Calderbrook Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 4RB
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Science

Statement of Intent Science

At Christ the King, we aim to inspire awe and wonder of the natural world and natural phenomena. Children will learn to recognise these scientific phenomena in their everyday experiences, and to appreciate how science will impact their future on a personal, national and global level.

Science Policy 

Progression in Scientific Knowledge and Understanding

Progression in Scientific Skills

Year 4 Summer 1: Electricity 

This half-term, we had great fun completing lots of practical activities. Here is a list of our coverage:

  • We continued our work on electricity: 

    • Constructed more circuits including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers.
    • Recognised that a switch opens and closes a circuit and associated this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple series circuit.
    • Recognised some common conductors and insulators, and associated metals with being good conductors.

Year 1 Autumn Seasonal Changes

Throughout the year, Year 1 pupils will be taught to:

  • Observe changes across the four seasons
  • Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Year 1 Seasonal changes spring 2023

Seasonal changes throughout the year

Year 1 Autumn - Materials

This half term Year 1 have distinguished between an object and the material from which it is made. They have identified and named a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, rock. The children have described the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials. They have also compared and grouped together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties. Finally they carried out a fair test based on the properties needed to make a tent.

Year 1 Spring 1 - Animals Including Humans

In Science, Year 1

  • identified, named, drew and labelled the basic parts of the human body.
  • said which parts of the body is associated with each sense.

Year 1 Spring 2 and Summer 1 - Animals Including Humans continued

In Science Year 1:

  •     Identified and named a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
  •     Identified and named a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
Year 1 science - animal categories

Year 1 Summer 2 - Plants

In Science Year 1:

This half term the children identified and named a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees. They also identified and described the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Year 1 summer 2 plants

Autumn One Year 2 -  Materials 

In Autumn One, we studied materials. We were able to

  • identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses and find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching. 
  • Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses
  • Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching

Spring One and Spring Two - Living things and their Habitats

This term the children have been taught to:

  • Explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive.
  • Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other.
  • Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including micro-habitats.
  • Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.
  • Different kinds of plants and animals live in different kinds of places.
  • There are different kinds of habitat near school which need to be cared for less familiar examples)
  • Habitats provide the preferred conditions for the animals/plants that live there (compare local habitats and less familiar examples).

Spring 1 Year 3

 Our topic this half term was 'Skeletons'. In addition to relating the structure of a skeleton to its function we also looked at the different types of skeletons and how animals can be be classified according to their skeleton. In particular, we learned:

  • How humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.
  • That vertebrates have a skeleton including a backbone which supports their body, aids movement, and protects vital organs
  • That animals without internal skeletons/backbones are called invertebrates and they have adapted ways to support themselves, move and protect their vital organs.
  • There are similarities and differences in the skeletons of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles
  • How muscles are attached to the skeleton and help animals move parts of their body
  • That humans grow bigger as they reach maturity, and this is evident in their body proportions and skeleton growth

Autumn 1 Year 4

Our topic was â€˜States of Matter’. Here is a list of things that we did/learned:

  • Observed that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled
  • Identified the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associated the rate of evaporation with temperature
  • Learned that evaporation happens when water is heated/warmed and changed into a gas.
  • Learned that condensation happens when water vapour in the air turns into a visible liquid.
  • Learned that evaporation and condensation are changes that can be reversed

Autumn 2 Year 4

Our topic was â€˜Teeth and the Digestive System’. Here is a list of things that we did/learned:

Described the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans.

Identified the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions.

Compared the teeth of carnivores and herbivores.

Described how teeth and gums have to be cared for in order to keep them healthy.

 

We particularly enjoyed the messy activity where we discovered how the digestive system works!!

 

Year 4 Spring 1

This half-term, we had great fun completing lots of practical activities. Here is a list of our coverage:

  • Identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating.
  • Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear.
  • Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it.
  • Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.
  • Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it.
  • Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear.

Year 5:

Spring 2:  Light, Astronomy, Seasonal Change.

Within the last part of the Spring Term, we looked at the workings of our Solar System and how this is evident within our lives. We looked at the orbits of the Earth and how this creates seasonal change and how this differs around the world. We also looked at the phases of the Moon, sunrise and sunset times around the world and produced non-chronological reports on a range of scientific topics related to our unit.

Light, Astronomy and Seasonal Change

Year 6 Autumn 2: Light

This half term, we have studied light and how this form of energy is vital to our existence. We have learnt:

  • that light travels from a light source in straight lines called rays
  • that there are primary and secondary light sources and the moon is a secondary source
  • that light is vital to life
  • how light enables us to see
  • how shadows are formed and why different objects produce different shadows
  • to use independent, dependent and controlled variables in an investigation
  • to recognise and draw conclusions from patterns in results

Year 6  Autumn 1 : The circulatory system.

We studied the human circulatory system and its vital role in transporting oxygen, nutrients and hormones round the body. We have learnt:

  • the functions of different parts of the circulatory system
  • the role of different types of blood cells
  • how exercise affects pulse rate
  • how we use different types of variables when carrying out a scientific investigation
  • how we can present our results in different ways including bar charts and line graphs

We were also lucky enough to have a science lesson with Mr Mahmood, a science teacher from Blessed Trinity RCC.