Science, Geography & History

Children’s natural curiosity about the world around them provides an excellent starting point for science. The principal purpose of science teaching at KS1 is to enable pupils to categorise, experience, observe and describe natural phenomena. They are encouraged to ask questions and develop their understanding of scientific ideas with their teacher’s guidance, use simple equipment to take measurements, record simple data and talk about their findings. In KS1 the children are taught Science, Geography and History through Topic lessons.

Year 1

Science: The principal focus of science teaching in Key Stage 1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They should be helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information.

The topics covered are as follows:

Plants

People should be taught to:

Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous an evergreen trees.
Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Animals, Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

Identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
Describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals including pets)
Identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense.

Everyday Materials

Pupils should be taught to:

Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made.
Identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock.
Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.
Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties.

Seasonal Changes

Pupils should be taught to:

Observe changes across the 4 seasons.
Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day lengths vary.

Geography: Children are encouraged to develop an understanding of their immediate locality. They develop skills to enable them to compare different places in the world. Topics covered include: Maps, Globes, Looking at the wider world – Kenya and Fair Trade.

History: Children will begin to acquire a sense of time. They will learn that there is a ‘past’ and that it can be studied through artefacts, books visits and stories. They will begin to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Topics covered include: Dinosaurs – Stone Age, Choirokoitia (A Neolithic Site).

Year 2

Science: The children are taught to plan, predict, and carry out simple experiments, understanding the need of a fair test. They will begin to share their ideas and findings using scientific terminology.

The topics covered are as follows:

Living Things and their Habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive
identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other
identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats
describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food

Plants

Pupils should be taught to:

observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants
find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy

Animals, Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)
describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene

Uses of Everyday Materials

Pupils should be taught to:

identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses
find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching

Geography: Children begin to learn about the world around them, the continents, Europe, the oceans, and Cyprus. They carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. They ask geographical questions about people, places, and environments, and use geographical skills and resources. The Geography topics taught include, Mapping Skills and Weather, Australia.

History: Children learn about events from the recent and more distant past by listening to and responding to stories. They also use sources of information to help them ask and answer questions. Some of the History topics taught in previous years are: The Kyrenia Ship and the Great Fire of London.

Years 3 & 4

Science: In Year 3, children are introduced to a more scientific approach to enquiry and the recording of an investigation. They are encouraged to pose a question, hypothesise, predict and carry out fair tests, and to use technical vocabulary and scientific language. They are given experience in gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions and they use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.

The topics covered are as follows:

Plants

Pupils should be taught to:

identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers
explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
investigate the way in which water is transported within plants
explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal

Animals, Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat
identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement

Rocks

Pupils should be taught to:

compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter

Light

Pupils should be taught to:

recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
notice that light is reflected from surfaces
recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes
recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object
find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change

Forces and Magnets

compare how things move on different surfaces
notice that some forces need contact between 2 objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance
observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials
describe magnets as having 2 poles
predict whether 2 magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing

Geography: the topics are covered as follows:

Active Planet
The Polar Regions Mapping skills will be included within the above topics e.g. using maps, atlases, globes, compass points, grid references etc.

History: the topics covered are as follows:

The Romans
The Ancient Egyptians

The topics provide the opportunity to make links with local history, for example we visit Curium to enhance the Romans topic. Pupils develop their knowledge and skills through research, questioning and enquiry. They will use a range of resources to develop understanding, finding out how people lived in the past, why events happened and the changes that were made as a result. Sikhism is also studied as part of the Religious Education curriculum.

Year 4

In Year 4, themed topics allow learning to be more meaningful and exciting, as cross-curricular links are made between subjects. Emphasis is placed on developing important skills as well as knowledge. Pupils undertake independent projects which promote research and presentation skills. Main Topics of Study in Year 4: Animals Including Humans, Archaeology, Clean Water, Dirty Water (Rivers), Electricity, Knights and Castles, Living Things and Their Habitats, Saving the World (Rainforests), States of Matter, Sound and Buddhism.

