Biodiversity means the variety of life in all its forms. It includes the variety of species and ecosystems in the world, and genetic variation. Invertebrates are one of the largest and most accessible groups of animals for primary children to study. In this article, the author explains why and how children should engage with the idea of…

"Getting Practical-Improving practical work in science" is a government-funded programme intended to improve the effectiveness and affective value of practical work in school science in England. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme in terms of achieving its aims, ten primary and twenty secondary schools have been…

The Talking Science project initially involved three secondary schools and eight of their feeder primary schools in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames. The project created, trialled and evaluated a set of key stage 2/3 transition materials for children moving from primary to secondary school, using argument as a teaching and learning…

The authors explain why integrating the teaching of science and French is not as ridiculous as it may at first sound. They describe how this innovative integrated approach works in a primary school in Oxfordshire. The project involves Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). CLIL is a method whereby a curriculum subject is planned and…

Traditionally, alchemy has involved the power of transmuting base metals such as lead into gold or producing the "elixir of life" for those wealthy people who wanted to live forever. But what of today's developments? One hundred years ago, even breaking the four-minute mile would have been deemed "magic," which is what the alchemists of the past…

In this article, the author describes how a cemetery in East London provides a haven for wildlife and a gem for children to explore. Children from Woolmore School in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are visiting the cemetery on a class outing as part of a wider whole-school experience. Throughout the whole visit children are encouraged to ask…

ScienceComics project originally involved a set of theatre performances that sought to highlight the importance of materials by exploring what happens when one uses the "wrong" material. As part of this early work, two plays were created that featured a young alien girl, called Selenia, who could change materials. In this article, the…

It has been the author's experience that children are most engaged and eager to investigate, discover and learn when immersed in creativity, be it their own or that of other people. In this article, the author describes how he created a unique way to engage his class in learning about the solar system using reality television. The theme of the…

This article presents an interview between the author and two teachers, Ruth Birtles and Michelle Proctor, who are involved in "Smart Kids", an AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust (AZSTT) funded project for 2009-10 coordinated by the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University. In this interview, Proctor and Birtles discuss…

The beginning of any science activity for young learners is "play." Exploration and investigation are the building blocks of science, especially in the foundation years, and well-planned play in a safe environment will provide a structure within which children can explore fruitfully. In this article, the author provides examples of how "play" acts…

A group of third-year undergraduate student teachers used books and stories during science enquiry lessons as part of the BASICS (Books And Stories In Children's Science) project funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. This three-year project involved a cluster of five primary schools in the greater Belfast area. The aim of the project…

In this article, the author, a Forest School Leader with Shropshire Wildlife Trust, shows how nature is the best teacher. She describes a new approach to out-of-classroom learning during which qualified leaders use simple challenges and achievable tasks to encourage child-initiated learning in the great outdoors. At Forest School, children are…

In September 2010 the Wellcome Trust published a detailed report which, for the first time, gave an in-depth analysis of the learning experiences of children in England and Wales as they prepare for science assessment at the end of their primary education (key stage 2), and the children's ideas about how the experience might be improved. The…

The author believes that to truly engage children in learning, an imaginative approach with purposeful activities is very important. One way that this can be implemented is through simple "engineering projects" where science, design and technology (D&T), mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) are combined,…

Many think of intervention strategies in terms of literacy or mathematics, but the author believes such strategies are just as important in teaching science, particularly for those with English as an additional language (EAL). With the recent focus in England on inclusion, achievement for all, and the Government's personalisation agenda, it is…