An overview of how a science and maths project for key stage 2 students can fit with national frameworks and the curriculum.

1. With your hosts:
James Ahmed, Fiona Buchanan Jeremy Cotton,
Simon Dunkley, Lee Edwards and Charlotte Taverner
Module EP305: May14th, Monday morning, 10:00.

2.  Investigation focusing on germination of seeds
and healthy growth of plants. (Science)
 Data collection, interpretation & communication.
(Maths)
 Aims of module:
- Elicit questions from the children regarding
germination of seeds and growth of plants.
- Address various misconceptions about the conditions
required for each stage. (Detailed later).
- Help children in planning of scientific investigations.
- Further knowledge and understanding of
mathematical communication, data handling and
interpretation.
- Address various misconceptions about mathematical
communication. (Detailed later).

3.  Their previous and current learning journey is the
Amazon.
 Their current focus in science is the growth of
plants.
 The concept:
- Villagers from the Amazon are having issues
germinating and growing their seeds.
- BBC News report to detail the problems.
- The children are to create informative leaflets
that can be sent to the village in the Amazon with
the best advice on how to germinate and grow
the seeds successfully.
 Leaflets to be informed by scientific and
mathematical investigations

5.  SC1: Scientific Enquiry
 Ideas and evidence in science
 Investigative skills
 - Planning
 - Obtaining and presenting evidence
 - Considering evidence and evaluating
 SC2: Life Processes and living things
Green plants
 3a: Effects of light, water and temperature on plant growth
 Potential links to:
SC2: 3b: The role of the leaf in producing new material for growth
 Maths
 MA1: Incorporated throughout the project
 MA3:
- 4b: Choosing and using suitable measuring instruments for a task, and
reading scales
 MA4:
- 1a, 1c, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h: Collecting data and justifying methods
- 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f: Looking at drawing graphs and interpreting data
 Links to Primary National Strategies
 Answer a question by identifying what data to collect; organise,
present, analyse and interpret the data in tables, diagrams, tally charts,
pictograms and bar charts using ICT where appropriate.
 More details on this explained during lessons overview.

6. Level 3
Pupils respond to suggestions and put forward their own ideas about how to
find the answer to a question. They make relevant observations and measure
quantities, such as length or mass, using a range of simple equipment. Where
appropriate, they carry out a fair test with some help, recognising and
explaining why it is fair. They provide explanations for observations and for
simple patterns in recorded measurements. They communicate in a scientific
way what they have found out and suggest improvements in their work.
Level 4
Where appropriate, they describe, or show in the way they perform their task,
how to vary one factor while keeping others the same. Where appropriate,
they make predictions. They select suitable equipment and make a series of
observations and measurements that are adequate for the task. They record
their observations, comparisons and measurements using tables and bar charts.
They begin to plot points to form simple graphs, and use these graphs to point
out and interpret patterns in their data. They begin to relate their conclusions to
these patterns and to scientific knowledge and understanding, and to
communicate them with appropriate scientific language. They suggest
improvements in their work, giving reasons.
DfE, (2011)

8. They will start to
grow better in the
They will start to dark
grow better under a
bright light

9. They will start to
grow better in the
dark

10.  Activities all inherently social, working in groups. (Vygotsky in Atherton, 2012b).
 Activities allow for discussions of ideas the children have and let them choose
their questions for investigation.
 Builds on prior knowledge of plants from year 1/2/3.
 Social constructivism. (Vygotsky in Atherton 2012b).
 Tasks are child centred with minimal input from teachers. (Piaget in Atherton
2012a).
 Children can discuss ideas within their groups to see what they want and need
to know.
 Teachers acting as equals to the children; we need their help to discover the
answers.
Fisher, R. (1998) Thinking about Thinking: developing metacognition in children
“ Directed discovery teaching enables children, under direction to 'discover', for example
through investigation and problem solving, particular strategies and teaching points. The
teacher facilitates transfer of learning by bridging new learning into existing knowledge
through encouraging reflection and making links.”
 Tasks are enquiry based. Ideas formed by children‟s own interests rather
than teacher led “Today we are going to be…”
Bruner, J.S. (1966) Towards a theory of instruction
“ The learner is the participant in the educational process responding to external stimuli by
selecting, interpreting and evaluating information.”
Bruner, 1996, proposed that an important aim of education should be to stimulate and
develop expertise in the process of learning rather than memorising the facts and the
concepts.

11. Assimilation and
Accommodation
Piaget (in Atherton 2012a)
Social Constructivism and ZPD
Vygotsky (in Atherton 2012b)
Directed Discovery
Bruner
Higher Order Thinking Skills
and constructivism
Bloom

12.  Elicitation recapped. Very brief summary of original ideas.
 Introduction of concept / context
- BBC News report. (Shown earlier).
 Discussion on what the best course of action will be to help Chief Cotton
from the Amazon: They plan their own investigation using the “Planning
Plant”
 What might we want to investigate?
- How will we investigate it?
- What will we measure?
- How will we measure it?
 Start the investigation
- Child centred based on questioning
- Positioning of seeds in various conditions
- Investigation setup
- key areas: germination and growth conditions
Sharp, J., Peacock, G., Johnsey, R., Simon, S. and Smith, R. (2007). Primary Science: Teaching theory and
practice.
“When they have had some experience of science activities children can do more systematic planning
of their investigations. Many teachers have found planning sheets helpful to structure this and to support
children.” (p.16).

