Great news! Summer’s here … well maybe, as long as those clouds lift and the temperature gets above 20oC! So, that’s another year under your belt – was it a belter or a bit of a cringer?
Whatever, it will have been a year of challenges – lots of new stuff and maybe other topics that you’ve never really ‘got’ – well, isn’t it about time we got that sorted, huh? What’s coming next year? You’re going to be in the year above and are you going to get more new stuff? Of course! So how vital is it that you get those foundations well and truly sorted so you can build solidly on them?
Mega important! So, what to do with those tough areas that make you squirm inside, go hot and cold when you know there’s a test coming up, give you a right headache? It’s that time – time to focus on those scary areas, the ones you find difficult, because what’s the result when you have got them sorted? Joy! They’re not scary anymore! In fact – they might even become easy-peasy! WooHoo! So, here at EdPlace, we’re committed to helping you build those science-y foundations good and strong and so we’ve highlighted some common areas that students struggle with and guess what? We’re also giving you links to worksheets that’ll really help you to blast these scary topics out of the water and get you on to the good, solid dry land of “Oh, I get it!” Now, wouldn’t that be a-mazing? Let’s go for it …
… so here are some of the typical areas that young scientists often struggle with – to be honest there’s nothing really difficult there but often some stuff needs a little more time and a bit more working at before you ‘get’ it – right?
BIOLOGY STUFF…
- Cells and cell structure
- Enzymes and digestion
- Menstrual Cycle
- Flower structure and function
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
CHEMISTRY STUFF…
- Different types of Reaction
- Chemical Equations
PHYSICS STUFF…
- Particle model of matter
- Electrical power rating
- Energy Transfer
- Properties of Waves
- Colour and Light
- Current, voltage, resistance
- Seasons
Key Stage 3 Science Activities
Key Stage 4 Science Activities
If you are an existing customer, simply Log in and assign the worksheets to your child for them to complete.
Now, there’s one really vital thing to remember about science – it’s FFFUUUNNNN!!! Yes, really! All the cool stuff you really love – everything comes out of a sciency background, so it’s really not scary and definitely worth getting to know about. Just to prove that’s true, how about checking out some of these fun experiments/ideas that are linked to some of the areas Eddie has listed above. Don’t believe me – go on, I challenge you!
- Find changing state and freezing/melting points tough? Let’s help you out by making ice cream in a bag – A-Mazing! http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26683-science-project-make-homemade-ice-cream (haha, you can even buy an ice cream-making ball you chuck around with your friends to make ice cream!)
- There are some great experiments in here about waves and about how the tilt of the Earth causes our seasons and its effect on weather around the world: http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/other-arts-crafts/science-projects-for-kids-weather-and-seasons.htm
- Digestion experiments – yuk! Here you can create an artificial stomach and digest some bread in it – urgh! https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/science-saturday-the-digestive-system/ (btw the ‘saltine’ cracker mentioned on the site is simply a salty cracker, like a Tuc biscuit).
- Here’s a selection of chemical experiments demonstrating things like decomposition, oxidation and gas production, looking at signs of a chemical change: https://owlcation.com/stem/hands-on-experiments-to-learn-about-chemistry
- Finally, some great ideas on light, colour and even some stuff on waves: https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/Free+experiments/light+and+sound.html
ENJOY!
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