For Teachers and Parents

Introduction
Sci-Spy is a science initiative aimed at Irish primary school children in 5th and 6th class. It comprises a DVD with 29 short TV programmes (each 6 minutes in length) and this website with a range of interactive content. Most importantly, Sci-Spy aims to show children that science is everywhere and science is FUN!

Here on the website, you will find a wide range of ancillary content, complementing the Sci-Spy DVD. This includes interactive educational games and quizzes, printable experiment sheets and factsheets and relevant educational weblinks, all of which children can use either in school and at home.

Each topic contains detailed Teachers’ Notes which offer some ideas for how the topic can be explored in class as well as ideas for extension activities.

Furthermore, a range of 32 activity sheets for use in the classroom can also be found on the Discover Primary Science website.

Getting the DVD
The Sci-Spy DVD was distributed to every primary school in Ireland in 2004. Should your school require additional copies, contact us with your details. The DVD is free of charge to teachers working in Irish primary schools.

Content and Curriculum
The content for Sci-Spy has been created in consultation with Irish teachers. Sci-Spy will support teachers and students in the adoption and delivery of the primary science curriculum in Ireland. This curriculum is broad and flexible, with practical investigation a central tenet of learning. Many of the innovative aspects of the science curriculum are mirrored on this website through experiments, quizzes and interactive games. These aim to encourage pupils to explore the practical application of scientific ideas in everyday situations and to give them an awareness of the value of technology in the world in which they live.

The website has been designed for use within the classroom or at home. Both teachers and parents should find the content suitably engaging, as well as educational, for children in the upper primary classes.

Sci-Spy Development
Sci-Spy is part of a collaborative project between the National Centre for Technology in Education and RTE. This collaborative project is entitled IMMERSE – Interactive Multimedia Educational Resources for Students and Educators. It has set out to develop innovative, interactive, curriculum-relevant resources for students and teachers in the Irish education system. For more information, visit http://www.ncte.ie/NCTEInitiatives/DigitalContent/IMMERSE/.