Science
Curricular Goals:
In line with the MOE Science Curriculum Framework and Primary Science Syllabus, the goal of the Science department is to inculcate the spirit of scientific inquiry and to develop in students strong fundamentals in scientific knowledge, practices and values to help them understand the world and make responsible decisions.
Overview:
The various Science programmes in our department seek to provide our students with authentic and diverse opportunities to engage in scientific inquiry to acquire scientific concepts and demonstrate the way of thinking and doing science.
Science as an Inquiry
Scientific investigations are carried out at varying degree of inquiry to help students learn scientific concepts and develop scientific skills. Students are introduced the Scientific Method and get to experience how scientists carry out investigations and use the findings to draw conclusions and explain observations.
Students are also equipped with thinking skills such as using the framework of CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) to guide them to think like a scientist and to communicate in a scientific way.
Science and Environment
Students will be provided with different opportunities to interact with nature through the Environment Education Programme. The various gardens in the school enable students to observe the natural environment and its biodiversity, and to develop their love and sense of responsibility towards nature. Students will also have the opportunity to grow vegetables in the garden to learn more about reproduction in plants and food sustainability.
Science and Application
The department engages students in the learning of Science through various learning experiences such as hands-on activities and learning journeys to help students connect and apply what they have learnt to their everyday life.
The Young Scientist Badge Scheme (YSBS) offers a variety of tasks to strengthen self-directed, hands-on learning beyond the classroom. Students may explore these badges through the I am a Young Scientist (sscglobal.com.sg) site or through the Student Learning Space (SLS). These learning experiences can increase students’ motivation and engagement, making Science come alive for students in both the formal and informal learning spaces.
Students who exhibit strong aptitude in Science may be selected to participate in competitions and enrichment programmes such as Singapore Primary Science Olympiad (SPSO) and Excellence 2000 (E2K) to extend their learning.
Parents’ Partnership
We look forward to a close partnership with parents to support your child in learning science. Here are some suggestions:
- Encourage your child to participate in the Young Scientist Badge Scheme. Go through the instructions together with your child and provide him/her with the necessary materials and support to complete the activities.
- Encourage your child to observe the natural world and ask questions on how or why things happen. Look for answers together with your child.
- Encourage your child to read widely beyond the textbooks e.g. science magazines and websites.
- Do science together. Carry out simple experiments at home or take things apart to learn how they work.
- Bring your child on learning journeys to zoos, parks and nature reserves to learn more about plants and animals.
- Help your child to cultivate good work habits such as annotating and revising regularly.
• Students observing specimen slides using a clip-on microscope during a P3 lesson on Bacteria and Fungi
• Students working together to create a model of the plant transport system during a P5 lesson
• Students harvesting the vegetables they have planted during the P4 Eco-plot Planting Programme
• Students conducting hands-on experiment during a Science Centre Enrichment Programme
• Students engaging in scientific inquiry during the E2K programme (top)
• Students learning about the edible plants in our school garden during a workshop organised for the Environment Monitors (bottom)
• Students learning ways to upcycle wooden waste into everyday products during the P6 learning journey to Xcel Industrial Supplies Pte Ltd (right)