Misconceptions in Primary Science Michael Allen
Michael Allen
MISCONCEPTIONS
IN PRIMARY SCIENCE
www.openup.co.uk
This essential book offers friendly support and practical
advice for dealing with the common misconceptions
encountered in the primary science classroom.
Most pupils will arrive at the science lesson with previously
formed ideas, based on prior reasoning or experience.
However, these ideas are often founded on common
misconceptions, which if left unexplained can continue into
adulthood. This handy book offers advice for teachers on how
to recognise and correct such misconceptions.
Key features include:
•
•
•
Michael Allen describes over 100 common misconceptions
and their potential origins, and then explains the correct
principles. He suggests creative activities to help students to
grasp the underlying scientific concepts and bring them alive
in the classroom.
This easy to navigate guide is grouped into three parts; life
processes and living things; materials and their properties; and
physical processes.
Michael Allen is Lecturer in Science Education at Brunel
Univ
er
sity, UK and has a PhD in science education.
Misconceptions in Primary Science

Misconceptions in Primary Science pb_Misconceptions in Primary Science pb 18/01/2010 17:12 Page 1
Misconceptions in Primary Science

Misconceptions in
Primary Science
Michael Allen
Open University Press
McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill House
Shoppenhangers Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
England
SL6 2QL
email:
world wide web: www.openup.co.uk
and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121–2289, USA
First published 2010
Copyright © Michael Allen 2010
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the
purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher or a licence from the
Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Details of such licences (for
reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright
Licensing Agency Ltd of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London,
EC1N 8TS.
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-13: 978–0–33–523588–9 (pb) 978–0–33–523587–2 (hb)

ISBN-10: 0335235883 (pb) 0335235875 (hb)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP data has been applied for
Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
Printed in the UK by Bell and Bain Ltd, Glasgow.
Fictitious names of companies, products, people, characters and/or data that
may be used herein (in case studies or in examples) are not intended to
represent any real individual, company, product or event.
Contents
List of figures x
List of boxes xv
Preface xvi
Acknowledgements xviii
How to use this book xix
The QCA primary science scheme of work xxi
PA RT 1
Introduction
1
A How do people learn science? 3
What is constructivism? 3
What is a science misconception? 4
Can a misconception be corrected? 5
Summary 6
B How can we elicit, recognize and correct science
misconceptions? 8
Elicitation 8
Recognition 11
Correction 11
Summary 13
PA RT 2

Life processes and living things
15
1 Concept of living 17
1.1 When is something ‘alive’?17
1.2 Seeds 18
2 Classification 20
2.1 What is an animal? 20
2.2 Is an insect an animal? 21
2.3 The similarity between amphibians and reptiles 22
2.4 Snakes and earthworms 24
2.5 What exactly is an insect? 25
2.6 More about insects 26
2.7 What is a plant? 27
3 Circulation 29
3.1 Location of the heart 29
3.2 Are the heart and muscles joined together? 31
3.3 The colour of blood 33
4 Breathing 35
4.1 Why do we breathe? 35
4.2 How are the heart and lungs connected? 36
4.3 What is in the air we breathe out? 39
5 Nutrition 41
5.1 Where exactly is the stomach located? 41
5.2 How the digestive system deals with food and drink 42
5.3 The body’s interior 45
5.4 Why do we have to eat food? 46
5.5 Why is eating proteins important? 47
5.6 Can eating fat be good for you? 48
5.7 The nutritional value of dairy foods 49
5.8 Which foods contain fats? 50

5.9 Do plants need food? 51
6 Feeding relationships 54
6.1 Food chain rules 54
6.2 Food chains and population numbers 55
6.3 Predators within food chains 57
7 Microbes and disease 59
7.1 Are all microbes harmful? 59
7.2 Bugs 60
7.3 What is inside a bacterium? 60
7.4 Are all microbes living things? 61
7.5 Can microbes exist inside the human body? 62
7.6 Spreading disease 63
7.7 How do you catch a cold? 64
7.8 Are antibiotics a cure-all? 65
7.9 How does vaccination work? 66
7.10 Can someone be healthy and ill at the same time? 67
7.11 What happens to make food decay? 68
vi
CONTENTS
8 Heredity and variation 71
8.1 Same-sex-only inheritance 71
8.2 Why do giraffes have long necks? 72
8.3 The bodybuilder’s son 74
8.4 Are certain human characteristics dying out? 76
8.5 Why are organisms adapted to living successfully in
their habitats? 77
8.6 Biological variation 78
PA RT 3
Materials and their properties
81

