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Science

"Good Science Education helps children to make sense of the world around them through investigations and interactions in which they are personally involved. Science activities help children develop their learning by encouraging their natural curiosity." (Science in the National Curriculum Document)

Essentially an activity-based subject, our pupils learn Science by experience and investigation, forming and testing hypotheses, observation, prediction and recording findings. Our programme is divided into a series of themes, which encompass the following strands;

Life and living processes
Materials and their properties
Physical processes
Experimental and investigative science
A residential field study is organised for Year 5 pupils at Ilam Hall, Nr Ashbourne. This enhances their understanding of river and plant life. Year 2 pupils visit the Parrs Wood centre to support their studies in Life and living things.
Use is made of the environment with visits connected to the School. Teachers and children use the School environment and local neighbourhood in much the same way. The School was awarded a major grant from Toyota and the Training Enterprise council in recognition of its work in Science and Technology and has recently received a major grant from Astra Zeneca to help develop learning materials for all Poynton schools.

Air Travelers
Wander lonely as a cloud through this attractive and informative website. Air Travelers is an introduction to the basic principles of buoyancy, properties of gases, temperature and the technology involved in hot-air ballooning. The site is aimed mainly at Key Stage 2 pupils, but younger children will be able to access some of the material.

Aquatic Safari
Discover fun facts and view beautiful images of the more mysterious creatures found in the ocean. Learn about the blue sea star, batfish or skunk/striped cleaner shrimp, plus many corals and anemones. Follow the links for further details on coral reefs, bony fish, dolphins, whales and other marine mammals. Pupils at all Key Stages will enjoy this virtual aquarium.

Ask Dr Universe
Got a question and dying to know the answer? Then use the combined resources of Washington State University. Submit an inquiry and an expert in the guise of a cat will reply. A treasure chest of previously answered questions, on mainly science topics, is available as well as other nuggets of information. The site is aimed at school students but the responses can be complex, making the site of interest to parents and further education students as well.

AskERIC - Health, Body Systems
The Body is a common Key Stage 2 topic and using this site will enhance your term's work on this subject. The pages have clear lessons on the senses, body systems, health and hygiene, teeth and tooth decay, and even a literacy link. Highlighted within several of the lesson plans are assessment opportunities.

Benny Goodsport
Meet Benny Goodsport and his friends! These cartoon characters promote healthy living for kids through stories and games. Learn about food pyramids, create and submit your own menus, and discover what Benny says about your diet. Useful for food or health and fitness topics with both Key Stage 1 and 2 and contains a number of literacy activities.

Biodiversity Bingo
A simple, informative game matching animals and plants to their environment, this fun website would be useful for science and geography topics across the primary age range. The species are provided by colourful images and four habitats are described: temperate forest, temperate freshwater, tropical forest and tropical marine.

British Heart Foundation - Artie Beat
Visit Artie Beat's information page for a wealth of information on the heart. Children can discover how exercise can help our everyday life and how smoking damages our heart. Get the children in your class to check the different healthy food groups and compare these against their daily food intake. Maybe start a keep-fit club or session using the recommendations of Artie Beat.

Bubbles
How can bubbles be so much fun? How can a microscopically thin soap film produce beautiful colours? Take a look at this site and find out whilst experimenting with recipes for your own giant bubbles. As well as the fun side of science, there are explanations of surface tension, hydrogen bonding and interference patterns for more serious students.

Canterbury Environmental Education Centre
This site is dedicated to education in, about and for the environment and includes a whole host of information for teachers and pupils alike. There are virtual tours of ponds and the countryside, each with educational activities sheets for pupils and teachers notes alongside. A picture gallery and a fieldwork section make this an excellent site for Key Stage 1 and 2 level science.

Colgate-Palmolive: Kids World
This is a commercial site for children, but it is useful for work associated with healthy teeth in Key Stage 1 and 2 science or PSHE. There are a number of interactive activities, including a lovely 'Jungle Game' which requires Macromedia Shockwave, and a 'Tell the Tooth' game where children have to select healthy snacks.

