It’s Not Fair, or Is It? – Second Edition Revised

It’s Not Fair, or Is It? Second edition: A guide to the different types of science enquiry used in primary schools covers five types of science enquiry carried out in the primary classroom.

The aim of this book is to support primary teachers in their planning and teaching and enable children to learn and consolidate their science skills and concepts, as well as to enable children to learn about how scientists work to establish scientific knowledge.

With a fresh focus the book addresses what the different science enquiry types are and how you define them.

This updated edition utilises the authors extensive research and experience of science enquiry to revisit science enquiry in the changing educational landscape. Evaluating the understanding of science enquiry, its place within the curriculum and how it is taught.

Key areas addressed in this new edition:

• revised definitions of the enquiry types
• the explicit links made between each science enquiry and the conceptual knowledge that children learn or apply
• examples of science enquiry questions and whole enquiries used to exemplify each enquiry type

The types of science enquiry cover in this book are:

• Observation over time enquiries
• Identification and classification enquiries
• Comparative and fair test enquiries
• Pattern seeking enquiries
• Research enquiries

Each of these chapters contains:

• definitions of and information about that type of enquiry
• a science skills progression grid to support planning
• examples of how to teach children to answer specific enquiry questions, from age 4 to the end of primary, including possible pupil outcomes
• a list of other suggested science enquiry questions

It’s Not Fair, or Is It? – Second Edition will help you to broaden the range of science enquiries that your children experience and will assist you in the planning for the learning that will happen.

This book is a fantastic addition for teachers and trainees. Subject leaders will also find this a great resource to develop their science curriculum, pedagogy and understanding of science enquiry.

Author  – Liz Lawrence

The original edition of It’s not Fair was a product of its time. Since then, we have seen types of enquiry become embedded in the primary science curriculum and have learned a great deal about how and why science enquiries are taught and what teachers find challenging. Pulling together this knowledge and experience in a new edition has been a stimulating process of clarifying and exemplifying the different types of science enquiry. We are excited to share the result with you.