Nuffield Science 11 to 13: Year 1

The Nuffield 11 to 13 project provided a book for students and a Teachers’ Guide for each year of the course together with a file of Worksheets. The student books were not conventional textbooks. Less space than usual was given to exposition and factual information. The main aim was to generate interest using case studies to show how scientists worked in the past, how they work today, what they know about the world, and how confident they are in this knowledge. Each book ended with activities to show the readers how to do new things, make new things, work like scientists, and find out more about the world.

The Teachers’ Guide
*Introduction
*Focus
*Probe
*Pattern
*Apparatus lists

Each chapter in the Teachers’ Guide provides a commentary on the text and images in the students’ book covering background to the science history and process, as well as the pedagogy involved. The guidance suggests ways to integrate the worksheets and practicals with the exploration of idea.

The Pupils’ Book
*Chapter 1: Focus
*Chapter 2: Probe
*Chapter 3: Pattern
*Activities

The first three chapters (the 'reader' chapters) are designed to develop understanding of processes and facts; the activities are mainly designed to develop skills. These chapters describe scientists: what they are like, what they are interested in, how they have worked over the centuries, how they work today, what they know about the World, and how confident they are in that knowledge.

The rest of the book is made up of activities that show the children how to do new things, make new things, work like scientists, find out interesting things about the World, and put these things together with what they already know to make new 'pattern statements'.