Come To Your Senses
Explore the five senses with the help of Mr Potato Head! This site is ideally suited to older Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils. It is packed with information, activities and pictures and will provide a useful resource as part of a human body science topic. Links to other sites for each sense make this a useful starting point for further investigation or research for older students.

Crocodile Clips Elementary
Get here ASAP and download the free electricity activity software. This is a program that will take Key Stage 2 science pupils on a journey through circuits, flashlights, batteries, motors and much more. 'Create a circuit' is a science activity that is worth your time downloading on its own. The best few minutes' download time you will spend this term!

Curriculum Crosswords
These crosswords are not interactive and need to be printed before use but are very useful nonetheless. The methods of printing depend upon your Web browser - you can either print direct from the frame or, if your browser does not permit this, you can open a new window and print from there. A very useful, differentiated cross-curricular resource covering a broad range of topics at Key Stage 2.

Dennis Kunkel's Microscopy
View insects, plants and human body parts in microscopic detail through these colourful and fascinating electron microscope photographs. Examine further the structure of an ant, fruitfly or a mosquito using the 'zoom in' feature. An exciting science resource for Key Stage 1 and 2 topics relating to minibeasts, and biology projects.

Discovery.com
US TV channel, Discovery, has an enormous website covering just about everything you may ever want to know about the physical and human worlds. From woolly mammoths to the sacred temples of Bali to puppy cams, there is a bewildering range of topics for the student, teacher and general surfer to browse through. The kids' section on its own contains dozens of educational adventures. Whatever you want to know, discover it here.

Electricity
This small website is a useful resource for teachers of upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 looking at what electricity is and important safety rules. There is a brief, very readable explanation and a glossary. These are followed by activities with real-life applications which could be undertaken by children, including making a conductivity tester and checking your electricity bill. This is a great resource for practical science lessons.

Electricity and Electronics for Beginners
Starting with an appeal to parents, 'Encourage your children to grow up literate in technological matters in a world that is dominated by technology', this is a collection of ten factsheets about electronics. The first is a straightforward introduction to electricity, then the others go on to explore current, resistance, LEDs, circuits, symbols, earthing, conductivity and switches. Handy for Key Stage 2 and 3 science classes new to the physics of power.

Electronic Zoo
Find out about almost any animal on Earth at the Electronic Zoo. The site is packed with links to information and pictures. The home page is easy to use, but filtering will be necessary from here as there is, quite simply, so much to choose from.

Explore Science
Claiming to be the first 'Shocked' science lab on the Web, this brilliant site will entertain and educate all. Use your Shockwave plug-in to experiment with over thirty animations covering mechanics, waves, optics, life sciences and more. Start with a simple one like a 2D collision or, for a challenge, try Fermat's principle.

Fading Dot
Want a different but quick experiment to add to a human body topic? Every child who stares at this dot for a predetermined length of time will have something to say about it. A useful insight into how the eyes and senses can play tricks and a good introduction to optical illusions for young science classes.

Food Pyramid Guide
Use this site as part of a healthy eating and diet unit of work in the Key Stage 2 science curriculum. The food pyramid is represented graphically for children to investigate by clicking on each different food type in order to find out more information. Can your pupils work out how healthy their diets are using the guidelines included here?

Forces of Flight
This beautifully-presented site will enable Key Stage 2 children to explore the forces involved in the process of flight. Simple diagrams allow pupils to gain a full understandng of the interaction between lift, thrust, drag and weight. As this site uses the same annotation (arrows) as the National Curriculum, it can also be used as a Year 6 revision exercise.

From Windmills to Whirligigs
Visit Vollis Simpson's Whirligig Farm, a yard filled with spinning ducks, aeroplanes and discarded metal pieces of all sizes and shapes - a unique science and art connection to wind topics which will fascinate and inspire young minds.

Fun Factory
Waterman will be your guide through East of Scotland Water's stunning interactive education section. The site has been designed to fulfill many parts of the Scottish 5-14 Environmental Studies curriculum and will also be of use with children at Key Stages 1 and 2. The colourful, Shockwave-driven 'Workshop' about all aspects of water and its uses will enthrall even reluctant learners, as will the water-themed games. There are also factsheets and posters to colour for use away from the computer. A superb resource for science and geography topics.

