Teach-Primary-Issue-19.8

How to build science capital Use familiar experiences to spark children’s engagement. You can easily weave resources like Explorify’s free Have You Ever…? activities into your teaching. See tinyurl.com/tp-HYE Include all voices: allow more thinking time before asking for answers, helping quieter pupils feel more confident in science discussions, and valuing all inputs. Link to meaningful, real-life contexts, such as environmental issues in children’s own communities, showing that science is happening all around them. This also links with EEF Improving Primary Science report recommendation number 4: Relate new learning to relevant, real-world contexts ( tinyurl.com/ tp-EEFscience ). Showcase a variety of scientists and STEM careers – you can’t be what you can’t see. understand why they should bother learning about science. Representation is of course also essential. As the adage goes, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ . Why not have pupils draw a picture of what they think a scientist looks like, and then compare those drawings with diverse images of real-world STEM professionals to challenge stereotypes? The Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) has lots of resources to expose children to a wide range of different people who have STEM careers at tinyurl.com/tp-PSTTlikeme There are also plenty of opportunities to highlight the variety of STEM careers on offer. A few resources I find really useful are: • NU STEM person of the week. This is a STEM engagement activity that’s been shown to reduce children’s stereotypes of science and scientists by providing counter-stereo- typical character attributes through a set of diverse STEM role models. It includes printable sets of postcards and posters with a variety of science roles, and guidance for teachers. See tinyurl.com/tp-STEMpotw • Science for Everyone . This resource helps to raise awareness of unconscious bias and its potential to influence children’s science capital and attitudes towards science. The classroom resources help pupils explore everyday science and highlight a diverse range of scientists. These come with profiles, video interviews and related activities to get hands-on with the science. See science4everyone.org • I’ve also collated some resources to embed real-life science and scientists into your lessons at tinyurl.com/ tp-DrJoCareers Why it matters You’ve probably heard it a hundred times, but small changes really can make a big difference. Helping children see themselves as the sort of person that could be a scientist, or engage with science, is invaluable. Embedding science capital isn’t optional; we have a responsibility as educators to make sure that any pupil in our care believes that they can pursue a STEM career. Even children who aren’t interested in the career aspect should be encouraged to realise how relevant science is in their lives, and that engaging with it, on any level, means they will have more opportunities to participate in society. With inclusive practices and thoughtful teaching, primary classrooms can spark lifelong science identities and aspirations. TP Dr Jo Montgomery is a primary science specialist, Primary Science Capital Teaching Approach accredited trainer, Primary Science QualityMark (PSQM) regional lead and hub leader, adviser for The Great Science Share for Schools, and an independent education consultant. @drjoscience drjosciencesolutions.co.uk F EATURE S S C I ENC E www.teachwire.net | 25