Teaching Primary Biology: Body Processes
Boost your knowledge of body processes and improve the effectiveness of your biology teaching for the primary national curriculum.
- Duration2 weeks
- Weekly study3 hours
- 100% onlineTry this course for free
Teaching Primary Biology: Body Processes
Enhance your KS2 science teaching with teaching CPD on life processes in biology
This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to inspire your primary science pupils with world-class biology teaching on the subject of body systems and life processes.
Develop your scientific knowledge for teaching key stage 2 biology
Life processes is a key subject within the biology element of the primary science national curriculum and includes the study of the heart, the circulatory system, and digestion.
On this course, you’ll build your knowledge of body systems processes of the body so that you’re able to effectively teach the ‘Animals, including humans’ component of the national curriculum in England.
Help 7-11-year-old pupils understand the circulatory system and digestion process
You’ll explore the common challenges that may arise amongst key stage 2 pupils encountering the heart, circulatory system, and digestive system for the first time.
You’ll learn how to structure your teaching to successfully navigate these challenges.
You’ll also have the chance to learn about practical biology activities you can use in your classroom to inspire your pupils whilst developing their understanding of the concept of living processes.
Access engaging and fun biology primary science resources
This course is delivered by the National STEM Learning Centre, a leading organisation offering teacher CPD, career support, and education in STEM.
You’ll learn from the research of primary STEM subject specialists, as well as secondary science experts experienced in teaching science in primary education.
Syllabus
Week 1
Body processes: subject knowledge
The human body
Welcome to the course. This week you'll develop your subject knowledge for teaching body processes. Take a look at what is required in your science curriculum and identify your focus for development in this course.
Developing your subject knowledge
Here we take a look at the circulatory system and the digestive system. Note down any questions you might have on your weekly reflection grid.
Systems working together
Investigating heart rate and exercise shows the link between the human digestive system, respiratory system and the circulatory system.
Week 2
Addressing misconceptions
Misconceptions and vocabulary
This week you'll explore a range of classroom activities and teaching approaches. We take a look at children's misconceptions in science, and consider the importance of choosing vocabulary carefully.
Eliciting misconceptions
With an understanding of the subject, you'll be able to use classroom strategies to help expose some of the common misconceptions children can have. What approaches work for you?
Reconstructing the learning
Exploration and talk enables children to challenge misconceptions as they reason with each other and consider differing points of view. How will you plan to 'reconstruct the learning'?
Reviewing your professional development
Review your professional development and plan your next steps to sustain and develop the way you teach primary science. How has your practice and thinking changed during this course?
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify the importance of good subject knowledge when teaching primary science.
- Develop personal subject knowledge of body processes and systems to teach this topic as part of the biology primary science curriculum.
- Apply subject knowledge of biology to class teaching of pupils aged 5-11 years old.
- Explore practical activities to teach scientific concepts in the primary curriculum.
- Identify common misconceptions children may have in primary science concepts.
- Develop teaching strategies to identify and overcome children’s misconceptions.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for primary teachers, trainee teachers, and teaching assistants for primary education (pupils aged 5-11 years) who want to develop their biology classification subject knowledge.
The course refers to the English National Curriculum, but the subject matter is equally transferable to other curricula, and you’ll be encouraged to explore connections with your own national curriculum.
Who will you learn with?
Hello! I’m Gemma, and I work as a Year 6 teacher at a primary school in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. My subject specialisms are Primary Science and Working Scientifically.
Who developed the course?
National STEM Learning Centre
The National STEM Learning Centre provides world-class professional development activities and resources to support the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
Join this course
Free
Join free and you will get:
- Access to this course for 4 weeks
Upgrade
Upgrade this course and you will get:
- Access to this course for as long as it’s on FutureLearn
- A print and digital Certificate of Achievement once you’re eligible
Unlimited
Buy Unlimited and you will get:
- Access to this course, and hundreds of other FutureLearn short courses and tests for a year
- A printable digital Certificate of Achievement on all short courses once you’re eligible
- The freedom to keep access to any course you've achieved a digital Certificate of Achievement on, for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn
- The flexibility to complete your choice of short courses in your own time within the year
Find out more about upgrades or Unlimited.
Available until 1 Apr 2021. T&Cs apply.
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