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To explore a variety of ways to best teach science without a lab
AimsTo share some ideas of Science practicals that do not require a Lab To consider and share the use of simulations to enhance learning To share resources for primary Science Co-ordinators and teachers
Not intended to “fix” / “plan” all primary science lessons in 45 minutes!
Me• Graduated Birmingham University Physics ‘91 • PGCE Science 94/5 • Taught KS3/4/5 Science 1995-2000 • Since 2007 I have taught mainly Science at Abbot Beyne
National Curriculum Aims for Science• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding
through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics • develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of
science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them • are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to
understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future
Lab-free Practicals Simulations
Web resources
Lab-free Practicals
Materials• Friction testing, scratch testing, density testing (in water) on a
variety of common household materials. • Group the materials once properties ascertained. • Plan which materials would be suitable for certain tasks (with reasons)
• States of matter • Ice cubes, water and steam (teacher only)
• Changes of state and reversible changes • Burning and melting chocolate (burning is chemical, melting is physical) • Burning a match or wood • Dissolving and evaporating (sugar or salf) • Nails in jars / water / air / both
Seasonal changes• Keep an iPad or Excel log of weather conditions over the year
(temperature and rainfall easy) • This data can then be compared with previous years, other countries
etc.
Living things and their habitats• Living things / once alive / never alive – survey school grounds • Project on different habitats in the local area – ideal for which
animals/plants?
Animals including humans• Outdoor exercise practical, resting heart rate / each minute
after exercise. • Vigorous and gentle • compare results from students and vigour.
• Tooth decay using disclosure tablets • Diet / exercise log for class discussion analysis
Plants and animals• Light / water / both / neither deprivation practicals with
flowers in the classroom • Germinating and growing cress or similar on wet tissue paper. • Simple quadrats: • Mark out a metre square of grass and tabulate what you find: mini
beasts, plants etc, try this in different areas ie near a pond, near a fence, under a tree etc.
Rocks• Salt solution crystal formation, dry(evaporate water) slowly /
quickly to show differing crystal size formation in rocks. • Rock samples showing igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. • Volcano (sciencebob in web resources)
Erupting Volcano – Sciencebob.comhttps://sciencebob.com/the-erupting-volcano/
Forces• Floating experiment in bowls of water – plasticine boats
(displaced water provides uplift) • Levers with doors and/ or See-saws if available • Rocket - Sciencebob
Earth and Space• Scale modelling on field with a metre being a 100 million miles
(approx. distance from Sun to earth) – put students at the correct points. NB could use Astronomical units (below) as meters. Scale 1:150,000000
Light• Shadow formation from point (bulb) and extended (window)
sources • Measurement of penumbra in each case bringing this around to light
travelling in straight lines
Sound• Old speaker, stripped of case, with rice or similar on top to
show vibrations. Guitars/ xylophones or similar to relate loudness to vibrations vibrations. Slinky spring shows longitudinal waves well. • Speed of sound: stand on other side of field and blow whistle/
shoot gun and measure delay between visual observation and sound being heard (NB 170m will give a half second, measurable, delay)
Electricity • Simple circuits with batteries and bulbs / conductors and non-
conductors – resource implications • Simulations (PHET later)
Magnetism• https://sciencebob.com/make-an-electromagnet/
Simulations
Colorado University simulationshttps://phet.colorado.edu/sims/lunar-lander/lunar-lander_en.html
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/lunar-lander/lunar-lander_en.html
Other simulationsSimpop https://simpop.org/ Echalk https://www.echalk.co.uk/Primary/science.html Welearn365 http://www.welearn365.com/links/sbbcsc/sbbcsc.htm
Web Resources
Institute of Physics https://www.iop.org/tailored/teachers/
Royal Society of Chemistryhttp://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/listing?searchtext=&filter=all&fLevel=LEV00000001&eMediaType=MED00000009&reference=primaryresource
Royal Society of Biologyhttps://www.rsb.org.uk/education/teaching-resources/primary-schools
STEM.orghttps://www.stem.org.uk/audience/primary
Colorado University PHET simulations• https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balloons-and-static-
electricity/latest/balloons-and-static-electricity_en.html
Sciencebobhttps://sciencebob.com/category/experiments/
