What a child will be able to do
Working scientifically
- Ask simple questions
- Observe closely, using simple equipment
- Sort and group things
- Notice patterns
- Say what they found out
Living things
- Name and sort common animals
- Describe what animals need to survive
- Name the basic parts of the human body and link them to the senses
- Name and describe common plants and their parts
- Explain what plants need to grow
- Explain what a habitat is and why animals live where they do
Materials and seasons
- Name everyday materials and describe their properties
- Sort objects by the material they are made from
- Describe how some materials can be changed
- Describe the four seasons and the changes in each
Part 1 — Working scientifically
Science at this age is noticing.
The five things scientists do
| What | How it sounds |
|---|---|
| Ask | "I wonder why…" |
| Look carefully | "What can you see?" |
| Sort | "Which ones go together?" |
| Notice patterns | "It always happens when…" |
| Say what you found | "We found out that…" |
Not to catch a child out — to make them point at the evidence. "It's a mammal." → "How do you know?" → "It's got fur." That second answer is science. The first is just a label.
Sorting
Sorting is the main scientific skill of KS1. Give a child a pile of things and ask them to put them into groups. Then ask why those groups. There is often no single right answer, and that's the point. Animals could be sorted by:
- Number of legs
- Fur or no fur
- Big or small
- Lives in water or on land
- Ones I've seen and ones I haven't
All of these are valid. The skill is choosing a rule and sticking to it.
Recording without writing
Small children shouldn't have to write to do science.
| Instead of writing | Do this |
|---|---|
| A results table | Sort real objects into hoops or trays |
| A written conclusion | Say it out loud, and the adult writes it down |
| A labelled diagram | Draw and point, adult adds the words |
| A tally chart | Stick a sticker or a cube in a column |
Part 2 — Animals
Sorting animals into groups
| Group | What they have | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mammals | Fur or hair, drink milk as babies | Hedgehog, guinea pig, rabbit, dog, human |
| Birds | Feathers, beak, wings, lay eggs | Parrot, robin, chicken |
| Reptiles | Dry scaly skin, lay eggs | Bearded dragon, tortoise, snake |
| Amphibians | Wet skin, live in water and on land | Frog, toad, newt |
| Fish | Live in water, scales, fins | Goldfish, shark |
| Minibeasts | Small, no bones inside | Spider, snail, worm, beetle |
| Animal | Group | How you can tell |
|---|---|---|
| Hedgehog | Mammal | It has fur — spines are special hairs |
| Parrot | Bird | Feathers and a beak |
| Tortoise | Reptile | Dry scaly skin and a shell |
| Frog | Amphibian | Wet skin, lives in and out of water |
| Goldfish | Fish | Lives in water, has fins |
| Spider | Minibeast | Eight legs, no bones inside |
What animals eat
| Type | Eats | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Herbivore | Plants only | Rabbit, tortoise, guinea pig |
| Carnivore | Meat only | Cat, snake, owl |
| Omnivore | Plants and meat | Human, hedgehog, fox |
Herbivore — herbs are plants. Carnivore — carnival, carnage… meat. Omni means "all".
What animals need to stay alive
Four things. Every animal. Always.
Activity: look at any animal and find all four. "Where's his water? Where does he sleep? What does he eat?"
Babies and grown-ups
Baby animals grow into adults, and many have their own name.
| Adult | Baby |
|---|---|
| Hedgehog | Hoglet |
| Rabbit | Kitten |
| Guinea pig | Pup |
| Cat | Kitten |
| Dog | Puppy |
| Frog | Tadpole |
| Butterfly | Caterpillar |
| Bird | Chick |
Some babies look like their parents. Some don't at all. A hoglet looks like a small hedgehog. A tadpole looks nothing like a frog. That change is called metamorphosis, and it is genuinely worth knowing at six.
Part 3 — The human body
Parts of the body
Head · neck · shoulders · arms · elbows · hands · fingers · chest · tummy · back · legs · knees · feet · toes
On the face: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, eyebrows, chin, cheeks
The five senses
| Sense | Body part | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Sight | Eyes | See |
| Hearing | Ears | Hear |
| Smell | Nose | Smell |
| Taste | Tongue | Taste |
| Touch | Skin | Feel |
Touch: feely bag. Reach in without looking. Describe before you pull it out.
Hearing: close your eyes. What can you hear? Rustling, chewing, a wheel turning.
Smell: sniff jars — hay, lemon, mint. Which is which?
Sight: spot the difference between two pictures.
Taste: sweet, salty, sour — but check for allergies first, every time.
Animal senses are different from ours
| Animal | Best sense | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hedgehog | Smell and hearing | Comes out at night, can't see well in the dark |
| Parrot | Sight | Flies, and needs to see food and danger from far away |
| Snake | Smell — with its tongue | Tastes the air to find prey |
| Bat | Hearing | Uses sound to find its way in the dark |
Because it's dark when it's awake, so eyes are not much use. That is a six-year-old reasoning about adaptation, and it's the same thinking as GCSE.