9 Chemical changes in materials 83
9.1 What is a material? 83
9.2 When something burns why does it disappear? 84
9.3 What happens when a candle burns? 85
9.4 Some confusing terminology surrounding chemical and
state changes 86
9.5 Are some acids ‘safe’?87
9.6 What is rust made of? 88
10 Particles 90
10.1 Particles within solids and liquids 90
10.2 How can we best draw ‘particles’?93
10.3 How much air is in a flat tyre? 95
10.4 Lighter than air? 96
10.5 When you stir sugar into a cup of tea does it become
heavier? 99
11 States of matter 100
11.1 Can something be hollow and solid at the same time? 100
11.2 The comparative weight of a powder 102
11.3 Which is heavier – ice or water? 103
11.4 What happens to water once it has boiled? 104
11.5 The disappearing puddle 106
11.6 What are clouds made from? 107
12 Earth science 110
12.1 Is there a difference between a rock and a stone? 110
12.2 What exactly is a rock? 111
12.3 What exactly is a mineral? 112
12.4 What causes earthquakes? 113
12.5 Which way is down? 115
12.6 How do underground creatures breathe? 118
CONTENTS vii

PA RT 4
Physical processes
121
13 Forces 123
13.1 Does mass affect the speed of falling? 123
13.2 What are the forces on projectiles? 125
13.3 Does every force always have an opposing force? 128
13.4 A moving object has a large forward force and a small
backward force acting on it 129
13.5 Reaction forces 132
13.6 Is there gravity in space? 137
13.7 Can gravity change? 140
14 Floating and sinking 143
14.1 Why do some objects float and others sink? 143
14.2 Can something be floating and sinking at the same time? 145
14.3 More about floating 148
14.4 Can an object lose its weight? 150
15 Electricity and magnetism 154
15.1 What are the different ways that a bulb can be connected to
a cell? 154
15.2 How does electricity move around a circuit? 155
15.3 What is current? 157
15.4 What is voltage? 163
15.5 Are all metals magnetic? 165
16 Light 167
16.1 Where is light present? 167
16.2 How do we see things? 169
16.3 Why does the moon shine? 172
17 Sound 174
17.1 How does sound travel? 174

17.2 Can sound waves be stopped? 175
18 Earth and space 177
18.1 Flat Earth 177
18.2 What is at the centre of the solar system? 181
18.3 Why does day become night? 185
18.4 How does the sun rise and set? 189
18.5 How big are the Earth, sun and moon? 191
18.6 The moon’s orbit 192
18.7 What causes the moon’s phases? 194
18.8 Can the moon be seen during both daytime and night-time? 197
18.9 What causes the seasons? 199
18.10 Seasonal changes in daylight hours 203
viii CONTENTS
18.11 How often do solar eclipses occur? 204
18.12 How many planets are there in the solar system? 206
19 Heat 208
19.1 The movement of heat 208
Science glossary 211
Bibliography 217
Index 228
CONTENTS ix
List of figures
2.1 The hierarchy of living things 21
2.2 Showing hierarchy of classification using Venn-type diagrams 22
2.3a A newt 23
2.3b A lizard 23
2.4 Vertebrate classification 24
2.5 Comparing insects, arachnids and crustaceans (respectively) 25
2.6a Incorrect drawing of an ant (misconception) 26
2.6b All six of an ant’s legs attach to the thorax 26