Got Milk?
Devoted to promoting milk in all its forms, this mooing American site is very well orientated to young people. It includes some good PSHE elements about healthy eating and exercise, facts, trivia and games. The site is ideal for food technology teaching and there are good design and technology possibilities for Key Stage 2.

Grand Illusions
This is a fun science site, aimed at a general audience. There are scientific puzzles, optical illusions, magic mirrors, and even an investigation into whether Napoleon really did die from arsenic in his wallpaper. Probably best suited to Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils, this site is a great way to encourage interest in the subject.

Guinea Pig Television
Guinea pigs star in this live webcam show. Images are updated every two minutes and, if you can't see one live, there are archive video clips to view. The OinkerNet Gallery also features many guinea pig photographs. It is less messy than having the real thing for classroom or individual projects relating to pets with Nursery, Key Stage 1 and 2 children.

Habitats
Which animals live in a wood or hedgerow? What pets would you find sharing your home? These questions are some of those answered by this simple site for Nursery and Key Stage 1 classes to introduce them to the occupants of familiar habitats. Photos accompany the large text making this a handy site for nature classes without the need for daytrips.

Henrietta Leavitt Flat Screen Space Theatre
Visit this virtual planetarium for a guided tour of the Solar System and beyond. Key Stage 2 pupils will enjoy this fascinating and informative site, dealing with stars, black holes and planets. Useful for class or individual projects relating to space and worth looking at by all astronomy fans.

How The Ear Works
Shockwave is required to download this simple animation of the human ear. It clearly demonstrates, with audio, how sound travels through the ear to the brain. Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils studying the human body in science will enjoy this attractive classroom resource.

Hubble Space Telescope
Not the only place to find lots of attractive Hubble images but this is likely to be the best. The Hubble Space telescope site is probably the most up to date and the most informative. In addition, you will find educational activities, information about instrumentation and function, as well as the Space Telescope Science Institution. A great resource for science lessons on the mysteries of space.

Insect Zoo Camera
Hunt for giant stick insects with this controllable Web camera. Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils can choose the camera shots and zoom in for a closer look. A fascinating classroom resource for minibeast projects.

Junior Eclipse Web Site
The August 1999 total eclipse of the sun fired the imagination of most people in the UK and this site will enhance science projects about this exciting event and future eclipses. It includes general information, experiments, quizzes, a DIY eclipse and teaching guide. Easy and quick to navigate - a must-see site.

Katerpillars (& Mystery Bugs)
The University of Kentucky Entomology Department have provided interesting, fun projects and resources with an insect theme. A useful supplement to minibeast topics with Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils, not simply for science, but also for art, D&T and literacy activities.

Letsfindout
A very well organised general knowledge site that professes to be a great 'homework helper'. It does live up to its own description! Information can easily be found through a variety of routes, the simplest of which is the ever-popular simple text search. The site is aimed mainly at Key Stage 2 pupils.

Light and Optics Activities
Access a variety of simple experiments relating to the properties of light and its applications. Activities include investigations of refraction, rainbows and lenses, with clear instructions and diagrams. Further information is provided through links to the 'reading' pages. Key Stage 1 and 2 teachers may find this a useful resource for science topics.

Living Key
'Will it die if it gets no water?' is how this school's website introduces the concept of living things. Key Stage 1 pupils can follow the simple online key to indentify an organism down to its group level. Key Stage 2 science classes will find the information sections on plants and animals and the characteristics of living things useful during lessons on nature topics. Lots of clear photos and large text make this a worthwhile resource.

Mechanical Toys Page
The Mechanical Toys Page is devoted to all toys that are powered mechanically or that are kinetic. Rubber bands, springs, flywheels, candles and gravity power the toys which range from camphor boats to rubber-band guns. This site will enhance many topics but is especially useful for science and technology work.

Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
This is simply an amazing site. Everything that a science pupil or teacher could need is here, including educational games, lesson plans that are tied directly to the National Curriculum, descriptions of events and online exhibitions. Try moving the Tower of Hanoi or test your reaction and response times in the 'hands on' section. A great educational resource.

