Knowledge and Content

Life Processes and Living Things

Pupils will describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including microorganisms, plants and animals. They will give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics. They will recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. Pupils will identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.

Animals including humans

Children will identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood. They will recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function. In addition they will learn to describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans.

Light

Pupils will learn that light travels in straight lines. They will use this knowledge to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye as well as to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them.

Electricity

The children will construct circuits and investigate how changing the number of components can make bulbs brighter or dimmer. They represent circuits using drawings and conventional symbols, and make circuits based on given drawings and diagrams using these conventional symbols.

Working Scientifically

Through the above topics, the children will develop scientific investigation skills. They will learn that it is important to test ideas by using evidence from observations and measurements. They will consolidate skills in asking questions which can be investigated scientifically and decide how to find answers to these questions. They will decide the sources of information (first hand experience or other sources) they will use to answer their questions. They will think about what might happen in an investigation and will decide what equipment to use and the suitable evidence to collect. They will make investigations a fair test by changing one factor and measuring or observing the effect while keeping other factors the same. The children will use equipment safely and will make careful observations and measurements which they will record in a variety of ways, including through ICT. They will make comparisons and identify simple patterns or associations in their own observations and measurements and will draw conclusions from this. They will decide whether the results agree with the predictions made and whether further predictions are possible. The children will use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain observations or measurements. They will review their work and the work of others and describe its significance and limitations.