Science
Introduction
At Elias Park Primary School, the Science department believes in nurturing our Eliasians to be an inquirer. We provide different learning opportunities to encourage and challenge them to develop their sense of inquiry. A strong foundation in scientific knowledge and skills is also what the department aims to achieve for every child. Through the different programmes put in place, we aim to develop critical 21st Century skills such as the reasoning and analytical skills and the flexibility to learn new things.
Vision
- Every Eliasian with an inquiring mind for Science.
Mission
- To nurture Eliasians to have a lively curiosity in the Sciences.
Twin Goals of Science Education*
Our students are diverse, with different needs, interests and aptitudes for Science. Given the diversity of our students and the needs of Singapore, the twin goals of Science education are to:
1. Enthuse and nurture all students to be scientifically literate, so that they are able to make informed decisions
and take responsible actions in their daily lives; and
2. Provide strong Science fundamentals for students to innovate and pursue STEM for future learning and work.
Learning Outcomes*
- Provide students with experiences which build on their interest in and stimulate their curiosity about their environment
- Provide students with basic scientific terms and concepts to help them understand themselves and the world around them
- Provide students with opportunities to develop skills, habits of mind and attitudes necessary for scientific inquiry
- Prepare students towards using scientific knowledge and methods in making personal decisions
- Help students appreciate how science influences people and the environment
*From Ministry of Education website
Approach/Framework
EPPS’ Science Programme adopts a 3-prong approach:
- Science in daily life
Students will be able to see science in their daily life and thus able to apply the science concepts learnt in class to solve problems they encounter in school or at home. - Science in society
• Students have the opportunities to take part in projects such as Community in Bloom to care for the plants around them.
• They will also have opportunities to present to the community on the school’s Butterfly Garden, Fernery and Herb Garden. - Science and the environment
• Students have the opportunities to take on leadership roles to present to the public on the recycling efforts of the school such as food waste recycling.
• Through Design Thinking strategy, students will also brainstorm for ways to solve authentic problems with
science knowledge and skills.
Programmes
Setting the Foundation
Level: Primary 2
Early Science Programme
Tapping on the STELLAR unit, A Butterfly is Born, the Primary 2 students make a trip to Elias Park Primary School’s very own Butterfly Garden to see the life cycle of butterfly coming to life. Furthermore, each child will be able to put their observation and comparison skills to spot the and compare the visiting butterflies.
In addition, P2 students will also be exposed to the topic, Materials. They will get to learn about the properties of the different recycled materials and using these materials to build a boat. They even get a chance to sail their boat in the Science pond!
Strengthening the Foundation
Level: Primary 3
Interdisciplinary Project Work (IPW)-cum-Compost Making and Food Waste Recycling Programme
Tapping on the APBL platform, the P3 students will look into ways to solve the issue of overwhelming food waste generated by Singapore each year. Students will be able to observe how the food waste collected after each recess is generated into plant fertilisers using 2 methods, the worm composter and the food waste recycler machine. At the end of this programme, students will have the chance to fertilise the plants in the school with the fertilisers they generated.
Levels: Primary 4 & 5
Excellence 2000 (E2K) Science Programme
Primary 4 and 5 students who demonstrate interest and ability in Science will be selected for the E2K programme. This programme engages students in scientific investigations involving advanced science concepts. It aims to engage students in scientific inquiry that will help them to develop the habits, attitudes and dispositions scientists possess as well as to gain important 21st century competencies such as critical and inventive thinking and effective communication skills.
Experiencing Success
Level: Primary 5
P5 Science Learning Journey to NEWater Visitor Centre
The Primary 5 students will visit the NEWater Visitor Centre and will take part in the NEWater Scientist Programme. The primary aim of this activity was to get students to understand the water cycle in relation to the topic that they learnt in school. Simultaneously, students will be enlightened about Singapore’s solution to water sustainability.
To make learning enjoyable at the centre, students had to explore the NEWater Visitor Centre for answers to questions posed in a Science-based worksheet within 45 minutes. Some of the questions posed were facts of NEWater, Singapore’s Water History of the past and present, ways to conserve water and the water cycle.
Levels: Primary 2, 4 and 5
The Elias Butterfly Garden
The Science department created a vibrant butterfly garden attracting a diverse species of butterflies. This provides a platform for our Eliasians to observe animal adaptation and life cycle of insects in the animals’ natural habitat. An ICT-enriched Butterfly Trail was developed based on the 5Es (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration and Evaluation) Instructional Model. The trail provides opportunities for students to go through the 5Es process based on the 3 main topics – Diversity (P3), Life Cycle (P4) and Adaptations (P6). In the garden, Eliasians will be able to observe the different stages in the life cycle of a butterfly. They will also observe how the caterpillars evolve to adapt to the environment by having different structures to protect them from the predators. Through the activities in this garden, it will foster the Spatial Intelligence and Naturalist Intelligences in our Eliasians to raise their environmental awareness.
Levels: Primary 3 & 5
Hydroponics@EPPS
The newly constructed nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponics system is our newest addition to our Science Garden. NFT is a hydroponic technique where in a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully. Besides introducing the importance of food sustainability (Ministry of Environment and Sustainability’s Green Plan 2030) in Singapore, this hydroponics system is also a learning centre for our P3 and P5 students on Plant System and IPW programme respectively.
Levels: Primary 5 & 6
Navitas Eliascus
The Navitas Eliascus is a project that harnesses solar and wind as renewable energy. It addresses our school’s needs of providing an experiment test-bed for habit of inquiry. Through the Navitas Eliascus, we are able to instil the five attributes of an Eliasian in students – Scholar, Sportsman, Artist, Citizen and Leader. Similarly, the project is able to cater to the students’ multiple intelligences and the different learning styles. Navitas Eliascus is a learning centre for the students of Elias Park Primary School and the community.
For Science Monitors and Green Ambassadors
Community in Bloom (CIB) Programme
Every year, Elias Park Primary School would take part in the Community In Bloom (CIB) programme. National Parks Board (NParks) spearheaded the CIB programme, a partnership-based initiative to help create gardening communities in housing estates, educational institutions and organisations in Singapore. EPPS achieved our third Silver Award through the efforts of teachers and students.
