Ask a question... Explore that question with a hands-on enquiry... Discover a big idea!
At Eye, we have a distinct vision for the best way to learn about science. We believe that it is essential that children acquire the powerful knowledge that underpins science and that they have regular opportunities to undertake hands-on enquiries to develop their ability to think and investigate like a scientist. We learn that everyday questions are often linked to the greatest discoveries in science and this helps us to appreciate the majestic world in which we live.
The Big Ideas of Science
The universe follows unbreakable rules that are all about forces, matter and energy. Forces are different kinds of pushes and pulls that act on all the matter that is in the universe. Matter is all the stuff, or mass, in the universe. Energy, which cannot be created or destroyed, comes in many different forms and tends to move away from objects that have lots of it.
All matter (stuff) in the universe is made up of tiny building blocks. The arrangement, movement and type of these building blocks and the forces that hold them together or push them apart explain all the properties of matter (e.g. hot/cold, soft/hard, light/heavy, etc). Matter can change if the arrangement of these building blocks changes.
Living things are special collections of matter that make copies of themselves, use energy and grow. Living things on Earth come in a huge variety of different forms that are all related because they all came from the same starting point 4.5 billion years ago. The different kinds of life, animals, plants and microorganisms have evolved over countless generations into different forms in order to survive in the environments in which they live.
The Earth is one of eight planets that orbit the sun. The Earth is tilted and spins on its axis leading to day and night, the seasons and the climate. The Earth is made up of several layers, including a relatively thin rocky surface which is divided into tectonic plates. The movement of these plates leads to many geologic events (such as earthquakes and volcanoes) and geographical features (such as mountains.) The Earth is surrounded by a layer of gases known as the atmosphere. This atmosphere can be disturbed by human activity, leading to potentially disastrous global warming.
What does this look like in practice? Here's an example from year 5:
Small question: My friend says that she is going to jump from an aeroplane high in the sky. She has told me not to worry as she will be fine and will land safe and sound. How can this be true?
Enquiry: Year 5 investigated how different objects fall at different speeds and why. After learning that weight (the pull from gravity) pulled an object towards Earth and that air resistance slowed moving objects as they bumped into air particles, the children investigated this by creating parachutes of different sizes to slow falling objects.
Big Idea: From discussion with their teachers and subsequent enquiries and write-ups, year 5 reinforced their understanding of the following big ideas of science:
+ Weight (caused by gravity) and air resistance are forces that follow universal rules.
+ Air is made up of tiny building blocks.