Plants and the outdoors may be something of a mystery to a generation of children who are reportedly spending more and more time indoors; this has the potential to inhibit real understanding of many complex biological processes. Taking children outdoors introduces them to a world from which they are becoming increasingly distant. However, a…

As plants and seed dispersal are common themes in primary science, the author thought that she would share an enquiry challenge activity that addresses many of the "working scientifically" objectives of the National Curriculum for England. Year 3 and 4 children had a whole afternoon made up firstly of "playing", planning and…

In this article, Claas Wegner, Phillip Weber, and Stephanie Ohlberger share how they have been teaching about variation and staple food crops in the teaching unit they tested with 8- to 10-year-old children. They started by showing some products made from crop plants and asking the class to carry out a simple comparison of similarities and…

Throughout the United Kingdom's (UK's) primary science curriculum, there are numerous opportunities for teachers to use the farming industry as a rich and engaging real-world context for science learning. Teachers can focus on the animals and plants on the farm as subjects for children to learn about life processes. They can turn attention…

As well as providing a valuable and enjoyable experience for pupils, outdoor learning also enhances and contextualises learning in science by helping pupils understand science concepts. Teachers' lack of confidence in which aspects of the science curriculum they can actually teach outdoors deters them from venturing outside the classroom for…

Bluebells in the woods and by the roadside in May are a colourful reminder that spring has arrived and summer is on the way. This is an ideal time to make the most of the outdoor classroom and enthuse children, with the opportunities for new learning experiences and observing the outdoors, finding answers to questions such as "Are all…