Science

Teaching and Learning and Thinking Principles in Science

 

The main principles of Gladstone Science are as follows:-

 

• Allow children to practically and independently explore their ideas and thinking
• Make Science an exciting choice
• Use investigation as a means of exploring and discussing purposeful, real life events
• Lessons must be real, relevant, engaging and fun for all pupils
• Connections are made between previous knowledge, experiences and learning
• Promote opportunities for discussion to include new vocabulary in oral and written forms
• Children record their work in the most suitable way from a variety of choices/methods
• Use the wider area-outdoors and educational visits to broaden experiences of pupils
• Promote aspirations of Scientific careers for all pupils
• Enhance links with other subject areas wherever possible

 

Below are a list of Science activities you can do at home.

 

Year 6 Science

 

Animals including humans

 

• Discuss how exercise affects their bodies-plan to do some exercises together to see what happens
• Learn how to find your pulse
• Count heartbeats when resting, then during and after exercise
• Find out what the major organs of the body do
• Make a healthy meal menu that cuts down on snacks and sugary foods and drinks

 

Evolution and inheritance

• Discuss how your pets have inherited features from their parents
• Visit the library to find books about evolution and adaptation
• Research how different animals and plants are adapted to suit their environments
• Create a poster for an animal of your choice labelling all its adaptations
• See a natural selection simulation online in the Evolution Lab
• Compare photos of family members to find out if any looks have been inheritedLiving things and their habitats-micro organisms

• Visit the library to find books about evolution and adaptation
• Research how different animals and plants are adapted to suit their environments
• Create a poster for an animal of your choice labelling all its adaptations
• See a natural selection simulation online in the Evolution Lab

 

Year 5 Science

 

Light

• Visit the library with your child and search for books about light
• Go on a shadow walk; look for shadows and discuss the shapes created
• Use chalk to draw around your shadows outside
• Discuss and find different light sources around the house
• Add oil to water in a container to see rainbow colours in them
• Make shadow puppets and discuss how to make the shadows bigger and smaller
• Discuss not looking in the Sun directly and how eyes can be damaged by light
• Make a pin-hole camera-search online for instructions Forces

• Ride a see-saw and discuss how to balance equal weights
• Make a pulley system with some string and a tree branch-what can you lift
• Use a lever to lift something heavy with little effort
• Make paper planes or boats and watch how they can beat gravity
• Play catch and watch what happens to the ball

 

Animals including humans

 

Living things and their habitats

 

• See if you can find the following objects around the house: liquid soap, rice, flour, some paperclips and a piece of cling film. Which one do you think is the hardest? You may need to test this by bending the objects where you can. Which ones are water soluble? Test this by putting each one in some water and seeing if it dissolves into the water: you may need to give the mixture a good shake! Which ones are transparent?  Are any of them magnetic? Test this by using a fridge magnet.
• Test how air resistance differs according to the shape, size or weight of a different object. Find various small objects (for example: a pen, a piece of kitchen paper, a small book, a sheet of tin foil and a scrunched up piece of tin foil). Stand on a chair and drop each one. Get someone to time how long it takes for each object to hit the floor. Why do you think some things take less time than others?
• Go to the library and see if you can find any books on life cycles or the solar system. Do some reading up and see if you can become an expert before you are due to learn this topic!

 

Year 4 Science

 

Earth and space

 

• Go star gazing on a clear evening
• Make a 3D model of our solar system
• Look at a globe together and discuss how the Earth spins on its axis
• Research the different planets
• Find out about famous astronauts-who were the first man and woman in space? Find out about English astronauts and what they had to do to get to space

 

Electricity

 

• Give children a pack of Post-it notes and ask them to label all the items in your home that run on electricity.
• Record all the items you use that run on electricity during a day.
• If you have a smart meter see how much electricity you can save when you turn off lefts and appliances that don’t need to be left on
• Look at an old catalogue or magazines and cut out pictures of all the items using electricity.
• Discuss what it would be like without electricity. Why not have an electricity-free evening or day and explore alternative ways to light a room, cook food or entertain yourselves?
• There are lots of brilliant electronics sets for kids that will teach your child about circuits and electricity through play.

 

Sound

 

• Use recyclable items (cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes, plastic yoghurt pots, etc) to make your own musical instruments.
• Learn to play an instrument
• Use online software to mix sounds to make digital music
• Go on a sound walk and write down or record the sounds you hear in your local environment.
• Make a sound game by recording a selection of sounds and seeing who can guess what each sound is.

 

States of Matter

 

• Melt chocolate and butter to make chocolate crispy cakes
• Make ice-cubes or ice-lollies or home-made ice-cream
• Make a cake or bake bread to observe the irreversible change
• Observe how clothes dry on the line in the sun.
• Mix bicarbonate of soda with vinegar to observe what happens
• Use sieves and filter paper (or kitchen roll) to separate solutions of sugar and water, salt and water or soil and water.

 

Living things and their habitats

 

• See if you can find the following objects around the house: liquid soap, rice, flour, some paperclips and a piece of cling film. Which one do you think is the hardest? You may need to test this by bending the objects where you can. Which ones are water soluble? Test this by putting each one in some water and seeing if it dissolves into the water: you may need to give the mixture a good shake! Which ones are transparent?  Are any of them magnetic? Test this by using a fridge magnet.
• Test how air resistance differs according to the shape, size or weight of a different object. Find various small objects (for example: a pen, a piece of kitchen paper, a small book, a sheet of tin foil and a scrunched up piece of tin foil). Stand on a chair and drop each one. Get someone to time how long it takes for each object to hit the floor. Why do you think some things take less time than others?
• Go to the library and see if you can find any books on life cycles or the solar system. Do some reading up and see if you can become an expert before you are due to learn this topic!

 

For more home challenges click the link below.