With its beauty, possibilities and unanswered questions, space is a curriculum topic that is always sure to inspire a sense of awe and wonder in primary pupils. The power of space as a context for science learning is so great that it seems a shame not to draw upon it when teaching pupils of all ages, at every possible opportunity.
The importance of linking real-world contexts to science learning was emphasised in the recent guidance report from the EEF, Improving Primary Science, which draws together evidence from a systematic review of research to make seven practical recommendations for improving primary science. Recommendation four, 'Relate new learning to relevant, real-world contexts', explains the benefits of supporting pupils in developing their scientific understanding and appreciating the relevance of their learning.
The ideas we present later model how this could be achieved in the primary classroom, but further reading of the EEF guidance report provides interesting insights on how to make sure that this is done effectively.
Also based on rigorous research, the Primary Science Capital Teaching Approach (PSCTA) supports teachers in engaging their pupils with science and promoting social justice by tweaking approaches to teaching and learning. It reinforces the value of supporting pupils in seeing the relevance of science in their everyday lives, understanding how science works and knowing people who work in a variety of science-related roles.
There are obvious science exercises that use the context of space to help pupils learn about forces, such as investigating rockets or parachutes. Examples of these can be found on The Ogden Trust resources website in the Phizzi enquiry: parachutes and Phizzi enquiry: rockets pages.