Reflecting on their own experiences, children learn about the four seasons and the weather associated with each. Pupils explore how seasonal changes affect trees, daylight hours and clothing choices.  They plan and carry out their own weather reports, considering the knowledge required for this job.

Identifying and naming objects and the materials from which they are made. Pupils compare and group materials based on how they look and feel and carry out tests to sort materials based on unobservable properties.

Identifying and naming body parts and conducting practical activities with the senses to spot patterns and answer questions.

Comparing and grouping animals based on similarities and differences in their characteristics, physical features and diets.

Venturing outside, children identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees. They use magnifying glasses to observe and name plant parts and sort leaves into groups based on appearance.  Pupils investigate if beans need water for growth and identify edible plant parts.

Using picture books as inspiration, children broaden their understanding of plants and animals. They gather and record data to find out if taller trees have larger trunks and recap the features of different animal groups. They build waterproof animal homes with natural materials and sort birds according to their diet.

Considering the life processes that all living things have in common, pupils classify objects into alive, was once alive or has never been alive. They name plants and animals in a range of habitats and recognise how living things depend on each other. Pupils create food chains to show the sequence that living things eat each other.

Building on their knowledge of habitats, pupils discover that microhabitats provide what minibeasts need to survive. They learn that scientists use a range of skills to answer questions and plan and carry out an experiment to find out the conditions woodlice prefer.

Recognising that materials are suitable for specific purposes and understanding their properties, exploring how actions such as stretching and bending affect the shape of solid objects and comparing the suitability of materials by carrying out tests and recording data.

Identifying and describing the different stages of animal life cycles, including that of humans, recording and interpreting data to show growth in humans and explaining how to keep healthy.

Carrying out comparative tests, pupils discover the conditions required for seed germination. They use rulers to measure stem height and record data in a results table. Through practical investigation, pupils learn that plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

Children identify ways to reduce, reuse and recycle and draw on their knowledge of properties to invent unusual and creative uses for old objects. They discover some natural materials are derived from plants and look at the processes involved in making paper. Using their observational skills, they conduct simple tests to choose the most suitable material for making homemade plant pots, venturing outdoors to find natural materials to decorate them.