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The Ogden Trust - Promoting the teaching and learning of physics

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The Ogden Trust aims to increase the uptake of physics post-16 by supporting physics education and engagement for all young people (4-18), particularly those in under-represented groups. The Trust supports schools, teachers, projects and programmes that are committed to enhancing physics teaching and learning.
Explore the Trust

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The Ogden Trust: supporting physics education & engagement

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The Ogden Trust supports schools, teachers, projects and programmes that are committed to enhancing physics teaching and learning: Making Physics Matter.

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My Science Club - The club with no limits!

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Fuelled by our passion for primary science, My Science Club was established in 2021 to provide high quality science club resources and support for educators.

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Welcome to Topical Science Updates, your free regular connection with what is going on in the science world presented in a child friendly way.

Topical Science Updates (TSU) are now hosted here on the My Science Club website - click here to find out more

These free updates started back in 2013 and are created by one of our My Science Club founders, Paul Tyler, in response to teachers requests to connect real world science to their classrooms.

Why not scroll down for some back issues to share with your children.

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Topical Science Updates - My Science Club

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"An excellent resource that can be used at a school level and subject teacher level. The science resources and content matrices offer clear support for moderation with a significant number of free resources over several years."

Welcome to

PLAN primary science resources support the planning and assessment of the
Science National Curriculum in England

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PLAN primary science resources support teachers in primary schools to plan and assess the science National Curriculum for England. The resources also support the moderation of assessment and include CPD materials for use by subject leaders.

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Some brilliant resources here.

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Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024
A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024

Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024
A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024

The award-winning campaign continuing to inspire 5-14 year olds to take the lead in asking, investigating and sharing scientific questions they care about with new audiences.

An inclusive, non-competitive and collaborative experience for all.

Encouraging young people to be empowered in the world around them.

PIONEERED IN MANCHESTER - MAKING A DIFFERENCE WORLD-WIDE

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Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024 A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024 Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024 A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024 Encouraging young people to be empowered in the world around them.

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Paul Tyler's Brilliant Science Newsletters

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Recently it's being impossible to avoid the issue of plastic pollution - so this month is a Plastic Special, investigating the history of plastic - the wonder material!

Looking at the current issues surrounding plastic usage and the solutions that are being developed to tackle the huge environmental issues arising.

Finally there's a shout out to the amazing Kids v Plastic and their UK wide Plastic Clever campaign - something we can all get involved in.

You can download April's Issue here:

Download all past issues here:

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Recently it's being impossible to avoid the issue of plastic pollution - so this month is a Plastic Special, investigating the history of plastic - the wonder material! Looking at the current issues surrounding plastic usage and the solutions that are being developed to tackle the huge environmental issues arising.

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dailySTEM - STEM for every student, every classroom, everyday

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STEM for every student, every classroom, everyday

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"Science In My Pocket has given me so much more confidence to do science with children."

CLICK HERE to purchase your copy of science in my pocket.

Schools have a critical role to play in supporting children's mental health and emotional well-being. Currently, an average of three children in every primary school classroom in the UK have diagnosable mental health conditions. The classroom can be a challenging place for these children and it often falls to a Teaching Assistant to supervise them and support their learning on a one-to-one or small group basis.

Science In My Pocket offers an invaluable addition to a Teaching Assistant's toolkit. The benefits of using the resource include:

children become better at self-regulating their behaviour, enabling them to return to a whole class setting more ready to learn and participate.

children's social skills improve as the resource provides a context for the child to communicate positively with their peers.

Increase in the confidence of teaching assistants to engage children in scientific discussion.

Science In My Pocket is a highly versatile resource. The carefully designed and simple activities in the pockets can be used with children from nursery up to year 6.
They can be used once or repeated multiple times; they can be used indoors and outdoors, and most involve moving around which suits the needs of many children.

What is in the box?

10 numbered drawstring cloth pockets, each containing a set of instruction cards. Each pocket is based on a particular theme

A guidebook for Teachers and Teaching Assistants

A poster to guide Teachers and Teaching Assistants with choosing a pocket

The instruction cards all include:

The BIG questions

A list of equipment and materials needed

Supporting background knowledge and notes for the Teaching Assistant/Teacher

NB The science equipment (all inexpensive everyday items and listed in the guidebook) needs to be added to the pockets before they are ready to use.

Science In My Pocket activities have also been shown to be effective for:

Speech and language development

EAL - accessing scientific vocabulary in a safe environment

Short term emotional disturbance, e.g. if a child arrives at school upset

Extension work, e.g. children might design their own pockets

Homework activity

Development of specific personal habits of mind, e.g. independence, negotiation, resilience

Developing thinking skills across the curriculum

Promoting good group work

ISBN: 978-0-9954811-3-8

Safety Notice and Disclaimer

PSTT advises teachers to refer to either the CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for children.

PSTT is not liable for the actions or activities of any reader or anyone else who uses the information in these resource pages or the associated classroom materials. PSTT assumes no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information contained in these resources. PSTT recommends that a full risk assessment is carried out before undertaking in the classroom any of the practical investigations contained in the resources.

All materials are ©Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) and are freely available to download and share for educational purposes. Whilst educators are free to adapt the resources to suit their own needs, acknowledgement of copyright on all original materials must be included. Rights to images included in the resource have been purchased for PSTT use only - as such, these images may only be used as part of this resource and may not copied into or used in other materials.

