Outcome

• Identify similarities and differences between living things in order to determine their classification

Outcome

• To explore ways of distinguishing between organisms that have similar characteristics.

Outcome

• To be able to classify plants according to their characteristics.

Outcome

• To explore what micro-organisms are and how they can be grouped

Outcome

• To investigate if all living organisms need water, air and food.

End of unit assessment

Outcome

• I can explain the process of evolution by natural selection.
• Children learn about the process of evolution by natural selection.
• They learn that offspring inherit traits of their parents, and that they might occasionally carry a random mutation which gives them a survival advantage and that they pass on to their own offspring.
• They learn that this process can change a population over time.

Outcome

• Examine how the fossil record helps us understand evolutionary relationships.
• Children learn what fossils are and how they are formed.
• They learn how palaeontologists build up a picture of the past using incomplete evidence, most organisms die without leaving a fossil trace.
• They learn about stratigraphy, and that organisms found in lower layers of rock tend to have died earlier.
• Children use a diagram showing a simplified cross-section of rock to date 3 different organisms, working out when they appeared, when they died out, and how long they lived for.
• Children compare the organisms to each other and discuss which lived most recently.
• Using fossil evidence, children make their best guess at how the animal may have looked when alive, showing this in a diagram.

Outcome

• Research and present evolutionary information on a specific animal.

Outcome

• Explain how some animals are adapted to their environment
• Children learn that over time, the process of natural selection can cause a range of beneficial traits (adaptations) to build up in a population.
• They look at the polar bear, barn owl and penguin, identify three useful adaptations, and explain the survival advantage that they provide.

Outcome

• To understand how some plants are adapted to their environment.
• Children learn that all organisms possess adaptations, not just animals.
• Children examine 3 plants – the dandelion, cactus, and Venus fly trap – and identify 3 adaptations for each.

End of unit assessment

Outcome

• To explore the structure and function of the human heart.
• Investigate, explain and recreate heart rates for different levels of exertion.
• Children learn that the human heart is a vital organ.
• They learn how blood flows through its double pumps system to the lungs and all around the body, supplying oxygen and removing waste products.
• They create their own 8-part explanation text, showing how blood is pumped around the body.
• How does a healthy heart work? from www.bhf.org.uk
• The heart and how it works from www.bbc.co.uk
• Animation of heartbeat from https://en.wikipedia.org
• Animation and 3D echocardiogram of heartbeat from https://en.wikipedia.org
• Heartbeat, Science Museum of Minnesota from www.smm.org
• Interactive heart from www.pbs.org

Outcome

• To identify the components of blood, describe their functions, and note the different blood groups
• Children learn about the different components of blood.
• They learn that red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight infection, platelets help to prevent bleeding, and that plasma is the medium in which these components are suspended.
• Children describe the functions of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma, and can create a pie chart showing the percentage of each component by volume in a typical sample of blood.
• What’s in your blood? from www.bbc.co.uk
• Painting techniques for effect from www.bbc.co.uk

Outcome

• To identify those aspects of a diet that are healthy and unhealthy and the impact diet can have on the body, using scientific evidence.
• Children learn that our bodies are constantly using energy, and that we get all of our energy from food.
• They learn that we can store excess food energy in our bodies in the form of fat deposits to help us in times of starvation.
• Children look at 6 different people profiles.
• They calculate whether each person is eating the right amount of food, and suggest ways in which they can improve their lifestyles.
• What should I be eating and drinking? from www.bbc.co.uk
• Be Food Smart TV advertisement from www.YouTube.com
• Change4Life TV advertisement from www.YouTube.com
• Change4life advertisements from www.YouTube.com
• Physical activity guidelines from www.nhs.uk

Outcome

• To research the preferred forms of exercise in our class
• Children learn about the many benefits of physical exercise, and identify some aerobic exercises.
• Children carry out a survey, identifying the most popular forms of exercise in their class or school.
• They record their results in a tally chart, displaying their results in a horizontal bar chart.
• They identify the most popular forms of exercise and suggest ways in which they can be promoted in school.

Outcome

• To identify how drugs impact on the way the human body functions.
• Understand that certain drugs can be used for positive effect in the form of medicine
• The effects of drinking alcohol from www.bbc.co.uk
• Teenage pressures: alcohol & cigarettes from www.bbc.co.uk
• Drugs booklet, Hertfordshire Grid for Learning from www.thegrid.org.uk
• Online quiz reinforcing ideas about medicines, legal and illegal drugs from www.educationquizzes.com

Outcome

• To examine the impact of e lifestyle choices on the human body.
• Children learn that smoking involves inhaling tobacco smoke which contains the active ingredient, nicotine.
• They learn about the many health issues associated with smoking, such as cancer, heart damage, lung damage, and reproductive damage.
• They learn about other negative effects such as the unpleasant smell, high cost, and effects on the skin.
• Children carry out a survey, using a tally chart to find out the worst side effect of smoking.
• They transfer their results to a bar chart and place the negative effects in order of concern.
• Children learn about the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks (alcohol or ethanol), and that the strength of a beverage can be measured as the percentage alcohol by volume (% ABV).
• They learn about the short and long-term effects of alcohol consumption

