Science - Reception - Pzaz

What does the Reception scheme cover?

PZAZ provides Reception teachers with all the essential tools to deliver outstanding Science lessons, ensuring they have all the resources necessary to plan and achieve positive outcomes for their pupils. With each lesson designed to take place over two weeks, scientific knowledge builds gradually over time to become firmly embedded. This approach not only fosters a deep appreciation for exploring the world around them but also prepares pupils for Key Stage 1 Science.

Seasons

Let's have some fun exploring the four seasons! Think about when it's best to wear cosy coats and gloves or cool sun hats. Take a peek outside to see what the weather is up to and create your very own local weather report. Experiment by making your very own rain clouds and snow, and investigate which materials are waterproof and keep you dry the best.

Animals

Can you name all the body parts from your head to your toes and match them up with clever clues? Use your senses to explore a range of mystery smells and sounds and use measuring and comparison skills to investigate how tall children in your school are. Look at animals from around the world, including how dinosaurs may have hatched, before making your very own dino dung and finding out what could have caused dinosaurs to become extinct.

Potions

What’s the matter? Is it a solid, liquid or gas? What are those bubbles and why does something fizz? Explore these questions and more through hands-on experiments during this unit, including making your own fizzing sherbet and a liquid tower. Learn how liquids behave, from thick to runny, and observe how quickly they can ‘race’ down a slope based on their properties. Look at how some solids can turn into liquid through melting and understand how burnt toast is an irreversible change.

Powers

Explore the forces of pushes and pulls and compare this to what happens with magnets when they attract and repel each other. Make your own paper plane and explore why some travel further and faster than others and then adapt yours to become more streamlined. Find out why some items float and others sink, relating this to the density of an object.

Health

How do I become stronger? Explore the impact of exercise on your body throughout this unit. Investigate different foods, including those we need to stay healthy, and the importance of hand washing and good hygiene for our health. Understand the importance of brushing our teeth to avoid tooth decay and cavities, and explore the process by brushing a boiled egg to see how thoroughly you clean.

Habitats

Learn what animals need from their habitats in order to survive during this unit, and create your own ocean habitat, exploring each layer. Hunt for habitats outside of your classroom and see what insects you can find. Look at the habitats where worms and spiders live and understand what they need to stay alive.

Plants

Identify plants and flowers and learn how they can make their own food using the light from the Sun during this unit. Examine a range of seeds and explore whether bigger seeds grow bigger plants. Spend time learning how to care for plants and why they are so important to us and our ecosystem.

Materials

Let's explore the world of materials and unravel their unique properties in this unit. Evaluate a variety of materials, both man-made and natural, and decide which one is best suited for different objects. Delve into the fascinating world of solids to discover how some can become surprisingly stretchy and find out whether all metals are hard, exploring the diverse characteristics that make each material special.

What’s included for Reception teachers?

• Detailed lesson plans and presentations
• Ready-to-go resources and templates
• Use of interactive songs and stories to support learning
• Key scientific vocabulary and terminology used
• Links to future learning
• Questions, common misconceptions, cross-curricular links & more!