Primary Schools

Content

Strand: Living things

Strand unit: Myself


The child should be enabled to

Variety and characteristics of living things

  • name and identify external parts of the male and female body and their associate functions or senses
  • become aware of the role of each sense in detecting information about the environment and in protecting the body
  • recognise and/or measure physical similarities and differences between individuals height, colour of hair, eye colour design and make a measuring chart of heights, including a 'pointer' to show and record heights


Human life processes

  • recognise that all living things grow and change
  • recognise that physical growth has taken place since birth differences between milk teeth and permanent teeth physical size in a range of abilities and skills
  • identify some requirements for growth and development in the human food, sleep, exercise
  • begin to identify the main phases of the human life cycle
  • use all the senses to become aware of and explore environments.

Integration

SPHE: Myself
History: Local studies

Strand unit: Plants and animals


The child should be enabled to

Variety and characteristics of living things

  • observe, identify and explore a variety of living things in local habitats and environments
    identify
    common trees and other plants
    common birds and other animals
    common insects and minibeasts of habitats such as
    forest, waste ground, hedge, pond, rocks, stream, seashore
  • develop some awareness of plants and animals from wider environments
  • recognise and describe the par ts of some living things root, leaf, stem of plants trunk and branches of trees head, leg, wing, tail, skin covering of animal
  • recognise that trees are plants
  • group and sort living things into sets according to certain characteristics hibernation migration farm animals animals and plants that provide food

Processes of life

  • appreciate that living things have essential needs for growth
  • explore, through the growing of seeds, the need of plants for water and heat
    design, make or adapt a suitable container for growing seeds
    investigate how plants respond to light
  • understand that seasonal changes occur in living things and examine the changes in plant and animal life during the different seasons
  • become familiar with the life cycles of common plants and animals.
Integration

Geography: Natural environments

Strand: Energy and forces


Strand unit: Light


The child should be enabled to

  • recognise that light comes from different sources
  • recognise that light is needed in order to see
  • investigate the relationship between light and materials
    sort materials according to whether or not they allow light through (transparent/ opaque)
    explore materials that do not allow light to pass through (opaque) and thus form shadows
    design and make a model glasshouse using a plastic bottle that will allow light to pass through
    design and make a pair of shades using different combinations of coloured film or plastic
  • recognise that the sun gives us heat and light, without which we could not survive
  • become aware of the dangers of looking directly at the sun.

Strand unit: Sound


The child should be enabled to

  • recognise and identify a variety of sounds in the environment
  • identify and differentiate between high and low sounds, loud and soft sounds
  • explore ways of making different sounds using a variety of materials
    tins, metals, bottles, paper
  • design and make a range of simple percussion instruments
    investigate how changes in materials, volume and beaters affect the sound produced.

Integration

Music: Exploring sounds


Strand unit: Heat


The child should be enabled to

  • become aware of different sources of heat energy
    sun, fire, radiator
  • learn that temperature is a measurement of how hot something is
  • measure and compare temperatures in different places in the classroom, school and environment.
Linkage

Materials - Materials and change

Integration

Geography: Natural environments - Weather


Strand unit: Magnetism and electricity


The child should be enabled to

  • use magnets of different shapes and sizes in purposeful play to explore their effects on different materials
    design and make a fishing game using a magnet
  • investigate that magnets attract magnetic materials, such as iron and steel
  • investigate that magnets attract certain materials through other materials
    magnets attracting materials through water, glass, plastic
  • explore the effects of static electricity
  • become aware of the uses of electricity in school and at home
  • identify some household appliances that use electricity
  • become aware of the dangers of electricity.


Strand unit: Forces


The child should be enabled to

  • explore how objects may be moved by pushing and pulling
  • become aware of and explore how moving water and moving air can make things move design and make a land yacht that can be used for carrying toys for a set distance
  • observe and investigate the movement of objects such as toys on various materials
    and surfaces
    level and inclined surfaces
    rough and smooth surfaces
  • investigate how forces act on objects
    investigate floating and sinking with a wide range of materials and objects
    make and test predictions about objects that will sink or float
    group objects that will sink or float
    investigate how some objects may be made to float by hollowing them out.


Strand: Materials

Strand unit: Properties and characteristics of materials


The child should be enabled to

  • identify and investigate a range of common materials used in the immediate
    environment
    food and its ingredients
    materials used to construct buildings
    materials used to make furniture
    materials used to make clothes
    materials used to make tools
    materials used to make toys, school equipment
  • describe and compare materials, noting the differences in colour, shape and texture
  • begin to distinguish between natural and manufactured materials
  • group materials according to their properties
    flexibility, transparency, magnetism, strength
  • identify and investigate materials that absorb water and those that are waterproof investigate the absorbency factor of various fabrics and materials and design and make a new kitchen cloth or roll

  • begin to explore how different materials may be used in the construction of homes suited to their environments
    homes, homes of animals, models, structures.


Strand unit: Materials and change


The child should be enabled to

Heating and cooling

  • explore the effects of heating and cooling on a range of liquids and solids water, toffee, syrup, Blu-tack
  • become aware of and investigate the suitability of different kinds of clothes for variations in temperature
    recognise that some fabrics keep us warmer than others
    design and make or assemble an outfit for someone who is going on holiday to a very warm or cold place
  • explore ways in which liquids and solids may be kept hot or cold effect of wrapping or covering using different materials, such as paper, fabrics, foil use of vacuum flasks.
Integration

Geography: Natural environments - Weather

Mixing and other changes

  • begin to investigate how materials may be changed by mixing
    mixing paints to make new colours
    mixing water and sugar or salt
    ingredients mixed in baking a cake or making biscuits
    design and make different varieties of chocolate buns using mixing, heating or cooling (e.g. cereal and chocolate buns)
  • investigate the characteristics of different materials when wet and dry.
Linkage

The strands Living things and Energy and forces will complement this unit.


Integration

Geography: Human environments

Strand: Environmental awareness and care

Strand unit: Caring for my locality


The child should be enabled to

  • identify, discuss and appreciate the natural and human features of the local environment
  • observe and develop an awareness of living things in a range of habitats in local and wider environments
  • observe similarities and differences among plants and animals in different local habitats
  • develop an awareness that air, water, soil, living and non-living things are essential to the environment
  • begin to recognise that people, animals and plants depend on one another
  • realise that there is both an individual and a community responsibility for taking care of the environment
  • identify, discuss and implement simple strategies for improving and caring for the environment
    caring for clothes, toys and other possessions
    caring for living things in the locality
    keeping home, classroom, school and play spaces clean, tidy and safe
  • identify and help to implement simple strategies for protecting, conserving and enhancing the environment
    planting trees, flowers
    developing a school garden
    engaging in anti-litter campaigns
  • become aware of ways in which the environment can be polluted or harmed
    litter, pollution, vandalism.
Linkage

Many of the objectives of this strand will be achieved as children complete work in other strands of the science curriculum.

Integration

Environmental awareness and care is a cross-curricular strand common to the science and geography curricula.
SPHE: Myself and the wider world - Environmental care

 
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