Attempts to link school science education with citizenship are not new. They range from the General Science movement of the first half of the last century to more recent initiatives such as "21st Century Science" in the UK and "ChemCom" in the USA. This article reviews some of these earlier attempts, with particular reference to the UK, examines their rationale and outcomes, and comments upon some of their implications for current attempts to re-engage school science with citizenship. (Contains 5 notes.)