YEAR 1

Unit 1A Ourselves

ABOUT THE UNIT

Through this unit children learn about their senses and how they can use them to explore the world around them. They also learn
that humans and other animals move and grow.

Experimental and investigative work focuses on:

• exploring and using senses

• observing and describing living things, and communicating what happened in their work.

Within this unit there are opportunities for children to consider how to treat each other and other living things with care and sensitivity.

This unit takes approximately 9 hours.

WHERE THE UNIT FITS IN VOCABULARY RESOURCES

This is the introductory unit and lays the In this unit children will have • secondary sources showing young
opportunities to use:
foundation for work relating to the and adult animals
• words relating to their senses eg
study of humans and other animals. sense, eye, sight, see, ear, hearing, • collection of photographs showing
smell, nose, touch, feel the same people as they get older
Teachers will need to establish whether
• words for parts of the body of
children have appropriate vocabulary to • video/CD-ROM showing animals
humans and other animals eg leg,
describe their bodies. wing, arm, beak moving
• words and phrases relating to living • tape of familiar sounds
Links with Units 2A, 2C, 1D, 1F and with and non-living things eg alive, living,
not alive, human, animal • objects and magnifying glass/lens
physical education.
• words and phrases for making • collection of things that smell, feely
comparisons eg tall/taller/tallest, like,
similar to, different from bags, selection of crisps
• words which have different • modelling materials eg playdough,
meanings in other contexts eg like,
plasticine
smell, animal
• words relating to conveying
scientific ideas eg describe.

E X P E C TAT I O N S
at the end of this unit

most children will: identify and locate parts of their body, including sense organs; recognise changes that
take place as animals get older; use their observations to point out differences
between humans and other animals and between animals and non-living things and
communicate observations and measurements

some children will not have made identify and locate parts of their body and use their observations to describe humans
so much progress and will: and other animals

some children will have explain differences between living and non-living things in terms of characteristics
progressed further and will also: such as movement and growth; explain that adult animals no longer grow;
suggest ways of presenting observations and explain why we should show sensitivity
to living things
 Unit 1A Ourselves

LEARNING OBJECTIVES P O S S I B L E T E AC H I N G AC T I V I T I E S LEARNING OUTCOMES P O I N T S TO N OT E

CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN CHILDREN

• that humans have bodies with similar R Play ‘Simon says’ with emphasis on naming parts and on identifying that humans all have the • indicate location of named parts of the body on themselves and
parts same parts. Ask children to name and locate parts of the body using drawings and labels. other children and name external parts of the body eg arm, leg,
knee, eye, ear, nose, tongue

• that we have five senses which allow us R Introduce the senses through song or poetry. Give children a series of short activities related to • identify the five senses and location of the sense organs eg by SAFETY – If children taste food, ensure they wash their hands
to find out about the world each of the five senses eg listen and identify sounds on tape, look at objects, such as an orange, pointing to them. Distinguish between the sense and the organ ! before doing so and that tables etc are clean. Do not allow foods
with a magnifying glass, smell lemon, washing-up liquid, identify objects in a feely bag, taste salty associated with it eg the eye is for seeing, the ear is for hearing to become contaminated. Do not use nuts as many children are allergic
and sweet foods. Ask children questions about the five senses and where the sense organs are to them, especially peanuts. Put things to be smelt into covered
located in the body eg How did you find out what was in the bags? Which part of your body did containers eg a box with cling film with holes in it, so that they cannot
you use when you listened to the tape? Tell a story in which children have to point to the relevant be eaten by mistake.
sense organ or wriggle whole body for touch eg I could smell the toast burning.

• that the term ‘animal’ includes humans R Ask children to show a range of animals eg by making models using playdough or by drawing. • include humans and invertebrates within their set of animals
Ask children about the variety of animals and whether humans should be included.

• that all animals, including humans, R Assemble a collection of photographs of children and adults familiar to the children at a younger • describe changes in themselves since birth and suggest ways in Children often think that humans and small invertebrates eg snails are
grow and change as they become older age, and ask children to suggest ways in which they have changed since they were born and to which they might change as they grow older not animals.
speculate about how they might change as they grow older.

