ByME how we should be aware that the people around us may have a sensory
impairment and be sensitive to their needs.
Natural Science 3
UNIT 1 The human body
In this unit pupils will review and extend their knowledge of the human body,
looking at the principal parts of the body and the five senses. They will also be
introduced to three vital body systems: the circulatory system, the respiratory
system and the digestive system. At the beginning of the unit pupils will revise parts
of the body and the five senses. This subject area is covered in the opening
illustration with the help of the course characters, Carla and Alex, who are on a
school trip to a doctor's surgery. The school trip continues in the story and, on their
return to school, Alex and Carla carry out a School trip project to review all the parts
of the body they have learnt. These opening pages are designed to test pupils' prior
knowledge and ease them into the subject matter of the unit, provoking interest
and participation. They will move on to study body systems and a detailed look at
how our sense organs work. This is a new area of study for the pupils and one that
requires a high level of language and knowledge acquirement. Therefore, the aim of
this unit should be to introduce pupils to the subject matter, focusing on the idea
that our body is made up of systems that work together like a complex machine and
less on the detail of how the systems work. In the Find out project, pupils will
investigate how the brain can be tricked by optical illusions and it the Find out
section of the unit, pupils will reflect on and how people deal with visual
impairment.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will learn to appreciate how
important our senses are and how people with a sensory defect can use special
objects or tools to carry out everyday activities. Throughout the unit, try to
encourage pupils to think about:
how we use our five senses every day and how we would feel if you lost the use
of one of them.
how important it is to look after our bodies, focusing on looking after our eyes
and ears.
UNIT 2 Look after yourself
In this unit we will study different ways to look after ourselves. Pupils will look at
what a balanced diet consists of and, through this, they will revise the main food
groups, which they have studied in previous years. Food groups can be presented in
different ways and there are a variety of diagrams and methods to present this
information. In ByME Primary Science 3, the food groups are presented using the
image of a healthy plate. The focus is on what we should try to include in every
meal, which means knowing how to choose different sources of good fats, essential
for a healthy diet. Sugar is not represented in the healthy plate illustration on page
24 because a healthy diet does not need artificial sources of sugar. It is important
for this age group to understand sugar is not good for us and sugary foods should
only be eaten occasionally. Encourage your pupils to choose nutritional school
snacks for themselves. Pupils will extend their knowledge of other ways of taking
care of their bodies and minds. This unit has plenty of opportunities to encourage
pupils to take responsibility for their health. Daily hygiene, rest and exercise are
healthy habits children of this age can show a responsible attitude towards and
carry out by themselves. Pupils will think about health problems and prevention.
They will also reflect on how we change with age, and how our emotional health is
also of great importance. In the Find out project they will investigate how much
sleep we need at different stages of life and in the Think about it section of the unit,
pupils think about how best to use their free time.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will learn to recognise that a
balanced diet, basic hygiene, exercise and rest are healthy habits. They learnt in
Unit 1 that the human body is complex and needs to be looked after. In this unit,
they learn that there are lots of things they can take direct responsibility for to look
after themselves. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think about:
what they eat and how they could improve their diet if necessary.
how important it is to carry out basic hygiene every day.
how lack of sleep, exercise and well-being can affect our health and our
development.
UNIT 3 Living things
In this unit pupils will review the differences between living and non-living things.
They will look in detail at how plants and animals (humans included) carry out the
life processes of nutrition, reproduction and interaction. They will learn how to
classify living things into groups and sub-groups. As your pupils will be looking in
detail at classifying animals in subsequent units, the main focus of this unit is the
plant kingdom. Pupils will review the main parts of a plant and learn to recognise
the similarities and differences between plant subgroups: grasses, bushes and trees.
Your pupils will be introduced to the concept of plant nutrition, preparing them for
a more detailed study of photosynthesis in year 4. At the end of the unit, pupils are
asked to reflect on the complexity of living things and how living things adapt and
have adapted over many years to their environment. In the Find out project they
will investigate how plants interact (movement towards the Sun) and in the Think
about it section of the unit, pupils learn how living things interact with each other
for their mutual benefit.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will learn that all living things carry
out basic life processes. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think about:
how they interact with the world around them.
how we should respect all living things and show an interest in how they carry out
life processes.
how varied life on Earth is and how fascinating it is to discover the world of plants
and animals in detail.
