Science for Primary School Teachers

How to use this book
Acknowledgements

Section 1 - Learning and teaching science: the investigative process

1.How children learn about science
2. Planning for teaching and learning: the process of scientific enquiry
3. Finding help with teaching and learning in science on the internet

Section 2 - Subject knowledge for primary school teachers

Key concepts in science 2: Life processes and living things

4.Life processes
5.Humans and other animals
6.Green plants
7.Variation and classification
8.Living things and their environment

Key concepts in science 3: Materials and their properties

9.Grouping and classifying materials
10.Changing materials
11.Separating mixtures

Key Concepts in Science 4: Physical processes

12.Electricity
13.Forces and motion
14.Light and sound
15.The Earth and beyond

Glossary
Useful websites
Bibliography
Index

• What do I need to know about science to teach children in primary school?
• How can I make my science teaching successful?
• How do children learn to investigate scientifically?
• What are the dos and don’ts of science teaching?

Written to support teachers who need to boost their science knowledge, this book covers science knowledge in sufficient breadth and depth to enable you to teach science effectively up to the end of Key Stage 2, as well as the core teaching and learning issues involved in the investigative process.

Whether you are a student or a fully qualified teacher, the book is designed to help you find what you need quickly. The introduction provides a guide to how to use the book, including a table which cross references the subject knowledge against the National Curriculum, the QCA Scheme of Work and Primary Science Topics. This enables you to use the book in different ways, depending on your individual requirements.

To ensure that teachers will be able to teach and respond to questions appropriately, the authors take science knowledge beyond what is required for Key Stage 2. This is important, as it helps to avoid over-simplifying concepts which can then cause misconceptions at Key Stage 3 and beyond. It also helps to broaden and develop the primary teacher’s own knowledge.

Science for Primary School Teachers is a core text for teachers in training, and in professional development into the induction year and beyond.