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1 Introduction
There are statutory requirements to include citizenship in
secondary schools as part of the National Curriculum and non-statutory
guidance in primary schools. In all phases, there are great
advantages in making links between science and citizenship
as this demonstrates that science knowledge is relevant and
useful in society.
The best general resource to support citizenship is the new
Professional Resource Network (PRN).
Try putting 'science' into their search engine and you will find a good range of articles that your student teachers may find useful to stimulate discussion or support their work in the classroom.
This unit gives examples of how citizenship and sustainability
can be incorporated within science in primary and secondary
schools. Support material of good publications as well as
online material are suggested.
This section covers:
- Key Stage 1 & 2 Non-Statutory PHSE & Citizenship
- Key Stage 3 & 4 Statutory Citizenship National Curriculum
- Resources to Support Citizenship and Sustainability
 2
Key
Stage 1 & 2 Non-Statutory PHSE & Citizenship
The 4 non-statutory areas
There is Non-Statutory Guidance for PHSE and Citizenship
for Key Stage 1 and 2. Many of the PHSE / Citizenship skills
and knowledge suggested can be addressed through science.
The guidance material for Key Stage 1 and 2 emphasises the
key concepts of the development of the self in relation to
others and the wider community. The shift in developing ideas
through children's experience is subtle but noteworthy.
At Key Stage 1 children's learning about Citizenship is concerned
with use of their own experiences to learn about themselves
as developing individuals and members of their communities.
At Key Stage 2 children's learning about Citizenship is concerned
with the link between their development as individuals and
as members of interdependent communities which are a part
of the wider world.
The Non-Statutory Guidance suggests coverage of the first
three of the 4 areas listed below for Key Stage 1 and all
four for Key Stage 2. The four areas are given below with
aspects particularly relevant to science indicated.
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Developing confidence and responsibility and making the
most of their abilities includes helping pupils to learn
to recognise what is fair and unfair, and what is right
and wrong as well as being enabled to share opinions on
things that matter to them and explain their views.
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Preparing to play an active role as citizens includes
teaching pupils to take part in discussions with others,
to realise that people and other living things have needs,
and that they have responsibilities to meet them. Pupils
can also be taught what improves and harms their local,
natural and built environments and about some of the ways
people look after these environments.
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Developing good relationships and respecting the differences
between people includes helping pupils to listen to other
people as well as to play and work co-operatively. Teaching
pupils to identify and respect the differences and similarities
between people is an important part of this.
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Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle includes teaching
pupils how to make simple choices that improve their health
and wellbeing, how to maintain personal hygiene and how
some diseases spread and can be controlled with appropriate
use of medicine. The Non-Statutory guidance also suggests
teaching pupils about finding out about the process of
growing from young to old and how people's needs change
with age.
Developing Citizenship alongside Science Investigations
and Content
Not all the content of science topics can be related easily
to citizenship. However all investigations provide opportunities
for more than science skill development. Enabling children
to work co-operatively to carry out investigations provides
many opportunities to consider and practice Citizenship skills.
Some science topics lend themselves more easily to raising
citizenship issues such as:
- Care of living things and the environment
- Developing a healthy life style
- Considering differences and similarities between people
3
Key
Stage 3 & 4 Statutory Citizenship National Curriculum
The Statutory areas required in the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum for Citizenship requires secondary
schools to cover three main areas:
- Knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens
- Developing skills of enquiry and communication
- Developing skills of participation and responsible action
Only some of the statements within each of these areas are
particularly relevant to science. With regard to science these
relevant statements are very similar for Key 3 and Key Stage
4 Stages. However the content or issues will depend on the
science topic being taught.
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Knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens
includes teaching pupils about the world as a global community,
and the political, economic, environmental and social
implications of this. In science this can be addressed
when studying ways in which living things and the environment
can be protected, and the importance of sustainable development.
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Developing skills of enquiry and communication includes
enabling pupils to think about and research topical political,
spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, problems
and events by analysing information and its sources. Key
Stage 4 pupils should be helped to show an awareness of
the use and abuse of statistics. Pupils in both Key Stages
should be taught to justify orally and in writing personal
opinions about these issues, problems or events; as well
as to contribute to group and class discussions and debates.
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Developing skills of participation and responsible action
includes teaching pupils to consider other people's experiences.
They should also be enabled to think about, express and
explain views that are not their own and negotiate, decide
and take part responsibly in both school and community-based
activities.
4
Resources
to Support Citizenship and Sustainability Key Stages 1-4
Publications and online resources can be used to give ideas
for both primary and secondary teachers. Attachment 3 suggests:
- Teachers' resource and handbooks
- Children's fiction and non-fiction for Key Stage 1 -3
on environmental issues
- Organisations providing support on Citizenship & Sustainability
The list is not definitive and the authors of this section
would be pleased to hear from readers of any resources that
they have found particularly valuable so we can add these.
Downloads in this document:
Section Developed by:
Tina Jarvis University of Leicester
Farhana
Zaman University of Plymouth
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