, may become extinct, but may remain unchanged for many thou-
sands of years.
Q2: (a) and (c) are correct. Genes do mutate. Plant cells contain genes too.
Q3: (b), (c), and (d) are correct. Sexual and asexual reproduction both result in young
but are quite different, as asexual reproduction results in identical genetic copies
(clones).
Q4: (a), (b), and (d) are correct. Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution by
means of natural selection.

Misconceptions
‘We’re not animals!’
‘One similarity is that we have different hair colour!’

Webliography
http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F391&viewtype=text&pageseq=1
(complete works of Charles Darwin online)
5
The environment

About this chapter

This chapter deals with organisms on planet Earth, where and how they live,
interact, depend on one another and how one species, humankind, has a
significant effect on the environment. It explains terms such as ecosystem and
habitat and describes such phenomena as acid rain and global warming. The
water and carbon cycles are included as they are significant to the interaction
between living things and the planet. The second part of the chapter deals with
what pupils need to learn about the environment, and the final part suggests
some of the best ways to teach pupils about the environment, including
common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Resources required: access to different environments

This section includes aspects of ecology, which is the science of the environment.
Because of changes in the environment caused by the activity of humankind, we
have included reference to such issues as global warming which we feel are import-
ant. You are not expected to develop an encyclopaedic knowledge of animals and
plants. It is useful, however, to be able to name a range of animals and plants, maybe
one or two from each order (see Chapters 2 and 3 on the Plant and Animal
Kingdoms). Do not worry too much about remembering the names of plants and
animals, as much of the science here is about the relationship of the organism with its
 THE ENVIRONMENT 111

environment, including other organisms. Most importantly you should develop

your:

• skills of observation, including the identification of similarities and differences in

plants and animals;
• appreciation of the variety in the living world;
• appreciation of the way these organisms survive;
• understanding of the impact of humankind.

Take opportunities to observe different habitats in parks, along the seashore, in

mountainous regions, hedgerows, ponds (take care), and the ground below the can-
opies of trees. Observe the plants you can see; animals will be harder to observe as
they tend to hide or leave as you approach (you could be a predator). Do the plants
provide: shelter for other organisms, food, a place to raise young? Do plants suffer
from the presence of animals? Are there ways they benefit from one another? If one
plant is eaten does another benefit? As one organism thrives, do others benefit or
suffer from competition? Consider the ideas of a food web or a food chain; can you
see possible links? Can you identify plants as producers and the different
consumers?

The planet as a biosphere

The organisms on planet Earth developed together and so have become dependent
on the planet, its habitats, and in very many cases on one another. In the chapters on
plant and animal life processes, you will see that animal respiration (how animals
release energy from sugars in each cell of their body) can be viewed as the ‘reverse’ Earth in Space

of photosynthesis (how plants make sugars from water and carbon dioxide, in the
presence of sunlight). This is one of biology’s numerous examples of inter-
dependence. Another is the way so many animals and plants are dependent on
micro-organisms and fungi to decompose excreta and the bodies of dead organisms.
Knowledge and understanding such as this will provide a firm scientific basis for the
promotion of environmentally sensitive behaviour in pupils as young citizens of the
Citizenship
world.

Ecosystems
Ecosystems range greatly in size but usually include a space large enough to sustain a
community of organisms. An example might be an extensive forest area in Scotland,
where a plethora of plants and invertebrates live together with reptiles, birds, and
mammals. While each population might fluctuate from season to season and from
year to year, each species remains, some feeding on others, others living side by side
for many years. Can you think of other ecosystems around the world? Perhaps ones
you have visited or have seen on television? You might suggest a shallow sea, a rainfor-
est, an area of savannah, a large area of mixed farmland or woodland in England, or a
desert region.
112 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Habitats
A habitat is a place in which an organism lives. A shore crab’s habitat might be a bay
on the coast, whereas that of a golden eagle is many square miles of Scottish upland.
Could you describe your habitat? Most habitats are home to a range of diverse organ-
isms. A tree may be habitat to other organisms such as algae and lichen and to
numerous invertebrates such as caterpillars.

Food chains, food webs, and pyramids of numbers

Scientists can represent the inter-dependence of organisms in different ways, one of
which is to chart how energy moves from one organism to another in an environment.
A food chain is a simple version of this and represents a linear path of energy as one
organism feeds on another. The exception to this is the primary producer, a plant,
which gets its energy from the Sun.

Of course, this is over-simplified. For example, not all sparrows are eaten by sparrow
hawks; some are eaten by domestic cats and others just die of old age. A more realistic
model is a food web.

Figure 5.1 A food web

A food web is still unlikely to be a comprehensive picture of the feeding relation-

ships and energy flows but it does give a better idea of inter-relationships. Can you
identify the producer and the consumers? It usefully illustrates the fact that all the
animals depend on plants for energy and that some animals feed on a range of foods
while others are more limited. As you begin to appreciate these relationships, you can
see what will happen when, for example, a late spring will reduce the insect population
and so perhaps reduce the number of young shrews and blue tits. This will then affect
the number of young raised by sparrow hawks. In a good year, populations are
affected positively.
 THE ENVIRONMENT 113

Figure 5.2 A pyramid of numbers – Antarctic Ocean

A pyramid of numbers also informs us about these relationships. The example in

Figure 5.2 illustrates that a population of, say, fifty killer whales depends on healthy
populations of seal and fish whose numbers far exceed those of the whales. A pyramid
of numbers also demonstrates the devastating effect of pollution. Plankton may take
in a toxic chemical in small amounts and be unaffected. As fish eat many millions of
Maths

plankton, the chemical accumulates in the bodies of the fish. This effect is repeated up
each level so more and more poison is concentrated in fewer and fewer individuals.
Thus it is often the top feeder that suffers most. As you, a human, are a top feeder
(nothing eats you!), you ought to be concerned about any toxic materials in the food
chain.
You will find that pupils become very engaged with feeding relationships.
Predator–prey feeding relationships can be illustrated by graphs that show how the
population of the predator is affected by the population of the prey. Maths

Various internet simulations and paper-based games are available. A suitable

one is available at the following website:
http://home.messiah.edu/~deroos/CSC171/PredPrey/PRED.htm
You will see interesting results if you make adjustments. For example, reducing
the starting numbers of rabbits leads to a massive increase in the rabbit popula-
tion before the fox population catches up.

The water cycle

Water on planet Earth is constantly cycling from oceans, lakes, and rivers to the
atmosphere, to the land, and back to the oceans. We depend on the water the cycle
provides at different stages of the cycle.
Water evaporates from oceans, rivers, and lakes. The resulting water vapour is
 114 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Geography

Figure 5.3 The water cycle

carried upwards by convection to form clouds in the atmosphere. Many of these are
blown by wind towards the land where they are forced to rise and, as a result, cool and
begin to condense. The resulting drops of water fall to the ground as rain, hail or snow
and begin in streams, rivers, and underground water courses to travel back towards
the ocean. Can you think of places on the planet where there is little rain/snowfall?
Your list might include very small islands or cold or hot deserts such as Death Valley
in Nevada in the USA.
How many stages can you identify that are directly exploited by humankind?
You may have included every stage apart from the evaporation from the sea and
lakes.

An animated version of the water cycle is available at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/riversandcoasts/water_cycle/rivers/index.shtml
Games based on labelling a diagram are available at:
http://www.athena.bham.org.uk/old/WCjumbled.htm
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=watercycle

The carbon cycle

Although you will not teach pupils about the carbon cycle, it is very useful back-
ground knowledge and is linked to arguments about climate change. Carbon can be
found in most environments on Earth, in the plants and animals of the oceans, in
 THE ENVIRONMENT 115

rocks such as limestone, in oil and coal deposits, in land plants, animals, and soil.
Carbon moves between these stores naturally. As plants and animals die and are
decomposed, the carbon from their bodies moves into the soil. When forest fires
occur, carbon is released into the atmosphere. Take a moment to look at Figure 5.4
and consider what is meant by each arrow. Some processes are short-lived, such as a
tree growing one metre. As it does so, it traps atmospheric carbon dioxide in its
tissues. Other process take much longer. For example, the skeletons of dead sea
creatures create a deposit of carbon on the ocean floor; after millions of years, this can
become limestone and be pushed upwards to become part of the land.

Figure 5.4 The carbon cycle

Humans exploit these stores to provide food, building materials, and fuels. Just
consider for a moment, looking at Figure 5.4 and around your home, which of the
carbon stores you exploit either directly or indirectly. If you breathe, eat plant tissue,
animal tissue, burn fuel for transport or to keep warm, and live in a human-made
wooden, rock or brick dwelling, you are exploiting all the major carbon stores.
Almost every time we exploit a carbon-based resource such as coal or food,
carbon is released into the atmosphere, usually in the form of carbon dioxide. When
our population was small (10,000 years ..., it may have been around 1 million
worldwide), our use of carbon was of course limited and the Earth’s carbon stores
were able to soak up what we released. Now the massive and growing human popula-
tion [6.5 billion now, 7.5 billion by 2020, and 9.4 billion by 2050 (source: US census
bureau at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population)] is exploiting these carbon-
rich resources at a much higher rate. This increase is further magnified as the human
population becomes financially richer, as each person consumes more food, more gas,
more limestone, more steel, and so on.
There are other cycles (e.g. nitrogen cycle, oxygen cycle) including, most likely,
116 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

ones we don’t even know about! Which parts of the water or carbon cycles occur
within a mile of your home? Within 200 miles?

Acid rain
Acid rain has the effect of making rain, groundwater, lakes, and rivers slightly acid,
which is enough to kill plants and animals in those habitats. Acid rain occurs when
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released into the atmosphere. The resulting
chemical reactions mean that rain becomes slightly acidic. British industry and power
plants have released these gases in the past. These have been blown on prevailing
winds to the north east and so parts of Scotland and Scandinavia have suffered very
badly. Whole forests and lakes have been devastated.

Ozone depletion
We release all sorts of particles and gases into the air. Some chemicals destroy the
protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere (e.g. CFCs found in some refriger-
ators). As the ozone layer helps to keep out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun,
its thinning has become a serious problem. Scientists have detected a ‘hole’ that
appears over the Antarctic every summer.

Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that keeps the surface of the Earth
warm. Without it the Earth’s surface would be too cold for life as we know it. It is
caused by greenhouse gases (e.g. methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapour)
trapping heat and making the lower atmosphere warmer. Put simply, this happens

Figure 5.5 Increased greenhouse gases result in a changed greenhouse effect

 THE ENVIRONMENT 117

when radiation from the Sun warms the surface of the Earth and the warmed surface
then itself emits heat in the form of infra-red radiation. This heat is absorbed by the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The warmed greenhouse gases themselves emit
infra-red radiation, which has the effect of further warming the atmosphere and the
surface of the Earth. Without humankind’s use of fossil fuels and land use, the green-
house effect maintained a balance.

The following animation will assist your understanding:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/
greenhouse.stm

Climate change caused by humankind

Climate change is still treated with scepticism by some people. However, most scien-
tists now accept it, or are sufficiently concerned to accept that action should be taken
to mitigate it. It is humankind’s activity (e.g. transport, farming, waste materials, fossil
fuels) that is causing an excessive build-up of carbon dioxide, which is not being
removed by the Earth’s natural systems, and this is causing climate change.

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

5(a) to find out about different plants and animals in their environment;
5(b) to identify similarities and differences between local environments and ways
in which these affect animals and plants that are found there;
5(c) to care for the environment.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that there are different kinds of plants and animals in the immediate
environment (QCA 2B)
— that there are differences between local habitats (QCA 2B)
— to treat animals and the environment with care and sensitivity (QCA 2B)
(QCA, 1998)
118 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 2
Pupils should be taught:

5(a) about ways in which living things and the environment need protection;
5(b) about the different plants and animals in two different habitats;
5(c) about how animals and plants in two different habitats are suited to their
environment;
5(d) to use food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat;
5(e) about how nearly all food chains start with a green plant;
5(f) that micro-organisms are living organisms that are often too small to be
seen, and that they may be beneficial.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— to identify different types of habitat (QCA 4B)

— that animals are suited to the different habitats in which they are found
(QCA 4B)
— to recognise ways in which living things and the environment need pro-
tection (QCA 4B)
— that animals and plants in a local environment are inter-dependent (QCA
6A)
— that food chains begin with a plant (the producer) (QCA 6A)
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘environment’ at Key Stage 1

Find out about different plants and animals in the local environment
Young pupils should spend significant periods of time in science lessons outside in the
school grounds and at times further afield in parks and nature reserves. One of the key
objectives is to kindle an interest, a love, and an appreciation of the living world. This
will be affected by the pupils’ interest in exotic creatures such as dolphins and ele-
phants but can also be developed through observations of local plants and animals.
They need to get beyond the ‘yuk’ factor and learn to look carefully at the small
animals all around us.
 THE ENVIRONMENT 119

Pupil activity 5.1

Observing a local environment

Learning objective: Learn about a local environment and the animals and
plants that live there.
Resources required: access to an environment, sketching and drawing
materials, books that identify common wild plants, computer microscope
or visualiser

After selecting a local environment such as the corner of a school field, an area of trees
or a garden area, take the class to examine the area and to sketch plants they find. Ask
them to observe carefully, such as looking for signs of plants being eaten. They may
have to search for animals which can be drawn in the same way. Larger animals such
as birds are harder to observe and so the class may have to discuss birds seen in the
vicinity.
Ask the pupils to make a profile of each living thing, finding its name or giving its
name, its location, and its appearance. They could find out about how it lives, for
example that it needs light, water and warmth, that it flowers and makes seed, that it is
visited by flying insects and eaten by some. View plants and perhaps invertebrates
through a computer microscope or visualiser. Some plants will be unfamiliar and so
pupils may be uncertain about whether they flower – this is where pocket guides to
wild plants will assist. Most of the plants you find will flower in some way; grasses
flower but as they are wind-pollinated the flowers are not coloured to attract insects.
Most of the animals you find will be invertebrates and will be small and unfamiliar.
Again simple pocket guide books to insects and other invertebrates will assist.

Pupil activity 5.2

Listening to earthworms!

Learning objective: Learn by observing how the body of the earthworm is

adapted to its habitat.
Resources required: deep trays, leaf litter, earthworms, hand lenses,
paper, computer microscope or visualiser

Earthworms like damp conditions, so by providing them with moist (not wet) leaf
litter they can spend a few hours in the classroom (ensure that they are returned to the
habitat at the end of the day; point this out to pupils). Remind pupils that earthworms
live by eating soil close to the surface and so spend their lives moving through this
environment. Ask the pupils whether they can see the many segments of the
earthworm’s body. What colours can they see? Can pupils describe how they move?
120 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Try carefully placing earthworms onto dry paper for a few minutes and listening;
you may be able to hear a scraping, rasping sound because their bodies are covered in
tiny bristles. Can pupils say how an earthworm’s body is adapted to the environment
in which it lives? A computer microscope may assist. How might the bristles help?
Pupils should wash their hands after this activity.

Common misconception
‘If you cut an earthworm in half, two earthworms will be made’
This is not true! It is a popular fallacy. Only one end of the earthworm can feed
(the head end with its brain in) and this end may survive. The other end cannot
grow a new head!

Pupil investigation skills 5.3

Do earthworms like dry or damp conditions?

Learning objective: Learn that animals will select a habitat that suits
them.
Resources required: deep tray, moist leaf litter, earthworms (or other
invertebrates such as snails, slugs or woodlice)

Arrange a deep tray or aquarium with dry leaves at one end and with moist leaves at
the other. Ask pupils to predict what will happen, perhaps working in pairs before the
class shares the predictions. Place a few earthworms (or other invertebrates) in the
middle section and then return to observe them after fifteen and then thirty minutes.
By this time they ought to be congregating at the damp end. Pupils might record
where they are at five-minute intervals. Do all invertebrates react in this way? Make
sure it is moisture they are reacting to, not light or temperature.
Extend this activity by keeping the earthworms in a wormery, which can be made
from a giant transparent drinks bottle (with the top removed). Add successive layers
of sand and soil with leaf litter on the top, add a little water for moisture, several
worms, and cover between viewings. The worms should slowly mix up the layers and
draw the leaves down. Ensure that the earthworms never dry out and are returned to a
suitable habitat.
 THE ENVIRONMENT 121

Pupil activity 5.4

We care for our environment

Learning objective: Learn about how we can care for the environment.
Resources required: initially, you require access to the school site

Identify – or even better, identify with the class – one of a number of options for pupils
to plan to carry out care for the environment. An ideal example is reduction of litter
on the school site. Pupils can see how their behaviour and that of others can have an
immediate and positive effect. This activity can include, for example, production of
Citizenship
posters, carrying out surveys of litter and/or of pupils, taking photographs, and con-
ducting an analysis of the problem. Is it caused by people? Pupils? Others? Are there
insufficient bins? How could things be improved?
Enrich this work by involving staff from the local authority who have responsibil-
ity for reducing littering; they are usually delighted to help.

Pupil activity 5.5

Animals and plants in two different habitats

Learning objective: Learn about the features of two different habitats and
the animals and plants found there.
Resources required: access to two habitats, paper, camera, Plasticine

This work is best done in the late spring, summer or early autumn months and may
require two or more lessons. It is worth starting with a sunny, dry, quiet area if pos-
sible. Young children should initially focus on one environment, describing it and the
plants and animals they find there. Is it dry or wet? Is it in full sun, part shade or
shade? Is it visited by dozens of children every day? Ask them to record what they see;
options include drawings, writing, photographs, and models. Now repeat this in
another environment that differs in some ways: drier/damper, more overgrown, more/
less light. Ask pupils about the many similarities as well as the differences.
You may need to return for more detailed observation of plants. Ask the pupils to
describe the plants, draw them, photograph them, and/or make models out of Plasti-
cine. Draw their attention to plants that are many times their own height (e.g. trees)
and plants that are tiny (e.g. mosses). Focus on size, shape, colour, and introduce the
key vocabulary of plants – roots, shoot, stem, leaf, flower, seed. Point out that many
plant parts are poisonous to humans. Can pupils keep a diary/make a class book/make
a display about our ‘Mini Wildlife Park’? Take a similar approach with animals,
although these may be harder to find; some animals such as birds are visitors, whereas
smaller invertebrates may spend all of their lives in the area.
122 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupils can observe and explore environments further afield such as might be
encountered on school visits or viewed on television, DVD or internet sites. There is
little doubt that physically visiting an environment is the best way to appreciate the
conditions. A good film or TV programme can introduce pupils to environments
and organisms that would not otherwise be seen, for example ants building an
underground nest.

Ways to teach ‘environment’ at Key Stage 2

Pupil activity 5.6

A desirable habitat?

Learning objective: Learn that we can measure and describe the main
features of a habitat.
Resources required: metre rulers, tape measures, safe thermometers,
anemometer, rainfall gauge, data-logging equipment

Introduce pupils to at least two habitats and ask them how we might describe them to
plants and animals looking for a home? Recap the living conditions required for living
things (light, air, warmth, shelter, water, food), and ask pupils to consider shelter and
food sources as they tackle this activity. Ask them about words to describe the habitat
and then ways we might measure features of the habitat, such as temperature, light,
and rainfall. Ask pupils to plan how to measure and record and to begin to conduct
measurements of these aspects (this may require daily measurements over a week or
two).

Pupil activity 5.7

Describe and identify plants and animals

Learning objective: Learn to describe and identify plants and animals.

Resources required: hand lenses, field guides, digital camera, drawing
materials, access to the internet

Utilising two (ideally contrasting) habitats on the school site, ask pupils in groups to
observe, describe, and identify either plants or animals on those sites (fewer pupils
will need to observe animals as they will probably be less numerous). Pupils will need
to spend time outside and record what they see (take photographs, draw pictures, take
rubbings, measure). Pupils should be able to discuss in pairs and then select a method
 THE ENVIRONMENT 123

for presenting the information (book, poster, blog, spreadsheet, etc.). Challenge
higher achieving pupils by expecting them to make more accurate observations and
measurements. Ask the groups to report back to the class with some emphasis on how
they went about the task.
This activity can be extended by counting or estimating the numbers of such
plants and animals. This is easy with larger plants but as you move to smaller plants
and animals, you will have to estimate a number or a range based on your observa-
tions; for example, we estimate that in the lawn, which is 10 × 10 m, there are 100–200
earthworms or count the number in one square metre and multiply.

Pupil activity 5.8

Show how plants and animals are adapted to their habitat

Learning objective: Learn about the features of plants and animals and
how these help them adapt to their habitat.
Resources required: records from the previous activity and access to the
habitat

Ask pupils to observe plants and ask questions to describe how they are adapted to
their environment:

• Do they have roots? How do these help them live here?

• Do they have colourful flowers? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Are the leaves high off the ground? If so, why?
• Are the leaves making a mat on the floor? If so, why does this assist the plant?
• Does the plant lose its leaves in the winter? If so, why? If not, why not?

Apply similar questions to the animals:

• Does the shape of the animal assist the way it lives?

• Does its colour help it survive?
• Can it move around? How does it move? How does this help it?
• Is its body covered in hair or feathers? If so, why?
• An additional feature of animals is behaviour. How does this help them? Do they
hide when alarmed? How does this help them? Can they flee from a threat? Why
do they do this? Can they search for food? How do they do this? How does this
help?

You may not be able to answer all of these questions, but asking them and other
questions and seeking answers is modelling good scientific practice.
124 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 5.9

A food chain

Learning objective: Learn how food chains show where each plant or
animal gets its energy. Learn that each food chain begins with a plant, a
producer.
Resources required: examples, pictures or perhaps an invertebrate (e.g.
snails)

Start with familiar animals and plants such as:

rose → greenfly → sparrow

daffodil → snail → thrush

grass seeds → mouse → hawk

Pupils may well think of examples from wildlife films involving predators such as
sharks:

plankton → fish → seal → shark

Use the familiar for the main part of the lesson and the less familiar to challenge
and intrigue pupils. If possible, introduce animals into the classroom to observe them
feeding (e.g. slugs or snails feeding on lettuce). Emphasise that the food provides
energy. When talking about plants as primary producers, emphasise their energy
source is the Sun. The hardest part of this lesson for pupils is drawing arrows in
the correct direction when drawing food chains and webs. The arrow points in the
direction in which the energy moves.

lettuce → slug

A very good way to reinforce this learning is illustrative role-play. Use large card
arrows and pupil badges representing animals and plants. Give these out and ask
pupils to stand in line, placing the arrows to represent different food chains and later
food webs. Ask pupils to describe how each organism gets its energy. The step to
food webs is more challenging and so you can expect discussion of feeding
relationships.
 THE ENVIRONMENT 125

Common misconception
‘I get energy asleep’
Many pupils do not have a clear idea of energy and where animals like humans
get their energy. Some associate lack of energy with tiredness. They hear people
say things like ‘I need a rest, I have no energy’. Ask the pupils to think of the
times they eat as times they take energy into their bodies.

Pupil activity 5.10

Role-play a food chain

Learning objective: Learn about feeding relationships in an environment.

Resources required: post-it notes

After writing the letter ‘f’ on numerous Post-its, scatter these around the walls and
furniture of the classroom. This may cause interest as pupils arrive. When you are
ready, explain that you are going to model a food chain and the example you have
chosen is an area of the Antarctic Ocean. First, ask six pupils to stand and to represent
seals; all around them is food. Each Post-it represents a fish, so without running off
they go and collect fish. After about thirty seconds, tell them to stop or ‘freeze frame’
and ask three others to stand and introduce them as killer whales. Ask what killer
whales eat (seals). Introduce the terms ‘predator’ and ‘prey’. Then, insist on no run-
ning but allow the killer whales to move around the room hunting and eating seals!
Stop the role-play when a seal or two are surviving; the whales never catch all the
seals, or what would happen? Challenge the pupils to identify the predator and prey,
the consumers, the top consumer, and the producer (plankton on which fish feed).
Try this approach with other food chains, for example:

caterpillar → sparrow → sparrow hawk

grass → rabbits → foxes

126 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 5.11

Use an ICT-based simulation for predator–prey populations

Learning objective: Learn that animal populations fluctuate and are

influenced by prey populations.
Resources required: a predator–prey game or simulation

The relationship between a predator and prey population can be represented by the
graph in Figure 5.6. Pupils can see that as the population of the prey increases, there is a
delay and then an increase in the predator population. Ask pupils to explain this delay.

Figure 5.6 Graphical representation of relative predator–prey populations over time

Predator–prey games are available on the internet. Simple ones that are suitable
for primary classes include:
http://www.snh.org.uk/teachingspace/whattodo/peatlands/
predator_and_prey_game.asp

Pupil activity 5.12

An environmental campaign

Learning objective: Learn about ways we can care for the environment.
Resources required: newspapers, periodicals, news websites, etc.

Newspapers and news websites are a good starting point for looking at an issue such
as global warming or acid rain (now threatening stonework in the City of Venice), a
 THE ENVIRONMENT 127

threat to local woodland or the need to promote recycling. Either you can select an
issue for the pupils to address or they can select one for themselves. Initially, you
might look at a local issue such as litter, a new road or limited local recycling. It could
even be a fictitious example, perhaps a new roadway through the local park. They
might consider some of the following questions:

• What is the issue?

• Do pupils understand what is going on?
• What is the effect? Literacy

• What is the science behind it?

• What different proposals have been made?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages?
• Can they suggest proposals to improve the situation?
• Can they make a case for an action or actions?
• Could they communicate their ideas to decision makers involved? Others?

Pupil activity 5.13

Citizenship and care for the environment

Learning objective: Learn about ways in which our behaviour can damage
or improve the environment.
Resources required: access to parts of the school site, access to the
internet

Ask the pupils about the school site and the different places animals and plants live.
Take them on a short walk to see several areas and ask them to think of ways these
areas could be home to a greater variety of plants and animals. If you have time ask the
pupils to research ways of caring for such habitats on the internet. Alternatively, ask a
local park ranger to speak to the class about such approaches.
After discussion in pairs, ask the pupils to suggest ways that these habitats,
together with the animals and plants, could be looked after, so that the animals and
plants will grow and not be hurt. They might suggest planting more plants, excluding
people, writing a sign, not dropping litter, all sorts of things may come up. Try to
accept all ideas and select several to explore, trial, put into place. Pupils may want to
visit the site regularly, so you might suggest rules, for example not removing leaves,
Citizenship
not moving rocks, putting stones they have turned over back in their original place the
right way up, and so on.
An alternative or additional approach is to ask pupils to consider ways to reduce,
re-use, and recycle resources. This work can extend to their home and the local,
national, and global communities. If your school is registered as an Eco School (see
www.encams.org), it will have a pupil-led Eco-Committee, the members of which
128 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

should be delighted to hear about your work and may be able to assist. If not, you
might consider taking on some ideas of the scheme and perhaps promoting it in
school. This would contribute to your school’s plan to become a sustainable school.

Pupil activity 5.14

Research and discussion about micro-organisms

Learning objective: To understand the harmful and beneficial roles of

micro-organisms.
Resources required: books on micro-organisms, access to the internet

We tend to be unaware of micro-organisms but are aware of the negative con-

sequences of their lives on us. If they make us unwell, we experience discomfort and
even serious illness; however, when we eat bread and other foodstuffs, we often forget
the role they played. As the positive examples of the lives of micro-organisms are
perhaps less familiar, consider emphasising these. Ask pupils to do some research
(book or web-based) to identify foods and products in which micro-organisms have
been used in production, for example breads, yoghurt, beer, wine, and medicines.
This could be extended to other ways we benefit from micro-organisms, such
as composting, removal of dead animal and plant materials, and their/our waste
products. Negative effects of micro-organisms include bacterial and viral illness, the
rotting of food, and damage to materials such as clothing that can rot.

Pupil discussion 5.15

Micro-organisms recycle nutrients

Learning objective: Learn about the abundance and role of micro-

organisms in recycling nutrients.
Resources required: none

Recap with examples of a food chain. Remind pupils about micro-organisms, that
they live in the environment, often in the soil, and briefly how they live. Ask them to
talk to others and then contribute to a discussion about where micro-organisms fit
into a food chain. Share ideas but establish that they are abundant in the environment
and deal with death and waste materials at each stage of a life cycle.

Figure 5.7 Micro-organisms and their role in the food chain

 THE ENVIRONMENT 129

Pupil investigation skills 5.16

Observation of rotting food

Learning objective: To understand that micro-organisms can break down

food and how this is a necessary process, but can be a problem for
humans.
Resources required: food to grow mould on, securely sealed bags (see
Safety Point below)

For these investigations, food should be sealed in containers because observation of

moulds can be dangerous. The pupils could use a sealed bag within another sealed bag.
Ask them to plan an investigation of the conditions that speed up the rotting of food,
such as temperature, light, and moisture. The latter is perhaps the easiest to set up.
Challenge them to design a fair test and to vary one variable (e.g. amount of
moisture). Sliced bread is very good for growing mould on. The bags must not be
re-opened at any point and at the end of the investigation place them all in a strong bin
bag and dispose of appropriately.

Summary of key learning points:

• a diversity of organisms exists, which includes bacteria, fungi, plants, and
animals;

• a diversity of organisms is found in most habitats;

• the organisms, including humans, in an ecosystem interact with each

other and with the physical aspects of the environment;

• micro-organisms are widely distributed;

• planet Earth can be seen as a single biosphere with all animals and plants
living together and inter-dependent;

• resources such as water move through a cycle that is essential to life on

Earth;

• most scientists believe that much human activity is raising average tem-
peratures and that this climate change has the potential to adversely
affect populations of animals and plants;

• many aspects of human activity have known and unknown consequences

on the planet, its atmosphere, and populations of plants and animals (e.g.
ozone depletion);
130 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

• people – including pupils – can alter their behaviour and choices to reduce
the negative affects of human activity on the planet (e.g. reducing energy
consumption, measuring and reducing one’s carbon footprint).

Self-test
Question 1
Humankind’s effect on the planet (a) is to warm it up, (b) can have positive and
negative consequences, (c) is the fault of scientists, (d) is undesirable

Question 2
Animals and plants (a) exist for the benefit of humankind, (b) will always recover from
the impact of humankind, (c) are inter-dependent, (d) are themselves stores of
carbon

Question 3
Food chains (a) always start with a producer, (b) represent ‘what eats what’, (c) show
how pollutants can move into other organisms and become concentrated, (d) all rely
on the Sun for energy
Question 4
We can reduce humankind’s negative effect by (a) consuming less fossil fuels, (b)
waiting for other people to take action, (c) reducing our consumption of raw
materials, for example by recycling, (d) composting waste organic material

Self-test answers
Q1: (b) is correct as not all our activities warm up the planet. Humans are respon-
sible for discoveries and inventions that have led to some of the environmental
problems. However, it is how these inventions and discoveries have been used that
has caused the problems. Often the potential damage was not known in advance.
Fossil fuels have been burned for a long time, but humans have only recently found
out about the greenhouse effect. It is only through science that we have been able to
quantify the problem and offer potential solutions. Humankind’s effect on the planet
is not all undesirable – for example, we have protected some creatures from natural
disasters.
Q2: (c) and (d) are correct. Living organisms do not exist for our benefit and do not
always recover from the impact of humankind.
Q3: (a) and (d) are correct. At a simple level, food chains show ‘what eats what’ (b)
but it is better to think of them as showing energy flow from organism to organism.
(c) is partly correct but pyramids illustrate the impact of pollution more effectively.
 THE ENVIRONMENT 131

Q4: (a), (c), and (d) are correct. Waiting for others to take action would be less
effective.

Misconceptions
‘If you cut an earthworm in half, two earthworms will be made’
‘I get energy asleep’

Webliography
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/
greenhouse.stm
(animated simulation of the greenhouse effect)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/riversandcoasts/water_cycle/rivers/index.shtml
(animated diagram of the water cycle)

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=watercycle
(animated water cycle with interactive labelling)

http://home.messiah.edu/~deroos/CSC171/PredPrey/PRED.htm
(predator–prey simulation)

http://www.snh.org.uk/teachingspace/whattodo/peatlands/predator_and_prey_game.asp
(a whole-class predator–prey game)

www.encams.org.uk
(for the Eco Schools site)
6
Materials

About this chapter

This chapter provides an explanation of what all materials are made of, dis-
cussing atoms and their constituent parts. It distinguishes between the vari-
ous configurations of atoms and how these affect the behaviour of materials. It
addresses properties of materials and the ways that materials can be
changed. Solids, liquids, gases, mixtures, and separating techniques are also
covered. The second part of the chapter addresses what the pupils need to
learn and the final part suggests effective ways to teach about materials,
including how to address common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Atoms
All materials are constructed from atoms. The easiest way to think of an atom is as a
simple sphere and when we talk later of solids, liquids, and gases, this is the model we
shall use. An atom is not really a simple ball shape, however, as it contains different
parts inside it. In the centre of each atom is the nucleus, which itself is made of two
different particles: the proton and the neutron. Different types of atoms have differing
numbers of protons and neutrons. The proton has a positive electrical charge and the
neutron has no charge. Orbiting this central nucleus region is an electron, which is
negatively charged. Opposites attract, so the negative charge of the electron is
attracted by the positive charge of the proton, and this keeps the orbiting electron in
place. The electron is the thing that electricity is ‘made of’, while the proton and
neutron are much bigger and can be thought of as the ‘hard stuff’ in an atom.
The simplest atom is hydrogen, which unusually does not even contain a neutron;
 M AT E R I A L S 133

Figure 6.1 An atom of helium showing protons, neutrons, and electrons

it simply has one single proton being orbited by one single electron. Other atoms are
bigger, and contain more protons, neutrons, and electrons. Figure 6.1 shows a helium
atom, which contains two protons (marked with a ‘+’ sign) and two neutrons, all of
which are being orbited by two electrons (marked with a ‘−’ sign). Other familiar
atoms are oxygen, which has eight protons, eight neutrons, and eight electrons, and
carbon, which has six protons, six neutrons, and six electrons (see Figure 6.2).

Figure 6.2 An atom of carbon

134 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

An atom of gold is more massive and has 79 protons, 118 neutrons, and 79 elec-
trons. As already stated, there are different types of atoms and they differ because
they have different numbers of ‘subatomic’ particles in them, namely differing
numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons. It is as simple as that. To address how
many different types of atoms there are, we will look at what scientists call the
elements.

Elements
Familiar atoms such as oxygen, carbon, and gold are called ‘elements’ and form the
building blocks of the materials around us. An element is a ‘pure’ substance that only
contains atoms of that same element. There are about ninety naturally occurring
elements, and the common ones include silver, iron, oxygen, nitrogen, calcium,
titanium, copper, aluminium, zinc, sulphur, phosphorus, magnesium, neon, potas-
sium, sodium, and lead. The reason that they differ from one another is that each of
them has different numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons inside them, which
gives them their unique properties. Elements cannot be changed into each other – for
example, lead cannot be turned into gold.
One atom is the smallest amount of an element that can be found in nature (e.g.
one atom of gold). If we were to put one atom of gold alongside another, they would
be identical in every way, having the same numbers of protons, neutrons, and
electrons.
After this brief discussion of the pure substances we call elements, you may be
wondering how ninety or so such elements are enough to make everything else we see
in the world. There are no elements of wood or elephants, so where do these things
come from? To answer that question, we must look at how elements are arranged and
bonded together to produce all of the materials that we come across.

Arranging the elements: molecules, compounds, and mixtures

Molecules
When atoms bond together they form what is called a molecule. The atoms can be the
same type (e.g. two hydrogen atoms) or they can be different types (e.g. a carbon
atom and an oxygen atom). When two atoms of hydrogen bond together they form a
molecule of hydrogen (H2). When a carbon atom and an oxygen atom bond together
they form a molecule of carbon monoxide (CO).

Compounds
When atoms of certain different elements meet they react together to form a com-
pound. Water is the most familiar compound, made from the elements hydrogen and
oxygen. Compounds do not have properties the same as their elemental parts. For
example, water is H2O, which means that each molecule has two hydrogen gas atoms
bonded to one oxygen gas atom. This is unexpected, two gases combining to make a
liquid! Salt is sodium chloride, which is sodium metal atoms bonded with poisonous
 M AT E R I A L S 135

chlorine gas atoms to make common table salt, not at all obvious! Plastic is made from
long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
It is these arrangements of atoms that provide different materials with their
properties and it is a complex business. As primary school teachers we can leave it
to chemists to worry about how different arrangements of the atoms achieve
the properties that they do. What we need to know about is which materials have
which properties and we do not have to worry about their underlying chemical
structure and arrangement.

Mixtures
Mixtures occur when different substances are mixed together, but do not react with
each other. This means that the particles do not interact with each other to make new
substances with new properties. Everyday examples include the air, which is a mix-
ture of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour. Mixtures can often be
separated easily (e.g. sand can be separated from water by filtering).

Solids, liquids, and gases

To explain the behaviour of solids, liquids, and gases, we need to understand particle
theory. Particle theory treats a single atom or molecule as a single, spherical particle.
This simplification allows us to understand how something like water can be a solid
(as ice), liquid or gas (as water vapour).
In its solid ice form, all the particles of water are packed close together and do not
move appreciably. This means that a block of ice in a cold room retains its shape. As
heat is added, the particles gain energy, can move around more, and are not so tightly
packed. This means that the ice starts to melt. Eventually, it will all become a liquid,
which means it can change its shape and flow. Over time, the particles of water at the
surface of the liquid can gain enough energy to leave the liquid and go up into the air.
This is evaporation. The hotter the surroundings, the more easily the particles on the
surface can gain energy to evaporate and become a gas.
As illustrated in Figure 6.3, the opposite can also happen. In a warm room, the
water vapour particles may hit a cold window, lose energy, and turn back into liquid
form. This process is condensation. Water placed in a freezer soon becomes ice. As
the liquid loses energy, the particles lose their ability to move around so freely and so
solid ice forms.
Subliming is much less common. This is where a solid turns directly to a gas.
Some snow lying on the ground will often sublime rather than simply melt. The
opposite process is called deposition, where, for example, water vapour changes
directly into ice e.g. frost formation.
136 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 6.3 Particle theory showing how a substance can exist as a solid, liquid or gas

Reversible and irreversible changes

The above processes are referred to as reversible changes, since water can change
easily from one state to another. Another kind of reversible change is dissolving. If salt
is added to water and stirred in slowly, the large grains of salt begin to break down into
smaller pieces. These smaller pieces bond weakly with the water, forming salty water.
The salty water is what is termed a ‘solution’, which simply means a liquid with a solid
dissolved in it. The process can easily be reversed by boiling off the water (or letting it
slowly evaporate), leaving the salt grains behind. However, not all solids dissolve in
water. When solids that do not dissolve are stirred into water, they form what is called
a ‘suspension’ (e.g. talcum powder in water). If left, the solid will eventually settle at
the bottom.
Other changes are not reversible. These irreversible or permanent changes pro-
duce new substances. Irreversible changes happen during chemical changes, for
example burning. When wood is burnt it produces smoke and ash. The smoke and
ash can never be recombined to form wood. Another example of irreversible change is
when two substances react together, for example vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. In
this case, the bonds inside the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda molecules are broken
and the atoms released form new bonds in new combinations to make a new sub-
stance, which is carbon dioxide gas.
 M AT E R I A L S 137

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 3

Grouping and classifying materials

Pupils should be taught:

1(a) to use their senses to explore and recognise the similarities and differences
between materials;
1(b) to sort objects into groups on the basis of simple material properties;
1(c) to recognise and name common types of material;
1(d) to find out about the uses of a variety of materials and how these are chosen
for specific uses on the basis of their simple properties.

