This paper provides an introduction to the concept of pedagogical link-making in the context of teaching and learning scientific conceptual knowledge. Pedagogical link-making is concerned with the ways in which teachers and students make connections between ideas in the ongoing meaning-making interactions of classroom teaching and learning. First of all we draw upon socio-cultural perspectives to outline why we think that "link-making" is fundamental to science learning and consequently to science teaching and then we identify three main forms of pedagogical link-making. The related research literature is then used to specify pedagogical link-making approaches associated with each of the three main forms. Finally, the resultant framework of link-making forms and approaches is applied in analysing a teaching sequence taken from a UK secondary school science classroom. Part of this analysis involves identifying specific pedagogical tools/strategies that might be employed in the classroom to support link-making. (Contains 12 figures and 1 table.)