UNIT 4 Mammals and birds
In this unit pupils will continue to develop their awareness of the world around
them by looking at the animal kingdom. In this unit they focus on mammals and
birds. They will study domestic mammals and birds in the context of farming,
focusing on the three life processes of nutrition, reproduction and interaction.
Pupils begin by refreshing what they know about the animal kingdom, and review
the concept of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. In the story, pupils remind
themselves of products we obtain from farm animals and discover a very important
invertebrate on the farm: worms. This is followed by two double-page spread that
aim to build on pupils prior study of mammals and birds, observing the similarities
and differences between the two vertebrate groups and between species within the
same group.
The new vocabulary presented in this unit extends pupils knowledge of
classification terms and develops their ability to classify animals in different ways.
They will also improve their skills of observation, deduction and interpretation of
visual information.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will focus on nutrition,
reproduction and interaction of farm animals. Throughout the unit, try to encourage
pupils to think about:
the importance of domestic animals for humans, both as farm animals and as
pets.
how domestic animals need to be looked after.
UNIT 5 Reptiles, amphibians and fish
In this unit pupils will continue to study the animal kingdom. Your pupils will review
the main characteristics of the three other vertebrate groups: reptiles, amphibians
and fish. They will practise their techniques of scientific classification and broaden
their concept of the incredible variety of animal life on the planet.
Pupils begin by refreshing what they already know about animal groups through the
opening illustration and story. This is followed by three double-page spreads that
look in detail at the nutrition, reproduction and physical characteristics of reptiles,
amphibians and fish. Like the previous unit on mammals and birds, these three
content pages are set out in a similar way, using a simple visual organiser to help
pupils easily identify characteristics, similarities and differences between the animal
groups. Always encourage your pupils to use tables, concept maps, lists and
diagrams to organise their work and help them revise.
The new vocabulary presented in this unit extends pupils knowledge of the animal
kingdom and provides them with the necessary language tools to identify and
classify animals. They will also have the opportunity to improve their observation
skills and their ability to apply their knowledge in different ways.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will discover and learn more about
reptiles, amphibians and fish. Although these vertebrate groups are the main
subject matter of the unit, pupils are also reviewing the life processes of living
things, improving their classification skills and applying their knowledge in different
contexts. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think about:
the amazing variety of life on Earth and how we need to preserve and protect it.
how living things depend on their natural environment and therefore how
important it is for humans to preserve these habitats.
how the natural world can surprise us and evolve and adapt to extreme
conditions.
UNIT 6 Invertebrates
In this unit pupils will explore the world of invertebrates. Pupils begin by refreshing
what they learned in previous years about invertebrates. The opening pages focus
on observing how invertebrates move and classifying them as land or aquatic
invertebrates. The concept of classification is then broadened to include
invertebrate groups and subgroups. The main content pages cover a lot of new
information and vocabulary. Depending on your class's ability, these pages can be
studied in detail or used to provoke interest in the complexity and importance of
invertebrates. It may be that the animals in this group provoke negative reactions
from some of the pupils but you can stress the importance of each living thing in the
role invertebrate play. Remind them that on the farm we discovered Carla doesn't
like worms very much but she learnt that worms play a vital role.Much of the
vocabulary in this unit builds on the basic concepts the pupils have studied about
animal groups and classification. In this unit pupils will continue to develop their
observation and classification skills, and discover how classification keys are used to
help scientist identify animal species.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will learn the importance of
invertebrates and how even the smallest creatures are important. They are asked to
investigate invertebrates in their local area. Throughout the unit, try to encourage
pupils to think about:
how every living things is important
how our careless actions can disrupt the natural habitat of other living things
how we can observe wildlife in our local area.
