Science / Year 5 / Science inquiry / Planning and conducting

Curriculum content descriptions

plan and conduct repeatable investigations to answer questions, including, as appropriate, deciding the variables to be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests; describing potential risks; planning for the safe use of equipment and materials; and identifying required permissions to conduct investigations on Country/Place (AC9S5I02)

Elaborations
  • considering different ways to approach investigations, such as researching, using trial and error, experimental testing, field observations, using digital tools to record observations or development of virtual simulations
  • planning and recording the method to be used in an investigation so that it could be repeated by someone else
  • making decisions on the variables to be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests, such as measuring the length and size of a shadow formed by different light sources
  • using a map or aerial photographs to predict local sites likely to be affected by erosion, and collaboratively planning a field excursion to collect observations
  • explaining rules for safe processes and use of equipment and materials, and potential risks to themselves or others when conducting an investigation
  • consulting with First Nations Australians to identify local areas that require permission before accessing
  • consulting with First Nations Australians to guide the planning of scientific investigations, considering potential risks for field investigations
General capabilities
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Safety,  Experiments,  Risk management,  Independent variables,  Scientific control

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The farming environment

In this resource, students learn about the impact of extreme weather (drought) and use a scientific investigation to understand the importance of maintaining groundcover on farms to prevent soil erosion. This lesson is part of a sequence of lessons that can be used with this age-group of students. Topics include All about ...

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From the paddock to the plate

This resource is a cross curriculum unit, focused on Design and Technologies, Maths, and some other areas of the curriculum. Sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority is also emphasised. Topics include All about adaptations; From paddock to plate; Safety, sustainability and technology; The farming environment; Safe ...

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Evaporation Innovation

In this activity, students are engineers tasked with developing an innovative solution that will reduce the rate of evaporation experienced by a local dam, reservoir or weir. Following the completion of the design challenge, students may explore how people in design and technologies fields have responded to similar issues.

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Melting Moments

In these activities, students explore the properties of solids and liquids and how they change. Students investigate how they can change the way a solid melts and test different solids to see how they compare. The resource encourages students to ask questions, make predictions, share their observations and suggest possible ...

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Primary Connections: Communicating matters

In this sequence of 8 lessons, students learn about solids, liquids and gases, determine their properties and consider how their particulate arrangement relates to their properties and behaviour. They study a variety of examples of science communication and develop techniques to communicate what they have learned. Professional ...

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Modelling the Seasons

This resource provides a scaffold for students to undertake a simple experiment. Students use a world globe and a heat lamp to investigate how the tilt of the Earth’s axis causes the seasons.

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Invictus Games Sydney 2018 – Stage 3 – Adaptivity and Invictus

This Stage 3 unit explores the idea of ‘adaptivity’ and identity across a number of KLAs. Students will answer the question ‘What is adaptivity?’ and will develop an understanding of how adaptivity serves inclusivity, especially in relation to adaptive sport. Students will explore the history and future of prosthetics. ...

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Waste and materials – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on waste and materials using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

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Kitchen gardens – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on kitchen gardens using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and ...

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Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

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.

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Ecospace

A resource for Stage 3 students called Ecospace which takes students on a journey through the design process, requiring them to explore a real space in their immediate learning environment and to show a real school audience how improvements could be made.

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Sites2See: Insects and Spiders

This page links to a range of materials from the Australian Museums' Bugwise program, with additional materials and activities, including a resource about invertebrates in freshwater.

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experiMENTALS: Spooky slime

This resource contains a materials and instruction list and brief explanation for students about the process of making spooky slime with cornflour to produce a substance that is a little like a liquid and a little like a solid.

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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!

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Pepper scatter experiment

Watch what happens in this pepper scatter experiment by Surfing Scientist, Ruben Meerman. Ruben demonstrates an important property of water, surface tension, by dipping a toothpick into water sprinkled with pepper. Find out what happens when detergent is added.

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Salt water density experiment

Discover what density is and how you can test the density of liquids. You will also find out about salt water and how its density is responsible for the circulation of water around the world's oceans.

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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.

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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, ...

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Fair test

Run experiments in a plant research laboratory. Investigate the effects of different variables on the growth of lettuces, peas and tomatoes. Research the answers to questions about how to achieve optimum hydroponic growth conditions. Examine the effect of key variables on growth: nitrogen, temperature, light intensity and ...

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Protecting Australian Food Production Systems through Biosecurity Education

This is an extended unit of work focusing on biosecurity and its importance for Australia. The unit is organised into three major sections: biosecurity awareness-raising; practical participation in biosecurity related investigations; and promoting a biosecurity-aware community. Each section contains numerous student activities. ...