Primary Remote Learning Resources

The key learning objectives are aligned to the National Curriculum for England, however, the topics chosen are relevant to learners across the UK:

 (Age 5-6) - Materials - Four activities in one lesson document / Plants - Seven activities in one lesson document

 (Age 6-7) - Materials - Five activities in one lesson document / Plants - Six activities in one lesson document

 (Age 7-8) - Light - Six lesson plans / Plants - Five lesson plans

 (Age 8-9) - Living things and their habitatsFive lesson plans / States of matter - Six lesson plans

 (Age 9-10) - Living things and their habitats - Five lesson plans / Properties and changes of materials - Six lesson plans

 (Age 10-11) - Living things and their habitats - Six lesson plans / Light - Four lesson plans

Each lesson is presented as a editable PowerPoint document featuring guidance for teachers/ home educators, explanations of key concepts, suggested activities for pupils and examples of possible learning outcomes. There is also an overview document for each topic, to show how the lessons are sequenced.

These resources were created by members of the ASE in response to the school closures during the coronavirus pandemic. Please note, while at the time every effort was made to ensure the links were relevant to the learning, the ASE can make no guarantees about the on-going accuracy of the content or its continued availability.

The writing team comprised: Lucy Wood (co-ordinator), David Church, Carla Wallington, Naomi Hiscock, Nicola Beverley, Kulvinder Johal, Jenny Watson and Lizzie Wood (illustrator).

To give a more detailed view of how the resources have been used, and how they can be adapted for lessons in schools, Lucy and Carla wrote an article for Primary Science in Jan/Feb 2021 (Issue 166). You can see the article here: https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/primary-science/issue-166/ase-primary-science-lessons-home-and-school-learning-response

If you've used the resources and are not currently a member of the ASE, we would also urge you to consider joining the association. As a charity, the ASE relies on the continued support of its membership to make resources such as these freely available...

Year One resources

Every day materials

Identifying and comparing a variety of materials by exploring objects found at home...

Parts of plants

Identifying the parts of plants, including trees.

Year Two resources

Uses of everyday materials

Classifying objects by material and property to suit a specific purpose

Plants

Exploring how plants grow and stay healthy.

Year Three Resources - Light

Year 3 - Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson

Lesson 1 – Introduction to light

Exploring that we need light to see things

Lesson 2 – Sources of light

Recognising different light sources and identifying objects which reflect light

Lesson 3 – Reflective surfaces

Identifying how objects with different surfaces are more or less visible

Lesson 4 – Opaque, translucent or transparent?

Exploring materials that are opaque, translucent or transparent.

Lesson 5 – Sunglasses

Investigating sunglasses and other materials which act like sunglasses.

Lesson 6 – Shadows

Exploring how shadows are formed and measuring shadows.

Year Three Resources - Plants

Year 3 Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson.

Lesson 1 – Parts of plants

What are the main parts and functions of plants?

Lesson 2 – How water travels

How does water travel to different parts of a plant?

Lesson 3 – Growing conditions

What happens to plants in different conditions?

Lesson 4 – Pollination

What is pollen and pollination?

Lesson 5 – Seed dispersal

Exploring seed dispersal in plants.

Year Four resources – States of matter

Year 4 Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson.

Lesson 1 – Solids, liquids and gases

Introducing the properties of solids, liquids and gases.

Lesson 2 – Liquids

Exploring the properties of liquids.

Lesson 3 – Freezing and melting

Changes of state: investigating freezing and melting.

Lesson 4 – Boiling and evaporation

Changes of state: comparing boiling and evaporation.

Lesson 5 – The water cycle

Understanding evaporation, condensation and the water cycle.

Lesson 6 – Gases

Exploring the properties of gases.

Year four resources - Living things and their habitats

Year 4 - Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson

Lesson 1 – Habitats introduction

Exploring animal adaptations in an Arctic and a hot desert habitat

Lesson 2 – Local habitats

Investigating habitats and micro-habitats in gardens and woodland

Lesson 3 – Branching keys

Making branching keys and classifying woodland invertebrates (minibeasts).

Lesson 4 – Food chains

Drawing and describing food chains for woodland plants and animals

Lesson 5 – Changing environments

Exploring seasonal changes and habitat changes due to human activity.

Year Five resources – Properties and changes of materials

Year 5 Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson.

Lesson 1 – Introduction to materials

Exploring properties and uses of materials.

Lesson 2 – Thermal insulators

Investigating thermal insulators using a comparative test.

Lesson 3 – Soluble and insoluble materials

Identifying and comparing soluble and insoluble materials.

Lesson 4 – Separating materials

Selecting equipment to separate materials by sieving, filtering and evaporating.

Lesson 5 – Changes of state

Understanding changes of state are reversible.

Lesson 6 – Irreversible changes

Recognising and comparing reversible and irreversible changes.

Year Five resources - Living things and their habitats

Year 5 Topic Overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson.

Lesson 1 – Plant reproduction

Exploring asexual and sexual plant reproduction and the life cycle of plants.

Lesson 2 – Pollination

Comparing wind and insect pollination in flowering plants.

Lesson 3 – Seed dispersal

Investigating and modelling seed dispersal in plants.

Lesson 4 – Animal life cycles

Comparing the life cycles of amphibians, insects and birds.

Lesson 5 – Mammal life cycles

Comparing the gestation periods of different mammals.

Year Six resources - Living things and their habitats

Year 6 - Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson.

Lesson 1 – Classification

Classifying animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms. The work of Carl Linnaeus.

Lesson 2 – Vertebrates

Classifying vertebrates: features of fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals.

Lesson 3 – Branching keys

Making branching keys to identify and classify vertebrates

Lesson 4 – Mythical animals

Designing a mythical animal with a mixture of vertebrate features

Lesson 5 - Invertebrates

Classifying garden or woodland invertebrates and conducting a survey

Lesson 6 – Plant classification

Classifying flowering and non-flowering plants. Identifying plants using a key.

Year Six resources – Light

Year 6 Topic overview

A summary of key learning and suggested activities for each lesson.

Lesson 1 – Introduction to light

Exploring that light travels in straight lines.

Lesson 2 – Reflection

Seeing non-luminous shiny and matt objects.

Lesson 3 – Shadows

Making and measuring shadows.

Lesson 4 – Shadows from sunlight

What time is the Sun highest in the sky?