Lesson video

Hi everybody, my name is Miss Simkin.

Some of you might have met me before, if you've done Oak National Science lessons where I've been the teacher, in which case, welcome back, it's nice to see you again.

Some of you might not have met me before.

So I'm going to tell you a little bit about me before we begin today.

I am a Science teacher, I'm also a primary school teacher.

And before I became a teacher, I was a scientist.

A type of scientist called a marine conservationist.

It's a bit of a mouthful, but essentially, I was the kind of scientist who would scuba dive.

Which is where you wear a special tank on your back and you go underwater and the scuba diving equipment lets you breathe underwater and you study marine animals and all of the fish that live under the sea.

So, that's a little bit about me.

Animals are my favourite part of Science but I love all areas of Science.

And in this huge unit, which is all about the history of Science, we're really lucky 'cause we're going to get to learn about lots of different areas of Science in one unit.

So let's get started.

Our lesson question today is how does scientific ideas change? Throughout this whole unit, we're going to look at how Science has changed over time.

And how our ideas about Science have changed and our knowledge of different things has grown.

In today's lesson, we are going to start with our star words.

Then we're going to have a look at the scientific process.

Then we're going to see how new ideas are challenged in Science.

We're going to talk about cumulative knowledge, and then you'll get a chance to do your end of lesson quiz right at the end of the lesson.

For today's lesson please, you will need a piece of paper, a pencil, a different coloured pencil so you can mark your work in a different colour and a ruler.

If you don't have those things, could you pause the video and go and get them now please.

Great, let's begin with our star words.

So I am going to say them and then you're going to say them.

The reason that we practise our star words this way is 'cause these are the most important words that we're going to need this lesson, so it's important that we know how to say them.

Saying them also helps them to stick in our head and it means we can learn what these words mean before we need to use them in our lesson.

Okay so, I am going to say them and then you're going to say them out loud.

Data, hypothesis, cumulative.

Good let's try that one again, cumulative.

Great, peer review, debate and collaboration.

Good one more time collaboration.

Brilliant, so data is facts or information.

We collect data when we do Science investigations.

And then we analyse it to see what our investigation is telling us.

A hypothesis is a suggested explanation.

That's normally the starting point of an investigation.

So we'll talk a bit more about that during the lesson.

Cumulative means getting bigger or growing over time.

And then peer review, debate and collaboration we're going to talk about in the lesson.

We'll define them when we get to them.

We're going to start off by talking about the scientific process.

Science is all about understanding how the world works.

But it's a process.

There are lots of steps that you need to take in order to get to that point of understanding.

So the scientific idea is an explanation for how something works, that was figured out using the scientific process.

So there are lots of great scientists in the history of Science, who've had really good scientific ideas.

So for example, Newton had a scientific idea about gravity.

How objects are attracted to the centre of the earth because of an invisible force called gravity.

That's a scientific idea.

And he figured it out using the scientific process.

And we're going to go through the steps of the scientific process now.

Before we do, can everybody just get their finger.

Can you put your finger at the beginning of the definition and keep read out with me.

An explanation for how something works that was figured out using the scientific process.

Okay, so it's an explanation figured out using the scientific process.

Now, let's take a look at the scientific process.

This is the scientific process.

It's like a set of steps or instructions that you need to follow.

We're going to go through each step now.

So the first step in the scientific process is to ask a question, okay? We said that Science is all about finding out how the world works, understanding the world.

So the question would be something that you want to find the answer to.

So an example that might be familiar to us from our school Science is a question like, do plants need water? Okay, so that would be your question.

Do plants need water? Then the next step in the scientific process is to create a hypothesis.

So a hypothesis is a bit like a prediction.

It's an explanation an answer to your question, but you're just suggesting it, you're not sure yet.

So if I were to ask the question, do plants need water? Then my hypothesis might be something like, Yes, I think plants do need water in order to survive.

So you're having a go at answering that question.

Then the next step is to collect and analyse data.

So this is where you're trying to find out the answer to your question.

You're trying to find out if your hypothesis was correct.

So, how could you collect and analyse data that tells you if plants need water.

I want you to have a think you might have done this before.

Well, you could set up an experiment where you try growing a plant with water and try growing a plant without water and see what happens, okay? So those are the first three steps.

Say them with me, ask a question, what comes next? Hypothesis great, and then the third one? Collect and analyse data, brilliant.

Then once you've collected your data and analysed it you need to think, does it fit with my hypothesis? So, if you've conducted that experiment in the past, you will know that plants without water don't grow and in fact they die.

Whereas plants that are given water that are watered do grow, and they survive.

So did that fit those results? Do they fit with our hypothesis? Yes they do.

We hypothesised, we predicted that plants needed water to survive, okay? Sometimes though, our data doesn't fit with our hypothesis, and that's okay.

