Introduction: the importance of good subject knowledge

Who this book is for

This book has been written to enable trainee teachers on a university-based training route to develop a secure grasp of the primary science curriculum. It has also been designed to support more independent study for trainee teachers following any other alternative route into teaching such as School Direct or an assessment-only route. This book may also be useful if you are a recently qualified or qualified teacher.

Why this book is needed and chapter features

There is a growing body of research (Wellcome Trust, 2011; Ofsted, 2011, 2014) indicating that science, although now identified as a core subject, has a diminished profile in primary teaching (Ofsted, 2014). Recent Ofsted reports (Ofsted 2011, 2014) throw further light on the teaching of science by outlining the lack of specialist science knowledge among existing teachers.

This book has been written in response to these findings to allow you to develop an understanding of the concepts and knowledge outlined in the national curriculum for science at both Key Stages 1 and 2 (DfE, 2013). Given the importance of such statutory documents, each chapter starts with direct reference to this national framework. This will help you to develop your own knowledge of which aspects of science should be taught throughout each key stage. This book has also been written to encourage you to promote the successful delivery of primary science through creative, inspiring and practical lessons.

This book will help you to achieve Qualified Teacher status by enabling you to address aspects of the Teachers' Standards (DfE, 2013). In particular, it will help you meet Teachers' Standard 3, which requires you to demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge.

To be an outstanding teacher of primary science, you will be expected not only to have a strong subject knowledge, but also an understanding of children's ideas and possible misconceptions about science. Science includes a number of topics that are areas of weakness with many teachers – for example, topics in the physical sciences such as electricity and forces. This lack of subject knowledge will often result in children's misconceptions about science being left unchallenged in primary school, leading to the children making limited progress in their learning. It is also important that you can apply your subject knowledge in the classroom to make it accessible to the children you are teaching.

In addition to having a secure subject and pedagogical knowledge, it is vital that you develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science. The national curriculum (DfE, 2013) describes this aspect of science as 'working scientifically' and states that this strand should not be taught separately, but should be embedded within the content of the other topics in the programme of study. Answers to scientific questions can be gleaned through the use of scientific enquiry, such as identifying, classifying and grouping, observing over time, pattern-seeking, researching and using secondary sources, as well as comparative and fair testing activities. Consideration of the need to work scientifically has therefore been embedded within the variety of practical activities offered within each chapter.

To allow you to become confident and competent in your science subject knowledge and subject-specific pedagogy, it is important that you are able to identify your strengths and areas of weakness. Therefore each chapter provides a subject knowledge audit to allow you to identify any gaps in your knowledge. This is then followed by a concept map of the key concepts dealt with in each chapter. The associated vocabulary is highlighted and the key concepts defined, together with examples. This is followed by an illustration of activities that can be used to teach the particular concept. At the end of each key concept, you are prompted to reflect on your understanding. A list of useful websites and further reading is given at the end of the book to provide you with the opportunity to develop your subject knowledge and understanding further. It is hoped that you will then revisit the initial subject audit and assess how your knowledge and understanding has improved in each area.

Chapter outlines

Chapter 1 – This introduction provides a discussion of the importance of good subject knowledge in the teaching of science. It provides information on the format of each chapter and the reasoning behind it.

Chapter 2 – Animals and humans – examines the factors that are essential for living organisms to develop, flourish and survive. It also covers aspects of life processes such as nutrition and basic physiology.

Chapter 3 – Plants, habitats and living things – explores the classification of living things, food chains, the growth of plants, the life cycle of flowering plants, and the functions and parts of a flower. Familiarising children with different classification keys is suggested, as well as making use of the outdoor world by visiting the local area and attempting to identify food chains. We suggest observing the germination of a seed and recording the changes using a diary, as well as using a digital microscope to observe the inside of bulbous plants. Finally, role play is promoted as a means of understanding pollination.

Chapter 4 – Evolution and inheritance – examines how humans and living things have evolved and adapted through time and how artificial and natural selection plays a vital role in evolution. It also looks at how the concept of the survival of the fittest and how such changes through the generations have made them dominant in a particular environment. It also considers the role of the fossil record in investigating how living things have evolved over time.

Chapter 5 – Everyday materials and their properties – looks at the concepts of the physical and chemical properties of materials, changes of shape, the particulate nature of matter, solid, liquids and gases, changes of state, dissolving and chemical change. Suggestions are made for sorting activities, understanding mechanical change by modelling clay, and considering what happens when cornflour is mixed with water. Working with ice balloons to understand melting and freezing and devising fair tests to consider which type of sugar will dissolve the fastest are suggested as activities. Making popcorn to explore chemical change is also featured.

Chapter 6 – Earth and space – explores the concept of the Moon, the Sun and stars, seasons, planetary motion, the solar system, and day and night. It describes how to teach children about the different time zones on Earth and recording the passage of time. It suggests...