Science...linking the classroom with the real world

One of my longest-standing memories of teaching was taking a class of children from South London into rural Surrey. Like all school-trips, the mood was high and the children were excitedly observing the world outside of the coach windows. Not long into our journey, we passed a field of farm animals, happily minding their own business. Now, whilst there are some wonderful city farms in London (Kentish Town and Spitalfields I can very much recommend), cows are not something we are used to seeing every day, so I fully appreciated the shrieks of joy. But when a handful of children weren’t able to identify these beautiful creatures, it made me think. 

Of course we can’t attribute everything to our teaching resources, there’s no doubt a combination of factors that can result in the above. But a quick scan of the resources available made me realise why some children might be finding things more difficult. Much of our science curriculum focuses on animals, yet the images we are presenting to children are quite often cartoons. Yes, they look aesthetically pleasing, but are they accurate portrayals? 

When I was given the role of researching and designing a new science scheme, I had one main objective in mind: I wanted children to confidently recognise science in everyday life. That’s why our products predominantly use photographs, and why our investigations link to real-life scenarios. Children can investigate reflective materials, yes, but by asking children to design a reflective product, we are making the learning much more meaningful. 

Which brings me on to the next focus: science careers. It’s quite staggering how many professions use scientific knowledge and skills, and with more and more young adults opting to study STEM-related subjects, it’s never been more important to equip them with what they need. Each and every one of our lessons links to a career. We want children to understand why what they are learning is so important, and what they can aspire to should they want to. Our ‘How Do We Look After Our Teeth?’ lesson covers a day in the life of an orthodontist, ‘How Does the Weather Change?’ investigates the role of a meteorologist… you get the idea. 

But that’s not all. I missed the important part. We did a lot of listening. We listened to you, the educators, and what you needed. It was evident that some teachers lacked confidence when teaching science, and it’s no wonder, really - whether it’s having the required subject knowledge to teach those more abstract areas, the lack of time in the timetable, or the ability to teach an investigation with no teaching assistant. This is why we got to work on providing clearly structured lessons, assessment opportunities (more on that soon), subject knowledge in the notes to avoid those awkward ‘ooooh, good question’ moments, and investigations that don’t require excess shopping trips. And the listening doesn’t stop; whilst we embedded lesson tasks within our PowerPoints, we realise that doesn’t work for all, that’s why we’re adding worksheets where we feel they may be helpful. We’re also updating lessons where needed. 

Of course, I could write all day about what we’ve done… displays, concept cartoons, science at home… but we really hope you’ll take a look for yourself. And any questions? We’re always here to help. 

To find out more about our science resources – visit our scheme page and select science. Your Resource Dashboard