Isaac Newton - The Complete Series (6 lessons)

This Isaac Newton History unit of work for Year 2 children includes lesson plans, informative slides, activity ideas, differentiated worksheets, picture cards, challenges and much more – practically everything you need to study the life, discoveries and inventions of one of Britain's most notable significant individuals in the past.

Who is Sir Isaac Newton? This lesson introduces your class to the famous scientist and the fact that he lived a long time ago. Your children will discover facts about Isaac Newton as they learn about his childhood including: when he was born; details of his family life; his schooling and the expectations his mother had for him. They will go on to learn about how he went to university and became interested in science.

What did Isaac Newton discover? This lesson explores some of Newton's scientific discoveries, including the spectrum of light, gravity, calculus and the reflecting telescope. Your children will find out about these discoveries in a clear and simple way (no calculus problems to solve!) and will also think about why Isaac Newton didn't tell many people about his ideas. There’s also the chance to carry out a fun experiment!

This lesson looks at some of the reasons why Isaac Newton might have found it difficult to make friends, before introducing your class to some of his contemporaries: other significant individuals in the past such as Edmund Halley and Robert Hooke. Your Year 2 children will find out who helped and supported Isaac Newton throughout his life, as well as those who disagreed with his work or tried to take credit for his ideas and discoveries. This is also a great chance to encourage your class to think about why friendship is important.

After thinking about some of the ways in which scientists tell people about their work today, your class will investigate ways in which Isaac Newton told people about his ideas and inventions, from written articles to chats with friends. The focus of this Year 2 History lesson is very much on gaining historical perspective, and considering how we find out about the past. Having learnt a little about how Newton communicated his ideas, your children will go on to compare his methods with more modern ways of communicating — and think about which are more effective.

To get your class thinking about how science and scientific enquiry has changed since the 17th century, this lesson begins by asking your class to compare a picture of Isaac Newton and modern scientists undertaking experiments. Your children will be challenged to identify similarities and differences in greater detail, making connections and drawing contrasts.

The final lesson in this Key Stage 1 History unit of work starts by re-capping what your class have learnt about Isaac Newton, before going on to explore what he did in his later life, such as becoming President of the Royal Society, and how his work allowed other scientists to develop his discoveries further.