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Science / Year 3 / Science as a human endeavour / Use and influence of science

Curriculum content descriptions

consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem (AC9S3H02)

Elaborations
  • recognising how First Nations Australians observe and describe developmental changes in plants and animals to make decisions about when to harvest certain resources
  • exploring the history of manure and compost use in agriculture and how composting can help improve soil condition and plant growth
  • investigating how understanding of life cycles of insect pests such as fruit flies led to effective control strategies
  • investigating why salt, was so important to people’s diets, food preservation and medicine in ancient times that it was known as ‘white gold’
  • exploring how science knowledge of heat transfer has helped people develop different ways to cook food, such as by boiling, frying or roasting
  • investigating how engineers test the insulation properties of materials, and how this information is used to design food and beverage packaging, building insulation or clothing
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
ScOT terms

Explanations (Scientific inquiry),  Modelling,  Scientists,  Problem solving,  Design briefs

Online

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NSW ecosystems on show

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Temperature changes the properties of a substance

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Gardening Australia: Planting an orchard

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Termites: Destroyers or recyclers?

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Gardening Australia: Growing vegetables and natives

Discover what vegetables the students at Swan Valley Anglican School choose to grow first in their new school garden. In this clip, Josh Byrne is helping students to transform a bare patch of ground into a productive garden. Find out about the landscaping materials they use, and why particular plants, including natives, ...

Video

Gardening Australia: Creating a wetland

Find out how a school uses stormwater to create a wetland habitat for native plants. Josh Byrne visits Swan Valley Anglican School to observe the growth of their vegetable garden and to help out in the creation of the wetland. Discover what plants are best for a wetland habitat and how it will increase biodiversity and ...

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Kids in the Garden, Ep 9: Vegetable gardens

Have you ever grown vegetables? In this clip you will discover many things about vegies and how they grow. Presenter Nick Hardcastle will even show you how to make a vegetable garden in a box. Find out which vegetable is actually a flower, which are the best seasons for planting and picking, and how deep to bury seeds.

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Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

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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 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

Creating a food garden: harvesting

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Creating your own potato chips: growing

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Understanding weeds: investigation

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Online

Understanding weeds: life cycle

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Online

Waterways: behaviour change

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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: planting

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