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Science In My Pocket | Primary Science Teaching Trust

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"Science In My Pocket has given me so much more confidence to do science with children." CLICK HERE to purchase your copy of science in my pocket. Schools have a critical role to play in supporting children's mental health and emotional well-being.

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*Terms and conditions: 1. This offer is valid until 02.11.2020 and applies to full priced Science items only 2. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers and is subject to availability. 3. This offer can only be used once per customer. 4. Discount is added in the basket. 5. TTS Group Limited reserve the right to change these terms & conditions on reasonable notice. 6. Offer is only open to customers based in the UK (inc. Channel Islands and Isle of Man). 7. Discounts are applied to the ex-VAT sub-total amount. 8. Offer is applicable online only.

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Terms and conditions: 1. This offer is valid until 02.11.2020 and applies to full priced Science items only 2. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers and is subject to availability. 3. This offer can only be used once per customer. 4. Discount is added in the basket.

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Primary Resources Science | Reach Out CPD

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Teach your primary science curriculum with confidence
Online CPD, developed with Imperial College London
Ideal for international curricula and mapped to the UK national curriculum

Why have we created Reach Out CPD?

by Professor Robert Winston

"If you're going to single out the most important job in our society, it has to be teaching.

Whenever I stand in front of a primary school class it's a bit terrifying because they will ask the most difficult questions about science.

It's often harder to teach an 8 year-old than an 18 year-old, but the rewards are massive because of the enthusiasm you gain. If we want a better society, we have to invest in these younger children.

Science isn't just for scientists

Primary science isn't just about nurturing the scientists of the future. It's about ensuring every child develops a natural curiosity about the world around them and starts to think analytically about situations.

Why should I eat this food or that food? Why is this product better than that? Why should I vote for this energy policy? Science is behind so many of today's decisions, let alone tomorrow's.

Helping teachers feel confident

Teachers are key to creating this science-literate society. They can inspire children to think more scientifically. Teacher confidence has been proven to impact children's outcomes in science, but, naturally, most primary school teachers don't have a science background.

That's why we have developed Reach Out CPD - to give every primary school teacher the professional development, support and materials they need to teach science with confidence. And to make it fun!

Imperial is proud to be championing this initiative."

Courses and resources to help you inspire young learners

Over 30 courses for teaching 5-11 year olds cover everything from plants to planets. Each one provides teachers with concise topic knowledge and a whole raft of resources to use in class, including captivating short videos, practical activities and experiments, whiteboard visuals and more.

Topics covered include:

Seasonal Changes
Environment and Habitats
Light and Sound
Forces and Magnets
Future of Energy
Working Scientifically

Food and Feeding
Body Systems
Plants
Planet Earth and Space
Animals and Humans
Rocks and Soils

A partnership between Tigtag and Imperial College London

Tigtag, a part of Twig Education, is an award-winning provider of captivating short films and resources for primary schools. Reach Out CPD includes a whole series of brand new films created by Tigtag to inspire teachers with imaginative classroom ideas.
Learn more about Tigtag
Imperial College London is one of the world's leading science universities. Imperial's move to support primary education is an extension of its existing outreach work, aimed at raising the aspirations of students and inspiring them to study science, technology, engineering and medicine. Through Reach Out CPD teachers will learn directly from Imperial experts about the science they need to cover in the classroom.
Learn more about Imperial College London

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Primary Resources Science | Reach Out CPD

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Primary school teachers, sign up now for free 20-minute chunks of subject knowledge and classroom resources.

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What do you think the image is and why?

What colours and textures do you see?

No right or wrong answer!

Which is the odd one out and why?

What do you think is happening?

What do you notice?

This video has no sound

Pause video

Have you ever felt a bone?

Could you walk if your bones were bendy?

What if my bones were bendy?

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What do you think the image is and why? What colours and textures do you see? No right or wrong answer! Which is the odd one out and why? What do you think is happening? What do you notice? This video has no sound Pause video Have you ever felt a bone?

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A great list of Science websites and resources

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Principles and Big Ideas of Science Education

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Discussion and conclusions about the essential understanding in science that all students should acquire during the compulsory years of school.

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https://cherylcamm.co.uk/category/music-and-science-mini-units/?v=79cba1185463

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An annual campaign spanning the whole of the UK - inspiring children to share their scientific questions with new audiences. 16th June 2020

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63,614 young people in 2019 over 100,000 young people so far - Will you be involved this year?

The annual campaign to inspire primary and secondary children to share their scientific questions with new audiences.

The Great Science Share for Schools is about children communicating something that they have been investigating which starts with a question that they are interested in. Already having reached over 100,000 young people since its launch in 2016, we are excited to invite you to be part of the collaborative 2020 campaign.

No boundaries: Pupils, teachers, parents/carers, businesses and educators UK-wide, across Europe and internationally can take part. By promoting child-centred learning in science, the campaign gives young people a great chance to communicate their scientific questions and investigations to new audiences - in their own words and ways.