Changing materials
Pupils should be taught:

2(a) to find out how the shape of objects made from some materials can be changed
by some processes, including squashing, bending, twisting, and stretching;
2(b) to explore and describe the way some everyday materials change when they
are heated and cooled.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— to use appropriate vocabulary to describe materials (QCA 1C)

— that some materials are magnetic but most are not (QCA 1C)
— to think about which objects they expect to be attracted to a magnet
(QCA 1C)
— to suggest how to test an idea about whether a fabric or paper is suitable
for a particular purpose (QCA 1C)
— to suggest how to test whether materials are waterproof (QCA 1C)
— that some materials occur naturally but some do not (QCA 2D)
— that some naturally occurring materials are treated (shaped, polished)
before they are used (QCA 2D)
— that water turns to steam when it is heated but on cooling the steam turns
back to water (QCA 2D)
— to explore melting ice using the senses (QCA 2D)
(QCA, 1998)
138 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 3

Grouping and classifying materials

Pupils should be taught:

1(a) to compare everyday materials and objects on the basis of their material pro-
perties, including hardness, strength, flexibility, and magnetic behaviour;
1(b) that some materials are better thermal insulators than others;
1(c) that some materials are better electrical conductors than others;
1(e) to recognise the differences between solids, liquids, and gases in terms of
ease of flow and maintenance of shape and volume.

Changing materials
Pupils should be taught:

2(a) to describe changes that occur when materials are mixed;

2(b) to describe changes that occur when materials are heated or cooled;
2(c) that temperature is a measure of how hot or cold things are;
2(d) about reversible changes, including dissolving, melting, boiling, condens-
ing, freezing, and evaporating;
2(e) the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle;
2(f) that non-reversible changes result in the formation of new materials that
may be useful;
2(g) that burning materials results in the formation of new materials, a change
that is not usually reversible.

Separating mixtures of materials

Pupils should be taught:

3(a) how to separate solid particles of different sizes by sieving;

3(b) that some solids dissolve in water to give solutions but some do not;
3(c) how to separate insoluble solids from liquids by filtering;
3(d) how to recover dissolved solids by evaporating the liquid from the solution;
3(e) to use knowledge of solids, liquids, and gases to decide how mixtures might
be separated.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)
 M AT E R I A L S 139

Children should learn:

— that materials are suitable for making a particular object because of their
properties and that some properties are more important than others when
deciding what to use (QCA 3C)
— to compare the absorbency of different papers (QCA 3C)
— that some materials are good thermal insulators (QCA 4C)
— that materials such as metals, which are good electrical conductors, are
often good thermal conductors (QCA 4C)
— that the same material can exist as both a solid and a liquid (QCA 4D)
— that different solids melt at different temperatures (QCA 4D)
— that air has weight and is all around us (QCA 5C)
— that powders and sponges are solid materials with gaps between particles
(QCA 5C)
— that there are many gases around us, many of which are important to us
(QCA 5C)
— to explain the ‘disappearance’ of water in a range of situations as evapor-
ation (QCA 5C)
— that gases flow more easily than liquids and in all directions (QCA 5C)
— to explain everyday examples of ‘drying’ in terms of factors affecting
evaporation (QCA 5D)
— when solids dissolve a clear solution is formed (which may be coloured)
(QCA 6C)
— that some changes that occur when materials are mixed cannot easily be
reversed (QCA 6D)
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘materials’ at Key Stage 1

Naming materials and identifying their properties
Pupil activity 6.1

What is the classroom made of?

Learning objective: To identify common materials in everyday use.

Resources required: everyday classroom objects

Discuss with your pupils the materials that things are made of in the classroom. They
should be able to spot things made of wood, metal, hard plastic, glass, and soft fabric
 140 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

(often cotton). For some familiar objects, it is much harder to work out what they are
made of. Many pupils don’t know that cups are made of pot or fired clay; they often
think they are made of glass (because they smash when dropped!).
Ask the pupils to draw or photograph the metal objects, the wooden objects, etc.,
in the room. Different groups might be assigned different materials. Can they explain
why certain materials are used in terms of their properties, such as why metal and
wood are so common in the classroom? (Because they are strong and hard). Glass is
Art and design
transparent, letting light through, whereas curtains and blinds are opaque, so block
the light to stop sunlight shining in people’s eyes. Ask pupils to label their drawings
with the properties of the materials.

Table 6.1 A record of materials and useful properties

Object made of . . . useful properties . . .

window glass strong and transparent

Pupil activity 6.2

Science songs

Learning objective: Learn why some materials are used to make particular
objects.
Resources required: none

Try making up some songs with the pupils to name a material and describe its useful
properties. It is easy to insert the words into a simple ‘template song’ such as Frere
Jacques. Here are two verses to start you off:
Music

Song (to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Glass for windows,
Glass for windows,
It is clear,
It is clear
So it lets the light through!
So it lets the light through!
That’s why its here,
That’s why its here.

Wood for doors,

Wood for doors,
Not too heavy,
Not too heavy,
 M AT E R I A L S 141

It’s very strong and hard,

It’s very strong and hard,
That’s why its here,
That’s why its here.

[See also Tim Harding’s (2003) book and CD, That’s Science: Learning Science
Through Songs. Stafford: Network Educational Press.]

Common misconception
‘Aren’t materials just fabrics?’
In everyday speech, we often use the word ‘material’ to refer to a fabric. Many
classrooms may have what is called a ‘Materials Box’, which is a box full of
different fabrics. The sense of the word we want to convey to the pupils is the
scientific one of each object being made from one or more substances.

Pupil activity 6.3

Sorting materials based on simple characteristics

Learning objective: Learn to identify the different properties a material

may have.
Resources required: sorting hoops labelled with different properties (see
below), a range of everyday objects that are easily handled (e.g. cups,
balls, pencils, rulers, books, simple toys, pencil cases, cards)

Prepare a range of objects that can easily be handled by the pupils. Include numerous
wooden, metal, and plastic items as well as different fabrics. Challenge them to see
how many different ways they can sort or group the materials. Start off simply with
two categories like ‘hard’ or ‘soft’, ‘rigid’ (like wood) or ‘bendy’ (like foam), ‘dull’ or
‘shiny’. Encourage the pupils to handle the materials and place them in hoops marked
with the correct description (e.g. hard, rough, smooth). They should rapidly see that
some objects can be placed in more than one hoop, as some materials have more than
one property.
Extend this task by asking how many different properties the pupils can identify
for each material. This can lead on to a discussion of why certain objects can be made
from different materials (e.g. a spoon to stir sauces can be made from wood, metal or
hard plastic). This is because each of these materials is rigid (keeps its shape), strong,
and waterproof. Some objects tend always to be made from the same material. Keys
are nearly always made of metal, as wood and plastic are too likely to break or lose
their shape to be effective keys.
142 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconception
‘Is it the spoon that’s hard or the material?’
In your discussion with the pupils, you may find that they frequently focus on
the object itself rather than the material. To the question ‘Which material is
hard?’, they will often reply ‘the spoon’. Ask them then to say what the spoon is
made of and stress that it is the material that makes the spoon hard. Another
approach is to use a ‘Materials Kit’ bought from an educational supplier. These
have discs and blocks of materials that are not shaped into usable objects, so the
pupils are more likely to focus on the material itself.

Natural, manufactured, and modified materials

Pupil activity 6.4

Is it natural or man-made?

Learning objective: Learn to identify and discuss whether materials are

natural or man-made.
Resources required: a range of example materials, including wood,
plastic, glass, steel, chalk, soil, and fabric. Include ones that have a
natural and a processed state – for example, a polished and unpolished
pebble, a twig and a wooden spoon, clay and pot, sand and glass
marbles, twig and paper, twig and card, vegetable oil and plastic spoon
(some plastics are made from vegetable oil rather than other types of
oil)

A more tricky way for the pupils to sort materials is into those that occur naturally
(e.g. wood and sand) and those that are made or manufactured (e.g. plastic and
glass). It is not always apparent to pupils which of these categories these materials
fit into. To further complicate matters, many natural materials are changed before
they are used. For example, wool and cotton are washed and dyed, wood is often
planed and polished, while stone can be ground and polished. Offer the pupils a
range of materials in their natural and processed state to see if they can link them
together. Encourage discussion and explain that it is not always easy to categorise a
material.
 M AT E R I A L S 143

Common misconception
‘It’s from the supermarket!’
Some pupils will have difficulty saying where a material has come from. Many
will give the source of foodstuffs as the local supermarket. Try this activity with
the class to challenge this idea.

object . . . comes from . . . comes from . . . comes from . . .

magazine printing factory paper factory trees
is made of . . . giant rolls of paper wood pulp is made raw material is
paper are printed, cut, and into paper wood
stapled

Pupil activity 6.5

What’s in the bag?

Learning objective: Learn to recognise the differing properties of a

material.
Resources required: feely bag (any small bag that cannot be seen
through), range of easily handleable everyday items made from a single
material (e.g. ruler, rubber, coin, etc.)

Feely bags are a great way to get the pupils to focus on the different textures of
materials. Out of view of the class, place a mystery object in the bag. One pupil feels
the object while the others ask that child questions about it. Check that he or she
knows the answer. Give the other children some questions to start off with, such as ‘Is
it hard or soft?’ ‘Smooth or rough?’ ‘Bendy or rigid?’
The child with their hand in the bag must resist the temptation of telling the
others what the object is, and should only respond to direct questions from the
others, not spontaneously giving clues away. The questioners must name the material
correctly, not the object. Only then can the object be revealed to see if they were
correct.
144 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 6.6

The right material for the job

Learning objective: To learn why certain materials are selected for

particular jobs.
Resources required: writing materials

Ask the pupils to draw a ship, house, car or anything that has lots of different materials
in it. They should draw the exterior and interior of the object and label the different
materials. Then get them to write down why those materials have been chosen for
each part. For example, the metal on the outside of cars is extremely strong and
waterproof, while the seats on the inside are made from leather and foam to make
them soft and comfortable. Challenge them to draw and label as many parts as they
can, and put the reason for each material choice on their picture as well.

Testing materials
Pupil investigation skills 6.7

The best waterproof material?

Learning objective: Through investigation be able to distinguish between

waterproof and absorbent materials.
Resources required: some disposable foam or paper cups with a large
hole cut in the bottom (prepare beforehand), paper towel, kitchen roll,
plastic sandwich bag, pieces of cotton, etc. Cut these different materials
into a square shape, so that they easily cover the hole in the cup, and
reach to about half way up the cup when placed inside

Tell the pupils you want to repair some broken picnic cups and so have to find a
waterproof material. Ask them to predict the best materials for the job. They can
easily test their material by placing it in the cup and pouring a little water in, taking
care to pour the water onto the material and not down the sides of the cup. Does the
water stay in the cup or drain through the material? A discussion might follow as to
the best material for an umbrella, coat or cover.
 M AT E R I A L S 145

Common misconception
‘It soaks up water so isn’t it waterproof?’
Many pupils think that absorbent materials such as paper towels, tissue paper,
and kitchen roll are waterproof. Here they are confusing absorbent (soaks the
water up) with waterproof (keeps the water out). It is worth demonstrating the
difference to all the pupils after the investigation above.

Pupil investigation skills 6.8

The best cat litter!

Learning objective: To be able to compare materials to identify the best

one for a particular job.
Resources required: paper towels, tissue paper, J-cloth, A4 paper, plastic
trays or plates, measuring cylinders (the smaller the better) or plastic
syringes (calibrated in millilitres)

Challenge the pupils to find the most absorbent material. You could say it was to make
a new cat litter for your pet that is not house trained! Don’t compare a range of
kitchen towels, as they are pretty similar. Instead, offer squares of material that
includes printer paper, tissue paper from tissue handkerchiefs, tissue paper from
kitchen roll, a blue J-cloth.
The procedure is to pour a small amount of water onto the sheet, wait for a short
time, and then pour it back again into a measuring cylinder and see how much has
been absorbed. Fair testing involves the amount of water used, the amount of time
given, and the size of each sheet.
The pupils may find it tricky initially to decide on the amount of water to pour on
and how long to wait. The less water the better if you are only using single sheets.
They could try 10–15 ml of water and wait for it to soak in for about 15 seconds, so let
them do a few trial runs before doing the investigation.
146 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 6.9

How hard, how soft?

Learning objective: To be able to test materials for a particular property.

Resources required: small rubber bouncy balls, squares of materials of
similar thickness, such as foam, carpet tile, cotton sheet, wood, and paper
(some materials can be folded to increase the thickness, e.g. paper and
cotton sheet; an ideal thickness is about half a centimetre), sticky labels
with the name of each material on, metre stick

Tell the pupils you want to make the softest cushions in the world, and so need to test
some materials. Materials can easily be ranked from hardest to softest by how high a
ball bounces when dropped on them. The hardest materials give the ball the biggest
bounce; the softest give the smallest bounce. It is worth you taking the time to demon-
strate this and discussing it with the pupils to ensure they understand the concept.
Challenge the pupils to design a fair test. They need to drop the ball from the
same height each time (a ruler could help here) and use the same thickness of
material. Measuring the height of first and highest bounce on each material can be
tricky, but using a metre ruler and placing stickers on it for each separate material is
useful. The pupils will need to test each material more than once to check their results
are accurate.

Heating and cooling materials

Pupil activity 6.10

Melting, solidifying, and freezing everyday things

Learning objective: Learn about the ways that heat can affect solids.
Resources required: butter, margarine, chocolate, plastic sandwich bags

Place the foods in separate sandwich bags. These can be held in the hand and the heat
from the hand will start to melt them. Chocolate melts within moments, whereas
margarine takes a few minutes to melt. Ask your pupils how the substances can be
changed back to solids. They may suggest putting them in a cool place, perhaps even
the fridge. Ask them what will happen if the substances are put in the freezer.
Stress that the food should not be eaten after it has been used in science
investigations.
 M AT E R I A L S 147

Pupil investigation skills 6.11

Where are the hottest and coldest parts of the school?

Learning objective: Learn through investigation that some places are

warmer than others and how this can be proved.
Resources required: balloons or rubber gloves, bowls to place them in,
measuring jugs and cylinders

Fill the balloons or rubber gloves with water and seal up. Freeze overnight. Ask the
pupils to select places around the school to leave frozen gloves in bowls. Ask them
where the ice will melt quickest and where it will last longest.
Cool places might include cupboards; hot places might be a sunny windowsill or
near a radiator. Care needs to be taken not to leave them near any electrical appliances
that could be affected by leakage. The amount of water produced from the melting ice
can be measured after cutting the balloons or untying the gloves and using the meas-
uring jugs. A simple graph can be drawn to show the results.

Ways to teach ‘materials’ at Key Stage 2

Grouping and classifying materials
Pupil activity 6.12

Draw it like it is!

Learning objective: To identify the key properties of common materials.

Resources required: materials for drawing

Ask the pupils to illustrate materials in terms of their properties by drawing the name
of the material in the style of its property; for example, the word ‘steel’ could be drawn
and coloured as shiny, silver grey riveted letters, ‘glass’ could be drawn as three-
dimensional block letters that can be seen through, ‘rubber’ could have bendy letters,
and so on.
148 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 6.13

The wrong material for the job

Learning objective: To identify the key properties of materials and then

imagine their opposites.
Resources required: materials for drawing

Challenge your pupils to draw an everyday object (e.g. a shoe, table, fridge) and label
the materials and their properties, and why those properties are suitable. Then ask
them to draw the same object but using the most unsuitable materials (e.g. paper for
the upper part of a shoe, sponge for its sole, wet spaghetti for the shoelaces). They
again should label what the properties are and why they are not suitable.

More complex properties of materials

Thermal conductors, insulators, strength, and hardness

Your pupils should have done some testing of materials in Key Stage 1. Some of the
investigations outlined in the Key Stage 1 section above would be suitable for younger
Key Stage 2 pupils – testing waterproof materials, absorbancy, hard and soft materials
– if they have not done them previously. In the sections below, thermal insulators and
conductors are investigated, as is strength and hardness and how these could be
tested.

Pupil investigation skills 6.14

Keeping ice from melting

Learning objective: To be able to identify thermal insulators as materials

that can keep things cool.
Resources required: ice cubes or ice pops (keep the wrappers on – this
makes them easy to handle during the experiment), syringes to measure
the amount of water produced from melting ice, small bowls to put the ice
in, a range of materials to wrap the ice in (e.g. woollen fabric, cotton fabric,
foil, plastic sandwich bags)

Challenge the pupils to find the best material to stop an ice cube from melting. Ask the
pupils to discuss how they will make it a fair test by using the same thickness of
material, the same number of layers, the same sized pieces of ice, etc. They are looking
for good thermal insulators that will stop heat from the surroundings flowing into the
ice cube and making it melt.
 M AT E R I A L S 149

Which materials were poor at stopping the ice from melting? Could we class these
as thermal conductors? Challenge pupils to think of examples where such insulation
would be used (e.g. refrigerated lorries, ice rinks, ski domes). Then ask them how this is
similar to keeping things warm. It is about something being at a higher or lower
temperature than its surroundings and trying to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Common misconception
‘But won’t wool and other fabrics make them hotter?’
Pupils might think that materials such as wool, which are good thermal insula-
tors, will be no good because they ‘warm us up’. Here we have confusion – we
generate heat and the wool jumper keeps us warm by stopping the heat from
flowing away from our body, it does not generate heat itself. Pupils often think
that materials ‘keep the cold in the ice’ rather than keeping the heat out.

Pupil investigation skills 6.15

Keeping liquids hot

Learning objective: Learn to identify thermal insulators as materials that

keep things hot.
Resources required: thermometers, plastic cups, range of materials to
wrap around the cups, warm water to act as the ‘soup’

The water used in this experiment should only be ‘hand hot’. Hand hot is just warm
enough to wash the dishes with (about 45°C) (it is worth your pupils knowing this
figure).
Can the pupils make a cup that would keep soup hot for as long as possible?
Ensure they consider fair testing. Ask them to think about thickness of material and
number of layers of material. Discuss with the pupils the need to measure the tem-
perature at regular intervals. Can they predict the ones that are poor at keeping the
water warm (good conductors)? If you can acquire lids for the cups (or simply place a
piece of the test material over the top of the cup), you will achieve better results
because the water will stay warm for longer. The pupils may want to set up a cup that
has no material wrapped around it, to see if it becomes cold more quickly (it does, and
this is worth them observing).
These last two investigations should demonstrate that thermal insulators can keep
cold things cold and hot things hot, which pupils often find hard to understand. The
cold things are kept cold by the insulator preventing heat from the surroundings from
flowing into the cold thing. The hot things are kept hot by the thermal insulator
stopping heat flowing out of the hot object.
150 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 6.16

Insulators and conductors – thermal or electrical?

Learning objective: Learn that thermal insulators are also electrical

insulators and thermal conductors are also electrical conductors.
Resources required: thermal insulators and conductors (for more detail,
see above section), simple electrical testing circuit (see Figure 10.8 in
Chapter 10)

If the pupils have done one or both of the above preceding investigations, they should
be in a position to address the following two questions. Are good thermal conductors
good electrical conductors? Or are good thermal insulators good electrical insulators?
By setting up a simple electrical testing circuit for conductors and insulators (see
Chapter 10), they can test their ideas.
Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity because they contain a lot of
‘free’ electrons and it is these that can move easily and carry the heat or electricity.
(See the teacher’s section in Chapter 10.)

Pupil investigation skills 6.17

Strength of paper

Learning objective: To test a range of similar materials fairly and identify

the strongest.
Resources required: different kinds of paper (kitchen roll, toilet paper,
computer paper, tissue, filter paper, etc.) made into loops by taping or
stapling, force meters (with a range of scales, e.g. 0–5 N, 0–20 N)

The strength of a material is the measure of how hard it is to break it. Paper is often
used for bags because it is lightweight, yet surprisingly strong. Challenge the pupils to
find which paper is the strongest. For a fair test they will need to cut small strips of
paper of the same width and length and make them into loops by stapling or gluing
the ends together.
The paper can be tested by placing each loop on the desk, putting the hook of a
force meter at one end, and securing the other end (this end could be clamped to the
edge of a table for stronger paper, or when testing weaker papers just held down on
the table by a child). Then the force meter can be pulled and a measure given for how
many Newtons of force are required to break the paper. It won’t require a lot of force
and the pupils will need to ensure that they have accurate results by performing repeat
measurements.
 M AT E R I A L S 151

Figure 6.4 A force meter used to measure the strength of paper

Pupil investigation skills 6.18

How hard is it?

Learning objective: To understand the property of hardness and how it can

be measured.
Resources required: a range of different objects to test, made from
different materials (e.g. metal drinks can, block of wood, plastic bottle,
play dough or play clay, metal spoon, stone, wax crayon, pasta, metal coin,
glass bottle, ‘pot’ cup, stone), a metal nail to scratch with

Hardness is a measure of how scratch-resistant a material is. Ask the pupils to arrange
the objects or materials in order of hardness, from softest to hardest. Then get them to
test their predictions by carefully scratching the materials with a steel nail. The softer
they are, the easier they are to scratch.
Ask pupils to justify why we use hard materials for some objects and soft
materials for others. Note that hardness is not the same as strength, although these
two properties often go hand in hand. Many food preparation surfaces are hard
because we do not want them to scratch. Similarly, cutlery and pans should not
152 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

scratch easily, but be ‘hard wearing’. Your pupils may be surprised to find that the
glass bottle and pot cup do not scratch, whereas many stones do.

Pupil investigation skills 6.19

Which material is the best one for the job?

Learning objective: Learn that alternative materials can be selected to

make the same object.
Resources required: you may wish to show a range of bottles (e.g. glass,
plastic, metal, ceramic) or pictures of these bottles to stimulate the start
of the discussion

Over the years, bottles have been made from pottery or ceramic, glass, and more
recently plastic. Ask your pupils to think of good and bad points for each of the three
materials. For instance, in the past glass bottles used to be taken back to the shop and
sent back to the factory where they were washed out and refilled. This was common
practice thirty years ago. Today, they are sometimes recycled, which involves sorting,
crushing, and making new bottles. This probably uses more energy overall than the
collecting, washing, and refilling method of the past. Reusing something is usually
more efficient than recycling it.
Plastic bottles are cheap to make, light, and much safer than glass or ceramic.
They are, however, difficult to recycle as there are so many kinds of plastic in use
which have to be separated. You can try doing this by reading the code for each
plastic, which is stamped on or near the base of most plastic containers (e.g. 1 =
polyethylene terephthalate used to make many fizzy drinks bottles).

More information can be found at:

http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Packaging.htm

Other objects that might make interesting discussion points include:

• teapots – made from pottery, glass, and metal (metal ones are common, but being
a thermal conductor is it really a good idea?)
• stirring spoons – made from metal, plastic or wood
• camping mugs – made from plastic or metal

This could lead to a discussion of why many objects are made from more than one
material; for example, pans are made of metal but have plastic handles, kettles are
plastic but have metal heating elements, a computer mouse has metal parts inside but
plastic on the outside, plugs have plastic or rubber on the outside and metal on the
prongs.
 M AT E R I A L S 153

Solids and liquids

Pupil investigation skills 6.20

Sort the solids from the liquids

Learning objective: Learn how the properties of solids and liquids differ.
Resources required: a range of solids and liquids (see below), a range of
containers

Discuss with pupils the properties of typical solids and liquids, such as solids keep
their shape and don’t easily change their shape, whereas liquids can be poured, will
take the shape of the container they are put in, and so on. Give pupils a range of
materials to sort into solids and liquids. Some they will easily be able to name as solids
(e.g. wood and metal), but others may prove more difficult (e.g. sand and cloth). Not
very runny liquids like honey and syrup are also interesting to examine (although
messy!). Try wood, metal, plastic, sugar, salt, and bicarbonate of soda for solids. For
liquids try water, washing-up liquid, milk, honey, syrup, colourless vinegar, and
brown vinegar. For interesting discussion points, try jelly, hair gel, and shaving foam.
These last three show that some materials are hard to classify and may have both solid
and liquid properties. In science, we often create simple categories such as solids and
liquids and then find things that don’t quite fit in.

Common misconceptions
‘Sand can be poured, so does that make it a liquid?’
Sand causes problems because it can be poured, and pupils often think that if
something can be poured it must be a liquid. The reason sand can be poured is
that a pile of sand consists of many small grains. A single grain can’t be poured,
just like a single brick can’t be. But a heap of sand can be poured, just like a skip
load of bricks can be tipped. You may also point out to pupils that when liquids
are poured they always have a flat top when allowed to settle, but when grainy
solids are poured they will often make a mound with a pointy top.

‘Cloth is soft, so does that mean it’s not a solid?’

Pupils often think that solids must be hard as so many solids they encounter in
their life are hard, but paper and cloth are solids and are soft. Paper and cloth are
very thin so can be easily folded. If left alone, they keep the shape that has been
given them, as we would expect a solid to do.
154 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Gases
Pupil activity 6.21

What gases are there?

Learning objective: To understand that there are many different gases

that have different properties.
Resources required: fizzy drink in a bottle, packet of crisps

Gases are often introduced to older Key Stage 2 pupils, but younger pupils will know
something about them. Pupils will have heard of ‘air’ and may know some of the
gases that make up the air. Air is a mixture of gases that include oxygen, carbon
dioxide, water vapour, and nitrogen. Oxygen is the gas that humans need to live and
fires need to burn. There is a very small amount of carbon dioxide in the air, which is
the same gas that makes the bubbles in all fizzy drinks. Carbon dioxide is also used by
plants together with water to make sugar. Water vapour is less familiar and often
forgotten by pupils. Evidence for water vapour is less direct (see the section on
‘Condensing’ below). The main gas in the air is nitrogen. It does not easily react with
anything and for this reason it is put inside crisp packets to keep the crisps fresh. If
the bags were full of oxygen, the crisps would be stale by the time the bag was first
opened!
From their discussion, ask pupils to draw a number of pictures where gases are of
use or their presence can be inferred. For example, scuba divers carry air in their
tanks, food can be cooked on a gas stove (usually propane or butane gas), and many
houses are heated with gas central heating. Party balloons that ‘float’ contain helium
gas. The properties of gases are less obvious than those of solids and liquids because
usually they cannot be seen. Gases can flow, they fill any container they are introduced
into, and will disperse to fill a room as can be demonstrated by spraying some perfume
into the air in the next activity.

Teacher demonstration 6.22

How gases move

Learning objective: To be able to describe how gases move by themselves.

Resources required: perfume bottle, can of air freshener

Perfume can be poured onto a plate and left. Soon the perfume will evaporate and
particles will end up all round the room. The pupils should be able to smell them. An
air freshener works more quickly, spraying a liquid out in tiny droplets that immedi-
ately evaporate in the air to become a gas. Ensure that it is sprayed away from pupils.
 M AT E R I A L S 155

Challenge the pupils to say exactly what happened in each of the cases, using the
correct scientific terms where possible.

Pupil activity 6.23

How do we know gases are there?

Learning objective: To be able to demonstrate the evidence for gases.

Resources required: sponges, washing-up bowls containing water,
beakers, marbles, jugs of water, and squashy plastic drink bottles with lids
on

The pupils can try the following demonstrations:

• Squeeze a sponge under water. Where do the bubbles come from? (Answer: from
the spaces or gaps within the sponge)
• Fill a beaker half full with marbles and another half full with sand. When the
pupils pour water in, where do the bubbles come from? (Answer: from the gaps
between the solids)
• Show the pupils an ‘empty’ plastic drinks bottle with a lid on. Try and squash it
flat between the hands – why won’t it flatten? (Answer: the air inside pushes back
to prevent you squashing it)

Due to their often invisible nature, there are many more misconceptions about
gases than there are for solids and liquids. The following are some.

Common misconceptions
‘Gases don’t weigh anything do they?’
This comes from the idea that because gases are invisible they have no weight. A
related idea is that because they are invisible they are not ‘really there’. For
example, we say a cup drained of liquid is ‘empty’. It is empty of liquid, but it
would now be full of gas (air). To get the pupils to see the difference, try getting
them to squeeze a bottle full of air, with the lid on. It can only be compressed so
much before it pushes back and resists any further force.

‘Air is the only gas there is’

Pupils often say ‘air’ when they mean ‘gas’. This is probably because their main
experience with gases is the air. The above discussion, where different compon-
ent gases of the air are distinguished and discussed together with their uses,
should help.
156 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

‘Oxygen and air is the same thing’

This may have arisen from younger pupils being told that ‘we need air to live’
and later being told that ‘we need oxygen to live’. Oxygen is the vital component
and as before a discussion will help to clarify. Oxygen is approximately 20% (or
one fifth) of the air.

‘Air is good, gases are bad’

Pupils may have been told to go outside and get some ‘fresh air’ in their lungs.
They may also have been warned of the dangers of cooker gas, because it is
poisonous and can cause explosions. Aerosol cans also contain poisonous gases
and pupils may be aware of that. Some have heard of carbon monoxide, a deadly
gas given off by car exhausts. Stress that gases have to be used with caution,
especially flammable or poisonous ones.

‘Air makes things lighter’

Hot air floats above cold air because it is less dense and so is lighter. Hot air
balloons are launched on cold mornings, the hot air kept warm by a burner
underneath.
A related belief is that party balloons, inflated by blowing them up with air
from our lungs, will float away. They won’t, as the air in our bodies is of similar
temperature to the surroundings. Balloons that do float are filled with helium, a
gas that is lighter than air.

Changing state: melting, solidifying, evaporating, and condensing

Once pupils are familiar with the properties of solids, liquids, and gases, we can
introduce the idea of how they can change from one to the other. This is commonly
termed ‘changing state’. The pupils need to know the key terms of melting, solidify-
ing, evaporating, and condensing and when these occur.
On the face of it, solids, liquids, and gases are so dissimilar it is hard for pupils to
see how one can turn into the other. Many teachers use ‘particle theory’ to explain
this, and although this is not required until Key Stage 3, without some grasp of it, it is
hard for pupils to see how such changes take place.
 M AT E R I A L S 157

Common misconception
‘Particles are the same size as grains aren’t they?’
When we talk about particles, pupils often think about grains, such as sand or
powder. We need to get across the idea that particles are much, much smaller
than that. If you use the idea of particle theory with the pupils, explain that
particles are very small, much too small to see. For an idea of their size, get the
pupils to look at the rubber on the end of a pencil. The distance across the
rubber (its diameter) would be about 70 million atoms lined up end to end –
considerably smaller than grains of salt! It is hard to imagine such large num-
bers, but you could remind the pupils that the population of the UK is around
60 million.

Pupil activity 6.24

Being solids, liquids, and gases

Learning objective: To understand a simple model of how a substance can

change state.
Resources required: a large space, such as the hall or playground

Each child is to represent a particle. To represent a solid, the pupils should clump
together and stay as still as possible. Then tell them that the solid is melting, and they
should slowly move apart, into smaller groups, moving fairly freely to be a liquid.
Then tell them the liquid is evaporating. For a gas they should move into their own
space and continue to move around more quickly. For condensation they should
return to the more clumped, more slow-moving state of a liquid. Finally, for solidify-
ing (or freezing) they should return to their solid state, which is stationary and close
together.
The experience could be enhanced with different types of music for the pupils to
respond to. Try silence for a solid, slow classical music for a liquid, and high-energy
Music
dance music for a gas. Alternatively, a tambourine or drum could be used. Beat a slow
beat for a solid, quicker beats as heat is added and the solid melts, and even faster
beats as the liquid becomes gas. Make sure you use the science words frequently
during the activity.

Melting and solidifying

If the pupils have not already tried doing the hand-held melting activity in Key Stage
1, then do this (see activity 6.10). ‘Freezing’ is the term we use for water when it
solidifies and is usually reserved just for water, not for other substances. However,
158 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

many everyday things have a very high water content and can be frozen (e.g. milk and
meat).

Common misconception
‘Do things solidify because they lose water?’
This is a common misconception. In reality, when a liquid turns to a solid, the
particles in it slow and get closer together and then remain in one place. The
confusion arises from things like mud. Mud is a mixture of solid clay and liquid
water. As the water evaporates, the mud becomes less sloppy and eventually
when the water is gone all that is left is the solid clay particles. Contrast this with
wax. When wax is melted it becomes a liquid and when cooled it returns back to
being a solid. In this case, water plays no part.

Teacher demonstration 6.25

Freezing milk

Learning objective: To learn that things containing water (such as food

and drinks) can be frozen and thawed.
Resources required: one pint of full-fat milk in its sealed plastic carton,
access to ice box in a fridge

You could place the plastic carton in the ice box freezer in the staffroom and leave it
overnight. It can be removed the next day and the pupils can observe the difference.
Ask them to predict what will happen if the milk is left at room temperature for the
rest of the day. Do they think the milk would be safe to drink when it has fully thawed
out? What other things can they think of that can be frozen in this way? How does
freezing these things change their properties? Can they think of any food that does not
freeze and thaw well?
Milk is a colloid. A colloid is half way between a solution, where a substance has
dissolved in a liquid, and a suspension, where a substance has not dissolved. Milk is a
colloid of fatty oils in water. It is the yellow fat that can be seen when the milk is frozen.
When thawed, the milk becomes white again as the fat mixes back in with the rest of
the milk’s constituents.
 M AT E R I A L S 159

Evaporating

Pupil activity 6.26

Drawing around puddles

Learning objective: Learn how evaporation occurs in an everyday context.

Resources required: containers to carry water to the playground, chalk

Ask the pupils to make their own puddles on a dry playground, and draw around their
edge with chalk. Ask them what will happen to their puddles. They should be able to
redraw their puddle boundaries during the day and observe them getting smaller.
What differences do they think a particularly hot day would make to the speed the
water evaporates? What about in different seasons? Would a windy day make a differ-
ence? To help them answer this, ask them if they have ever noticed that the school
dinner staff may leave windows and doors open in the hall after mopping the hall
floor, to speed up the rate at which the water evaporates.

Common misconception
‘Puddles just dry up don’t they?’
This is the everyday term we use for what happens to puddles. We use the same
term to describe how we get the dishes dry after washing them, using a cloth to
remove the liquid from the dishes, we say we have ‘dried them up’. Pupils often
take the phrase ‘dry up’ to mean that the liquid is soaked away into the ground,
but we need them to focus on the idea that the water has evaporated.

Pupil investigation skills 6.27

Evaporating water – does the size of the container matter?

Learning objective: Learn about the role surface area plays in the rate at
which water can evaporate.
Resources required: measuring cylinders, plastic containers of different
sizes

Show the pupils a range of different-sized plastic containers and ask them which (if
any) water would evaporate more quickly from, and to give their reasons. The pupils
may be able to plan their own investigation. Ask the pupils about fair testing. They
160 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

may suggest keeping the amount of water constant and to place the containers in the
same place. They will need to measure the amount of water remaining each day, and
return it to the container afterwards. It can take some time, so be prepared to do this
activity over a number of days.
The containers that provide the largest surface area of water will give the fastest
rates of evaporation. This is because the water can only evaporate from the surface of
the liquid to the air, not from the lower depths of the liquid. The difference between
the rate of evaporation of 50 ml in a jug and 50 ml in a measuring cylinder is quite
dramatic, but do tell the pupils they may have to be patient!

Pupil investigation skills 6.28

How can we speed up the rate of evaporation?

Learning objective: Learn about the role of heat in evaporation.

Resources required: measuring cylinders, plastic containers that are of
the same size

This could be a follow-up to the above investigation. The main way to speed up
evaporation is to expose the containers of water to more heat in their surroundings.
Moving air can also speed up the rate of evaporation. This time the pupils will need to
think about fair testing in terms of the containers being of the same size and will need
to think of different places where they can be left safely (i.e. away from electrical
equipment in case they are overturned accidentally) and monitored from time to time.
They may choose places outside, such as shady areas or sunlit areas.

Common misconceptions
‘Soft dough “just goes” hard’
Pupils rapidly grasp the idea of water evaporating from a plate or a dish, but
they may have problems applying the idea to other contexts. For example,
a mixture of flour and water will harden if left alone, because the water will
evaporate, but this is not immediately obvious to some pupils.

‘Is it evaporating or boiling?’

Pupils frequently mix these two up. Evaporating occurs at pretty much any tem-
perature, it’s just slower the colder the surroundings are. Talk about puddles
evaporating on the playground. Boiling only occurs in water around 100°C. Here
bubbles of water vapour form within the water and the water vapour is released as
they burst when they reach the surface. It is NOT recommended to do boiling
water demonstrations in the classroom, because of the risk of scalding.
 M AT E R I A L S 161

Condensing
Pupils need to know that condensation is the opposite process to evaporation. They
may be familiar with ‘steamed-up’ windows in a kitchen or classroom on a cold day, or
with their breath forming ‘little clouds’ on a cold day.

Pupil activity 6.29

Why do cold cans from the fridge become wet?

