We Are Scientists

Autumn Science Bulletin

Rationale

A high-quality science education at Kents Hill Junior School provides pupils with the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Aim

The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:

Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.
Are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Our Main Priorities

To improve the teaching and learning of Science within school, including using outside areas to boost children’s engagement and curiosity within the subject. We are currently using a broad range of resources available to fully extend the children’s knowledge and understanding through the use of the Science lab. As well as this we also seek to involve children in Science within the community, this could be by taking children on educational visit or bringing in visitors to school which will support their learning.
To improve the attainment of pupils within school. We are committed to developing the amount of children that have a clear and well-developed understanding within the different topics of science as well as the working scientifically statements. This involves allowing children to access higher level questioning and experiments which will challenge children’s knowledge and understanding.
To develop the use of scientific enquiry across the school. By using the displayed scientific skills in each classroom as well as in the science lab to refer back to during lessons. By doing this, children will be able to get a better understanding of how to use their skills within their own scientific enquiry in lessons. Within each topic, teachers will ensure that lessons allow children to access each scientific skill which links to that lesson and make sure the children are aware of the skill that they are focusing on during that specific lesson.

Our new Science Lab

This year, we have been extremely lucky to have opened our new science lab. The room is packed full of wonderful resources and equipment allowing children to complete exciting and interesting investigations linked to their topics. We also have a set of lab coats which allow the children to feel like real scientists. They have more freedom in the way they choose to complete their investigations allowing them to take more control of their learning. The children have been enjoying using the new resources and developing their working scientifically skills.

Try this at home…

Look at the image below. Time how long it takes for someone in your family to read all the words. Then time the same person to say all the colours the words are written in. What do you notice? This investigation is called the Stroop Effect.

Want to find out why this happens? Click on the link below and find out. https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html#seffect