Improve young people's experience of science and engineering: 3 simple values provide the foundations to all campaign activity.

child-FOCUSED science communication

inclusive and non-competitive

promotes collaboration

Pioneered in Manchester - Making a Difference UK-wide

It's simple and adaptable to suit your school or setting.

to b e inspired by children in Nepal doing the first ever Great Science Share for Schools Nepal!
The aim was to be the first UK to school to invite Antarastryia Yuvva Barsa Secondary School in Nepal to take part in GSSfS. By finding a low resource investigation, based on a natural phenomena that happens in all our countries - seed dispersal - you can see the learning they shared with other children in the remote school on a hillside thousands of miles away.
The children at the Derby High School (Bury) did what they're best at - sharing their passion for science through the creative form of video making!

With thanks to staff and students at Derby High School, Zen Educate, SEERIH and the Comino Foundation.

What now?
Step 1: Registerinvolvement now. Note: if you are attending a regionally organised event outside your school you will need to liaise with the organiser to book your place.

Step 2: Download campaign resourcesand explore the information from CLEAPSS

Step 3: Request a STEM Ambassador - a STEM professional who can connect with your school on or before 16th June 2020

Step 4: Choose a scientist or engineer from the #AskAQuestion profiles and tweet or email them a question you're curious about!

Step 5: Share the Great Science Share for Schools with one more person you know! Send a link to a friend or colleague to spread the word about this great campaign.

Remember: If you are attending a local event in your region, you must register directly with the event organiser. Registering on this site enables the GSSfS campaign team to support you with general relevant information.

Features of the 2020 campaign include:

Satellite events - hosted in schools, community settings, Universities and STEM organisations. Led by you in ways that suit you on or near to 16th June 2020. A Flagship event in Manchester pulls everything together using a live-streamed event on the campaign day.

Social Media - is used to connect us all together. Use @GreatSciShare on Twitter and join our Facebook group to experience GSSfS to it's full - seeing what other people are doing and sharing your work worldwide!

the Great Science Groove - make your event even more memorable by incorporating the Arts through dance, song and music. Released in 2018 in affiliation with The Derby High School, Bury.

#AskaQuestion - ask your questions to scientists and engineers from University and industry. If you are a scientist or engineer or in a career that services or links with science get in touch to broaden children's awareness of science careers. Email us at greatscishare@manchester.ac.uk

The Great Science Share for Schools, The University of Manchester and affiliated partners and sponsors encourage you to be involved and create many events. Note that it is essential that you accept full responsibility and liability for your own events.

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63,614 young people in 2019 over 100,000 young people so far - Will you be involved this year? The Great Science Share for Schools is about children communicating something that they have been investigating which starts with a question that they are interested in.

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This March, it's game on as the nation gets ready for Sport Relief 2020. Our exclusive new activities will help your athletes get curious about the science behind the sport!

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Children, like most humans, like to look at themselves in mirrors. The idea of a reflection appeals, even to very young children, looking at themselves and you in the reflection, in a constant repetitive tennis match, making some sense of what they are seeing.

The idea of reflection has a long history, as far as myths and fairy tales are concerned, with Narcissus falling in love with his reflection and killing himself, Perseus killing Medusa using a polished shield as a distraction not to look at Medusa directly. There's Snow White and Beauty and the Beast, Alice through the Looking Glass, and stories of Bloody Mary or vampires. Some cultures make sure mirrors are covered at certain times, as mirrors are linked to the soul. A Japanese shaman Queen had a bronze mirror in AD239, where decoration on the reverse was used to create reflections of mythological creatures, as part of sun-worshipping ceremonies.

Early people will have seen their reflections in areas of still water, then, having discovered metals, began to polish flat surfaces to become mirrors.

The idea of breaking a mirror dates back to Roman times, where it was believed that the soul renewed itself every seven years, and that breaking a mirror would damage the soul of the owner for the seven years.

Making a collection of shiny surfaced objects has always been a staple of infant classrooms; perhaps teachers are inveterate magpies. Plastic mirrors, flat, concave and convex, are easily available and further extend investigative opportunities.

How does a kaleidoscope or a periscope work? Try to make a working model.In Investigations from mirrors.
1. Make a broad collection of shiny objects. Which ones reflect, which don't?
2. What do you look like in a mirror? Draw and describe.
3. Using a bendy mirror, what does bending the mirror in different ways do to your reflection?
4. Using convex/concave mirrors, or the two sides of a shiny spoon, what do you look like?
5. Put an object in front of a mirror. Try to put an object on the spot where the reflection appears to be. Measure the distance from the mirror of each object.
6. Explore mirrors and symmetry.
7. Hinge a pair of mirrors. Put an object in the middle. What can you see in the reflections? Alter the angle between the mirrors, what do you notice?
8. Explore 3 hinged mirrors, as a triangle, or in different formations.
9. Explore parallel mirrors.
10.

​
PE/drama, children can partner together to coordinate mirror movements, as small sequences.

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Children, like most humans, like to look at themselves in mirrors. The idea of a reflection appeals, even to very young children, looking at themselves and you in the reflection, in a constant repetitive tennis match, making some sense of what they are seeing.

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Great way to get families and community engagement in science activities and investigations!

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science4families offers primary teachers and families activity ideas for how to learn science together, in engaging, fun and inspirational way.

Exploring ways to work together this provides you with tried and tested experiences to enhance parent/carer engagement and build science capital in your community.