Learning objective: Learn to recognise why condensation occurs in

everyday contexts.
Resources required: drinks cans stored in the fridge (leave for a few
hours, so that they are fully chilled), paper towels

Place cold cans on the pupils’ tables with a paper towel underneath. After a few
minutes they should notice that water droplets have started to appear on the can.
Given time, the droplets get bigger and run down the can onto the table. Some pupils
may think that the liquid may be seeping through the can from the inside. When you
tell them that the liquid is water that used to be water vapour gas in the air, can they
work out what is going on? They may be able to work out that the water vapour from
the air in the classroom is cooling down on hitting the cold can and turning into liquid
water. Can the pupils explain what has happened? Can they suggest other examples in
the world? For example, water condensing on the glass of a cold drink, clouds in the
sky or mist on a cold morning. Challenge pupils by asking them why water does not
condense on a hot surface.

Pupil activity 6.30

Why does condensation happen around the house?

Learning objective: Learn to recognise when evaporation and

condensation have occurred.
Resources required: one bowl quarter-filled with water, cling film

Cover the top of the bowl with cling film, making sure there are no gaps. Given
enough time water will evaporate from the bowl and condense on the cling film,
particularly in warmer weather. Place near a warm windowsill or radiator for best
effect. Ask the pupils where they think the water has come from. Can they say how the
rate of evaporation or condensation could be speeded up? When have they seen the
process of condensation in their own homes? They may mention the kitchen window
162 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

when it is cold outside but hot in the kitchen on a day in winter. Alternatively, they
may mention a cold mirror in the bathroom after a hot bath or shower.

Common misconceptions
‘Condensation and evaporation are the same’
Pupils frequently muddle up these terms, saying one when they mean the other,
or even thinking that they are the same thing.

‘Is it steam or condensation?’

Adults often refer to windows with water droplets on as ‘steamed up’.
Pupils say on a cold day that ‘steam’ is coming out of their mouths. What they
actually see is a cloud of water droplets. Pupils need to know that the process
that turns water vapour to water liquid is condensation and it is nothing to do
with steam.
Steam only occurs when water is at boiling point. We cannot actually see steam,
as it is very hot water vapour and being water vapour it is invisible. When a kettle
boils the invisible steam coming out of the spout rapidly cools, forming droplet
clouds a little way from the spout. These droplets clouds are what people com-
monly call ‘steam’, and from this the above confusions arise.

Water cycle
The water cycle involves water evaporating from the sea as it is warmed by the Sun.
As the rising water vapour cools, it condenses into water droplets and forms clouds.
Once the drops become big enough they may fall as rain, which goes into the ground.
Ground water joins streams and rivers, which flow into the sea.
Evaporation and condensation, the main parts of the water cycle, are covered in the
above section, but here is a misconception that pupils may have about the water cycle:

Common misconception
‘Is salt too heavy or do the clouds get rid of it?’
Pupils often know that the sea is salty, but rain is not. They may believe that the
salt from the sea is ‘too heavy’ to evaporate, but the reality is that only liquids can
evaporate, not dissolved solids. Another belief is that the clouds ‘filter out’ the
salt from the rain before it falls.

For further detail on the water cycle, see Chapter 5 on the ‘Environment’.
 M AT E R I A L S 163

Making mixtures
Pupil investigation skills 6.31

Which things dissolve?

Learning objective: Be able to distinguish between solids that dissolve

and those that do not.
Resources required: plastic cups, spoons, and a range of dissolvable and
non-dissolvable solids. Try sugar, salt, coffee, talc, flour, stones, sand,
glass marbles, pasta, rice, powder paint

Dissolving is a reversible reaction. The pupils should be able to sort common solids
into those that dissolve and those that do not. Challenge the pupils to do this and then
ask them to test their predictions. The pupils may think that coffee is more unusual
than sugar or salt because when it dissolves it changes the colour of the water, unlike
salt and sugar. An undissolved solid such as talc will form a suspension, temporarily
making the water look cloudy, but if left it will ‘settle out’ forming a layer at the bottom.

Common misconceptions
‘It’s disappeared!
Pupils often think that when a substance has dissolved it has disappeared. Cer-
tainly, many are invisible, but there are ways to prove that the dissolved solid is
still there. For example, pupils should know that salt water tastes salty, and sugar
water tastes sugary.

‘Dissolved solids make the water look “cloudy” ’

If the pupils put too much salt or sugar in water, it won’t all dissolve and the
water will look cloudy. Explain that it is undissolved solid that makes the liquid
look cloudy. Get them to dissolve very small amounts of solid while stirring
vigorously, to show that a dissolved solid cannot be seen.

‘Sugar melts in water’

Pupils often confuse the terms ‘melt’ and ‘dissolve’. The correct term is dissolve
in this case. The confusion of melting may be caused when pupils see foods
such as sugar cubes put into hot water and appear to ‘melt’ like an ice cube would
if put in hot water.

‘Filter salt water to get the salt back’

This is a common misconception. Pupils should observe salt dissolving in water
164 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

and then use a filter to recover it if they believe it will work. It won’t, because the
dissolved salt is small enough to fit through the holes of the filter. Beware though
if the filter is left to dry, as the water will evaporate, leaving some salt behind on
the filter and the pupils will believe that filtering works!
The way to retrieve the salt from the salty water is to evaporate the water. Ask
pupils if they can work out the quickest ways to evaporate the water. (See Pupil
Investigation Skills 6.27 and 6.28 in this chapter)

Pupil activity 6.32

How much salt or sugar can the water hold?

Learning objective: Learn that a small volume of water cannot dissolve an

infinite amount of a solid.
Resources required: cup or beaker, sugar or salt, spoon, lukewarm water

Half-fill the cup with the water and tell pupils you are going to make a solution. Ask
the pupils how many spoonfuls could be dissolved before no more will dissolve. When
the water is saturated and no more sugar will dissolve, ask them what will happen
when more sugar is added. They may be able to predict that this sugar won’t dissolve
and will settle to the bottom of the cup.

Pupil investigation skills 6.33

What could be changed to speed up the rate of dissolving?

Learning objective: Learn about the factors which influence how quickly a
solid can dissolve.
Resources required: sugar or salt, beakers, thermometers, spoons, sugar
cubes (optional)

Ask pupils to suggest ways to speed up the rate at which a solid dissolves. There are a
range of factors that can speed up the rate at which a soluble solid will dissolve. Pupils
could investigate:

• temperature of water (fridge cold, room temperature, and hand-hot water)

• number of stirs (none, 5, 10, 15, etc.)
• size of grains of solid or surface area

Whichever factor pupils choose to investigate, they must keep the other factors
constant.
 M AT E R I A L S 165

A typical investigation might seek to answer the question ‘does surface area
matter?’ The pupils could compare how fast a sugar cube dissolves compared with
one that has been crushed up (giving a larger surface area). The pupils should know
that to do a fair test the following need to be constant: temperature of water, amount
of stirs, amount of water, container size and shape, amount of sugar.

Separating mixtures
Challenge the pupils to separate a number of mixtures. They may use filtering, siev-
ing, magnets or other methods such as evaporating. The following four activities
could be given to the pupils to do with a full explanation of how to go about it. Older
pupils with experience of separating materials may like the challenge of working out
for themselves what equipment and which techniques to use in each case. The last two
examples (‘a polluted pond’ and ‘a kitchen disaster’) combine a range of techniques.

Pupil activity 6.34

Sieving

Learning objective: Learn how to separate solids of different sizes using

sieves with appropriately sized holes.
Resources required: dry peas, pasta, rice, flour; colanders, mesh sieves
or home-made sieves (foam plates with holes in) can be used to separate
mixtures

Sieving is a simple way to separate solids of different sizes. Can the pupils create
mixtures and then separate them completely? Could they challenge each other as to
who can do it with the least mess? Or, the fastest way in which to do it?

Pupil activity 6.35

Filtering

Learning objective: To learn that a filter is needed to separate an insoluble

solid from a liquid.
Resources required: beakers, spoons, jugs of water. For filters, try filter
paper, blue J-cloth, paper towels, and wide bandages. Funnels can be
useful to put the filter in, but with a bit of careful work they may not be
needed. The insoluble solid could be sand, clean soil, small pieces of
gravel or glitter

Filtering is the way to separate a solid that does not dissolve from a liquid. Sand and
water can easily be separated this way. You may want to tell the pupils that filters are
166 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

used by many factories to separate polluting solids from their waste pipes, before the
pipes pump the liquid out into rivers. The filters used in industrial processes are often
made from a woven cloth, not from paper.

Pupil activity 6.36

Separating magnetic and non-magnetic metals

Learning objective: Learn how to separate metals on the basis of their

magnetic properties.
Resources required: magnets, any small metal items (e.g. paper clips,
metal split pins, metal clips, pencil sharpeners, coins, keys)

Paper clips and metal split pins can be separated with a magnet as the paper clips
contain steel whereas the split pins are made from brass. Can the pupils think of
a real-world application of this? At recycling plants, steel cans are separated from
aluminium ones using powerful magnets.

Pupil activity 6.37

A ‘polluted’ pond

Learning objective: Learn that some separation may require more than
one technique.
Resources required: bowls, jugs, paper clips, and marbles. The pupils will
need sieves and magnets, but let them ask for these when they have
worked out the puzzle

Pupils may be able to choose methods to separate out a range of different materials.
Stress that they may need to use more than one method. For example, try mixing
together paper clips, glass marbles, and water. Tell the pupils it is a pond that people
have thrown metal and glass into. Can they separate out the solids for recycling? They
should be able to attract the metal with magnets and sieve the glass marbles from the
water.
 M AT E R I A L S 167

Pupil activity 6.38

A kitchen disaster

Learning objective: To understand that separation techniques may need

to be done in a certain order.
Resources required: sugar, raisins, flour. Let them ask for sieves,
filters, beakers, and jugs when they have worked out a plan to solve the
puzzle

Someone has accidentally mixed together three ingredients in one of the big storage
jars. Challenge the pupils to separate sugar, raisins and flour. [Answer: when added to
water the sugar will dissolve. The sugar water can be filtered off, and left for the water
to evaporate. Allow the flour and raisin mixture (left behind after filtering) to dry, and
then this can be easily sieved to separate.]

The last two activities show how separation problems may require more than one
technique and may need to be done in a certain order. Discuss with the pupils the
problems that collecting recycled waste presents. Some councils collect waste
in a single ‘green’ bin. Could the pupils work out a way to separate metals, glass, and
plastic with the minimum use of people doing it ‘by hand’? For example, metals are
separated from each other using magnets and councils sometimes have machines that
can tell the difference between transparent plastic bottles and translucent ones by
analysing them first using light beams! Many councils now have waste collection
lorries with many compartments in, so that the householder and refuse workers never
allow the waste to mix in the first place. This is obviously a good approach for the
council but can the pupils spot the problems for the householder? This approach
means more work for the householder and a proliferation of different bins in the
house. The pupils could have a thinking session and list the pros and cons of the
different recycling approaches.

Irreversible changes
Irreversible changes are also termed ‘non-reversible’, ‘permanent’ or ‘chemical’
changes. The most common irreversible changes that the pupils will come across
are (1) burning and (2) mixing substances together that react to make something
new.
When substances are burned, new substances are produced. Wood, paper, and
card all burn to produce ash and smoke. Wax and oil burn and produce gases. There
is no way to reassemble the products of the burning reaction to reproduce the original
ones. Baking and cooking are irreversible processes too. Discuss with the pupils the
difference in appearance of an uncooked pizza compared with a cooked one, and a
fresh egg to a fried one.
168 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconceptions
‘Burning wax is reversible, isn’t it?’
Candles can cause a lot of confusion. When a wick is lit, the wax around it melts.
The liquid wax turns to vapour and the wax vapour then burns. If left, all the
wax will burn and there will be no candle left. Pupils are often confused by the
fact that when the flame of a burning candle is blown out, some melted wax
around the wick will solidify. This leads them to think that a candle works by the
wax melting, and the wax is never really lost to burning. Nightlights are very
confusing, because the whole candle becomes liquid wax, and the solid wax
reforms when they are blown out (although there will be less).
Get them to think about the difference between wax melting and burning. A
candle left on a hot windowsill or in a conservatory may melt and change its
shape, but no wax is lost. When a candle flame is lit the wax burns to produce
gas and smoke. The burnt wax is gone forever and cannot be reclaimed. Only a
tiny bit of liquid wax around the wick turns back to solid wax when the candle is
blown out.

‘You can turn toast back to bread’

Some pupils think that by scraping the burnt bit off they are turning toast
back to bread! Explain that the outside layer has been burnt, but the bread
underneath is untouched.

‘Everything melts’
Many pupils think all solid materials can melt, but this is not the case. Materials
that do not melt, but burn instead, are usually ones made from plant or animal
matter (e.g. paper, wood, card).

Mixing substances that react together differs considerably from burning, but it is
similar in that new substances are produced. One of the easiest reactions to do is to
mix things together that react to make a gas.
Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda produce carbon dioxide gas. Water, bicarbonate
of soda, and cream of tartar mixed together also produce carbon dioxide. Ask the
pupils if they think the gas can be changed back to the initial substances. It cannot.
 M AT E R I A L S 169

Pupil investigation skills 6.39

What can react to make a gas?

Learning objective: Learn to recognise which substances when mixed

together create a fizzing reaction and make a gas.
Resources required: a range of solids and liquids including bicarbonate of
soda, limestone, cream of tartar, vinegar, lemon juice, water, baking
powder, talc, sugar, salt, and coffee, together with a spoon and plastic
cups

Challenge the pupils to discover which substances when mixed together produce a
gas. If they see fizzing and bubbles being produced, this is evidence of gas formation.
The gas in each case will be carbon dioxide and this is safe for the children to make.
Ask the pupils if they think there is any way in which the gas can be changed back into
the solid and liquid. They may know that there is no way that this can be done, as the
process is irreversible.

Pupil investigation skills 6.40

What makes metal rust?

Learning objective: Learn to recognise that rusting is an irreversible

process and what factors produce it.
Resources required: small (500 ml) plastic bottles, bottle lids, salt, water,
wire wool or wire wool pan scrubbing pads (the cheaper the better!).
Prepare the wire wool beforehand by cutting it into small strips. Warn the
pupils to handle it carefully (avoid sharp edges and keep away from the
face)

Iron rusts readily in the presence of water, but some things speed up the process. Ask
the pupils to set up an investigation to find out which substances speed up the rate of
rusting, and which do not. They could prepare separate bottles, each containing a
piece of wire wool – one with water, another with salt water, another with salt only,
and the final one left empty.
As the iron starts to rust, it removes oxygen from the air to form iron oxide, which
is what we call iron rust. This reduces the amount of air in the bottle and therefore the
air pressure inside the bottle. Over a few days, in the bottles in which rust is forming,
you may see the sides of the bottle start to collapse as the air in the surrounding room
presses in on the bottle.
From their results, can the pupils work out the worst (or best!) combination of
rust factors? Salt water should speed up the rate of rust formation compared with tap
170 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

water. To stop things from rusting, paint is often used to cover the metal, to stop liquid
and oxygen reaching the surface. Can they think of things that must be repainted to
stop them rusting? They may think of road bridges, which have to be continually
painted, as the weather strips off the paint to reveal the bare metal underneath.
Similarly, cars that have a bad scratch on them may start to rust. Piers at the seaside
can easily rust because of the salt water of the sea pounding the pier legs and the sea
spray hitting the sides.

Summary of key learning points:

• Materials are made from different atoms. There are around 90 naturally
occurring different types of atoms and these are called elements. Many
elements are familiar to us, such as gold and oxygen.

• Elements can react and combine with each other to make compounds. The
most familiar compound is water. Compounds are very different from
the elements that make them (e.g. water is nothing like its constituent
elements of hydrogen and oxygen).

• Mixtures occur when substances are mixed together but don’t react with
each other, essentially remaining separate. This means that they are easy
to separate (e.g. sand from water).

• Materials have certain properties determined by the very complex

arrangement of their different atoms. We need to know what the proper-
ties are and how to test for them (e.g. hard, soft, strong, weak, bendy,
brittle, transparent, opaque, waterproof, absorbent).

• Some things can exist as solids, liquids or gases. Water commonly is

found in all three states and its state depends on the amount of heat in its
surroundings.

• The processes of change include melting and evaporation when heated

and condensing and solidifying (or freezing) when heat is taken away.
These types of changes are called reversible changes.

• Dissolving a solid in a liquid is also a reversible change.

• Some changes are not reversible, or are irreversible. These are chemical
changes. These include baking, burning, and the reaction of certain
chemicals when they are combined (e.g. vinegar and bicarbonate).
 M AT E R I A L S 171

Self-test
Question 1
Which of the following are irreversible or permanent changes?
(a) burning toast, (b) baking bread, (c) mixing water with salt and sand, (d) mixing
vinegar and bicarbonate of soda

Question 2
Which of the following are elements?
(a) water, (b) silver, (c) iron, (d) steel

Question 3
Which part of an atom carries a charge?
(a) the electron, (b) the neutron, (c) the proton, (d) all parts

Question 4
Which of the following statements about air is true?
(a) it contains mostly oxygen, (b) it is a mixture of gases, (c) it contains mostly carbon
dioxide, (d) the gas found in the highest quantities is nitrogen

Self-test answers
Q1: (a), (b), and (d) are all correct. Burning and baking food cannot be reversed.
Vinegar and bicarbonate mixed together produce a new substance, carbon dioxide.
(c) is incorrect as sand can be separated by filtering and evaporation will separate
the water from the salt. Although it is tricky to turn the water vapour back into liquid
water, it can be done by condensing the water on a cool lid for example.
Q2: The correct answers are (b) and (c). Silver and iron are pure substances and so
we class these as elements. Water is not an element, it is a compound made up of
oxygen gas and hydrogen gas that have reacted and bonded together to form water.
Steel is made from iron and carbon.
Q3: (a) and (c) are correct. The electron is negatively charged and is attracted to the
positively charged proton. The neutron has no charge; it is neutral as its name
suggests.
Q4: (b) and (d) are correct. Air is a mixture of nitrogen (its main component by far),
oxygen, and carbon dioxide. At times it will contain traces of pollutant gases such as
carbon monoxide, the poisonous gas from car exhausts.
172 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Misconceptions
‘Aren’t materials just fabrics?’
‘Is it the spoon that’s hard or the material?’
‘It’s from the supermarket!’
‘It soaks up water so isn’t it waterproof?’
‘But won’t wool and other fabrics make them hotter?
‘Sand can be poured, so does that make it a liquid?’
‘Cloth is soft, so does that mean it’s not a solid?’
‘Gases don’t weigh anything do they?’
‘Air is the only gas there is’
‘Oxygen and air is the same thing’
‘Air is good, gases are bad’
‘Air makes things lighter’
‘Particles are the same size as grains aren’t they?’
‘Do things solidify because they lose water?’
‘Puddles just dry up don’t they?’
‘Soft dough “just goes” hard’
‘Is it evaporating or boiling?’
‘Condensation and evaporation are the same’
‘Is it steam or condensation?’
‘Is salt too heavy or do the clouds get rid of it?’
‘It’s disappeared!’
‘Dissolved solids make the water look “cloudy” ’
‘Sugar melts in water’
‘Filter it to get the salt back’
‘Burning wax is reversible isn’t it?’
‘You can turn toast back to bread’
‘Everything melts’

Webliography
http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Packaging.htm
(information on recycling and interesting related facts)
7
Rocks and soils

About this chapter

This chapter is about the different groups of rock found on the surface of
planet Earth and the composition and value of soil. The second part of the
chapter addresses what the pupils need to learn and the final part suggests
ways to teach about rocks and soils, including misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Three different groups of rock
Igneous
Igneous rocks are made when molten magma cools. Pupils may have seen pictures of
molten magma coming out of volcanoes. As the magma cools, crystals form in the
rock. Granite and basalt are both igneous rocks. They are strong and hard-wearing.
Granite is used for gravestones (as they last a long time and so does the inscription),
for building (e.g. steps of a prestigious building), and the food preparation surface in a
kitchen. Granite has large crystals, which were formed when the rock cooled and
solidified very slowly underneath the ground. Basalt, however, cooled above the
ground as it formed and so cooled quickly, producing smaller crystals.

Sedimentary
Some sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of sediment produced by the wea-
thering of other rocks. The grains that are produced are then compressed (over
174 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

millions of years) and become stuck together to form sedimentary rocks. Sandstone
and mudstones are formed this way. Other sedimentary rocks form from the
deposition of the remains of animals and plants that are compressed to form rocks
such as limestone and chalk. Sandstone and limestone are used for building, as they
are easily shaped but can weather badly over the years as many very old buildings
show.

Metamorphic
These are sedimentary or igneous rocks that have been later squeezed under high
pressure and baked at high temperature. Examples of metamorphic rock are slate
(formed from mudstone) and marble (formed from limestone). Metamorphic rocks
tend to be harder than other rock types. Marble is used for decoration because of its
attractive appearance; slate is used for roofing tiles as it can easily be split along one
axis to make thin (but tough) tiles.
The pupils do not need to know how these rocks are formed at Key Stage 2, but it
can be helpful to introduce the terms and give a brief summary of how the main types
of rocks they encounter have formed. This will help the pupils group and understand
similarities between different rocks that have been made in similar processes. The
terms are also used on most rock websites the pupils may visit.
The characteristics of rocks include:

• how rough or smooth they are;

• whether they have grains, and if so, the grain size;
• whether or not they have crystals in them;
• how permeable they are to water;
• how easily the rocks are worn down;
• how strong the rocks are.

By considering the characteristics and properties of rocks, we can select them for
different uses, some of which have been outlined above.

Soils
Soil is formed when rock is weathered and broken down into small grains. Two other
constituents are essential: decaying organic material and a population of micro-
organisms.
The size of grain the soil is made of determines the soil’s drainage properties. The
three grain types are sand, silt, and clay. The largest grains are those of a sandy soil
and this drains water quickly because it has the largest air space between grains. An
intermediate size grain is found in a silty soil and a clay soil has the smallest grain.
Clay soils often become waterlogged because they have very small air spaces, so
draining water cannot move through them quickly. Soils may have one of these three
types as the main constituent, or contain a mixture of them. For example, a loam soil
contains a mixture of all three types.
 ROCKS AND SOILS 175

The second essential ingredient is decaying organic material – that is, parts of the
bodies and waste material of plants and animals which are being broken down by
micro-organisms. The micro-organisms themselves are an essential part of the soil as
they break down the organic material, releasing nutrients for the plants growing in the
soil.
A soil has recognisable layers as we move from the surface to the underlying
bedrock. Above the soil is a layer of leaf litter composed of recently discarded or dead
organic material. The top layers tend to contain the recognisable remnants of dead
plants and animals and a vast number of living micro-organisms. This layer is called
‘humus’. As we move down towards the bedrock, there is less humus and more rock
grains. The rock grains become larger as we reach the bedrock.

Figure 7.1 A soil profile showing the different layers

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

Teachers are not required to teach about rocks and soils at Key Stage 1. Soil and its
importance should be referred to in the context of growing plants in science.
176 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 3
Pupils should be taught:

1(d) to describe and group rocks and soils on the basis of their characteristics,
including appearance, texture, and permeability.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that rocks are chosen for a variety of purposes because of their character-
istics (QCA 3D)
— that beneath all surfaces there is rock (QCA 3D)
— that there are different types of soil depending on the rock they came
from (QCA 3D)
— that particles of different sizes (of soil) can be separated by sieving (QCA
3D)
— that soils have air trapped within them (QCA 5C)
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘rocks and soils’ at Key

Stage 2

Rocks
Resources required: Rock samples can be bought in sets from educational
supply companies. You can also find them at garden centres, as they are used
for driveways and ornamental gardening. The following are available as ‘chips’
(pebbles) from most garden centres: granite (black to pink with crystals in),
sandstone (light brown in colour), limestone (white to grey in colour), slate
(blue to dark green in colour), and flint (translucent surrounded by white or
orange colour) (found in ‘Golden Gravel’). They need to be washed before being
handled. Photographs of all of these common rocks can be seen on the web-
sites detailed below.
 ROCKS AND SOILS 177

Pupil activity 7.1

Chocolate and sweet rocks

Learning objective: To recognise the features that different rocks have.

Resources required: magnifying glasses, paper plates to place the ‘rocks’
on, shrink wrap film, description cards of rocks (see below), a range of
chocolates and sweets to represent rocks. We suggest the following:

• Fudge – sandstone. When the fudge is broken apart by hand, it shows

a brown grainy structure. Leave it in the fridge beforehand to make it
harder.
• Hard mints – chalk. If crushed, these show a very bright white crumbly
structure.
• Cadbury Snaps – slate. Place in the fridge to harden, these can be
stacked in layers (slate is a layered rock). Unfortunately, the chocolate
has crunchy bits that appear on one side, which slate doesn’t have;
you could try Pringles instead, but the colour isn’t quite right!
• Toblerone fruit and nut – granite. Place in the freezer to harden; the
small fruit and nut pieces represent crystals.
• Digestive biscuits – limestone.

Getting the pupils to focus on the different appearance of rocks and learning a few
simple types of rocks can be tricky. Try this activity with chocolates and sweets, which
show exaggerated properties of rocks that are easier for the pupils to focus on, before
they tackle the real thing.
Place the ‘rocks’ on separate paper plates and cover with shrink wrap film to
begin with. The pupils can write down their observations about the colour and
texture of the ‘rocks’. At this stage, don’t reveal which one represents chalk, granite,
etc.
Next, allow the pupils to remove the shrink wrap film to handle the rocks, break-
ing them apart with their hands if they can. They should then write about how the
rock feels, how strong or weak it is, and what it is like inside (if it can be broken). Tell
them the ‘rocks’ must not be eaten! Present the pupils with a range of cards to see if
they can match the name and description to each rock. You may wish to mention the
colour when it is appropriate. We suggest the following:

• Sandstone – brown rock with grains inside

• Chalk – brilliant white and can be crushed to make very small grains
• Slate – feels hard, but easily snapped in half, thin layers
• Granite – very tough and strong, containing different coloured crystals
• Limestone – crumbly with visible grains
178 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Finally, if you are feeling generous, the pupils could ask for the rock of their choice by
name to eat, from the untouched packets. Will they correctly name the right one
though?

Pupil activity 7.2

Handling real rocks

Learning objective: Learn to identify rocks by their features.

Resources required: a range of rocks, stones or pebbles (see below),
magnifying glasses, paper plates, description cards of rocks (see above
activity)

If the pupils have carried out the sweet and chocolate ‘rock’ activity, they will now be
well prepared to tackle the real things. The most common rocks they will come across
are slate, granite, chalk, limestone, sandstone, and flint. The rocks will need washing
beforehand. If you have a computer microscope, you should use this to show enlarged
views of the rocks to the pupils. Once again, ask the pupils to examine the rocks
visually and then by handling them. They cannot split the rocks in half and see the
sections inside but if they are fresh, unweathered samples, the grains or crystals
should easily be seen on the surface. Can they match the rocks to the description cards
you have prepared and successfully name the rock?
An extension activity for this would be for them to describe and identify less
commonly known rocks. Examples might include basalt, gneiss, and flint. Pupils can
take digital photographs of rocks which they might use to make a rock family album
on paper or in electronic form.

A good website for rocks is: http://library.thinkquest.org/J002289/name.html

The rocks on this site are grouped as igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
You might also want to try www.oum.ox.ac.uk/educate/resource/rocks.pdf for
more pictures and descriptions of rocks.
 ROCKS AND SOILS 179

Figure 7.2 Rock cycle

Common misconception
‘Rocks have always been there’
Pupils often have no conception of geological time. Rocks appear permanent
and so they assume that they have always been there. Seeing examples of local
stone buildings that have weathered will help them to understand that rocks do
change over time. Pupils have usually heard about dinosaurs and know they
lived a long time ago. You might tell them that most rocks are much older than
this. Some igneous rock is very young, having just erupted this year, but most
are many hundreds of millions of years old. Igneous rock in the Lake District is
an example of this type of ancient rock.
180 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 7.3

Scratch test for hardness

Learning objective: Learn to test the hardness of rocks.

Resources required: rock samples and materials to try scratching the
rocks with, such as plastic, cork, paper, metal nail, card, chalk

After protecting the tables, ask the pupils to examine rock samples, predict how hard
they are, and then try scratching them with different materials. They might keep a
written note about the success of the different materials. Ask pupils to report back and
see if everyone’s results point to the same material. Point out that when you have
several test results that are in agreement, this is a reliable result.

Pupil activity 7.4

Acid test for limestone and chalk

Learning objective: Learn to use a test to identify limestone or chalk.

Resources required: rock samples of limestone and/or chalk, vinegar,
hand lenses, dropper or teaspoon, newspaper

After protecting the tables with newspaper and warning the pupils about keeping
vinegar away from their eyes, ask them to observe the effect of putting tiny drops of
vinegar onto samples of chalk or limestone rock. This can be done individually by
pupils, in pairs or as a demonstration in class, ideally using a digital microscope and
projector. Check that they observe using eyes and ears. Does a magnifying glass help
or improve observation? The fizzing occurs because the rock has a high content of
calcium carbonate, which reacts with the acidic vinegar to produce carbon dioxide.
(This is similar to the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar reaction producing carbon
dioxide gas that pupils may be familiar with.) Establish what they observe and what it
tells them and ask them to devise a fair test with other samples, not forgetting to ask
for predictions at the start.
Add another challenge by trying other safe acids such as lime or lemon juice.
 ROCKS AND SOILS 181

Pupil investigation skills 7.5

Testing how easily rocks can be broken down

Learning objective: Learn that some rocks are ‘harder wearing’ than
others.
Resources required: a range or rocks, small squares of sandpaper (the
rougher the better), white paper plates to collect the grains

Some rocks wear down easily, while others do not. Ask the pupils to predict which will
be the hardest wearing and which will be the least so, and list the rocks in order. They
need to devise fair tests – for example, rubbing each rock for the same amount of time
(or same number of strokes), with the same amount of pressure. After they have
recorded their predictions, they can carry out their investigation. They may be sur-
prised how easily some of the harder feeling rocks can be eroded. A lot of grains can
be collected for each rock, which can be compared visually to identify which rocks are
most and least easily eroded.
The pupils should find that granite and flint produce virtually no flakes, whereas
limestone, sandstone, and slate make quite a lot. Ask the pupils what could cause this
erosion in real life. They may come up with ideas such as wear from feet, wear from
vehicles, and wear from rivers. This can lead to a discussion of which rocks they
would select for which jobs (see later section).

Pupil investigation skills 7.6

Testing rocks for water permeability

Learning objective: Learn that some rocks allow water to pass through,
whereas others do not.
Resources required: a range of rocks, both permeable and impermeable;
pipettes or droppers, cups of water

Permeable rocks include pumice (pumice stone used in the bathroom will do!), chalk,
sandstone and limestone. Impermeable rocks include slate, flint and granite.
Ask the pupils to predict which rocks will allow water to pass through. Once they
have recorded their predictions and designed a fair test (e.g. same amount of water for
each rock), they can undertake the experiment. They can place a few spots of water
on the rock and see if it remains on the surface or not. They may be surprised to find
that limestone and sandstone can be permeable, slate and granite not so. Again this
can lead to a discussion of suitability of rocks for various jobs. Slate clearly doesn’t let
water go through and so is a great roofing material.
 182 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

An online rock testing simulation is available at:

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/rocks_soils.shtml

Pupil discussion 7.7

The right rock for the right job

Learning objective: Through discussion, learn that rocks are used for
certain jobs because of their features.
Resources required: pictures of buildings, roads, bridges, shops, etc.
English

After all their hands-on practical activity, the pupils are ready to evaluate why certain
rocks are used for particular jobs. For visual simulation, pictures of various city scapes
could be useful, showing brick buildings, slate roofs, concrete (made partly of lime-
stone), roads (crushed limestone under tarmac), decorative marble, granite, sand-
stone, and limestone building blocks. It may not be possible to name every rock
correctly, but an educated guess can be made. The pupils may find some building
materials more difficult to identify the origin of, namely bricks, concrete, and aggre-
gates. Bricks are not rock but usually compressed and baked clay, concrete is made
from crushed limestone, and aggregates can be any crushed up rock.

The following websites offer a good visual guide to building materials and their
uses:
www.RockforKids.com/RFK/uses.html has quarries for sand, limestone, and
aggregates
www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/BS-Main.html is Professor Bruce Railsback’s excel-
lent set of photographs of various buildings and a close-up of the stones used to
make them.
www.sci-eng.mmu.ac.uk/manchester_stone/ shows inside and outside uses of
building stone for the city of Manchester

Soils
By examining rocks, stones, and pebbles, pupils will have come to realise that rocks
come in different sizes and shapes. This can then lead to a discussion of what soils are
made from. Many pupils will be surprised to learn that soils are made from broken
down rocks, plus animal and plant material and micro-organisms. Micro-organisms
include bacteria and fungi.
 ROCKS AND SOILS 183

Providing different soils for pupils to handle can be tricky. If you collect soil for
them to look at, it must be free from contamination and other hazards (e.g. animal
waste and broken glass). To make soil safe, either purchase compost in sealed bags as
this is heat-treated or microwave soil samples to kill micro-organisms. Alternatively,
you might decide to keep samples in containers and you should certainly talk to pupils
about the danger of handling soil (e.g. fouling by pets and wild animals). They should
be told not to put anything in their mouths while handling soil and to wash their hands
thoroughly afterwards. You may prefer to make up your own ‘simulated soil’. This can
be made with pebbles, potting compost, play sand, dried leaves, and bits of twigs all
mixed up and prepared beforehand. This would be safe for the pupils to handle and
interesting for them to separate.

Pupil activity 7.8

Separating soil

Learning objective: Learn that soils are made up of various sized

components.
Resources required: dry simulated soil (see above) or dry real soil, soil
sieves

Challenge the pupils to separate and identify the different components of the soil.
Good quality graded sieves are needed for the pupils to be able to separate out the
different size components of the soil.

Common misconception
‘Soil is just dirt’
Pupils often see soil as an accumulation of dirt. They do not appreciate what it is
made of and the fantastic value it has for the production of our food and the
recycling of waste material.
184 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 7.9

Which is the best soil?

Learning objective: Learn that soils have different drainage properties

and consider how this might affect plants.
Resources required: sand, potting compost, small pebbles, funnels,
measuring cylinders, stopwatches

You could set up the scenario by telling the pupils they need to find the best soil for a
new garden landscape project, where a derelict area is being changed into a wildlife
and garden area. There are three major components the pupils should test first: a
funnel of pure sand, a funnel of pure stones, and a funnel of pure potting compost.
Ask the pupils to predict which funnel will drain water from the fastest to the
slowest, putting them in rank order. For fair testing, they should add the same amount
of water to each (e.g. 100 ml). Both the sand and the pebbles increase the air spaces in
the soil and so increase drainage. Ask them why a fast draining soil might not be good
for plants. (The water doesn’t stay in the soil long enough for the plant roots to draw it
up.) Why might a slow draining soil be equally bad in a different way? (The soil could
get waterlogged and the plants rot.) Remind pupils that many outdoor pot plants have
a layer of stones at the bottom, and ask them why this might be.
With the results in mind, the pupils should be able to make up a soil themselves
with the best properties – more sand, more stones or both. They need to measure in
small cupfuls or weigh how much sand or stones they will add. They can then meas-
ure how fast their soil drains the water, and how waterlogged their soil looks at regular
intervals. (Teacher hint: a part-sand, part-stone, part-compost soil works best!)

For a useful animated website about soil, explaining what it is, how it forms,
what it is used for, and even the type of soil in every part of England and Wales,
try:
www.soil-net.com/cms_test

Common misconception
‘Soil is bought from a shop’
Pupils may see soil as a product made by humankind after buying compost in a
shop or garden centre. However, soil is a natural product of active ecosystems.
 ROCKS AND SOILS 185

Summary of key learning points:

• rocks are grouped into three major types – igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic;

• rocks move and change following weathering, erosion, heating, and

deposition;

• soil is a mixture of three ingredients – mineral, organic, and living

components.

Self-test
Question 1
Granite is (a) a metamorphic, hard-wearing rock, (b) an igneous rock that usually
contains crystals, (c) a sedimentary rock made from the remnants of animals, (d) an
igneous rock that forms above the surface of the Earth

Question 2
Soils are usually made of (a) bacteria, sand, and silt, (b) grains of rock, micro-
organisms, and remnants of dead plants and animals, (c) rock and organic matter,
(d) a mixture of sand, silt, and clay

Self-test answers
Q1: Only (b) is correct. Granite is an igneous rock that forms below the ground and
crystals form as it cools.
Q2: The most complete answer is (b). The grains of rock may be sand, silt or clay (or
a mixture of these). Part of the organic content will be decaying animal and plant
remains. The micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi will feed off the decaying
remains.

Misconceptions
‘Rocks have always been there’
‘Soil is just dirt’
‘Soil is bought from a shop’

Webliography
www.Fossilweb.com
(pictorial guide to fossils)
186 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

www.oum.ox.ac.uk/educate/resource/rocks.pdf
(colour photographs of rocks)

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/rocks_soils.shtml
(animated on-screen rock testing)

www.RockforKids.com/RFK/uses.html
(information on quarries and the use of rocks)

www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/BS-Main.html
(pictures of different rocks used in a variety of buildings)
www.sci-eng.mmu.ac.uk/manchester_stone/
(stone in the buildings of Manchester – rocks used inside and outside buildings)

www.soil-net.com/cms_test
(interactive site covering all aspects of different soils and their uses)
8
Forces

About this chapter

This chapter is about forces and how they affect the movement and sometimes
the shape of objects. Properties of magnets and magnetism are also dis-
cussed. The second part of the chapter looks at what pupils need to learn, and
suggests activities and ways to tackle common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Pulling and pushing – springs and rubber
Springs can be stretched by pulling them or squashed by pushing on them. Some
springs can only be pulled (stretchy springs), some can only be pushed (squashy
springs), and some can do both. When a stretchy spring is pulled, it exerts a force in
the opposite direction, trying to pull back to its normal shape. When a squashy spring
is pushed (compressed), it pushes back in the opposite direction to try to get back to
its normal shape. The greater the force pulling or pushing on a spring, the greater the
force the spring uses to move back to its normal shape.
Rubber behaves in a spring-like manner. Rubber elastic bands can be stretched
and will pull back on the thing stretching them to try to get back to their normal shape.
A rubber bouncy ball can be squashed by pressing it and this is essentially how it
bounces. When dropped, it is squashed on the side that hits the floor, and then
‘springs’ back and up in the air to go back to its normal shape, pushing on the floor as
it does so.
188 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Friction
Friction is the force that opposes movement. We commonly think of friction as a force
between two surfaces in contact with each other. Friction both makes it difficult for
something to start to move and for something to continue moving.
Rougher surfaces can give a greater grip, as these have more indentations to mesh
with the surface it is in contact with. Heavy objects may experience more friction as
they move across a surface, as their weight increases the number of contact points
between the object and the surface, and hence increases the friction.
It can be helpful to address the two types of friction that occur between surfaces.
These are static friction and sliding friction. With static friction, the two surfaces are
in contact with each other and are stationary. The little indentations between them are
meshed together, making it hard for them to start to move. Think of a filing cabinet
resting on an office carpet. With sliding friction, one surface moves across another.
For example, think of a sledge being dragged across a concrete drive. This is the form
of friction that children are most familiar with. Things that experience sliding friction
can get hot quickly (as anyone who has slid down a climbing rope will know).
Liquids reduce friction because they form a layer between two surfaces, making it
harder for the indentations of the surfaces to come into contact with each other. This
can be helpful in some cases (think of oiling a bike chain) and hazardous in others
(such as a floor that has just been mopped).

