An active
approach to
learning in
sciences
Simpson Primary
Contents
Getting started
Primary 1 - Night and Day
Primary 4/5 - Castles
School Science Fair
Way forward
Getting started
How to use this resource
This resource looks at the emerging practice of one school as it
moves towards implementing curriculum for excellence. It can be
used to help you to reflect on your current practice and to consider
your next steps. It can be used to consider:
• active approaches to involving the learner in the learning
process
• contexts for learning
• involving the wider community in the learning process.
Reflective questions:
• What steps have been taken in your school / establishment to
consider current practice and the next steps required for delivery
of the new curriculum?
• How is science presently delivered within your school /
establishment?
The most important goal for
science education is to
stimulate, nurture and sustain
the curiosity, wonder and
questioning of children and
young people.
Building the Curriculum 1
Primary One
Night and Day
Primary One - Night and Day
Introduction
The aim of this section is to help you to reflect on approaches to learning, in particular,
involving the learner in the planning stages.
In the primary 1 class, the class teacher chose a central theme and planned ‘big’ questions
around the key ideas she wanted the learners to explore.
The ‘big’ questions enabled the teacher to focus learning aims on the relevant areas of the
sciences experiences and outcomes and other curricular areas. By involving the learners in the
next stage of the planning the teacher was able to model and practice planning skills with
them, involving the learners in an enterprising approach to learning and teaching.
Extract from teacher’s planning
The school has been trialling planning approaches that make
space for the learner to be involved actively in their learning.
The children, in discussion with their teacher:
• identify what they already know (previous knowledge)
• formulate questions about what they would like to find out
• discuss the ways in which they will learn
• decide how they will share their learning.
This approach puts the learner at the centre of their learning by
recognising their ideas. Furthermore, this type of planning
allows the teacher the opportunity to adapt plans to the learners’
ideas and promote involvement. Eliciting the children’s initial
ideas also helped the teacher to identify any misconceptions.
“Good planning can create a climate of inquiry, so that the
questions raised by the children become catalysts for learning...”
Barnes (1989, cited in Oliver, 2006, p.44)
Planning should encourage participation
by, as well as being responsive to, the
learner, who can and should influence
and contribute to the process.
Building the Curriculum 3
This teacher used discussion to find out about the children’s
ideas. There are other methods that could be used.
Reflective question:
What other methods could be used to elicit the children’s ideas?
For more information about eliciting learners initial ideas
in science (Word file).
1
2
3
4
Extract from teacher’s plan
As well as using active learning activities where the children
were able to explore concepts like day and night and what
shadows are, the teacher also decided to explore further one
of the questions generated by the class at the planning
stages.
This question was: “How do lampposts know when to come
on?”
This question was used as a catalyst for learning. The
teacher discussed with the children what they might do to
find out an answer to their question.
The class decided to ask the local council if they could help.
The children wrote letters to the council making a natural
link to a real context and purpose for writing.
By choosing to focus on a context that was relevant to the
children’s lives the teacher was able to create meaningful
links between different subject areas.
Learning through a wide range of welldesigned activities will also offer
relevance, coherence and breadth.
Activities will often build directly on what
is familiar to the child and the local
environment and events can be used to
provide interesting, real-life contexts for
learning.
Learning in a variety of contexts
supports and reinforces the
development of numeracy, literacy and
health and wellbeing across the
curriculum.
Building the Curriculum 3
Find more help from experts (Word file)
See some investigation ideas and
activities around day and night and
shadows (Word file).
How do the lamp posts know when to come
on?
We all wrote to the
council to find out if
they could help us.
Mr Cameron from the
lighting department
came to the class to
talk to us.
Listen to audio file: Primary 1 teacher discussing the
benefits of involving an expert (Mp3 file).
And here’s what we found out!
How has our learning helped us?
Next steps
There are many ways to plan for learning and to actively
involve children in their learning. The questions below are
intended to help you to think about current practice in your
school and to consider next steps.
Reflective questions:
• In what ways can the learner be involved in the planning
stages of the learning process?
• How does your school use pupil ideas and questions as
catalysts for further learning?
• How could planning for participation allow you to create
opportunities for relevance, personalisation and choice,
challenge and enjoyment?
• In what ways could the children’s ideas be used as
starting points for involving the wider community in the
children’s education?
• How could the outdoor environment be used to engage
children in their learning, eg in the day and night topic?
Primary 4/5
Castles
Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland by Shadowgate
Attribution License.
