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Science / Foundation / Science as a Human Endeavour / Nature and development of science

Curriculum content descriptions

Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE013)

Elaborations
  • recognising that observation is an important part of exploring and investigating the things and places around us
  • sharing observations with others and communicating their experiences
  • exploring and observing using the senses: hearing, smell, touch, sight and taste
ScOT terms

Observations (Data),  Perception

Interactive

Environmental and Zoo Education Centres – primary school resources

A collection of digital resources for primary school teachers and students to support teaching and learning from home, with a particular focus on geography, science and history. The resources were developed by Department of Education teachers from 25 Environmental and Zoo Education Centres in NSW and include Google Sites, ...

Interactive

Chicken farming in the living world: Stage 1

Chickens are fascinating animals and provide students with an interesting subject matter to discuss the many aspects of our living world. This interactive course for students explores the question 'How do humans use plants and animals?' and comprises a series of modules and supporting videos. Students will plan, design ...

Video

What is a meteor?

Brianna and Professor Jonti Horner look up into the night sky to find out more about shooting stars. What is a shooting star made of and why do they fall from the sky?

Video

Why do we get hiccups?

Ever tried to stop hiccupping? It can be tricky to do! Brianna and Professor Emma Beckett chat about why we get the hiccups and if we can stop them.

Video

For the Juniors: How do you know when rain is coming?

How can you tell when rain is on the way? Some animals seem to know when wet weather is coming. This clip explains some different ways that people can tell it's going to rain.

Video

For the Juniors: A poem about taste

Imagine what life would be like if you couldn't taste anything. This rhyming poem will help you think about the importance of our sense of taste.

Video

Pet Superstars: The beagle: A nose that always knows

Meet Junior, a beagle who sniffs out all sorts of things, especially treats. Listen as Josie tells us about life with her pet dog. People say that beagles have the most amazing sense of smell. Does Junior? Find out.

Online

Weather: what is weather? - activity

This is a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) student worksheet about weather. The worksheet includes an aim, an introduction explaining what weather is and a series of questions about weather for students to respond to using pictures and words. Some of the questions are about what sort of clothes the students would wear and games ...

Video

For the Juniors: Wet weather in cold and warm climates

Have you ever thought about how rainy weather feels in different places? This short clip talks about wet weather in a cold place and in a warm place. You will hear some children talking about how they feel when it's raining where they live.

Online

Weather - activity

This is a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) web page containing a lesson plan on weather. The resource clearly sets out lesson objectives and provides a list of questions with sample answers. The resources and actions section of the lesson plan has a link to a student worksheet for the teacher to print out.

Downloadable

Unit for Reception to Year 2 Butterflies: Engaging with nature

This unit of work engages students in preparing butterfly gardens in their schoolgrounds. It explores the characteristics of living and non-living things, features of caterpillars and butterflies, the lifecycle of butterflies, survival requirements, and the characteristics of butterfly gardens. The unit includes worksheets, ...

Downloadable

The Manual: Butterfly Gardening in South Australia

This Manual assists teachers and students establish butterfly gardens in their schoolgrounds. It provides information about butterfly lifecycles, habitats, adaptations, and requirements to live. The manual also provides local Indigenous perspectives of butterflies, along with useful links to websites. The manual accompanies ...

Online

Planting fruit and vegetables

In this sequence of lessons students grow a plant from seed, capturing each step and decision as an algorithmic process and recording data for future learning.

Interactive

Garden detective: explore an Australian garden

Search for small creatures in an Australian garden. Find animals such as a scorpion, a lacewing and a cicada. Have a close look at their body parts. Return all the animals to their habitats. This learning object is one in a series of two objects. The series is also packaged as a combined learning object.

Online

Primary science: scientific inquiry

These seven learning activities, which focus on 'scientific inquiry' using a variety of tools (software) and devices (hardware), illustrate the ways in which content, pedagogy and technology can be successfully and effectively integrated in order to promote learning. In the activities, teachers facilitate the procedures ...

Interactive

Light and shadows

Look at how a tree makes a shadow during a sunny day. Notice that objects always casts shadows that face away from the Sun. Examine how the shape and position of a shadow is related to the time of day and position of the Sun. Explore the shadows cast by different objects such as a bike, an umbrella and a child. Position ...

Interactive

Garden detective: Australian garden

Search for small creatures in an Australian garden. Find animals such as a scorpion, a lacewing and a cicada. Have a close look at their body parts. Identify groups of creatures that have similar body features such as wings or number of legs. Return all the animals to their habitats. This content is also suitable for use ...

Interactive

Pushing and pulling

Move animals from a boat to their new home in a zoo. Put them on a cart, then use monkeys to push or pull them up a hill. Use the minimum amount of force needed to move each animal. For example, use a single monkey to push a pelican or use three monkeys to pull a zebra. This learning object is a combination of three objects ...

Video

Why do mosquito bites itch?

What sounds do mosquitoes makes, and can you find out why those irritating little mosquito bites itch so much? Why do we need mosquitoes? Where do they fit in an ecosystem?

Video

Sam the Lamb: properties of wool

This short video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and a group of young wool enthusiasts, explores the properties of one of nature’s most versatile fibres. Viewers will discover how wool can stretch and return to its natural shape when worn; why wool is safe to wear around campfires and in the sun, and how wool can manages moisture ...