PR-0552UK Primary Science - Book 2

Differentiating activities
Meeting the needs of pupils
The activities in the Primary Science series have been designed so
that they can be followed precisely or adapted by teachers. This
flexibility allows teachers the opportunity to differentiate lessons
and copymasters to meet the needs of pupils with varying abilities
and special needs.
The activities and copymasters in Primary Science can be
differentiated by incorporating the following suggestions into
teacher planning and programming.
To meet the special needs of pupils who have English as a
second language, plan a time on a day before the science unit
begins to introduce keywords and concepts. Having other adult
support would be ideal as the group can work in a quiet area away
from the classroom. Keywords can be enlarged and discussed.
By explaining each word and showing objects or pictures, the
pupils will be able to make connections between the word and
the object. For ESL pupils, being immersed in the language before
a topic begins gives them an advantage, especially during the
teacher discussion part of the lesson, when most teachers tend
to speak quite quickly.
Before the unit, allow time for the pupils to look at nonfiction or
fiction books about the topic. These will give pupils the opportunity
to learn by reading books with clear and simple language. Pupils
with reading problems will be able to immerse themselves before
the unit begins. If other adult help is available, group pupils with
low literacy levels together. The assisting teacher or parent will
be able to read instructions, labels and the questions on the
copymasters to the pupils and guide them through experiments.
If other adults are not available, mixed ability groups will allow
ESL pupils and pupils with low literacy levels to observe and be
guided by other pupils. Teachers can produce activity sheets so
pupils can become familiar with the terminology and content of
a science unit before it is started with the whole class. Include
activities such as missing letters, matching pictures to words and
finding definitions. Diagrams from the unit can also be simplified
on these worksheets. Any time that can be spent with the pupils
preparing them for the topic ahead will enable them to feel more
familiar and confident with the materials, skills and concepts.
Pupils who seem to race through the activities and copymasters
and who understand the content very quickly, can be challenged
by looking at the topic in greater depth (rather than being given
more of the same). They can go beyond the facts and begin to
analyse, create their own hypothesis and conduct research related
to strands of the topics that interest them.
By meeting the needs of individual pupils, allowing the pupils to
learn collaboratively and by having very clear instructions and
expectations, science lessons should run smoothly. If a pupil
prevents others from learning or if he or she could potentially
cause harm to another pupil, he or she should be removed from
the classroom. Organise a buddy system with another colleague,
where pupils are taken without explanation. Pupil–teacher
conferences can occur after the lesson.
Display ideas for the science classroom
By having a variety of means by which they can record and
present their findings, more pupils will be given the opportunity to
succeed. Displays and records can communicate and share ideas,
provide the stimuli for creative work, show interrelationships, and
develop the ability to interpret information in different forms or
accurately record observations and fine details. Some methods
by which pupils can display or record their science work are
shown below.
Viewing Sample
Type of display/record Examples Could follow
charts pictures, tables, graphs experiments
creative writing poems, narratives sensory experiences
models/machines recycled materials, wood, clay experiments
sketches observations or interpretations excursions
diagrams plants, animals environmental studies
tables classification, tallies observations over time
collections rocks, plants, animals comparing/classifying activities
tally sheets events, counting objects experiments, counting
dioramas environments, landforms, systems environmental studies
graphs measurement, number, change change over time, measuring activities
maps/plans streets, buildings, environmental sites excursions
diaries observations, drawings change or progress/deterioration over time
video or audio recordings sounds, spoken reports, descriptions excursions, environmental studies
interviews role-playing, guests guest speaker presentation
mobiles collected objects, words comparing/classifying activities
posters/banners environmental issues environmental studies
pupil books individual research any topic
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