British Science Week

• https://www.britishscienceweek.org/app/uploads/2022/01/BSA_BSW_pack_primary_full_1121v16.pdf

Outcome

• To investigate the effect of changing the number and voltage of cells in an electrical circuit.
• Children learn that electrical cells produce a flow of electrons (current) through the reaction of 2 chemicals inside them.
• They learn that one measure of the power of a cell is voltage (V) and that connecting cells in series adds their voltages together.
• Children investigate the effect of changing the number of cells in a circuit.
• They create the circuits shown in the illustrations, attempt to draw the circuit diagrams, and explain what they observed.
• They attempt to place the circuits in order of brightness and explain why.

Outcome

• To investigate the effect of changing the number of bulbs and the voltage of cells in an electrical circuit.
• Children look at various circuit diagrams.
• They predict how bright the bulbs will be in each circuit and place them in order of brightness.
• Using simple apparatus, they construct the circuits shown in the diagrams and test their predictions.
• They try to explain what they observed

Outcome

• To predict whether an electrical circuit will function and suggest ways of improving it.
• Children look at 5 different defective circuit illustrations.
• They explain why each circuit will not work.
• They change each circuit so that it will work, showing this in a circuit diagram.
• They test their improvements with simple apparatus.

Outcome

• Use symbols to draw an accurate circuit diagram, explaining how electrical components in their design work to the desired effect
• Children will draw a circuit diagram with a summary of the brightness, volume and speed of components within it
• They must annotate their circuit diagram with explanations of the role of resistance in making components work and should be able to feedback on other’s designs and also use feedback to improve their own design.

Outcome

• I can create an electrical burglar alarm and explain how it works.
• Children construct their own burglar alarm.
• They construct their own switch using clothes peg and a card insulator which is attached to the area being surveilled.
• Children draw a circuit diagram for their burglar alarm and explain how it works.

End of unit assessment

Outcome

• To make a periscope and explain how it works.
• Children learn that a periscope is a device made from 2 angled mirrors that enables the user to see around obstacles.
• Children construct their own simple periscope. They attempt to explain how it works.
• https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/clips/ztcg9j6 – Reflective materials;
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/physical_processes/how_we_see_things/play/ – BBC Bitesize: How we see things game;
• http://www.makingyourown.co.uk/make-your-own-periscope-kaleidoscope.html – Make your own periscope or kaleidoscope.

Outcome

• To use our knowledge of reflection to place mirrors to make light follow a path.
• Children learn that light travels in straight lines and can be made to follow a path by placing mirrors in its path.
• Children use a simple grid and position mirrors at 45° angles to make light travel through a maze.
• They solve 12 increasingly difficult problems, and use a blank sheet to create their own.

Outcome

• To be able to describe how we see different colours using scientific terminology.
• Exploration – How can we see different colours?
• Why does a post box look red and a leaf looks green?
• What would happen if we shone a red light onto a green patch?
• This is an opportunity for children to find out that white light is actually made up of lots of different colours. Place the mirror in the glass of water at an angle so that it is leaning against the side of the glass. Put this on the windowsill and turn the glass so that the mirror is directly facing the Sun. Hold the mirror at a slant in front of the glass. Move the paper around until you see the rainbow colours.
• Alternatively pass a beam of light (torch with card cover on with a small slip made in) into prism, move around on white paper until it splits the light. You may need to move the paper around until the colours come into full focus.
• Explain to children that ‘light’ is made up of lots of different colour of light. Some surfaces absorb some of the colours but not others. It is the combination of the reflected ones that we see.

Outcome

• To understand how we see light sources and non-light sources.
• Children learn that we see light sources because they create light which travels in a straight line into our eyes.
• They learn that we can see non-light sources because light from light sources reflects (bounces) off them into our eyes.
• Children use a selection of images to build their own diagram showing how we see light sources and non-light sources.

Outcome

• To independently plan and carry out an investigation into shadow size and position of a light source.
• Shadow investigation: ensure each group has a set of shadow puppets and the distances from the light source the suspect would have been on all three occasions that they were spotted (see resource). Clarify that something connected to the ground will meet its shadow (with a person, at their feet) so we know the person was right by the feet of the shadow as well as how far they were from the light source.
• Ask children to come up with a specific enquiry question, ensuring it is specific and can be investigated, e.g. how long is the shadow cast from a given object at specific distances from the light source? Children to workfully independently and record in their own table from which they can create a line graph.
• See if HA children can predict the length of all the suspect’s shadows from the first set of readings (if they work out the percentage increase of the shadow size from the size of the person, they should be able to predict this fairly accurately. Offer a ‘margin of error’ of 10cm.

End of unit assessment