2.7 The plant kingdom 27
3.1a My heart is situated at the left side of my chest (misconception) 30
3.1b Anatomical position of the heart 31
3.1c A simple way to draw the heart 31
3.2 Exchange of materials between blood and cell 32
4.1 Comparing the compositions of exhaled and atmospheric air 36
4.2a Air tubes lead from lungs to heart (misconception) 37
4.2b Gaseous exchange in the lungs 37
4.2c Simplified diagram of the double circulation 38
4.3a Comparative compositions of inhaled and exhaled air by
volume of dry samples 39
4.3b Animals give carbon dioxide to trees and trees give oxygen
to animals 40
5.1a The stomach is a large organ situated around the navel area
(misconception) 42
5.1b Anatomical position of the stomach 42
5.2 The digestive system is two separate tubes (misconception) 43
5.3 The body is a hollow bag (misconception) 45
5.6a The importance of fats inside the body 48
5.6b The proportion of nutrients recommended for a balanced diet 49
5.8 An experiment to show the energy values of different foods 51
5.9 The components of photosynthesis 52
6.1a Reversed arrow food chain (misconception) 54
6.1b Food chain with correctly oriented arrows 54
6.1c Pacman rule 55
6.1d Using pictures to illustrate a food chain 55
6.2 A simple food chain 56
6.3 A food chain comprising multiple predators 57
7.3 A bacterium depicted with lungs (misconception) 61
7.8a E. coli bacteria 66

7.8b A phage virus 66
7.10 Health and illness as continua 68
8.1a Children inherit an equal number of chromosomes from
each parent 72
8.1b Recording physical characteristics 72
8.3 Locating a gene on a chromosome 75
8.6 Noticeable variation exists within the species Canis familiaris
(domestic dog) 78
9.2 Simple word equation for the complete combustion of wood 84
10.1a Particles in a solid 90
10.1b Particles in a liquid (misconception) 91
10.1c Scientific depiction of particles in a gas (inter-particle
distance not to scale) 91
10.1d Scientific depiction of particles in a liquid 91
10.2a Some incorrect depictions of particles (misconceptions) 93
10.2b Atoms in a typical solid, e.g. copper 94
10.2c A simplified diagram of a whole atom 94
10.3 The concentrations of air particles inside and outside an
inflated (left) and a totally deflated (right) tyre 96
10.4a The concentration of air particles in an inflated (left) and
deflated (right) balloon 97
10.4b The concentration of air particles inside and outside a hot
air balloon 98
11.1a Characteristics of the three states of matter 101
11.1b Determination of the melting point of butter 101
11.2 A microscopic depiction of how the grains of a powder might
fit together 102
11.3 The apparently large reduction in volume when ice melts 103
11.4 State changes 105
11.5 Simple representation of the water cycle 107

11.6 The different states of water associated with a boiling kettle 108
12.3 Microscopic view of a rock sample made up of four different
minerals 112
12.4a Most earthquakes occur as a result of friction between
moving masses of rock 114
12.4b Earthquake epicentres 1963–1998 (NASA) 114
12.4c Volcanic eruptions (United States Geological Survey) 115
12.5a ‘Down’ is in the direction of the surface of the Earth where
I am standing (misconception) 116
LIST OF FIGURES xi
12.5b The true direction of ‘down’ 116
12.5c Internal structure of Earth (not to scale) 117
12.5d Eliciting pupils’ ideas of ‘down’ 117
12.6 The basic structure of soil 118
13.1 Objects of different mass fall at the same speed 124
13.2a A projectile is acted on by a forward force during flight
(misconception) 126
13.2b Forces acting on a thrown ball 126
13.3a Equal and opposite forces on a skydiver 128
13.3b Opposing pairs of forces can be unbalanced 129
13.4a Forces acting on a cyclist travelling at constant speed
(misconception) 130
13.4b Balanced forces in a tug of war 130
13.4c Unbalanced forces in a tug of war 130
13.4d Balanced and unbalanced forces during motion 131
13.5a A stationary object on a table has no forces acting upon it
(misconception) 132
13.5b Weight pulls the book towards the centre of the Earth 132
13.5c The reaction force misconception 133
13.5d The book pulls the Earth upwards with an equal and opposite

