Thinking Together in Primary Science An Oracy-Based Approach to Teaching About the Nature of Science and Scientific Thinking

Introduction
1. The Games we Play
2. Thinking Together: The Rules of the Game
3. Bertie’s Kite
4. Mrs Chestnut’s Duck
5. Tala’s Sunflower
6. The Swan
7. Wonky Sheep
8. Dinosaurs
9. Looking Back, Looking Forward

Appendix 1: Supporting Effective Group Work
Appendix 2: Tips for Including Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by Wendy Lee of Lingo

Biography

Neil Phillipson is an Associate of Oracy Cambridge and a freelance provider of training and support to schools with a focus on dialogic education. He was a local authority and National Strategies science consultant, and is a long-serving hub-leader with the Primary Science Quality Mark.

Rupert Wegerif is Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge, UK. He helped to develop the Thinking Together approach to oracy education that underpins this book, and has spent thirty years researching and writing on the theory and practice of dialogic education.

'Thinking Together in Primary Science explains, in a clear and accessible way, why it is important that scientific thinking comes alive for young people through dialogue and discussion. But this book does much more: it provides teachers with practical guidance and resources, developed from classroom-based research, to make this happen successfully in their classrooms.'

Neil Mercer, Emeritus Professor of Education, Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, UK.

'This practical, research-informed guide to ‘thinking together’ offers clear ground rules and engaging talk activities that help pupils develop the habits of mind underpinning scientific thinking. Using the UKS2 science curriculum as a rich context, it is a valuable resource for Year 5 and 6 teachers developing oracy.'

Jane Turner, University of Hertfordshire (former Director, Primary Science Quality Mark), UK

'This book provides practical guidance for educators seeking to promote collaboration and curiosity in primary science. This timely publication offers a pedagogy that will enable children to understand that the question of , ‘…how do you know?’ helps to navigate both the challenges of science and their social media-fuelled lives.'

Natasha Serret, Associate Professor of Science Education, Nottingham Trent University, UK

'It’s so refreshing to see an approach that helps children understand not just what scientists have discovered, but how they arrive at their understanding of the world. This book demystifies the scientific approach, showing that everyone—children included—can join in and make a contribution.'

Tim Lewens, Professor of the Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, UK