UNIT 7 Matter, materials and mixtures
In this unit pupils will extend their knowledge of materials and matter, reviewing
some of their basic properties and developing the concept that everything is made
up of matter. Pupils will observe how matter changes, use different materials to
make mixtures and different tools to separate mixtures, and look at the process of
transforming natural materials into manufactured materials.Pupils will begin by
refreshing what they have learned about common materials and their properties
and demonstrate this understanding by means of a poster. Then they go on to apply
their knowledge of properties while exploring different physical and chemical
changes of matter. Then pupils are introduced to mixtures, and learn that almost
everything around us contains two or more different materials. This lesson provides
plenty of opportunities for pupils to make mixtures with a variety of materials and
then later focus on separating mixtures with the appropriate tools. The last two
content pages deals with natural materials and the process of transforming them
into manufactured materials.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit, pupils will practice vocabulary that they have
previously learned as well as develop very specific scientific vocabulary about
matter, materials, as well as a variety of processes. They will continue to work on
important skills including observation, classification, choosing the correct tool for
different purposes, and the collection and presentation of data.
In this unit your pupils will learn that everything in the Universe is made up of
matter. Pupils will appreciate our valuable natural materials as they are
transformed into manufactured objects we use everyday. They will reflect the
natural materials our environment produces and the importance of recycling a
variety of manufactured materials to protect it. Throughout the unit, try to
encourage pupils to think about:
how important it is to recycle different materials.
how almost everything around us is a mixture.
the important role of natural materials in the process of manufacturing everyday
objects.
UNIT 8 Energy
This unit explores the essential role energy plays in our life and encourages pupils to
think about when, where and how we use energy every day. Pupils will study
renewable and non-renewable energy sources and become aware of the
importance of energy conservation.
Pupils begin by refreshing what they already know about light, heat and sound
energy, and are introduced to the concept that we can generate energy from wind,
water and the Sun. Pupils then review and extend their knowledge about machines
that use mains electricity, batteries or both by means of a Venn Diagram.
They go on to explore six types of energy that we find all around us in our daily lives
including light, sound, thermal, kinetic, electrical and chemical. Pupils will observe
man-made and natural examples of each type of energy and focus on how energy
can change from one type to another. This is followed by an explanation of non-
renewable and renewable energy sources, focusing on how each one is obtained
and how they produce energy. Pupils will become aware that non-renewable energy
sources are limited and will eventually run-out and that renewable energy sources
can be replaced and are better for the environment.
Much of the vocabulary in this unit aims to help pupils develop language and critical
thinking skills in order to take a more active role in the learning process by
discussing important concepts that affect our daily lives. Pupils will continue to
develop scientific skills through observing, making connections, comparing and
contrasting, making predictions and collecting data.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will learn to recognise the essential
role that energy plays in our life. They will value energy as an important resource
and explore how renewable energy sources and conserving energy can help
preserve our limited non-renewable energy sources and help protect the
environment. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think about:
energy is essential for everything we do.
renewable energy sources as an alternative to using fossil fuels.
how conserving energy helps preserve limited non-renewable energy sources and
protects the environment.
UNIT 9 Machines
In this unit we pupils will review and extend their knowledge of forces and
machines. Pupils will develop an understanding of some basic concepts of physics
and explore a variety of machines designed to make our lives easier.
Pupils begin be refreshing what they know about forces, such as pushes and pulls,
and simple and complex machines. Pupils will identify common machines that make
life easier at school and make a poster of machines found in the home. Then pupils
are introduced to six simple machines and look at their parts to understand how
they work. Pupils can use this information to identify the simple machines that
make up complex machines in the world around them.
This is followed by an opportunity for pupils to practice putting things together and
taking them apart while exploring the uses of simple tools. A second hands-on
activity challenges pupils to work collaboratively to plan, design and make a
machine. This activity aims to consolidate much of what the pupils have learned
about simple machines and using simple tools while also providing concrete
experiences for pupils to develop critical and creative thinking skills.
The vocabulary in this unit will provide pupils the opportunity to build on content
specific language that will help them understand and explain new concepts. This
unit provides pupils with a variety of valuable opportunities to develop scientific
skills including observation, planning, problem-solving, inventing and manipulating a
variety of objects in their world.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will recognize simple machines and
how they work and valuing their role in making our lives better. Through hands-on
activities pupils will build confidence in manipulating different materials and
creativity in planning and designing machines. Throughout the unit, try to
encourage pupils to think about:
the important role that simple and complex machines play in our everyday lives.
the role energy plays in helping both simple and complex machines work.
their own ability to manipulate objects in their immediate environment and
explore how things work in their world.