The activities are grouped into three categories:

Taking Root
where families join in with an activity

Growing Tall
where families are involved in the preparation or delivery

Reaching High
where families are involved in designing, planning and delivery

Watch how teachers and families created a Space Academy Festival at Bradshaw Hall Primary School

&copy The University of Manchester

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science4families offers primary teachers and families activity ideas for how to learn science together, in engaging, fun and inspirational way. Exploring ways to work together this provides you with tried and tested experiences to enhance parent/carer engagement and build science capital in your community.

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A resource to support progression in enquiry! Try it - lots of downloadables for free too!

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Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024
A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024

Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024
A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024

The award-winning campaign continuing to inspire 5-14 year olds to take the lead in asking, investigating and sharing scientific questions they care about with new audiences.

An inclusive, non-competitive and collaborative experience for all.

Encouraging young people to be empowered in the world around them.

PIONEERED IN MANCHESTER - MAKING A DIFFERENCE WORLD-WIDE

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Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024 A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024 Great Science Share for Schools 11th June 2024 A day to celebrate children's scientific questions, culminating in June 2024 #GSSfS2024 Encouraging young people to be empowered in the world around them.

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Harvest Thali

Join us on the 4 th October 2023 for a quest across the countryside to collect all the ingredients for our interactive Harvest Thali.

We'll be learning how the key ingredients are grown and produced, meeting the people responsible for growing and producing them and joining our super star chef, Rayeesa Asghar-Sandys, in her kitchen to mix them into a range of delicious thali dishes to celebrate the end of Harvest!

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We're on a mission to bring #Farming #Education to schools in England & Wales. Sharing educational best practice in the sector and providing top resources.

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Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

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At what temperature does chocolate melt?

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This resource provides a set of videos and a practical investigation aimed at supporting experimental science in the classroom and relating it to real world experiences. In the first video Professor Brian Cox joins a teacher to find out how to set up and run an investigation to find out the time it takes for different types of chocolate to melt.

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Adrian Bowden's Travelling Science Shows

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Welcome to Adrian Bowden's Travelling Science Shows

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Adrian has been bringing his Travelling Science Shows to schools for over 20 years! He has visited over 500 different schools! He would very much like to come and visit your school and inspire your pupils and teachers!

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Applications for  British Science Week  2020 grants are  . There are different types of funding available for you to apply for, depending on the organisation you're a part of and the audience you work with. British Science Week, which takes place between 6 - 15 March 2020 is for everyone to get involved with, and we especially encourage those who don't usually engage with science to apply.

We also look forward to receiving creative, diverse ideas that challenge the stereotype of science.
Apply here
Community Grants

This grant scheme aims to r ecognise the expertise of community leaders working with their local audiences. Two levels of funding are available:

£500 to run one or more events during British Science Week

Up to £1 , 000 to run one or more events during British Science Week, as well as follow-up activities that will lead to continued engagement

To be eligible, applicants must represent a community-based group, club or organisation that works directly with audiences who are traditionally underrepresented and currently not engaged in science activity, including :

people from ethnic minorities

people with low socio-economic status, including people disadvantaged in terms of education and income

people with a physical or mental condition or impairment

people living in a remote and rural location, defined as settlements of less than 10,000 people

girls and women

To get an idea of what events can be run during British Science Week, take a look at our case studies from last year.

We are especially keen to hear with groups who don't ordinarily work with science

Kick Start Grants

This grant scheme is for eligible state-funded schools to put on events for students, parents and the wider community, including other schools in the area.

Four grants are available:

Kick Start Youth grant: A grant of £150 for your school to run an activity organised by students aged 10-19

Kick Start grant: A grant of £300 for your school to run an activity for students at your school

Kick Start More grant: A grant of £700 for your school to run an activity which involves your students and the local community

Kick Start grant + Youth grant: A grant of £450 for your school to run an activity for British Science Week as well as an additional activity organised and delivered by students aged 10-19

To be e ligible, schools must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Have a high proportion (over 30%) of pupils eligible for the pupil premium or equivalent;

Have a high proportion (over 30%) of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds;

Be a small school based in a remote and rural location.

Last year's grant recipients said : "all ages from 3-11 were able to take part. Increased resources meant every child had a hands-on experience didn't have to work in groups and share. It encouraged staff to experiment with new ideas and allow a bit of risk

By giving schools the freedom to choose their own topic and link it to science, the grants are "a fantastic opportunity to see students explore science and learn through experimentation and enjoying science."

Schools can apply for up to £700 to run British Science Week activities

Application Details

All applications can be made via the online form:  www.britishscienceweek.org/apply-for-a-grant

If you plan to run an event during British Science Week, tell us about it by registering  it on the  Science Live  website, where we can help you promote it and find speakers.

Take a look at what happened during British Science Week 2019 on our !

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The British Science Week 2020 grants are open!

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Applications for  British Science Week  2020 grants are  . There are different types of funding available for you to apply for, depending on the organisation you're a part of and the audience you work with. British Science Week, which takes place between 6 - 15 March 2020 is for everyone to get involved with, and we especially encourage those who don't usually engage with science to apply.

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Cutting-edge science research projects can be linked to primary science curriculum topics.

PSTT Fellow, Dr Julia Nash

Children remember more snippets of information and are really engaged when learning about cutting-edge science research.

If your class is learning about pollination, you may be interested in our latest article.