Air resistance
Air resistance is a form of friction. When objects move through the air, the air pushes
against them and slows them down. A common misconception is that air resistance
only occurs on objects falling through the air, but it also occurs when objects are
moving along the ground and the air pushes against them (e.g. a car travelling along a
motorway). Through your investigations, demonstrations, and discussions you can
show a range of experiences to demonstrate air resistance at work in different
directions.
There are two factors that influence air resistance. The first is the size of the
object or, more exactly, its surface area. Objects with a larger surface area have more
particles of air pushing against them as they move, and so experience more air resist-
ance (think of a falling open parachute compared with a falling closed parachute).
The other factor is the speed the object is travelling at. The faster the object is going,
the harder the air particles hit it and the greater the air resistance it experiences.
People often experience this when riding a bicycle down a steep hill and feeling their
hair being blown backwards.
Air resistance is often confused with upthrust in air. Upthrust determines
whether something will float or sink in air, due to the object’s weight. Things
like helium balloons and hot air balloons experience enough upthrust to float, as their
gases weigh less than air. Upthrust on most other objects (e.g. a parachutist) is
negligible and should therefore be ignored.
 FORCES 189

Water resistance
Water resistance occurs when an object moves through water or across the top of
water. Someone swimming across the surface of a swimming pool experiences water
resistance pushing against them and slowing them down. So does a water skier as they
are pulled along. Things moving under water also feel water resistance, including a
submarine going up and down or from side to side, and a dolphin chasing fish. Water
resistance is very often mixed up with upthrust in water. Upthrust is to do with
whether an object floats or sinks and water resistance is to do with water slowing
things down, whichever way they are moving. Investigations of water resistance
are difficult to perform and get convincing results. A few good demonstrations and
discussions may be preferable.

Gravity and weight

Gravitational attraction acts on any object on or near the Earth. Gravity always pulls
the object towards the centre of the Earth. Very large objects can exert a great deal of
gravitational attraction on smaller objects (e.g. the Earth pulls on an apple and attracts
it). Gravity extends into outer space. For instance, the Earth pulls on the Moon and
attracts it, keeping it in orbit. In turn, the Sun’s gravity pulls on the Earth and attracts
it and so the Earth orbits the Sun.
Weight is the force on an object due to gravity, and is measured in Newtons.
Gravity pulls on all objects here on Earth, but it does not pull on them all equally. We
can think of weight as how hard gravity pulls on an object. When scientists talk about
weight, they mean this force. Weight is often confused with the word ‘mass’. Mass is
the amount of ‘stuff’ in an object (a measure of the amount of material in the object).
Mass is measured in grams or kilograms. A cannonball has more mass than a football
because it is made of denser material (there is more ‘stuff’ in it). As a cannonball has
more mass, we find it heavier to pick up, because it has more weight and a greater
attraction to the Earth. Generally, if an object loses mass, it will lose weight too. It is
easier to pick up half an apple than a whole apple because half an apple weighs less,
and the Earth’s gravity pulls it less hard. There isn’t much difference between an
apple and half an apple, but a bus has much more mass, so has much greater weight
too. This means there is greater attraction between the bus and the Earth and a bus
would be much harder for us to pick up!
Confusingly, people talk about ‘weighing themselves’ or ‘weighing out ingredi-
ents’ and use grams or kilograms to do this. What they are actually doing in these
instances is measuring mass, not weight!

The Moon
Gravitational attraction occurs between any object on or near the Moon and the
Moon itself. Objects on the Moon weigh less than on Earth because the Moon has less
mass, so can exert less gravitational attraction on the object. The Moon’s gravity is
only one-sixth of that on Earth. If a bag of pasta with a mass of 500 grams is flown
from the Earth to the Moon, on the Moon its mass would be the same, 500 grams,
190 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

because it hasn’t lost any ‘stuff’ on the journey. But the Moon cannot pull it down as
hard as the Earth can, so it would weigh less than on Earth (and would be easier for us
to pick up). For this reason, in theory a high jump athlete could jump much higher on
the Moon than on Earth, because the Moon’s gravity is much weaker (it might be
difficult in a space suit though!)

Support forces can ‘cancel out’ the effect of gravity

On Earth, a table can ‘cancel out’ the force of gravity. Place a cup on the table and it
will stay there. This is because gravity pulls it down, but a support force from the table
pushes up and keeps the cup in place, balancing the force of gravity.
People find this concept very difficult and often believe there is no counteracting
force from the table. However, if there was no counteracting or support force from the
table, the cup would fall right through it to the floor. When the cup is at rest on the
table, we can say the two forces acting on the cup are equal and balanced so the cup
will not move.

Balanced and unbalanced forces

The cup on the table experiences balanced forces and does not move. When forces
are balanced an object can be stationary, but in some cases balanced forces also allow
an object to move at a steady speed. Imagine a car driving down the motorway at a
steady rate of 60 miles per hour. The forces acting on the car are friction from the
road, air resistance from the air hitting the front of it, and the force from the engine
makes the wheels move (we can ignore gravity and the support force from the
road). If the car continues at a steady speed, the forces trying to slow it down (friction
and air resistance) and the force pushing it forward (from the wheels) are equal, and
we can say the forces are balanced.
Unbalanced forces cause a change in the speed of something. Imagine a dragster
car racer speeding along a race track. These cars have no brakes, so to slow down they
normally use a parachute at the back of the car. When the parachute is deployed, it
will experience a huge amount of air resistance. The air resistance of the parachute
will cause the car to slow down and as it slows down the car will experience unbal-
anced forces – that is, the air resistance will be greater than any force propelling the
car forward. Whenever anything accelerates or slows down, it is unbalanced forces
that are making this happen.

Upthrust in water
Upthrust is a force that acts upwards on objects in water. When an object floats, its
weight is equal to the upthrust provided by the water. The object has actually dis-
placed its own weight in water. On the other hand, when an object sinks, it is because
its weight is greater than the upthrust that the water can provide. Objects that would
normally sink can be made to float by changing their shape. For example, a solid ball
of Plasticine will normally sink because its weight is greater than the upthrust from
the water. However, if we mould it into the shape of a boat, it will now float because it
 FORCES 191

Figure 8.1 Shaped Plasticine displaces more water, creating greater upthrust

can displace more water, and hence the upthrust force acting on it is greater than
before.
If an object floats, the forces acting on it are balanced – the weight is equal to the
upthrust force. If an object sinks, the forces are unbalanced – the weight is greater
than the upthrust force.

Magnetism
A magnet always has a North and South Pole, which are sometimes labelled (e.g. bar
magnets coloured red and blue in school) but not always (e.g. a fridge magnet). Two
magnets can repel or attract each other. When magnets repel, they push each other
away; when they attract, they pull together. Opposite or unlike poles attract each other
(so North attracts South); like poles repel (so North repels North and South repels
South).
Magnets generate what we call a magnetic force field around them. This field gets
weaker the further it gets from the magnet. Because of the field, magnetic force can
act at a distance from the magnet. It can attract or repel another magnet, or attract a
magnetic material (e.g. a paper clip) that will ‘jump’ towards the magnet. Typically,
the magnetic force field only extends a few centimetres away from the
magnet. Magnetic force can act through thin solid materials such as paper, card, and
fabrics quite easily. The more a magnet is dropped on the floor, the less effective it
becomes, and the weaker the magnetic field it generates. Old school magnets have
often been dropped a lot!
192 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Magnets tend to be made of iron or steel that have been magnetised, although
this is not always obvious to the children, as modern ones used in the classroom tend
to be encased in coloured plastic, with contrasting colours for each pole. If a magnet
is not labelled N and S or coloured, it is possible to find its poles by suspending it by a
piece of thread. If left for some time it will slowly spin, but should settle with the
north pole of the magnet pointing to the North Pole of the Earth. This could be
checked with a compass. The needle of a compass is just a thin magnet and it always
points north.
Magnetic materials are iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt. Nickel and cobalt are rarely
found in everyday objects; most magnetic materials we attract using a magnet are
likely to be of iron and steel. In primary school, we often treat iron and steel as
separate metals (which is fine), but steel is actually made from iron and carbon, and it
is the iron content that makes it magnetic.
While magnets can attract or repel each other, magnetic materials are only ever
attracted to a magnet (i.e. you cannot repel a magnetic material with a magnet).
Armed with a magnet children can use these ideas as a test to determine whether a
given object is a magnet, or just a magnetic material.

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

2(a) to find out about and describe the movement of familiar things;
2(b) that both pushes and pulls are examples of forces;
2(c) to recognise that when things speed up, slow down or change direction,
there is a cause.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that pushing or pulling things can make objects start or stop moving
(QCA 1E)
— to identify similarities and differences between the movement of different
objects (QCA 1E)
— that sometimes pushes and pulls can change the shape of objects (QCA
2E)
(QCA, 1998)
 FORCES 193

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

2(a) about the forces of attraction and repulsion between magnets, and about the
force of attraction between magnets and magnetic materials;
2(b) that objects are pulled downwards because of the gravitational attraction
between them and the Earth;
2(c) about friction, including air resistance, as a force that slows down moving
objects and may prevent objects from starting to move;
2(d) that when objects (for example, a spring, a table) are pushed or pulled, an
opposing pull or push can be felt;
2(e) how to measure forces and identify in which direction they act.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that magnets attract some metals and not others (QCA 3E)
— that when a spring is stretched or compressed upwards, it exerts a down-
ward force on whatever is compressing or stretching it, and that when an
elastic band is stretched downwards, it exerts an upward force on whatever
is stretching it (QCA 3E)
— that friction can be useful (QCA 4E)
— that water resistance slows down an object moving through water (QCA
4E)
— that gravitational attraction causes objects to have weight (QCA 6E)
— to explain why people seem lighter when walking on the Moon (QCA
6E)
— that when an object is submerged in water, the water provides an upward
force (upthrust) on it (QCA 6E)
(QCA, 1998)
194 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Ways to teach ‘forces’ at Key Stage 1

Find out about and describe the movement of familiar things, and that both
pushes and pulls are examples of forces
Young children may find the difference between a push and a pull confusing. The
phrases ‘push away’ and ‘pull towards’ may be helpful, with the children miming these
activities while saying the phrases.

Pupil activity 8.1

Drawing and miming

Learning objective: To understand that we use forces every day to move

things.
Resources required: paper and pens or pencils

Ask the children to draw three pushes and three pulls they have done that morning.
Give a few pointers, such as did they pull a door open or push a drawer closed? Some
activities like brushing teeth involve pulls and pushes. An individual child could mime
to the class a push or pull they have done that morning with the rest of the class trying
to guess it (make sure they tell you first what it is they are miming!)

Pupil activity 8.2

Pushes and pulls in the classroom

Learning objective: To know how forces are used in the classroom.

Resources required: blank stickers, pens

The children write ‘push’ or ‘pull’ on stickers and then place these around the class to
show the pushes and pulls they do to objects to make them move. Some things will
have both push and pull on them (e.g. drawers may have push and pull on them and
doors may have push on one side and pull on the other).
 FORCES 195

Pupil activity 8.3

Songs

Learning objective: To help understand push and pull forces.

Resources required: none

Songs that can be sung while doing motions can be helpful when thinking about
pushes and pulls. ‘Wind the bobbin on’ and ‘Row, row, row your boat’ both feature the
use of forces, which children can sing along to while miming the actions.
Music

Find science songs at:

www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/science/coordinator.htm

Pupil activity 8.4

PE forces

Learning objective: To understand how we use forces when playing sports.

Resources required: see below

Physical education (PE) lessons can allow a range of pushes and pulls to be
demonstrated. Kicking and hitting balls both involve giving the ball a push. A bat is
usually pulled backwards before being pushed forwards. Jumping involves pushing as
hard as possible with the legs on the ground. Tug-of-War is an obvious example of
pulling.
PE presents a good opportunity to show how forces can stop, start or change the
direction of things moving; for example, we might kick a ball (push) to start it moving
and someone else might stop it with their leg (a push), then make it change direction.
Big kicks or throws (both pushes) can make things go faster. PE equipment can also
demonstrate how pupils use pushes and pulls to make their bodies move, such as
when pulling themselves up on apparatus when climbing. Make sure you promote lots
of talk using scientific language and say that this is part of science.
196 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconception
‘Round things just move by themselves’
Young children often think things move because of their intrinsic shape. For
example, a ball rolls because it is ‘round’, wheels move because they are of a
circular shape. The shape does help the ball and wheel to move, but a force must
provide the push or pull to get the thing moving. Help pupils to identify exactly
when a force applied makes an object move.

Pupil activity 8.5

Pushes and pulls with toys

Learning objective: To understand how toys move using forces.

Resources required: see below

Many toys use pushes or pulls to make them start to move, speed up, slow down or
change direction. Foundation Stage classes may have a good range of hand-held toys
to borrow, as well as larger things such as tricycles and cars that can be ridden. These
can be used to demonstrate the whole range of what forces do. Collect a range of toys,
including pull-along toys, water wheels, cars, in fact anything that demonstrates
movement. Challenge the children to work out if pushes or pulls are required to make
the toys work. Ask them which ones can be made to change direction easily (e.g.
tricycles turning) or can be slowed down. Challenge them to point in the direction of
the push or pull.

Pupil activity 8.6

Changing shape using forces

Learning objective: To know that a force can change the shape of

something.
Resources required: play clay (or Plasticine)

Play clay can be pushed or pulled into many shapes. Working in small groups, set the
children the task of making something simple from a ball of play clay such as a pig.
Each child takes it in turn to pull or push the play dough to make one of the features.
This might require considerable discussion about how to make each part!
 FORCES 197

Pupil activity 8.7

Other things that move using pushes and pulls

Learning objective: Learn about more things that move.

Resources required: none

So far we have concentrated on the children moving their bodies, or physically manipu-
lating objects to get them to move (e.g. toys and PE lessons). Have a discussion about
things that move ‘by themselves’ – for example, the wind blowing things (a push), a ball
rolling down hill (a tricky idea for infants – gravity pulling the ball downwards).

Pupil activity 8.8

Starting to measure pushes and pulls

Learning objective: Learn that big and small forces can be measured.
Resources required: force meters, objects that can be moved safely,
elastic bands (optional), knicker elastic (optional), balloon (optional)

Force meters can be used to make things move safely in the classroom. The spring
inside a force meter can be seen to stretch, so the larger the force needed to move the
object, the greater the stretch. A push meter will also show a spring stretching or
squashing and the children can feel the force of the object pushing back on them.
Care needs to be taken in selecting objects that can be moved safely with force meters
(see section below). A great place to start is to use a balloon as a push meter. Push a
chair with a balloon and you will see the balloon flatten slightly as a result of the
pushing. Do the same by pulling objects with large elastic bands or knicker elastic!

Ways to teach ‘forces’ at Key Stage 2

Pupil activity 8.9

Accurate measurement of pushes and pulls

Learning objective: To be able to quantify the size of a force.

Resources required: force meters, a range of objects to move (see Table 8.1)

Before using force meters, ensure the children are familiar with how they work. Draw
their attention to the fact that they have two scales (a grams scale for measuring mass
 198 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

and a Newton scale for measuring force). It is Newtons that they will be using (if
possible, cover up the grams scale). Get them to note that the bigger the force the
more the spring changes shape. Remind them that they will need to make more than
one reading, to ‘check their results’ for each object.
The most useful force meters have a scale of 0–10 N. Lifting an apple off the table
only requires a force of about 1–3 N (depending on the size of the apple). The
children can predict and then confirm how much force is required to move things
Maths
such as water bottles and pencil cases. It can be tricky to measure such small forces, so
larger objects can be used, including a school bag (not too heavily laden). Once the
pupils have got the idea with a few objects, get them to select and predict some more.
Caution against trying to move items that are too heavy.
Table 8.1 Approximate forces (in Newtons) required to move various familiar objects

Object Approximate force required Approximate force required to

to lift drag or push across a table top

Apple 1N 0.5 N
Book 4N 2N
Stapler 1N 0.5 N
PE basket 15 N 10 N
Rounders bat 2N 1N

Common misconception
‘Dragging or lifting something uses the same amount of force’
Children may be surprised that it requires less force to drag an object along a
table than it does to lift the same object into the air. When we drag an object
across a table, the main force we have to overcome is the friction of the object
rubbing on the table. When lifting the object up, we now have to pull against the
object’s weight (due to gravity) and this requires greater force. When the object
was on the table, its weight was effectively ‘cancelled out’ by the table, as the
table pushed back with equal force (this is called the ‘support force’). The air
cannot provide a corresponding support force like the table, hence the greater
stretch of the spring. Explaining this to children is tricky though, as they find it
hard to believe that the table pushes back!

Schools can buy force meters with a hook to measure pulling and force meters
with a bar or rod to measure pushing. The pushing version can be easier to use with
objects that have no obvious hooking point such as an apple. Alternatively, just pop
the apple in a lightweight bag so that hooking it is now easy! Care needs to be taken
with large, heavy objects.
 FORCES 199

Learning about forces with springs

Bare springs can be difficult for children to handle effectively and safely. There are
two ways around this – the children can make their own springs or they can handle
force meters.

Pupil activity 8.10

Making a spring

Learning objective: Learn to make a spring.

Resources required: pencil with ‘round’ sides, thin gauge garden wire,
scissors

Thin gauge garden wire can be cut with scissors and this does not leave a sharp edge.
The children can wrap wire around the pencil in tight coils, and then simply
remove the pencil. The children will find they can pull the spring and feel a slight
opposing pull in the opposite direction, or push it and feel the spring pushing them
back. The springs are not particularly ‘strong’ but this means they are safe to handle.

Pupil activity 8.11

Using force meters to find out about springs

Learning objective: To understand how a spring reacts to forces.

Resources required: force meters, small masses

This activity could be used as an introduction to teaching how springs work. Children
need to observe how a spring changes its length in response to different forces. A
simple pull force meter contains a spring that is stretched in response to a pull. If the
children pull on the force meter, they can feel the opposing pull of the spring inside it.
They can even read the scale in Newtons and see how hard the spring is pulling back.
You might pose the following questions to pupils:

• In which direction is the spring pulling?

• What happens if you pull harder on the spring?
• It takes a larger force to move a heavier object, so what happens to the force
meter’s spring when you try and move a heavier object?

If they have a range of force meters, ideally push as well as pull ones, get them to
look at the size of the springs inside. Can they say which springs are the hardest to pull
200 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

or push? (The stronger springs are in the force meters with the largest scales. These
springs also tend to be thicker, which makes them stronger.) Do the springs in pull
meters work in the same way as those in push meters?

Pupil investigation skills 8.12

How does adding extra weight and mass affect springs?

Learning objective: Learn that the weight of something can exert a force
and stretch a spring.
Resources required: force meters, objects to stretch the spring (e.g.
masses)

A simple investigation can be done to find out what happens to a spring as the weight
of objects the children attach increases. The children should be able to spot the simple
relationship ‘the greater the weight, the more the spring stretches’. They could
measure the stretch of the spring and plot against the weight of object added.
Masses in 100-g units would be ideal for this. Each 100 g added would give an
extra 1 Newton of force on the spring and stretch it further.

Learning about magnetism

Pupil investigation skills 8.13

How do magnets move each other?

Learning objective: Learn that magnets can attract or repel each other.
Resources required: bar magnets

Many magnets have their poles in contrasting colours. Traditionally, red is North and
blue is South, but other combinations are used. Sometimes a magnet will have a small
letter N and S inscribed on it to show which pole is which. Set the children the
following tasks:

• Which ends of the magnets attract each other and which repel?
• What combinations are there (North attracts South, North repels North, South
repels South)? This may take some detective work if the poles are not labelled or
colour-coded.
• Can they work out if attracting and repelling are pushes or pulls? Remind them of
‘pull towards’ and ‘push away’.
 FORCES 201

Discussion: What do magnets look like?

Children are familiar with magnets used in school, which are often brightly coloured
and have their opposite poles clearly marked. However, they fail to recognise magnets
that do not have their poles marked and are just ‘bare’ (i.e. no plastic coat on them). It
is worth showing children these magnets and discussing when they are used in every-
day circumstances. Such magnets are used on novelties to attach notes to fridges.
They are also used on some cupboard doors to keep the cupboards shut firmly. They
have recently started to be used in pairs attached to sponges to clean fish tanks or
windows.

Pupil investigation skills 8.14

Are bigger magnets more powerful? Two simple investigations

Learning objective: Learn that magnets can have different strengths.

Resources required: paper clips, a range of magnets – the more the better
(e.g. bar magnets, ring magnets, wand magnets, fridge magnets,
horseshoe magnets, toys with magnets attached to them). Such a range of
magnets may take time to collect, although educational suppliers do sell
sets. Without such a range, you can still do the investigation, but it will be
more limited

Ask the children to make chains of linked paper clips. Chains of five, four, three, two
are good to compare to each other. Ask them to devise a way to determine which
magnets are the most powerful. They can do this by dragging ever longer links of
paper clips along a desk with a magnet, or using a magnet to lift up ever longer chains.

Pupil activity 8.15

Testing the strength of magnets

Learning objective: To be able to quantify how strong a magnet is.

Resources required: button or ring magnets, A4 paper, magnetic notice
board or steel table leg or PE climbing frame

We’ve all put leaflets on a fridge and held them in place with a fridge magnet. Some-
times they all end up on the floor because the force cannot penetrate them all and hold
them to the fridge door. Accordingly, different strengths of magnets can be tested in
this way. Ask the children to guess how many sheets (layers) of paper the magnet can
hold. They need to add a sheet at a time to each magnet and see how many it can hold
to the steel table leg or climbing frame.
202 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 8.16

Which materials are magnetic?

Learning objective: Learn which metals are magnetic.

Resources required: a range of shiny materials for younger children (see
‘Common misconception’ below)
A range of metals for older children; try a range of everyday metal things
that are easily handled (coins, spoons, split pins, etc.). If you have a set of
metal discs with the name of the metal on (often found in ‘Classifying
Materials’ sets), add these to the mix.

Common misconception
‘All metals are magnetic aren’t they?’
There are age-related misconceptions about this. Younger children tend to think
that any shiny, silver-coloured material is magnetic. Get them to predict and
then test a range of materials, including baking foil pieces, pie dishes, ‘foil’
wrapping paper, silver-coloured card, and paper clips.
Older children often think that all metals are magnetic. A more subtle belief
is that only silver-coloured metals are magnetic. Eventually, children learn that
only some metals are magnetic – but they often can’t remember which ones!

Ask the children to record their predictions about which objects are magnetic
before they test them. Then, they can simply see if they are attracted to a magnet or not.
The only magnetic items they will find will be of iron or steel. They might not know
what all the metals are (and you might not be able to identify them either), but they will
be confident once they have tested them to state which are magnetic and which are not.

Pupil investigation skills 8.17

Confusing ‘copper’ coins!

Learning objective: To understand why two-pence and one-pence coins

can react differently to magnets.
Resources required: a range of two-pence and one-pence coins with varied
dates, including old ones from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; magnets

Ask the children to test the coins to determine which ones are magnetic and which are
not. They can separate them into two piles, and make a note of the date for each coin.
Ask them why some are magnetic and some are not.
 FORCES 203

Common misconception
‘Copper coins are magnetic’
Older children frequently think copper is magnetic. A confusing fact is that
some two-pence and one-pence coins are magnetic and some are not. Children
often know that these coins are made of copper, so what is the explanation?
Older coins contain a lot of copper, newer ones are merely copper-coated and
are made of steel – hence they are magnetic.

Children often think that the newer copper coins are magnetic because they are
shiny, and the older ones are not because they are dirty – however, a little experimen-
tation can reveal the dirt layer makes no difference. To prove or disprove this idea,
the children can ‘clean up’ the coins by leaving them in cola drink overnight. The
acid in the cola will dissolve the dirt layer. The dirty solution must be thrown away
and the coins washed carefully before they are retested. The Royal Mint started
putting steel in the coins because copper has become very expensive and steel is
cheaper!

Pupil investigation skills 8.18

How can you tell a magnet from a magnetic material?

Learning objective: To understand the difference between a magnetic

material and a magnet.
Resources required: magnets (include ones that don’t ‘look’ like magnets
– i.e. they don’t have the poles marked – such as fridge magnets and
button magnets), magnetic materials (iron, steel, new two-pence and
one-pence coins, paper clips)

Can the children sort the magnets from the magnetic materials? The idea is that
magnets can attract and repel each other. A magnet can only attract a magnetic
material. Magnetic materials neither attract nor repel one another.
204 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 8.19

Does magnetic force go through different materials?

Learning objective: To understand that magnetic force can travel through

thin solid materials.
Resources required: paper, fabrics, thin plastics, thin card, magnets, and
paper clips

Ask the children to predict which materials the magnetic force will or will not go
through. They can test their ideas by placing the magnet on one side of the test
material and the paper clip on the other side. Can they move it around using the
magnet? If they can, then they have shown that magnetic force goes through the
material.
They will find that magnetic force goes through all thin materials, except those
that contain iron and steel! The iron and steel direct the magnetic force around their
structure, whereas other materials just let it go straight through.

Common misconception
‘Magnetic forces can only travel through air’
It is a common misconception among children that magnetic force does not go
through solid material. A good way to tackle this is to get them to try this out in
the above investigation.

Pupil investigation skills 8.20

Does magnetic force go through water?

Learning objective: Learn that magnetic force can travel through liquids.
Resources required: paper clips, magnet tied to a piece of string, bowl of
water

This investigation can be conducted as a quick and simple test. Set up magnetic
fishing with a bowl of water. Ask the children to go ‘fishing’ for paper clips. Ask them
to predict whether it will work or not. They should be able to ‘fish’ the clips out of the
water.
 FORCES 205

Common misconception
‘Magnetic forces do not work in liquids’
A common misconception is that magnetic force does not work under water, but
it does! The above is only a quick investigation and could be done as a
demonstration.

Friction
For some of the following investigations, you will need to make some simple slopes.
These can be simply a short plank of wood or a sheet of stiff card. Blocks or books can
be stacked to different heights to raise or lower the slope at one end.

Figure 8.2 Wooden block sliding down a slope

Pupil investigation skills 8.21

Different shoe grips

Learning objective: Learn how shoe grips affect friction.

Resources required: a range of the children’s footwear with different grips,
a simple slope, some books or blocks to vary the height of the slope

Ask the children to predict which shoe ‘grip’ provides the most friction and which the
least. Try increasing the steepness of the slope by raising one end. The height of the
slope can be measured quite easily. As the height increases, the pupils should see how
only shoes with the best grip (i.e. the most friction) stay on. A discussion about why
different forms of footwear (e.g. hiking boots, school shoes, football boots, trainers,
high heels) have different grips could follow.
206 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil investigation skills 8.22

Different slope surfaces

Learning objective: Understand how surfaces affect friction.

Resources required: one shoe, a simple slope, a range of surfaces (try
newspaper, sandpaper, overhead projector transparencies)

Ask the pupils to modify a slope using a range of surfaces that are easily taped on to
the slope. Ask the children to predict which surface will be the easiest for the shoe to
remain on as the steepness of the slope is increased. Ask them about fair testing and
why they should use the same shoe each time. This could lead to a discussion about,
for example, wheelchair access ramps and what type of surfaces they should have.

Pupil investigation skills 8.23

Friction makes it harder to continue moving (pulling or pushing) an

object

Learning objective: Learn how friction works against moving objects.

Resources required: flat surfaces to test (e.g. a table, the carpet, the hall
floor, the playground, plus any surfaces you can make yourself such as
strips of sandpaper stuck to the table), something to pull [old food tubs
are ideal, but these need to be made fairly heavy for you to be able to
make a reading on a force meter, so add heavy things such as masses
(weights), stones or marbles], force meters, and string to attach to the
food tubs

The children can predict which surfaces will experience the most friction (i.e. give the
highest reading) before testing. They may notice that the Newton meter gives a
slightly higher reading as the object begins to move, and then the reading is reduced as
the object is pulled along. Objects often need a bit of extra force to get them moving
(hence the jerk). It is easier for them to take the reading as the object is pulled along
the surface. This could lead to a discussion about why we might prefer a surface with
more friction. For example, playground surfaces are always rough so that even in wet
weather the children won’t fall over easily. They might also discuss where we would
prefer a smooth surface (e.g. a dance hall or skating rink).
 FORCES 207

Pupil investigation skills 8.24

Friction makes things slow down: How far can a ball roll?

Learning objective: Learn that friction slows down moving objects.

Resources required: a ramp, cars or small balls, different long surfaces to
put at the bottom of the ramp – the longer the better (playground, hall
floors, wood floors, and carpeted areas are ideal)

Children can predict which of the flat surfaces will allow the moving object to travel
the furthest. Using the same ramp at the same height each time (remind them about
fair testing), they can measure how far the ball or car moves along the surface at the
bottom of the ramp before stopping. Remind them again that the same ball or car
needs to be used in all their experiments, and ask them why.

Pupil discussion 8.25

Which way does friction work?

Children find it hard to visualise that friction opposes the movement of an object,
always working in the opposite direction to the object’s movement. Discuss with the
children which way it is working; use diagrams with arrows to emphasise the point.
Ask them if they could feel the friction pulling against them as they dragged the heavy
food tubs (in activity 8.23) across different surfaces. If friction worked in the same
direction as the object was moving, then it would add to the force on the object and so
speed it up; this clearly does not happen.

Pupil discussion 8.26

When is friction useful and when is it a nuisance?

Get the children to list instances when friction can be of use. They should be able to
think of lots of ideas after doing the above experiment. Rough surfaces in the wet on
the playground and roads, boots with large grips for bad weather, and handlebars of
bikes are just a few instances. Children often think that friction is a ‘bad’ thing. This is
because they are familiar with the ideas of things slowing down, but less familiar with
the idea that friction is needed to hold on to something. Try the demonstration below
for a fun way of showing this. Friction also causes things to wear down. Pupils should
be able to think of instances such as brake blocks on bikes and cars and the bottoms of
their shoes wearing out.
208 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Teacher demonstration 8.27

Friction demonstration with jelly and chopsticks

Learning objective: Learn how liquids reduce friction.

Resources required: jelly cubes, chopsticks, cooking oil, paper plates

This is a good way of demonstrating how friction is required to move even everyday
objects around. If we didn’t have friction, the objects would slip out of our hands. Get
a volunteer to move blocks of jelly from one plate to another using chopsticks. Then
try putting vegetable oil over the jelly and get them to repeat the challenge!

Teacher demonstration 8.28

Does the surface area affect air resistance?

Learning objective: Learn how surface area affects air resistance.

Resources required: A4 paper

Air resistance can be very simply demonstrated with two pieces of A4 paper.
Ask a volunteer to crunch one into a ball and leave the other intact. Holding them
at the same height, get the class to guess which one will hit the floor first. Using the
same pieces of paper, get the volunteer to see how far he or she can throw each one.
They will find it easy to throw the crunched-up one, showing that air resistance not
only acts on falling objects.

Pupil activity 8.29

Speed affects air resistance

Learning objective: Learn that greater speeds increase air resistance.

Resources required: large piece of sugar paper or card

In the playground, ask two volunteers to hold a large piece of card or sugar paper, one
either side of it, with it facing the direction they are walking in. When they walk with it,
do they feel much air resistance? They could try jogging or running. As the speed
increases, they should feel more air resistance and observers should see the card ‘bow’
more as the greater force hits it. Ask pupils how they could reduce the air resistance.
Some may suggest cutting holes in the card. Others may think of turning the card so
that it is edge-on before they run with it.
 FORCES 209

Pupil investigation skills 8.30

Parachute canopy size

Learning objective: Learn how surface area and air resistance are related.
Resources required: bin bags, string, paper clips or Plasticine

Cut different-sized squares of plastic from thin (cheap!) bin bags. Attach a piece of
string or cotton to each corner with a small piece of tape, and fasten these together in
the middle. Add Plasticine or paper clips as weight in the middle. The only problem
with this investigation is the dropping of the parachutes, as you will need a bit of
height to see any differences. Health and safety requirements dictate that we cannot
stand on chairs and desks to launch them. If you do not have a safe high point to
launch them, you can try wrapping the string around them and throwing them up, but
this takes a bit of practice to get them to open properly.

Figure 8.3 Parachutes carrying identical mass but different canopy size

Water resistance
Water resistance occurs whenever an object moves, in any direction, through water. It
slows us down when we swim across a pool and when we dive under water. Ships have
streamlined hulls to minimise the water resistance. Ask the children to do some
research from books or the internet on how water resistance can be reduced. They
should be able to find examples of streamlining in different objects and animals that
enables water resistance to be minimised. They should be able to come up with
adaptations by fish, sharks, and dolphins and comment on the design of boats,
submarines, and hovercraft.
210 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Teaching floating and sinking with weight and upthrust

The best way to teach floating and sinking is for pupils to be taught two concepts.
First, things that are ‘light for size’ and ‘heavy for size’ is a good guide; for
instance, things that are less dense than water float (e.g. a block of wood), but things
that are more dense than water sink (e.g. a block of steel). If objects contain a lot of air
they tend to float, as air is very light (less dense than water).
Second, they should look at the shape of objects. A piece of Plasticine can be
made to float or sink, depending on its shape. A ball of it will sink, but if it is flattened
out into a boat shape it should float (with a bit of patience). Boat shapes displace a lot
of water, so creating a lot of upthrust force to counter their weight. It is also worth
pointing out to the children that a boat contains a lot of air in its bottom bit, some of
which is actually ‘under the level of the water’. Ask them what would happen if they
filled the boat with water. They might know that that would make it sink.

Common misconception
‘Light things float, heavy things sink’
Children tend to think that ‘light things float but heavy things sink’. As a rule of
thumb, however, this will not explain that an ocean liner floats (which is very
heavy) while pennies sink (which are not quite as heavy!).

Pupil activity 8.31

How many marbles are required to sink a boat

Learning objective: Learn that weight and upthrust work in opposite

directions.
Resources required: Plasticine or foil, marbles, washing-up bowl or trays
with water

A great idea is to challenge the children to see how many marbles their boats can hold!
Boats can be made from Plasticine or from foil. The children need to take care in
making their boats, as only certain shapes float. Shallow, flattish ones work well. They
need to ensure that their boats are good floaters before they start to add any objects to
them. Adding marbles is interesting because as the weight increases the boat will float
‘lower down’ in the bowl – that is, the water level rises up its hull. It displaces more
water as the number of marbles increases (this will slightly increase the force of
upthrust). Eventually, the weight of the marbles will be too great and the upthrust will
be insufficient to counter it, and the boat will sink.
 FORCES 211

Common misconception
‘Deeper water means better floating!’
Children often think that if an object is placed in deeper water-filled containers,
there will be more chance of it floating because there is ‘more water pushing on
it’. This can be shown to be untrue quite easily. Providing a floating object can
displace its own weight in water, it will float just as easily in any container.
Similarly, a penny will sink in a cup of water and in a swimming pool – the depth
makes no difference

Upthrust in air
So far we have focused on upthrust in water, but there also is an upthrust force in air,
albeit usually negligible on most objects. This could confuse some pupils, so perhaps
save this for those who need to be challenged. Things that do use upthrust to float
upwards in the air are hot air balloons and helium balloons. Both hot air and helium
gas are less dense than cold air and therefore upthrust enables them to float.

Common misconception
‘All inflated balloons will float upwards’
Younger children often think that all inflated balloons will float upwards, ‘because
they are so light’. They also believe the same about soap bubbles blown from a
small hoop. Balloons and bubbles with cold air inside are similar to the air around
them and so have insufficient upthrust. Gravity will pull them down to the ground!

Teacher demonstration 8.32

Upthrust in air and weight

Learning objective: Learn that upthrust can occur in air.

Resources required: a helium balloon, bread stick, thread

If released, a helium balloon will rise to the ceiling, but if something of a certain weight
is tied to it, it can be made to stay still in mid-air. A breadstick (or piece of paper rolled
up) can be attached to provide weight and bits taken off until its weight is just equal to
the upthrust. The balloon will then remain stationary, ‘suspended’ in mid-air, as the
forces acting on it are balanced.
212 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Gravity and weight

Many children know that gravity is the force that ‘pulls things down’ here on Earth.
Gravity pulls on all objects, but it does not pull all of them equally as hard. This is
where the concept of weight as a force comes in. Different objects have different
weights, because the gravitational attraction between them and the Earth differs.
Generally, the more mass a thing has, the greater the gravitational attraction between
it and the Earth, and the harder it is for us to lift up. Weight is a tricky concept
for many children to understand and often it is only the older, higher achieving ones
that will fully grasp it. If a pupil uses a force meter to lift a rock and notes the reading,
they are measuring the rock’s weight (in Newtons). Most children will be happy with
the concept of gravity and how it works, but there are still plenty of misconceptions
about it.

Common misconception
‘Things just fall down. There’s no force involved’
Young children often believe this, having observed things naturally ‘falling
down’ for years. In contrast, they may accept that to make a ball go up in the air,
you have to throw it, using a pushing force. Through discussion we can enable
them to see that if something moves in a certain direction, a force must have
started it moving in that direction (e.g. a toy car is pushed, a ball is kicked). This
means things can’t just ‘fall down’ of their own accord; a force must make them
do it – gravity!

