Science: Mixed-age Year 3/4

Providing full curriculum coverage for Science and developing the pupils' skills and knowledge across five key areas: Plants, Animals (including humans), Living things and their habitats, Materials and forces and Earth and space.

How it works

Follow the units in the suggested order to ensure a coherent approach to the progression of skills and knowledge in KS1 for the Science scheme of work.

The following strands run through all Science units:

  • Knowledge and understanding.
  • Working scientifically.
  • Science in action.

Kapow Primary Science lessons are designed to be 1 hour and 30 minutes long to reflect the requirements of a core subject.

Units

The mixed-age units follow a Cycle A and Cycle B format to ensure progression of skills for children across the age range.

Cycle A

Y3/4 (A): Energy: Light and shadows

Identifying examples of light sources, children learn that light is needed to see and how its absence causes darkness. Children investigate reflection and shadow formation and explore how shadows can be used to entertain in the arts, creating shadow puppets to recount how different people work or experiment with light.

Y3/4 (A): Animals, including humans: Movement and nutrition

Studying the human skeleton, children identify key bones and explore how muscle changes result in movement. They learn about how the body uses energy, what constitutes a balanced diet in humans and how research contributes to nutritionist expertise.

Y3/4 (A): Materials: Rocks and soil

Studying rocks and their properties, children learn how to classify rocks and identify how they were formed. They look at the work of palaeontologists to learn about fossil formation and use models to explore how fossils tell us about the past. Pupils investigate the physical properties of rocks and link these to their particular uses. To be published by the end of December 2024.

Y3/4: Animals, including humans: Digestion and food

Using models, children describe the function of key organs in the digestive system. Pupils identify the types of human teeth to create their own model and investigate factors that impact our dental health. They compare human teeth to other animals’ and consider this in the light of prior knowledge about predators, prey and food chains. To be published by mid-February 2025.

Y3/4 (A): Energy: Electricity and circuits

Exploring appliances that use electricity in their setting, children learn how to work with electricity safely and build circuits. Pupils investigate electrical conductors and insulators and explore the relationship between the number of bulbs and bulb brightness. Real scenarios and historical discoveries inform children about scientific progression and home safety. To be published by mid-April 2025.

Y3/4 (A): Making connections

Bringing together pupils’ learning from multiple Science units, helping them to make connections between the key concepts and skills. To be published by the end of May 2025.

Cycle B

Y3/4 (B): Forces and space: Forces and magnets

By investigating motion on different surfaces, children learn about friction and compare its uses and disadvantages. They broaden their experience in working scientifically as they investigate contact and non-contact forces. Pupils explore the properties of different magnets and apply this to understand their uses.

Y3/4 (B): Materials: States of matter

By investigating the properties of solids, liquids and gases, children learn about the different states of matter. They explore changes of state using relatable examples and use this to explain changes to water through the water cycle. Pupils investigate the relationship between temperature and rate of evaporation while broadening their experience of working scientifically.

Y3/4 (B): Energy: Sound and vibrations

Exploring different ways of producing sounds, children learn about the relationship between vibrations and what they hear. They study dolphins and whales to develop their understanding of how sound travels between objects and investigate the role of insulation to protect our ears. To be published by the end of December 2024.

Y3/4 (B): Living things: Classification and changing habitats

Identifying different ways to group living things, children make classification keys to explore which grouping methods are most effective. Pupils study ways habitats change over time and understand that humans can have both positive and negative effects on their surroundings. To be published by mid-February 2025.

Y3/4 (B): Plants: Plant reproduction

Explaining how plants reproduce in the context of the life cycle of a flowering plant, gathering data on plant growth and investigating the structure and function of the parts of a flowering plant. To be published by mid-April 2025.

Y3/4 (B): Making connections

Bringing together pupils’ learning from multiple Science units, helping them to make connections between the key concepts and skills. To be by the end of May 2025.

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