I bet you didn't know... Floral scents may be changed by air pollutants

Following the industrial revolution, there has been an increase in air pollutants, including ozone. Scientists have shown that the sweet smells (floral scents) that flowers make to atract insects may be altered by ozone and that hawkmoths find ozone-aletered scents less attractive than unakltered scents. What impact wil this have on insect pollination? Read the article to find out.

Cutting-edge research is linked to primary science topics: Scents/Smells, Pollination, Air pollution

The accompanying Teacher Guide suggests related investigations that children (ages 7-11) could carry out to answer these questions.

Which scents do you prefer?

What do you notice when you you put a smelly item next to another smelly item?

What do you notice about the insects that visit flowers in your local environment?

Are some coloured/scented flowers more popular than others?

What features do the insects have that enable them to feed on the flowers?

To find an article that is related to the topic that you are teaching, please use this Overview.

This is available as a spreadsheet with five separate pages for:

1. Biology-related topics - Plants, Human body, Animals (growth & life cycles), Classifcation, Food chains, Habitats, Adaptation, Evolution, Microorganisms

2. Chemistry-related topics (Materials) - Properties of materials, Uses of materials, Changes in materials, States of matter, The Water cycle

3. Physics-related topics - Light, Sound, Forces, Electricity, Earth & space

4. Environmental Science

5. Health & medicine

On each page, the related articles are listed as hyperlinks which will take you directly to the article you have chosen.

WHY

Why should teachers introduce contemporary scientists' work to primary age children?

Cutting-edge science research can provide incredible stimulus to primary children's emergent ideas in science.

Devising science investigations for children that are linked to this cutting-edge science helps to contextualise the research.

Teachers who have used these articles with primary age children have found there has been a positive impact on children's learning through increased engagement with practical science activities, more independent questioning, a deeper understanding of science concepts, as well as an appreciation of the impact of science on real life.

Children's attitudes towards science research processes and scientists is enriched.

I bet you didn't know... resources could be an early step towards addressing the inequalities that currently exist in those who partipate in science post-16 and those who do not.

HOW

Aimed at teachers and adults interested in introducing cutting-edge science research projects to primary age children, PSTT has created freely downloadable I bet you didn't know... articles which are linked to the primary science curriculum. Using the articles and accompanying Teacher Guides is an exciting way to stimulate children and provides a rich context for learning.

Fellows of the PSTT's Primary Science Teacher College, who have backgrounds in science research and experience teaching in primary classrooms, are using their expertise to gather recent research papers (published within the last two years in peer-reviewed journals) and to write articles which explain cutting-edge science research in language that primary children can understand. These 'I bet you didn't know...' articles explain what scientists have done and what they have discovered, suggest questions for children and teachers to consider in the classroom and describe activities that children can do to mirror the research. We will publish a new 'I bet you didn't know...' article describing cutting-edge science research every month on this web-page.

All of the 'I bet you didn't know...' articles can be freely downloaded and are listed in chronological order (most recent first), below the ARTICLES tab.

Some 'I bet you didn't know...' articles have been published in the PSTT Why & How Newsletter which you can access here.

A Teacher Guide PowerPoint accompanies each article to provide:

suggestions of how the learning might fit into your science curriculum

guidance on appropriate age groups

quick activities that could be used as a starter to engage children in a related science lesson, as an extension at the end of a lesson, or even as an assembly

longer investigations that could occupy a whole science lesson

symbols indicating the enquiry approaches and enquiry skills used in the activities

questions to stimulate further learning

maths links that could be made to develop maths skills

writing links that would could be made to develop writing in different genres

You can download all the Teacher Guides, listed in chronolgical order (most recent first), below the TEACHER GUIDE tab.

ARTICLES

Floral scents may be changed by air pollutants [312.01kB]

May 2022

Curriculum links: Scents/smells, Pollination, Air pollution

The sweet smells (floral scents) that flowers make to attract insects may be altered by ozone. What impact will this have on insect pollination?
DOWNLOAD

The fossilised secrets of the rhino and the beetle [1.20MB]

April 2022

Curriculum links: Fossils, Animals (body parts), Endangered species

This article reveals two secrets held by fossils for millions of years.
DOWNLOAD

WHy & How scientists measure mammals' whiskers [171.11kB]

February 2022

Curriculum links: Mammals, Body parts, Adaptation

This article explains why different mammals have different sizes and shapes of whiskers that are suited to their environment in which they live.
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We have telescopes out in space studying the universe [886.64kB]

January 2022

Curriculum links: Earth & Space, Light.

This article explains how and why thousands of scientists have been designing the James Webb Telescope for the past 32 years, and what they hope it will achieve.

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Bacteria get viral infections as well [396.08kB]

November 2020

Curriculum links: Microorganisms, Disease & Medicine

This article describes how bacteriophages (viruses that attack and kill bacteria) could be used as alternatives to antibiotics.

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Water can be harvested from the air in very dry climates [435.14kB]

July 2020

Curriulum links: State of Matter; The Water Cycle.

This article explains how water vapour is captured from desert air and later condenses to form drinkable water.
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Evolution of life in cities [955.28kB]

June 2020

Curriulum links: Habitats; Adaptation; Evolution.

