ByME

Natural Science 3

UNIT 1 The human body

In this unit pupils will review and extend their knowledge of the
human body, looking at the principal parts of the body and the five
senses. They will also be introduced to three vital body systems:
the circulatory system, the respiratory system and the digestive
system. At the beginning of the unit pupils will revise parts of the
body and the five senses. This subject area is covered in the
opening illustration with the help of the course characters, Carla
and Alex, who are on a school trip to a doctor's surgery. The school
trip continues in the story and, on their return to school, Alex and
Carla carry out a School trip project to review all the parts of the
body they have learnt. These opening pages are designed to test
pupils' prior knowledge and ease them into the subject matter of
the unit, provoking interest and participation. They will move on to
study body systems and a detailed look at how our sense organs
work. This is a new area of study for the pupils and one that
requires a high level of language and knowledge acquirement.
Therefore, the aim of this unit should be to introduce pupils to the
subject matter, focusing on the idea that our body is made up of
systems that work together like a complex machine and less on the
detail of how the systems work. In the Find out project, pupils will
investigate how the brain can be tricked by optical illusions and it
the Find out section of the unit, pupils will reflect on and how
people deal with visual impairment.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will learn to
appreciate how important our senses are and how people with a
sensory defect can use special objects or tools to carry out
everyday activities. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to
think about:
how we use our five senses every day and how we would feel if you
lost the use of one of them.

how important it is to look after our bodies, focusing on looking

after our eyes and ears.
how we should be aware that the people around us may have a
sensory impairment and be sensitive to their needs.

UNIT 2 Look after yourself

In this unit we will study different ways to look after ourselves.
Pupils will look at what a balanced diet consists of and, through this,
they will revise the main food groups, which they have studied in
previous years. Food groups can be presented in different ways
and there are a variety of diagrams and methods to present this
information. In ByME Primary Science 3, the food groups are
presented using the image of a healthy plate. The focus is on what
we should try to include in every meal, which means knowing how
to choose different sources of good fats, essential for a healthy diet.
Sugar is not represented in the healthy plate illustration on page 24
because a healthy diet does not need artificial sources of sugar. It
is important for this age group to understand sugar is not good for
us and sugary foods should only be eaten occasionally. Encourage
your pupils to choose nutritional school snacks for themselves.
Pupils will extend their knowledge of other ways of taking care of
their bodies and minds. This unit has plenty of opportunities to
encourage pupils to take responsibility for their health. Daily
hygiene, rest and exercise are healthy habits children of this age
can show a responsible attitude towards and carry out by
themselves. Pupils will think about health problems and prevention.
They will also reflect on how we change with age, and how our
emotional health is also of great importance. In the Find out project
they will investigate how much sleep we need at different stages of
life and in the Think about it section of the unit, pupils think about
how best to use their free time.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will learn to
recognise that a balanced diet, basic hygiene, exercise and rest are
healthy habits. They learnt in Unit 1 that the human body is
complex and needs to be looked after. In this unit, they learn that
there are lots of things they can take direct responsibility for to look

after themselves. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to

think about:
what they eat and how they could improve their diet if necessary.
how important it is to carry out basic hygiene every day.
how lack of sleep, exercise and well-being can affect our health and
our development.

UNIT 3 Living things

In this unit pupils will review the differences between living and
non-living things. They will look in detail at how plants and animals
(humans included) carry out the life processes of nutrition,
reproduction and interaction. They will learn how to classify living
things into groups and sub-groups. As your pupils will be looking in
detail at classifying animals in subsequent units, the main focus of
this unit is the plant kingdom. Pupils will review the main parts of a
plant and learn to recognise the similarities and differences
between plant subgroups: grasses, bushes and trees. Your pupils
will be introduced to the concept of plant nutrition, preparing them
for a more detailed study of photosynthesis in year 4. At the end of
the unit, pupils are asked to reflect on the complexity of living
things and how living things adapt and have adapted over many
years to their environment. In the Find out project they will
investigate how plants interact (movement towards the Sun) and in
the Think about it section of the unit, pupils learn how living things
interact with each other for their mutual benefit.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will learn that all
living things carry out basic life processes. Throughout the unit, try
to encourage pupils to think about:
how they interact with the world around them.
how we should respect all living things and show an interest in how
they carry out life processes.
how varied life on Earth is and how fascinating it is to discover the
world of plants and animals in detail.

