Primary Basic Science & Technology: Living Things & Energy Lesson Notes

WHAT'S INSIDE THIS PACK NERDC-aligned Basic Science & Technology (BST) lesson notes for Primary 4-6 with simple experiments pupils can repeat at home. UNIT 1 – LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS 1.1 Characteristics of living things Living things move, breathe, feed, grow, feel (respond to the environment), reproduce and excrete. Memorise these with the mnemonic: "MBNG-FRE" (Move, Breathe, Nut), Grow, Feel, Reproduce, Excrete — written out as: Move, Breathe, (and) feed, Grow, Feel, Reproduce, Excrete. 1.2 Plants and animals are living things Plants respire, feed by photosynthesis and respond to light. Animals eat food, move and respond faster than plants. 1.3 Non-living things They do not show the life processes. They are divided into natural (water, sand, air, stones) and man-made (books, tables, plastic). UNIT 2 – PLANTS, ANIMALS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT 2.1 Parts of a plant and their jobs Roots (anchor + absorb water), stem (transport), leaves (make food), flower (produce seeds), fruit (protect seeds). 2.2 Groups of animals - Domestic animals (goat, cow, chicken) vs wild animals (lion, antelope). - Herbivores (plant eaters), carnivores (meat eaters), omnivores (both). 2.3 Environment and our senses Your environment is everything around you. Your five senses: sight (eyes), hearing (ears), smell (nose), taste (tongue), touch (skin) — how each keeps you safe. UNIT 3 – HEAT AND LIGHT ENERGY 3.1 What is energy? Energy is the ability to do work. Types we meet every day: heat, light, sound, electrical, mechanical. 3.2 Sources of heat and light Natural: the sun, fire, lightning. Artificial: bulbs, cookers, torches, phone screens. 3.3 How heat moves Heat moves from hotter to cooler places. It travels by conduction (through solids), convection (through liquids and gases) and radiation (through air/space — e.g. the sun warming the earth). Simple experiment: place a metal spoon in hot water — the handle becomes warm. That is conduction. UNIT 4 – SOUND AND SIMPLE MACHINES 4.1 How sound is made Sound comes from vibration. Pluck a rubber band — the vibration makes the sound. 4.2 Staying safe with sound Loud sounds can damage the ears. Protect your ears from very loud noise. 4.3 Simple machines Lever (see-saw, broom), pulley (raising water from a well), inclined plane (ramp), wedge (knife), wheel and axle (bicycle). They make work easier. UNIT 5 – BASIC TECHNOLOGY AND THE COMPUTER 5.1 The computer and its parts Monitor, keyboard, mouse, system unit, printer. Input devices (keyboard, mouse) bring data in; output devices (monitor, printer) show results. 5.2 Using technology safely Sit with good posture, keep screens at a healthy distance, and never share personal details online. UNIT 6 – PREDICTION FROM EXPERIMENTS + ONE FULL PROJECT Each unit ends with a "predict before you try" mini-experiment: pupils predict the result, run the test, then record whether the prediction was correct. FULL PROJECT: Grow and Observe a Bean Seed Materials: cotton wool, a small cup, water, bean seeds. Steps: (1) wet the cotton wool, (2) place beans on it in the cup, (3) keep it in a bright spot and add a little water daily, (4) record your observations each day for 7 days, (5) draw the changes you see. The project teaches the scientific method: observe, ask questions, record data, conclude.