Courses - Key Stage 2 - Science
Good Science work is characterised by being active and practical. It should involve investigating, exploring and problem-solving. The WES Science course emphasises the importance of working systematically and logically as well as encouraging creative ways of looking at problems. It contains a balance between acquiring scientific knowledge and understanding and using the appropriate processes and skills. Children are encouraged to observe, classify, measure, communicate and investigate to an increasing degree. We encourage children to 'think scientifically', by looking for common underlying patterns, controlling variables and solving problems which involve the application of scientific knowledge at their level.
In Key Stages 1 and 2 a core Science course is used, supplemented with a variety of information books. The core scientific themes listed below are explored through a variety of topics based on everyday activities and familiar situations.
Experimental and Investigative Science
- establish links between cause and effect
- test ideas using evidence
- manipulate variables, replicate experiments where necessary
- consider sources of information
- nutrition, circulation in humans and other animals
- movement - the skeleton, muscles
- growth and nutrition in plants
- reproduction in plants and animals
- identify and classify plants and animals
- how animals and plants adapt to environment
- food chains
- micro organisms
- insulators and conductors
- rocks and soils
- differences between solids, liquids and gases
- changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated or cooled
- dissolving, melting, boiling, condensing, freezing, evaporating
- burning materials
- separating mixtures - sieving, filtering, evaporating
- electricity - circuits, representing circuits by drawings and symbols
- forces and motion - attraction and repulsion, magnets, friction, measuring forces
- light and sound - shadows, reflection, vibrations
- the Earth and beyond - Sun, Earth and Moon, day and night