reaction force 133
13.5e Contact force and reaction force 134
13.5f All forces considered 134
13.5g Forces acting when a person has no contact with the ground 135
13.5h Forces acting when a person is standing on one leg 136
13.5i Forces acting when a person is standing on both legs 137
13.6a Masses of iron and aluminium cubes 138
13.6b Masses and weights of metal cubes on the Earth and the moon 139
14.1a The equation for determining the density of an object 143
14.1b Comparative densities and floating 144
14.1c Floating sealed steel hollow sphere (shaded area shows
displacement) 144
14.2a The submerged part of a floating iceberg is sinking
(misconception) 145
14.2b Floating or sinking? 146
14.2c Floating or sinking table 146
14.3a Liquids of different densities form layers (if immiscible with
adjacent layers) 149
14.3b Density and floating ability 150
14.4a The forces acting on a stationary floating object are balanced 151
14.4b Forces acting on a metal object weighed in air using a Newton
meter 151
14.4c Forces acting on an immersed object 152
15.1a The unipolar model of electrical flow (misconception) 154
15.1b How wires connect to a bulb 155
15.2a The clashing currents model of electrical flow (misconception) 156
xii
LIST OF FIGURES
15.2b Scientific model of conventional electrical flow 156
15.3a Current consumption model (misconception) 157

15.3b A simple model of electron flow in a series circuit (electrons
not to scale) 158
15.3c Scientifically correct model of electrical flow 159
15.3d Upstream/downstream resistor misconception 160
15.3e The direction of conventional current flow 161
15.3f The direction of electron flow 161
15.4a Voltage measurements within a simple DC circuit 164
15.4b Voltage drops across a simple DC circuit 165
16.1a Light exists in bright areas (misconception) 167
16.1b Light within a beam 168
16.1c Candle illuminating a dark room (misconception) 168
16.2a Light travels from eye to object (misconception) 169
16.2b Light travels from object to eye 170
16.2c A luminous source illuminating an object in order to make it
visible 170
16.2d Some variant misconceptions 171
16.2e Using a torch and a mirror to help correct the misconception 172
17.1 Sound travels only to the listener (misconception) 175
18.1a Infinite Earth (misconception) 177
18.1b Earth as an infinite cylinder (misconception) 178
18.1c Earth as a flat disc (misconception) 178
18.1d Spherical Earth housing all of space (misconception) 179
18.1e Spherical Earth with flattened localizations (misconception) 179
18.1f The Blue Marble (photographed by the crew of Apollo 17,
December 1972) 180
18.1g A ship travelling towards the observer crosses the
horizon 181
18.2a Classic geocentric model of the solar system, showing three
orbiting bodies (misconception) 181
18.2b Historical geocentric drawing (misconception) 182

18.2c Modern heliocentric model of the solar system (only three
orbiting bodies shown, including Earth) 183
18.2d Planets have a shared orbit (misconception) 183
18.2e Heliocentric model with Earth and moon having dedicated
orbit (misconception) 184
18.2f Geocentric model with sun and moon having dedicated orbit
(misconception) 184
18.3a The geocentric model (misconception) 186
18.3b Daytime at X 186
18.3c Night-time at X 187
18.3d The moon blocks the sun (misconception) 188
18.3e Alternate sun and moon (misconception) 188
18.4a Sunrise (misconception) 189
18.4b Sunset (misconception) 189
LIST OF FIGURES xiii
18.4c The sun’s apparent motion across the sky during the course
of a day 190
18.5a Comparative sizes of the Earth and moon, drawn
approximately to scale, with segment of the sun at 5% of scale 192
18.5b Comparative sizes of the Earth and sun, drawn approximately
to scale 192
18.6a The moon has its own dedicated orbit around the sun
(misconception) 193
18.6b The scientific view 194
18.7a Phases of the moon: full, gibbous, half, crescent, new 194
18.7b Illuminated sphere 195
18.7c How the moon’s phases relate to its orbit around the Earth 196
18.8 Relative positions of the Earth, sun and moon over a 14-day
period 198
18.9a When the Earth is close to the sun it is summer (misconception) 199

