What is the theme about?

The main foci of this topic are Science and History, particularly the following areas of study:

• Everyday materials
• Light
• States of Matter
• Sound
• Electricity
• Battle of Britain
• Local history study linked to Shuttleworth
• History of transport including flight and railways

The learning related to this theme is distributed across both Key Stages and EYFS. Each child will study this topic 3 times over the course of their time at the school building on their prior knowledge and skills. 

Intent

Our children are often unsure of where their everyday items developed from and how they came to be.  For  example, how the lightbulb was invented, the internet, coding, medicine etc. It is important for our learners to understand where these originated from.  It is also important for them to understand that in many cases, inventions came into being as a result of trying to solve a problem; a demonstration of resilience and determination that our learners need to see and experience in order to develop this skill themselves. 

Many inventions came as a result of exploration and as a mistake when trying to solve something else.

The inventors that will be looked at during the topic, come from a range of backgrounds.  We want to inspire our children and motivate them to reach their potential.  We have ensured that we cover a range of ethnicities, cultures, wealth and both genders.

We would also like our children to recognise that our lives would be very different had these inventions not been developed and how life can be changed for better, or worse, as a result of inventions.

Without inventors, mankind would never have moved on from the earliest times of ancient history. It is also arguable that with inventions and progress, problems have been caused for people and their environments.  This unit gives the children the opportunity to find out about progress, but also how some inventions can hold negative impacts.

In response to trying new things an building upon mistakes, our children will develop their skills of creativity, branch out and take risks. It is working within this theme that our children will have the opportunities to develop this.