Summer Term

This ‘States of Matter’ unit will focus on the differences between solids, liquids and gases, classifying objects and identifying their properties. The children will work scientifically and collaboratively to investigate the weight of a gas. Furthermore, they will have chance to find the ideal temperature to melt chocolate. They will explore in-depth how water changes state, exploring melting, freezing, condensing as well as a particular focus on evaporation. Finally, they will learn about the stages of the water cycle, creating mini water
worlds and an interactive water wheel to represent the different stages.

Success Criteria

• To sort materials into solids, liquids and gases.
• To explain that heating causes melting, and cooling causes freezing.
• To identify the melting and freezing point of water.
• To describe evaporation and condensation using practical examples.
• To describe the effect of temperature on evaporation referring to their investigation.
• To identify the stages of the water cycle.
• To predict what will happen in an investigation.
• To make observations.

Spring Term 2 - Animals including humans

This unit focuses on the digestive system in humans and animals and the functions of teeth. Children will learn more about herbivores, carnivores and omnivores in the context of teeth, digestion and the food chain. In addition, they will extend their understanding of food chains to more complex chains and food webs. 

Success Criteria

• Generate questions and use scientific evidence that is given to answer questions.
• Identify similarities related to scientific ideas.
• Make systematic observations, record using scientific vocabulary and raise further questions based on their results. 
• Name parts of the digestive system.
• Add functions to the parts of the digestive system.
• Construct the digestive system.
• Explain the functions of the digestive system.
• Identify the types and functions of teeth.
• Identify the function of teeth in humans.
• Construct and interpret a variety of food chains.

Spring Term 1 - Living things and their habitat

In this unit children will explore a variety of ways to identify, sort, group and classify living things. They will learn how animals are split into ‘vertebrates’ and ‘invertebrates’ and begin to consider the differences between living things within these classifications. They will learn how to use and create classification keys to group, identify and name living things from the local habitat and beyond. This unit also introduces children to the idea that environments are subject to man-made and natural changes, and that these changes can have a significant impact on living things. Throughout the unit children will work scientifically by gathering, recording and presenting information in different ways.

Success Criteria

• Generate criteria to use to sort living things. 
• Sort living things into a Venn diagram. 
• Sort living things into a Carroll diagram. 
• Use questions to sort animals using a key. 
• Use a key to identify invertebrates by looking at their characteristics. 
• Use the characteristics of living things to sort them using a classification key. 
• Show the characteristics of living things in a table. 
• Create a classification key. 
• Identify dangers to wildlife in the local and wider environment. 
• Record observations in a table. 
• Present findings to the class.
• Explain, using evidence, how they have identified invertebrates. 
• Explain in more detail how changes to the environment have affected endangered species.

Autumn Term 2 - Sound

This ‘Sound’ unit is about how vibrations cause sounds and how sounds travel, as well as how sounds can change pitch and loudness. The children will learn about how sounds are made, carrying out demonstrations of vibrations. The children will work in a hands-on way to explore pitch, and will use their understanding of how high and low sounds are made to create their own set of pan pipes. They will have the opportunity to make a string telephone, and will use this to investigate how sounds change over distance and through different materials. The children will work scientifically and collaboratively to investigate the best material for soundproofing, in the context of making a music studio quieter. Finally, they will demonstrate their learning from the whole unit by designing and creating their own musical instrument that will play high, low, loud and quiet sounds.

Success Criteria

• Explain how sound sources vibrate to make sounds.
• Explain how vibrations change when the loudness of a sound changes.
• Explain how sounds travel to reach our ears.
• Describe the pitch of a sound.
• Describe patterns between the pitch of a sound and the features of the object that made the sound.
• Explain how sound travels through a string telephone.
• Identify the best material for absorbing sound.
• Create a musical instrument that can play high, low, loud and quiet sounds.

Autumn Term 1 - Electricity

In this unit children will learn about what electricity is and how it was discovered. They will identify which appliances use electricity in their homes and how to keep themselves safe. Children will construct circuits, start to create pictorial circuits and conduct an investigation into how easily different types of  switches can break and reconnect a circuit.

Success Criteria

• To identify electrical and nonelectrical appliances.
• To explain how a circuit works.
• To name  electrical conductors and insulators.
• To be able to create a simple series circuit both with and without a switch.
• To be able to accurately record their findings in a table.
• To sort appliances based on whether they use mains or batteries.
• To explain how a switch turns the electric current on and off.
• To report their findings and conclusions.
• To explain the role of protons, neutrons and electrons in generating an electric current.
• To know how electrons move in a complete and an incomplete circuit.
• To explain why some materials conduct electrical currents and others don’t.
• To understand how to use electricity safely.