Developing Progression in Primary Science/Document
From OER in Education
Reception
Considering the learning outcomes appropriate for this age range, the children should, within appropriate activities:
- get used to saying what might make a difference,
- be encouraged to say what they think will happen,
- be encouraged to express what happened.
Years 1 & 2
Considering the learning outcomes appropriate for this age range, the children should, within appropriate activities:
- have the chance to think about simple variables that might affect results and have opportunities to consider what is meant by ‘best’,
- see how simple questions are constructed, the answers to which they will then attempt to find through practical work,
- be able to consider the fairness of tests they are helped to set up,
- have opportunities to predict, using previous knowledge from home and school where appropriate,
- have the opportunity to record some results in class or group tables and get the chance to produce their own tables and bar charts,
- be able to draw simple conclusions from results and be able to link cause and effect using simple scientific ideas
Years 3 & 4
Considering the learning outcomes appropriate for this age range, the children should, within appropriate activities:
- have the opportunity to consider the variables that might affect results and decide which are worth/not worth considering,
- be able to express clearly what they mean by ‘best’,
- get the chance to say why other things should be kept the same when one variable is changing and be able to consider the fairness of tests they set up, based on previous planning discussions,
- get the chance to construct simple questions, the answers to which they hope to find through practical work,
- have opportunities to predict, using previous science knowledge where appropriate and be able to link predictions to simple hypotheses,
- have the opportunity to produce their own tables and bar charts and get the chance to use other appropriate graph formats,
- be able to draw a simple conclusion from results and be able to link cause and effect using simple scientific ideas and be able to recognise simple trends or patterns in results.
Years 3 & 4
Considering the learning outcomes appropriate for this age range, the children should, within appropriate activities:
- have the chance to consider the full range of testable variables that might affect results and be able to express why some possible variables would make no difference to results,
- have the opportunity to express which variables should be controlled within an experiment and articulate why,
- gain experience in articulating testable questions,
- have the opportunity in planning to consider how results will be recorded and how many results will be recorded and over what range,
- have the opportunity in planning to consider how many trials are needed,
- have the chance to produce a range of graphs from results, including line graphs from continuous variables,
- be able to express conclusions that fit the results and answer the original question and be able to use conclusions to support hypotheses based on scientific ideas,
Indicators of Level 1 and 2ness
Question
| Did the child understand the question to be investigated? | 1 |
| Did the child use a variety of senses to observe and compare objects, living things or events? | 1 |
| Was the child able to communicate what he/she found out? | 1 |
| Did the child contribute some ideas on how to carry out the investigation? | 2 |
| Did the child make the observations and related measurements? | 2 |
| Could the child describe what happened and use simple tables to present results? | 2 |
Indicators of Level 3ness
| Could the child recognise when a comparison is unfair? | 3 |
| Can the child plan a fair test with some help? | 3 |
| Could the child make a simple prediction of what results might be obtained? | 3 |
| Could the child suggest how an idea might be tested? | 3 |
| Can the child make observations and related measurements? | 3 |
| Can the child make simple, reasoned explanations for what they observe and measure? | 3 |
Indicators of Level 4ness
| Did the child recognise the need for a fair test? | 4 |
| Can the child set up an investigation by varying one condition and keeping the others the same? | 4 |
| Can the child select appropriate apparatus and equipment to use? | 4 |
| Can the child present data obtained in the form of tables, bar charts, or line graphs (if appropriate)? | 4 |
| Can the child identify patterns and draw conclusions from the data obtained? | 4 |
| Can the child relate his/her conclusions to the pattern of results obtained and to their simple scientific knowledge and understanding? | 4 |
Indicators of Level 5ness
| Can the child use his/her scientific knowledge to devise and explain the use of fair tests in the context of what is being investigated? | 5 |
| Can the child use a range of simple apparatus and measure with the required accuracy? | 5 |
| Has the child recorded observations and measurements systematically and presented them as graphs where appropriate? | 5 |
| Can the child comment on whether the results would be obtained if the same methods were used to repeat the investigation (i.e. reliability of results)? | 5 |
| Can the child draw conclusions which relate his/her scientific knowledge and understanding to the experimental results obtained? | 5 |
