This section is designed to help you explore different approaches for teaching science in your classroom.
From hands-on learning to advanced enquiry skills, we provide a range of techniques to engage your students and make science exciting.
These methods will encourage your students to think critically, ask questions, and take an active role in their learning.
Explore the techniques below and find out how you can bring space science to life in your lessons.
- Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE)
Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) puts the student at the centre of learning, rather than the teacher. Within IBSE activities, there is an emphasis on active learning. Students are faced with big questions or problems, and real-life situations.
IBSE projects show students that there is more to science than learning facts. Students get the chance to use their prior knowledge and ideas and learn about a new topic. Not every student will develop the same knowledge and skills from an IBSE activity. The outcome depends on how invested the student is in the topic and the activity.
There are various levels of enquiry. The level depends on how structured or open the activities are. Star Clusters and Supernovae are structured IBSE projects. In these projects, students are given outlines of the methods to follow and questions to answer. Exoplanets is an open IBSE project. Students come up with their own research questions and methods.
In all our projects, students explore the activity in the order they prefer. They collect data and look for patterns. They connect their evidence to the knowledge they have gained during the activity. They come to reasoned conclusions and justify them. They do not know what the result should be.
- Enquiry Skills (Working Scientifically)
In English primary schools, these skills are called "working scientifically." In other places, they are known as "enquiry" or "inquiry skills." These skills help children aged 5-12 learn about the world by doing science. They also build a strong base for future learning.
Here are the seven key enquiry skills and how you can use them in your lessons:
- Asking Questions: Get pupils to ask questions like, “Why does the Moon change shape?” or “How far away are stars?”
- Making Predictions: Help pupils use what they know to make guesses. For example, “What will happen when we watch this star over a week?”
- Setting Up Tests: Guide pupils in setting up simple experiments, like observing the night sky, to check their guesses.
- Observing and Measuring: Teach pupils to watch celestial bodies and take simple measurements, like tracking planets or star brightness.
- Recording Data: Show pupils how to write down their observations with drawings, charts, or notes.
- Interpreting and Communicating Results: Help pupils study their data and explain what they found. For example, they can explain why their predictions about the Moon were right or what they learned from the stars.
- Evaluating: Support pupils in thinking about what worked, what could be better, and how their understanding has grown. This guide explains each skill and gives practical ways to use them in your lessons. It will help children build confidence in scientific enquiry.
- The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method is a clear way of exploring and investigating. It helps ensure that ideas are based on facts and clear thinking. By teaching this method, pupils can learn important skills like observing, guessing, testing ideas, and understanding results. It helps them think carefully and solve problems step by step.
Here are the main steps:
- Observation: Students start by looking at the world and asking questions. For example, "Why do stars twinkle?"
- Hypothesis: Next, they make a guess that they can test. For instance, "Stars twinkle because of the Earth’s atmosphere."
- Experimentation: Students then carry out tests to see if their guess is right. This might include watching stars for a few nights or learning how light moves through the air.
- Data Collection: While testing, students collect information to help them understand the results.
- Analysis and Conclusion: Finally, students study their information to see if it matches their guess. They might find that the Earth’s atmosphere causes stars to twinkle and share this with the class.
The Scientific Method teaches students that science isn’t just about facts. It’s about finding out how things work through questions and evidence.
- Flipped Classroom
The Flipped Classroom model reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content outside of class time.
In this approach, pupils watch lectures or read materials at home, then engage in more hands-on, practical activities during class. This allows for more time to explore challenging concepts with teacher guidance.
For example, pupils could watch a video about the phases of the Moon at home, then come to class ready to create models or diagrams to explain these phases.
The flipped classroom method encourages pupils to take ownership of their learning and come to class prepared to apply their knowledge.