Pupil activity 8.33

Which way do things fall down?

Learning objective: Understand how gravity acts towards the centre of the
Earth.
Resources required: paper and pencils

Children should be familiar with drawing different arrows to represent the directions
forces work in. Ask them to draw a picture of the Earth with a giant standing at the
North Pole. Ask them which way his trousers would fall if he was to take off his belt.
They should answer that his trousers would fall ‘down’ towards the centre of the
Earth. They should then draw the arrow pointing this way, indicating the direction in
which gravity pulls.
Next, get them to draw the giant at the South Pole and draw an arrow to show
which way his trousers would fall if he took them off this time. They should get the
 FORCES 213

idea that the trousers again would move towards the centre of the Earth, but some
may want to have them fall ‘down’ over his head towards the bottom of the picture!
Children will often explain that gravity ‘pulls things down’. The idea of it ‘pulling
things down towards the centre of the Earth’ is more difficult for them to grasp. Often
they mangle this sentence into ‘gravity comes from the centre of the Earth’. It does not;
it comes from the whole of the Earth, but always acts towards the centre.
A follow-up activity would be to draw a giant holding a ball at the North and
South Poles and east and west along the equator and ask the pupils to draw which way
the ball would fall when dropped in each case. Similarly, clouds with rain drawn at
these four points can be very revealing. Some children will draw clouds that would
appear to people on Earth to be sideways on, raining horizontally!

Teacher demonstration 8.34

Whack a Rat! (Catch a falling object)

Learning objective: Learn that gravity can make things move very quickly.
Resources required: pencil or playing card

A popular summer fair attraction used to be ‘Whack a Rat’, whereby a fluffy toy was
dropped down a drainpipe and you had to hit it with a wooden bat as it came out the
bottom of the pipe – very difficult! By the time you had seen the rat and swung the bat, it
was half way to the floor. This is because gravity pulls objects down very quickly (it
actually accelerates them, which means it moves them ever faster moment by moment).
You can recreate this effect with a volunteer. Ask a pupil to hold their hand as if
they are holding an invisible plant pot (so there is a good gap between their fingers).
Now drop a pencil through the gap (point facing upwards). Don’t warn them when
you are about to let go. Many won’t be able to catch the pencil, as gravity pulls it so
fast! If they can catch the pencil as it moves through their fingers, try a playing card.
Although our reactions are very fast, gravity can beat them quite easily, and often the
pencil or card will not be caught.

Summary of key learning points:

• the unit in which forces are measured is the Newton (N);

• a force can change the shape or movement of an object;

• the larger the force, the larger the change can be;

• frictional forces can slow down moving objects;

• friction can occur when an object moves over a surface – the rougher the
surface, the more friction the object experiences;
214 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

• friction can also help an object move, as when something provides a good
grip;

• to keep something moving, a driving force is needed to overcome the

friction the object is experiencing;

• air resistance and water resistance are both forms of friction;

• the mass of an object is the amount of matter in it – mass is measured in

grams or kilograms and is not to be confused with weight, which is a force;

• gravitational attraction exists between very large bodies and smaller

objects (e.g. the Earth attracts a dropped cup);

• gravity acts towards the centre of the Earth;

• the weight of an object is a force measured in Newtons, caused by the

gravitational attraction between the Earth and the object – different
objects have different weights;

• an object will have the same mass on the Earth and on the Moon because
it contains the same amount of matter;

• an object will weigh more on the Earth than on the Moon because the Earth
is more massive and so can exert a greater gravitational attraction than
the Moon;

• balanced forces produce no change in the movement or shape of an

object;

• when an object is stationary or moving at a steady speed in a straight line,

the forces acting on it are balanced;

• unbalanced forces acting on an object can change its motion or its shape;

• magnets have poles – similar poles repel each other, whereas opposite
poles attract each other;

• the pole that points northwards is the north-seeking pole;

• magnetism can act over a short distance, so magnets can exert forces on
objects with which they are not in contact.

Self-test
Question 1
Examples of friction include (a) a parachute falling through air, (b) a water skier being
pulled over the surface of a lake, (c) a submarine moving at the bottom of the sea, (d)
rubbing your hands together
 FORCES 215

Question 2
Gravity (a) does not exist in space, (b) pulls a falling pencil, (c) does not exist on the
Moon, (d) does not exist on Venus

Question 3
Magnets (a) always have a North and South Pole, (b) can only attract a magnetic
material, never repel one, (c) do not work under water, (d) generate a magnetic field
that can act through certain materials

Question 4
Unbalanced forces can make objects (a) slow down or speed up, (b) change shape,
(c) stay still, (d) move at a steady speed

Self-test answers
Q1: All four are forms of friction. In (a), the air rubs against the parachute, causing air
resistance, which is a form of friction. In (b), the friction is between the water skis
and the water. There will also be air resistance between the water skier’s body and
the air as they are dragged along. In (c), a submarine rubs against the water as it
moves and this form of friction is again water resistance. The submarine is stream-
lined to reduce the friction. In (d), the tiny indentations on the two surfaces of the
hands catch against each other; the friction here will generate heat if the hands are
rubbed fast enough.
Q2: Only (b) is true. The gravitational attraction between the Earth and the pencil will
cause the dropped pencil to move downwards towards the centre of the Earth.
Example (a) is false because gravity is able to travel through space. The Sun’s
gravity causes the Earth to orbit the Sun, in effect holding the Earth in place in the
Solar System. Example (c) is false because the Moon has less gravity than the
Earth, but it is a fairly massive object so it will pull things towards it. If there was no
gravity on the Moon, then the astronauts would have floated away from it, instead of
walking on it. Example (d) is false, since again Venus is fairly massive and so will pull
smaller objects towards itself.
Q3: (a), (b), and (d) are true. Magnets always have a North and South Pole, even if
these are not coloured or marked. Even if a magnet were snapped in half, the two
halves would still both have a North Pole and both have a South Pole. A magnetic
material such as iron or steel can only be attracted. It could not repel a magnet, as
only another magnet can do that. A magnet is a special kind of iron or steel that has
been ‘magnetised’ – that is, it has undergone a special process to make it a magnet.
Magnets are surrounded by a magnetic field, which means magnetic force can travel
short distances through the air, and even through several sheets of paper, hence can
hold paper onto a fridge door. Example (c) is false because the magnetic force can
travel through water quite easily over short distances.
216 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Q4: (a) and (b) are true. Balanced forces can keep an object moving at a steady
speed, or prevent an object from moving at all. Whenever something is accelerating
or decelerating, some of the forces acting on the object must be larger than others,
causing this change to occur.

Misconceptions
‘Round things just move by themselves’
‘Dragging or lifting something uses the same amount of force’
‘All metals are magnetic aren’t they?’
‘Copper coins are magnetic’
‘Magnetic forces can only travel through air’
‘Magnetic forces do not work in liquids’
‘Light things float, heavy things sink’
‘Deeper water means better floating!’
‘All inflated balloons will float upwards’
‘Things just fall down – there’s no force involved’

Webliography
www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/science/coordinator.htm
(science songs)
9
The Earth in space

About this chapter

This chapter deals with the science you need to know and understand about
the Earth in space. It includes aspects about the Earth and the Moon such as
how they move in relation to one another and how they relate in space to the
Sun and other components of the Solar System. It will tell you about our galaxy
(the Milky Way) and its place in the universe. You will find clear explanations of
the causes of day and night, the length of the year, the seasons, eclipses, and
the phases of the Moon. The second part of the chapter addresses what the
pupils need to learn. The final section will provide you with very effective ways
to teach about the Earth in space, including common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Resources required: a torch, a medium sized ball, a small ball

Earth is a planet which orbits the Sun as part of our Solar System
As a primary teacher, you will need to know basic facts about the Earth and space and
understand how, for example, the Earth and the Moon move in relation to the Sun
and the other large bodies (mainly planets and moons) in the Solar System.
Each of the planets is held in orbit around our nearest star, the Sun. They are held
in orbit by the Sun’s strong gravitational force. We say that their orbits around the Sun
trace out a circle, but this is a slight simplification, as the orbits are elliptical (i.e. a
 218 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

slightly squashed circle). In the discussions and models we use in this chapter, we
will continue to say that the planets have circular orbits, as this is an acceptable
simplification that most other books adopt. The planets vary in composition and size.
All are almost spherical in shape. The four inner ones – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and
Mars – are relatively small and rocky. The next four – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune – are gas giants; the last is Pluto, which is very small and icy. They all
travel in an anticlockwise direction around the Sun (if viewed from above). How-
ever, the durations of their orbits around the Sun are different. As you will see in
Figure 9.1, Mercury is closest to the Sun and so completes an orbit of the Sun in
just 88 Earth days. Pluto, now designated a dwarf planet by some scientists, but
still referred to as a planet by many, is so far from the Sun that one orbit takes
around 248 Earth years! You are of course very familiar with the orbit of the third
planet from the Sun – this is our planet, Earth, which takes 365¼ days to orbit the
Sun.

Figure 9.1 Eight planets and Pluto (dwarf planet) orbit our Sun to make up our Solar System

All the planets rotate or spin on their axis but at different speeds. The Earth, like
several of the planets, spins anti-clockwise (Venus, Uranus, and Pluto spin clockwise)
and does so once every 24 hours. We see evidence of planet Earth’s spinning in the
daily cycle of light and dark, which gives us day and night. As the Earth spins, the Sun
Light appears to travel across our sky.
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 219

Figure 9.2 Simulating day and night on Earth

The Moon and how it orbits the Earth

Several of the planets are orbited by one or more moons. Jupiter has more than sixteen
moons (and recently over 20 more were discovered), whereas the Earth has only one.
The Earth’s Moon orbits the Earth in an anti-clockwise direction approximately once
every 28 days. The Moon is relatively close to Earth and so is affected by the Earth’s
gravitational attraction. The Moon only spins once on its axis every time it orbits the
Earth, so the same face of the Moon always points towards the Earth. This means that
from the Earth we can never see the other side of the Moon. To show that you
understand the Moon’s movement, model it by using a ball as the Earth and a smaller
ball as the Moon. Make a small mark on one side of the ‘Moon’. Now hold the small
ball in orbit (travelling in a circle around the ‘Earth’) so that the mark always faces the
‘Earth’. This means that it takes the same time for the Moon to orbit the Earth as it
does for one spin of the Moon. This is tricky so take your time, repeat it so that you
can say what is happening at each point of the orbit. Even better, explain it to a friend.
The difficulty people have with this is that they don’t understand that the Moon has
completed one turn on its axis as it completes the orbit, because the spin is so slow. By
the time the Moon has gone half way around the Earth, it will only have completed
half a turn on its axis. It only completes the full turn when it has completed a full orbit
of the Earth.

The phases of the Moon (or why the Moon appears to change shape!)
The Moon does not always appear as a bright round disc (known as a full Moon as
seen at point 5 on Figure 9.4) in the night sky. At different points of its 28-day orbit of
the Earth, we see different Moon shapes or ‘phases’. This is because we on Earth view
the Moon from different angles on different nights as the Moon orbits the Earth. This
effect can be simulated with a torch and a ball in a darkened room. If you keep the
torch and ball fixed as in Figure 9.3 (the torch is the ‘Sun’ and the ball the ‘Moon’),
and imagine your head to be the Earth, by moving your head to different positions
you can see a crescent, half, and full Moon.
Read this paragraph keeping one eye on the text and the other on Figure 9.4. The
cycle starts on the first night (1) when earthbound observers would not see anything
as the side of the Moon facing Earth is not illuminated. Seven nights later we are one-
quarter way through the Moon’s orbit (3) and so we see half of the Moon illuminated
– the Moon is waxing. After about 14 nights (5), viewed from Earth the Moon is full –
220 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 9.3 Demonstration of how we view the Moon from Earth

Figure 9.4 Eight stages in the phases of the Moon

 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 221

it appears in the sky as a fully illuminated disc. We then move into the second half of
the cycle and the Moon appears to shrink or wane night by night. The Moon wanes
through nights 15–20 until it reaches the three-quarter orbit mark at about 21 nights
(7) (another half moon) and then progresses to the completion of the orbit and
another New Moon.

The presence of the Moon and the turning of the Earth cause
the ocean tides
The Earth itself is influenced by the Moon. For example, every 24 hours each of the
large oceans on Earth is on the side closest to the Moon. At this point, the middle of
the ocean is raised or pulled towards the Moon by the Moon’s gravity. There is a
corresponding bulge in the waters on the opposite side of the Earth at the same time.
This gives us two high tides within a 24-hour period. Without the Moon we would not
have high and low tides and would not therefore see the sea recede on the shoreline as
part of the daily rhythm of the tides.

Eclipses are caused by the relative movement of the Earth,

the Moon, and the Sun
Most people will not experience a complete solar eclipse; however, these are more
common than you think. In Figure 9.5 the Moon reaches a point where it passes
between the Sun and the Earth. At this point, the shadow cast by the Moon falls on
the Earth’s surface. As the shadow is quite small and it often falls on the ocean, it is
not often observed by large populations of people. If people were in the shadow, they
would not be able to see the Sun as the Moon moves in front of it, creating the solar
eclipse. It is merely a coincidence that the Moon is just the right size to cover the Sun
so perfectly. On Earth, we would see the dark disc of the Moon and a halo around
the Sun at full eclipse. As the Moon moves away, the Sun comes slowly back into
view.

Figure 9.5 The shadow cast by the Moon on the Earth during a solar eclipse
222 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

A useful internet simulation of a solar eclipse is available at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun/solareclipse.shtml

Figure 9.6 The orientation of the Earth at the four seasons (not drawn to scale)

The Earth orbits the Sun every 365¼ days. As is evident by looking at a globe, the
Earth spins but is tilted slightly (by 23.45°). This tilting has an important effect as the
Earth orbits the Sun, since it is responsible for the seasons on Earth (see Figure 9.6).

A number of web-based simulations will assist you, including the following:

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/animations/seasons_ecliptic.swf

When it is summer in Britain, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun.
(See how much more sunlight falls on the northern hemisphere than on the southern
hemisphere in Summer Figure 9.6.) The Sun appears in the sky for longer each day, so
Britain has longer days and shorter nights. During summer, the Sun appears higher in
the sky and so the rays of sunlight hit the northern hemisphere of Earth more directly
and the temperature is therefore higher. Note that in this position the North Pole is in
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 223

sunlight 24 hours a day. In winter, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the
Sun. In Britain, the Sun appears lower in the sky and for less time each day, giving us
colder, shorter days and longer nights. The light rays that hit the northern hemisphere
are not as direct as in summer, spreading out over larger areas, and so the light is
weaker and produces long winter shadows. The North Pole is in darkness 24 hours a
day (again refer to Figure 9.6).
To model this and confirm your understanding, use two balls (one large, one
small). The larger ‘Sun’ ball stays still in this demonstration with the smaller ‘Earth’
ball orbiting in a circle around it. Hold the Earth to the right of the Sun and tilt it away
from the Sun (towards the wall on your right). In this position as the northern hemi-
sphere is tilted away from the Sun, it is winter in this hemisphere, days are shorter, and
the Sun appears lower in the sky. Now move the Earth around the Sun tracing out a
circular path in an anti-clockwise direction, keeping the tilt constant (towards that
same wall). After one-quarter of an orbit, three months have gone by and we reach the
spring equinox. Continue this anti-clockwise orbit so that another three months later
the Earth is to the left of the Sun. The northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun
and it is summer. Trace out a further quarter of an anti-clockwise circle in the Earth’s
orbit and this brings us to the autumn equinox. We have now travelled three-quarters
of the way around the Sun in our circular orbit. Another three months pass as we trace
the final quarter of our circle to reach the winter position again, where we started
from. We have completed one full orbit of the Earth around the Sun, taking a year to
do so.

See the web-based simulation mentioned above and other explanations, such as
that found at:
http://www.morehead.unc.edu/Shows/EMS/seasons.htm

Asteroids, meteorites, and comets

As a teacher, you ought to know that there are other objects observed in our Solar
System. You don’t need to know a great deal about them but as pupils might ask or
might be intrigued by their existence, you may find this interesting and useful. People
often confuse asteroids and meteorites. The asteroids are thousands of rocks orbiting
the Sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter (see Figure 9.1). Some are the size of
large boulders, others the size of Mount Everest! One named Ida has recently been
observed to have its own tiny moon.
Meteorites are rocks from outer space and are usually very small. Most are only
the size of a speck of dust, rarer larger ones could be as big as a plum. We see them in
the night sky as they very quickly burn up as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Most
never make it to the Earth’s surface; some larger ones do and are occasionally found.
Meteorites are often incorrectly called shooting stars. There is no such thing as a
shooting star. Meteorites flash across the night sky and look as bright as the stars and
this is where this inaccurate term comes from. The brightness is caused by frictional
effects of the meteorite rubbing against the Earth’s atmosphere and burning up. The Forces
 224 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

visible stars in the night sky are mostly massive balls of burning gas and display no
apparent movement when observed with the naked eye.
Comets are made of rock, ice, and gas and survive for many thousands of years.
They travel around our Sun in huge elliptical orbits. They can leave the Solar System
for many years but as they return and get close to the Sun they warm up, glow, and
become visible in the night sky. They appear in the sky for several nights, appearing to
move slowly against the background of stars, before they slowly fade. The most
famous is Halley’s Comet, which appears every 75 years or so and last appeared in
1986.

Find out more about comets at:

http://www.nineplanets.org/comets.html

Our Solar System in the Universe

Finally, as a teacher you need to understand that the Solar System, although large in
human terms, is part of something much bigger. Our star, the Sun, is 93 million miles
from Earth. The next nearest star is Proxima Centauri and is 4.24 light years away (1
light year is about 5,900 billion miles). We are in a region of space that is rather short
of stars because we are at the edge of a very large cluster of stars (known as a spiral
Maths
galaxy). We call our galaxy the Milky Way and it is made up of around 100 billion
stars. We can see the Milky Way when we look at the night sky, if we are well away
from city lights. It is observed as a milky band across the night sky made up of millions
of tiny (very distant) stars. The galaxy appears like this to us because we are looking at
it edge-on. Scientists have estimated that in the Universe there are at least 100 billion
galaxies. The Universe is everything – all the space, galaxies, and everything within
them, including us.
When we view the stars at night from Earth we see constellations such as the
Plough and Orion, which are patterns of stars that humans have perceived in the night
sky. They are quite artificial but help observers recognise and talk about specific stars.
The reason they are artificial is that the stars in a constellation are not actually any-
where near each other in three-dimensional space. When early people looked at the
stars they imagined them all at the same distance and so made two-dimensional
patterns with ones that appeared to lie near each other.

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

This topic is not referred to by the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. However, you
will have to refer to the Sun when teaching other aspects of science such as shadows
and light sources.
Children should learn:
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 225

— that the Sun is the source of light for the Earth (QCA 1D)
— that it is dangerous to look at the Sun because it is too bright (QCA 1D)
(QCA, 1998)

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

4(a) that the Earth, Moon, and Sun are approximately spherical;
4(b) how the position of the Sun appears to change during the day, and how
shadows change as this happens;
4(c) that day and night are related to the spin of the Earth on its own axis;
4(d) that the Earth orbits the Sun every year, and that the Moon takes approxi-
mately 28 days to orbit the Earth.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that the Sun does not move – its apparent movement is caused by the
spinning of the Earth on its axis (QCA 3F)
— about the relative sizes of the Sun, Earth, and Moon (QCA 5E)
— that it is the Earth that moves not the Sun (QCA 5E)
— that it is day-time in the part of the Earth facing the Sun and night-time in
the part of the Earth facing away from the Sun (QCA 5E)
— that the Sun rises in the general direction of east and sets in the general
direction of west (QCA 5E)
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘Earth in space’ at Key

Stage 1
As part of science lessons on light, you should refer to the Sun as a source of light for
Earth and about the danger of looking at the Sun.
Pupils in Key Stage 1 may ask questions about the Earth, Moon, Sun, and stars.
For safety reasons, you must teach the children that they must never look directly at
 226 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

the Sun. You will come across the topic of space in children’s books; this is a great
opportunity to kindle their interest. Show them a globe, where we live, and how the
Earth spins. Perhaps show them a poster of the Earth, planets, and Sun, dealing
with questions and maybe making up a display with books, posters, and pictures.
Children’s literature includes examples that feature space, including:

Aliens Wear Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort (Simon & Schuster,
2007)
Magic Bus Gets Lost in Space by J. Cole (Scholastic, 1995)
Magic Bus Gets Lost in the Solar System by J. Cole (Scholastic, 1992)
Goodnight Moon by M.W. Brown (Harper, 2007)
How the Moon Regained Her Shape by J.R. Heller (Sylvan Dell, 2007)

By all means utilise opportunities for creative art work and play based on space
themes, perhaps turning a corner of the classroom into a spaceship.

Ways to teach ‘Earth in space’ at Key

Stage 2
Stellar bodies and movement
‘Stellar bodies’ is a term that relates to anything out in the universe, be it a comet or
planet. Here we discuss activities to help pupils understand the relative size of the
bodies and to distinguish the tricky terms of how they move (e.g. the difference
between spin and orbit).

Pupil activity 9.1

Space words

Learning objectives: Learn to recognise and use the vocabulary of space.

Learn about the relative sizes of objects in space.
Literacy Resources required: none

Find out what the pupils know and get them talking about and using space words by
providing them with the following set of words (or an edited set to suit your class).
Ask them to put them in order from the largest to the smallest.
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 227

Moon galaxy
meteorite
star planet Universe
comet Sun solar system
The correct order is (though sizes vary!) from biggest to smallest: Universe, galaxy, solar
system, star and Sun, planet, Moon, comet, meteorite.

Extend this activity by constructing a class glossary of space.

Literacy

Common misconception
‘Is it spinning or orbiting?’
Terms describing the movement of stellar bodies are often confused by children.
Terms such as ‘spin’, ‘orbit’, and ‘rotate’ are often used incorrectly. As a teacher,
it will be important to use them correctly. The modelling of science language is a
powerful teaching technique. An orbit is the circular path that a planet traces out
as it goes around the Sun. Similarly, the Moon orbits the Earth. Planets and
moons may also rotate or spin on their own axis as they complete their orbits. It
is the spin of the Earth (its rotation on its axis) that gives us night and day and its
orbit around the Sun is connected with the seasons.

Pupil activity 9.2

Make a glossary

Learning objective: Learn to recognise, use, and know the vocabulary of

space.
Resources required: pupils’ science books; classroom poster

You can make a class space glossary as a poster and/or ask each pupil to make a
glossary at the back of their science book. Include the words from the activity above as
well as size, shape, and orientation terms, including massive, sphere, orbit, and rotate.
If you have class web pages, the glossary might be included.
228 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Sun, Earth, and Moon

Teacher demonstration 9.3

The size and shape of the Sun, Earth, and Moon

Learning objective: To understand the shape and relative size of the Sun,
Earth, and Moon, and the distances between them.
Resources required: beach ball, super bounce ball, tennis ball, football,
dry peas, small beads

Many pupils will know that the Sun, Earth, and Moon are shaped like a ball or sphere.
Diagrams in books do not show the true difference in size or the distances that these
bodies are from each other. Show the pupils a beach ball and tell them this represents
the Sun. Ask them to vote for which sphere would be the correct size for the Earth.
You may want to show a tennis ball, football, super bounce ball, pea, bead, etc. (as
outlined in the resources above). After the vote, reveal that the pea is the correct one!
Ask them to vote again for which size the Moon would be. Many of them may know
that the Moon is smaller than the Earth and choose the bead. If you haven’t got a small
enough bead, just use Plasticine.
Your pupils may be amazed to know that using the scale of beach ball ‘Sun’ and
pea ‘Earth’, the actual distance would be about 32 metres from the beach ball to the
pea! You may like to measure this out in the playground with them. It is small wonder
that the diagrams we use in books are so misleading. The Sun is always drawn too
small and much too close to the Earth! With the space constraint within a book or
internet simulation, we have to live with this inaccuracy, but do discuss it with the
pupils.

Pupil activity 9.4

Making models or ‘orreries’ to show the movements of the Earth and

Moon

Learning objective: Learn about the relative movement of the Sun, Earth,
and Moon.
Resources required: paper or card, dowelling, wooden discs, wood strip,
wire

Pupils can demonstrate and develop their learning by making moving pictures with
card or paper to show, for example, the Earth orbiting the Sun (a template is provided
for you and your pupils at the end of the book). Three-dimensional models of the
planets and moons are called ‘orreries’. Schools often purchase these, but pupils can
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 229

make their own from balls and dowelling. You ought to point out that the size of the
spheres and distances are not to scale (see last activity) but that the model helps us to
understand the movements of the Sun, Earth, and Moon and therefore is valuable.
The paper orrery (Appendix 1) is quicker to make and assists learning in that it
shows the relative movement of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. It requires pupils to cut
out the various circles, use split pins to allow the various orbits and to orientate the
parts. It will almost certainly help to make one beforehand with the three smaller
circles coloured yellow, blue, and grey for the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Directions for a
three-dimensional orrery are given in Appendix 2.

Teacher demonstration 9.5

Day and night

Learning objective: Learn that it is the Earth’s rotation on its axis that
causes day and night.
Resources required: overhead projector or powerful torch, globe,
darkened room

Pupils are often confused about how day and night occur. The way we define a day
length can be difficult for them too. We might say that a day is 24 hours, but in this
definition we include the night as well. Children may think that a day is 12 hours long,
and a night is 12 hours long. Day length is also affected by the seasons.
In this demonstration, the overhead projector or powerful torch is used to repre-
sent the Sun. It must not move its position at all. Switch on the light so as to illuminate
one side of the globe. Ask the pupils which they think the day side is. Ask them which
they think the night side is. It might be helpful to place a blob of sticky tack over
Britain. Have Britain on the day side and then begin to slowly turn the globe anti-
clockwise. Ask the children what is happening. How would the Sun appear in the sky
if they were standing on the globe? They can watch as Britain goes into the night side.
With a little thought they may be able to identify midday (when Britain is facing
directly at the Sun), dusk (as it moves into the dark side), and dawn (as it moves into
the light side). Ask them about people in other countries, for example Australia, and
explain to them how their day time is our night time.
 230 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconceptions
‘The Sun moves, not the Earth’
The pupils may think the Sun is moving because it appears to move across the
sky. The Earth does not feel as if it is moving, so the pupils may think that the
Earth is still.
The above demonstration will go some way to counter this, but much class
discussion will be needed. Our language is geared towards the idea of a moving
Sun. We use words like sunrise and sunset, which imply movement. We talk
about the Sun ‘being at its highest point at midday’. We say ‘The Sun comes up
at 6 o’clock in the morning’ and not ‘The Earth rotates around to such a point
that its horizon no longer covers the Sun, at 6 o’clock in the morning’. Share this
problem with the children so that they understand what language can do, and
that other people will perhaps hold an incorrect view.

‘The Sun goes to bed at night!’

Some younger pupils believe the Sun goes to bed at night or that it goes wher-
ever it seems to disappear. So if it appears to drop behind the local library, they
will say that is where it is all night. Related to this is the common assumption that
the Sun goes around the Earth. The Sun appears to move across the sky, so
therefore they think it just continues on its journey at night and comes around
the other side in the morning. By discussion, demonstrations, and internet simu-
lations these ideas can be tackled.

Pupil investigation 9.6

Changes we see in shadows caused by the Sun’s light

Learning objective: Exploring how shadows change during the day.

Resources required: shadow sticks (see below)
Light

Before any of these activities are carried out, a warning should be given about the
dangers of looking directly at the Sun. As the Sun appears to move across the sky
during the day, so the shadows it casts shift their position and length. A simple
investigation can be set up to show this using basic shadow sticks. Three possible
shadow sticks to use outside are:

1 A shadow stick can be fashioned out of a pencil standing on a blob of play clay,
placed in the middle of a piece of white card. The changing position and length of
Maths
the shadow can be drawn around each hour.
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 231

2 A ‘rounders’ post in the playground makes an excellent shadow stick for a big
demonstration.
3 Children working in pairs, one can stand up straight on a marked spot; the other
can draw around the child’s shadow.

In each case, repeat every hour or half hour.

After the children have decided on how the shadow will be cast, they can make
observations before lunch. Can they then predict:

• where the shadow will fall in the afternoon? (make the prediction in, say, blue
chalk)
• whether it will be longer, shorter or the same as their previous readings?

Figure 9.7 A pattern of lines showing the position of shadows during a day

Simulations can be found on websites such as that illustrated in Figure 9.8.

Figure 9.8 Page from a website simulation (from http://

www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk)
232 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 9.7

Why does the length of the shadow change?

Learning objective: Learn to describe how the Sun moves across the sky.
Resources required: torches, pencils, and play clay

Children can mimic the effect they observed in the previous investigation in the
playground by setting up their pencil shadow stick on a table in the classroom. Using
the edge of the desk as the horizon, they can use a torch as the Sun and make it rise up
in an arc and set in a long arc. Looking at the shadow cast, they should be able to note
the long and short shadows, and change in relative position. Once again they can note
that the ‘Sun’ is always behind the stick and the shadow in front, just like in the
playground.
In the above demonstration, we are in danger of reinforcing a misconception! The
idea of the apparently moving Sun is wrong but it is hard to get away from. If we
moved the stick instead, would that help? Maybe, but that is not what the children
observed outside. Moving the desk (as the Earth) in a convincing but strictly accurate
way is out of the question, but it’s worth discussing these points with the children. An
alternative is to stick an upright matchstick using play clay on to Great Britain on a
globe. Hold a torch still as the Sun. Pupils can see the shadow length change as they
rotate the globe from west to east. Just after sunrise, the shadow should be long. Can
they see it shorten during the morning and lengthen towards dusk?

Figure 9.9 Torch and stick simulate a shadow stick on a globe

 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 233

Year length and the seasons

Teacher demonstration 9.8

Why is a year 365 days long?

Learning objective: Understand that a year is the time taken for the Earth
to complete one orbit of the Sun.
Resources required: beach ball, globe, large space to work in

Have a pupil hold the beach ball, which represents the Sun. Explain that they must not
move. A second pupil moves the Earth (globe) around the Sun, tracing a circular
path, moving in an anti-clockwise direction. When they have completed a complete
orbit, ask the pupils how long that would take in reality. Hopefully they know that it
would take a year, or 365¼ days to be precise.
Repeat the demonstration, but this time split the orbit into quarters. Beginning in
the summer (for Britain), have the pupil holding the Earth trace out a quarter of the
circular path around the Sun before pausing. Ask the class what season it would
be now, three months later. It would be autumn. Have them trace a further quarter of
the orbit. Six months would have now passed and the class should be able to work out
that the season would now be winter. Similarly, move on a further three months,
pointing out that the Earth had completed three-quarters of the orbit, to reach spring,
nine months on from the starting point. Finally, return to its summer position, asking
them how long it took to do one complete orbit.
More able pupils may know that a year is actually 365¼ days. Ask them why we
have a leap year, and how often they occur. Ask them what would happen if we just
stuck to 365 days and never had a leap year. They may know that our calendar
would eventually fall behind the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, and our annual
celebrations could end up occurring in the wrong seasons!

Common misconception
‘It’s hotter in the summer because we are closer to the Sun’
It is very common for children to think that we experience seasons because of the
Earth’s changing distance from the Sun (closer in the summer, further away in
the winter). A discussion of this will quickly show that this idea is wrong. Many
children know that our winter is Australia’s summer, and that Australians are
famous for having Christmas on the beach. If the Earth were further away from
the Sun in our winter, then how can it be summer in Australia at the same time?
It is the angle of tilt of the Earth that gives us our seasons. Explain to the
children that if there was no tilt, then there would be no seasons. The tilt affects
the amount of time the Sun spends in our sky each day, and how directly its rays
strike the Earth. The following activities may help.
234 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 9.9

Draw the relative path of the Sun for each season

Learning objective: Learn that the Sun follows the path of an arc through
the sky, climbing higher in summer than in winter.
Resources required: books on space and/or access to the internet

Pupils will need to do some research using books or the internet to find the relative
path of the Sun across the sky in the four seasons. Some books may show the path for
each season. Have the pupils summarise this idea in a series of diagrams. They should
draw a view from the same window for each season, with the Sun tracing a higher and
larger arc in the summer than in the winter. More able pupils may be able to draw it on
a month-by-month basis.

Figure 9.10 The path of the Sun in relation to the seasons

Pupil Activity 9.10

Shadows in summer and winter

Learning objective: Understand how the Sun’s apparent height in the sky
affects the length of shadows in different seasons.
Resources required: shadow sticks, torches, chalk, paper (see the two
shadow stick activities earlier in this chapter)

Ask the pupils to set up their simple shadow sticks on their desks, in a darkened room.
Once again a torch will play the part of the Sun. The pupils should be able to mimic
the effect of a low winter Sun casting long shadows on their desk-bound shadow stick.
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 235

They can do this by moving the torch in a low arc for winter, noting the length of the
shadows. Challenge them to mimic the summer Sun’s apparent movement – this
should be a larger arc, with the Sun rising up much higher in the ‘sky’. Ask them to
predict if the shadows will be longer or shorter than in summer. Can they then work
out what the shadows will be like in autumn and spring, by tracing the appropriate
path of the Sun? Get them to draw their shadow sticks, shadows, and Sun for each of
the four seasons.
Can the pupils see that when they mimic the Sun’s position in the sky for sum-
mer, the light falling on the desk is brighter and concentrated in a smaller area?
Similarly, when they place the torch for the winter Sun, they should see that the light is
very spread out over the desk and is much dimmer.

The Moon

Common misconception
‘The Moon spins as quickly as the Earth’
Pupils often find it hard to understand that the Earth and Moon spin at different
speeds. The Moon turns very slowly relative to the Earth, once in 28 days. The
activity below may help.

Pupil activity 9.11

Dance drama to simulate the movement of the Earth and the Moon

Learning objective: Learn about the way the Earth spins on its axis and
the Moon orbits the Earth.
Resources required: none

Select two pupils, one to be the ‘Earth’ and the other the ‘Moon’. To begin, the pupil
representing the Earth should stand still. The pupil representing the Moon should
perform a practice orbit by walking around Earth. Ask this pupil to imagine (or draw)
a circle on the floor around the Earth along which to move. The Moon pupil must
always have their face pointing towards the Earth. State that this is the face of the
Moon we see from Earth. The Moon pupil should move using a crab-like, sideways
step, thus the Earth pupil will never see the back of their head, just like we on the real
Earth never see the other side of the Moon.
After this practice, they are ready to start. Explain that the Earth pupil’s nose is
your town and start with them facing one another. So if it was night time and cloud-
236 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

less, people in your town could see the Moon. Now ask them to move a little faster
with the Earth rotating once every ten seconds and the Moon orbiting very slowly but
with one side always facing the ‘Earth’ (the Moon pupil moves sideways and has their
face facing the Earth at all times). To avoid dizziness, call out ‘freeze frame’ when the
‘Moon’ is one-quarter of its way around its orbit – the Earth should have done seven
full rotations by then. Ask as many pupils as possible to explain where the Moon is
and check what they are seeing. Then restart and later stop the action when the
‘Moon’ has reached half-way around its orbit (the Earth will now have done 14
rotations). Ask others to have a go. You could ‘freeze frame’ and discuss different
points in the orbit.
Encourage questions that you can note rather than try to answer there and then.
When dealing with a question, try to use the model and get the pupils to try to
answer it. Further cement this learning by modelling these movements using balls
(see the ‘Teacher’s’ section at the beginning of this chapter for ideas). When watch-
ing simulations, always remember to ask pupils to verbalise and discuss what they
see.
The issue of the Moon spinning only once on its axis every 28 days is chal-
lenging and too difficult for some pupils. They simply need to know that the Moon
has a different speed of spin to the Earth. High-attaining pupils may relish the chal-
lenge of understanding that only one side of the Moon ever faces the Earth. The
other side of the Moon that we do not see is sometimes erroneously called the ‘dark
side’.

Common misconception
‘The Moon can only be seen during the night’
Children often think that ‘the Sun brings the day and the Moon brings the
night’. The Moon can often be seen during the day, but it is often faint in the
day because the Sun appears so much brighter. Children may just fail to notice
the Moon in the day time even when there is a clear sky. Clouds also hide the
Moon in the day. The Moon in the day is so faint that it cannot be seen through
the clouds when overcast. And you don’t need to be reminded that cloudy days
are common in Britain! At night though, the situation is very different. The
Moon looks bright at night because the starlight reaching the Earth is much
weaker in comparison to the Sun’s light in the day. The reflected light of the
Moon at night easily ‘outshines’ the stars.
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 237

Pupil activity 9.12

How our Moon moves

Learning objective: Learn about the relative movement of the Earth and
Moon.
Resources required: internet access

Simulations, many of which are available from the internet, can assist pupil
learning. A good example can be found at:
http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk
A simulation of the movement of the Earth and Moon in relation to one another
can be found on page 222. As with the best simulations, the teacher has the
option to pause to ask pupils for predictions, explanations, and to emphasise
vocabulary and key points.

Pupil activity 9.13

Moon diary

Learning objective: Learn from observation about the changes in

appearance of the Moon.
Resources required: table for recording results

Make a Moon diary. Pupils can take a note pad or poster home and sketch the shape
of the Moon each night.

You need to check that the Moon is in the sky during this period. Access a
website such as the following:
http://www.new-age.co.uk/moon-dates.htm
 238 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Table 9.1 Moon diary

Common misconception
‘The Moon looks different because of the Earth’s shadow’
The apparent changing shape of the Moon is one of the trickiest concepts to
grasp. Fortunately, you are not expected to teach it. However, higher attaining
pupils in science may be very interested. The change in apparent shape occurs
because on each of the 28 nights of the lunar month, we see the Moon from a
slightly different angle. The ‘phases of the Moon activity’ on pages 220–221
could be attempted by higher attaining pupils.