Primary 4/5 Castles
Introduction
Many different contexts can be used for teaching
and learning in the sciences including:
• authentic challenges e.g. Keeping safe from
germs
• using science stories as a stimulus to learning,
eg The Great Plant Hunt (Kew Gardens project)
• interdisciplinary learning.
Contexts can be real or imagined and are a
powerful way of engaging learners in the learning
process.
The following pages illustrate how science was
delivered to a composite P4/5 class, through an
imaginary context of The King’s Court as part of a
project on ‘Castles’. It allows you to reflect on the
use of contexts in science.
Read contexts for learning.(Word file)
Challenge 1
Challenge 1
Dear reader,
It has come to my attention that there is an evil wizard living amongst us in
our castle. I have received a nasty scroll stating that if I do not give in to his
demands, he will destroy our castle! Therefore, I am asking you to help me
find this wizard before it is too late.
You will have received a sample of ink from the scroll he wrote, delivered to
you by my trusty owl. Each wizard in the kingdom uses his own unique
quill and ink. By carrying out an investigation, you should find out which
ink was used which will lead us to the wizard who sent the scroll!
Good luck in your quest.
Yours sincerely,
King Edward
Challenge 1
The pupils were presented with a number of challenges that
involved collaborative group work.
Challenge one involved the pupils participating in practical
activities to separate black ink into its constituent colours using
the technique of chromatography.
Link to activity: Paper towel chromatography on
PSB website.
Read more about science skills used by the class
(Word file).
The experiences and outcomes in science
provide opportunities for children and young
people to develop and practise a range of
inquiry and investigative skills, scientific
analytical thinking skills, and develop
attitudes and attributes of a scientifically
literate citizen; they also support the
development of a range of skills for life and
skills for work, including literacy, numeracy
and skills in information and
communications technology (ICT).
Curriculum for Excellence Sciences
Principles and practice
The pupils developed an understanding that some colours are
mixtures of different pigments which can be easily separated.
The use of chromatography in everyday life e.g. by the police
force, helped the pupils to relate this method to a different
context. This example also provided a link to the world of
work.
By participating in the investigative work, pupils developed the
skills of scientific inquiry and investigation through the use of
practical techniques. The children developed a range of
analytical thinking skills in order to make sense of the scientific
evidence.
Challenge 2
able to engage in self-reflection and to identify the next steps in their learning
Dear reader,
Thank you for help finding the evil wizard. You did a marvellous job and
the wizard has now been banished and the kingdom saved. I have decided to
hold a party in your honour to thank you. Everyone in the kingdom has
been invited to the castle to celebrate this joyous occasion.
As the King, I am expected to show off my wealth to the Lords and ladies who
will be attending, but I have a small problem which I hope you can help me
with. My coins look very old and I was hoping you could find a way to
make them shine again so that I will not be embarrassed.
I look forward to seeing you at the party, with my gleaming gold coins!
Yours sincerely,
King Edward
Challenge 2
In this challenge, pupils collaborated in activities
involving simple chemical reactions using everyday
chemicals to try to ‘clean’ the coins.
The copper in the coins slowly reacts with oxygen in
the air to form copper oxide changing the
appearance of the coins.
They gained an appreciation of a chemical reaction
as being a change in which a new substance is made
through examining the appearance of pure copper
metal (bright, shiny, red/orange colour) and
comparing with copper oxide (dull, green colour).
The pupils developed skills in the accurate use of
scientific language, and a growing awareness of the
need to apply safety measures during practical
work.
Challenge 3
Dear reader,
Thank you for returning my beautiful coins! It was a great display and I
am once again the most talked about King in the world!
You have been so kind in helping me with my dilemmas but I have one last
request for you. During the party, I was having so much fun that I fell over
laughing and tore my robes. I now need new robes to be made, but I only have
white fabric to make them from. Kings should wear rich colours, so your
task is to create new coloured material for my robes. There is a farm outside
the castle where you can collect your ingredients!
Good luck in this final quest but please hurry as I am very chilly!
Yours sincerely,
King Edward
Challenge 3
A discussion of how clothes were dyed in the
past led on to an investigation in which pupils
experimented with different foodstuffs in the
dyeing of fabrics.
Pupils were provided with the opportunity to
explore the properties and sources of the dyes
from foodstuffs, and to make appropriate
selections to solve this practical challenge.