This article gives examples of animals that have adapted to live successfully in urban areas.
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Catching flu might depend on the type of place in which you live [701.79kB]

March 2020

Curriculum links: Staying Healthy; Microbes (viruses).

How quickly will a virus spread? Scientists have suggested that the timing and scale of flu epidemics could be linked to the climate and the types of cities in which people live.
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The Disastrous Effects of Historical Ink [168.35kB]

October 2019

Curriculum links: Separating mixtures; Irreversible Change.

Why do historical documents degrade? Researchers found that the acidity of iron gall inks and the thickness of the paper affect the degradation of old documents.
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How plants know good microbes from bad ones [283.31kB]

June 2019

Curriculum links: Plant microbes; Chemical Signalling; Electricity.

Plants decide whether root bacteria are beneficial or not by comparing shapes, sizes, chemical signals and electrical signals.

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Stripes and concealment [1.24MB]

February 2019

Curriculum links: Habitats; Adaptation.

Scientists made artificial moths to investigate which types of patterned moth were most likely to be taken by birds.
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How to play planetary hide and seek [240.58kB]

June 2018

Curriculum links: Space; Our Senses; Magnets.

Scientists (both female) suggest that a 9th planet is hidden in the Kuiper Belt.
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TEACHER GUIDES

Floral scents may be changed by air pollutants [6.17MB]

May 2022

Curriculum links: Scents/smells, Pollination, Air pollution

Comparative tests: Which scents do you prefer? What do you notice when a smelly item is next to another smelly item?

Identifying, grouping & classifying: What shape are the flowers that the insects visit? What do you notice about the features that insects have to enable them to feed on these flowers?

Pattern seeking: Are some coloured flowers more popular than others? Are scented flowers more popular than non-scented?

Observation over time: How many different types of inscet visit the same type of flower?

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The fossilised secrets of the rhino and the beetle [16.88MB]

April 2022

Curriculum links: Fossils, Animals (body parts), Endangered species

Research / Identifying, grouping & Classifying:

Can you use your knowledge of skeletons to match fossil imgaes to an artist's impression of the animal?

Can you predict what an animal looked like from its fossilised remains?

Fossil sort cards are available to download with this Teacher Guide.

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WHy & How scientists measure mammals' whiskers [25.86MB]

February 2022

Curriculum links: Mammals, Body parts, Adaptation

Identifying, grouping and classifying: What can you sense with your fingers?

Comparative testing / Pattern-seeking: How are mammals' whiskers arranged? What shape are mammals' whiskers?
Images of mammals' faces, mammals' whiskers and a Euler spiral are also available to download here. DOWNLOAD

We have telescopes out in space studying the universe [3.92MB]

January 2022

Curriculum links: Earth & Space, Light.

Pattern seeking: How far can you see with binoculars?

Problem solving: How does light move? Can you design a mirror for a space telescope? Can you make a scale model of the JWST?

Sorting & classifying: What would an infrared photo of your body look like?

Comparative/Fair testing: Which coat is the most efficient insulator?

Observation over time: Why can we 'see' a handprint on the book?

Research: What is similar and different about the Hubble and James Webb telescopes?

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It's raining all over the world - extreme weather connections [2.95MB]

November 2021

Curriculum links: Weather, States of matter, Climate science.

Pattern seeking & Observation over time: Can you record the weather in your area?

Comparative/fair testing: Which surfaces allow water to drain away quickly?

Scientific models to show: Forces created by differences in air pressure; the Coriolis effect; how a weather system can be transferred over large distances.

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Plastics in soil affect the survival of plants and worms [2.94MB]

Curriculum links: Plants, Living things and their habitats, Climate science.

Identifying and classifying: How many earthworms can you find?

Comparative & fair testing, Observation over time: Can you investigate what plants need to germinate? Can you investigate what pants need to grow?
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Tree restoration - it's now or never [4.05MB]

Curriculum links: Plants, Photosynthesis, Climate change

Identifying, grouping and classifying: Can you carry out a tree survey in your area?

Research: Which trees would be the 'best' to plant where you live?

Two WORKSHEETS are also available to download. These show satellite images of towns and surrounding countryside in the UK and allow children to estimate how much land is available for planting trees.

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Termites can help rainforests survive drought [2.91MB]

Curriculum links: Food chains & webs, Habitats, Climate change

Comparative test: Will termites' tunnels be stronger in wet or dry conditions?

Observation over time/Grouping and classifying: How biodiverse in the place where you live?

Observation over time: How can you observe decomposers at work?
A Termites WORKSHEET is also available to download. DOWNLOAD

Planets Series [6.50MB]

This Teacher Guide accompanies a series of four I bet you didn't know... articles on planets and includes 18 investigations linked to Earth & space, Weather, Light, Sound and Electricity.
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Water can be harvested from the air in very dry climates [1.27MB]

Observing over time: Can we find a material that takes up water and releases it again?

Observing over time: Can we show how water vapour form the air condenses to form liquid water?

Comparative testing: Which materials hold the most water?

Research: Can you think of other ways to reduce the use of fresh water?

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Evolution of life in cities [2.41MB]

Pattern seeking: survey of local habitats.

Problem solving: how do animals and plants adapt to live in urban habitats?

Pattern seeking/Grouping and classification: can you record variation in your class?

Comparative testing: which colours give moths an advantage over white moths?