UNIT 4 Mammals and birds

In this unit pupils will continue to develop their awareness of the
world around them by looking at the animal kingdom. In this unit
they focus on mammals and birds. They will study domestic
mammals and birds in the context of farming, focusing on the three
life processes of nutrition, reproduction and interaction.
Pupils begin by refreshing what they know about the animal
kingdom, and review the concept of vertebrate and invertebrate
animals. In the story, pupils remind themselves of products we
obtain from farm animals and discover a very important
invertebrate on the farm: worms. This is followed by two doublepage spread that aim to build on pupils prior study of mammals
and birds, observing the similarities and differences between the
two vertebrate groups and between species within the same group.
The new vocabulary presented in this unit extends pupils
knowledge of classification terms and develops their ability to
classify animals in different ways. They will also improve their skills
of observation, deduction and interpretation of visual information.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit your pupils will focus on
nutrition, reproduction and interaction of farm animals. Throughout
the unit, try to encourage pupils to think about:
the importance of domestic animals for humans, both as farm
animals and as pets.
how domestic animals need to be looked after.

UNIT 5 Reptiles, amphibians and fish

In this unit pupils will continue to study the animal kingdom. Your
pupils will review the main characteristics of the three other
vertebrate groups: reptiles, amphibians and fish. They will practise
their techniques of scientific classification and broaden their
concept of the incredible variety of animal life on the planet.

Pupils begin by refreshing what they already know about animal

groups through the opening illustration and story. This is followed
by three double-page spreads that look in detail at the nutrition,
reproduction and physical characteristics of reptiles, amphibians
and fish. Like the previous unit on mammals and birds, these three
content pages are set out in a similar way, using a simple visual
organiser to help pupils easily identify characteristics, similarities
and differences between the animal groups. Always encourage your
pupils to use tables, concept maps, lists and diagrams to organise
their work and help them revise.
The new vocabulary presented in this unit extends pupils
knowledge of the animal kingdom and provides them with the
necessary language tools to identify and classify animals. They will
also have the opportunity to improve their observation skills and
their ability to apply their knowledge in different ways.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will discover and
learn more about reptiles, amphibians and fish. Although these
vertebrate groups are the main subject matter of the unit, pupils
are also reviewing the life processes of living things, improving their
classification skills and applying their knowledge in different
contexts. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think
about:
the amazing variety of life on Earth and how we need to preserve
and protect it.
how living things depend on their natural environment and
therefore how important it is for humans to preserve these
habitats.
how the natural world can surprise us and evolve and adapt to
extreme conditions.

UNIT 6 Invertebrates
In this unit pupils will explore the world of invertebrates. Pupils
begin by refreshing what they learned in previous years about
invertebrates. The opening pages focus on observing how
invertebrates move and classifying them as land or aquatic

invertebrates. The concept of classification is then broadened to

include invertebrate groups and subgroups. The main content
pages cover a lot of new information and vocabulary. Depending on
your class's ability, these pages can be studied in detail or used to
provoke interest in the complexity and importance of invertebrates.
It may be that the animals in this group provoke negative reactions
from some of the pupils but you can stress the importance of each
living thing in the role invertebrate play. Remind them that on the
farm we discovered Carla doesn't like worms very much but she
learnt that worms play a vital role.Much of the vocabulary in this
unit builds on the basic concepts the pupils have studied about
animal groups and classification. In this unit pupils will continue to
develop their observation and classification skills, and discover how
classification keys are used to help scientist identify animal species.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will learn the
importance of invertebrates and how even the smallest creatures
are important. They are asked to investigate invertebrates in their
local area. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think
about:

how every living things is important

how our careless actions can disrupt the natural habitat of other
living things

how we can observe wildlife in our local area.