18.9b Seasonal change and the Earth’s tilted axis 200
18.9c Sunlight intensity at two different points on the Earth’s surface 201
18.9d Sunlight intensity at point A 201
18.9e Sunlight intensity at point B 201
18.9f Holding an A4 white card at various points on a globe to show
differences in light intensity 202
18.10a The sun’s apparent motion during winter 203
18.10b The sun’s apparent motion during summer 204
18.11a The sun, Earth and moon lie in exactly the same plane
(misconception) 205
18.11b The Earth’s orbit around the sun and the moon’s orbit
around the Earth are in slightly different planes 205
19.1a Parcels of air at different temperatures have different densities 209
19.1b The different ways that heat can move when a saucepan is heated 209
19.1c Heat snake 210
xiv LIST OF FIGURES
List of boxes
I Typical constructivist pedagogies 12
1.1 Viruses 18
2.7 The algae 28
5.2 The urinary system 44
6.2 The cane toad 56
7.5 Dr Edward Jenner 63
7.9 Vaccines that can cure 67
8.2 Creationism in schools 74
8.3 Epigenetic inheritance 75
8.4 Vestiges 77
9.5 The most powerful acid 88
10.1 Thermal expansion 92
10.4 Safety with balloons 98

12.1 Semantic differences in different cultures 111
12.4 The world’s most active volcano? 115
13.1 A caveat 125
13.2 Scientists can have misconceptions too 127
14.2 Icebergs 147
14.4 Archimedes and the King’s golden crown 152
15.3 A circuit loses energy, not current 161
18.2 A dangerous idea 185
18.9 Distance really can make a difference 202
Preface
A key aspiration was to produce a science book that was accessible to readers who
have not experienced a scientific education beyond the years of their compulsory
schooling. Yet, the end product is not by any means a comprehensive ‘one-stop shop’
for primary teachers who wish to supplement their science knowledge and under-
standing. There are other, very good publications on the market that would better
fulfil that role. What Misconceptions in Primary Science does is give a very detailed
treatment of selected science concepts that other generalized primary science books
lack, precisely because they are devoted to an all-inclusive approach with respect to
the science curriculum. For this reason, this book should be used in conjunction with
one of the more comprehensive texts.
The purpose of this book is twofold. Its chief aim is to help teachers raise stand-
ards in primary schools by recognizing and correcting their pupils’ science mis-
conceptions as and when they arise in the classroom. It attempts to achieve this
by creating an awareness of the multitude of misconceptions that have been
uncovered by research, the rationale being that if one has prior knowledge of what
pupils might be thinking then one is more likely to notice their misconceptions. As
with any problem, a misconception has to be first identified and characterized before
it can be dealt with.
It is hoped that readers become more cognizant of the ideas that learners bring to
a lesson that differ from the concepts embodied in National Curriculum primary

science. They should appreciate that, after being exposed to teaching, pupils may
construct ideas that do not agree with a teacher’s intended outcomes. As stated, the
science misconceptions included in the book do not take into account every science
concept in the entire curriculum, only the parts that have been studied by miscon-
ception researchers, although the book does include concepts from each of the
QCA SOW topics (see pp. xxi–xxii). Coverage reflects the proportion of attention that
researchers have given to each science area, with physics concepts occupying the
lion’s share of the book, and chemistry somewhat less. Misconceptions that would fall
under AT1 of the science National Curriculum relate to experimental work, predict-
ing, collecting and interpreting evidence, drawing conclusions, and so on. These
are not included in the book as the aim was to concentrate on substantive content
only. A future publication devoted solely to AT1 might do justice to the myriad of
misconceptions relating to this important area of school science.
Misconceptions in Primary Science also offers tried and tested examples of a var-
iety of practical and other pedagogies that would help bring learners’ ideas into line
with accepted science. Teachers are encouraged to use the principles of constructivist
teaching in order to achieve this aim.
The second broad purpose of the book is to enhance readers’ own science sub-
ject knowledge, which is a convenient side effect of studying the nature of pupils’
misconceptions. The concepts that are discussed go above KS2 level in order to
elucidate their meanings, and generally speaking the deeper the understanding a
teacher has about a topic area, the more likely they are to offer clear explanations to
their pupils. In any case, the level of science taught to pupils in many primary schools
in England and Wales frequently goes well beyond the requirements of the KS2
National Curriculum, embracing abstract concepts such as those centred on
particles, energy, and the planets.
Although each misconception entry has a part entitled ‘correction’, a disclaimer
must be made at this point to assert that correction is not always guaranteed! Some
misconceptions are very resistant and pupils will need lots of time in order to con-
struct and assimilate the scientific idea. The ideas tendered in the book are sugges-

