Science / Year 5 / Science inquiry / Questioning and predicting

Curriculum content descriptions

pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test relationships and make reasoned predictions (AC9S5I01)

Elaborations
  • posing questions that can be investigated scientifically, such as: ‘Do all animals which live in desert habitats have ways to survive without water?’
  • acknowledging and using information from First Nations Australians to guide the formulation of investigable questions about structural features and behaviours of living things
  • posing investigable questions about landscape features and how they were changed by weathering, erosion, transportation or deposition
  • asking questions and making predictions to test relationships, such as: ‘Will there be more erosion of steeper slopes? Will this organisation of mirrors enable me to see around corners? Are animals that camouflage well more likely to survive predation?’
  • making reasoned predictions about the habitat a plant or animal lives in or the observable effect of light interacting with an object
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Research questions,  Scientific inquiry,  Predictions (Science),  Patterns,  Observations (Data)

Video

Lens Simulation (sk- Intel)

Students learn about the application of light refraction by completing a series of tasks based on light refraction using both concave and convex lenses.

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.

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Electricity

This resource is designed to support science teachers in addressing concepts in electricity in the BOS NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum in Science - Stage 3. Making decisions about the use of electricity is approached from an understanding of circuits, sources and sustainability.

Video

Robot biomimicry

This 9 minute video segment from Catalyst shows how inspiration from the world of animals has helped in the mechanical design of robots and adhesive materials.

Interactive

DIY pH Indicator

This resource contains lessons plans containing instructions and teachers 'notes for an activity based on the natural pH indicator present in red cabbage leaves. It can be extracted following these explicit and clear directions included for this activity. This indicator solution changes colour from purple to bright pink ...

Video

Mirrors Simulation (sk-Intel)

Students explore the reflection of light by plane mirrors and operate a simple periscope using ray diagrams.

Video

Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Properties and behaviour of gases

All substances are made up of tiny particles. A change in temperature can change the way these particles behave. Watch as the Surfing Scientist demonstrates how a gas behaves when it is heated. Find out whether the balloon gets sucked or pushed into the bottle!

Video

Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: From chocolate buttons to magic patterns

Want to do a simple science experiment that works just like a magic trick? Watch the Surfing Scientist to find out how. He creates a pattern made up of regular shapes by dissolving coated chocolate buttons.

Video

Catalyst: What is a megafire?

Join Catalyst reporter Anja Taylor as she visits the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico and discovers the impacts of recent megafires on the landscape there. What is a megafire? And how is a megafire different from a regular wildfire? How have recent fires permanently transformed the landscapes that Anja and Professor Craig ...

Interactive

Field Guide to Northern Territory Fauna - Google play app

View descriptions of Northern Territory 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 Northern Territory Fauna - iTunes app

View descriptions of Northern Territory 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

Biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna Field Guide - iTunes app

View descriptions of the flora and fauna of Victoria's western volcanic plains region including details about physical features, habitat, diet, reproduction and taxonomic classification together with images and distribution maps. Plant and animals are grouped by broad categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, fern, shrub ...

Interactive

Field guide to Victorian Fauna - iTunes app

View descriptions of Victorian 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.

Video

Magical Land of Oz: Join the Numbat Taskforce!

Numbats are native Australian marsupials that can be found in Western Australia and South Australia. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining rapidly. What are the causes? What can we do to combat this and protect these unique Australian animals? Find out what one community group, the Numbat Taskforce, is doing to help ...

Video

BTN: Aboriginal astronomy

Many ancient cultures studied the night sky, and we know this because it is reflected in some of the earliest stories we have on record. Learn about one of these stories in this video. Other than the Dreamtime stories, what other evidence might there be that the Aboriginal people studied the stars?

Image

Blue cod, 'Parapercis colias'

This is a colour underwater photograph of a blue cod ('Parapercis colias'), showing its bright blue colouration. The image mostly displays the front part of the cod, especially the head with its large eyes and lips. (Classification - Phylum: Chordata; Class: Actinopterygii; Order: Perciformes; Family: Pinguipedidae.)

Image

Taking ocean samples

This is a colour photograph of marine scientist Dr Candida Savage taking samples from the ocean off Stewart Island, New Zealand. In the image, Dr Savage appears to be placing samples into microtubes and placing the microtubes into a microtube storage container. Dr Savage is sitting on a jetty by the ocean.

Image

Harvesting New Zealand cockles

This is a colour photograph of two people collecting New Zealand cockles ('Austrovenus stutchburyi') in shallow sea water. The cockles are being dug by hand from a sand flat and placed into buckets. (Classification - Phylum: Mollusca; Class: Bivalvia; Order: Veneroida; Family Veneridae.)

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

Energy chains: energy use

Select energy sources and energy converters to build energy chains to power appliances and vehicles. Examine how each energy converter in a chain loses some energy and reduces the energy available for use. For example, show that using a solar panel and an electric motor to drive a car delivers only 16% of the original ...