Progression in Science Skills L1-L4

Progression

PROGRESSION IN SCIENCE SKILLS L1-L4

Skills

/ L1 Pupils are able to: / L1+ Pupils are able to: / L2 Pupils are able to: / L2+ Pupils are able to: / L3 Pupils are able to: / L3+ Pupils are able to: / L4 Pupils are able to:
Discussing & Questioning /

Respond to teacher’s questions.
Take turns in discussion.

Ask questions of other pupils.
Use scientific vocabulary some of the time.

Ask ‘how’ ‘why’ ‘what will happen if.’
Use scientific vocabulary most of the time.
Make relevant contribution to class/group discussion.

Put investigation into a question form.
Begin to consider different ways to find the answers to questions.
Ask questions of other pupils.

Construct questions to investigate based on their experience.
Suggest things that might be changed in an investigation.
Use appropriate scientific vocabulary in discussion.

Realise that there may be more than one way to find the answer to a question.
Make a knowledgeable contribution in a presentation.

Ask questions which can be answered by an investigation.
Recognise those questions which can’t be investigated.
Use scientific language regularly in discussion.

Planning /

Contribute to “brainstorm.”
Make suggestions about what to do and begin to recognise hazards.

Plan what to do very simply – with lots of support.
Use first hand experience to come up with ideas.

Talk about how to find the answer – with support.
Plan simply what to do – with support – and recognise hazards.
Use a simple text to find information – with help.

Plan what to do with minimal support but might need help to include the right equipment.
Use more than one simple text to find out information, possibly with help.

Produce a written plan about what they will do that includes equipment and resources and refers to fair testing and safety.
Use simple texts to find information.

Produce a fairly detailed plan about what they will do and with sensible quantities to use.
Realise that not every plan will be a fair test.
Use information from texts in planning.

Produce a detailed plan that includes a format for recording results and what evidence to collect.
Plan and carry out a fair test safely.
Select information from a range of sources provided for them.

Fair Testing /

Show an understanding of comparative language e.g. more, same.
Talk about what could affect a test – with support.

Identify something what should be kept the same - with support
Use words like “It has to be the same.”

Show an awareness of fair testing.
Talk about what could affect the test the most.

Refer to fair testing in their plan.
Identify more than one factor to keep the same.

Understand the need for a fair test and can say when a test isn’t fair but need to help to carry out this practice.
Begin to realise that not every investigation is going to be a fair test.
Identify factors to control or vary.

Identify which factors to keep the same and which one to vary.
Explain why fair testing is important.

Use fair testing routinely.
Carry out fair tests by changing one thing at a time and use the same amounts.
Decide when it is appropriate to use a fair test.

Observing & Measuring /

Describe things in everyday terms.
Group and classify using given criteria.
Use simple equipment provided – with help.

Use a limited range of features in their observations.
Use more than one sense to describe objects/events.

Group and classify using their own simple criteria.
Measure with non standard measures.
Realise that observations have a purpose – to answer the original question.
Use simple equipment provided.

Use a range of features in their observations.
Begin to measure with standard measures – with support.
Begin to suggest suitable observations to make.

Use quantitative measures such as mass and length.
Suggest what types of observations/ measurements to the nearest whole number.

Use a greater range of quantitative measures.
Take accurate measurements.

Decide what observations/ measurements they need to make.
Make judgements about how many measurements they need to make.
Select appropriate equipment from a range.

Recording /

Draw/talk about work in everyday terms – possibly with support.
Record in tables drawn by the teacher – with help.

Record results in tables drawn by the teacher –independently
Construct a pictogram – with support.

Put results in simple tables in an ordered way – headings given by teacher.
Use non-standard measurements in tables.
Use pictograms to display results.
Draw bar charts with help.

Use correct headings for the table.
Devise a different way to record results – with support.
Record enough results to give a pattern.

Record results sequentially and accurately.
Construct tables that have quantitative units and suitable headings.
Record observations in a variety of ways.
Draw bar charts.

Draw stick graphs/line graphs – with support.
Ensure that they use a sensible range of results.

Present results clearly using graphs and tables.
Decide on an appropriate method of recording.
Put results in stick graphs or simple line graphs.

Interpreting /

Describe similarities and differences between results – with help.
Say if their guess was correct.

Make comparisons in results.
Can rank results in order – mainly correctly.

Make comparisons between results and being to identify simple patterns.
Rank results in order – in different directions and identify best and worst.
Say if their thinking was correct about what might happen.

Make a simple statement about what results show.
Identify patterns in results – with support.

Make some statements about what the results show.
Identify patterns in the results.

Begin to explain patterns in results – with support.
Understand what a graph is showing.

Recognise patterns and trends from results and graphs.
Explain the patterns in results.
Make some conclusions linked to scientific knowledge and understanding.

Ideas & Evidence /

Appreciate that science can be useful.
Begin to suggest how to collect evidence to answer questions.

Suggest how to collect evidence to answer a question.
Give an example of where science has been useful.

Suggest how to collect evidence to answer questions and begin to appreciate why this is important.

Begin to make a link between cause and effect.
Begin to make links between the role of science and the development of useful things.

Recognise why it is important to test ideas.
Imagine and simply describe what might be happening, for example inside a living thing as it grows or sugar dissolves.

Consider the work of other scientists and how that was/is used to explain particular phenomena, life processes etc.
Can describe some useful examples of how science has contributed to the development of useful things.

Recognise that scientific ideas are based on evidence which can be verified by observations and measurements.
Use imagination, together with some scientific knowledge and understanding to think about why something happens.

Evaluating /

Make comments like “It was easy.”

Compare what did happen with what they thought would happen.

Compare what did happen with what they through would happen and think of a simple reason for this – with help.
Suggest how to improve the investigation with prompting.

Make comments like “It was easy because…”
Suggest how to improve an investigation.

Compare what did happen with what they thought would happen and give a simple reason for this.
Suggest how to improve the investigation and possibly give a reason for this.
Say if the test carried out was fair.

Say why they did or did not carry out a fair test.
Review work and think why they got the results they did – with support.

Suggest with reasons how to improve an investigation.
Suggest further investigations
Review their work and think why they got the results they did.

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