There are numerous benefits from using puppets in the classroom. There is evidence to suggest that puppets have a positive impact in motivating children and promoting language development. In this article, the authors explore the use of puppets to teach food science and nutrition. (Contains 2 figures.)

In this digital age, is primary science being left behind? Computer microscopes provide opportunities to transform science lessons into highly exciting learning experiences and to shift enquiry and discovery back into the hands of the children. A class of 5- and 6-year-olds was just one group of children involved in the Digitally Resourced…

Theory and practice are an odd couple. There is little doubt that theory deserves a place within today's primary classrooms. Pring (2004) suggests that theory is perceived as having come adrift from common sense. It is easy to see how, swept along in the daily pressures of the job, busy classroom teachers may question the relevance of seemingly…

The principle of mixed-age play was first encountered in "Golden Key" schools in Moscow, where the schools were originally set up and organised (and continue to be so) in accordance with the work of Vygotsky. Vygotsky said that children can learn through imitation, or "emulation" as it has come to be known. Children observe…

In this article, the author describes how Cornwall was once the world's leading producer of tin. Cornwall's industrial past is now a World Heritage Site alongside the Grand Canyon or the Great Wall of China. A hint is in the Cornish flag, a simple white cross against a black background, also known as Saint Piran's flag. At Geevor Tin Mine, one of…

Science and design and technology (D&T) are often linked, either formally in the curriculum or by making connections in and between lessons. There has been much debate about how this linking serves the needs of the two subjects and what, in practice, the actual relationship is, as the current English National Curriculum (DfEE, 1999) identifies…

The Association For Science Education's "schoolscience.co.uk Great Bug Hunt 2011," in association with Martin Rapley and Gatekeeper Educational, has been a resounding success--not only because it fits into the science curriculum so neatly, but also because of the passion it evoked in the children who took part. This year's entries were…

In 2008-9 the Centre for Early Scientific Learning (CRESL) at Bath Spa University worked with 10 primary schools in Bath and South Gloucestershire on the "Eco-monitoring at key stage 2" project, funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust (AZSTT). As part of the project, the authors are writing a continuing professional development (CPD) unit…

Children's perceptions of industry often remain unclear, incorrect, or shrouded in misconception. A high proportion of children continue to describe industry using "negative" adjectives including dark, noisy, dirty, and smoky. In this article, the author describes a project that tackles these misconceptions by working with young…

For many children of primary school age, an engineer is the man who comes to service the central heating system or who fixes the family car when it breaks down. Most have never met a "real" professional engineer, and have no idea of what is involved in the exciting world of engineering. Most assume that engineers are men. To try to…

The late Tom Chester, in his role as the British Lichen Society churchyard coordinator, did a great deal to encourage the use of the churchyard as an educational tool. In his honour, the Society has created an award as part of its "Lichen Project". When the Society approached the Association for Science Education (ASE) for help in…

The concept of TASC (Thinking Actively in a Social Context) was created by Belle Wallace (Wallace et al., 1993) as a model that can be used to nurture and develop thinking skills. As children work through the TASC wheel, the teacher has a very good opportunity to facilitate explicit conversations about thinking. This allows the children to grow in…

Cloud software enables children to engage with their work across and within subjects, not least in science. Bradford College in the UK and the University of Aveiro in Portugal were funded by an Anglo-Portuguese research programme, "The treaty of Windsor", to look at how new web-based technologies are embedded within pre-service and…

There are lots of exciting ways for children to learn science. Going on a journey is one of them. However, when going to distant places is not possible, a virtual journey may be the next best option. Ricky, one of the authors' puppets, helps children to make virtual journeys, and this can create an exciting context for them to raise questions and…

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…