The issues that may need to be discussed as part of the school's planning for science include the following:
The purpose and nature of science in the school
A science programme that aims to help children to work scientifically involves the development of a broad range of skills of enquiry, the cultivation of important attitudes and the acquisition of scientific knowledge and concepts about the biological and physical aspects of the world. The science curriculum is structured so that children can experience all these elements.
A shared understanding of the purpose and nature of science will promote a coordinated approach to the planning and teaching of science throughout the school and will also facilitate the evaluation of teaching resources and approaches.
Balancing theme teaching and a subject-centred approach
An integrated curriculum is particularly suited to younger children, because they view the world and their experiences in a holistic way. Many schools may choose to adopt a thematic approach to their organisation of work in SESE for infant and junior classes.
As children grow older, appropriate teaching strategies can vary; they may include a holistic or theme-based approach, some cross-curricular integration and a subject-centred focus. Theme teaching and the use of subject integration will remain important at all levels, but these approaches rely on careful planning by the staff to ensure that the role and distinctive contribution of each subject are realised. In particular, planning should help to ensure that, within the range of themes used, a broad and comprehensive coverage of the content strands is achieved and that adequate opportunities are provided for the development of scientific skills and concepts.
The exploration of the school and the locality
One of the most important aspects of the science curriculum and the wider SESE programme is the emphasis placed on the exploration of the local environment of the child and school. The planning process should involve teachers in becoming familiar with the locality of the school, the range of habitats in the area and other features of the natural environment. Familiarity with the locality should facilitate the selection of topics for inclusion in the science programme.
Schools differ considerably in the facilities available to them. As part of the planning process some schools may set up a bird table or weather station or lay out a school garden, all of which will provide opportunities for work throughout the different strands.
Textbooks and workcards
Textbooks and workcards can be used during science lessons to support active investigative work. These resources should be discussed and evaluated by the staff as part of their school plan for science. It will be important to select a range of secondary sources that will help to support children as they work scientifically and as they undertake designing and making tasks. Science lessons should not be workcard or textbook based. Rather teachers should select activities from a variety of textbooks and workcards that will assist children in undertaking open-ended tasks.
Safety in science activities
During practical work teachers should be aware of the safety implications of any exploratory or investigative work tobe undertaken. Primary science activities should not involve the use of chemicals or other hazardous materials. However, safety should permeate all aspects of the teaching of science, and children should be encouraged to observe safety procedures during all tasks. Safety precautions cannot remove all risks but should eliminate unnecessary hazards. Useful safety advice is provided in Safety in School Science (Dublin, An Roinn Oideachais, 1996).
A broad and balanced science curriculum
Planning should help teachers to ensure that the science programme
- includes a broad range of topics from each of the strands. The science programme should be sufficiently broad to ensure that children have access to a comprehensive range of scientific concepts
- provides opportunities for children to work scientifically. It is essential in planning for science at each level that working scientifically will form an essential part of the approach
- achieves a balance between the different aspects of the curriculum. There should be a balance between the strands and strand units of the curriculum. Each year children should experience topics from each strand unit. It is intended that over a two-year period all strand units from each strand should be covered. There should also be a balance between the development of scientific knowledge and understanding and the processes of working scientifically
- helps to unite science and technology. Investigations should provide opportunities for pupils to engage in activities that involve designing and making
- gives children plenty of opportunities to explore and investigate the environment
- provides for continuity and progression in the development of scientific ideas and in the application of investigative skills.
Developing an assessment policy
The assessment of children's learning is an essential and continuous part of the teaching and learning process in science, as in the other areas oflearning. An important aim of the school plan for science should be to help teachers come to a shared understanding of the way in which children's progress in science can be assessed, documented and reported. Assessment of the science curriculum should facilitate teachers in evaluating the suitability of the science programme selected for a particular age group.
The assessment techniques in science must focus on knowledge objectives, understanding of scientific concepts, competence in the application of experimental and investigative skills and the cultivation of important attitudes. The curriculum recommends that the following assessment methods be used to obtain a broad and balanced picture of the child's progress in science:
- teacher observations
- concept-mapping
- teacher-designed tasks
- work samples and portfolios.