Investigate at School - Primary

Transform your classroom into an investigation centre! Collect your own objects or discover real Museum specimens online. Develop and use scientific skills by making observations, asking questions and looking for evidence.

These resources support four stages of a classroom scientific investigation as inspired by the work of our Museum scientists. The resources are flexible and can be tailored in many ways to suit your class.

1. Getting started

2. Select a specimen

3. Investigate

4. Share

Getting started

Investigate at School: Introduction

Transcript

Here at the Natural History Museum we have over 300 scientists that are busy behind the scenes learning more about nature.

But it’s not just scientists.

Anyone can use scientific skills to learn more about the world around them.

This activity is perfect for learning at home or at school.

It’s about working scientifically, using skills and learning from objects.

All you need is to find a specimen.

And this is an object from nature that we can learn from.

And it could be anything. It could be a leaf, a shell, or even just watching the pigeons from your window.

Or you could decide to investigate one of our virtual specimens instead.

Then use our resources to give you ideas of how to investigate and spark curiosity.

And don’t forget! Share what you discover with us too.

What will you discover?

Share with us @NHM_Learn

Guidance for educators

This activity focuses on the 'working scientifically' aspects of the curriculum and promotes understanding of 'what science is'.

A good starting place for all abilities is to focus on making observations and recording these in a way that suits the learner (drawing, writing or telling someone else about them).

Pupils, teachers and parents can increase the complexity of the task by asking questions about the specimen, coming up with ideas for answers to their question, and looking for evidence to back them up.

If you'd like some ideas on how to run your session, you can download our activity plan suggestions (21KB DOCX).

Curriculum links

Key Stage 1 and 2 aims

Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer specific questions about the world around them.

Key Stage 1

asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
observing closely
using simple equipment
identifying and classifyingusing their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
gathering and recording data to help in answering questions

Key Stage 2 (lower)

asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment
gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions
using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings

Key Stage 2 (upper)

taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations