Knowledge

The children have an opportunity to revise the units from the year:

• Life cycles and reproduction.
• Unbalanced forces.
• Classifying big and small.
• Circuits, batteries and switches.
• Evolution and inheritance. 

Working scientifically

Through the context of the enquiry question ‘How does light affect the direction of plant growth?,’ the children investigate how plants grow when placed in a dark box with a directed source of light. They predict the outcome, design a results table and gather data before plotting them on a line graph. They analyse model results, learn how to structure a conclusion and then apply these skills to their own results. The enquiry cycle concludes with an evaluation of the trustworthiness of their experiment.

Science in action

The children explore genetically modified plants that are bioluminescent and apply their knowledge of plant needs to design a ‘grow-shelf’ to aid enthusiasts in growing healthy house plants.