A number of ‘Assessment is for Learning’
strategies were used throughout all of the
challenges to enable the learners to engage in
self-reflection and to identify the next steps in
their learning.
See more information on assessment is for learning (Word file).
Extract from child’s
investigation report on dyeing
different types of fabric using
plants materials.
Performances of understanding
This teacher used class discussion and science
reports as one way of pupils evidencing their
learning.
Other methods can be used, for example, written
or spoken explanations, annotated diagrams,
reflection diaries/notebooks, posters, graphs etc.
By taking part in class discussions, the pupils
reflected on their understanding of the concepts
they had met through the practical challenges.
The teacher brought together the learning and
encouraged the learners to use scientific language
correctly.
See the correct use of scientific vocabulary (Word file)
Dyes that are used to change the
colour of fabric can be made
from foods. Plants were the
source of many dyes many
hundreds of years ago.
Next steps
This example illustrates how the learner can benefit from learning science through a context,
either real or imagined.
Reflective questions:
• How is science presently delivered within your school or establishment?
• How can teaching science within a context improve the learners’ experiences and
understanding of scientific concepts?
• What examples of contexts, real or imagined, could be used to deliver science in an engaging
way?
• What links to the world of work and career education can be provided through using
contexts in learning?
School Science Fair
Science Fair
Introduction
This section describes a Science Fair that
was run to allow the children to share
and demonstrate their learning to their
parents/carers. It involved collaborative
working with partners, eg with SSERC.
It can be used to reflect on how similar
collaborative work could benefit your
school / establishment.
Developing the four capacities
The children were actively involved in
demonstrating, explaining and coaching during
the event.
By involving the children in an enterprising
approach to communicating their learning to
others, and through partnership working, the
children were given many opportunities to
develop the four capacities.
Visit the Enterprise in education website.
Listen to audio file: Principal Teacher discussing the Science Fair
(Mp3 file).
“Entrepreneurial learning also allows all
children and young people to develop a
range of skills through 'hands-on'
participation. They learn that being a
leader isn't just about telling others what
to do. They learn the value of teamwork,
the importance of good communication
strategies...”
Entrepreneurial Learning – Enterprise in
Education Learning and Teaching
Scotland Website
Involving Parents/Carers
At the school science fair, parents/carers were
active participants alongside their children,
learning more about their children’s class work
and joining in with the learning themselves.
Involving parents/carers in the learning process
has many benefits. Parents/carers are the
principle educators of children. By actively
involving parents/carers in the learning and
teaching process, schools forge better
partnerships between school and home.
The parents/carers were given an ‘exit ticket’ on
which they were invited to provide feedback on
the event. The comments were put on display.
The responses of the participants showed the
positive benefits this event brought to all involved
in the learning partnership.
“The active involvement of parents in
the life of the school can help promote a
learning community in which pupils can
engage positively with school staff and
their peers. Schools can benefit from
developing positive partnerships with
parents by involving them in all
decisions affecting their children’s
education and learning. “
Parents as Partners in Learning
Learning and Teaching Scotland
website
Partnership working
Partnership working is a powerful way to widen
learning experiences and forge links to the wider
community.
Partnerships were forged with a number of partners
and the cluster secondary school.
A representative from SSERC set up challenging
activities for the parents/carers and pupils to
participate in on the night.
Links were made to health and wellbeing through
the involvement of dental/oral health professionals
with the Primary 6/7 Human body activities.
The Institute of Physics and The Young Engineers
and Science Clubs provided sponsorship for the
event.
First year pupils from the local secondary school ran
activities on forensics.
View Simpson Primary science video.
Links to SSERC, IOP and The young engineers and science
clubs.
http://www.sserc.org.uk/
http://www.iop.org/
http://www.yecscotland.co.uk/
Listen to audio file: Principal teacher discussing the
involvement of other agencies (Mp3 file).
Next steps
The school science fair provided an
opportunity for pupils to communicate their
learning to a wider audience.
It also provided pupils with the opportunity
to benefit from the input of partners.
Reflective questions:
• What opportunities could your school /
establishment provide to allow pupils to
share class learning with their parents /
carers?
• How could partnership working be used
to bring benefits to the learning
process?
• Which partners could be used to
enhance the learning experience?
See HMIE document: Improving Enterprise Education (HMIE,
2008)
References
Oliver, Ann. (2006) Creative teaching in science in the early years and primary classroom.
London: David Fulton Publishers
Knight, Rupert. (2009) Primary Science. The Association for Science Education