The Nine Planets
This site is aimed at Key Stage 2 children in both its content and style. If you are covering the topic of 'the Earth and beyond', bookmark this site and let pupils navigate themselves on a journey to the nine planets. Children can research basic facts or delve deeper into the properties of the planets that make up our solar system - the site includes a photo library and movie clips for each planet.

Optical Illusions
Here you can examine three different types of optical illusion. Click on each example to gain a better view and receive an explanation. A fun resource for Key Stage 2 classes studying the workings, and apparent trickery, of the eye or brain.

Plants and Our Environment
Learn about the different parts of plants and how they grow, find out how seeds travel and how bees help plants, and discover the relationship between animals and plants. There are also geography and maths activities on this site which was created by students at Hinkle Creek Elementary School in Noblesville, Indiana.

Science Made Simple
Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils will get great projects and experiments and clear, detailed answers to common science questions here. Science Made Simple is designed to cover a wide range of ages, from about 5 to 13. Each issue has several different sections, written at different levels of difficulty and depth.

Science Museum
Part of the National Museum of Science and Industry's website, this is a developing site which has an overall view of what is in the Science Museum, plus articles about particular exhibits, historical information, scientific explanation and some good images. Excellent background from rocks to clocks.

Space
Exciting discoveries about possible life on Mars are revealed along with video clips of the revolving planet. Key Stage 2 pupils can use this newly-acquired knowledge to lead a virtual expedition to the planet's surface. With instructions for making models of Sun-Earth-Moon systems and numerous links, this provides fun activities and information for science topics.

Starchild: The Solar System
This site is intended for primary pupils, offering detailed and fascinating information on our solar system. It takes children on a voyage through the solar system and beyond, adding questions and interesting facts along the way. Hyperlinks enable difficult or unknown words to be explored further. The graphics are fun, colourful and the pages load quickly.

Sunclock
Provides a diagram illustrating which areas of the Earth are currently in daylight and which are in shadow (night). By making printouts, children can map how daylight alters over the course of the day. Shading the area at night on a globe will reveal the relative positions of Sun and Earth and introduce the causes of the seasons. A fun and educational interactive site for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils.

Under 5's
Early Years sites are too few at present and this makes up for some of the slack. Teachers will find free learning resources, practical information and help from the topic webs and planning pages. There are suggestions for introducing younger pupils to science and printable worksheets combining colouring with counting activities. A very useful resource for teachers and parents of rising fives.

useitagain.org.uk
Did you know that every person in the UK produces about half a tonne of household waste each year? Over 50% of it can be reused or recycled. Find out how by playing Shockwave games, taking the environmental test or by just reading the excellent and straightforward texts available. Ideal for pupils at Key Stage 2 science and above or anybody who would like to make a difference.

Useless Knowledge.Com
A site that puts itself down in its title is actually a mine of interesting, if somewhat irrelevant, information. From the true meaning of unusual words (great for the Literacy Hour!) to explanations of eternal conundrums, pupils will be able to find out more than they will ever need to know. They can test themselves on science, geography, history and sport but beware the American bias. A must for Trivial Pursuit addicts!

Virtual Pond Dipping
Key Stage 1 and 2 science pupils can examine six basic organisms in this diagrammatic virtual pond. Click on each organism for identification and simple facts. The site has links which supply more detailed information for teachers and Key Stage 3 students. It also provides simple guidelines for novice pond-dippers.

Water Cycle from North West Water
This is an entertaining and interactive illustration of the water cycle. The graphics are bright and colourful but the associated text is sometimes detailed and may need explanation for younger or less able Key Stage 2 pupils. A basic prior understanding would assist student comprehension. The site could provide suitable revision for Key Stage 3 students.

Webs of Life
This is an interactive introduction to ecosystems and food chains. Explore three islands, and then create a virtual paradise for spiders. Meet a variety of spiders or study your own mini-ecosystem. A fun and informative site for minibeast topics in Key Stage 1 and 2 science classrooms.

Wonka
Meet Willie Wonka and the Oompa Loompas in this exciting and colourful site. The interactive games are both fun and educational with varied levels, and can be played online with Shockwave or downloaded. Topics include science, technology and animals. Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils studying Roald Dahl's stories will enjoy this either in the classroom or at home.