Science Year 5
Biology: Animals, including humans
Discuss why living things need to reproduce & look in detail at human life
cycle, comparing with other animals. Study physical & emotional changes at
puberty. Challenge chn to look after a Flour Baby. Research rites of passage
throughout human life cycle.
Descriptions of Sessions
Session A
Life cycles
Session B
Babies
Session C
Growth
Session D
Puberty - physical
Session E
Puberty - emotional
Session F
Pregnancy
Session G
Flour babies
Session H
Life choices
Use riddle of Sphinx & Shakespeare’s All the World’s a Stage as starting
points to discuss life cycle of humans. Recap on life cycles of plants/animals.
Set ground rules & start reading Flour Babies. Chn draw graphs of gestation
periods & life spans.
Encourage chn to think about their development since they were babies.
Compare milestones reached with those of other animal babies that
develop quickly into adults. Set a baby photo challenge. Chn draw timelines
of their lives so far.
Look at the proportions of a human adult as shown by da Vinci’s Vitruvian
Man. Investigate the shape changes between a baby and an adult human,
concentrating on the head to body length ratio. Measure & draw graphs.
Sketch children & adults in proportion.
Look at the physical changes that take place during puberty. Some are seen
easily, e.g. growing taller & broader, hair around genitals & under arms, etc.
Also discuss menstruation & wet dreams & rites of passage in different
cultures on reaching puberty.
Look at the emotional changes in puberty. Use drama to act out typical
scenarios involving parents & teenagers; look at the different viewpoints &
discuss how compromise can ease situations. Look at the meaning of
friendships & where help can be found.
Changes at puberty prepare our bodies to have chn of our own. Look in
more details at human fertilisation & pregnancy & learn how important it is
for mother-to-be to look after her health. Look at baby growth in utero &
explain function of umbilical cord.
Explain to chn that they are going to be challenged to look after a Flour
Baby for a week as in Anne Fine’s book. Set up ground rules & name their
Flour Babies. Discuss how names are chosen & the meaning & significance
of both first names & family names.
Discuss relationships found in our society & marriage rites. Talk about
contraceptives, but also explain that they can help protect against STI/Ds.
Use drama to practise saying no to peer pressure for smoking, alcohol or
drugs. Chn add hopes to timeline.
© Hamilton Trust 2013 Y5 - Science
Science Strands UKS2
Year 5
Living things and their habitats Biology
Animals, including humans Biology
Properties and changes of materials
Chemistry
Earth and space Physics
Forces Physics
© Hamilton Trust 2013 Y5 - Science
Year 6
Living things and their habitats Biology
Animals, including humans Biology
Evolution and inheritance Biology
Light Physics
Electricity Physics
Hamilton Trust
Science Year 5
Biology Strand
Animals, including humans
© Hamilton Trust 2013 Y5 - Science