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Developing Language in Primary Science/Document: Difference between revisions
From OER in Education
Developing Language in Primary Science/Document (view source)
Revision as of 16:30, 9 January 2013
, 13 years ago→Activities which develop children’s use of language in science
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As they develop their understanding of the nature and effects of forces, children have opportunities to talk about their own and listen to others’ experiences. They are encouraged to use the words ‘push’, ‘pull’ and ‘force’ correctly, to find specific information and to write simple description of events. | As they develop their understanding of the nature and effects of forces, children have opportunities to talk about their own and listen to others’ experiences. They are encouraged to use the words ‘push’, ‘pull’ and ‘force’ correctly, to find specific information and to write simple description of events. | ||
The teacher of a Year 2 class devised this topic to introduce | The teacher of a Year 2 class devised this topic to introduce children to basic ideas about forces and motion. She started by using a large picture of a fairground. She encouraged them to relate their own experience of fairground rides to this picture and asked them to think of words or phrases to describe the movement of the objects and each of the people shown. ‘Turning’, ‘swinging’ and ‘slowing down’ were some of the suggestions made by the children and the teacher responded by asking each child whether the object or person was getting faster, slowing down or changing direction. This led to consideration of the direction of the movement of the items, and the teacher introduced the words ‘push’, ‘pull’ and ‘force’. Children were encouraged to use them in their contributions to the discussion. They then looked through books to find and then drew pictures of people moving. Underneath each drawing they wrote which sort of force, either a ‘push’ or ‘pull’ was being applied. | ||
In the next activity the teacher used an inflated balloon and a piece of modelling clay. She asked the children to think about and describe what would happen to each when it hit the floor after being dropped from her hand. This prompted the discussion of the change in shape of the modelling clay and the balloon, as well as the changes of speed and direction of both objects, Lastly, the children worked in pairs, describing to each other what forces they use when they undertake everyday activities such as going shopping or cleaning their teeth. | In the next activity the teacher used an inflated balloon and a piece of modelling clay. She asked the children to think about and describe what would happen to each when it hit the floor after being dropped from her hand. This prompted the discussion of the change in shape of the modelling clay and the balloon, as well as the changes of speed and direction of both objects, Lastly, the children worked in pairs, describing to each other what forces they use when they undertake everyday activities such as going shopping or cleaning their teeth. | ||
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'''Materials''' | '''Materials''' | ||
As they develop their understanding of the properties of materials, | As they develop their understanding of the properties of materials, children listen to and record information from a television programme. They also write up the results of tests using specialist vocabulary and discuss predictions and suggestions with their classmates. | ||
The teacher of a mixed Year 5/6 class introduced this topic by looking at a bicycle belonging to one of the girls in the class. | The teacher of a mixed Year 5/6 class introduced this topic by looking at a bicycle belonging to one of the girls in the class. They had to name the different materials they could see and suggest why that particular material had been used for that part of the bicycle, e.g. why rubber is used for the tyres. The class then watched a television programme which described the properties of the materials that are used in the construction of houses. From this, the children were asked to record the reason why each material was used for its particular purpose. A range of objects made from different materials, including aluminium foil, wool, tissue paper, iron nails and plastic bubble wrap, was provided by the teacher and each group had to devise a fair test to find out how well each material kept water hot and if each conducted electricity. Each group was asked to decide which apparatus to use, make careful observations and to present their results in an appropriate form, e.g. table, bar chart or line graph. The teacher introduced the terms ‘thermal insulator’ and ‘electrical conductor’ and the children completed a brief description of what they had done by sorting the materials according to these two properties. Lastly, they were given written description of five further materials, e.g. hardboard and glass which they discussed and for which they suggested possible uses. | ||
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Long-term planning with language development in mind == | ==Long-term planning with language development in mind == | ||
In your policies and long-term planning, it is important to ensure that you are developing children’s use of language and enhancing their work in science through the on-going process of reviewing, planning and evaluating your curriculum. | In your policies and long-term planning, it is important to ensure that you are developing children’s use of language and enhancing their work in science through the on-going process of reviewing, planning and evaluating your curriculum. | ||