That's a really important part of the process.

Scientists don't always get it right the first time.

And if it doesn't fit, if the answer is no, then you need to go back and make another hypothesis.

Come up with another explanation and then follow the steps again.

Test that and check does it fit? And you keep doing that until you find that yes, it does fit.

And then, the last part of the process is to communicate.

Once you've found evidence for your scientific idea, you need to tell other people about it.

Newton didn't keep his idea and his evidence for gravity or himself.

He taught the rest of the world about it.

So those are the steps in the scientific process.

Can you take a mental picture with your brain 'cause I'm going to test you on them in a moment? Go through them one more time, okay, ready? Can you now put these steps of the scientific process in the correct order, please.

So on your piece of paper, you're going to write down number one, and then the first step, then number two, and the second step.

Pause the video and do that for me now, please.

Great, let's see if you were correct.

So this was the correct order.

Number one, ask a question.

Number two, hypothesis.

Number three, collect and analyse data.

Number four, does it fit? And number five, communicate.

Well done if you put those in the correct order give yourself a tick.

If you didn't, that's okay.

Making a mistake is part of the learning process.

Okay, you can pause the video and give yourself some time to correct your answers if you need to.

Great, so scientific ideas, are much more reliable and more likely to be true than other kinds of ideas because they're based on evidence.

So this step here, number three, collecting and analysing data, that's finding evidence.

So coming up with new scientific ideas is all about gathering evidence.

For example, we used to think that light was a wave until Albert Einstein collected evidence that light can also act like a particle.

And it turns out that light is both a wave and a particle, and it can act like both in different situations.

But it was only through gathering evidence, that we were able to figure that out.

So a scientific idea needs evidence, that's collected through the scientific process.

What's the first thing a scientific idea needs to have? Evidence, exactly.

But sometimes having evidence isn't enough, because you could have lots of data and lots of evidence but it takes that brilliant idea that first scientists with a really great imagination, and good scientific thinking to come up with it.

If we think about gravity example again, the evidence for gravity has been around the whole time that humans have been around.

Evidence for gravity is if I let go of my object, it falls to the ground.

That's evidence for gravity.

But it took the brilliant mind of Isaac Newton to think of his scientific explanation for that.

But it's this invisible force called gravity that's causing that, okay? So to have a scientific idea, you need two things.

You need to start.

Well, you need to have a brilliant idea and you need evidence, you need both of those things, to have a scientific idea.

If you just have a brilliant idea, that is just an idea.

It's not scientific yet.

If you just have the evidence, well, you don't have the thinking that gives an explanation for that evidence.

So you need to both, okay? Get your hands ready.

What's the first thing you need? Say it to your screen, evidence.

What's the second thing you need? Brilliant idea.

So evidence and brilliant idea equals, a scientific idea, great.

Okay, let's see how much you can remember.

Can you please fill in the gaps for this definition? An explanation of what you need for a scientific idea.

A scientific idea is an for how something works, that was figured out using the and then and equals scientific idea.

Pause the video and have a go for me now please.

Okay, let's check your answers.

So a scientific idea is an explanation for how something works that was figured out using the scientific process.

Evidence and brilliant idea equals scientific idea.

Give yourself a tick if you got those correct.

If you made a mistake, no problem, just correct your answer in a different colour, please.

So we've looked at some examples of the scientific ideas that amazing scientists have come up with.

Like what plants need, how light behaves, and gravity.

And we've seen how those scientists have come up with those ideas.

So sometimes when scientists communicate their ideas to other scientists or other people, they're not believed straight away.

Those ideas are challenged.

They're not accepted.

So let's look at some examples of where that has happened.

So we know now, that our Earth is round.

But in sixth century BC, this was a new idea.

People thought that the Earth was flat.

And that if you sailed, or travelled far enough you'd fall right off the edge.

And it wasn't until sixth century BC, that Pythagoras, a scientist declared that the world was round.

However, people did not believe him.

And it took over 1000 years for people to start to believe him and to accept that scientific idea that the world is round.

It took until an explorer called Christopher Columbus.

What was he called? Christopher Columbus sailed around the World in 1492.

And because Christopher Columbus sailed all the way around and didn't fall off, that was the evidence that people needed to finally accept Pythagoras's idea.

So why didn't they accept Pythagoras's idea to start with? What do you think? Well, it could be because sometimes people find it hard to accept really big ideas.

It could be because it's something that it's hard for people to see.

From wherever you are on the earth, you can't see the shape of the whole earth, it's too big.

The main reason is because although Pythagoras had his idea, he didn't have enough evidence yet to convince people.

And they were eventually convinced when Christopher Columbus provided that evidence.

So tell me again, why didn't people accept this idea? I gave you three reasons you can choose one.

Say it to your screen.

