Science / Year 1 / Science as a Human Endeavour / Nature and development of science

Curriculum content descriptions

Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE021)

Elaborations
  • jointly constructing questions about the events and features of the local environment with teacher guidance
  • recognising that descriptions of what we observe are used by people to help identify change
ScOT terms

Observations (Data),  Similarity (Classification)

Interactive

Light and shadows

Look at how a tree makes a shadow during a sunny day. Notice that objects always casts shadows that face away from the Sun. Examine how the shape and position of a shadow is related to the time of day and position of the Sun. Explore the shadows cast by different objects such as a bike, an umbrella and a child. Position ...

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

Pushing and pulling

Move animals from a boat to their new home in a zoo. Put them on a cart, then use monkeys to push or pull them up a hill. Use the minimum amount of force needed to move each animal. For example, use a single monkey to push a pelican or use three monkeys to pull a zebra. This learning object is a combination of three objects ...

Video

For the Juniors: Picking and processing fresh apples

Discover the story of apples, from picking and pressing to processing in a factory. Learn how juice, cider and vinegar are made from apples. See how many other things are made from apples.

Video

For the Juniors: Milk from the dairy to the shop

Have you ever wondered about the steps involved in getting milk from a cow to you? This clip tells the story of milk, from the dairy farm to the supermarket. Discover where cream comes from and how milk is made safe to drink.

Interactive

Make it go: energy change: assessment

Find out what you know about energy and how it changes. Complete a flow chart to show energy changes by identifying the energy source and the energy output of some machines. View and print a report on your work. This assessment object is one in a series of two objects.

Video

For the Juniors: How do you know when rain is coming?

How can you tell when rain is on the way? Some animals seem to know when wet weather is coming. This clip explains some different ways that people can tell it's going to rain.

Video

For the Juniors: How does rice get to the supermarket?

Do you like brown rice or white rice? Do you know why they look different? This clip shows how rice grains from the farm are cleaned, milled and packed into bags. Discover how many different foods can be made from rice.

Online

Carbon is child's play

Carbon is all around us and makes up every living thing. This unit investigates the basic science of carbon in living things and build awareness of the science of the carbon cycle and its importance to our daily lives and the planet. The unit includes PDF resources and video quiz challenges for teachers and student and ...

Interactive

Chicken farming in the living world: Stage 1

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 humans use plants and animals?' and comprises a series of modules and supporting videos. Students will plan, design ...

Video

For the Juniors: Breathing under the water

What would it be like to breathe under water? See the equipment humans use to help them swim under water. Find out about the special features fish have that help them 'breathe' under water.

Video

Sam the Lamb: Does wool burn?

This short entertaining video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and 'Professors' Madeleine and Daisy test which fabrics burn easily and which fabrics are the most flame resistant. Sam and his science team test the flammability of a range of synthetic and natural fabrics including polyester, polar fleece, cotton and wool.

Interactive

Garden detective: Australian garden

Search for small creatures in an Australian garden. Find animals such as a scorpion, a lacewing and a cicada. Have a close look at their body parts. Identify groups of creatures that have similar body features such as wings or number of legs. Return all the animals to their habitats. This content is also suitable for use ...

Interactive

Pushing and pulling: assessment

Test your understanding of push and pull forces by moving animals using monkey power. Investigate and then predict the effects of applying a force to move a range of objects of various mass. For example, select two monkeys to move a pelican, and predict whether they will move the pelican slowly, quickly or too fast.

Video

For the Juniors: Growing apples

Do you like eating apples? This clip shows where apples are grown. Learn how the apple farmer (orchardist) looks after the apple trees so they can grow lots of healthy fruit.

Video

Sam the Lamb: properties of wool

This short video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and a group of young wool enthusiasts, explores the properties of one of nature’s most versatile fibres. Viewers will discover how wool can stretch and return to its natural shape when worn; why wool is safe to wear around campfires and in the sun, and how wool can manages moisture ...

Video

Sam the Lamb: what is wool?

This short video, narrated by Sam the Lamb and a group of young woolgrowers, explores where wool comes from, how it grows and how it protects sheep in all kinds of weather. Viewers will discover what wool looks it, how it feels and how woolgrowers harvest their sheep’s woolly fleece each year…and how it grows back again.

Interactive

Garden detective: explore an Australian garden

Search for small creatures in an Australian garden. Find animals such as a scorpion, a lacewing and a cicada. Have a close look at their body parts. Return all the animals to their habitats. This learning object is one in a series of two objects. The series is also packaged as a combined learning object.

Video

Different paper plane designs

How many different paper plane designs are there? Lots! Watch as Dylan Parker, paper plane expert, demonstrates some of his favourites. Notice the way the different shapes and features of the planes cause them to move through the air in different ways. Which one do you like the most? Why not have a go at making something similar?

Image

Great pampa finch

This is a colour photograph of a preserved great pampa finch ('Embernagra platensis'). The tail of this specimen is missing. Identification labels and cataloguing numbers are attached to the specimen.