Science: The topics covered are as follows:

Living Things and their Habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

Recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment
Recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things

Animals, Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans
Identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions
Construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey

States of Matter

Pupils should be taught to:

compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases
observe that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C)
identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature

Sound

Pupils should be taught to:

identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases

Electricity

Pupils should be taught to:

identify common appliances that run on electricity
construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers
identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series circuit, based on whether or not the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery
recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit and associate this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple series circuit
recognise some common conductors and insulators, and associate metals with being good conductors.

Years 5 & 6

Themed topics allow learning to be more meaningful and exciting, as cross-curricular links are made between science, history and geography. Emphasis is placed on developing important skills as well as knowledge. Pupils will be undertaking independent projects which promote research and presentation skills.

Some of our Year 5 topics include:

Earth and Space
The Tudors
Where in the World are We (Geography themed)
500 years ago in Cyprus: In search of the Venetians. Lusignans and Ottomans. Trip to ‘Old Nicosia’ and CVAR
Life Cycles
Properties and changes of materials
The Invaders (Saxons and Vikings)
Forces and Magnets
Religious Education (Islam)

Science: The principal focus of science teaching in upper key stage 2 is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They should do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically.

The topics covered are as follows:

Living Things and their Habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird
describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals

Animals, Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

describe the changes as humans develop to old age

Properties and Changes of Materials

Pupils should be taught to:

compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets
know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution
use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating
give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic
demonstrate that dissolving, mixing and changes of state are reversible changes
explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials, and that this kind of change is not usually reversible, including changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda

Earth and Space

Pupils should be taught to:

describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the sun in the solar system
describe the movement of the moon relative to the Earth
describe the sun, Earth and moon as approximately spherical bodies
use the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky

Forces

Pupils should be taught to:

explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object
identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces
recognise that some mechanisms including levers, pulleys and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Year 6 Topics include:

Science: The topics covered are as follows:

Working Scientifically

Pupils are taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the science topics:

Planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary and suggesting how to make a test fair
Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables
Using test results to make predictions
Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results

Living Things and their Habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro-organisms, plants and animals
give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics

Animals Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function
describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans

Evolution and Inheritance

Pupils should be taught to:

recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago
recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution

Light

Pupils should be taught to:

recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines
use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye
explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes
use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them

Electricity

Pupils should be taught to:

associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit
compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram

Working Scientifically

Pupils are taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the science topics:

Planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary and suggesting how to make a test fair
Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables
Using test results to make predictions
Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results

Living Things and their Habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro-organisms, plants and animals
give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics

Animals Including Humans

Pupils should be taught to:

identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function
describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans

Evolution and Inheritance

Pupils should be taught to:

recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago
recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution

Light

Pupils should be taught to:

recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines
use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye
explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes
use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them

Electricity

Pupils should be taught to:

associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit
compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram.

History - The Victorians

Queen Victoria
Differences in the lives of the rich and the poor
Victorian children
Famous Victorians
Scientific developments
Victorian inventions
Victorian schools

History - World War II

Reasons World War II began
Countries involved
The Blitz
Evacuation
Rationing
Role of Women
Propaganda
Anne Frank
Role of Cyprus during WWII
Hiroshima
The end of WWII
World War 2 Day: Codebreaking, Drama, Baking Carrot Cookies

Geography – Mountains

What mountains and mountain ranges are
How mountains form
Locating key mountain ranges around the world using an atlas
Mountain climates
Risks associated with mountain climates
Identifying positive and negative effects of tourism on mountains
Fieldwork: Visit to Troodos
Designing a Troodos Project
Mapping mountains: use the 8 points of a compass, 4 and 6-figure grid references, symbols and keys

Geography – India

To place India on a world map
To locate surrounding countries, seas, oceans and identify the major cities of India
Physical and human features
Climate of India
Rural and urban life
Focus on village life – Chembakolli
Hinduism: Hindus’ beliefs
Hinduism: Celebration: Diwali and Holi
Focus on a famous person: Mahatma Ghandi
India Day – Playing Cricket, Bollywood dance, art – Rangoli Patterns