Children should have early experiences with devices , for example , toys , which move and store energy .sx They should experience natural and manufactured forces which push , pull , make things move , stop things and change the shape of objects .sx Such experiences could include , for example , road safety activities .sx Children should investigate the factors which affect floating and sinking .sx Children should be made aware of some uses of electricity in the classroom and in the home and the dangers of misuse .sx They should experience play activities with a variety of magnetic materials and investigate their effects on a range of materials and for a variety of uses .sx They should explore the Earth's magnetic field using a compass .sx They should experience simple activities using bulbs , buzzers , batteries and wires .sx Children should investigate those materials which conduct electricity and those which do not .sx Children should have the opportunity to experience the range of sounds in their immediate environment and to find out about their causes and uses .sx They should experience the production of echoes resulting from the reflection of sound from distant surfaces .sx They should investigate ways of making and experiencing sounds by vocalising and striking , plucking , shaking , scraping and blowing , for example , using familiar objects and simple musical instruments from a variety of cultural traditions .sx They should explore various ways of sorting these sounds and instruments .sx Children should have opportunities to explore a variety of light sources and effects related to shadows , reflection and colour .sx Programme of study .sx Key stage 2 :sx supports attainment targets 1-5 ; levels 2-5 .sx General introduction .sx The abilities to communicate , to relate science to everyday life and to explore , are essential elements of a developing experience of science .sx Communication :sx children should have opportunities to continue to develop and use communication skills in presenting their ideas and in reporting their work to a range of audiences , including children , teachers , parents and other adults .sx In giving an account , either orally or in written form , they should be encouraged to present information in an ordered manner .sx They should be introduced to the conventions involved in using diagrams , tables , charts , graphs , symbols and models .sx Children should be given opportunities to participate in small group discussions and they should be introduced to a limited range of books , charts and other sources from which they can gain information .sx Children should use the computer to store , retrieve and present their work and extend their understanding of information transfer .sx Science in everyday life :sx as children begin to gain increasing knowledge and understanding , they should be given the opportunity to develop further an awareness of the role and importance of science in everyday life including personal health and safety and the use of microelectronic devices to control appliances in the home .sx This awareness might be developed through investigations or through case studies , secondary sources of information , or visits .sx Industrial contexts should be introduced , alongside those of domestic and environmental contexts , as starting-points for children's work in science .sx Scientific investigation .sx Detailed provisions .sx Children should be encouraged to develop their investigative skills and their understanding of science in activities which :sx encourage children to use and develop their scientific knowledge and understanding .sx promote the raising and answering of questions .sx encourage a working and understanding of safety and care .sx are set within the everyday experience of children and provide opportunities to explore , with increasing precision , where appropriate .sx build on their existing practical skills .sx require the deployment of an increasingly systematic approach involving the identification and manipulation of obvious key variables .sx involve the use of secondary sources as well as first-hand observation .sx include the use of computers and simple electronic devices , such as digital watches , in their experimental work .sx These activities should :sx involve variables to be controlled in the development of a 'fair test' .sx involve problems which may be solved qualitatively , but which increasingly allow for some quantification of the variables involved .sx encourage the formulation of testable hypotheses , drawing increasingly on their developing knowledge and understanding .sx develop skills of using equipment and measurement , encouraging children to make decisions about when , what and how to measure .sx encourage the systematic listing and recording of data , for example , in frequency tables and bar charts .sx encourage the searching for patterns in data .sx encourage the interpretation of data , and evaluation against the demands of the problem .sx involve the capture , transmission , storage and retrieval of information using computers and sensors .sx Knowledge and understanding of science .sx Detailed provisions .sx Children should be introduced to the major organs and organ systems of mammals and flowering plants .sx They should investigate some aspects of feeding , support , movement and behaviour in relation to themselves and other animals .sx They should be introduced to basic ideas about the processes of breathing , circulation , growth and reproduction .sx They should investigate the effects of physical factors on the rate of plant growth , for example , light intensity , temperature and the amount of fertiliser .sx Children should study the ways in which microbes can affect health and learn about the factors which contribute to good health , including the defence systems of the body , diet , oral hygiene , and exercise .sx They should be introduced to the fact that while all medicines are drugs , not all drugs are medicines ; and they should begin to be aware of the catastrophic effect on health resulting from an abuse of tobacco , alcohol and other drugs .sx Children should investigate and measure the similarities and differences between themselves , accessible plants and animals and their fossil counterparts .sx They should understand that plants and animals can be preserved as fossils in different ways .sx They should have the opportunity to develop skills in identifying locally occurring species of plants and animals and marking these against keys , using observable structural features of organisms .sx They should be introduced to how information is passed from one generation to the next .sx Children should explore and investigate at least two different localities and the ways in which plants and animals are suited to their location and how they are influenced by environmental