Great, okay, now I'm going to tell you about another scientific idea from a scientist that you may know.

This is Charles Darwin.

Now, his big contribution to Science, his big idea was all about evolution, and how the organisms, the animals and the plants that live on our earth, gradually change over time.

Now, you may know, that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was not accepted when he first put it forward.

And in fact, he kind of knew this was going to happen.

And he didn't publish his ideas for eight years.

So he came up with them he wrote them all down, but he didn't publish them, he didn't communicate them with other people for eight years, 'cause he was so worried about what other people would think and whether they would be accepted and he was right.

They weren't easily accepted.

There are quite a few reasons for this, but in this case, Charles Darwin did have evidence.

He had lots of evidence, and he wrote it all down in his famous book.

But people still didn't believe him.

And that's because his ideas, which is so different to what people already believed.

They thought that life on Earth had been unchanged for millions of years.

And they just weren't prepared to accept this different theory yet.

Some people even believed that he might be right, that species had changed, but they didn't think it was because of natural selection or evolution.

They thought it was supernatural forces.

They thought it was magic.

So they were more ready to believe that than they were Charles Darwin scientific evidence.

Eventually, over the years as people got used to the idea, and more and more evidence was gathered, gathered, they did start to believe Charles Darwin's ideas, and then now mostly accepted in Science.

So, how do, these really tricky, new scientific ideas or any scientific ideas get accepted by people? There are three main ways and they are collaboration, debate and peer review.

What are the three main ways? Put your screen and say each one, great? Yeah, and peer review.

Okay, let's talk about what those mean.

So collaboration is when people work together.

What's collaboration? Good when people work together.

When people work together, ideas are more likely to be accepted.

So if we think about Charles Darwin, he was working alone.

If he'd been working in a team, with maybe three other scientists, then they'd already be three scientists who believed him.

And people are more likely to believe the work of a group of people than they are just one person.

Okay, so collaboration is important.

Can we think of an action to help us remember what collaboration means? It's when a group of people work together, maybe something like this.

This can be a lot of people and they're working together.

Like this, like a big huddle of people working together.

You show me you choose, but show me your action for collaboration.

Good job, okay.

Debate is another way of convincing people.

So scientists tend to have very strong opinions about their areas of research and can sometimes be argumentative.

But this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Debate is a really good way of challenging scientific ideas.

It's when you argue your point, okay? So this can be a really good way.

What could our action be for debate? Maybe something like this, two people or two sides of an argument should be your action for debate.

Great, should be action for collaboration.

Show me your action for debate, great.

And then the final method is peer review.

This is when scientists complete scientific papers they write up their findings, and they present their new ideas in evidence.

But those papers have to be read and critiqued and checked by other scientists before they can be published.

And this means that bad quality research or bad ideas are normally weeded out, they're normally got rid off before they're published.

So this helps the scientific community to trust papers that are being published.

So what could actually be for peer review? Maybe something like this, like careful checking.

Show me your action for peer review, great.

Okay, just before we move on, let's see your actions for all three.

I might try trick you and say them out of order.

Show me your action for collaboration.

This could be.

Show me your action for debate.

Show me your action for peer review.

Okay, I'm going to get quicker.

Debate, collaboration, debate, peer review.

Good job, okay.

Can you now, match the key word to the definition.

You're struggling to remember.

Think about what your action is and what it reminds you of.

So, write down collaboration, and then write next to it, the definition on the side that best describes it.

Is that a formal discussion or argument, working with someone, or evaluation of scientific work by others working in the same field? Pause the video and complete this for me now, please.

Great, let's check your answers.

So, collaboration means working with someone.

Give yourself a tick, if you got it correct.

Debate is a formal discussion or argument.

Give yourself a tick if you got that correct.

And peer review is the evaluation of scientific work by others working in the same field.

Give yourself a tick if you got that correct, well done.

Okay, in the last part of our lesson, we're going to look at something called cumulative knowledge.

Can you say that with me, cumulative knowledge.

Good job, so cumulative we learnt in our star words, means something that builds up over time.

It gets more and more and more.

And that's what's happening with knowledge.

We think about the whole human race and the knowledge that we have, is building up over time.

We know this is true because we know, much more about Science, than our ancestors living in the Stone Age date.

Okay, and throughout this whole unit, we're going to be looking at this idea of cumulative knowledge, and how Science has changed and improved over time.

For today's lesson, we're just going to look at one quick example.

We're going to look at how, devices like the iPhone, came to be invented.

But we're going to look at the knowledge that that started with and the process that we took to get that.

Now there are lots of steps in this process, but we're just going to focus on a few main ones today.

Can you please draw this timeline on your piece of paper.

So it's got four intervals, you need to use your ruler to draw it and you can see the first three intervals are closer together, then you've got quite a big gap between the fourth interval.

