Science enquiries are the processes by which scientific discoveries are made. A hub is a centre of activity. Communication and a knowledge of our whole planet are vital for science. The aim of this Science Enquiry Hub is to provide a centre which encourages children, students (and teachers) to make scientific enquiries and communicate them to others. In this way a data base can be built up to be used by everyone to stimulate yet more scientific enquiry.
There are four sections to the Hub.
1 The Natural World Photo Gallery.
The aim of this section is to build up information about the natural world from where you live or have been on holiday so that everyone can see the diversity of life around the planet. The photographs are arranged month by month so in any month you can compare the activities of plants and animals in different parts of the planet.
Many plants and animals have local names and in one country they may have several names depending on the region. To make the identification of living things easier for everyone around the world there is an international system of naming them. This can help children and students take their skills in sorting and classification to new and extremely scientifically relevant heights.
In summary the Natural World photo gallery provides opportunities to develop skills in photography, in classification and in using a data base.
View the Natural World Photo Gallery
2 The curiosity box
This is based on the curiosity cabinets that were set up in the seventeenth and eighteen th century and led to the establishment of museums. This activity builds on children’s curiosity and tendency to collect objects that fascinate them.
3 The Scientific Method Posters.
These eight posters show the steps in following the scientific method. They can be downloaded free of charge and used to help set up a science laboratory in your home and school. It is suggested that you secure them to the wall in a row around the area you have designated as a science area to make its boundary. They can be used by children at home working through experiments perhaps grounded in those of my books or can be used as a teaching aid in the classroom during science enquiry lessons.
Books you may like to use with the posters
* For 5 – 7 year olds Ways into Science (Watts)
* For 7 – 9 Year olds Moving up with Science/The Real Scientist (Watts)
* For 9 – 11 year olds Straightforward Science/The Real Scientist (Watts)
* Teachers Resources – 100 Science lessons 2014 Curriculum (Scholastic)
* Revise for Cambridge Primary Checkpoint Science Teachers Guide (Hodder Education)
See more (Link to D in science hub)
Find out more about the scientific method
There is also a background section explaining each step of the poster in more detail to use in teaching the children about the scientific method.
See more (Link to Background to the Scientific Method in the science hub)
4 The Science Exhibition Gallery
This gallery provides an opportunity to display science activities as a celebration of the different kinds of science enquiry that can be carried out at home or in school. Photographs of experiments, models and wall displays can be submitted and I will add a note to each one to show how it can be categorized into the different areas of practical science.
