In November, the DfE published their curriculum and assessment report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-final-report. As a result, many of us are thinking about updating the national curriculum. I thought I would do a deep dive on the most successful primary science curricula internationally to see what they do. Spoiler alert: they all do it differently.

My first post is about Saxony, a federal state in Germany. I chose this because my first teaching job was in Berlin (1992-1994) and I have very fond memories.

The Saxony Primary Science Curriculum

Germany is a federal country – there are 16 states called Bundesländer. Each has a different education system and curriculum. The most successful state is Saxony (and has been for the last 20 years). Saxony was in the former East Germany. 

File:Locator map Saxony in Germany.svg – Wikimedia Commons

In primary school in Saxony, science is not taught as a single subject – it is included in a science/humanities/social science/technology curriculum known as Sachunterricht (direct translation: factual lessons). Here is the Sachunterricht textbook. 

Here are three double page spreads from the Year 5 textbook (I’ve translated with the aid of Gemini):

Where does our drinking water come from?

Drinking water is our most important foodstuff. We get it from the waterworks. The water is taken from nature and purified in the waterworks. Drinking water can come from groundwater, from a river, from a spring, or from a reservoir.Groundwater and spring water are particularly well-suited for obtaining drinking water. This water has already been filtered through layers of gravel and sand as it seeped into the ground. Many dirt particles that were in the water are held back by the gravel and sand.

If there is not enough groundwater or spring water available, we must rely on river and reservoir water. River water is not taken directly from the river, but only after it has seeped through the riverbank gravel and sand. In this way, the filtering effect of the soil is utilized. In mountainous regions, there are drinking water reservoirs from which water is piped to the waterworks of cities.

In the waterworks, the water is treated so that it can be drunk without danger. The treatment of drinking water is very different [depending on the source]. It depends on the quality of the natural water.If the water is more heavily polluted, the treatment of the water becomes more complex and expensive. However, it is always filtered and disinfected. The killing or removal of bacteria is called “disinfection.”

A storage tank ensures that enough drinking water is available. To ensure that the drinking water always flows from the tap with the same pressure, there are pumping stations. They ensure constant water pressure.Describe, with the help of the illustration, how drinking water is obtained.Find out where your drinking water comes from and in which waterworks it is treated.

What do we do with drinking water?

From the pumping station, drinking water flows into a widespread, underground pipe network. Almost every house is connected to this network. At the connection point, a water meter measures the amount of water used. Drinking water must be paid for because treatment and distribution cost money.Each of us uses a lot of drinking water daily, for example, for showering, cooking, or flushing the toilet. To protect the environment and save money, we must use drinking water sparingly.

Less drinking water is needed for showering than for bathing. Dripping taps must be repaired so that water does not flow away unused.Describe, with the help of the picture, what drinking water is used for.Think of further ways to save drinking water.

Drinking water is contaminated in the household, for example, by food scraps and dish soap when washing dishes. Soap and toothpaste also get into the water during showering and brushing teeth.A particular problem is the contamination of water by mineral oil. Therefore, cars should only be washed in car washes. There, devices exist that remove oil from the wastewater.The dirty water is led into sewer pipes. Underground, there is a large network of sewer pipes to which almost all houses are connected.

Some sewers are so large that you can walk upright in them. There is often a separate pipe network for rainwater. It leads the rainwater directly into streams and rivers.The picture shows examples of how drinking water is contaminated. Name them.Describe what kind of dirt gets into the water. Discover in the illustration who is behaving incorrectly.

Where does the used water go?

The sewer pipe leads into the sewage treatment plant. There, the contaminated water is cleaned in several stages. A screen filters out large parts, for example cotton buds, plastic bags, toilet paper, or stockings. Much that does not belong in the toilet is found here. After this coarse cleaning, the water flows into a sand trap. There, the sand settles. In this cleaning stage, fats and oils are also removed.1. How does sand get into the wastewater?

From the sand trap, the water flows into the primary clarifier. There, small dirt particles sink to the bottom. Dirt that is lighter than water floats on the surface. With scrapers, the dirt is removed from the surface and from the bottom of the tank. The water now flows into an aeration tank. There, air is blown into the water. The beneficial bacteria need the air to live. They “eat” some dirt, for example food scraps from washing dishes or fecal matter. Dirt and bacteria form flakes in the water.

From the aeration tank, the water flows into the secondary clarifier. Here, the flakes settle as sludge. This is later removed. After that, a filter system removes the remaining chemical impurities. Although a large part of the dirt is removed in the sewage treatment plant, the clarified water is still not as clean as drinking water. The water is therefore discharged into streams or rivers after cleaning in the sewage treatment plant. In the waters, this water is further cleaned in a natural way.

Without sewage treatment plants, the natural cleaning powers of nature would be overwhelmed. Water is a gift from nature to us. By clarifying it, we return it to nature in an acceptable condition. Wastewater must be paid for because the cleaning costs a lot of money.2. Describe the clarification of the water with the help of the illustration.3. Find out where the sewage treatment plant is located where the wastewater from your residential area is clarified.

Assessment

The Sachunterricht curriculum has flexibility for teachers to adapt content to the local area, but, in combination with the textbook, ensures a great deal of consistency. There are published assessments from year 3 (year 2 in England), and these results are taken alongside teacher assessments to give each pupil a grade. 

My Comments

I have long had a horror of topic work in primary school – I’ve seen too many examples of science and maths crammed into unsuitable topics. The Saxony approach, however, makes sense. The science is locally situated and practical. It makes the curriculum approach less abstract and better connected to children’s lived experiences. 

The textbook is a great asset – supporting teachers and ensuring consistent challenge across the state. 

The shared assessment is also very helpful. I understand that the teacher assessment is moderated and in combination with the paper assessment, ensures schools can understand their strengths and weaknesses.  

I would welcome feedback and further information from anyoen with experience of the Saxony science curriculum. 

I hope this is interesting,

Ben