Jules Pottle - Science Through Stories: Teaching Primary Science with Storytelling

Science
Through Stories

Teaching Primary Science
with Storytelling

Chris Smith PhD & Jules Pottle

Foreword by Pie Corbett

Storytelling Schools Series
Volume III

Science through Stories: Teaching Primary Science with Storytelling 2015 Chris Smith and Jules Pottle

Chris Smith and Jules Pottle are hereby identified as the authors of this work in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act, 1988. They assert and give notice of their moral right under this Act.

Published by Hawthorn Press, Hawthorn House,
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UK Edition Science through Stories: Teaching Primary Science with Storytelling Hawthorn Press 2015
Cover illustration Shirin Adl
Illustrations by Karen Donelly and Shirin Adl
Design and typesetting by Lucy Guenot

Printed by Berforts Information Press Ltd, Herts, UK
Reprinted 2017, 2018 by Henry Ling, The Dorset Press, Dorchester

Every effort has been made to trace the ownership of all copyrighted material. If any omission has been made, please bring this to the publishers attention so that proper acknowledgement may be given in future editions.

The views expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.
Printed on environmentally friendly chlorine-free paper manufactured from renewable forest stock.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data applied for.

ISBN 978-1-907359-45-3
eISBN 978 1-912480-19-7

About the authors

Storytelling Schools

Storytelling Schools is a group of educationalists who are passionate about the power of storytelling to transform education and learning. We were founded in 2013 to promote the Storytelling Schools model throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. By systematically learning storytelling skills at school, students can receive an education that builds confidence and fluency in spoken language, raises standards of reading and writing and provides an engaging way to learn other subjects in the curriculum, all in a method that is enjoyable and inclusive.

Storytelling Schools make information, resources and training available for teachers who wish to adopt this approach in their school. Our founders are Chris Smith, Adam Guillain, Pie Corbett and Nanette Stormont. For more information see: www.storytellingschools.com

Acknowledgements

First and foremost we must acknowledge Pie Corbett. Many of the ideas of the Storytelling School are based on Pies remarkable and inspiring work. Chris had the pleasure of working and learning with Pie for several years as the Storytelling Schools idea developed. We appreciate his support, inspiration and brilliance. The approach also leans on learnings from two great teachers, storyteller and Crick Crack Club chief Ben Haggarty and the wonderful Alida Gersie, expert on so many aspects of storytelling and education, whose continued support is much appreciated.

Thanks also to Martin, Claire and Merry at Hawthorn Press for their support, understanding and patience, and to Anthony Nanson for his thorough, thoughtful editing which greatly improved our final manuscript. We are lucky to have such a great editor.

Thanks to the staff and students of Cumnor Primary School, where these stories and methods were first field tested, and to Juless long-suffering family for their patience and support during the writing of this book.

Contents

Chapter 1
Introduction

Chapter 2
Introducing the Storytelling School Approach

Chapter 3
Biology Stories

Chapter 4
Chemistry Stories

Chapter 5
Physics Stories

Foreword

Our most memorable teachers use storytelling to bring their subjects alive. Story draws us in, makes us care about the subject and sparks the imagination. It has always been used by great communicators and should be a part of every teachers repertoire.

This book explores the world of science through story. Some of the stories act as a springboard into scientific investigation or communicate information. Others are about great scientists and their discoveries stories that every child should know.