Longman Scienceworld

Longman Scienceworld was a scheme for science and technology throughout the primary years. The scheme was first published in 1986/7, prior to the development and implementation of the National Curriculum in England and Wales. It therefore uses words to describe the scheme’s structure and the years of primary schooling which preceded the use of the terms ‘years’ and ‘levels’ in operation since 1989. The ‘levels’ in the scheme bear no relationship to the levels in the national curriculum. Similarly the junior years, described as Years One to Four have been described as Years Three to Six since 1989. This adds to the complexity of a scheme which has a number of components.

Aims
Longmans Science world was planned as a whole scheme to ensure continuity and progression throughout the primary school. It was expected that science skills and conceptual understanding would be developed steadily (and spirally) as the seven years of the course were followed. The teachers’ books provide detailed commentary and guidance on preparing and steering the activities.

Context
The scheme was developed in the mid-1980s at a time when considerable efforts were being made to increase and improve science in the primary school. The scheme provided activities suitable for students at every stage in the school, from reception to age 11 years, ensuring some progression and avoiding repetition and gaps in students’ experience. When the National Curriculum was introduced, four further teachers’ books were produced – the National Curriculum Teachers’ Book and three Teachers’ Guides to Infant Activity Cards – in order to show how the new programme of study could be taught through the activities in Longman Scienceworld.

Approach
In Longman Scienceworld science is presented as an activity which uses and develops a range of scientific skills-skills such as observing, classifying, controlling variables. The course is also concerned to develop understanding of some scientific ideas and to do this through students exploring their own environment. For this reason activities in Longman Scienceworld, are related to the lives of the characters in a fictional street, Newton Street, which is used throughout the scheme. The different people living in Newton Street use science in their everyday affairs and in their jobs.

There are two main parts to the scheme. Science Through Infant Topics includes teachers’ and students’ resources for students in Years One (Reception) Two and Three, aged five, six and seven years (Key Stage One in the National Curriculum). Junior Books, provide resources for students aged 8 to 11 years and their teachers (Key Stage Two in the National Curriculum). Photocopiable record sheets are provided for each year.