Staying healthy
| What we need | Why |
|---|---|
| Different kinds of food | Different foods do different jobs |
| Exercise | Keeps the body strong |
| Sleep | Lets the body rest and grow |
| Washing | Stops germs spreading |
Every time. Before eating especially.
Part 4 — Plants
Parts of a plant
| Part | Job |
|---|---|
| Roots | Hold the plant in the ground and drink up water |
| Stem | Holds the plant up and carries water |
| Leaves | Make food for the plant using sunlight |
| Flower | Makes seeds so new plants can grow |
What plants need
The investigation to do
Four pots. Four seeds. Same soil, same start.
| Pot | What it gets |
|---|---|
| 1 | Everything — light, water, warmth |
| 2 | No light — in a cupboard |
| 3 | No water |
| 4 | Kept cold |
Look every day for two weeks. Draw what you see.
It's a fair test — one thing changed for each pot, everything else the same. That's the whole method of science, and a five-year-old can do it with cress seeds and yoghurt pots. Also: the plant in the cupboard usually grows pale and floppy rather than dying, which surprises children and is worth talking about.
Trees
| Type | What happens |
|---|---|
| Deciduous | Loses its leaves in autumn — oak, beech, horse chestnut |
| Evergreen | Keeps its leaves all year — pine, holly, fir |
Wild plants and garden plants
Wild plants grow on their own — daisy, dandelion, buttercup, nettle. Garden plants are planted by people — rose, sunflower, tulip.
Draw them. Name them if you can. Notice the differences.
Part 5 — Habitats
A habitat is the place where an animal or plant lives.
| Habitat | Who lives there |
|---|---|
| Woodland | Squirrel, owl, hedgehog, beetle |
| Pond | Frog, fish, dragonfly, pond snail |
| Seashore | Crab, seagull, limpet |
| Garden | Worm, robin, snail, hedgehog |
| Desert | Camel, lizard, scorpion |
| Arctic | Polar bear, penguin, seal |
Why animals live where they live
Because everything they need is there. A frog lives near a pond because it needs water for its skin and to lay its eggs. A hedgehog lives in a garden or hedgerow because there are insects to eat and leaves to hide in.
Microhabitats
A microhabitat is a very small habitat inside a bigger one.
- Under a log
- In a pile of leaves
- Under a stone
- In a crack in a wall
Woodlice, worms, beetles, centipedes, spiders. A whole world under one stone. Put it back exactly as you found it. That's their home.
Food chains
A food chain shows who eats what.
The arrow means "is eaten by." It always points towards the eater — that's the direction the energy goes.
Children draw the arrow the wrong way round because they think it means "eats." It means "is eaten by." Say it out loud when you draw it: "The leaf is eaten by the caterpillar."
Part 6 — Materials
Everyday materials
| Material | What it's like | Made into |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | Hard, strong, from trees | Table, pencil, hutch |
| Plastic | Light, waterproof, bendy or hard | Bowl, toy, bottle |
| Metal | Hard, shiny, cold | Spoon, coin, key |
| Glass | Hard, see-through, breaks | Window, jar |
| Fabric | Soft, bendy | Clothes, blanket |
| Paper | Light, tears, soaks up water | Book, bedding |
| Rubber | Bendy, stretchy, grippy | Boots, tyre, band |
Describing materials
hard / soft · rough / smooth · bendy / stiff · shiny / dull · see-through / not · heavy / light · waterproof / soaks up water
Collect ten objects. Sort them by material. Then sort them again a different way — by whether they're hard, or waterproof, or shiny. Same objects, different rule. That's classification.
Choosing the right material
Things are made of what they're made of for a reason.
| Object | Material | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Window | Glass | You can see through it |
| Wellies | Rubber | Waterproof |
| Spoon | Metal | Hard and easy to clean |
| Blanket | Fabric | Soft and warm |
| Water bowl | Metal or pottery | Heavy so it can't be tipped over |
Because you couldn't see through it. Children find this obvious and then realise they've just explained a property.
Changing materials
Some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting or stretching.
| Material | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Playdough | Squash, roll, twist |
| Elastic band | Stretch |
| Paper | Bend, fold, tear |
| Metal spoon | Nothing — it's too stiff |
Some changes can be undone — a bent piece of paper can be flattened. Some can't — a torn piece of paper cannot be untorn.
Part 7 — Seasons
| Season | Weather | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Getting warmer, showers | Buds, blossom, baby animals, birds nesting |
| Summer | Warm, sunny, long days | Green leaves, flowers, insects everywhere |
| Autumn | Cooler, windy, rain | Leaves change colour and fall, berries, conkers |
| Winter | Cold, frost, short days | Bare trees, no insects, some animals sleeping |
Day length
Summer days are long. Winter days are short. In winter it is dark when you get up and dark when you come home. In summer it is still light at bedtime.