tions that will facilitate these long-term processes. If we are to ultimately generate a
scientifically literate population, Key Stage 1 and 2 teachers have a vital part to play by
helping their pupils to successfully construct acceptable scientific concepts, so laying
firm foundations for the more complex ideas that they will encounter in secondary
school and beyond. This can only be achieved if teachers are able to elicit, recognize
and correct their pupils’ science misconceptions.
PREFACE xvii
Acknowledgements
Thanks go to the friendly people at Avanquest Software Publishing Ltd. for their kind
permission in allowing the use of images from the software package 80,000 Pictures.
A special thank-you goes to the talented artist Marianne Johns who drew the
anatomical outlines used in Part Two.
How to use this book
It is intended that readers will be able to use Misconceptions in Primary Science in a
number of different ways. Most commonly you will read the relevant entries before
delivering a science topic, so becoming aware of the possible misconceptions that
pupils may either arrive at the lesson with, or construct as a consequence of teaching.
This awareness may prompt you to carry out an elicitation exercise at the beginning
of the topic in order to have a clear idea of where pupils are starting from. This can
be followed by the modification of assessment tools such as end of topic tests or
more formative instruments, taking into account the possibility of misconception
construction before or during teaching.
You may wish to incorporate misconceptions into your personal lesson notes, and
create teaching strategies that will seek out and rectify them when they arise in the
classroom. More formally, a science coordinator may choose to build misconception
material into school schemes of work, helping to moderate the quality of science
teaching school-wide.
On pages xxi–xxii of the book is a table that gives guidance about which mis-
conceptions are relevant to the topics set out in the widely used QCA primary science
scheme of work document. If you are about to teach one of the QCA topics to your

class, this table suggests a list of the relevant misconceptions that can be found within
this book. Note that particularly with KS1 classes some of the concepts and pedago-
gies that are described in the main text may not be applicable because they are too
advanced, for instance some forces misconceptions in Year 1. Nevertheless, younger
pupils may demonstrate to you that they have constructed misconceptions that need
addressing, and the level to which you take your science teaching is up to you. Along
with other factors, this is dependent on the general ability of your class and the science
curriculum that is specific to your school. In the main text whenever a topic is
mentioned in association with a specific year group, it refers to the QCA SOW.
The introduction gives a theoretical background, covering misconception
research and constructivist pedagogies. The main body of the book is divided into
three sections that reflect the traditional organization of school science and will be
familiar to most teachers: biology, chemistry and physics. These correspond to the
National Curriculum attainment targets: AT2 (Life processes and living things), AT3
(Materials and their properties) and AT4 (Physical processes). Within each of the
three sections are the misconception entries, laid out using the following structure:
Common misconception. This comprises a scientifically incorrect statement expressed
in words that a misconceiving pupil might be likely to use, accompanied by a
pictorial representation when necessary.
Scientific conception. This offers a scientifically accurate explanation, illustrated by
diagrams if required. The science concepts discussed here are usually above KS2
level and so are not necessarily to be shared with pupils, but instead are there to
enhance the reader’s subject knowledge. This section may include a short discus-
sion of the origins and thought processes involved in specific misconception
construction.
Correction. Pedagogical approaches are suggested that are likely to enable learners
to successfully construct accepted scientific concepts. Where possible, corrective
measures are of a practical nature, with pupils using scientific enquiry in order to
take control of the learning process and refute the misconception themselves.
The writing is intended to be as accessible as possible – although, unavoidably, scien-