We're then going to add to our timeline as we go.

But it will be good to get a set up before we start.

So pause the video and do that for me now, please.

Good, okay, so, I've told you we're going to end with the invention of the iPhone.

But let's see how that knowledge built up over time, and what we started with.

Well, we started with scientific idea about sound.

So in 570 BC, Pythagoras was a scientist.

We've mentioned before he was the one who had ideas about the world being round.

He also thought a lot about sound.

And in observing string instruments, he saw that vibrations in the strings became sound that the human ear could hear.

And so he concluded that vibrating string must create a ripple of movement that moves through the air.

So he was the first person to describe and understand what sound is.

Vibrations that travel through the air.

Can you pause the video and add this to your timeline.

Great, okay, then the next step of our timeline, quite a long time later, is in 1821.

There was a scientist called Helmholtz.

and he built a machine called the resonator, and he used this new machine to make, lots of different sounds.

He did lots of experiments with this machine.

But one of the things that he was able to do, was to produce vowel sounds with this machine.

So, sounds like A, E, I, O, U.

So this was a big job because before that, they had musical instruments.

Humankind had musical instruments that could create musical sounds.

But there wasn't a machine that could imitate the human voice that could create A, E, I, O, U sounds, okay? Can you please pause the video and add this to your timeline.

Great, okay, the next thing in our timeline is in 1876, a scientist called Alexander Graham Bell invented the very first telephone.

Now Alexander Graham Bell was inspired by Helmholtz's work on vowel sounds.

And he wanted to see if he could create a machine that could imitate all of the human voice, not just vowel sounds, and transmit that to another machine.

Which is what a telephone does, it transmits the human voice from one telephone to another telephone and he managed to do that.

But you could also see that Helmholtz, never would have built his resonator, if he hadn't learnt about and understood Pythagoras's scientific ideas about sound.

So it's a process without Pythagoras, we wouldn't have had Helmholtz's ideas and without Helmholtz's ideas, we wouldn't have Alexander Graham Bell's ideas and his invention of the telephone.

Can you pause the video and add Alexander Graham Bell to your timeline please.

Great, okay, so the very last bit of our timeline, is that in 2007 the first iPhone was invented, created.

So you can see that of course, without Alexander Graham Bell's first telephone, we never would have had the iPhone.

And there are of course, lots of things that go on in between that.

The first telephone was connected by wires, and the sound could not travel very far.

Now we have iPhones, which are mobile phones that don't need to be plugged into anything, that can transmit your phone call across the entire earth and they do so many different things that the first telephone didn't do.

Okay, for starters, they've got a touchscreen.

Think about all the apps, okay.

There's loads of things that happened in between that.

Can you please pause the video and add the first iPhone to your timeline please.

Great, okay, we're going to think a little bit more about that pink squiggly line that I've drawn.

All of those developments that happened in between.

And I've got two telephones for you below.

I've got one is a picture of it's not Alexander Graham Bell's very first phone, but it's one of the very early telephones, and then there's a picture of an iPhone.

Can you compare the two phones? Can you write down all of the differences that you see between them.

All of the things essentially that the iPhone can do, that the earliest telephones couldn't do.

Can you pause the video and do that for me now please.

Great, have you got a big long list? There are so many things that the iPhone can do.

So, it's got a touchscreen, it can tell the time, it's mobile, it doesn't have wires, it can connect to the internet, it's got apps, it can navigate you on maps, it can send written messages as well as vocal messages, so many different things you could have had written down.

Play games on it.

Okay, so give yourself a tick for all the ones you've got.

And you can see that list shows you, that's evidence for the fact that scientific knowledge is cumulative.

Because when Alexander Graham Bell, made the telephone, the telephone couldn't do any of those things.

And it took lots of amazing scientists and mentors along the way, to be able to produce an iPhone that could do all those things.

But the iPhone never would have been able to be produced without Alexander Graham Bell, without Helmholtz, without Pythagoras, okay? We've built on that knowledge from Pythagoras over years and years and years.

And it's cumulative, until we've got to this really impressive place.

Okay, and that's going to be a theme in all of our lessons in this unit.

We're going to look at some really cool Science that we're able to do nowadays and all our lifetime, and we're going to look at all the Science and history that allowed us to get to that point.

Well done for all your hard work today.

You've done a fantastic job, you should be really proud of yourself.

If you would like to share your work with Oak National, then you can ask a parent or carer to share your work and tag Oak National at #LearnwithOak.

They can also tag @Teach_STEMinism which means I would be able to see your work.

Just before you go don't forget to do your end of lesson quiz, please.

And most importantly, don't forget to have a fantastic rest of your day.

I really enjoyed today's lesson, and I hope that I will see you back here for another Science lesson too soon.

Bye everybody.