Science / Year 3 / Science Inquiry Skills / Questioning and predicting

Curriculum content descriptions

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge (ACSIS053)

Elaborations
  • choosing questions to investigate from a list of possibilities
  • jointly constructing questions that may form the basis for investigation
  • listing shared experiences as a whole class and identifying possible investigations
  • working in groups to discuss things that might happen during an investigation
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Predictions (Science),  Research questions

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

How does your garden grow?

This Stage 2 resource grew from a conversation between young students questioning why they could still buy grapes if they were out of season. This wondering led to a discussion around when we grow certain fruit and vegetables. The original stimulus was extended to cover planting for the seasons and factors that influence ...

Online

Every drop counts, being water wise!

This activity aims to explore water usage and water saving ideas. Every drop counts! OUTCOMES are for children to: understand the importance of water; look at ways to help save water; and undertake a water audit.

Online

Creating a wildlife habitat: design

Creating a wildlife habitat can provide a home for a variety of local wildlife from the smallest insects and spiders to birds, reptiles, mammals and frogs. These habitats can provide a sanctuary for species that have been displaced through urbanisation, as built structures replace natural areas. The Vision activity determined ...

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 wildlife habitat: research

This learning activity is the first part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a wildlife habitat. The order of these learning activities are: research, vision, design, planting and monitoring and care. The OUTCOMES are for children to: undertake research to determine what their local ecosystems ...

Online

Creating a wildlife habitat: monitoring and care

Monitoring and care helps provide an understanding of how your garden grows. What does it need to be healthy, to support growth, and be a native habitat? This learning activity is the final part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a wildlife habitat. The order of these learning activities ...

Online

Creating a wildlife habitat: vision

This learning activity is the second part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a wildlife habitat. The order of these learning activities are: research, vision, design, planting and monitoring and care. OUTCOMES for this learning activity are for children to: create a vision of what their ...

Text

Work sample Year 3 Science: Disappearing ice cubes

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 3 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

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, ...

Interactive

NASA: Eyes Eclipse 2017

This interactive 3D simulation of the total eclipse of August 21st, 2017 enables users to navigate to different locations to watch a simulation of what the eclipse would look like from that area from start to finish. The simulation is available as a web and desktop applications suitable for most devices.

Online

Exploring the Reef

This is a detailed plan for teaching a unit on exploring the Reef. It includes a unit outline, overview and aim, learning outcomes, inquiry questions, background information about the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, lesson plans and a guide to assessment. The lesson sequence is based on the inquiry based 5Es approach to ...

Interactive

Chicken farming in the living world: Stage 2

Chickens are fascinating animals and provide students with an interesting subject matter to discuss the many aspects of our living world. This interactive course for students explores the question 'How do we create food and fibre products from animals and plants?' and comprises a series of modules and supporting videos. ...

Video

The Australian cotton story

This is a nine-minute video about cotton cultivation in Australia and cotton's importance for Australians. Intended for a mid to upper primary school audience, it depicts a family sowing, irrigating, spraying and harvesting cotton on their farm at Dalby, Queensland. It also illustrates the life cycle of the cotton plant ...

Interactive

Field Guide to Western Australian Fauna - iTunes app

View descriptions of Western Australian fauna together with maps of distribution, images and endangered species rating. Animals are grouped by mammals, reptiles, fishes, amphibians, birds or insects and other invertebrates. Info pages include images and animal sounds. Free when reviewed on 12/5/2015.

Interactive

Field Guide to NSW Fauna - iTunes app

View descriptions of NSW fauna together with maps of distribution, images and endangered species rating. Animals are grouped by mammals, reptiles, fishes, amphibians, birds or insects and other invertebrates. Info pages include images and animal sounds. Free when reviewed on 12/5/2015.

Interactive

Alien life form

Help an alien to understand how plants are adapted to life on Earth. Choose different combinations of leaves, seeds and roots. Design a plant that is best adapted to surviving in a particular environment. Adapt the plant for survival in specific environments: mangroves, cool rainforest, mountain slopes and arid land. ...

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 ...

Image

Phar Lap

This is a photograph showing the mounted hide of Phar Lap, a champion racehorse in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was a large chestnut-coloured gelding who stood 17.1 hands (about 174 cm) tall.

Image

Sea louse

This is a colour photograph of a sea louse ('Natatolana woodjonesi').