tific terms are frequently used throughout. To assist readers who may have little
formal science background there is a glossary to be found at the back of the book.
When a glossary word is first used in the text it has been highlighted in bold face.
Figures are used to support and elucidate statements in the main text and represent
illustrations of correct scientific ideas unless labelled ‘misconception’.
The reader will find that within each misconception entry there is copious cross-
referencing to other parts of the book. A misconception rarely exists in isolation
within a learner’s mind, and instead is constructed or ‘bolted onto’ related misconcep-
tions that all share the same faulty underpinnings. Together, they form part of a
complex lattice of understanding called a meaningful erroneous conceptual net-
work. Sometimes a teacher cannot successfully correct a misconception without first
dealing with other, more fundamental, misunderstandings. One tip is to leave a
permanent stick-on bookmark at the contents page so that, during reading, other
misconceptions in the book can be quickly cross-referenced when they are cited in the
text. As an aside to the main narrative thrust, boxes give supplementary information
that might appeal to pupils.
Finally, the bibliography provides material that interested readers might want to
refer to for further information about the misconceptions included in this book. The
publications are mainly research reports that will probably prove quite difficult to
access unless the reader is a member of a university library. In fact a driving force
behind the book was to open up these ‘hidden gems’ to a wider audience, instead of
allowing them to continue to sit in academic library collections gathering dust. That
said, the Association for Science Education (ASE) journals Primary Science Review
and School Science Review often contain articles on misconceptions and are posted out
to ASE members on a regular basis (membership is open to all).
xx HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
The QCA primary science scheme of work
The table below shows the relevance of the QCA primary scheme of work topics
to the misconceptions described in this book.
QCA SOW topic Misconception entries

YEAR 1
1A. Ourselves 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 5.4
1B. Growing plants 1.1, 1.2, 2.7, 5.9
1C. Sorting and using materials 9.1
1D. Light and dark 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 18.4
1E. Pushes and pulls 13.2, 13.4, 13.5
1F. Sound and hearing 17.1
YEAR 2
2A. Health and growth 5.4, 7.9
2B. Plants and animals in the
local environment
1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 12.6
2C. Variation 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 8.4,
8.6
2D. Grouping and changing
materials
9.1, 9.4, 11.1, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 12.2
2E. Forces and movement 13.1, 13.2, 13.4, 13.5
2F. Using electricity 15.1
YEAR 3
3A. Teeth and eating 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4
3B. Helping plants grow well 1.2, 2.7, 5.9
3C. Characteristics of materials 9.1
3D. Rocks and soils 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.6
3E. Magnets and springs 13.3, 14.4, 15.5
3F. Light and shadows 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 18.3, 18.4, 18.8, 18.9, 18.10
QCA SOW topic Misconception entries
YEAR 4
4A. Moving and growing 3.2, 4.2, 5.3
4B. Habitats 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3,

8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5
4C. Keeping warm 7.1
4D. Solids, liquids and how they
can be separated
11.1, 11.2, 11.3
4E. Friction 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5
4F. Circuits and conductors 15.1, 15.2, 15.3
YEAR 5
5A. Keeping healthy 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8
5B. Life cycles 1.1, 1.2, 2.7
5C. Gases around us 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6
5D. Changing state 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4,
11.5, 11.6
5E. Earth, Sun and Moon 16.3, 18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4, 18.5, 18.6, 18.7,
18.8, 18.9, 18.10, 18.11, 18.12
5F. Changing sounds 17.1, 17.2
YEAR 6
6A. Interdependence and
adaptation
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 5.9, 6.1, 6.2,
6.3, 8.2, 8.5, 8.6, 12.2, 12.6
6B. Micro-organisms 5.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9,
7.10
6C. More about dissolving 9.4, 10.5, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6
6D. Reversible and irreversible
changes
9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.6, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6
6E. Forces in action 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5, 13.6, 13.7, 14.1,
14.2, 14.3, 14.4
6F. How we see things 16.1, 16.2, 16.3

6G. Changing circuits 15.1, 15.2, 15.4
xxii QCA PRIMARY SCIENCE SCHEME OF WORK
PART ONE
Introduction