What does citizenship mean to a 6-year-old? To a 10-year-old? What does it mean to you? Is it merely about looking after other people? Would you agree that keeping a hamster in a cage in a primary classroom is cruel? How does a subject leader for science persuade colleagues that the non-statutory guidance for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 (ages 5-11) can be met through primary science? If, as the National Curriculum for England requires, "pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the set curriculum", what contexts could be used with the different age groups? Can older children consider issues such as cloning and global warming? These questions and similar ones were debated by final-year students studying for BA (Honours) Qualified Teacher Status at Edge Hill College of Higher Education. They arose as part of a citizenship unit within a module that aims to enable students to understand the place of the specialist subject within the primary curriculum, and to consider the role of the subject leader/coordinator in the primary school with reference to the standards for subject leaders. In this article, the author explains how her student teachers learn about opportunities for developing citizenship education through science.