Animals Including Humans (KS2 Science)

Animals Including Humans (Upper KS2) – Lesson 1 of an 11-unit Science series

This Animals Including Humans lesson is the first unit in a progressive 11-part Upper KS2 Science sequence, designed to prioritise thinking, talk, and explanation before instruction. The lesson structure is built to surface misconceptions, develop scientific reasoning, and secure conceptual understanding.

Pupils explore skeletons, muscles, organs and body systems, with a strong emphasis on conceptual change. Common misconceptions (e.g. muscles pushing bones or working alone) are deliberately elicited through true/false challenge statements, then refined through structured partner talk, modelled explanations, and metacognitive checking.

The lesson design supports:

• Oracy and reasoning (pupils justify, challenge and refine ideas)
• Accurate scientific vocabulary in context
• Comparative thinking (humans vs other animals)
• Retrieval and application through explanation and independent tasks

Includes:
✔ Editable PowerPoint
✔ Printable pupil quiz (with answers)
✔ Teacher guide with National Curriculum coverage
✔ Key vocabulary and glossary
✔ Built-in differentiation and assessment for learning

Suitable for Year 5 / Year 6. Works as a high-quality standalone lesson or as the opening unit in a coherent, knowledge-building Science sequence.