Science

Falconry UK Visit 

On Monday, we had a fantastic visit for Falconry UK as part of our Science week. We all had the opportunity to see and learn about different birds of prey including owls. Children had the opportunity to hold some of the birds and needed to wear the 'gauntlet' in order to hold them. We learnt some amazing facts about some of the different birds including:

• They have a natural waterproof oil on their feathers which protects them from the wet weather.
• We met Bailey - an African White Faced Scops Owl. He has big eyes so he can see in the dark. He can see in the dark for up to 1 mile away! 75% of his head is his skull; therefore he only has a small brain meaning he is not very intelligent.  
• We found out that if the bird had light coloured eyes, they would hunt in the day; meaning they are diurnal. If they had black eyes, they would hunt at night, meaning they are nocturnal.  Barn Owls hunt all day long.
• We met Blue - a Blue Winged Kookaburra from Australia (2nd largest Kingfisher.) He is able to keep his head still while the rest of his body moves. 
• We also had the pleasure in meeting a Tawny Frogmouth from Australia/Papua New Guinea, a baby owl and also a Siberian Eagle Owl from Russia (one of the largest in the world.) We were extremely interested to find out that a Siberian Eagle Owl's grip is as strong as a crocodile bite!

Science at Lanchester.

'No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong' - Albert Einstein.

As a Science and Technology school, we feel that Science is an important subject and provides the foundations for understanding the world and therefore children are given an afternoon for their Science lesson. We teach Science following the National Curriculum guidelines, ensuring that children are taught a range of topics through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, whilst developing their scientific language. We encourage pupil led investigation, scientific exploration and for all pupils to explain what is happening including making predictions. Children are encouraged to develop their questioning to stimulate their curiosity.

At the start of a new topic, children are given time to discuss what they already know and then share their ideas with what they would like to learn and explore within the topic.

Science is taught explicitly from Year 1 through to Year 6. In Early Years, Science is taught discretely through their topic of 'Understanding the world.' This includes having the opportunity to discuss the world around them and recognise similarities and differences in relation to objects, materials and living things. They are given many opportunities to make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur. They are then encouraged to talk about any evident changes.

Ways to help your child at home with Science.

• Investigate the world around us and use opportunities to ask 'what would happen if...?'
• Children need to know that science isn't just a subject, but it is a way of understanding the world around us.
• Carry out experiments and observe changes overtime e.g. planting and growing bulbs; seasonal changes.
• Identify and classify things, e.g. sorting materials.
• Give them time and space to explore and encourage curiosity!