Science / Year 7 / Science Inquiry Skills / Planning and conducting

Curriculum content descriptions

Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS125)

Elaborations
  • working collaboratively to decide how to approach an investigation
  • learning and applying specific skills and rules relating to the safe use of scientific equipment
  • identifying whether the use of their own observations and experiments or the use of other research materials is appropriate for their investigation
  • developing strategies and techniques for effective research using secondary sources, including use of the internet
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Experiments,  Data collection,  Instrumentation (Technology),  Ethics,  Safety

Interactive

Let's make slime!

This resource explains how to make slime using cornflour to produce something called a non-Newtonian fluid. A non-Newtonian fluid is a substance which has properties of a liquid and a solid. This means it can flow like a liquid, but also can have a set shape. It all depends on the amount of force you apply to it. In this ...

Interactive

Plotting a Magnetic Field

Students use this resource consisting of seven slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how to plot the magnetic field around a bar magnet using a plotting compass. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Interactive

National Science Week flight special

This resource contains lessons plans containing instructions and teachers' notes for fun experiments focusing on the science of flight. Try them in your classroom and watch Elliot and the Surfing Scientist tackle them on Roller-coaster. A wide ranges of activities with clear directions and illustrations based on a range ...

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Magic rocking candle

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of burning both ends of a balancing candle. This activity is most likely to be done as a teacher demonstration for safety and classroom management reasons, particularly at primary school level.

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Trumpet straw

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of making a straw that can produce vibrations when blown through.

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Levitating balloon

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of levitating a balloon.

Interactive

experiMENTALS: ink chromatography

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of separating ink mixtures using paper chromatography.

Video

Seahorses

This six and a half minute video segment from Catalyst shows one of the most beautiful and bizarre creatures under the sea, the seahorse. Their highly unusual reproduction has not been sufficient to overcome the impacts of habitat destruction and human predation.

Interactive

experiMENTALS: Keys on a shoelace

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students to show that keys on a shoelace can do some unexpected things.

Interactive

iPlan

This resource contains ten IWB flipcharts as well as Flash alternative exercises and models how to plan a scientific investigation, choose the right equipment and follow safe working practices.

Interactive

Cool colour

This is a lesson plan, complete with instructions, materials list, worksheets and photographs of the expected results from the ABC's surfing scientist. The students are encouraged to participate in a first-hand science activity using sugar and colour-coated chocolate lollies.

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

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

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

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.

Text

Stomp Rocket Design Challenge

This resource provides a scaffold for students to complete a design challenge. The design challenge requires students to create a stomp rocket that can travel to a chosen planet in the solar system. The design challenge can also be used to investigate forces and energy. It can be delivered over a number of lessons, or it ...

Text

Industrial design challenge – separating materials lesson

is lesson provides a great introduction to the idea of separating mixtures and enables students to consider separation as a process that operates on macroscopic levels. Students also learn about waste management and recycling processes in Australia. The lesson provides students with an opportunity to engage in hands-on ...

Online

Sphero slalom lesson

In this lesson students explore slalom sports and how competitors maximise speed when completing a course. Students research different slalom sports and then share their findings with the class. Students investigate the impact of distance and friction on time to complete a course through digital and unplugged activities. ...

Text

Sandcastle ratios

In this lesson students think like geotechnical engineers, exploring the properties of sand and the ways in which those properties can be used in building and construction.

Text

Living world

This collection of resources focus on biology concepts in year ten. The resource includes a learning sequence that allows students to investigate the requirements for plant growth using an inquiry-based learning activity. There are also links to external resources that focus on meiosis and body systems.

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Working scientifically and physical world – The cooling rate of water

This activity challenges students to plan and undertake an investigation into what affects the cooling rate of hot water. The task is intended to be a formative skill-based task which aims at providing feedback to students as well as allowing students the opportunity to self-reflect on the completion of a practical task.

Video

Stellar scintillation

This resource explores a concept belonging to the Meriam (Mer) people of the Torres Strait who have long understood the importance of stellar scintillation to their lives. and the ways it can prove useful in understanding our environment. This activity involves watching a video of an elder playing a Meriam star song and ...