SEERIH Innovations

Taking Root
(participating on activities with families)

Pre-activity: 5
During activity: 3
Post-activity: 2

A fun, engaging evening of science enquiry for the whole family. Solve a crime by working like a scientist and eliminating suspects.

To investigate using comparative testing, recognising and controlling variables.
To observe, looking for patterns.
To make simple electrical circuits.
To evaluate and explain results and make conclusions

Dedicate staff meeting time to explore 4 science investigations associated with the ‘Learning Science Together’ resource from the Primary Science Teaching Trust. This is a Crime Scene Investigation event. Allow teachers time to talk about and become familiar with the activities and give them an awareness of possible resourcing issues.
Organise for sign up to the event and plan refreshments for the end of the event – this can help guarantee a great attendance!
Prepare any resources than you think you’ll need, with the help of parents, teaching assistants and older children if applicable.
Allocate one classroom to each science investigation and organise a plan for how the families will move around them during the event. Allocate 15-20 minutes for each activity in each room.
Encourage all staff and parents to adopt a questioning attitude to the night. The key is to promote talk and curiosity around the crime scene and ‘who did it!?’

Introduce the event to all members of teaching staff. Note when it will take place, where possible using this instead of a staff meeting time.
On the evening have 2 or 3 members of staff ‘floating’ on the corridors to direct families to the right place.
Signify when the time is up to ensure everything runs on time. (Ring the school bell)
Give a starting room and planned route through the activities.