Let’s Think through Science!

The first Let’s Think through Science! (Adey et al., 2003), which was designed for seven- and
eight-year-olds, and this version for eight- and nine-year-olds, share many of the foundations on
which their predecessors were based, such as:
• a sharp focus on the development of better thinking;
• a psychological model based on the work of Piaget and Vygotsky;
• some of the general teaching methods that arise from this model.
But the two Let’s Think though Science! programmes also have their own characteristics that
distinguish them from other members of the family, the most obvious of which is their close
alignment with the content matter typical of science curricula for the relevant age range.
The research team’s method of working was as follows:
• First, the team members re-engaged themselves with the general methods of cognitive
acceleration (described in Chapter 3).
• The team then identified a set of topics common in the science curriculum in Years 3 and 4.
• The National Curriculum for England Scheme of Work for science was used for this purpose,
but the topics covered in both programmes are typical of many other science curricula
designed for seven- to nine-year-olds.

• Some chosen topics were analysed in order to identify the types of general cognitive
processing they required.
• The team drafted a set of activities that would set the cognitive acceleration principles
squarely in science topic contexts.
• The draft activities were tried with 20Year 4 classes during the academic year 2001-02.
Finally extensive trialling again took place during the school year 2002-03, with a different 20
classes. Classroom observation and meetings with the teachers took place in order to evaluate
the materials in terms of their:
• practicability and usefulness for busy teachers;
• effects on pupils;
• potential for providing cognitive stimulation, while at the same time remaining recognisably
related to the science curriculum.
What is presented here is the result of editing of the activities based on trials in the London
Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, and Harrow.

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