200 Science Investigations for Young Students

Book excerpt: This book enables teachers to develop a complete range of basic investigations for science with students aged five to 11 years. It demonstrates how children can use hands-on activities to consolidate and extend their knowledge and understanding. Investigations are presented in a generic form, so that teachers can work through them and adapt them to meet the particular needs of their own classes. The presentation of activities ranges from highly-structured sequences of instructions and questions (with answers!), to more general discussions, depending on the approach needed and the likely variations in equipment and materials available. Each activity is aimed to help any teacher carry out significant scientific investigations with their class, and where necessary, to learn alongside them. - Almost every investigation and activity has been tested by the author. - Investigations use readily-available, non-specialist or recycled materials. The context of this book is children′s need to learn through first-hand experience of the world around them. This book is an essential resource for teachers planning an effective science programme, or for student teachers needing to broaden their scientific knowledge and understanding. 200 Science Investigations for Young Students is the companion volume of activities which demonstrate the theories in Martin Wenham′s Understanding Primary Science. The content has been guided by, but not limited to, The National Curriculum 2000 and the Initial Teacher Training Curriculum for Primary Science, issued by the Teacher Training Agency.