Science intervention materials

These notes and the pack of intervention activities are designed to help teachers provide extra support for pupils who are struggling to make progress beyond National Curriculum level 4 in science. To make progress from level 4 to level 5, pupils need to increase and deepen their science skills, knowledge and understanding from concrete science (i.e. science which can be physically experienced) to that which is more abstract. To achieve this, pupils need opportunities to consider what they know, explore their understanding and make sense of these new scientific ideas. Talking about what they know and understand to their teacher and in discussion with other pupils will help them to formalise their thinking.

The intervention activities are designed to promote discussion. Teachers may look for written outcomes to confirm learning, but discussion is an important element. This pack provides a range of activities, many of which are very short, which are best tackled by pupils working in pairs or threes to decide appropriate responses between themselves. Teachers can use whole-class or larger group discussion to allow pupils to further consider their ideas and for the teacher to correct any lingering misunderstandings through questioning or allowing other pupils to question the basis for any incorrect or inaccurate conclusions.