Science

5th and 6th Class

Please note: Activities marked with * were created to support distance learning

Science Inquiry

Science Inquiry

Science inquiry provides pupils with an opportunity to take part in inclusive, open-ended, child-led investigations. Through Science inquiry, pupils are building and testing their knowledge and developing their scientific skills by focusing on questions or problems rather than answers.


The following questions could be used to begin inquiries with pupils:

  • Are all magnets the same strength?

  • What material is the most waterproof?

  • What is the best material to stop an ice cube from melting?

  • When is my shadow the longest?


Pupils can also be encouraged to devise their own inquiry questions and use this to direct their investigations. Some questions that pupils ask may not be testable questions but they might be able to research the answer to these questions themselves. The image below shows a list of testable questions capturing a scientific inquiry into shadows, a video examining this activity in greater detail can be viewed here.


Investigation sheets, such as the example linked below, can be used to guide pupils through the process of investigating and experimenting.

Living Things

Plants and Animals

Outdoor Observer*

To encourage your pupils to make observations, consider the local environment in which your pupils live and choose an identification guide most relevant to them. By clicking on the image, you will be taken to a website with a range of identification guides such as Searching for Spring Flowers and Looking for Crows and Other Blackbirds.

Pupils will make observations and refer to the identification guide to inform their choices. Pupils should use their observations to explain their reasoning.

Spider Safari*

Pupils are invited to go on a spider safari around their home. This activity can be easily undertaken indoors but if pupils wish to complete this outdoors, the use of a frame to compare parts of the garden may be useful. This is further described at the link below from the Primary Science Teaching Trust.

Materials

Properties and Characteristics of Materials


Materials Matter*

In this activity, pupils have an opportunity to identify and investigate a wide range of common materials in their immediate environment. Pupils are encouraged to find objects made from rock, fabric, paper, metal, wood and plastic from around their home.

Property Investigation: This activity will require pupils to test the absorbency of four different materials, ordering them from the most absorbent to the least absorbent. Invite pupils to gather a piece of kitchen towel, a plastic bag, tinfoil and a tea towel. Pupils will then examine the concept cartoon and discuss whether they agree/disagree with the characters. Pupils will also offer their own opinion in the empty word cloud.

A suggested investigation is outlined in the attachment below, however, pupils can be encouraged to devise their own investigation. The results from the investigation will be recorded and communicated. A reminder about fair testing is recommended.

Budding Scientists

In this activity, pupils will use explore the properties and characteristics of different types of paper when exposed to water. The paper flowers can be created by drawing and cutting out flower outlines on different pieces of paper (paper, card, cardboard, crepe paper, kitchen paper, etc.), remembering to vary the shapes and sizes of the flowers/petals. Before placing the flowers on the surface of the water, overlap the petals by folding them into the centre as shown in the image. Encourage pupils to predict what will happen to their creations: Will the flowers sink? Will the petals open? Will the material of the flower matter? How can we make it a fair test?

Here are some suggested questions to guide talk and discussion in this activity:

  • Why do you think the paper flowers open when you put them in water?

  • Does the size of the flower affect how quickly it opens?

  • What happens when you use different paper? Is there any difference?

"Paper is made of lots of fibres. The spaces between the fibres can absorb water and when this happens, the paper expands which is why the flower opens up. The fibres and the sizes of the space between them vary from paper to paper which is why some flowers open faster than others. When water flows into narrow spaces in this way, often against gravity, it is called capillary action. Another example of capillary action is water moving through the roots of a plant and into the stem and leaves." Science Fun at Home (Science Flowers)


Energy and Forces

Sound

Shake it up!*

This activity requires pupils to investigate sound as a form of energy. To complete this investigation, pupils will need a bowl, cling film and rice. Invite pupils to wrap cling film tightly around the rim of the bowl (it may be necessary to use sellotape to keep the cling film in place). Next, pupils will place a few grains of rice on top of the cling film. Pupils will place various sources of sound near the bowl and observe the rice closely.

Suggested Questions:

  • What sources of sound can you use? E.g. saucepan lid and wooden spoon, speaker, television.

  • What do you notice? What does this mean?

  • Does the source of sound make a difference to the rice?

  • Does the volume affect the rice?

  • Does the distance from the rice to the source of the sound affect the results?

  • How can you record your results?

  • Can you think of any other ways to see sound?

  • Is it possible to feel sound? How could you demonstrate this?

Light

Refraction Recce*

Invite pupils to place a straw/pencil in a glass of water and let it go. Pupils should look at the straw from various angles. What do they notice? The straw/pencil seems to bend at the surface of the water, this effect is called refraction.

Refraction is the change of direction of light when it passes from one medium to another, for example, from air to glass, water or plastic.

  • Pupils will need a partner for the next part of this activity. Pupils will place a coin at the bottom of a glass/carton and secure it with blu-tack. One partner looks at the coin and moves his/her head back until the coin is just out of view. The other partner pours water into the carton slowly. Suggested questions: What do you see? Reverse roles, what happens? Why do you think this happens?

  • Using a glass of water, explore refraction around your home by observing different items through the glass of water. Record your observations.


Adapted from Discover Primary Science and Maths.

Forces

Leaf Gliders

Strand: Energy and Forces Strand unit: Forces

In this activity, pupils will use autumn leaves to explore forces and motion by designing and making a leaf glider. Pupils will investigate the effect of gravity on objects through varying the shape and structure of their leaf gliders. The leaf gliders can be created using real leaves or could also be made by tracing around different autumn leaves and creating paper cut-outs.

Suggested resources: autumn leaves, paper, scissors, glue-stick/paper-clip.

Before beginning the design process, allow the pupils time to explore the leaves in the context of these suggested questions:

  • Which leaf will work best as a glider and why?

  • How could the leaf be folded or transformed to help it glide?

  • How will we test/compare our gliders?

Engage in whole-class discussion around what pupils discovered. This will enable pupils to begin to plan their leaf glider designs based on their findings. The plans can be devised individually, in pairs or in pods. Encourage pupils to explain the reasoning behind their designs. Next, pupils will use their plans to make their leaf gliders. Paper-clips and/or glue-sticks can be used to support leaf glider structures, however, pupils should consider how this could affect gliding ability. Invite pupils to create a range of leaf gliders by varying the shapes, structures and weights. Before testing the leaf gliders, pupils can predict which leaf glider they think will travel the furthest and why. Pupils can then evaluate their leaf gliders based on the following suggested questions:

  • How did your leaf glider predictions compare with your actual results?

  • Which glider travelled the furthest? Why do you think this glider travelled further than the rest?

  • If you could go back to the design stage, what would you change?

Adapted from Leaf Glider Challenge

Heat

Solar Oven*

In this activity, pupils will create their own simple solar oven using tin foil. Pupils can explore how effectively tinfoil reflects light and heat energy by placing their oven in sunlight. The solar ovens can be created using cardboard or card. Pupils can cover the sides of the oven that will be exposed to the sun with tin foil by folding the foil around the edges to keep it in place. Pupils can explore how the angle between the oven lid and base can be adjusted to ensure sunlight is reflected from the lid onto the base.

Pupils can predict what will happen when they place some chocolate or marshmallows onto the oven base. Pupils might also like to investigate what other materials from home might be melted using the solar oven e.g. ice cubes. Encourage pupils to record their results and to investigate how changing the angle of the lid or the colour of the oven base might affect the results. Pupils can design their own annotated drawings as shown in the image in order to record and explain their results and predictions.