• to make and communicate observations R Help children to use secondary sources or a visit eg a visit to a rural or urban farm or a visit by • match adult with young and describe changes in familiar animals eg At this stage it is not necessary to distinguish between mass and
and comparisons of humans and other animals to the classroom to make a comparison of adult and young. Extend by using secondary cats, dogs, hamsters as they grow (get older) weight.
animals sources, to match adults and young, including some anomalous types with which children may be • explain that growth means increase in weight and height and may
SAFETY – All off-site visits must be carried out in accordance
• to match young and adults of the same familiar eg butterfly and caterpillar, tadpole and frog. Ask children to describe what they did. include other changes ! with LEA/school guidelines. If farm visits are planned, ensure
animals
good hygiene. If animals are brought into the classroom they should be
suitable and with reputable handlers. Good hygiene eg washing hands
and any LEA/school guidelines should be observed.

• to ask questions and make suggestions R Discuss growing, and ask children to pose questions about how tall they will grow. Help children • compare their measured height with that of other children Children sometimes think that the tallest people are the oldest.
about growing and getting older to measure their height in non-standard measures. Ask children to predict whether the oldest • recognise that the oldest children in the class are not necessarily the
Some children are sensitive about their height. Teachers will be aware
• to make observations and comparisons people are the tallest and find out eg by lining up in order of birthday. tallest and say whether this was what they expected
of the need to help children to be sensitive to differences between
of height
them.
• to decide whether their prediction was
correct Some children may be ready to use standard measures eg centimetres.
Data collected could be used to construct a simple IT database in
preparation for IT Unit 2C ‘Finding information’.

• that there are differences between R Ask children to suggest ways in which they differ. Help them to collect data about themselves, • count how many children have eg blue eyes and represent these eg It is important to use characteristics which will lead in later key stages
humans eg eye colour, size of feet, hair colour and to represent this using models eg a brick tower using a blue brick tower, coloured bricks or in a chart to understanding of inherited differences between children eg eye
• to collect and organise data and or charts. • interpret the chart, eg 8 people have size 10, 7 have size 8 and 10 colour is suitable, the colour of children’s jumpers is not.
present it in a chart. have size 6
Pictograms may be generated using IT. Builds on IT Unit 1E
‘Representing information graphically: pictograms’.

1 2 Continued overleaf
LEARNING OBJECTIVES P O S S I B L E T E AC H I N G AC T I V I T I E S LEARNING OUTCOMES P O I N T S TO N OT E

CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN CHILDREN

• that animals, including humans, move R Observe, using primary or secondary sources, animals (including humans), moving in a variety of • identify, eg by observation of a picture, how an unfamiliar animal
• to make observations and comparisons ways. Ask children to say how different animals move including which parts of the body are being will move and group it with animals which move in a similar way
of the way animals move used eg wings. Make a record using drawings and labels. Ask children to mimic animals’
movements in PE lessons.

• that animals, including humans, are R Use pictures or collections of small invertebrates and inanimate objects to discuss with children • explain reasons for groupings eg woodlice and snails move and, If animals are brought into the classroom, ensure they are treated
living the differences between the animals and the inanimate objects or take children on a short walk to if necessary with prompting, group into alive and not-alive sensitively and that they are returned to their habitat as soon as
• to make observations of animals and collect items eg coke cans, stones, snails, woodlice. Ask children to sort the collection into groups • identify the living things as those which feed, move and use their possible.
use these to group them explaining and explain the criteria they used. senses
At this stage it is sensible either to leave out items eg sheep’s wool,
criteria chosen
wood which may confuse children or to use these to provide
additional challenges for the highest attainers.
SAFETY – Wash hands after handling animals or other
! materials collected outside.

! SAFETY – Take care that cans etc do not have sharp edges.

• that we need to eat and drink to stay R Discuss with children their ideas about why we eat, what we eat and drink, the needs of our pets. • identify that humans and other animals need food and drink to stay
alive Ask children for their ideas about the food and drink taken by different, familiar animals eg cats, alive and identify some foods eaten by humans and other animals in
• to record their ideas about foods using dogs, birds, fish and humans and help them to record these in drawings or simple charts. charts or drawings
drawings and charts

Unit 1A Ourselves
3 4
Ref: QCA/98/210

© Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 1998