The Solar System

Pupil activity 9.14

Learning about the planets

Learning objective: Learn about the order of the planets, their size, spin,
and number of moons.
Resources required: reference books and internet sites on the planets

Most teachers like to teach the order of the planets, although this is not required by the
National Curriculum at Key Stage 2. Ask pupils to write a postcard from a planet.
They can imagine a holiday travelling to a planet or around the planets. Postcards can
Literacy and
numeracy be factual, based on secondary reference material that pupils can access, or more
imaginative, focusing on what pupils imagine the planet to be like.
An alternative to this is to produce fact files for each planet. One option is to use a
flat file database or a spreadsheet to tabulate data on the planets, perhaps including
the data in Table 9.2 and adding other columns such as for circumference.
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 239

Table 9.2 Data about the planets

Planet Distance from Diameter* Spin period* (most Time to orbit the Number
the Sun* (km) (km) spin anti-clockwise) Sun* (Earth days) of moons

Mercury 58 million 5 000 58 Earth days 88 0

Venus 108 million 12 000 243 Earth days 225 0
(clockwise)
Earth 150 million 12 500 24 Earth hours 365¼ 1
Mars 228 million 6 500 24½ Earth hours 687 0
Jupiter 778 million 143 000 10 Earth hours 4 330 63
Saturn 1.5 billion 120 000 10½ Earth hours 10 756 60
Uranus 2.8 billion 51 000 17 Earth hours 30 687 27
(clockwise)
Neptune 4.5 billion 49 000 16 Earth hours 60 000 13
Dwarf planet
Pluto 5.9 billion 2 300 153 Earth hours 90 500 3
(clockwise)

* Approximate
Information from NASA available at: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm

Pupil activity 9.15

Simulating the movement of planets and moons with a pupil ‘orrery’

Learning objective: Learn about the relative movements of the Sun,

planets, and moons.
Resources required: balls of different sizes, a good torch, a darkened area

The best way to teach the movements of planets and moons relative to the Sun is to
make use of a safe light source and balls of various sizes. In the school hall, use the
curtains to reduce the light. Two pupils can model the Sun – one holding a beach ball
and the other holding a torch which can be pointed at different planets. A third pupil
can hold a smaller ball, copying the movement of the planet around the Sun and if
possible rotating the ‘planet’ on its own axis.
Ask the pupils to talk about what is happening as they move. Afterwards, discuss
as a class what happened. Pupils might draw cartoons to show their understanding.

Reinforce this teaching by utilising electronic orreries on the web, such as at:
http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/astro/solsys/orrery/
or
http://www.scienceyear.com/planet10/solar_preload.html
240 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconceptions
‘Everything goes around the Earth’
Pupils often think that the Earth is the centre of the Solar System (i.e. the
planets, Sun, and Moon revolve around the Earth). Simulating the movements
of planets in the above activity around the Sun will help tackle this. This belief is
an ancient one, and our language reinforces it. We talk about sunrise and sunset,
the time the Moon rises, about different constellations of stars ‘coming into
view’ in different seasons, and even about planets such as Venus or Mars
appearing over our horizon at different times of the night. All of this language is
geared towards a stationary Earth with stellar bodies (or ‘heavenly bodies’)
rotating around it. It is, of course, what we see and how we describe what we see,
but not reality. A discussion with the class on what we see from Earth (an
‘Earthbound view’) and what an astronaut would see from space (an ‘Astro-
naut’s view’) would help a lot here.

‘Every bright object in the night sky is a star’

Most of the bright objects in the night sky are stars but some are planets. Venus,
for example, is one of the first bright objects to appear in the sky at dusk, usually
just above the horizon. Planets do not produce light, they simply reflect light
from the Sun.
Artificial satellites also look like bright points of light and can be seen from
Earth. These too look like stars, but they are merely reflecting light from the
Sun, like the planets do.

Pupil activity 9.16

The scale of the Solar System

Learning objective: Learn about the relative distance between the Sun
and its planets.
Resources required: beach ball; Plasticine balls the size of grains of rice
(2), dried peas (2), grain of salt, grapes (2), small tomatoes (2); access to
playground and school field; trundle wheel

To help pupils understand the scale of the Solar System, use the information in Table
9.3 to demonstrate scale on the school playground or field (you may only manage to
fit in the first four or five planets).
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 241

Table 9.3 Data to model the Solar System

Object Diameter Distance from ‘Sun’

The Sun is a beach ball 30 cm —

Mercury is a small grain of rice 1 mm 12 m
Venus is a dried pea 2½ mm 23 m
Earth is a large dried pea 3 mm 32 m
Mars is a grain of rice 1½ mm 49 m
Jupiter is a small tomato 30 mm 167 m
Saturn is a small tomato 26 mm 300 m
Uranus is a grape 10 mm 600 m
Neptune is a grape 10 mm 900 m
Pluto is a grain of salt 1 mm 1.27 km (average)

Source: Association of Science Education (1990).

Pupils can use this activity to get a feel for the scale of the Solar System. Take your
class onto the school playground or field. Using a trundle wheel, ask individual pupils
to stand 12 m, 23 m, etc., from the class group while holding the requisite Plasticine
ball. You may only get as far as Mars. Ask pupils to talk about what they see and
explain the relationships of the Sun with each planet. Pupils may like to estimate
where the further planets would be on this scale, when they would be out of the school
grounds. Would they be near a bus stop or a shop further down the street? Pluto may
be tricky, but they could always use a local map and measure out the scale! Photo-
graph the scale model and ask pupils to record what happened back in class, using
diagrams, cartoons or words.
Teach the pupils the mnemonic: ‘My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming
Planets’ – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.

Pupil activity 9.17

Use of media, stories, and films

Learning objective: Tailored to the story and the science to be learned.

Resources required: access to media

When the opportunity arises, make use of stories in the news, media or from child-
ren’s literature. Such material can make a great starting point, although you will have
to point out inaccuracies, such as there is no sound in space!
English
A number of children’s stories feature the Earth, the Moon, and space. These
can be used to learn about the Earth in space or encourage more creative writing.
Feature films such as Zathura (a preview clip at http://www.imdb.com/title/
tt0406375/ includes impressive meteorites) can stimulate creative writing.
242 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

A collection of educational videos is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html
Your pupils might watch a video and write their own commentary that includes
science terms.

Summary of key learning points

• the place of the Sun in relation to the planets of the Solar System;

• the order of the planets in our Solar System, their major features, and their
relative distances from the Sun, which they orbit;

• that there are 100 billion galaxies in the Universe and our galaxy is called
the Milky Way;

• that the Earth, Sun, and Moon are broadly spherical; the Earth turns once
in 24 hours;

• the Moon orbits the Earth approximately every 28 days and the Earth
orbits the Sun once every 365¼ days;

• an explanation of day and night;

• an explanation of the phases of the Moon and solar eclipses;

• an explanation of the seasons and length of year;

• other objects in space such as comets.

Self-test
Question 1
The Solar System includes (a) planets, (b) the Universe, (c) moons, (d) stars

Question 2
The Sun (a) is orbited by nine planets, (b) is a ball of gas, (c) is not a true star, (d)
orbits the Earth once every 365¼ days

Question 3
A year (a) consists of 365 days, (b) includes winter caused by the Earth’s distance
from the Sun, (c) includes summer caused by the Earth’s tilt, (d) is the same for all
planets
 T H E E A R T H I N S PAC E 243

Question 4
Earth (a) is the fourth planet from the Sun, (b) is orbited by the Sun, (c) spins on its
own axis each day resulting in night and day, (d) spins on its own axis as evidenced
by the movement of clouds

Self-test answers
Q1: (a) and (c) are correct. The Universe is all of space and so the Solar System is
one tiny part of it. There is one star in the Solar System; the other billions of stars
are spread throughout the universe, found mainly in clusters called galaxies.
Q2: (a) and (b) are correct. The Sun is a true star and the Earth orbits the Sun once
every 365¼ days.
Q3: Only (c) is correct. An Earth year consists of 365¼ days. The distance from the
Earth to the Sun varies a little during the year but not enough to cause the seasons;
it is the tilt of the Earth that is responsible. The time taken to orbit the Sun is
different for each planet, so for example Mercury orbits the Sun in 89 Earth days
whereas Venus orbits the Sun in 225 Earth days.
Q4: (c) is the only correct answer. Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is in orbit
around the Sun. The Earth does spin on its own axis but cloud movement results
from moving air in the Earth’s atmosphere and not the spin of the Earth.

Misconceptions
‘Is it spinning or orbiting?’
‘The Sun moves, not the Earth’
‘The Sun goes to bed at night!’
‘It’s hotter in the summer because we are closer to the Sun’
‘The Moon spins as quickly as the Earth’
‘The Moon can only be seen during the night’
‘The Moon looks different because of the Earth’s shadow’
‘Everything goes around the Earth’
‘Every bright object in the night sky is a star’

Webliography
http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk
(Earth in space simulations)
http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/astro/solsys/orrery/
(orrery)
http://www.easytorecall.co.uk/orrery_simulation.htm
(orrery)
244 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

http://www.nineplanets.org/comets.html
(information about comets)

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/animations/seasons_ecliptic.swf
(animation of the seasons)

http://fourmilab.ch/earthview/vplanet.html
(Earth and Moon viewer)

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/science/index.html
(National Geographic space videos)

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mercury
(information about planets)

http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/ph/solar_system/solarsystem.htm
(information about the Solar System)

http://www.scienceyear.com/planet10/solar_preload.html
(3D orrery and design a planet)

http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/ph/eclipse/eclipses.htm
(eclipses)

http://www.new-age.co.uk/moon-dates.htm
(predicts appearance of the Moon)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun/solareclipse.shtml
(eclipses)

Videos of space and space travel

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406375/
(Zathura video clip)

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html
(NASA films)
10
Electricity

About this chapter

This chapter looks at what electricity is. It deals with electrical current,
conductors, batteries, circuits, resistance, and voltage. It explains how the
filament in light bulbs works and how simple circuit diagrams are drawn. The
second part of the chapter addresses what pupils need to learn about and the
final part some of the best ways to teach pupils about electricity, including
common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
What is electricity?
All atoms have a central nucleus which has a positive charge. Electrons orbit around
this central nucleus. The electrons have a negative charge.

Figure 10.1 Atom showing position of nucleus and electron

246 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Opposite charges attract, so positive and negative charges are attracted to each
other. A simple view of electricity is to see it as being made of the negatively charged
electrons. If we make the electrons move away from the atoms that they are normally
attached to, we can do interesting things with them.

Static and current electricity

There are two types of electricity: static and current. The only difference is how the
electrons are made to move. With static electricity, two materials are usually rubbed
together (say a rubber balloon on a woolly jumper) as in Figure 10.2. Some electrons
are ripped off the wool and stick to the balloon, so the balloon becomes negatively
charged with these extra electrons (as the electrons carry the negative charge). Try
this yourself.

Figure 10.2 A balloon is rubbed on wool, ‘ripping off’ negative electrons

If the balloon is then placed near a wall, it may stick to the wall (as in Figure 10.3).
It does this because the negatively charged electrons on the balloon repel the nega-
tively charged electrons in the wall, making them move away and leaving behind an
area of positive charge on the surface of the wall. Remember that opposite charges
attract. The electrons on the balloon are attracted to this positive area, and the balloon
will stick to the wall.
Eventually, the balloon will fall off as the extra electrons on the balloon ‘leak’
away into the air. Note that with static electricity, it is usually two insulators that are
rubbed together. Insulators are not good conductors of electricity, so the electrons
usually stick on the surface of the insulator and do not flow away through the
material.
 ELECTRICITY 247

Figure 10.3 Negatively charged balloon attracted to positive charge on wall

Current electricity
Current electricity is the type of electricity that flows through the mains electrical
wires in our homes and in the circuits the pupils make at school. Electrical current is
the flow of electrons in a wire. The moving electrons carry a negative electrical charge.
Current is measured in amps.
Wires usually have a metal inside, with plastic wrapped round it. Metals are good
conductors and allow electrons to flow freely through them, whereas plastic is not a
good conductor, so all the moving electrons stay inside the metal part of the wire.
With current electricity, there is an electrical source, such as a battery or the mains.
The electricity flows from the source through a wire, through various components
(such as a bulb), and back to the source, forming a circuit. The circuit must be
complete for the electricity to flow, as generally electricity is not powerful enough to
jump gaps in the wire.

A series circuit
The type of circuit pupils build first in primary science is called a ‘series circuit’. A
series circuit is a simple loop, with a battery and one or more other components in it.
It does not matter in what order the components are placed in a series circuit. Note
that there are no branches to a series circuit, meaning that the electricity can only
follow one route as it travels around the circuit. In a simple series circuit, the current is
the same at any point. The current cannot be used up, the electrons simply flow from
 248 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

one end of the battery through the wires to the other end of the battery. However, the
electrons may transfer some of their energy to the components in the circuit while on
route.
Younger pupils can draw the components and circuits as they see them to record
their work. Older primary age pupils can use the symbols in Figure 10.5 and draw
more stylised circuits (Figure 10.4), which show wires to be straight lines, and corners
to be at right angles.

Figure 10.4 A simple electrical circuit

Figure 10.5 Symbols for electrical components

Batteries and cells

We are all familiar with the different-sized batteries that we use around the home.
Small cylinder-shaped ones labelled ‘AA’ or the even smaller ‘AAA’ are used in our
remote controllers for the TV and DVD player; larger cylindrical ones labelled ‘C’
English
and ‘D’ are used in torches or a radio. Most of these single batteries have a voltage of
1.5 volts. People often think that bigger batteries are more powerful, but they are not.
Bigger batteries just last longer than smaller batteries when used continuously. The
best guide to the strength of a battery is to look at the label on it, which always shows
the voltage of the battery.
A battery provides the ‘push’ to move electrons around the circuit. Voltage can be
thought of in terms of how much ‘push’ the battery can give the current. By adding
more batteries to a circuit, we can create a larger voltage and hence a larger ‘push’. By
adding more batteries, we can make a bulb glow brighter, a buzzer sound louder, and
a motor spin more quickly.
 ELECTRICITY 249

Some devices require more energy to work than others. For example, there are
usually two batteries in a remote control, making a total of 3 volts (1.5 V + 1.5 V). A
large radio needs more energy to work and often has four batteries inside it, giving a
total of 6 volts (1.5 V + 1.5 V + 1.5 V + 1.5 V).
Scientists refer to these single 1.5-volt batteries as ‘cells’, and this is a word that
older primary school children should know. Confusingly, however, scientists use the
word battery as well, but only to refer to a collection of cells stuck together and sealed
up. You will have seen 9-volt batteries that are rectangular-shaped and have two metal
contacts at one end. This is what a scientist means by a battery and it is made up of six
1.5-volt cells inside it (6 × 1.5 V = 9 V). Here, a familiar word used by the public is
used slightly differently by scientists, which is not uncommon! In the rest of the text,
we will use the term ‘battery’ to cover both cells and batteries, just as in everyday life,
unless there is a need to refer specifically to the concept of single cells.
In primary classrooms, most devices require between 2 and 6 volts to work cor-
rectly. Often, the voltage a component needs is printed or etched on to it. It is import-
ant to match the voltage of the battery or batteries to the voltage of the component.
Bulbs are commonly 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 or 6 volts, buzzers are 3 or 6 volts, and motors
are often 3 volts. The children must know not to put too much voltage into a circuit, or
the component can overheat and ‘burn out’ (this does not present a danger) and thus
no longer work.
It is not safe to use rechargeable cells or batteries in pupils’ practical work with
circuits as these can easily overheat, split apart or catch fire. A rechargeable battery
will always have ‘rechargeable’ printed on the side of it, so if in doubt, check first.
Standard non-rechargeable batteries are very safe, but should be disposed of correctly
when they no longer work.

Bulbs
When an electrical current passes through a bulb, it causes the wire inside to become
so hot that it glows and gives out light. The pupils need to learn that the more bulbs
they add to the circuit, the less bright they are. Two bulbs are dimmer than one bulb,
and three bulbs are even dimmer than two bulbs. (An explanation for the teacher is
provided in the ‘Resistance’ part of this section.) If they add any more bulbs, they may
not give out any light at all. The pupils also need to know that if there are two bulbs in
a circuit, both bulbs will be equally dim. They often think that one will be brighter than
the other, which is untrue. To make sure that they see this, you need to ensure that all
the bulbs they use are the same. To ensure the bulbs are exactly the same, you have to
check two figures on the bulb. On the metal part of each bulb, there are two figures
etched into it. One is in volts (V) the other in amps (A). If two bulbs have the same
voltage (e.g. 2.5 V) and the same amp number (e.g. 0.3 A), they will be the same.
These two bulbs are rated identically, and so will glow the same amount when put in a
circuit together. This is what the children need to see.
If the pupils do add two bulbs with different voltages or different amp numbers
(e.g. one is 2.5 V and the other is 6 V), one will be dimmer and one will be brighter as
they draw different amounts of power from the battery. This needs to be avoided, as it
will reinforce the above misconception! Children do not need to know about what
250 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

happens with differently rated bulbs, but do need to see the correct effect from two
bulbs rated the same. If there is one bright bulb and one dim bulb in the same circuit,
now you know why, and how to take steps to avoid it in the future!

Buzzers
A buzzer is a device that converts electrical energy into sound energy. These devices
only work ‘one way’. This means that the red wire of a buzzer must be connected to
the positive side of a battery, the black to the negative. If connected the other way, no
damage is done, they just won’t work until they are connected correctly.

Motors
A motor is a device that converts electrical energy into kinetic (movement) energy. A
motor normally has two metal contacts on the back of it, each to be connected to a
wire, one leading to the positive terminal of the battery, the other to the negative
terminal. If this is done, then the spindle of the motor may spin clockwise. To make it
spin anti-clockwise, swap the wires around, so that they lead to the opposite ends of
the battery compared with before.

Conductors
Conductors are materials that readily allow electricity to flow through them. There
are three main groups of conductors: metals, graphite, and some liquids.
All metals are conductors. Some are better than others, but in a classroom context
any can be seen to work. A metal is a good conductor because it has some so-called
‘free electrons’ that are only loosely held by their atoms. These ‘free electrons’ can
easily be made to move, as part of an electrical current. Copper is used for wires
because it is an excellent conductor.
Pencil ‘leads’ are conductors (because they contain graphite), but not as good as
metals (see later investigation). Water is a poor conductor (compared with metal), and
saltwater is a better conductor than non-saltwater (see later investigation). If children
are trying out liquids as conductors, it must be stressed that it is safe to do so with
batteries but not the mains, as this could quite easily kill us.

Insulators
Insulators do not conduct current electricity. Plastic, wood, and card are just three
everyday examples of electrical insulators. Any electrical charge tends to stick to their
surface and not flow through the body of these materials.

Resistance
Resistance is a useful term to understand and to introduce to older pupils. Although
the National Curriculum (DfEE/QCA, 1999) does not require this term to be used in
primary science, a simple grasp of it can help them understand why we cannot put
lots of things in a circuit and expect them all to work.
 ELECTRICITY 251

Resistance is a measure of how hard it is for an electrical current to flow through

something. Some things, such as copper wire, provide very little resistance, and so the
electrons can move through them quite easily. Other things provide high resistance,
and so impede the flow of electricity to a greater extent.
Three factors affect the resistance of a wire:

1 The material the wire is made of – is it a good conductor or a poorer conductor?

2 The thickness of the wire – for example, most mains wires are wide to allow the
easy passage of electricity.
3 The length of the wire – the longer it is, the harder it is for the electricity to flow
through.

An electrical wire is a good example of something that offers little resistance. The
material it is often made of is copper, a good conductor. These wires are generally
quite thick to allow the easy flow of electrons. They are quite long, which is not as
great a disadvantage as you might think, because copper is such a good conductor.
Some electrical energy will be converted to heat as the current flows along the wire
and the electrons bump into obstructions (atoms in the wire), but most wires don’t
become noticeably hotter if used correctly.
Contrast this with the filament of a light bulb. The filament is just a special kind of
wire. A bulb filament is made of a poorer conductor than copper, such as tungsten.
This means that the electrical current will find it harder to flow through it. The
filament wire is very thin, making it difficult for the electrons to avoid collisions with
obstructions in the wire. It is also very long (it is coiled, so it doesn’t take up a lot of
space), which means that the electrons will hit more obstructions as they move
through. Therefore, a bulb filament has high resistance. However, this is actually
useful. When electrons hit obstructions in the wire, they transfer energy to them.
These obstructions are atoms, remember. As the atoms are struck by the electrons,
they will vibrate and start to emit heat and light. The more the electrons collide with
the atoms in the wire, the more they vibrate and the more light and heat they can emit,
and thus the hotter and brighter the filament becomes, until it glows very brightly.
Glowing brightly is just what we want a bulb to do. The heat is an unwanted
by-product.
With this explanation we can see that the more bulbs we add to a circuit, the
higher the resistance will become. With each additional bulb we add, the resistance
increases, the current decreases, and the bulbs glow more dimly.
All components have resistance. Thus, adding more buzzers to a circuit will
increase the resistance, decrease the current, and they will buzz less loudly. Similarly,
the children will find that they cannot insert motor after motor and expect them to
spin rapidly.
There are two ways around this. The first is to add more cells (or batteries) to
increase the voltage. By increasing the voltage, we increase the ‘push’ and so increase
the current. The larger current will enable the bulbs to glow brightly once again.
Many of the children will be familiar with the idea that more batteries mean brighter
bulbs. The second way to overcome resistance is to use parallel circuits.
252 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Parallel circuits
So far, we have talked only about a series circuit, which has one component after
another in a single unbroken and unbranching circuit. However, another kind of
circuit – the parallel circuit – has one or more branches on it. If we create a parallel
circuit and place a bulb on each branch, the bulbs will remain bright. In Figure 10.6
you can trace the two paths that electricity can follow. The first route goes from the
battery through the ‘top’ bulb and then back to the battery. The second route is
through the ‘bottom’ bulb and back to the battery. Whichever route the current takes,
it only has to pass through one bulb and so will encounter less resistance than if it had
to travel through two bulbs side by side. Because there is less resistance, the bulbs will
be bright.
Some people find this counter-intuitive because they worry that the electrical
current is splitting up at the wire junctions. It is, but this doesn’t matter. We should
think in terms of how easy it is for the electricity to push through a number of
components, one after the other. Each branch only has one component, so each bulb
will be brightly lit. The only consequence of this circuit is the cell or battery will not
last as long and will ‘go flat’ more quickly than when the two bulbs are dimly lit in a
series circuit. This is because electrical energy in the parallel circuit is being converted
more quickly to light and heat.

Figure 10.6 A parallel circuit

 ELECTRICITY 253

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

1(a) about everyday appliances that use electricity;

1(b) about simple series circuits involving batteries, wires, bulbs, and other
components;
1(c) how a switch can be used to break a circuit.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that everyday appliances are connected to the mains and must be used
safely (QCA 2F)
— that some devices use batteries and these can be handled safely (QCA 2F)
(QCA, 1998)

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

1(a) to construct circuits, incorporating a battery or power supply and a range of

switches, to make electrical devices work;
1(b) how changing the number or type of components in a series circuit can
make bulbs brighter or dimmer;
1(c) how to represent series circuits by drawings and conventional symbols, and
how to construct series circuits on the basis of drawings and diagrams using
conventional symbols.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that a complete circuit is needed for a device to work (QCA 4F)

— that circuits powered by batteries can be used for investigations and experi-
ments; appliances connected to the mains supply should not (QCA 4F)
— how to test materials to determine if they are electrical conductors or
insulators (QCA 4F)
— how to construct different kinds of switches (QCA 4F)
(QCA, 1998)
254 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Ways to teach ‘electricity’ at Key Stage 1

Things that use batteries and things that use mains electricity
The two types of electricity that the children need to be familiar with are batteries and
mains electricity. This is taught in Key Stage 1, but older children often do not know
the word ‘mains’ and fail to distinguish between battery electricity, as a safe form, that
we can use to do experiments with, and the mains, which can be dangerous if simple
precautions are not taken.

Pupil activity 10.1

What uses batteries and what uses mains electricity?

Learning objective: Understand why different devices need different.

electrical energy sources.
Resources required: none

Have the children identify, draw or list things in the classroom or school that use
electricity. Can they split them into things that use batteries or mains electricity? Can
they explain why objects use one or the other type of electricity?
Objects that need a lot of energy use the mains (e.g. school computers and
televisions). Objects that don’t need so much energy and are not constantly in use can
use batteries (e.g. TV remote control, torch). Sometimes there is an overlap, for
example laptops can use batteries, but these soon run down, and have to be charged
up again using mains electricity.
Mains electricity is dangerous because it is so powerful. Lots of safety videos are
available on this topic.

Common misconception
‘Electricity just comes out of plugs’
A discussion of where mains electricity comes from may be revealing. Many
children think it comes simply from the plug socket in the wall, not connecting it
with underground cables, neighbourhood substations, pylons, and ultimately
power stations. Others believe that it just ‘comes from underground’.
 ELECTRICITY 255

Stress how batteries can be used sensibly and safely in experiments. The only real
danger with batteries is if they are damaged as the chemicals inside are poisonous and
can burn the skin. However, it is difficult to cut one, so this is not too much of a
problem. If a battery leaks, it must be disposed of immediately.

Common misconceptions
‘Electricity comes from the air’
Where do batteries get their electricity from? Discuss with the children that
chemical reactions in the battery produce electricity, as some pupils might think
that batteries receive electricity from the air, just as radios receive radio pro-
grammes or as wireless devices communicate with each other. Here they are
confusing radio waves and other signals with electricity.

‘Bigger batteries are more powerful’

A common misconception is that the bigger the battery, the more powerful it is.
This is not always the case. Of the batteries commonly used around the home,
the cylindrical ones come in four different sizes: AAA, AA, C, and D. The
smallest ones, AAA, are often used in remote controls and the biggest ones, D,
are often used in torches. The children need to be shown that they are all as
powerful as each other: 1.5 volts. The only difference is that bigger cells last
longer if used continuously.

Ask the children why they think there are different-sized batteries, and then try
the activity below.

Pupil activity 10.2

The right battery for the job

Learning objective: Understand why batteries come in different sizes.

Resources required: a range of batteries and battery-operated items

Provide a range of battery-operated items for the children to look at. Can they match
the battery to the device before looking at the place where it goes? Can they explain
why some things have small batteries (e.g. remote control, because it is small itself and
only used for a second or two at a time) and others need big batteries (e.g. a torch,
which needs a lot of energy to work for minutes to hours on end). Can they insert the
batteries into the device the right way round? (There is usually printed guidance
inside the device, but batteries don’t always have both the positive and negative signs
on them).
256 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 10.3

Constructing simple circuits

Learning objective: To be able to make simple circuits with a range of

components.
Resources required: batteries, bulbs, crocodile clips, wires, buzzers, bulb
holders, battery holders

From Key Stage 1 to early Key Stage 2 onwards, children should be able to put
together bulbs, batteries, buzzers, etc., and make simple working circuits. The pitfalls
of the various components are listed in the ‘What the teacher needs to know’ section at
the beginning of the chapter.
Children need to be able to troubleshoot their own circuit if it does not work, by
checking the connections before asking the teacher. Fostering a feeling of self-reliance
in this aspect will help later when they make more complex circuits. Frequently, the
reason why a circuit does not work is because there is a break in it, which the
pupils have not noticed, because they simply have not checked that all the wires are
connected properly to the various components.

Ways to teach ‘electricity’ at Key Stage 2

We start this section with a review of some common misconceptions that pupils have
about electricity and constructing circuits.

Common misconceptions
‘The electricity comes out of both ends of a battery’
The belief is that electricity comes out of both ends of the battery, flows around
the circuit, and meets up at the component. A discussion about a complete loop
of a circuit is needed, as electricity flows from one end of the battery, through
the circuit, to the other end of the battery. A good whole-class activity is to
arrange the children in a big loop, representing wires, with two children acting as
either end of a battery. One of the ‘battery children’ takes a ball (representing
electricity) from a box and passes it to the child next to them, who then passes it
on. This continues with the balls moving around the loop, with the second
‘battery child’ collecting the balls and putting them back in the box.
This idea reinforces the flow of electricity in one direction. Other things can be
tried, such as breaking the circuit by removing some children. Without throwing
the balls, can the remaining children still pass them on? The answer is ‘no’ and this
shows what a gap in a circuit does, effectively stopping electricity from flowing.
 ELECTRICITY 257

‘The plastic insulation on wire conducts electricity’

Many children believe that the plastic bit of the wire is the bit that lets the
electricity go through, or even that the wire is hollow (like a pipe). Crocodile
clips obscure the copper wire inside the plastic, so it is useful to have a stripped-
back wire with the copper showing when explaining what happens.

‘A bulb doesn’t have any connections’

It can be hard to see where the electricity goes in and out of a bulb, at the screw
thread on the side and the nodule on the base, so being able to light them up
without the use of bulb holders is good practice.

‘Put a motor in to make the bulb brighter!’

Some children think that putting a motor in a circuit would make a bulb brighter.
Presumably, they think that the motor acts like a windmill or rotor and adds
energy to the circuit! The only way to tackle this one is to get them to try it and
see that it actually makes a bulb dimmer (see ‘Resistance’ topic on page 250).

‘More buzzers mean more noise’

Putting two or more buzzers in a circuit won’t give a louder noise. To challenge
their misconception, ask the pupils to put two or even three buzzers in a circuit
and listen to them buzz quietly (three buzzers may produce no sound at all).
You can explain that the more components we put in a circuit, the harder it is for
the electricity to get through.

Although pupils should make circuits with real components when learning
about electricity, there are many websites and CD resources offering simula-
tions and demonstrations, including the following:
http://www.hyperstaffs.info/science/work/physics/child/index.html
http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources/siliconspies/flash/concepts/
buildingcircuits.htm
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/using_electricity/eng/Introduction/
default.htm
http://www.ngfl_cymru.org.uk/vtc/learnpremium/electric_circuits/Introduction/
default.htm
Some suppliers even make high-quality software such as circuit-building soft-
ware free of charge. Try the following address:
http://www.yenka.com/en/Yenka_Basic_Circuits/
258 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 10.4

Brightness of different bulbs

Learning objective: Learn how and why bulbs change in brightness.

Resources required: bulbs, batteries, battery and bulb holders, crocodile
clips, wires

Ask the children to predict what will happen if one or more bulbs are added to a
circuit with a bulb already in it. An investigation into how to make bulbs brighter or
dimmer is hard for more children than might at first be expected.

Common misconception
‘Adding a bulb will mean both bulbs will be brighter’
Many younger children think that adding a second bulb to a series circuit will
either make both bulbs brighter, or they will remain equally as bright as one on
its own. Another misconception is that one bulb will be bright and the other will
be dim. Older children may know that adding an extra bulb will make things
dimmer, but not be able to explain why, or what to do about it.

Introducing the concept of resistance, without actually using the word, is tricky.
Stating that ‘the more things in the circuit, the harder it is for the electricity to get
through’ is a good way to start. Thus the more bulbs or buzzers (or any component)
added, one after the other, the less electricity gets through, and the less well they work
– bulbs will be dimmer, buzzers will be quieter, and so on. It is important that the
children see the two or more bulbs are much dimmer and are just as dim as each other.

Pupil investigation skills 10.5

How we can make bulbs brighter?

Learning objective: To be able to manipulate factors to change the

brightness of a bulb.
Resources required: bulbs, batteries, battery and bulb holders, crocodile
clips, wires

One of the easiest ways for pupils to make bulbs brighter is to add more cells or
batteries. More cells will deliver more energy to the circuit and the children should be
 ELECTRICITY 259

able to explain this. The same solution is available for any number of additional
components such as buzzers or motors.

Common misconception
‘Make the wires shorter to make the bulbs brighter’
This is a very common misconception, but copper wires have very little
resistance, and so taking a wire or two out will not make any appreciable
difference.

Exploring parallel circuits

Parallel circuits (Figure 10.6) are not in the primary National Curriculum (QCA/
DfES, 1999). However, many children know how to build them, or discover how to do
so in the course of their investigations. This can be a useful way to challenge more able
pupils.
Parallel circuits are a little trickier to make (see page 252 for a full explanation of
how they work) and are even trickier to explain to children without the concept of
‘resistance’. However, if you explain that electricity finds it hard to go through one
component after another (in a series circuit), but easy to go down any branch of a
parallel circuit that just has one component, this might suffice. Explain that although
the electricity splits up at the branches, it meets up again on the other side of the
circuit with electricity from the other branches and can flow back to the battery. More
able children will be able to handle this idea, and can trace the various routes from one
DT
end of the battery to another along the branches. Parallel circuits are great for design
and technology as when making vehicles, for example, as the children can have
two bright headlights and a horn, all running from one battery. Children can be
challenged to predict what will happen if they add even more bulbs.

Pupil activity 10.6

Can we get mixed components to work properly?

Learning objective: Understand how parallel circuits work.

Resources required: batteries, bulbs, crocodile clips, wires, buzzers,
motors, bulb holders, battery holders

Children who have completed the above should be able to tackle this in one of the two
ways previously outlined. They may need to be reminded that buzzers only work ‘one
way’.
260 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil activity 10.7

Building switches

Learning objective: Understand how a switch can control the flow of

electricity.
Resources required: paper clips, split pins, foil, plastic-coated wires with
stripped metal ends, card split pins each connected to a wire

A switch is simply a means to break or reconnect a circuit. For younger children, the
way they achieve it is merely to detach a wire in the circuit. A range of simple switches
can be made – two of the most common are illustrated in Figures 10.7 and 10.8.

Figure 10.7 Paper clip switch. Fasten a paper clip to a piece of card with a split pin. Put a
second split pin in the card, in reach of the other end of the paper clip, so that the paper clip
can be moved to and fro connecting the two together.
Wire or crocodile clips can be connected to each of the split pins and the whole thing
inserted into a circuit.

Figure 10.8 Pressure switch. Fold a piece of metal foil over each end and attach the metal
core of a wire to each. Glue each to the ends of a strip of card that also folds in half. Connect
into a circuit and press to close the switch.

Symbols and drawings

Children need to learn that components in a circuit can be represented by symbols,
and this is what scientists and electricians use and draw when they are making circuits.
The standard symbols are shown in Figure 10.5.
Children learning to draw the correct symbols when illustrating circuits will often
draw a mixture of symbols and pictures to represent the components. For example,
 ELECTRICITY 261

they might draw a cylindrical cell for the power source, add the symbol for a switch on
the other side of the circuit, and then draw a light bulb glowing (instead of the circle
with a cross in). It is worthwhile having them draw the components in a circuit as they
see them, and then beneath draw the circuit with each component in symbolic form.

Pupil investigation skills 10.8

Conductors and insulators – building and using a simple testing

circuit

Learning objective: Learn which materials are conductors and which are
not.
Resources required: circuit-making equipment, a range of objects and
materials to test

Different materials can easily be divided into conductors and insulators (see page
250). A simple testing circuit can be made to determine whether a material is a
conductor or insulator.

Figure 10.9 A testing circuit

The circuit in Figure 10.9 has a deliberate break or gap in the wires, which means
that objects can be placed across the gap to test if they conduct electricity. The gap
might simply be two unconnected wires, whose crocodile clips can be connected to
the test object or material. If the object or material conducts electricity, the bulb will
light up. Alternatively, you could replace the bulb with a buzzer.
The children should be able to predict which materials are conductors (or insula-
tors) and carry out the test. From their results, various conclusions can be drawn:

– that most everyday materials are electrical insulators;

– that all metals are conductors.
262 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Common misconceptions
‘Some metals don’t conduct do they?’
Some pupils believe that only some metals are conductors. They appear to be
muddling the concept of conductivity with magnetism, since only a couple of
metals are magnetic. Strangely, many think that copper is magnetic, but it does
not conduct electricity. The reality is that copper is not magnetic and is an
excellent conductor of electricity.

‘The metal door handle doesn’t conduct!’

Beware of plastic-coated metals in the classroom such as door handles. The
plastic layer can often not be seen or felt, but it will stop electricity from flowing
into the metal!

More interesting conductors

Pupil investigation skills 10.9

Do pencils conduct electricity?

Learning objective: Learn that not all pencils conduct electricity.

Resources required: a range of pencils, pencil sharpener, usual circuit
equipment

An investigation can be carried out where different grades of pencil are tested, and the
amount of conductivity noted, by looking at the comparative brightness of the bulb.
The pencil lead of an HB pencil is a good conductor. Simply sharpen each end
of the pencil and attach to the circuit that contains a bulb in the normal way. It will be
noted by the children that the bulb does not glow as brightly as it does for metal,
indicating that although pencil lead is a conductor, it is not as good as metal.

Common misconception
‘Pencils are made of lead, that’s why they conduct’
Many children think that pencils will conduct electricity because of the word
‘lead’, which is also a metal, but there is no metallic lead in a pencil lead! Pencil
lead contains graphite and clay, and it is the graphite that is the conductor.
Graphite is made of carbon and in this form it is a good conductor.
 ELECTRICITY 263

Art pencils can be sharpened at both ends and tested: try 3B, 3H and 6B, 6H.
The ones with the highest clay content do not conduct at all well, but the one with
the highest graphite content is an excellent conductor. Challenge the children to work
out why the different grades of pencils work differently.
Note that pencils that have been dropped tend to have broken leads inside them
and hence the break in the circuit will mean that they won’t work!

Pupil activity 10.10

Do liquids conduct electricity?

Learning objective: Understand that liquids can conduct electricity.

Resources required: water, salt, plastic cups, spoons, circuit equipment

Liquids can be tested safely in the classroom, although a discussion on mains and
batteries should be conducted beforehand. Water is a relatively poor conductor. Very
salty water is a good conductor.
Note that salty water does tend to make steel rust, so wash and dry any crocodile
clips thoroughly after use, or attach steel paper clips to them and throw the wet paper
clips away afterwards.
The children need to set up a working circuit that includes a bulb that lights up.
They then need to make a break in the circuit by disconnecting two crocodile clips. To
each crocodile clip attach a metal paper clip. Each clip can be lowered into the liquid
and the brightness of the bulb noted. If it fails to light at all, try more salt in the
solution, making sure it is well dissolved.

