E-Book Overview
Providing an up-to-date discussion of the many aspects of teaching primary science, this best-selling book contains a strong focus on constructivist learning and the role of social interaction in learning. Emphasising the use of process skills to develop children’s understanding through enquiry, the book also promotes the importance of fostering motivation for learning through enjoyment and giving children some control of their activities. Other features include: using assessment to help learning the nature of progression in understanding, skills and attitudes creativity in learning science and what this means in practice the development of children's thinking skills. Updated to include cross-curricular links and all the recent developments in ICT, this book is essential reading for all trainee and practising primary school teachers.
E-Book Content
The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools Fourth Edition i Related titles of interest Progression in Primary Science Holllins & Whitby (1-85346-748-0) Science and ICT in Primary Education Meadows (1-84312-120-4) Active Assessment Naylor & Keogh (1-84312-145-X) Using Science to Develop Thinking Skills at Key Stage 1 De Boo (1-84312-150-6) ii The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools Fourth Edition Wynne Harlen and Anne Qualter iii David Fulton Publishers Ltd The Chiswick Centre, 414 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5TF www.fultonpublishers.co.uk First published in Great Britain in 2004 by David Fulton Publishers 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Note: The right of Wynne Harlen and Anne Qualter to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. David Fulton Publishers is a division of Granada Learning Limited, part of ITV plc. Copyright © Wynne Harlen and Anne Qualter 2004 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 84312 132 8 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Typeset by FiSH Books, London Printed and bound in Italy iv Brief Contents 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Primary science in action 3 Children’s own ideas 14 Teachers’ and children’s questions 23 Talking, listening and using words 37 Experiences that promote learning in science 2 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 17. 18. Assessment Practical work and using ICT The role and organisation of practical activities Equipment, safety and visits 208 The role of ICT 217 5 22. 23. 24. 25. Learning and teaching for understanding Assessment: what, how and why 121 Using assessment to help learning in science 132 Finding out children’s ideas 140 Finding out children’s process skills and attitudes 151 Using information for formative assessment: deciding and communicating next steps 165 Involving children in assessing their work 174 Summing up achievement 183 4 19. 20. 21. 48 The goals of learning science 61 A framework for learning in science 72 Creative learning and creative teaching 82 Ways of helping the development of ideas 91 Ways of helping the development of process skills 100 Ways of helping the development of attitudes 110 3 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Getting started 195 Planning and managing primary science Planning a school programme 233 Planning at the class level 246 Recording and reporting 257 The science subject leader 269 v Contents Acknowledgements Introduction x 1 1. ix Getting started Primary science in acti