What animals do in winter
| What | Meaning | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Hibernate | Sleep through the winter | Hedgehog, dormouse, bat |
| Migrate | Fly somewhere warmer | Swallow, swift, cuckoo |
| Stay | Carry on, find what food they can | Robin, fox, squirrel |
Pet hedgehogs come from a hot country and never evolved to hibernate. If they get too cold they will try to, and it can kill them. This is why they need a heater on all winter. It's the single most important thing about keeping one, and it's a seasonal science fact that a six-year-old can understand.
Keeping a weather diary
Every day for a week: is it sunny, cloudy, rainy or windy? Hot or cold? Draw a symbol. Then count them up at the end.
And it's the beginning of everything.
Practice questions
Read these aloud. Children can answer by talking, drawing or pointing. Answers are in the answer key below.
Animals
- Name three animals with fur.
- What group is a parrot in? How do you know?
- What four things does every animal need?
- What is a baby hedgehog called?
- Is a rabbit a herbivore, a carnivore or an omnivore?
- Name an animal that lives in a pond.
The human body
- Name the five senses.
- Which part of your body do you smell with?
- Why does a hedgehog need a very good nose?
- Name three things that keep you healthy.
Plants
- Name the four main parts of a plant.
- What does a plant need to grow?
- What happens to a plant kept in a dark cupboard?
- Name a tree that loses its leaves in autumn.
Habitats
- What is a habitat?
- Name two animals that live in a woodland.
- Where would you find a woodlouse?
- Draw a food chain with three things in it.
Materials
- Name three things made of metal.
- Why are windows made of glass?
- Name something that is waterproof.
- Can you untear a piece of paper?
Seasons
- Name the four seasons.
- In which season do leaves fall off the trees?
- What does hibernate mean?
- Why must a pet hedgehog be kept warm in winter?
Answers
Animals
1. Any three: hedgehog, rabbit, guinea pig, cat, dog, mouse, fox. 2. A bird — it has feathers, a beak and wings. 3. Food, water, air, a safe place to live. 4. A hoglet. 5. Herbivore — it only eats plants. 6. Any: frog, fish, dragonfly, pond snail, newt.
The human body
7. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. 8. Your nose. 9. Because it comes out at night when it is dark, so its eyes are not much use — it finds food by smell. 10. Any three: eating different foods, exercise, sleep, washing hands, brushing teeth.
Plants
11. Roots, stem, leaves, flower. 12. Light, water, air, soil, warmth. 13. It grows pale and floppy, or does not grow well (accept: it dies). 14. Any: oak, beech, horse chestnut, sycamore.
Habitats
15. The place where an animal or plant lives. 16. Any two: squirrel, owl, hedgehog, beetle, deer, fox. 17. Under a log or a stone — somewhere dark and damp. 18. Any correct chain with arrows pointing towards the eater, e.g. leaf → caterpillar → bird.
Materials
19. Any three: spoon, key, coin, tin, fork, nail. 20. Because you can see through it — glass is transparent. 21. Any: wellington boots, a raincoat, plastic, an umbrella. 22. No — that change cannot be undone.
Seasons
23. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. 24. Autumn. 25. To sleep through the winter. 26. Because it comes from a hot country and never learned to hibernate — if it gets cold it will try to, and that can make it very ill.
The mistakes to watch for
Saying an animal is a mammal without saying how you know. Always follow with "how do you know?"
Food chain arrows the wrong way. The arrow means "is eaten by," so it points at the eater.
Thinking spines mean a hedgehog isn't a mammal. Spines are special hairs. It has fur, so it's a mammal.
Saying a plant in the dark will die. It usually grows pale and weak first, which is more interesting and more accurate.
Thinking all pets hibernate. Wild hedgehogs do. Pet African pygmy hedgehogs must not, and it matters.
Sorting without a rule. Ask what the rule was. "These ones" is not a rule.
Teaching notes
Do it outside. Habitats, plants, seasons and minibeasts are all outside. Twenty minutes in a garden beats an hour of pictures.
"How do you know?" is the whole of KS1 science. It turns a label into evidence, and it's the same question a GCSE examiner is asking in a more complicated way.
Sorting is the main skill, and there's rarely one right answer. Let children choose their own rule and then explain it. That's more scientific than filling in a pre-made table.
Don't make them write. A five-year-old who has to write down what they found spends all their effort on the writing and none on the science. Let them talk, draw, sort real objects, and have an adult scribe.
The log-lifting activity is the best thing in this unit. Woodlice, worms, centipedes, a whole world under one stone. Put it back carefully afterwards — that's a lesson too.
The hedgehog hibernation point is genuinely important, not just interesting. Any family keeping an African pygmy hedgehog needs to know it, and a child who understands why is more likely to notice if the heating fails.
Fair tests can start now. The four-pot plant investigation is a proper controlled experiment and a five-year-old can run it. Everything in KS2, KS3 and GCSE science builds on that one idea.