Summary of key learning points:

• all matter is made up of particles which include electrons; these carry a
negative charge;

• in good electrical conductors, a proportion of electrons (so-called ‘free

electrons’) can move easily; in poor conductors, like plastic, such move-
ment is very difficult;

• resistance is a measure of the difficulty of flow of electrons in a material;

• when a battery (or cell) is attached in a circuit, it provides a ‘push’ that

causes electrons to move in one direction around the circuit; this move-
ment (flow) of electrons is called current (measured in amps);

• current is not consumed and is the same in all parts of a simple series
circuit;
264 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

• voltage (measured in volts) might be thought of as driving the current;

• electricity is a form of energy that can be easily converted into other forms
(e.g. sound from a buzzer, light from a light bulb, motion from a motor);

• as moving electrons collide with obstructions (atoms) in a wire or compon-

ent, they make the atoms vibrate more;

• these collisions cause components such as a bulb filament to become hot

and emit light;

• a circuit, including its components, can be represented by standard sym-

bols in circuit diagrams.

Self-test
Question 1
The following are conductors: (a) all metals, (b) salty water, (c) plastic, (d) pencil lead
(HB)

Question 2
In a simple series circuit, bulbs get dimmer if (a) we increase the number of cells, (b)
we increase the number of bulbs, (c) we break the circuit, (d) we add a motor

Question 3
When building a circuit from different components, (a) it does not matter which order
the components are in, (b) it does matter which order the components are in, (c) it is
important to connect the wires from the buzzer the right way round, (d) the bulbs
used should be identical

Question 4
A circuit will not work if (a) there is no battery or cell, (b) the switch is in the off
position, (c) there is a break in the circuit, (d) there is no switch

Self-test answers
Q1: (a), (b), and (d) are correct. All metals are conductors; water is a relatively poor
conductor in comparison, but its conductivity is improved if salt is dissolved in it.
Pencil leads contain graphite, which is a good conductor, and an HB pencil in a
simple circuit will show this. Plastic is a good insulator, which is why we use it on the
outside of plugs and wires.
Q2: (b) and (d) are correct. If we add more bulbs in a series circuit, we increase the
resistance and so decrease the current, making the bulbs dimmer. Adding any other
 ELECTRICITY 265

component will also do this, for example a motor. Breaking the circuit will turn the
bulbs off altogether, and adding cells will increase the voltage and so the bulbs will
become brighter.
Q3: (a), (c), and (d) are correct. Components can be connected in any order in a
series circuit, buzzers must be connected with the red wire going to the positive end
of a battery and black to the negative end, and bulbs should have the same voltage
as each other and the same amp number as each other.
Q4: (a), (b), and (c) are correct. Circuits require a source of electricity to work and
should be complete. You don’t have to have a switch in a circuit.

Misconceptions
‘Electricity just comes out of plugs’
‘Electricity comes from the air’
‘Bigger batteries are more powerful’
‘Electricity comes out of both ends of a battery’
‘The plastic insulation on wire conducts electricity’
‘A bulb doesn’t have any connections’
‘Put a motor in to make the bulb brighter!’
‘More buzzers mean more noise!’
‘Adding a bulb will mean that both bulbs will be brighter’
‘Make the wires shorter to make the bulbs brighter’
‘Some metals don’t conduct, do they?’
‘The metal door handle doesn’t conduct!’
‘Pencils are made of lead, that’s why they conduct’

Webliography
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/using_electricity/eng/Introduction/default.htm
(electricity in the home, interactive whiteboard activities)

http://www.ngfl_cymru.org.uk/vtc/learnpremium/electric_circuits/Introduction/default.htm
(switch circuits on and off and build circuits, interactive whiteboard activities)

http://www.yenka.com/en/Yenka_Basic_Circuits/
(register and then download free circuit-building software)

http://www.hyperstaffs.info/science/work/physics/child/index.html
(making circuits, circuits in toys, resistance in wires, interactive whiteboard activities)

http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources/siliconspies/flash/concepts/
buildingcircuits.htm
(making more circuits)
11
Sound

About this chapter

This chapter addresses the science you need to know and understand about
sound. It looks at how sound is made and how it travels in a medium from a
vibrating source. It covers the range of volume and pitch in sound, human
hearing, and echoes. The second part of the chapter addresses what the
pupils need to learn. The final part suggests effective ways to teach about
sound, including common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Sound is a form of energy
Sound is a form of energy that is transmitted in a medium. As land-dwelling creatures
on planet Earth, we hear sound transmitted in the medium of air. However, if you put
your ear to a wooden table and tap on the table at arm’s length, you will hear sound
that has travelled through the medium of wood. If you swim underwater, any sound
you hear will have travelled through the medium of water. Our ears have not evolved
to hear in water and so our perception of sound underwater is not as clear as our
perception of it in air.

Sound sources
The most familiar instances of sound are when objects vibrate in the air around us.
Take a moment to listen; few of us live in a silent environment. Can you identify
sounds you can hear from traffic, a computer, your home? Where is that sound
 SOUND 267

coming from? What is vibrating? Is it vibration of a motor as it spins? Or floorboards

vibrating? The loudspeaker in a TV making the air vibrate? A musical instrument?
Try saying the word ‘science’. Where is that sound coming from? Place your hand on
your throat and repeat the word. Can you feel your voice box vibrating? The human
voice box, or larynx, produces our voice and consists of special tissue that can be
vibrated to produce sound. The vocal chords also adjust the frequency, amplitude,
and quality of that sound.

Hearing sound
The human ear is divided into the outer, middle, and inner ear. The parts of the outer
ear (the pinna and ear canal) receive and funnel sound towards the middle ear. Vibrat-
ing air hits the eardrum and makes it vibrate. The vibration then passes through tiny
bones (the ossicles) inside the middle ear. From here the vibrations pass through the
cochlea in which tiny hairs pick up the vibrations. These are converted to electrical Biology of
hearing
impulses passing down the auditory nerve to the brain. The ear is highly sensitive and
can be damaged by very loud sound. Pupils should know to care for their ears by not
exposing them to excessively loud sound, keeping them clean, and not allowing
objects to enter into the ear canal.
You should also be aware of the functions of two other elements of the ear. First,
the Eustachian tube connects your inner ear to the back of your mouth so that the air
pressure in the inner ear can adjust to match that of your environment. You will be
aware of this when you increase or decrease your altitude (lower air pressure at higher
altitude) significantly and find your ears ‘pop’, such as when an aeroplane descends.
Second, the semi-circular canals are situated in your inner ear and their three loops,
which are filled with liquid, are responsible for your sense of balance.

Figure 11.1 The human ear

268 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Sound travels
Sound waves are minute compressions of air molecules that radiate out in all direc-
tions and are perceived by the human ear when the sound enters the ear canal and
vibrates the ear drum, middle ear, and cochlea so that messages about the sound are
sent to the brain. Sound travels in waves from a source like ripples on a pond but in
three dimensions. The sound of a light aeroplane can be heard below, beside, and
above the plane. This is the same for all sounds. As sound travels through a medium, it
dissipates and becomes fainter. The speed of sound varies depending on the medium.
In air sound travels at approximately 340 metres per second (770 mph); in water it
travels over four times faster and through iron over ten times faster. The relatively
slow speed of sound in air and the much faster speed of light (around 300,000,000
metres per second) account for the delay between you seeing an explosion one mile
away and hearing it a moment later. We see and hear this effect commonly with
fireworks – a rocket explodes into different colours and a moment later we hear the
bang of the explosion. In a vacuum there are no atoms or molecules – that is, no
medium – and so sound cannot travel. This is why there is no sound in outer space.
You will have experienced echoes; this is an example of a reflection, but in this
case reflection of sound. Large, fairly flat and hard surfaces will reflect sufficient
sound to produce the echo effect that we have all experienced. When walking through
a school hall that is empty of other people, you may hear your footsteps echo around
you. This is because the sound is bouncing off the hard surfaces around you and
being returned to your ears. Interestingly, this effect is not present when the hall is full
of people, as their soft bodies help to absorb the sound, preventing it from bouncing
around so much and thus reducing the echoes.

Properties of sound
Sound has a number of properties, including frequency (pitch), amplitude (loud-
ness), and quality. The terms used in primary science lessons are pitch and loudness.
Frequency or pitch refers to the number of sound waves per second. High-pitched
sounds such as a whistle have a high frequency; low-pitch sounds such as thunder
have a lower frequency. If you whistle or sing ‘la’ and vary the pitch, you will change
the frequency of the sound – have a go. Amplitude is the volume (or loudness) of the
sound and describes the size of the waves; louder sounds are perceived as larger sound
waves. If you repeat a word going from very quiet to very loud, you will increase the
amplitude and you may sense that more energy is required. The quality of a sound
relates to its purity – that is, whether it is, or is close to, a musical note. Interestingly,
the same note does not sound the same on different instruments because of slight
variations such as harmonics, which give a sound its character. Other noises around
us are random mixtures of sounds.
Pupils often confuse pitch and loudness. You need to know that two things affect
loudness:

• the amount of energy put in – for example, how hard you beat, blow, pluck or
scrape something;
 SOUND 269

• the amount of stuff vibrating, i.e. larger sound boxes make louder sounds – for
example, a large bass drum is louder than a small finger drum.

Three things affect pitch: the size, length, and tightness of the thing that is
vibrating. For example, large drums make sounds of a lower pitch than small drums.
Shortening or lengthening a string changes its pitch, and there is a similar affect
with air columns of different length. Smaller lengths of string or air vibrate more
quickly, and so have higher pitch. Finally, a skin drum can be tightened or loosened –
the tighter the skin, the faster it vibrates and so the higher the pitch.

Try playing with a virtual oscilloscope on the internet such as the simplified one
at:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/5to14/resources/science/oscilloscope.asp
Alter the volume (amplitude) and the pitch (the frequency).

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

3(c) that there are many kinds of sound and sources of sound;
3(d) that sounds travel away from their source, becoming fainter as they do so
and that they are heard when they enter the ear.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— different ways to make sounds (QCA, 1F)

— many ways of describing sounds (QCA, 1F)
(QCA, 1998)

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

3(e) that sounds are made when objects vibrate but that vibrations are not always
visible;
 270 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

3(f) how to change the pitch and loudness of sounds produced by some
vibrating objects;
3(g) that vibrations from a source require a medium through which to travel to
the ear.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that some materials make effective insulators of sound (QCA 5F)

(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘sound’ at Key Stage 1

At all times when teaching about sound, you must stress and repeat the message that
ears must be cared for. Very loud sounds must be avoided and objects should not be
put into the ear. You could even impart this information at the end of each lesson. Also
be sensitive to pupils who have a known hearing loss and be aware that your lessons
might reveal cause for further medical investigation of hearing.
PSHE

Pupil activity 11.1

Identifying mystery sounds

Learning objectives: Learn that there are many kinds of sound and that
there are many ways of making sound.
Resources required: recordings of sounds (internet based) and/or a large
bag; objects for making sounds

This can be done in different ways, including objects hidden in a large bag (avoid
plastic bags) or audio recordings made by yourself or pre-recorded. Simply make or
play the mystery sounds and ask pupils to identify them. This can be made even more
challenging by asking pupils to make the recordings.

Recordings can be downloaded from internet sites, such as:

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=sound1f
 SOUND 271

Common misconception
‘I hear only when I listen’
Pupils often have difficulty with ideas about listening and hearing. They some-
times think that they only hear things they are near to. They may even say that
very faint sounds have not been heard. Pupils sometimes feel that it is their
listening which is crucial, that in some way they direct their ears towards particu-
lar sound sources. They seem to be confusing this with the brain’s ability to
attend to important sounds. These ideas can be challenged by experiencing
many different sounds and by making pupils aware of all the many things they
are hearing.

Pupil activity 11.2

What was that sound?

Learning objectives: Learn that there are many kinds of sounds and that
sounds are heard when they enter your ears.
Resources required: a selection of drums, tambours, tambourines,
triangles, rain sticks, tuning forks, bells, whistles, guitars

As in the activity above, pupils love identifying sounds; here they see the object
making the sound and can pluck, blow (note: children should not share an object
touched with the lips) or bang it. Familiar and less familiar musical instruments are
ideal for this. Ask them to try to identify the part of the instrument that makes the
sound and describe the sound travelling away from the source. Can they identify
exactly how the instrument makes the sound – for example, is it banged, plucked,
scraped or blown?

Pupil activity 11.3

Sounds from everyday objects

Learning objective: Learn that there are many kinds of sound and ways of
making sounds.
Resources required: household objects, a beater, and/or a large blunt nail

Gather together a range of household objects which will be gently struck to explore
sounds (avoid glassware being handled by pupils). Ceramic bowls such as plant pots
272 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

work well, as do items of cutlery. Can they predict the kind of sound that will be
made? Group those items making a clear sound and those that make a dull sound. You
could introduce the idea of vibration, some of which is invisible. All the objects vibrate
when struck, but the better ones vibrate to produce a clear sound or sharp note. Note
that some objects will only produce a high-quality sound if held in a particular way –
for example, a plant pot will ring if suspended by a loop of string through a hole. If
pupils are to hold breakable objects, make sure you actively supervise and teach
them that these objects need to be held only a few centimetres above a desktop. Stress
that different objects may make sounds in different ways if they are used differently.
Can they gently bang, pluck, scrape or blow on any of the objects to make the sound?
Plastic bottles without lids can make a sound when hit with a beater, a different one
when blown across the neck (placing the lips near the hole), and a different one again
when scraped with a finger nail.

Common misconception
‘Sound travels in straight lines’
Sound travels around corners as well as in straight lines, but pupils sometimes
find it hard to grasp the way sound travels. They may be confusing sound with
light, which does travel in straight lines and does not go around corners. They
need their attention drawn to the fact that sound can be heard above, below, and
beside a sound source. They can also hear objects that are not in view, which
means that the sound is travelling around corners. Can pupils hear a sound
made under a table? If a dog barks next door, can all the neighbours hear it? Can
they hear people talking around the corner of a building?

Pupil activity 11.4

Faint sounds on the school playground

Learning objective: Learn that sounds travel away from where they are
made and get fainter as they travel.
Resources required: access to a large space, a beater and drum or
tambour, a trundle wheel (optional)

On the school playground or playing field, ask one pupil to stand a few metres from
the class and at your signal softly beat the drum. Check that all the pupils have heard
the sound. Remind them about the sound source, about sound travelling and entering
the ear. Ask a second child to stand 10 or 15 steps away (or measure 10 metres with a
trundle wheel). Ask the class to predict what the sound the second pupil hears will be
 SOUND 273

like. Have the class join the second child. The child with the drum then beats the drum
softly again. Ask the class to describe how the sound has changed. Keep repeating this
activity at regular intervals, increasing the distance between the listeners and the
beater until the sound is much quieter. If you have time, repeat the test with different
sounds. It is important that the pupil with the drum knows to beat it the same way and
with the same amount of force each time. They may be tempted to hit it harder the
further the other pupils are away so that they can all hear it more clearly! You could
address why it must be the same each time, introducing the concept of a ‘fair test’.

Pupil activity 11.5

Can you hear a pin drop?

Learning objective: Learn that sounds travel away from where they are
made and get fainter as they travel.
Resources required: light objects to drop, a means to hide the dropping
of the objects

Noisy classrooms and schools can make investigation and demonstrations with sound
more difficult. In this activity, you need to produce quiet sounds in one corner of the
class. Pupils can then indicate by raising their hand whether they have heard it. Be
aware and sensitive to any pupils with hearing difficulties. You could ask them to close
their eyes and tell them that they are going to use one of the best sound meters in the
world and they all have two of them, their ears! Try doing this out of sight of the
pupils, asking them to listen and raise an arm if they hear anything (you can ask them
to close their eyes). Pupils could suggest sounds to test. Ones you might try are
dropping objects onto paper – a pin, a match, a small nail, a large nail – clicking a pen
open, opening a jar, sharpening a pencil. Include some very quiet sounds but some
louder ones that everyone can hear. Make sure you discuss examples of sounds
everyone can hear and others that some can hear and ones that no-one can hear.

Practical activity 11.6

Sound safari

Learning objectives: Naming different sounds and how they are made.
Resources required: access to school corridors and playground

Take the pupils on a sound safari of the school. Before you set off, ask them to predict
sounds they might hear and suggest places you might visit. Can they suggest a place
that will be quiet and somewhere where there will be no sound? Visit different places
in school where there will be different sounds, such as outside classrooms, outside the
274 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

school kitchen, outside the school office (it is polite to warn colleagues that you are
there and what you are doing!), in the playground. Ask the pupils to be quiet and
listen to the different sounds. Can they say what the sounds are? Can they describe
them? Challenge them to name as many sounds as possible.

Ways to teach ‘sound’ at Key Stage 2

Pupil activity 11.7

Putting the twang into science

Learning objective: Learn that sound sources vibrate, but that not all
vibrations can be seen.
Resources required: collection of different sound-making objects,
including instruments, such as elastic, bell, tuning fork, balloon, guitar,
rulers or wood strips

Ask different pupils to demonstrate examples of sound sources, asking them to iden-
tify the part of the object that is vibrating. Ask them to state whether they can see the
vibrations. Ask them whether they can feel the vibrations. Ask them what they sound/
feel like. Remind the class about the vibrating source, that sound travels and that they
hear when sound enters their ear. Note that sometimes when you blow something you
make air itself vibrate. It is the column of air vibrating inside a musical instrument that
makes it work, not the wood or metal of the instrument.
Now ask every pupil to ‘twang’ a ruler or wood strip on the side of a table and ask
them whether they can see or feel the vibrations and to describe them. Ask one pupil
to demonstrate twanging different lengths of ruler over the side of the table. Can
pupils describe the differences in sound? Introduce the term ‘pitch’. Ask all pupils to
explore the production of different frequencies of sound with the wood. Can pupils
see that the frequency of the vibrations increases (they get quicker)? Tell them that we
use the word ‘pitch’ but scientists also use the word ‘frequency’. Return to the collec-
tion of objects you began with and ask pupils whether they think it is possible to alter
the frequency of these.
 SOUND 275

Pupil activity 11.8

More energy makes things LOUDER!

Learning objective: Learn that we can make things louder by putting more
energy into a thing, such as shaking harder, plucking harder, beating
harder.
Resources required: a range of instruments that can be made to produce
loud and quiet sounds, a bottle, large elastic stretched over a box

Make a sound by beating something and ask pupils how it could be made louder.
Involve pupils in a demonstration to show that beating harder makes the sound
louder. Perhaps ask for volunteers to demonstrate plucking, blowing, and scraping
sounds. Can they show the class how they make the sounds louder? Can the class
suggest how to make the sounds quieter? Give examples of everyday objects and
musical instruments.
Remind the pupils about the sound being made by vibrations and what you have
taught them about sound vibrations. Can they explain how the energy provided
affects the sound waves?

Pupil activity 11.9

A sound box makes things LOUDER!

Learning objective: Learn that by adding a sound box (where there was
none before) or replacing a small sound box with a larger one, sounds
become louder.
Resources required: large hollow containers including buckets and boxes,
musical instruments such as violin and guitar, large elastic bands or long
pieces of knicker elastic

Stretch an elastic band over a plastic bin or bucket. Ask a pupil to hold the bucket and
pluck the elastic while everyone listens to the sound. The pupil holding it should feel
the vibrations. Ask pupils for a description of the sound and vibration.
Compare this with a much smaller container and ask pupils to describe how the
sound is different. You might begin to refer to sound travelling in waves. Some pupils
will have heard of sound waves and will want to know more. Initially, explain that they
are a little like ripples on a pond travelling away from the source.
This can be repeated on a range of large containers and with elastic stretched over
boxes and pieces of equipment. Ask pupils to compare the sounds between examples.
Can they describe the sounds? Explain that makers of musical instruments use this Music, and DT

phenomenon to increase the loudness. Ensuring the container is clean, ask a child to
 276 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

wrap their arms around the container while you pluck the elastic again. Can they hear
and feel the vibrations? Again ensuring the container is clean, repeat this with a child’s
ear to the container. Ask pupils to describe to one another the journey of the sound
from elastic, air, container, air to eardrum. You might extend and enrich this and other
similar activities by measuring the loudness of the sound in decibels with a hand-held
sound meter or with a computer sound sensor.

Pupil activity 11.10

How can you make sound higher or lower?

Learning objectives: Learn that shortening or lengthening a string

changes the pitch. Learn that shortening or lengthening a column of air
changes the pitch.
Resources required: a one-string elastic guitar, a recorder or swanny
whistle, straws, a large elastic band, pencil

music, DT
Figure 11.2 A one-string elastic guitar

Stretch a large elastic band over the end of a classroom table and slip a pencil under it
at one end. Invite a pupil to pluck it. Ask the pupil to describe what they see and hear.
Ask if someone can suggest a way to change the pitch of the sound. Continue with the
demonstration, making progressively higher pitched sounds by moving the pencil.
Ask pupils to confer before answering the question ‘why is the pitch of the sound
changing?’
Emphasise that as the length of string is shortened, so it vibrates more quickly
and the pitch becomes higher. Demonstrate the same effect on a stringed musical
instrument (guitar or violin work well) and on the one-string elastic guitar. Ensure
that as many pupils as possible have a go. Ask pupils to consider the explanation and
 SOUND 277

whether they can draw a sound story to show the sound being made and travelling to
an ear.
Either in this lesson or another one, demonstrate the same effect with vibrating
columns of air. First, you will have to explain that a vibrating column of air makes a
sound. Try blowing on a recorder, blowing across the top of a bottle, and across the
end of a straw. If a recorder has more fingers on it, the column of air becomes longer.
How will this affect the sound? If a straw is cut, it will become shorter. How will that
affect the sound? Can the pupils test their predictions?
Now do the same with a row of bottles each containing different amounts of
water. Can two pupils put them in order of ascending pitch? Ask them to explain their
reasoning, before testing their ideas and blowing across the top of the bottles.
Pupil activity 11.11

Tightness makes sounds higher

Learning objective: Understand that tightening rubber or elastic creates a

higher pitch.
Resources required: empty two-litre plastic drinks bottles, balloons,
elastic bands

Remove and discard the lids from the bottles. The balloons are going to be stretched
over the mouths of the necks of the bottles. First, make a small slit in a balloon and
poke the bottleneck through the slit. Then, secure the balloon to the bottleneck using
an elastic band wrapped around the neck, ensuring the balloon is tight across the
opening of the bottleneck. Place different balloons at varying tightness on different
bottles, and label the bottles accordingly (e.g. tight, very tight, slack, etc.). Now the
pupils can pluck the balloons and hear a high or low sound (the bottle acts like a
sound box). Can they discern the differences between the tighter balloons making
higher sounds and the slacker ones making lower sounds? (Ensure the cut balloons
are disposed of afterwards, so that they do not present a choking hazard to young
children who may put them in their mouths.)
Discuss with the pupils how the same can be done with drums. If you have large
drums in school, show the pupils where the drum skin is anchored and can be tight-
ened. Challenge them to think of string instruments that also can be tightened and
stretched to make a higher sound. They should be able to think of a guitar or violin. If
you have pupils who can play these instruments, ask them to demonstrate playing a
tightened or slackened string.
 278 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Teacher demonstration 11.12

Slinky spring shows sound travelling

Learning objective: Learn that sound waves travel as compressions of

particles in a medium.
Resources required: slinky spring

A slinky spring provides the best demonstration of sound waves travelling in a

medium (a gas, a liquid or a solid). Place the slinky on a flat surface, the floor or a long
table and ask two pupils to stretch it and hold it throughout the demonstration. Ask
one to very quickly move their hand towards the other person by about 15 cm and
Hearing, see then quickly return the hand to its starting position, and observe the result. Observers
Figure 3.11 on
p. 62 should see a compression wave travel along the slinky and then bounce back, simulat-
ing an echo. Repeat this a few times, perhaps allowing other pupils to propagate the
wave. Make it clear that the person starting the wave is acting as the vibrating material
and that the wave then travels through a medium.

Figure 11.3 Compression wave travels down a slinky spring

Teacher demonstration 11.13

Sound moving away from its source

Learning objective: Learn that sound travels away from a vibrating source.
Resources required: tuning fork, bowl of water, newspaper

With a small group of pupils gathered around the bowl, bang the tuning fork on a
scrap of wood and place the vibrating end gently onto the water in the centre of the
bowl. Ripples radiate outwards very quickly from the source of sound. If you quickly
 SOUND 279

remove the tuning fork, you may see the vibration ‘echoing’ back from the sides of the
bowl. The children could take turns at doing this in small groups. This is a memorable
and effective demonstration.
Ask the pupils to remember a time when they threw a stone into water. A stone
thrown into a still pool or large bowl of water will produce waves in rings, which travel
away from the source in a way that is similar to the way sound waves are produced and
travel.

Pupil activity 11.14

Making ear defenders

Learning objective: Learn that different materials can reduce sound

entering the ear and that we call this sound insulation.
Resources required: examples of sheet materials that can include
different fabrics, bubble plastic, cotton wool, aluminium foil, papers,
cards

This can be used as a teaching activity or adapted to become a pupil-led investigation.

You need to identify a sound that you can make consistently, such as striking a
musical instrument, shuffling paper, pouring water or dropping a pin. You can, of
course, use several sounds if you wish. Warn pupils never to put objects into their ears.
Recap on sound travelling from a source to the ears. Ask a pupil to demonstrate by
first listening to the sound and then when holding a material over their ear. Hopefully
they will notice a difference. If they find it difficult, remind them to listen with that ear
or cover both ears with the material (this is a better test). Discuss these options and
fair testing with the pupils. Can they ensure that the fabrics and materials are the same

Figure 11.4 Testing sound insulation properties

280 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

thickness? Folding them can help. Then ask pupils to look at and ideally handle the
samples of other materials. Ask them to describe the characteristics of the materials
that insulate sound well, then to repeat the test themselves this time making a
prediction about the best materials for insulating sound.
An alternative or extension is to repeat the tests but replace the human ear with a
decibel meter.

Teacher demonstration and pupil discussion 11.15

How does sound travel?

Learning objective: Learn that vibrations from a source require a medium

through which to travel to the ear.
Resources required: a pencil, metal spoon or nail

Pupils need to be able to hear a quiet, consistent sound such as a pencil being dropped
onto a desk from a height of one centimetre. Repeat it a number of times so that
several pupils can hear and describe it. Perhaps only those pupils close by will hear it.
Then ask a pupil to hold an ear to the table as far away as possible from the noise and
repeat; this time the pupil should notice a slightly louder sound as the pencil hits the
table. (If it does not appear to work, it may be that the pupil is concentrating on their
other ear.) Pupils might repeat this in pairs at their own table.
Explain that we experience sound travelling from a source through air but that
sound can travel through other materials such as wood, steel, rock, and water. Ask the
pupils if they have experienced any examples. Prompt them with the following
examples if required:

• tapping on metal pipework in a building;

• sound underwater in a swimming pool;
• movement of furniture in a room above them.

Consider these examples and draw the journey of the sound as a simple flow
chart, noting that the last part of the journey to the ear drum travels in the medium of
air. Emphasise the fact that each medium must vibrate for the sound to travel through
it; for instance, in the first example, the metal particles vibrate, which in turn make the
air particles around the pipe vibrate.

Source First medium Second medium

plumber tapping a → the sound travels through → the sound leaves the pipe and
pipe the pipe travels through the air to the ear
object dropped in → the sound travels through → the sound travels through the air
room above the floor material to the ear
 SOUND 281

Pupils should understand that sound waves can travel through different mediums
and transfer from one medium to another. You can explain that sound travels faster in
solids and liquids than in the air around us. Challenge pupils by linking this to what
they know about solids, liquids, and gases. The speed of travel of sound is slower in
the air because of the gaps between the particles (atoms and molecules) in air. Solids
and liquids have fewer gaps between the vibrating particles, so the sound can be
passed on more efficiently.

Common misconception
‘Sound doesn’t travel through solids’
Many pupils are happy with the fact that sound travels through air by making
the air vibrate. They may know that sound travels through water, as they have
heard sounds when underwater in the swimming pool. Many, however, do not
believe that sound travels through hard solids, which it does, very well. Ask them
to think about sound in terms of vibrating particles. Air is made of gas particles
that can vibrate to transmit sound; water can similarly vibrate, and so can the
particles in wood or metal. Only in outer space or another vacuum where there
are no particles is there no sound. If you find they are still struggling with the
idea, ask them if they have ever put their ear to a door or wall to try to listen to
what was happening on the other side of it!

Summary of key learning points:

• sound travels through a medium from a vibrating source;

• sound can vary in amplitude and frequency, which affects loudness and
pitch respectively;

• the quality of sound is judged by how close it is to a musical note;

• sounds are heard when vibrations from an object enter the ear, causing the
eardrums to vibrate and impulses to be carried by nerves to the brain;

• some materials reflect sound;

• some materials act as sound insulators.

282 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Self-test
Question 1
Sound travels (a) faster than light, (b) from a vibrating source, (c) best in air, (d) in all
directions from a source

Question 2
Sound waves (a) can differ in amplitude resulting in different volumes, (b) can differ
in frequency resulting in different pitches, (c) are only made in the human voice box,
(d) are just like waves on water

Question 3
Sound (a) is a form of energy, (b) can only travel in a straight line, (c) can travel
through a vacuum, (d) can be dangerous

Question 4
I hear sound because these body parts help me: (a) eardrum, (b) cochlea,
(c) Eustachian tube, (d) semi-circular canals.

Self-test answers
Q1: (b) and (d) are correct. Sound travels much slower than light and travels faster in
solids than in gases. So if best means fastest and travelling over long distances,
then air is quite a poor conductor of sound. Because our ears have evolved to work
in air, then air appears to us to be quite a good conductor of sound.
Q2: (a) and (b) are correct. Sounds are made by very many vibrating objects. Sound
waves are a little like waves on the surface of water but are different in a number of
ways, for example sound waves go in all directions at once.
Q3: (a) and (d) are correct. Sound can travel around corners. Sound requires a
physical medium that is made up of particles (e.g. air, water, wood) to travel through.
A vacuum has no particles.
Q4: (a) and (b) are correct. The Eustachian tube helps less directly because it
equalises the air pressure inside the inner ear. The semi-circular canals give us our
sense of balance.

Misconceptions
‘I hear when I listen’
‘Sound travels in straight lines’
‘Sound doesn’t travel through a solid’
 SOUND 283

Webliography
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/5to14/resources/science/oscilloscope.asp
(oscilloscope)

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=sound1f
(audio recordings)
 12
Light

About this chapter

This chapter looks at light sources, how light travels, reflection, shadow forma-
tion, and how we see things. Transparent, translucent, and opaque materials
are also dealt with. The second part of the chapter addresses what the pupils
need to learn. The final part suggests effective ways to teach about light,
including examples of common misconceptions.

What the teacher needs to know and

understand
Light sources
Light sources are things that make light and are usually very hot, such as the Sun,
other stars, a burning match, lightning, the glowing wire filament of a light bulb, and a
firework. Children often think of the Moon as a light source, but it is not because it
Earth in space does not make light, it merely reflects the Sun’s light. Chemical light sources produce
light through the reaction of different chemicals and are not hot. These are seen in
nature, for example glow worms and fire flies use chemical reactions to make light.
Chemical light sources are much less common than other light sources, although you
can buy cheap chemical ‘light sticks’ (worn by children at parties) in toy shops. These
operate at room temperature and are safe to use (but should not be broken open to
release the chemicals).
Light sources are easier to see when there is little extraneous light around them.
This is why candles appear brighter in a darkened room than they do in sunlight. You
can see the meagre light that candles produce in a dark room ‘lighting up’ the wall, but
 LIGHT 285

in direct sunlight you don’t notice this as the Sun’s brighter light masks the candle’s
light. Stars can only be seen at night because the Sun’s rays are not blocking out their
weak light. There are stars in the sky in the daytime, but their light is masked by the
Sun’s light and so we cannot see them. Earth in space

Most light sources give out white light. Sunlight is mostly white light. White light
is in fact a mixture of colours, the colours of the rainbow. Isaac Newton was the first to
prove this conclusively by splitting white light with a glass prism. He called the result-
ing colours the ‘spectrum’, which has its roots in Latin, meaning ‘ghost’. White light is
split into its constituent colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet
(see Figure 12.1). The mnemonic ‘Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain’ can help
adults and children remember the sequence of colours. When a rainbow occurs, the
white light from the Sun is being split up into its constituent colours as it passes
Art and design
through droplets of rain.

Figure 12.1 White light split into its constituent colours

Light travelling
Light travels in a straight line from a light source. Each light source produces millions
of beams in all directions, but it is often useful to think of a single straight line beam
travelling away from a source to explain the properties of light.

Shadow formation
A beam of light can be blocked by an opaque material. This means that behind the
object a shadow will appear, which is simply a lack of light.

Reflection
Light is reflected from most surfaces, but how it is reflected depends on how smooth
or rough the surface is. When incoming beams of light hit a rough surface, they scatter
in many directions. This is sometimes called ‘diffuse reflection’. In contrast, when
incoming light beams hit a smooth surface, it reflects all the light back at the same
angle. This is called ‘clear reflection’ and it is how mirrors form images of things
 286 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

around them. Mirrors are both shiny and smooth and are therefore very good clear
reflectors, forming perfect images. Other objects can be quite good clear reflectors.
For example, you may have seen your own image reflected in a metallic fridge door or
on a laminated piece of paper.
Dark and dull colours (such as black) tend to absorb light rather than reflect a lot
of it. This is why dark surfaces get hot on sunny days. Dark surfaces absorb the light
(and its heat energy) and so warm up.
Because light travels in a straight line, it cannot go around corners. The only way
to make it do so is to reflect it at an angle with a mirror.

Seeing colours
When light hits any object containing a colour pigment, the entire spectrum of colour
in the light is not reflected. Some colours in the spectrum are absorbed by the pigment
and as a result we only see the reflected colour. For example, a red object absorbs all
the colours except red. Only the red light is reflected, and when this enters your eye
you see the red object. Colour reflection is actually more complex, but this simple
explanation will suffice for our purposes and is one that primary pupils can readily
understand. This effect is illustrated in Figure 12.2.

Art and design

Function of the
human eye
Figure 12.2 How we see coloured objects

Transparent materials
Transparent materials allow most of the light hitting them to go straight through.
Usually, 98 percent of the light passes through, with just 2 percent being reflected,
allowing us to see glass windows (or not, as anyone who has walked into closed patio
doors knows).
 LIGHT 287

Translucent materials
Translucent materials allow light through them but tend to scatter it internally first. A
good test is to hold the material in front of a page of text. If you can read the text, the
material is probably transparent; if you can see that there is text but it is difficult or
impossible to read, the object is probably translucent. If you can’t see through it at all,
the material is probably opaque!

Light is a form of energy

Energy comes in many forms and light is one of them. This means that it can be
produced from other forms of energy. For example, the chemical energy released
when wood is burnt produces both light and heat energy. Electrical energy from a
battery can be transformed to light energy in the coiled wire of a bulb (the filament).
Light is also sometimes referred to as a kind of radiation. Radiation includes visible Energy

light (that allows us to see objects), infrared (this is heat, produced from anything
warm), ultra-violet light (the kind of radiation that comes from the Sun to give you a
suntan), and radio waves. These kinds of radiation are called electro-magnetic radi-
ation by scientists.

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 1

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

3(a) to identify different light sources, including the Sun;

3(b) that darkness is the absence of light.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that light is essential for seeing things (QCA 1D)

— that sources of light show up best at night time (QCA 1D)
— that shiny objects need a light source if they are to shine (QCA 1D)
(QCA, 1998)
288 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

What pupils need to know at Key Stage 2

SCIENCE 4
Pupils should be taught:

3(a) that light travels from a source;

3(b) that light cannot pass through some materials, and how this leads to the
formation of shadows;
3(c) that light is reflected from surfaces;
3(d) that we see things only when light enters our eyes.
(DfEE/QCA, 1999)

Children should learn:

— that shadows are similar in shape to the objects forming them (QCA 3F)
— that shadows of objects in sunlight change in length and position
throughout the day (QCA 3F) (see Chapter 9: The Earth in Space)
— that the Sun appears to move across the sky during the day (QCA 3F)
(see Chapter 9: The Earth in Space)
— that opaque objects/materials do not let light through whereas transpar-
ent objects/materials let a lot of light through (QCA 3F)
— that the direction of a beam or ray of light travelling from a light source
can be indicated by a straight line with an arrow (QCA 6F)
— that shiny surfaces reflect light better than dull surfaces (QCA 6F)
— to identify factors that might affect the size and position of the shadow of
an object (QCA 6F)
— to recognise the difference between shadows and reflections (QCA 6F)
(QCA, 1998)

Ways to teach ‘light’ at Key Stage 1

Light sources
Resources required for the following activities: A range of small torches for
children to handle. A range of light sources a teacher can use for demonstra-
tions, including candles, overhead projector, a desk lamp, a room that can be
darkened (schools halls often have good blinds or curtains) or an area which
can be darkened
 LIGHT 289

Pupil activity 12.1

A light source hunt and discussion

Learning objective: To identify light sources.

Take the children on a walk around the school on a ‘light source hunt’. Ask them to
identify indoor and outdoor light sources. After discussing and adding ones they
already know to the list, have them draw the ones they can remember or categorise
them as say ‘safe’ and ‘dangerous’ (there are very few safe light sources for children,
mainly toys and torches). Make sure you discuss non-light sources (i.e. reflective
materials) and explain why they don’t make light, but can look bright.
Explain how the Sun gives us light. Many children find this hard to grasp, as the
Sun is not always visible in the day. Explain that even when the sky is cloudy, still a lot
of the Sun’s light gets through. Talk about the dangers of the Sun and how we must
never look at it directly. If they ask about night time, you must be clear about the Earth Earth in space

turning and that our part of the Earth is not lit up by the Sun at night. A demonstra-
tion with a turning globe and a torch is the best way to show them this idea. Further
cement their understanding by asking the children to explain it to one another. Web-
based simulations meant for slightly older children may be appropriate for higher
achieving pupils.