14. Required subject knowledge:
 Conditions for germination of seeds.
 Conditions required for healthy growth.
 Definition of “Germination”
 Knowledge about healthy growth of plants.
 Prior knowledge of children‟s learning to remove
misconceptions.
Misconceptions identified from school visit:
 Seeds need light to germinate
 No difference between germination and growth of
plants. (Many had not heard of germination at all. They
believed germination and growth is one process.)
 Plants suck food from ground and from other plants.
(See „Elicitation Tree‟)

15.  Very brief recap on the conditions we selected to test for
germination.
 Recap the meaning of germination.
 Planning for measurement and communication of data:
- How should the data be recorded?
- Interpreting the collected data
- Choosing appropriate graphs and input on creation of
these graphs
- Choice of scale and importance of units
- WHY might we measure this?
Sharp, J., Peacock, G., Johnsey, R., Simon, S. and Smith, R. (2007). Primary Science: Teaching theory and
practice.
“Children need to see the purpose for measuring in their investigations. They should be helped to think
about what they are going to measure and how they can do so.” (p.17).

16. Required subject knowledge:
 Appropriate units of measure for size of cress seeds.
 Knowledge of different types of graph and when / why you
would use them.
 How the use of the mathematics solve the specific problem.
 How to facilitate understanding of interpretation of data
and communication of data.
Misconceptions identified from school visit:
 Aware of Line Graphs but not aware of when and how to
use them.
 Unaware of when and how to use each type of graph. Only
fully familiar with Bar Graphs.
 Children very good on maths and units of measure. Teacher
advises we can introduce new mathematical ideas.

17.  Check our experiment – measure and record any
changes as per yesterdays input.
 Interpret the data and present in appropriate
fashion.
 Creation of leaflet to show the best conditions for
the Amazon man.
 Potential presentation of some leaflets to class.
 Return to „Elicitation Tree‟. New ideas put into tree
on leaf shaped post-it notes.
Analogy: New knowledge is new growth on tree.

18. Summary – MA1 works throughout project:
MA1: Problem Solving
MA1: Communicating
MA1: Reasoning
Formulates and clarifies questions.
Interpret the graphs.
Answers original question by deciding and planning what
data is needed. (PNS)
Communicates the data to a specific audience. (Amazon
man) (PNS)
Potential extension tasks: Creating charts using ICT and use a
video diary to document further growth once we have left.
(Stop Motion Animation).

19.  Formative assessment (Black and Wiliam, 1998)
through elicitation on the initial visit and open
questioning during first teaching session.
 Allows to identify any misconceptions and plan for
the elimination of these during the module.
 Open questioning – constructivist approach.
(Piaget in Atherton 2012a).
 Peer and self assessment. Discussion of ideas.
Sharp, J., Peacock, G., Johnsey, R., Simon, S. and Smith, R. (2007). Primary Science: Teaching theory and
practice.
“Especially effective types of questions are those that which:
- reviewed children’s own grasp of science concepts being drawn upon in an investigation
- encouraged speculation and willingness to seek evidence
- prompted children to explain what they might do next or what they have found out” (p.22).
Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box. Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment.
“Opportunities for pupils to express their understanding should be designed
into any piece of teaching, for this will initiate the interaction whereby
formative assessment aids learning.” (p.7).

20.  “Elicitation / Knowledge Tree”
 Post-it-notes: Orange and green leaf style
 Concept Cartoons
 Investigation Plant
 Video for concept
 Cress seeds
 Trays / Petri dishes / Containers
 Interactive White Board
 Sorting activity for elicitation
 Maths sheet regarding units of measure for elicitation
 Pre-planted seeds to show/measure germination

21. Atherton J (2012a) Learning and Teaching; Piaget's developmental theory [online], Available
<http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm >[Accessed 10th May 2012]
Atherton, J. (2012b) Learning and Teaching; Constructivism in learning : Vygotsky [online],Available:
<http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm> [[Accessed 10th May 2012]
Atherton, J. (2012c) Bloom's taxonomy [online], Available: <http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/bloomtax.htm> [Accessed 10th
May 2012]
Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box. Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. London: GL Assessment, part of the
Granada Learning Group
Bruner, J.S. (1996). Towards a theory of instruction. Cambridge Mass.: Belkap Press.
Fisher, R. (1998). „Thinking about Thinking: developing metacognition in children', Early Child Development and Care, Vol 141 (1998) pp1-
15. [online]. Available: <http://www.teachingthinking.net/thinking/web%20resources/robert_fisher_thinkingaboutthinking.htm>. [Accessed
May 2012].
DfE. (2011). Maths: Key Stage 2 Curriculum. MA3. [online]. Crown copyright. Available:
<http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00199044/mathematics/ks2/ma3>. [Accessed May
2012].
DfE. (2011). Maths: Key Stage 2 Curriculum. MA4. [online]. Crown copyright. Available:
<http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00199044/mathematics/ks2/ma4>. [Accessed May
2012].
DfE. (2011). Science: Key Stage 2 Curriculum. [online]. Crown copyright. Available:
<http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00199179/science/ks2>. [Accessed May 2012].
Science and Plants for Schools and Field Studies Council (2007), Plants for primary pupils: Living processes and what plants need to grow
[online], Available: URL< http://www.saps.org.uk/primary/teaching-resources/236-living-processes-and-what-plants-need-to-grow>
[Access date: 13th May 2012]
Sharp, J., Peacock, G., Johnsey, R., Simon, S. and Smith, R. (2007). Primary Science: Teaching theory and practice. Exeter: Learning Matters.