Science / Year 4 / Science as a Human Endeavour / Nature and development of science

Curriculum content descriptions

Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)

Elaborations
  • exploring ways in which scientists gather evidence for their ideas and develop explanations
  • considering how scientific practices such as sorting, classification and estimation are used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in everyday life
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Predictions (Science),  Patterns,  Causality

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Local seasons: exploring First Nations weather knowledge

First Nations peoples across Australia have a detailed understanding of their environment, passing it down from generation to generation. They observe their environment closely, and use this knowledge to understand the changes in plants, animals and climate. Changes in the environment indicates what to eat, when to eat ...

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Endangered species - marine turtles

This is a detailed plan for teaching a unit on endangered species - marine turtles. It includes a unit outline, overview and aim, learning outcomes, inquiry questions, background information about the marine turtles, lesson plans and a guide to assessment. The lesson sequence is based on the inquiry based 5Es approach to ...

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Game changers and change makers: resource book of ideas for National Science Week 2018

This resource book includes ideas to support students’ involvement in investigating, exploring, experimenting, designing, creating and communicating their understandings about game changers and change makers from the past who have solved some of the seemingly unsolvable problems, to game changers and change makers of today, ...

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ThinkKind lesson plan archive

This is a collection of lesson plans addressing the ethical treatment of animals and animal welfare. The archive includes lessons focusing the on animal welfare in food production, the treatment of animals in horse racing and the animal needs. Each lesson contains teacher notes and student resources and is aligned to the ...

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MoneySmart: The house of needs and wants

This is a unit of work integrating aspects of the mathematics, English and science curriculums around planning a school breakfast. The unit was written for year 3 and is intended to take about 12 hours. It consists of 11 student activities supported by teacher notes on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Student activities ...

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Cats, Dogs and Us: Education pack (years 3-4)

This education pack is an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) resource designed to build students' understanding about the special place domestic cats and dogs have in people's lives. The pack consists of a teaching guide, a student magazine and six student worksheets focusing on topics such as the physical characteristics ...

Audio

Robyn Williams talks about inspiring young scientists, 2008

This is an edited sound recording of the leading science journalist and broadcaster, Robyn Williams, offering advice on how to encourage children to be interested in science. Williams states that the 'greatest challenge' is to exploit and maintain a 'natural' interest displayed in early childhood. He suggests that children ...

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Primary science: authentic contexts

These seven learning activities, which focus on 'authentic contexts' 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 engage their students' interests, ...

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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 ...

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Friction

In this learning sequence, students explore frictional forces. They investigate how friction changes with different contact surfaces in wet, dry and icy conditions, and the effect this has on braking. Finally they apply this learning to the real-world situation of tram travel, and explore why sand is used on tram tracks ...

Audio

Ian Frazer describes medical research work, 2008

This is an edited sound recording of Australian medical scientist Ian Frazer outlining some of the joys and frustrations of a career as a medical researcher. One advantage, he says, is that researchers know that many people may benefit from the work they themselves are enjoying, but he warns against a career as a research ...

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Taronga Zoo - Wild Australia: iPad app

This iPad app is designed for Stage 2 students to use while on excursion in the Wild Australia area in Taronga Zoo Sydney and at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo. Students create a field report from observations and can email and review their editable summary poster for further study back at school. The app has intuitive ...

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Cats, Dogs and Us: Lesson Plans (years 3-4)

This teacher resource is an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) resource designed to encourage students to examine the physical characteristics and natural behaviours of cats and dogs, and discuss the various ways we live with and care for cats and dogs around the world. It consists of nine lesson plans, two worksheets, ...

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Aeronautics

This is a resource for educators detailing student learning programs that explore aeronautics, encouraging them to examine the nature of flight and to experience some real-life applications of mathematics, science and technology. The activities are divided into three chapters: Air, Flight and We Can Fly, You and I. Step-by-step ...

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Farming through history: Science and sustainability Years 3-4

This study guide looks at the historical context of cattle and sheep farming in Australia and how farming, environment and community interact in remote and urban Australia. Students will learn how cattle and sheep production has developed from the time of the early settlers to the 21st century. They will build an understanding ...

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Where would we bee without them?

This is a unit of work about bees and their vital role in the food chain and in agricultural production. The unit supports primary students to understand the basic biology of bees and to differentiate between native bees and the introduced honey bees. The unit is divided into a number of activities that focus on: bee anatomy; ...

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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.

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Creating a beneficial garden: planting

Planting flowers with food crops increases biodiversity, and is known as beneficial planting. Beneficial planting not only makes our garden beds look more attractive to us, it also makes gardens look more attractive to pollinators and predators, which in turn, help to fertilise and protect crops from pest invertebrates. ...

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Investigating the soil food web

Soil is much more than just dirt. In this activity, learners will be conducting an investigation to see which animals and other organisms are recycling nutrients in the garden. These organisms make up the soil food web, which includes microscopic bacteria, fungi, minute creatures such as springtails, worms, pill-bugs and ...

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Creating a bee hotel: construction

As we clear land for urban development, and for broadacre farming, we remove the spaces where bees nest and find their food. With no food, and nowhere to produce their young, native bee populations are under threat of local extinction. In this activity, we will look at providing nesting spaces for native bees which mimic ...