Science

Department Vision

Active Inquirers, Lifelong and Confident Learners

Department Mission

• Building a strong foundation in Science to allow students to possess scientific mindsets
• Providing a holistic education with a strong focus on demonstrating ways of thinking and doing in Science
• Instilling curiosity and providing students with experiences to inquire like scientists

Science Experiences And Programmes

Guided by the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Science Curriculum Framework, our Science curriculum aims to equip our students with the scientific literacy and disposition to inquire and understand themselves and the world around them. At Nan Chiau Primary School, we provide students with experiences which build on their interest in and stimulate their curiosity about the world around them. These learning experiences provide students with opportunities to develop skills, positive habits of mind and attitudes necessary for scientific inquiry. Learning of Science also takes place beyond the classrooms to enrich students’ experiences and make Science relevant to the real world around them. Our Science programmes are designed to provide opportunities for our students to explore, investigate and discover scientific knowledge. We want our students to be curious and concerned about their surroundings. We seek to fuel this spirit of inquiry and hope that our students can appreciate how Science influences people and the environment.

Inquiry-based Learning

Science curriculum at NCPS adopts the pedagogy of Inquiry-based Learning using the BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) 5E Instructional model. Students are provided with opportunities to engage in meaningful learning of key scientific ideas as they are taken through the 5 key stages of learning in the 5E Instructional Model – Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate. Students carry out hands-on investigations and apply scientific knowledge using various process skills. Through active learning, students acquire the skills to synthesize knowledge, transfer their learning in varied contexts and make connections with their surroundings.

Use of Dataloggers and IT Resources

At various levels, students are actively engaged in learning with the use dataloggers to conduct simple investigations. Harnessing the affordances in technology, lessons are designed to provide platforms for students to learn seamlessly - both in classroom and out-of-classroom, both within and after curriculum time. Students will embark on online learning using Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) as well as mobile learning using iPads. Through the use of devices and various online platforms, the learning of Science can be conducted both in-school and out-of-school.

Young Scientist Badge Scheme

Apart from learning about scientific conceptual knowledge, our students are also equipped with procedural skills akin to what real-life scientists have through carrying out hands-on investigations, collecting data and making sense of them.

With the aim of inspiring students to love Science and encourage self-directed learning, the Primary 3 and 4 students embark on the Young Scientist Badge Scheme. The Young Scientist Badge Scheme stimulates interest in Science activities among students and enables students to carry out self-directed activities in various disciplines of Science.

Learning Journey

Learning Journeys form an integral part of the Science curriculum in NCPS. In making Science concepts relevant, our students are brought outdoors to various places in Singapore to allow them the opportunities to see, feel, touch and hear the natural environment. Such meaningful learning journeys will help students understand the scientific concepts behind what they have observe in their surroundings.

For instance, the Primary 3 students visited the Singapore Zoological Garden to learn more about the Animal Kingdom. They are tasked to complete a few online activities which were accessed via the smart devices. Through this experiential learning, students are given the opportunity to observe the characteristics of different animal groups such as mammals, birds and fish closely. Students also learnt to work collaboratively in groups and communicate their findings. The Primary 6 students are given the opportunity to visit the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. This learning journey emphasizes taking the learning process and experience beyond the classroom, but keeping it rooted to the curriculum. Through such authentic learning experience, students make observations to the mangrove swamp habitat and community and share findings with their peers.

Science@Recess

Learning Science is not just about concepts and skills. Teachers at NCPS are always with creative and innovative strategies to make learning fun and meaningful for our students. One of the strategies is to engage our students in simple hands-on experiments. Students explore and experiment Science activities during their recess break, allowing the students to learn as they play. Applying these concepts and skills learnt to play-based activities further enhance our students’ subject mastery where they could internalise their learnings better while having fun.

Science Enrichment Programme (E2K)

Selected Primary 4 and 5 students are given opportunities to engage in scientific investigations involving advanced Science concepts. This programme aims to stimulate curiosity and to further develop and strengthen our students’ abilities to study phenomena and their possible causes in scientific investigations and discourse. Through this programme, students learn to work harmoniously in groups and work towards a common goal in solving problems.