UNIT 7 Matter, materials and mixtures

In this unit pupils will extend their knowledge of materials and
matter, reviewing some of their basic properties and developing the
concept that everything is made up of matter. Pupils will observe
how matter changes, use different materials to make mixtures and
different tools to separate mixtures, and look at the process of
transforming natural materials into manufactured materials.Pupils
will begin by refreshing what they have learned about common
materials and their properties and demonstrate this understanding
by means of a poster. Then they go on to apply their knowledge of

properties while exploring different physical and chemical changes

of matter. Then pupils are introduced to mixtures, and learn that
almost everything around us contains two or more different
materials. This lesson provides plenty of opportunities for pupils to
make mixtures with a variety of materials and then later focus on
separating mixtures with the appropriate tools. The last two content
pages deals with natural materials and the process of transforming
them into manufactured materials.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit, pupils will practice
vocabulary that they have previously learned as well as develop
very specific scientific vocabulary about matter, materials, as well
as a variety of processes. They will continue to work on important
skills including observation, classification, choosing the correct tool
for different purposes, and the collection and presentation of data.
In this unit your pupils will learn that everything in the Universe is
made up of matter. Pupils will appreciate our valuable natural
materials as they are transformed into manufactured objects we
use everyday. They will reflect the natural materials our
environment produces and the importance of recycling a variety of
manufactured materials to protect it. Throughout the unit, try to
encourage pupils to think about:
how important it is to recycle different materials.
how almost everything around us is a mixture.
the important role of natural materials in the process of
manufacturing everyday objects.

UNIT 8 Energy
This unit explores the essential role energy plays in our life and
encourages pupils to think about when, where and how we use
energy every day. Pupils will study renewable and non-renewable
energy sources and become aware of the importance of energy
conservation.

Pupils begin by refreshing what they already know about light, heat
and sound energy, and are introduced to the concept that we can
generate energy from wind, water and the Sun. Pupils then review
and extend their knowledge about machines that use mains
electricity, batteries or both by means of a Venn Diagram.
They go on to explore six types of energy that we find all around us
in our daily lives including light, sound, thermal, kinetic, electrical
and chemical. Pupils will observe man-made and natural examples
of each type of energy and focus on how energy can change from
one type to another. This is followed by an explanation of nonrenewable and renewable energy sources, focusing on how each
one is obtained and how they produce energy. Pupils will become
aware that non-renewable energy sources are limited and will
eventually run-out and that renewable energy sources can be
replaced and are better for the environment.
Much of the vocabulary in this unit aims to help pupils develop
language and critical thinking skills in order to take a more active
role in the learning process by discussing important concepts that
affect our daily lives. Pupils will continue to develop scientific skills
through
observing,
making
connections,
comparing
and
contrasting, making predictions and collecting data.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will learn to
recognise the essential role that energy plays in our life. They will
value energy as an important resource and explore how renewable
energy sources and conserving energy can help preserve our
limited non-renewable energy sources and help protect the
environment. Throughout the unit, try to encourage pupils to think
about:
energy is essential for everything we do.
renewable energy sources as an alternative to using fossil fuels.
how conserving energy helps preserve limited non-renewable
energy sources and protects the environment.

UNIT 9 Machines
In this unit we pupils will review and extend their knowledge of
forces and machines. Pupils will develop an understanding of some
basic concepts of physics and explore a variety of machines
designed to make our lives easier.
Pupils begin be refreshing what they know about forces, such as
pushes and pulls, and simple and complex machines. Pupils will
identify common machines that make life easier at school and make
a poster of machines found in the home. Then pupils are introduced
to six simple machines and look at their parts to understand how
they work. Pupils can use this information to identify the simple
machines that make up complex machines in the world around
them.
This is followed by an opportunity for pupils to practice putting
things together and taking them apart while exploring the uses of
simple tools. A second hands-on activity challenges pupils to work
collaboratively to plan, design and make a machine. This activity
aims to consolidate much of what the pupils have learned about
simple machines and using simple tools while also providing

concrete experiences for pupils to develop critical and creative

thinking skills.
The vocabulary in this unit will provide pupils the opportunity to
build on content specific language that will help them understand
and explain new concepts. This unit provides pupils with a variety
of valuable opportunities to develop scientific skills including
observation, planning, problem-solving, inventing and manipulating
a variety of objects in their world.
VALUES AND ATTITUDESIn this unit your pupils will recognize
simple machines and how they work and valuing their role in
making our lives better. Through hands-on activities pupils will build
confidence in manipulating different materials and creativity in
planning and designing machines. Throughout the unit, try to
encourage pupils to think about:
the important role that simple and complex machines play in our
everyday lives.
the role energy plays in helping both simple and complex machines
work.
their own ability to manipulate objects in their immediate
environment and explore how things work in their world.