Explorify is a free digital resource that provides a range of engaging activities covering the whole curriculum. We are delighted to present a range of Explorify activities that have been specially curated to extend your experience with the 2023 Great Guided Enquiries.
The following activities from Explorify inspire pupils to ask and investigate their own scientific questions, whilst encouraging and developing good speaking and listening skills.
What’s Going On?
Tabletop hovercraft 7-11 year-olds
Hovercrafts can fly just above the surface of land or water. They work by pushing air beneath them and behind them and use less fuel than many vehicles. Watch Explorify’s What’s Going On? Tabletop hovercraft and use the links in the Take it further section to inspire your class to make their own air powered vehicles. There are ideas for cars, boats and planes including questions that might inspire investigations. Continue the discussion by thinking about how the machines move in the Odd One Out Moving Propellers.
Scarf shooter 5-11 year-olds
Turn on the air fans and explore the forces involved in Explorify’s What’s Going On? Scarf shooter. Encourage the pupils’ thinking about whether pneumatic machines like this could be useful in What if we had machines like this?
What’s Going On?
Under Glass 5-7 year-olds
After watching the What’s Going On? Under glass pupils might wonder whether plants grow faster in greenhouses. The Plant Germination and Growth activity (on page 21 Bringing Back Glass resource) suggests inverting a glass jar over seedlings to create a mini greenhouse.
The Big Question
How can we slow down evaporation to make sure that wildlife can drink? 7-9 year-olds
A glass jar is perfect for illustrating the way water moves in the water cycle (see Water Cycle in a Jar on page 28 of Bringing Back Glass resource). Pupils’ understanding could be deepened by asking, Have you ever needed to dry something quickly? or Where is the water? Meanwhile, investigating the Big Question How can we slow down evaporation to make sure that wildlife can drink? provides pupils with an opportunity to test their ideas in an unusual context.
Who Is?
Alexander Fleming 9-11 year-olds
Give pupils the opportunity to learn about a scientist whose fungi-discovery truly changed the world by discussing, Who is Alexander Fleming? His story will stimulate children’s curiosity about mould. A great follow-up is the What’s Going On? Fury Fruit. This is a time lapse footage of strawberries developing mould.
Have You Ever?
Found mould growing on bread at home 9-11 year-olds
Ask pupils, Have you ever found mould growing on bread at home? to find out how much they already know- make them the science experts! Pupils can safely investigate mould (a member of the fungi kingdom) growing on bread by keeping it in sealed plastic bags. What questions do they have? Perhaps which bread goes mouldy first or which conditions speed up mould growth?
Zoom In, Zoom Out
The Mystery Grows 7-11 year-olds
The Mystery grows Zoom In, Zoom Out looks closely at lichen. Lichen can be found almost everywhere growing on surfaces including concrete, rocks and trees. Pupils can use the links in the ‘Take it further’ to help them survey their local environment. What questions do they have? What can they discover? Do lichen indicate what the air quality is like in different places in their local environment?
Explorify is a free digital resource that provides a range of engaging activities covering the whole curriculum. Click here to sign up for your free account.
For help with subject knowledge and support with planning a science topic click here.
Listen, think and share your questions.
