Science / Year 5 / Science Inquiry Skills / Communicating

Curriculum content descriptions

Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS093)

Elaborations
  • discussing how models represent scientific ideas and constructing physical models to demonstrate an aspect of scientific understanding
  • constructing multi-modal texts to communicate science ideas
  • using labelled diagrams, including cross-sectional representations, to communicate ideas
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Creating texts,  Data representation,  Reasoning,  Spoken texts,  Observations (Data),  Multimodal texts,  Explanations (Scientific inquiry)

Video

For the Juniors: How do mangrove trees survive?

Imagine a plant that lives in mud and is soaked in sea water twice a day. Find out how mangroves thrive in conditions that would kill other plants. View the amazing adaptations that make mangroves such special plants.

Video

Can We Help?: Can seahorse dads really have babies?

Peter Rowsthorn visits Melbourne Aquarium to answer the question 'Do male seahorses give birth to their young?' Discover the answer as a marine expert describes Syngnathids, a unique family of fish. Learn what makes the seahorse and the sea dragon so unusual in the marine animal world.

Text

Animal survivor

This resource provides a scaffold for students to analyse the features of a Queensland animal and relate them to its survival success. Students then conduct the animal design challenge: Engineering new features for their animal to increase its chance of survival and future success. Students also make predictions about how ...

Video

Tough zirconium - but what's its secret side?

The element zirconium is often used for its tough, abrasive properties. It also has a secret side. View this clip (developed by students for the 2013 Sleek Geeks Eureka Science Schools Prize competition), which highlights the properties and uses of zirconium in a highly visual and fun way.

Online

Sydney Metro – a 3D design focused inquiry – Stage 3

This inquiry-based unit of work was created, trialled and peer reviewed as part of a professional learning program in inquiry-based learning for school teachers. The professional learning courses were part of a pilot partnership between the NSW Government’s Sydney Metro transport agency and Western Sydney University.

Interactive

Environmental and Zoo Education Centres – primary school resources

A collection of digital resources for primary school teachers and students to support teaching and learning from home, with a particular focus on geography, science and history. The resources were developed by Department of Education teachers from 25 Environmental and Zoo Education Centres in NSW and include Google Sites, ...

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

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

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 ...

Interactive

Aim to Sustain

Students identify and explore ways in which human activity can threaten biodiversity and the health of our planet. Students are encouraged to take positive action to promote sustainability. The four resources: Get the message, Help a habitat, Alien invaders and A world of difference include videos, SMART notebooks, worksheets ...

Interactive

Aim to sustain: Get the message

This resource is a subset of the larger resource, Aim to Sustain. As such it includes the culminating activity in which students study and make artworks that communicate an environmental message about single use and disposable plastics. The resource includes links to video, a slideshow, worksheets and links to further interactive ...

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 ...

Downloadable

Unit for Year 5 to 6 Butterflies: Engaging with nature

This unit of work engages students in preparing butterfly gardens in their schoolgrounds. It explores scientific entomology, features of insects (including butterflies), the contributions that butterflies make to a healthy environments, and the characteristics of butterfly gardens. The unit includes worksheets, assessment ...

Interactive

Aim to sustain: A world of difference

Students explore what is happening at an individual, community and global level and plan actions they will take. These may range from taking a quiz to sharing knowledge about being 'green' at home, through to planning a conference session to deliver to other students. The resource includes videos, SMART notebooks, worksheets ...

Online

Taronga Zoo - Rainforest heroes: iPad app

This iPad app provides an experience of Taronga Zoo's stunning Wild Asia rainforest trail. Guided by volunteer researcher Heidi Greentree and a GPS map, students create a PDF field report using the photographs they have taken, observations made and information collected. This can be emailed for further research and discussion ...

Interactive

Invictus Games Sydney 2018 – Stage 3 – Adaptivity and Invictus

This Stage 3 unit explores the idea of ‘adaptivity’ and identity across a number of KLAs. Students will answer the question ‘What is adaptivity?’ and will develop an understanding of how adaptivity serves inclusivity, especially in relation to adaptive sport. Students will explore the history and future of prosthetics. ...

Interactive

Cassowary ecology quiz

Explore facts about the life of cassowaries: physical characteristics; diet; habitat; life cycles; and locations. Interact with graphs to see how much people can help cassowaries. Work through ecology notes and resources. Answer questions as you go; express your answers as fractions. This learning object is one in a series ...

Interactive

Invictus Games Sydney 2018 – Stage 3 – Adaptive sports and games

Everyone can play. That's the message in this Stage 3 unit on adaptive and inclusive sports and games. Adaptive sports are not just for people with a disability, in fact adaptive sports make important changes that allow everyone to play in a fair and fun way. Learn about some of the adaptive sports played at the Invictus ...

Interactive

Earth rotation: night and day

Watch an animation of the Earth rotating in space showing day and night, the equinox where locations on Earth experience close to equal hours of daytime and night-time (12 hours) and views of the Earth from above the North and South Poles. Turn an animated model of the Earth to explore how rotation is related to night and ...

Video

To save a sad creek called Merri

Find out about some of the issues and solutions for managing waste and pollution in a local creek. View this clip called 'Is Merri Creek truly merry?', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured ...

Video

Growing an organic edible garden

Find out about the roles that earthworms and other animals play in a sustainable organic garden. View this clip called 'Great pizzas', created by young reporters from Willunga Primary School, South Australia. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured local sustainability ...