By Jane Turner
Teachers often tell us how much they appreciate the amount of practical work included in Snap Science lessons. We’re always pleased to hear this, because we know from experience that children enjoy hands-on activities. However, we also understand the challenges. Practical work can take a lot of time to plan and prepare, and sometimes it doesn’t lead to real learning. Children may remember what they did—or what went wrong—but not the science they were meant to learn.
That’s why, when designing the Snap Science lessons, we focused on creating practical activities that are easy to set up, safe, and clearly support the learning goals of each lesson. We wanted every activity to have a clear purpose and to help children develop their scientific knowledge and understanding.
New Research on Purposeful Practical Work
Recently, I attended the launch of new research by primary science experts from the Universities of Manchester and Bath Spa. The research focused on Purposeful Practical Work in Primary Science—an area that has had surprisingly little previous study. The team reviewed existing literature, surveyed teachers, and conducted interviews to better understand how practical work is used in classrooms.
The study makes three key contributions, each of which resonates strongly with the Snap Science approach.
1. Defining Practical Work in Primary Science
For the first time, a clear definition of practical work in primary science has been created:
Children observe, manipulate, communicate and connect their science thinking through sensory learning experiences with physical objects and phenomena.
I was delighted to see this definition, which clearly links what children do with their hands, their cognitive development, and their communication of what they’ve learned. In Snap Science lessons, it’s never enough just to observe, measure or test. Practical work is always connected to the learning intention and designed to help children reflect on how their scientific knowledge—whether conceptual, procedural, or both—has developed as a result.
2. Understanding the Purposes of Practical Work
The study also provides a helpful framework for identifying the different purposes of practical work in primary science:
Engagement: Practical work captures children’s interest and involvement.
Core learning goals:
- Developing science practices, such as measuring or experimenting.
- Developing science concepts, including vocabulary and ideas in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Real-world connections: It helps children see how science relates to their lives and the wider world.
Broader learning: It contributes to social and cross-curricular skill development.
The researchers recommend that practical work is planned to address at least one of the two core science learning goals, while also contributing to engagement, broader learning and real world connections.
In Snap Science, every lesson includes a clearly defined purpose for practical work. Sometimes it’s to teach or practise a skill—such as using a thermometer in Y2 Module 6 Growing Healthy Plants, or in Y4 Module 1 Changes of State, where children measure how temperature affects the melting of ice.
In other lessons, the aim is to develop key vocabulary—like dissecting a flower in Y3 Module 6 Flowering Plants Lifecycle, or to understand how a system works – like investigating gear wheels in Y5 Module 1 Forces and Mechanisms. And in many lessons, practical work supports both skill and concept development—like in Y2 Module 3 Growing Seeds and Bulbs, where children set up a comparative test to determine which conditions are needed for germination.
3. A Pedagogical Model for Practical Work
The study proposes a clear pedagogical model for effective practical science:
Hands-on engagement with real materials and phenomena
Minds-on learning that links activities with prior knowledge
Communication where children explain their ideas with support from peers and teachers
This model aligns perfectly with Snap Science. Most lessons include hands-on exploration of real objects and phenomena. These are never “just” practical—they are designed to be minds-on as well, encouraging children to connect their experiences with previously learned science knowledge and real-world applications. And communication is embedded in every lesson, as children describe, discuss, and represent their learning through words, drawings, and talk.
Take, for example, Y3 Module 2 Light and Shadows, Lesson 2. Children use a data logger to measure how much light different objects reflect. They link this to their earlier learning about visibility in dim light and use their data to explain why some objects are easier to see than others.
Following the Snap Science lesson plan, the teacher carefully curates this experience—setting a clear focus for learning, building on prior knowledge, and adapting the activity to ensure every child can access and benefit from it.
Practical Work in Action: A Visit to Mellor Community Primary School
I saw all of this in action during a visit to Mellor Community Primary School in Leicester. I took part in a Y1 lesson from Module 5 Animals, where the learning intention was to explore the features that make fish a distinct group.
The practical activity involved handling whole fish bought from a local supermarket. Children identified eyes, tail, fins, scales, teeth, mouth, and gills. The teacher drew on children’s own experiences—whether from cooking and eating fish, keeping fish as pets, or family fishing trips. She used the Snap Science guidance to ensure accurate vocabulary use and adapted the activity to support children who were nervous about touching the fish. Rather than leaving trays at each table, she facilitated the activity directly with each group.
The result? A brilliant lesson. The children were fully engaged, confident in using the correct scientific terms, and able to express what they had learned both orally and through labelled diagrams. They also made thoughtful comparisons with birds and mammals studied in previous lessons.
Why This Research Matters
I highly recommend reading the full research report. Many of the case studies will be familiar—many are directly reflected in Snap Science lessons. The way the study maps lesson purposes and activities onto the pedagogical model helps explain why they are so effective.
You’ve probably always known how enjoyable and worthwhile these lessons are to teach. This research will help you understand why they work so well.
Jane Turner
Snap Science Series editor
Jane Turner (Associate Professor, BA (Hons), PGCE, MED, CSCITEACH) has taught in primary schools in Hertfordshire and London. She is the co-founder of the Primary Science Quality Mark, based at the University of Hertfordshire, is immediate past chair of the Associate of Science Education, and has been a consultant to the DfE, BBC, EEF, Wellcome Trust, Learned Societies and industry on primary science assessment and curriculum. She is also the series editor for Snap Science. Visit collins.co.uk/SnapScience to learn more.