Leading in Learning: Science

Produced in 2005, this Key Stage Three National Strategy resource is a programme for teaching thinking skills at Key Stage Three which takes a cross-curricular approach to teaching thinking skills, rather than separately timetabled lessons or programmes confined to a particular subject. The model requires planning across departments, using cycles of three lessons, one in each of three subjects.

Based on a set of ten teaching strategies, it allows a phased approach that includes these features:
* trios of ‘leading thinkers’ from different departments develop 3-lesson cycles with chosen classes, usually starting in Year Seven
* other teachers gain experience of teaching lessons with a thinking skills focus in preparation for making a contribution to 3-lesson cycles.

The thinking skills identified are:
* Information-processing skills
* Reasoning skills
* Enquiry skills
* Creative-thinking skills
* Evaluation skills

Components
* Leading in Learning: developing thinking skills at Key Stage 3: Handbook for teachers - general cross-curricular introduction to the three lesson cycle and the thinking skills involved

* Leading in Learning: exemplification in science – includes discussion of the links between thinking skills and science, and then considers ideas for where teachers can use the following in science lessons: Advance organisers; Analogies; Audience and purpose; Classifying; Collective memory; Living graphs and fortune lines; Mysteries; Reading images; Relational diagrams; Summarising. Further references and various resources are also included.

* Leading in Learning: science resources (Word version)