Science / Year 2 / Science as a Human Endeavour / Use and influence of science

Curriculum content descriptions

People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035)

Elaborations
  • monitoring information about the environment and Earth’s resources, such as rainfall, water levels and temperature
  • finding out about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use science to meet their needs, including food supply
  • exploring how different cultures have made inks, pigments and paints by mixing materials
  • identifying the ways humans manage and protect resources, such as reducing waste and caring for water supplies
  • recognising that many living things rely on resources that may be threatened, and that science understanding can contribute to the preservation of such resources
General capabilities
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Environmental management,  Technology,  Lifestyles

Video

For the Juniors: Using and storing water on a farm

Can you imagine a farm with no water? What might happen to the animals and crops? This clip explains how important a water supply is for farmers. You will see some ways that farmers store water, which is especially important when there is limited or no rain.

Video

For the Juniors: Growing rice

What is your favourite way to eat rice? This clip shows how rice is planted, grown and harvested in many different countries (places in the world). View the different foods made with rice.

Interactive

NSW ecosystems on show

This resource highlights fifteen natural ecosystems found in New South Wales. Each resource has been designed for students investigating ecosystem types in NSW, providing a greater understanding of their location, function, how they are impacted by human activity and how schools and communities can work to protect them. ...

Online

Education - Return to 1616 Ecological Restoration Project

This is a comprehensive education package based on of the world's most exciting ecological restoration projects that is happening right now in Western Australia! It features interactive virtual tours, 3D skulls, videos, real-action inquiry projects, research projects, native animal educational card games and activities, ...

Online

Creating a food garden: site assessment and mapping

This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: vision, site assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting. OUTCOMES of the learning activity are for children to understand more about the ...

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

Propagating from fruit and vegetable scraps

We’re going to use fruit and vegetable scraps to propagate or grow new plants! Investigating plant growth engages young learners in a hands-on science project and helps illustrate plant features and life-cycles. Your plants can even be planted into the garden to produce a future crop. OUTCOMES for this learning activity ...

Online

Sow a seed, grow a feed

Engage young learners’ senses as they grow food from a seed. They can learn about caring for a living thing, experience the joy of watching something grow and harvesting healthy edible food. The activity provides opportunities for development of science, sustainability and maths concepts. OUTCOMES of this learning activity ...

Online

Creating a bee hotel: research

Explore the different types of bees common to Australia, their features including how they are different to flies and wasps. We will focus on native bees, specifically to learn about their nesting habitat. This learning activity is the first part of a sequence of 2 individual learning activities focused on creating a bee ...

Online

Understanding weeds: life cycle

Weeds compete with native plants in our natural environments, and can dominate both natural ecosystems and areas of agricultural production. This competition limits biodiversity, as well as the economic potential for farmers. This activity will look closely at three different weed forms and children will learn about their ...

Online

Creating a food garden: vision

This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: vision, site assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting. OUTCOMES For children to: • appreciate what they would like to achieve from creating ...

Online

Creating a food garden: harvesting

This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: vision, site assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting. OUTCOMES of the activity are for children to: understand the steps in successful ...

Online

Creating a beneficial garden: planting

Planting flowers with food crops increases biodiversity, and is known as beneficial planting. Beneficial planting not only makes our garden beds look more attractive to us, it also makes gardens look more attractive to pollinators and predators, which in turn, help to fertilise and protect crops from pest invertebrates. ...

Online

Creating a bee hotel: construction

As we clear land for urban development, and for broadacre farming, we remove the spaces where bees nest and find their food. With no food, and nowhere to produce their young, native bee populations are under threat of local extinction. In this activity, we will look at providing nesting spaces for native bees which mimic ...

Online

Water for wildlife

With Australia’s changing climate we need to adapt to our altering conditions. This is challenging but also possible for humans through behaviour change and infrastructure change (too advanced?) but not quite so easy for our precious wildlife. While water is considered renewable as it functions as part of a water cycle, ...

Online

Exploring the story of water

Investigate the journey of water through the environment, from the mountains to the sea through an active demonstration. Discover and discuss changes to quality of the water on this journey through the environment? OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for students to: understand the journey of water from taps to the ocean; ...

Online

Whose Country: exploring First Nations peoples languages map (7-13yrs)

Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages can help children build their understanding of land, water and people. This activity helps to assist the identification of the language group/s on which the school, youth group or home is situated. To understand local perspectives and support these activities, ...

Online

Growing healthy plants using natural pesticides

Plants are vulnerable to pests and diseases. This learning activity is designed for children to: understand how to cultivate healthy plants using organic gardening methods; look to natural ingredients as a solution to ridding plants of unwanted pests and diseases; and know how to make a natural pesticide and evaluate the ...

Online

Creating a food garden: planting

Planting a food garden is an exciting and fulfilling task. This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: vision, site assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting. OUTCOMES of this activity ...

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, ...