ABSTRACT

Primary Science: Promoting positive attitudes to conceptual learningis a full colour, core textbook to support, inform and inspire anyone training to teach Science at primary level. 

This book is a new kind of text linking subject knowledge and pedagogy in one package, rather than treating them as separate entities. The text aims to encourage trainee teachers to teach scientific concepts in contexts which will inspire the children to look at the world in new and intriguing ways, rather than presenting it as a list of facts and definitions. Encouraging critical reflection and offering practical support, this book will help trainee teachers to overcome negative attitudes to Science.

The two part structure of the book first presents insights into the nature of science and science education, exploring issues such as the value and purpose of teaching Science in the primary school and the value of scientific enquiry. It then moves on to cover subject knowledge, relating it to pedagogy. 

part |2 pages

Part 1: Theory and practice

chapter 1|10 pages

The pleasure of finding things out

chapter 2|12 pages

Organising how children learn science

chapter 3|11 pages

Scientific understanding and mental models

chapter 4|9 pages

Talk for learning in science

chapter 7|18 pages

The origins of scientific knowledge

chapter 8|25 pages

The Earth and beyond

chapter 9|25 pages

Energy and the well-being of the planet

chapter 10|21 pages

Interdependence

chapter 11|18 pages

Diversity

chapter 12|23 pages

Adaptation and evolution

chapter 13|20 pages

Health and well-being

chapter 14|19 pages

The particle nature of materials

chapter 15|19 pages

Changing materials

chapter 16|20 pages

Electricity and magnetism

chapter 17|20 pages

Forces and motion

chapter 18|21 pages

Light

chapter 19|20 pages

Sound