Pupil investigation skills 12.2

Hands-on with torches and an investigation

Learning objective: An exploration (and/or investigation) of the amount of

light emitted from each torch in a set of torches.
Resources required: a range of different-sized torches, white card or paper

Ask the children to use different types of torches. They should shine them onto a
piece of card to see how bright they are. Warn about not looking straight at the torches
or shining them in their own or others’ eyes. Can they use comparison or describing
words such as brighter or dimmer when using them? Can they order the torches from
brightest to dimmest? How will they ensure it is a fair test? For example, always shine
the torch at a set distance from the card. Can they devise a way to test if the brightest
torches have beams that travel the furthest? These questions can be considered on the
basis of simple exploration but only confidently answered after an investigation. Key
Stage 1 pupils will normally judge torches qualitatively – that is, using descriptive
superlatives such as bright, brighter, brightest, dim, dimmer, dimmest.
290 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Teacher demonstration 12.3

Lighting up the wall with bright sources, looking directly at dimmer

light sources

Learning objective: Observing, describing, and comparing light sources in

dark and light rooms.
Resources required: light sources (as detailed below)

Some light sources get hot very quickly and so should not be handled by children, but a
whole-class demonstration can initiate useful discussion. The light from table lamps
and overhead projectors can be shone on a wall. Do this, switch them off, and then
darken the classroom before switching them on again. The children will notice a big
difference – that is, light sources seem brighter to look at (see safety point below) and
seem to produce more light in their surroundings when viewed in the dark. Even a torch
beam on a wall demonstrated in this way will show this effect. Can they explain this?
You can ask the children to look at dimmer light sources more safely, such as
Christmas lights, novelty light-up toys or, easiest of all, a candle. These again look
much brighter in the dark, as light from elsewhere is not negating their effect (see page
284 for more on this). You should follow this with a discussion of what are safe and
unsafe light sources in the home.

Common misconception
‘Shiny things are light sources’
A common misconception among young children is that all shiny objects are
light sources, because they look bright. There are two approaches that can be
used to challenge this idea, outlined below.

Pupil investigation skills 12.4

Shiny objects

Learning objective: Explore shiny materials to see if they are shiny in the dark.
Resources required: a range of shiny objects, such as metal foil, pie dish,
plastic mirrors, and fluorescent plastic

If the children are familiar with the fact that light sources look brighter in a darkened
environment (such as fairy lights at night), try this with the shiny object. Ask them to
 LIGHT 291

observe the shiny object in the normal class setting and then in a darkened setting. It
will be harder to see the object in the darkened setting, not easier. And the darker
the setting the better. You could simply close the blinds or curtains. Or, using fabric,
you could make a dark ‘cave’ or use a stock cupboard. Try placing light- and dark-
coloured toys in the darkened room or space. Ask the children to state which ones
are easy to see. Try repeating this with torches. Children can also try shining torch
light on the shiny object, which will make it brighter. A problem you may experi-
ence is that complete darkness is hard to achieve; if any light gets in, the children
will be able to see! Also note that some children may be quite fearful of complete
darkness.
Another effective approach employs a shoe box viewer. A shoe box viewer can be
easily made from a box with a lid on, with a small hole cut into the side to look
through. Place the shiny object inside and with no external light sources the child will
not be able to see it. For further uses of the box, see below.

Figure 12.3 A shoe box viewer

Common misconception
‘But we can see in the dark, can’t we?’
Most children have not experienced complete darkness, particularly in cities; it
is hard to do so. The darkest time they experience is probably bed time with the
lights off and they will comment that they can still see ‘a bit’. Some children may
also believe they can ‘see in the dark’ because they eat carrots, since they have
been told that ‘carrots make you see in the dark’.
292 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Pupil discussion 12.5

We cannot see in the dark as our eyes require light to see things

Learning objective: Learn that we need light to see.

Resources required: none

Initiate a class discussion about where the light is coming from that enables the pupils
to see in bed. Perhaps the bulb at the top of the stairs sends light through the gap
underneath the bedroom door, or light enters through the gap in the curtains from the
street lights outside, or even through the thin fabric of the curtain. This small amount
of light enables them to see things. Outside, the light sources are more obvious such as
street lights. However, as star light, the Moon’s reflected light, and distant street lights
are relatively weak, we still feel that we are in the dark.

Pupil activity 12.6

What can we see in the box?

Learning objective: Observing what we can see in dull light.

Resources required: a shoe box viewer

A shoe box viewer is a good way to show that we need light to see. Use a shoe box with
a small hole cut out of it in the side, large enough for a child to put their eye up to look
in, but not too large or light from the outside will get in too. Objects placed inside at
the far end cannot be seen.
If a small opening is cut into the lid to make a flap, and the flap is covered by a
thick piece of card glued onto it, then varying amounts of light can be let in, and as
more light is let in the easier it is to see the object.

Pupil activity 12.7

Where are the darker parts of school?

Learning objective: Explore the school for places that are darker.
Resources required: the school grounds

Pupils could list and visit the darker parts of school and view an object held in their
hands at the different locations. How clearly can they see the shape or colour of it at
different locations? Ask them how much they would be able to see of the object if they
had no light at all.
 LIGHT 293

Ways to teach ‘light’ at Key Stage 2

For all demonstrations and hands-on practical work, the room needs to be darkened
to stop outside sunlight from interfering with the light sources the children are trying
to use. The school hall is often a place that can be easily darkened and the children
can spread out to do their work. A classroom or work area that can be darkened
sufficiently for experimental work is ideal. We must stress that a darkened area is
essential. Trying to do the experiments with bright sunlight entering the room will not
work. It may be worth considering teaching light in the autumn term or early spring
term, as there are several light festivals at this time of year.
Ensure that you have good torches for pupils to use. Weak ones or ones with
virtually flat batteries are useless. These confuse results and can cause misconceptions
R.E.

(e.g. no obvious shadow may be formed by an opaque object).

Shadow formation and light travelling from a source

To understand shadow formation, it is important that the children know that light
travels away from a source and strikes things. But how can we show light travelling
from a source? The following demonstration can help.

Teacher demonstration 12.8

Light travelling away from its source and moving in a straight line

Learning objective: Understand how light travels.

Resources required: darkened room, good torch, board duster, and chalk
(or talcum powder)

In a darkened room, place a torch on its end on a table so that it is pointing at the
ceiling. Switch it on and the children will observe the beam on the ceiling. Now ask
them if they can see the light as it travels through the air from the torch to the ceiling
(they won’t be able to, as air is invisible and you can’t light up an invisible thing!).
Now bang the chalk-laden duster with your hand just above the torch bulb (or squirt
the talc bottle in the same place) and move it up while creating more dust to reveal the
beam. The light beam can now be seen, illuminating the chalk, spreading out but
travelling in a straight line towards the ceiling. (Warning: beware of dust – check that
pupils are well away and that asthmatics are at some distance, and try not to inhale the
dust yourself.)
294 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 12.4 Demonstration of light travelling in a straight line

Shadow making
Pupil activity 12.9

Drawing our own shadows

Learning objective: To be able to draw an accurate shadow representation.

Resources required: drawing materials

A good starting point is to get the children to draw a small picture of themselves
and their shadow. The common errors the pupils may make are discussed in the
‘Common misconceptions’ box below.
 LIGHT 295

Common misconceptions
‘Do shadows have faces? Are they connected to us?’
Two common misconceptions commonly occur. First, many children want to
draw faces on shadows, and sometimes other features. Here the children may be
mixing up notions of a shadow, which has the same shape as them, and their
reflection, which also has the same shape as well as other features. This mix-up
often occurs throughout Key Stage 2, with some children even referring to a
shadow as a ‘dark reflection’. Gradually, they learn to distinguish between the
way a shadow is formed (as light is blocked) and when reflections occur (as light
bounces off something).
Another common error made by pupils is that the shadow they draw is not
joined to their feet, but floating away from them.

Pupil activity 12.10

Where are our shadows?

Learning objective: To understand that a person’s shadow is connected to

them.
Resources required: none

Discussion of the above errors with the whole class is an excellent way to tackle these
notions, but if this is reinforced on a sunny day with examination of their shadows in
the playground, all the better. Sunny days can be hard to come by, so you may have to
be patient!
Ask the children to examine their shadows in the playground. Do they see any
facial features when the sun is behind them? (They may see their nose in profile but
never their eyes!) Do their legs connect with the bottom of the shadow? If they jump
up in the air, then they don’t. This can lead to a discussion on how flying things such
as clouds and aeroplanes are not connected to their shadows. They may not find it
obvious that for something to be connected to its own shadow it must be on the
ground itself.
296 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Teacher demonstration 12.11

Can you see the features?

Learning objective: Understand why a shadow shows certain features, but

not others.
Resources required: overhead projector, a simple card silhouette of a
head without facial features and a second card silhouette of a head with
features stuck on (e.g. eye, nose, and mouth)

It is easy to show that features such as the eyes and mouth of a person do not appear in
shadows. Make a shadow by placing the simple card silhouette on the overhead pro-
jector and get the children to observe the shadow. When you place the card with features
on the projector, there should be no discernible difference in the shadow created.

Pupil activity 12.12

How can we change how shadows look?

Learning objective: Explore and talk about shadows and how we can
change them.
Resources required: torches, different objects

Let the children experiment with making simple shadows using a torch and a range of
materials (this section is expanded later on). Ask them to see if they can change the
size of the shadow, or change the shape of the shadow, by moving the torch to a
different position. Both the shape and size of a shadow offer possibilities for an
investigation.

Pupil investigation skills 12.13

How can we change the size of a shadow?

Learning objective: Understand how and why a shadow can be of different

sizes.
Resources required: torch, small opaque object, screen, ruler, white card
for screen

First, set up the torch, shadow-making object, and white card screen in a straight line,
as shown in Figure 12.5.
 LIGHT 297

Figure 12.5 Investigation of changes in shadow size

When setting up their experiment, the children need to decide to change only one
thing, while keeping the other things exactly the same. Pupils should keep the light
source and screen fixed in the same positions and only move the object that makes the
shadow. This idea of changing only one variable (or factor) is fundamental to science.
The variable in this case is the distance between the light source and the object. Have
them measure the distance between the torch and the object each time they change it.
The pupils need to make a second measurement of the height of the shadow each
time they change the distance. Can they work out the relationship between the size of
the shadow and what they are doing? Pupils may find it difficult to know what to move
and what to keep the same – some may want to move the screen and some may want
to move the source. Some may wrongly try moving more than one thing at a time.
Many pupils will be able to correctly describe what happens as they move the object
to change the shadow size, but will find it difficult to explain the relationship between
moving the object and the size of the shadow that forms on the screen.

Pupil investigation skills 12.14

Do all materials block light?

Learning objective: Explore different transparent and non-transparent

materials.
Resources required: torches, good selection of fabrics and objects:
transparent, opaque, translucent (milk carton, greaseproof paper, tracing
paper), and coloured transparent acetates. (For more suggestions see
Table 12.1)
298 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Table 12.1 Objects and materials for light investigations

Transparent Opaque Translucent

coloured and colourless drinks food cartons (card) tracing paper (paper)
bottles (plastic)
magazine (paper) greaseproof paper (paper)
CD case (coloured plastic)
lolly stick (wood) thin paper tissue (paper)
sandwich bag (polythene)
stick of chalk (chalk) plastic milk bottle (plastic)
cling film (polythene)
spoon (metal)
stone (rock)

Ask the children to sort the materials into groups that will or will not let light
through based on their predictions before they test them. Children should be able to
come up with their own ways of testing the materials, ensuring that they set up a fair
test each time.
As adults, we know that materials can be classed as transparent, translucent, and
opaque. Starting with the idea of transparent and opaque, children can make predic-
tions about which materials will fall into different categories. They should be able to
test a material in the following three ways:

• Can you see through it?

• Can you shine a light through it?
• Does it make a dark shadow?

They may be able to come up with the following:

• An opaque material blocks light so that we can’t see through it, can’t shine a light
through it, and it makes a very dark shadow.
• A transparent material allows light through it, we can see through it, and it makes
a very faint (or pale) shadow.
• A translucent material allows only some light through; you can’t see anything
through it except bright light sources, and it makes a fairly dark shadow.

Common misconception
‘If it’s got colour it can’t be transparent’
Children often think that transparent things have no colour, such as ‘clear’ glass.
They can be confused with a coloured acetate sheet, because colourful things
are often opaque. By looking through a coloured acetate or green wine bottle,
shining a light through it, and reading text from a book through it, they should
be able to reach the correct conclusions.
 LIGHT 299

How we see things

From previous work, children should be familiar with the idea of light travelling in
straight lines from a light source (see Teacher demonstration 12.8). We only see
things when light enters our eye. This may be easy to state, but it is hard to demon-
strate and although many children may nod with agreement at the statement, when
questioned more closely they are less clear and they tend to hang on to their
misconceptions.

Common misconception
‘Light comes out of the eye when we see’
Many children believe that the light comes out of their eyes when they see
things. Our language does not help as we say ‘I saw you the other day’, which
sounds like an active process, rather than ‘light reflected off you and entered my
eye, the other day’. This can encourage children to think that in doing the seeing
they are being active, but it is really a very passive process.

Pupil discussion 12.15

How do we see things?

Learning objective: That light must enter our eye for us to see.

You might discuss with the children what it would be like if light really did come
out of their eyes. For one thing, the pupils of their eyes would be bright white and glow
like a torch bulb, not be black. When they looked at a wall, there would be two bright
spots on it from their glowing pupils! The reason the pupil of the eye is black is Structure and
because light goes in and does not come out. If the children look into an empty camera function of the
eyes
film can, it is dark because light goes in and does not come back out again. It is like the
eye’s pupil, or a dark cave.
300 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Teacher demonstration 12.16

Light travelling into our eyes

Learning objective: Learn that light travels in straight lines.

Resources required: metre rulers or garden canes, triangles of card

Take some metre rulers or garden canes and stick card triangles on one end of each to
make long thin arrows. These will be ‘light beams’. Ask the pupils to hold them so that
they point away from a light source heading in different directions. Have one beam
physically travelling across the room and going into a teddy or doll’s eye. If you use a
pupil as the person that sees the light beam, don’t forget safety goggles for them!
These ‘pretend light beams’ are also great for showing how light cannot go
through an opaque object and also for demonstrating reflection. Have the light beams
leave the light source, travel across the room, hit a book, bounce off, and go into the
teddy’s eye, saying ‘at the moment the light enters his eye, he sees the book’. Such a
concrete, active demonstration reinforces the fact for older children, who should be
asked to draw diagrams of beams to represent how we see, how shadows are formed,
and how reflection occurs.
Concrete demonstrations of pupils doing the following with the light beams will
help their understanding:

• seeing light sources – light goes straight from the source to their eyes;
• seeing objects – light travels from a light source, reflects off an object, and goes
into their eyes;
• seeing objects that are behind you – holding a mirror in front of a pupil, ask them
how could they see an object behind them, without turning their head.

Ask them to act out these scenarios in front of the class (remember to use safety
goggles for the person ‘seeing the beam’ or stop the beams getting too close to the
children’s eyes!).

Reflection
Light is reflected off all surfaces. Smooth and shiny surfaces tend to reflect light at the
same angle, so that we may see an image in them. Rough surfaces will reflect light, but
they tend to disperse and scatter the light beams in different directions, so no clear
image is formed. What we call ‘reflectors’ tend to be materials with shiny, smooth
surfaces.
 LIGHT 301

Pupil investigation skills 12.17

Which surfaces make the best reflectors?

Learning objective: Study surfaces to find the one that is most reflective.
Resources required: good torches, darkened classroom, small white card
screen, light meter (optional), range of flat fabrics/materials that are
rough, smooth, shiny, and dull

This simple investigation can reveal some surprising results for children. They will
know that mirrors are good reflectors, but other materials and fabrics can be surpris-
ingly good too. There are distinct material properties at play here, most significant of
which are how shiny is the surface (or how dull) and how smooth is the surface (or
how rough). Ask the children to look at and feel the fabrics and materials. Which do
they think will make the best reflectors, and which the worst? They may immediately
know to look for their reflection in the best ones, but how could we test ones that don’t
show our reflection to see how good they are?
A simple set-up (see Figure 12.6) using a white card screen will allow a qualitative
measurement (bright, very bright, dim, etc.) to be done. Using a light meter will allow

Figure 12.6 Investigation of the reflective properties of materials

302 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

a quantitative measure of reflection and children can draw a graph. The light meter
can be a hand-held device or one linked to a computer for data logging.
Working in pairs or threes, hold the mirror at an angle to the small white card
screen, touching at one end to form the top apex of an imaginary triangle. When the
torch beam is shone at the mirror, it can be seen on the small white screen.

Replace the mirror with the different fabrics. How much light do they reflect –
some, none, a lot? Is there any colour reflection on the white screen? Children should
understand that two characteristics of materials that influence light reflection are shiny
or dull and smooth or rough. They should be able to rank the materials in order of
‘reflectivity’.

Pupil activity 12.18

What’s the difference between a shadow and a reflection?

Learning objective: Tell the difference between a shadow and a reflection.

Resources required: metre rulers or garden canes, triangles of card

Shadow and reflection can be modelled easily in teacher demonstrations using the
large metre ruler or garden cane ‘light beams’. We have outlined some scenarios above
for how light travels and how we see things. When the light bounces (reflects) off an
object, ask the children where the shadow will appear. It should always be directly
behind the object. The problem is that a shadow cannot always be seen behind an
object, because light from another light source could be illuminating the area that
should be dark! In classroom settings, the many ceiling lights shoot light out in all
different directions. Sunlight through the windows also cuts down the number of
shadows. Ask the pupils to draw two labelled diagrams, one showing how reflection
works and the other showing how shadows form.

Common misconception
‘Is it a shadow or a reflection?’
This was discussed earlier, but after doing work on reflection and shadow-
making, children should see that the two are very different processes. A shadow
is made when light is blocked by an opaque object, the shadow appearing
behind the object, in line with the light source. Reflection occurs when a light
beam is reflected (bounced) off an object and changes its direction. Even older
primary pupils muddle these two concepts up.
 LIGHT 303

Summary of key learning points:

• light sources are objects that emit light;

• light travels in a straight line from its source;

• when light hits a material, it is reflected off the material;

• smooth shiny materials reflect light beams off at the same angle and direc-
tion allowing a clear image to be seen in them, a so-called ‘clear reflection’;

• rough materials reflect light beams but disperse them in different direc-
tions and at different angles and so no clear image can be seen in them, a
so-called ‘diffuse reflection’;

• we see light when it is reflected off an object and then enters our eye;

• shadows form when light cannot pass through an object;

• materials can be classed as transparent, translucent or opaque depend-

ing on how much light they let through;

• white light is made up of the colours of the rainbow and can be separated
with a prism or by raindrops;

• coloured objects tend to reflect the colour of light that can be seen, for
example red objects absorb all the colours of white light except red, and
reflect back red light.

Self-test
Question 1
A shadow made using a torch and a stick figure can be made larger by (a) moving the
light source towards the stick figure, (b) moving the stick figure towards the light
source, (c) moving the stick figure towards the shadow, (d) moving the light source
away from the stick figure

Question 2
Examples of light sources are (a) the Moon, (b) stars, (c) glow worms, (d) sparkler
fireworks

Question 3
Properties of light include (a) that it travels in a straight line only, (b) that light beams
spread out from a light source when they travel, (c) that it can pass through trans-
parent objects with only a small percentage of beams being reflected, (d) that it
travels much faster than sound
304 ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SCIENCE

Question 4
The best reflectors of light that allow the clearest images to be seen are (a) rough
and dull, (b) smooth and dull, (c) shiny and smooth, (d) colourful and shiny

Self-test answers
Q1: (a) and (b) are correct. Anything that shortens the distance between an object
making a shadow and the light source will make the shadow larger. This is because
as light spreads out from its source, it makes a cone shape. The closer the stick
figure is to the light source, the more of the cone of light it can block and hence the
larger the shadow it can make.
Q2: (b), (c), and (d) are correct. The stars are the same type of thing as our Sun,
burning gas and emitting a lot of light. They appear feeble to us as they are so far
away. Glow worms use chemical reactions to make light. Sparklers are burning
chemicals that emit light. The Moon appears very bright because it is able to reflect
a lot of light from the Sun. This reflected light makes a moonlit night surprisingly
bright, but without the Sun the Moon would be completely dark.
Q3: All the answers are correct.
Q4: Only (c) is correct. The rougher a surface is, the more it disperses the reflected
light in different directions at different angles. Hence a smooth shiny surface is the
best reflector.

Misconceptions
‘Shiny things are light sources’
‘But we can see in the dark, can’t we?’
‘Do shadows have faces? Are they connected to us?’
‘If it’s got colour then it can’t be transparent’
‘Light comes out of the eye when we see’
‘Is it a shadow or a reflection?’
Appendix 1: Paper Sun, Earth and Moon model
or orrery
Appendix 2: Simple 3D orrery that can be
made by pupils

The 3D orrery requires dowelling to be glued upright into the centre of two wooden
discs (see diagram). A further wooden disc with a pre-drilled centre hole is then
dropped down onto one of the glued discs. This second disc must turn freely as this is
the base for the Sun. A lolly stick or wood strip is then glued to the free-moving disc
and at the other end to the other (Earth) disc and dowel. You can now add suitable
balls or spheres of Plasticine to represent the Sun and Earth. The Earth should now
orbit the Sun. The last feature to add is the Moon, held in place by a stiff wire coiled
around the Earth support dowel and shaped to place the Moon in position. The
Moon should, as long as the wire is not too tight, move so that it orbits the Earth.
Appendix 3: My science development diary

My Science Understanding

Date Target Action taken/date completed

My Science Teaching

Date Target Action taken/date completed

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Index

absorbtion artery 58
of light in eye 62 asexual reproduction 26, 93–4
of nutrients in gut 66 assessment 5–7, 13–14
and heating of atmosphere 117 atmosphere 113–17
by materials 144–5 atoms 132–6, 157, 245–6, 250–1
of sound 268 auditory nerve 61, 267
of light 286 axis
acid rain 116, 126 of planets and moons 218, 219
adaptation 17, 19, 52–3, 119–20, 123 ways to teach about 227, 229, 235–6, 239
addiction 87
adolescence 53 backbone 55, 84–5
air bacteria 59, 65
plant requires 29–30, 38, 47 ways to teach about 78, 129, 182
animal requires 52, 59–60, baking 167
and sound 266–8, 274, 276–7, 280–1 baking powder 169
and pollution 116 balance 61, 267
as a mixture 135 balanced
in soils 174, 184 diet 68, 76, 84
upthrust 211 forces 190–1
ways to teach about 154–6 battery 247–50, 252
air resistance 188, 190, 208–9 ways to teach about 254–6, 258–9
alcohol 87–8 bedrock 175
algae 18, 112 bicarbonate of soda136, 153
alveoli 60 biceps 55
amino acid 66 biosphere 111
amplitude 267–9 blood 58–61
amp 247, 249 ways to teach about 81–2, 84–5
amphibian 72 blood vessels 58, 60–1
animal 51–3, 69 ways to teach about 82
ways to teach about 71–90 bloodstream 60–1, 63–4, 66
animal cell 53 boiling 136
anther 24 ways to teach about 160, 162
aorta 58 bone 55, 56, 61
312 INDEX

bread 66, 128 variation and diversity 94, 96

breathing 59–61 ways to teach about 99–107
bud 31 comet 224, 226–7
bulb, electrical 249–52, 284, 287 compound 134–5
ways to teach about 256–9 compression
in plants 26 in sound waves 61, 268
burning ways to teach about 278
ways to teach about 168 concept map 5, 14
buzzer 248–51 condensation 30, 135–6
ways to teach about 256–9 ways to teach about 157, 161–2
conductors, electrical 247, 250–1
capillaries 58 ways to teach about 261–3
carbohydrate 66 conductors, thermal 150
carnivore 79 ways to teach about 148–50, 152
cartoons 14, 34 conjunctiva 62
cellulose 22, 67 constructivism 5, 7
carbon cycle 114–16 consumer 125
Carl Sagan 15 crystals 173, 174, 176, 178
cement 65 current 245–52
cell
blood 58–9 DART (directed activity related to text) 19
human reproduction 94 day and night 217–19
in plants 21–2, 24 ways to teach about 229–30
in animals 53–4 decay, dental 65
respiration 61 of plant and animals174, 175
electrical 248–9 decibel 276, 80
ways to teach about 254–5 dental hygiene 65
central nervous system (CNS) 63 ways to teach about 78–9
changing state 135–6 dentine 65
ways to teach about 156 deoxygenated 58
charge, electric 132–3, 245–7 ways to teach about 82
chest cavity 60 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) 94–5
chemical changes 136, 167 deposition, of water vapour135
chlorophyll 17, 20, 21 of sediment 174
chromosome 94 diagram 5, 8, 14
circuit diaphragm 60
and blood 57 diet 67–8
electrical 247–52 ways to teach about 76, 80
ways to teach 256–63 digestive system 65–7
clay dispersal, of seeds 25
in soil 48, 174, 182 displace, water 190
in pencil lead 262–3 dissolving 136
climate change 2, 114, 117 ways to teach about 163–4
clone 26, 94 drag, frictional force 198
cochlea 61, 267–8 drugs 68
colour ways to teach about 76–7, 87–8
of blood 58–9
in plants 41 ear 61, 267–8
of rocks 176–8 ways to teach about 271–2, 279–81
and vision 286, 298, 302 ear canal 267–8
 INDEX 313

eardrum 267 exercise 69

Earth ways to teach about 75, 82–4, 88–9
as biosphere 111, 113–17 extinction 95
and gravity 189–90, 212–13 eye 61, 62, 68
in space 11, 217–24
ways to teach about 36, 225–42, 289, fair test 36, 45, 73, 89, 129, 145, 146, 150,
305–6 159, 160, 165, 180, 181, 184, 206, 207,
echo 268 279, 289, 298
ways to teach about 278 fabrics
eclipse 221 ways to teach about 141, 149, 279, 301–2
ecosystem 111, 129 fat 66, 67
explanation 3, 8, 9, 10 fertilization 24, 54, 94
effectors 63–4 ways to teach about 43
eliciting 5, 6, 14, 34 filtering 135
electrical conductor 250–1 ways to teach about 163–5, 167
ways to teach about 261–3 fish 66, 67
electrical insulator 246–7 floating in air 188
ways to teach about 261 ways to teach about 154, 156
electricity 132–3, 245–52 floating in water 190–1
ways to teach about 254–63 ways to teach about 210–11
electron 132–4, 245–8, 250–1 flower 14, 17–20, 23–5
elements 134 ways to teach about 30–1, 33, 35, 38–43,
elicitation 5, 14 101, 107
enamel 65 foetus 54
ways to teach about 78 food chain and pyramids 111–13
endocrine 64 ways to teach about 124–5, 128
energy food web 112
animals requirements 53, 66, 112 forces
ways to teach about 124–5 different types 187–92
plants requirements 19–20, 25 ways to teach about 194–213
ways to teach about 36, 46 see also air resistance, balanced, friction,
and respiration 19, 61, 66 gravity, magnetism, upthrust
and particle theory 135 fossil fuels 117
ways to teach about 157 freezing 135–6
electrical energy 248–51 ways to teach about 146, 157, 158
ways to teach about 254–8 frequency, of sound waves 267, 268, 269
sound energy 266–9 ways to teach about 274
ways to teach about 275 friction 188
light energy 287 ways to teach about 198, 205–8
enzymes 65 fruit 33, 66, 7
equinox 223 fuel 115
erosion 181 fungi 18, 63, 111
eustachian tube 267
evaporation galaxy 217, 224, 227
in water cycle 114, 162 gases 132–6
changes of state 135 and air resistance 188
ways to teach about 159–62 and upthrust 211
Every Child Matters 51 in breathing 59, 61
evolution 95, 108 in the environment 115, 116, 117
excretion 19, 52, 67 in space 218, 224
314 INDEX

ways to teach about 154–7, 161, 167 inner ear 61, 267
gaseous exchange 59 insulation
genes 94, 95, 96 of body 66
genetic material 22, 24, 54, 93, 94 of sound 279
genetics 26, 93, 94, 95, 96 thermal 6, 149
ways to teach about – see variation and electrical 261–3
diversity invertebrate 52, 111, 112
germination 16, 24–6 ways to teach about 71, 74, 99, 119, 120,
ways to teach about 36, 45 121, 124
glands 53, 63, 64 involuntary 64
global warming 110, 114, 115 iris 62
ways to teach about 126, 127 irreversible changes 136
pollen 24 ways to teach about 167
glucose 20, 22, 61, 66
graph 83, 86 joints, in skeleton 54, 55, 85
gravity 20, 189, 190
questions about 10 keys, for classification 105–7
ways to teach about 197, 212, 213 kinetic energy 250
greenhouse effect 116, 117
growth language 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13
in plants 19, 25, larynx 267
in animals 52, 53, 64–6, 69 leaf litter 77, 119, 120, 175
ways to teach about 29, 32, 36, 45–8, 77, learning 1–15
86, 90 leaves 16, 17, 19–22
gum, dental 65 ways to teach about 29, 30, 32, 33, 38, 45,
gum disease 78 105, 123
lens, hand 31
habitat 53, 111, 112 of the eye 62
hardness lichen 18, 112
of rocks 173, 174 life cycle 16, 24, 53, 54
ways to teach about 141, 143, 146, 148, ways to teach about 77, 86
150, 151, 153, 180, 181 light source 284, 285
health 12, 16, 21, 51, 53, 54, 61, 65, 66, 67–9 ways to teach about 288–90, 300
ways to teach about 46–8, 74–6, 80, 86–90 liquids 132, 135, 156
healthy eating 67, 68 ways to teach about 149, 153, 157, 169
heart 53, 56, 57–8, 60, 64, 69 literacy 3, 4, 7, 8, 12
ways to teach about 81–4 loam 174
heart beat 83 loud 267, 268
humus 175 ways to teach about 273, 275, 276, 280
hydrogen 132, 134, 135 lungs 57, 58, 59–61, 67
ways to teach about 81
ice 135, 224
ways to teach about 147, 148, 158 magma 173
ICT 10, 31, 41, 46, 78, 106, 120, 150 magnetic 137, 138, 166, 191–2
identical twins 54, 94 ways to teach about 203–5
igneous rocks 173, 174 mains electricity 247
inherited 94, 95 mammal 111
ways to teach about 102 manufactured material 142
infra-red radiation 117 mass 189
insect 21, 24, 52, 54, 73 mastication 65
 INDEX 315

materials 2, 14, 28 National Curriculum 1, 2, 44, 77, 224, 238,

and sound 62 250, 259
as particles 132 natural selection 53, 93, 95
elements 134 nervous system 63
molecules 134 neutron 132–4
compounds 135 Newtons 150, 212
mixtures 135 ways to teach about 189, 198
properties of141 nitrogen 134
solids, liquids and gases 135 a plant requirement 20
reversible and irreversible changes 136 cycles 115
natural 142 in acid rain116
ways to teach about 139–70 in air 135, 154
medium nucleus
sound travelling 268 in living cells 22, 24
melting 12, 136, 137, 138 part of an atom 132, 146
ways to teach about 146–9, 156, 157 numeracy 3, 4, 12
menstrual 54, 64 nutrition 19, 64
metacognition 7, 13
metals 247 observation 9, 12
metamorphic rock 174 oesophagus 65
metamorphosis 53 oestrogen 64
meteorite 223, 227 offspring 77, 94, 95, 108
micro-organisms 128, 174 opaque 140, 284, 285, 287
microscope 31, 32 ways to teach about 297–8
middle ear 267 optic nerve 62
minerals, in human diet 66 orbit
required for plant growth 20 electrons in 132, 246
mirror 285, 286 the Moon in 189, 219
misconceptions 2, 3, 5, 10–12 planet Earth in 217–18, 222
mixtures 135 other planets in 218
air as a 154 comets in 222
soil as a 174 asteroids in 223
white light as a 285 ways to teach about 226–9, 233, 235, 239,
ways to teach about 163, 165, 167 306
mnemonic organisms
Mrs Nerg 19 plants as 17, 18, 52
naming planets 241 animals as 52
order of colours 285 variation of 93
modified material 142 evolution of 94
molecules 134–6 ways to teach about 99
in air 62, 268, 281 orrery 229, 239, 305
Moon diary 237 outer ear 267
Moon 189, 190, 217, 218 oval window 61
eclipses 221 ovule 24
affects 221 ovum 94
gravity 189 oxygen
phases of 219, 220 in respiration 19, 61
ways of teaching about 226–9, in photosynthesis 20
235–41 transport in body 58
mutations 95 cycle 115
316 INDEX

atom 133 pulse 82, 83

an element 134 pupil 62
ways to teach about 81, 83, 154, 169 pushing and pulling 187–90
oxygenated 58 pyramid of numbers 113
ozone depletion 116
questions 3–6, 8–10, 14, 31
parachute 9, 188, 190, 209
parallel circuits 252 radiation 68, 116, 117, 287
ways to teach about 259 rainbow, colours of 285
parasitic 17, 21, 53 receptors 63
particle theory 135, 136, 156 rectum 67
pedagogy 4 reflection
pedagogical content knowledge 11 of sound 268
pelvis 84, 85 of light 284–6
permanent changes 136 refract 62
photographs 33, 40 reptiles 52
time-lapse 41 respiration 19, 20, 61, 62, 66, 111
photosynthesis 17, 18–22, 37, 111 ways to teach about 32, 36
pinna 267 response 63
pitch, of sound 266, 268, 269 ways to teach about 45, 89
ways to teach about 274, 276, 277 reversible changes 136
planet rib cage 60
as a biosphere 111 roots 20, 26
Earth orbits the Sun 217, 218 ways to teach about 30, 32, 33, 36–8, 121,
ways to teach about 226, 228, 238–41 123, 184
planets 218 rust 169
plant kingdom 16–18
ways to teach about 40, 41 safety 3, 129, 209, 225, 254, 300
plants and the law 17, 104 saliva 65
plasma 59 saturated 67, 84, 164
platelets 59 scattering, of light 285, 287
pollen 24 sclera 62
pollution 113, 116, 117 scratch resistant 151
population seasons 217, 222
variation within a 93, 94, 95, 108 ways to teach about 233, 234
practical work 12, 13 sedimentary rock 173, 174
predator 52, 111, 113 seeds 20, 24–6
ways to teach about 124–6 selection, natural 53, 93, 95
prediction 8 semi circular canals 267
prey 113 senses 6, 61–4
ways to teach about 125, 126 ways to teach about 73, 74, 89
prism 285 sepal 23
producer 111, 112 series circuit 247, 252
ways to teach about 124, 125 sex education 54, 69,
proton 132–4 ways to teach about 77, 87
puberty 64 sexual reproduction 24, 53, 54, 93, 94
pulmonary circuit 57 shadows 221, 232, 234, 285
pulp sieving 165
of the tooth 65 simulations 5, 6, 11
wood 143 sinking 210
 INDEX 317

skeleton 54, 55, 115 synovial fluid 56

ways to teach about 84 systemic circuit 57
smoking 61, 87, 88, 89
snow 114, 135 taste buds 63
soil 11, 20, 21 teacher confidence 11
ways to teach about 29, 30, 36, 45, 48 teaching methods 2, 7, 11, 14, 15
Solar System 217, 218, 223, 224 teeth 64
ways to teach about 227, 238, 240 tendons 56
solids 135, 136 testosterone 64
ways to teach about 146, 153–7, 163, tooth decay 65
165–9 translucent 287, 297
sound travels in 281 transparent 62, 140, 286
sound waves 61, 62, 268, 281 ways to teach about 297
ways to teach about 275, 278 triceps 55
species 17, 19, 24, 26
spectrum, of light 285, 286 universe 3, 224
speed of sound 268 ways to teach about 226
sperm 54, 64, 94 upthrust 188–91
spin
of planets 218 valves, in heart 57, 58
of Moon 219 variables 7, 48
of Earth 222 vein
ways to teach about 235, 238 in mammals 58
springs 188, 199, 200 leaf 22
stamen 24 ventricle 58
ways to teach about 42, 43 vertebrate 52
star 217, 224 vibration
static in hearing 61, 267
friction 188 ways to teach about 271, 274, 276, 279, 280
electricity 246 views of science 4
steam 135, 136, 162 vitamin 21, 52, 66
stem 17, 19, 22 vocal chords 267
ways to teach about 30, 32, 38, 39. 41 voltage 249–51
stigma 19, 24 volume of sound 268
ways to teach about 43 voluntary 64
stomach 65, 66
subliming 135 waning 220
Sun 11, 217, 218, 224, 226, 228 water 134
conditions for life 20, 52, 111 condition for life 19, 20
energy from 112, 162, 284–7 ways to teach about 29, 30, 32, 39, 45, 45,
gravity of 189 74, 119, 120
in Solar System 217–19 in digestion 66
and eclipses 221 in the environment 111, 113, 114
and seasons 222 phases of 135, 136
ways to teach about 225–35, 239, 240, 295 ways to teach about 157, 159–161
sunlight 285, 286 water cycle 113, 114, 162
harmful effects of 68, 116 water resistance 189
ways to teach about 295, 302 ways to teach about 209
switches, electrical 248 water vapour 116
ways to teach about 260 waterproof material 144, 145
318 INDEX

waxing 220 woodlice 52

weathering 173 wire 247–52
white blood cells 59 making a spring 199
 Essential
Es s e n t i a l What you
need to know

Essential Primary Science

Primary ●

a r y
Great ways to

Science P r i m teach science

●
In line with QTS
standards
Contains over 200 activities ready for you to
try out in your classroom!
S c i e n c e
If you are teaching or learning to teach primary science, this is the toolkit to support
you! Not only does it cover the essential knowledge and understanding that you
need to know, it also offers over 200 great ideas for teaching primary science – so no
more late nights thinking up creative new ways to teach key concepts!
In addition, this book offers you practical guiding principles which you can apply to
every lesson. There are tips on how to ensure each lesson includes both practical and
investigative elements and suggestions on how to make your lessons engaging,
memorable and inclusive.
Each chapter is organized around the following structure:
● What science do you need to know and understand?
● What science do your pupils need to learn?
● What is the best way to teach these topics in the primary classroom
at KS1 and KS2?
Sample pupil activities are also included and there is coverage of how to deal with
common misconceptions within every chapter.
Written in a friendly style, the authors draw on their own teaching experience and
understanding of the National Curriculum and QTS standards to provide an essential

Cross & Bowden

guide to teaching primary science.

Alan Cross is Senior Fellow in the School of Education, University of Manchester, UK.
Adrian Bowden (Travelling Science Limited) delivers science shows to primary aged
pupils throughout North West England.

Cover design Hybert Design • www.hybertdesign.com

www.openup.co.uk
Alan Cross & Adrian Bowden