Learning objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Articulate your understandings of a biology-focused primary science curriculum;
Use instructional structures, such as the 5E model, to develop units of work;
Make links between biology-based science concepts and daily life; and
Understand the importance of the local environment in the learning and teaching of biology in a primary school setting.
Introduction
While previous chapters have acknowledged that science as a learning area is often minimally taught or avoided in primary school classrooms (see chapter 2 for an explanation of the barriers to teaching science), biology is an area of science that is widely covered. It is considered that this area may be a particular focus because primary school teachers can more easily relate to the science content, find themes that generate curiosity and interest amongst their students, and create links to daily life. The Australian Curriculum refers to this area as Biological Sciences (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2012), while the New Zealand Curriculum uses the term Living World (Ministry of Education (MoE), 2007). Throughout this chapter, the more generic term ‘biology’ will be used. This chapter will explore the science curriculum requirements for learning and teaching biology at a primary school level. It will also outline a learning journey, which uses the 5E instructional model (Bybee, 1997) as an approach to biology-focused science learning and teaching in primary school classrooms.
Review the options below to login to check your access.
Log in with your Cambridge Higher Education account to check access.
If you believe you should have access to this content, please contact your institutional librarian or consult our FAQ page for further information about accessing our content.