conditions , including seasonal and daily changes , and by competition for scarce resources .sx They should detect and measure environmental changes , using a variety of instruments .sx They should develop an awareness and understanding of the necessity for sensitive collection and care of living things used as the subject of any study of the environment .sx They should study aspects of their local environment which have been affected by human activity , for example , farming , industry , mining or quarrying .sx They should be encouraged to argue for and against particular planning proposals in the locality which may affect their environment .sx They should study the effects of pollution on the survival of organisms .sx Children should be introduced to food chains as a way of representing feeding relationships .sx They should be introduced to the role of microbes , and to the importance of warmth , moisture and air , in the process of decay .sx They should build on their investigations of waste materials to include a study of the significant features of waste disposal procedures , decay processes and the usefulness of any product(s ) , for example , in sewage disposal and composting .sx Children should have the opportunity to make regular , quantitative observations and keep records of the weather and the seasons of the year .sx This should lead to a consideration of the water cycle .sx They should also consider the role of climate on the productivity of agriculture .sx Children should investigate natural materials ( rocks , minerals , soils ) , sort them by simple criteria and relate them to their uses and origins .sx They should be aware of local distributions of some types of natural materials ( sands , soils , rocks) .sx They should observe , through fieldwork , how weather affects their surroundings and how soil develops .sx They should also consider the major geological events which change the surface of the Earth and the evidence for these changes .sx Children should investigate changes that occur when familiar substances are heated and cooled , and the concepts of 'hot' and 'cold' in relation to their body temperature .sx Through simple investigations and by using secondary sources , children should explore the range of fuels ( energy sources ) employed , their origins , and their combustion products .sx They should find out about the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources and the implications of limited global resources for their economic and efficient use .sx They should gradually be introduced to the idea that energy is conserved .sx By making a series of observations children should be given the opportunity to investigate changes in the night sky , in particular the position of bright planets and the phases of the Moon .sx Using simple equipment to track the path of the Sun and Moon they should learn about the relative motions of the Earth , Moon and Sun .sx Children should use this knowledge and a simple model of the solar system to explain phenomena such as day and night , year length , the phases of the Moon , eclipses and the seasons in relation to the altitude of the Sun .sx Children should work with a number of different everyday materials grouping them according to their characteristics , similarities and differences .sx Properties such as mass ( 'weight' ) , volume , strength and hardness , flexibility , compressibility , and solubility should be investigated and related to everyday uses of the materials .sx They should recognise the properties which enable classification of materials as solids , liquids or gases .sx Children should test the acidity and alkalinity of aqueous solutions using indicators , some of which may be extracted from plants , and they should be introduced to the pH scale .sx They should investigate the effect of mixing dilute acid and alkaline materials .sx Children should know about the dangers associated with the use of some everyday materials including hot oil , bleach , cleaning agents and other household materials .sx Children should investigate the action of heat on everyday materials including those such as baking powder , wood , bread and clay which change permanently .sx They should explore the origins of a range of materials in order to appreciate that some occur naturally while many are made from raw materials .sx Children should explore chemical changes in a number of everyday materials , such as mixing Plaster of Paris , making concrete and firing clay .sx They should explore simple techniques , including evaporation , filtration and chromatography , for separating mixtures such as muddy water , sea water , ink and food colourings .sx Children should investigate the role of oxygen in combustion .sx They should have the opportunity to write simple word equations to describe reactions .sx Children should be given opportunities to compare a limited range of solids , liquids and gases , to recognise their characteristics and explore ideas about matter in simple particulate terms .sx Experiments on dissolving and evaporation should lead to developing ideas about solutions and solubility .sx Children should investigate a variety of models which are self-propelled or driven and in which energy can be stored , involving motors , belts , levers and gears .sx They should experience different types of forces and use measurements to compare the effects of forces in the context of , for example , bridge building .sx They should investigate the strength of a simple structure .sx They should investigate the forces involved in floating and sinking .sx They should explore friction and investigate the ways in which the speed of a moving object can be changed by the application of forces and the relationship between speed , distance and time .sx This work should be set in everyday contexts , for example , road safety , transport ( including cycling and sailing ) , balancing systems and hydraulic mechanisms in model making .sx Children should have the opportunity to construct simple circuits .sx They should investigate the effects of using different components , of varying the flow of electricity in a circuit and the heating and magnetic effects .sx They should record the construction details of a circuit by drawings and diagrams .sx They should learn about the dangers associated with the use of mains electricity and know appropriate safety measures .sx They should investigate the properties of magnetic and non-magnetic materials .sx They should begin to investigate simple electronic circuits for measuring , switching and control .sx Children should construct circuits which illustrate AND , OR and NOT gates .sx Children should be made aware of the way sound is heard and can travel through different materials .sx They should understand how musical notes are made and the obtrusive nature of some sounds in the environment .sx