Science / Year 3 / Science inquiry / Questioning and predicting

Curriculum content descriptions

pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations (AC9S3I01)

Elaborations
  • acknowledging and using information from First Nations Australians to guide the development of questions regarding life cycles
  • posing questions about the relationship between soil characteristics and the growth of particular plants, such as: ‘Will beans grow best in sandy, loamy or clay soils?’
  • comparing simple maps of Australian agriculture and soil types and posing questions about observed patterns, such as: ‘Does wheat grow in particular soils?’
  • posing questions about substances that are difficult to classify as a solid or liquid, such as toothpaste, slime or hair gel
  • predicting whether the mass of ice in a sealed container will change when the ice has melted
  • predicting which material will be the most effective insulator of heat
  • predicting how quickly ice will melt at different ambient temperatures based on previous observations
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

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

Online

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 ...

Online

Creating compost

Compost is created when organic materials such as twigs, leaves, dry grass and kitchen food scraps break down. Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of landfill that is produced, and also provides soil full of good nutrients that can be used on the garden. OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for students to: ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: using your yarning circle

This activity provides a plan for how to use a yarning circle by introducing a yarning stick/talking stick. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the meaningful use of yarning circles in learning environments. The outcomes of this learning activity are for children to: understand ...

Online

Creating a beneficial garden: investigation

Biodiversity has been perfected by nature over millions of years where invertebrates have played an important role in maintaining a balanced, biodiverse ecosystem. Invertebrates provide services to food crops including pollination and protection from pests. This learning activity is the second part of a sequence of 3 individual ...

Online

Creating your own potato chips: growing

This learning activity will teach children to grow, cook and market their own brand of potato chips. The first step is growing our potatoes! This learning activity is the first part of a sequence of 3 individual learning activities focused on creating your own potato chips. The order of these learning activities are: growing, ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: background

This activity introduces children to the idea of a yarning circle and its importance in First Nations Culture. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the meaningful use of yarning circles in learning environments. OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for children to: understand ...

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 beneficial garden: assessment

Invertebrates perform many different roles in a garden’s ecosystem and occupy many different habitats. In this activity, you will be completing an assessment of these animals. The aim of this activity is for children to identify invertebrates, appreciate different invertebrate habitats and understand the roles that these ...

Online

Growing your own pizza

In this hypothetical exercise, young learners will explore what they would need to establish if they were to grow their very own pizza. The OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for children to: investigate where and how food is produced; appreciate the complexities of food manufacturing; expand their knowledge of food ...

Video

The Australian cotton story

This is a nine-minute video about cotton cultivation in Australia and cotton's importance for Australians. Intended for a mid to upper primary school audience, it depicts a family sowing, irrigating, spraying and harvesting cotton on their farm at Dalby, Queensland. It also illustrates the life cycle of the cotton plant ...

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Sam the Lamb: needs of sheep

This short entertaining video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and a wool-growing family show where their sheep live, what they eat and drink and how they ‘chew their cud’. Viewers will discover what a herbivore is, and how many stomachs sheep have. The video introduces rotational grazing and how farmers look after their sheep ...

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 ...

Video

Sam the Lamb: what is wool?

This short video, narrated by Sam the Lamb and a group of young woolgrowers, explores where wool comes from, how it grows and how it protects sheep in all kinds of weather. Viewers will discover what wool looks it, how it feels and how woolgrowers harvest their sheep’s woolly fleece each year…and how it grows back again.

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For the Juniors: Exploring under the sea

Dive into the busy and colourful world of the coral reef. Explore some of the many animals that live in the shallow waters of the reef. See how they catch food and make their homes there.

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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

Pet Superstars: Alpacas: No hump but spits like a camel

Meet Kai the alpaca, an animal that is a bit like a camel. Listen as Cassandra talks about the alpaca's fleece (body covering), how it lives in herds and what it eats. See the two types of alpaca breed: Huacaya and Suri. How are they different? The clue is in their fleece.

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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?

Video

Different paper plane designs

How many different paper plane designs are there? Lots! Watch as Dylan Parker, paper plane expert, demonstrates some of his favourites. Notice the way the different shapes and features of the planes cause them to move through the air in different ways. Which one do you like the most? Why not have a go at making something similar?

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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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For the Juniors: Keeping cool in hot weather

Have you ever wondered why your face turns red when you run around? Discover what's going on under your skin when this happens, and how this helps you keep cool. See some of the clever ways that animals keep cool, too.