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Science / Year 4 / Science as a Human Endeavour / Use and influence of science

Curriculum content descriptions

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)

Elaborations
  • investigating how a range of people, such as clothing designers, builders or engineers use science to select appropriate materials for their work
  • considering methods of waste management and how they can affect the environment
  • exploring how science has contributed to a discussion about an issue such as loss of habitat for living things or how human activity has changed the local environment
  • considering how to minimise the effects of erosion caused by human activity
General capabilities
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Human impact,  Causality

Interactive

In digestion

Follow the passage of food through the human body. Select foods and drinks and decide how to digest them. For example, choose to chew, to add saliva to the mouth or add gastric juices to the stomach. Watch how the body reacts to changes. Find out more about digestion along the way and answer questions.

Online

Game changers and change makers: resource book of ideas for National Science Week 2018

This resource book includes ideas to support students’ involvement in investigating, exploring, experimenting, designing, creating and communicating their understandings about game changers and change makers from the past who have solved some of the seemingly unsolvable problems, to game changers and change makers of today, ...

Video

Can We Help?: Effects of g-force on the human body

Peter Rowsthorn visits the Australian International Air Show to answer the question, 'What effect does g-force have on the human body?' Join Pete in the cockpit of a light plane for some aerobatics with pilot David Pilkington. G-force expert Dr David Newman explains the science as Pete endures up to 6 g in the aircraft.

Interactive

Waste and materials – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on waste and materials using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

Online

Creating a beneficial garden: investigation

Biodiversity has been perfected by nature over millions of years where invertebrates have played an important role in maintaining a balanced, biodiverse ecosystem. Invertebrates provide services to food crops including pollination and protection from pests. This learning activity is the second part of a sequence of 3 individual ...

Online

Waterways: clean-up

We all have the power to help keep our coastlines, rivers, lakes, swamps, creeks, floodplains, billabongs and estuaries clean by diverting rubbish from our waterways. This can be done with regular clean-ups, picking up litter when you see it, and changing our behaviour such as limiting our use of single-use plastic. This ...

Downloadable

Unit for Year 3 to 4 Butterflies: Engaging with nature

This unit of work engages students in preparing butterfly gardens in their schoolgrounds. It explores scientific entomology, features of caterpillars and butterflies, the lifecycle of butterflies, survival requirements, and the characteristics of butterfly gardens. The unit includes worksheets, assessment ideas, pictures, ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: using your yarning circle

This activity provides a plan for how to use a yarning circle by introducing a yarning stick/talking stick. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the meaningful use of yarning circles in learning environments. The outcomes of this learning activity are for children to: understand ...

Downloadable

Sustainable water sources

In this lesson, students research alternative water sources such as desalination, recycled water, stormwater, rainwater and greywater. They use this information to design a water and energy saving solution to a water supply problem.

Downloadable

Are we living sustainably?

This unit of eight lessons poses the question ‘Are we living sustainably?’ Students use prompts to draw on their prior knowledge to explain what they already know about sustainability. They then investigate why water is precious, explore how water is used around their school and at home. Students then research ways that ...

Online

Making a large wicking bed

Wicking beds are a fantastic invention, allowing crops to be watered more efficiently. Making a large wicking bed does involve a few steps and some preparation, however the benefits of this extra effort are water conservation, improved plant growth and better crops. The design of the wicking bed also provides opportunities ...

Online

Growing your own pizza

In this hypothetical exercise, young learners will explore what they would need to establish if they were to grow their very own pizza. The OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for children to: investigate where and how food is produced; appreciate the complexities of food manufacturing; expand their knowledge of food ...

Online

Creating your own potato chips: growing

This learning activity will teach children to grow, cook and market their own brand of potato chips. The first step is growing our potatoes! This learning activity is the first part of a sequence of 3 individual learning activities focused on creating your own potato chips. The order of these learning activities are: growing, ...

Online

Creating a worm farm

Food and gardening scraps thrown into household bins becomes landfill. When food waste breaks down in landfill, it emits greenhouse gases including methane gas which traps heat in our atmosphere. Diverting this organic waste from landfill and into a worm farm or composting system is great for your garden and for our planet. ...

Online

Waterways: behaviour change

We have the power to help keep our coastlines, rivers, lakes, swamps, creeks, floodplains, billabongs and estuaries clean by diverting rubbish from our waterways. We can all be change makers. By altering our everyday habits such as limiting our use of single-use plastic items, we can also inspire others to do the same. This ...

Downloadable

If only animals could talk

This is an illustrated narrative describing the engineering decisions made to create wildlife corridors for safe passage for Australian fauna to protect them and the stormwater networks they had been traveling through. It shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required, and focuses on the value being an engineer ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: connecting to Landcare

This activity is designed to help you make connections with your local Landcare or environmental group and facilitate a partnership with these organisations. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the use of yarning circles. OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for children to: make ...

Interactive

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Downloadable

When the dam runs dry

This is an illustrated story retelling the real-life engineering decisions made to provide water to a Queensland town when its dam, the only source of water, ran dry. It shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required to provide a solution that delivers a sustainable water supply. The downloadable PDF includes ...

Interactive

Kitchen gardens – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on kitchen gardens using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and ...