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Toilets in the future may charge your mobile phone! [1.40MB]

Research: What is it like to live without flushing toilets?

Research: Create flow diagrams to show how toilets work.

Comparative testing: What is the best material to scrape the toilet bowl clean?

Problem solving: Can you make an Archimedes screw to lift a solid object?
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Dragons could save us from bad bacteria [1.24MB]

Observation over time: How can bacteria can spread?

Research: What do bacteria look like?

Problem solving: How can reduce the spread of infection in hospitals and schools?

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Whale song is changing [819.29kB]

Pattern seeking: How can you change the pitch (frequency) of a sound wave?

Pattern seeking: How do noise levels vary in your environment?

Pattern seeking: Which frequency sounds travel furthest?
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How to calculate the age of a shark [2.17MB]

Pattern seeking: Would height be a good measure of children's ago in your class or in the whole school?
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PSTT AUTHORS

Meet the Fellows of the Primary Science Teaching College who are writing 'I bet you didn't know...' articles. Before starting a career in teaching, all of them obtained a PhD in a science-related subject and have experience of science research.

Dr Craig EARLY, ChemIST

Craig attended Loughborough University, studying Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry, before embarking on his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. Following a short spell in Bournemouth as a Sales Executive, Craig moved into teaching, following a successful completion of the PGCE at the University of East Anglia. His first teaching job involved improving science teaching at a large 3 form entry primary school, taking the school through numerous awards, and being recognised as a "hub of science excellence" within the area during his 8 years there. He was awarded the Primary Science Teacher of the Year in 2015.

Craig has written numerous primary science materials for websites such as the BBC and Teachit Primary, as well as writing the supporting documents for 137 primary resources on the Royal Society of Chemistry's "Learn Chemistry" platform, and articles for Association of Science Education publications.

Currently, Craig is the Head of an Academy at a school in Lincolnshire which is part of an 8 school Multi-Academy Trust. He leads the Science vision and implementation across the 7 primaries, and is involved in delivering training for ITT students, as well as being an SLE in Science Education for the Teaching School Alliance.

Craig continues to promote the importance of science teaching and learning within the primary sector, and has presented at numerous conferences, as well as delivering CPD through the STEM Learning network. He currently sits on the strategic vision group for the Science Learning Partnership in Lincolnshire, as well as being an elected member of the Education Division Council within the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Dr Rebecca Ellis, BioLOGIST/Engineer

After achieving a 1st class BSc (Hons) studying Biology at Bristol University, Rebecca had her first taste of research working at the Natural History Museum, London for the Parasitic Worms Department. She then moved to Cranfield University and began her four year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) on the 'Development of a Novel Medium to Improve the Performance of Biological Aerated Filters (BAFs)'.

Generally used as a secondary sewage treatment process, BAFs provide a high rate, compact solution through maintaining a concentrated biomass in the form of a biofilm. The medium to support the biofilm also removes suspended solids by depth filtration and so regular backwashing is required. With industrial sponsorship from English China Clays International, Rebecca worked for 6 months 'in house' at St. Austell where she could engage with the clay foaming process directly and use Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy to observe biofilm growth.

After leaving research, she gained a PGCE from Bath University. She has taught for 18 years at a junior school in Warwickshire and has two children.

Dr Julia Nash, Biochemist

Julia w orked in science res earch for over 13

In 2003 Julia joined

After leaving research, Julia gained her PGCE from C

Dr Katharine Pemberton, Marine Biologist

Before teaching, Katharine worked as a researcher in aquatic science. She gained her first degree in Marine Biology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and then began her PhD research at Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

During her PhD, Katharine investigated different ways of measuring and estimating primary production in the marine environment. An understanding of primary production is really important to help scientists make predictions about levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, to help understand climate change. The research showed that different measurement methods gave different estimates of primary production, which, when extrapolated to global scales, could lead to huge variations in climate change predictions.

After her PhD, Katharine took a post-doctoral research post in Canada. The aim of the project was to link in situ estimates of photosynthesis to water quality in the Laurentian Great Lake. The research showed that rates of photosynthesis could indicate the presence of particular species of phytoplankton. The presence of certain species of phytoplankton have a negative impact on water quality.

Having visited schools as a researcher, Katharine discovered how rewarding teaching could be. After having children, she moved back to the UK with her husband and retrained as a primary teacher. She has been teaching at Modbury Primary School in Devon for the last five years.

Professor Dudley Shallcross, Atmospheric chemist

Dudley Shallcross is CEO of the Primary Science Teaching Trust. He has won several awards for his research in science (atmospheric chemistry) and contributions to science education and science engagement at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. He became Director of the Primary Science Teaching Trust in 2010 and established the Trust's College of excellent primary science teachers that aims to draw together the best primary science practitioners in the UK.

Having seen how outstanding primary school teachers were able to bring real-life science contexts to the classroom, he started the series of 'I bet you didn't know...' articles to introduce teachers and pupils to cutting-edge research. He brought together the PSTT Fellows in this group to continue this work.

Dr Alison Trew, Biochemist

Alison was a science researcher for nine years. After completing her first degree in Biochemistry at

Alison worked as a postdoctoral research assistant in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne where she investigated the loss of genetic material in different types of skin lesions including warts . She then joined a team at the University of Nottingham in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology where she developed a procedure Alison returned to Leeds University and worked with a team trying to identify processes involved in producing protein plaques in the brain which are thought to cause Alzheimer's Disease.

