Science / Year 6 / Science Inquiry Skills / Planning and conducting

Curriculum content descriptions

Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems using equipment and materials safely and identifying potential risks (ACSIS103)

Elaborations
  • following a procedure to design an experimental or field investigation
  • discussing methods chosen with other students, and refining methods accordingly
  • considering which investigation methods are most suited to answer a particular question or solve a problem
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Experiments,  Data collection,  Problem solving

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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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Water is special

In this lesson sequence, students explore what water is and how it behaves as it changes from ice to liquid water to water vapour. The purpose of this lesson sequence is to give students a mental picture of water molecules. Learning about how these molecules behave when water is heated and cooled can help them to understand ...

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Work sample Year 6 Science: Mouldy bread

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 6 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

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ACMF: Effects of selective breeding

This resource is a web page providing information about an experiment on the growth rate of different chicken breeds carried out by students at James Ruse Agricultural High School in NSW, which shows the influence of selective breeding on chicken weight. It includes a side-by-side column graph comparing the weight of egg ...

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Tropical cyclones

This is a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) web page about tropical cyclones. The resource explains what tropical cyclones are and includes a diagram showing the parts of Australia where they occur, indicating which months of the year each region is affected. It describes the impact of tropical cyclones on Australia, using Tropical ...

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Fruitcake mining

This is an activity sheet providing instructions for a simulated mining experiment using pieces of fruitcake. Students use various tools to remove different fruits, each representing different minerals, from a piece of fruitcake which represents the mine site. They are then required to rehabilitate the 'mine site'. The ...

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Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre

This resource is a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) web page that provides warnings to the Australian community of tsunami threats to Australia's coastline and offshore territories. These warnings are issued by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) operated by Geoscience Australia and the Bureau. The resource shows ...

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Modelling tropical cyclones

This teacher resource is a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) web page containing a lesson plan on modelling tropical cyclones. The resource clearly sets out lesson objectives and provides detailed notes about the outcomes expected. It includes a link to in-depth background material on a tropical cyclone's life cycle and development ...

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Floating froth experiment

Find out how to use froth to separate minerals from unwanted rock. This is an activity sheet giving instructions for a simple experiment that demonstrates how froth flotation works. It includes a blank data table.

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Earthquakes

This is an online resource about current earthquake activity in Australia and the wider region. The resource provides a map and a satellite image of near real-time earthquake activity in the last seven days. Links on the map provide further details and information about individual earthquake events. The resource also contains ...

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Australian tsunami newsroom guide

This resource is a joint Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and Geoscience Australia media guide PDF designed to assist the media to communicate tsunami warnings to the Australian public. The resource explains the role of the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) operated by Geoscience Australia and the Bureau. The resource ...

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Biodiversity and farming for a healthy planet

This is a digital resource containing information and resources, such as printable games, that relate to biodiversity and farming, and how food and materials can be produced while protecting the Earth's natural resources. It includes an extensive glossary of important terms, and external links to teacher and student resources ...

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Renewable sources of energy

This is a worksheet consisting of a blank data table designed for students to record information resulting from their research into renewable energy resources. It specifies the types of energy resources to be investigated and suggests topics for research focus.

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Ant safari

This ABC In Depth feature article includes some good advice for exploring local ant populations as well as an excellent information report on Australian ants: the different types and their roles.

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Caring for our carbon

Carbon is all around us and available to us in many different forms – as an atmospheric gas, as an energy source, and as a food source. This unit investigates the science of carbon and the issue of climate change as both a scientific concept and a political issue, and, through discussion and debate, support students' to ...

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Travel Times

Life would be very different today if we did not have modern transport. In this activity, students calculate the time it would take for humans to travel long distances through different modes of transport. They then analyse the impact of these technological developments.

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Moving a town

This is an illustrated retelling of the engineering decisions made to relocate a town from low to high ground following a dangerous flooding event. Based on a real-life event, the story shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required to manage the process and focuses on the value engineers brings to the local ...

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When the dam runs dry

This is an illustrated story retelling the real-life engineering decisions made to provide water to a Queensland town when its dam, the only source of water, ran dry. It shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required to provide a solution that delivers a sustainable water supply. The downloadable PDF includes ...

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Transportation Though the Ages: Science as a human endeavour

Humans are constantly working to develop and improve our technology and understanding. This resource provides step-by-step instructions to help students consider why innovative design and improvement is important. Students firstly identify as many types of transport they can think of and then discuss why new types of transport ...

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Fighting floodwaters

This is an illustrated story retelling the real-life engineering decisions made to mitigate flood damage to a Queensland town that experiences frequent, dangerous flooding. It focuses on the value of being an engineer and how It benefits local communities. The downloadable PDF includes classroom activities.