After leaving research and having a family , Alison trained to teach. She has taught in primary schools in Devon for nine years and now works with teachers and trainees in the South W est and is developing resources for the PSTT website.

Dr Paul Tyler, Biochemist

Paul completed a degree in Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and then moved to work for a small pharmaceutical company in Hertford, purifying and studying Paclitaxel from yew trees to use as a cancer treatment.

He then moved back to Leicester to join PanTherix, a startup biotech company pioneering structure-based antibiotic design. Paul specialized in enzyme purification and classification, crystallisation and structure determination.

Structure-based drug design is an attempt to move away from the scatter-gun approach of finding new antibiotics that big pharmaceutical companies have traditionally used. Enzyme targets are identified that are only found in bacteria, not humans. They are cloned and over expressed in E.coli . From there the target enzyme is purified and slowly crystallised. X-rays are used to determine the 3D structure of the enzyme. It is then possible to study how the enzyme binds to its substrates and find drug candidates that could mimic the substrate and stop the enzyme working, killing the bacteria.

During his time with PanTherix the company relocated to Glasgow and Paul continued to work on potential antibiotics with a variety of bacterial enzyme targets. Paul also became fascinated with Prions and was able to assist with some research into their structure with a group at the University of Glasgow. Paul completed his PhD shortly before PanTherix were bought out by AstraZeneca. Settled in Glasgow he changed career and spent 3 years working for Scottish Rugby before completing his PGDE in Primary Education.

Paul has been teaching for 11 years and leading science in his school for 7 years. He is part of a Local Authority science group helping promote and improve science across 26 primary schools. He is an active member of the ASE and a member of the BIG STEM Communicators Network; Paul regularly writes for TES and ASE publications and speaks at STEM conferences across the UK. He has written resources for the PSTT and consulted on several STEM projects worldwide.

Safety Notice and Disclaimer

PSTT advises teachers to refer to either the CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for children.

PSTT is not liable for the actions or activities of any reader or anyone else who uses the information in these resource pages or the associated classroom materials. PSTT assumes no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information contained in these resources. PSTT recommends that a full risk assessment is carried out before undertaking in the classroom any of the practical investigations contained in the resources.

All materials are ©Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) and are freely available to download and share for educational purposes. Whilst educators are free to adapt the resources to suit their own needs, acknowledgement of copyright on all original materials must be included. Rights to images included in the resource have been purchased for PSTT use only - as such, these images may only be used as part of this resource and may not copied into or used in other materials.

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i bet you didn't know
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Cutting-edge science research projects can be linked to primary science curriculum topics. PSTT Fellow, Dr Julia Nash Children remember more snippets of information and are really engaged when learning about cutting-edge science research. If your class is learning about pollination, you may be interested in our latest article.

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@PrimaryRocks1 @GreatSciShare Our science leader @ShonaBu64170693 just shared some questioning spinners/wheels like these with us! They were really useful and looking forward to using them with the class next week ☺️❓

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@PrimaryRocks1 @GreatSciShare Our science leader @ShonaBu64170693 just shared some questioning spinners/wheels like these with us! They were really useful and looking forward to using them with the class next week ☺️❓ https://t.co/acGdNEgYQ2

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Our science leader @ShonaBu64170693 just shared some questioning spinners/wheels like these with us! They were really useful and looking forward to using them with the class next week ☺️❓ pic.twitter.com/acGdNEgYQ2
— Liberty Minoli (@MissMinoliYear4) March 2, 2020

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@PrimaryRocks1 @GreatSciShare Our science leader @ShonaBu64170693 just shared some questioning spinners/wheels like these with us! They were really useful and looking forward to using them with the class next week ☺️❓ https://t.co/acGdNEgYQ2

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@PrimaryRocks1 @GreatSciShare Our science leader @ShonaBu64170693 just shared some questioning spinners/wheels like these with us! They were really useful and looking forward to using them with the class next week ☺️❓ https://t.co/acGdNEgYQ2

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@PrimaryRocks1 @GreatSciShare Our science leader @ShonaBu64170693 just shared some questioning spinners/wheels like these with us! They were really useful and looking forward to using them with the class next week ☺️❓

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A range of different STEM challenges that can be both incorporated into your lessons or be used as the basis for an off-timetable day.

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Resources to support primary science subject leaders and teachers. Free download on working scientifically, literacy and assessment.

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Science, Maths & Technology

This unit helps you understand the properties of nucleotides and how they contribute to secondary and tertiary structures of nucleic acids at the molecular level. You will learn about the different composition and roles of nucleic acids in the cell, their interactions with each other and the use of ribozymes, aptamers, antisense and hybridization as tools in molecular research. The unit covers the function of DNA packaging within the cell, the interactions between the DNA double helix and the nucleosome and it helps you understand the various chromatin states within the interphase nucleus.

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Science, Maths & Technology This unit helps you understand the properties of nucleotides and how they contribute to secondary and tertiary structures of nucleic acids at the molecular level. You will learn about the different composition and roles of nucleic acids in the cell, their interactions with each other and the use of ribozymes, aptamers, antisense and hybridization as tools in molecular research.