SCIENCE

Planning
Document
Primary & Secondary
University of
 Notre Dame
Australian Curriculum: Biological Science (Year 4)
Sub-strands Content Descriptions Achievement Standard

Biological sciences  Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072) By the end of Year 4, students apply the
 Living things, including plants and animals, depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073) observable properties of materials to explain
how objects and materials can be used. They
use contact and non-contact forces to
Chemical sciences  Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties; These properties can influence their use (ACSSU074) describe interactions between objects. They
discuss how natural and human processes
cause changes to the Earth’s surface. They
Earth and space  Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity (ACSSU075)
describe relationships that assist the survival
sciences of living things and sequence key stages in the
 Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance (ACSSU076) life cycle of a plant or animal. They identify
Physical sciences when science is used to ask questions and
make predictions. They describe situations
Nature and  Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061) where science understanding can influence
development of science their own and others’ actions.

 Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062) Students follow instructions to identify
Use and influence of investigable questions about familiar contexts
science
and predict likely outcomes from
 With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based investigations. They discuss ways to conduct
Questioning and investigations and safely use equipment to
predicting on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
make and record observations. They use
Planning and  Suggest ways to plan and conduct investigations to find answers to questions (ACSIS065) provided tables and simple column graphs to
 Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to make and record observations, using formal measurements and digital organise their data and identify patterns in
conducting
technologies as appropriate (ACSIS066) data. Students suggest explanations for
observations and compare their findings with
Processing and  Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends their predictions. They suggest reasons why
analysing data and (ACSIS068) their methods were fair or not. They
information  Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings (ACSIS216) complete simple reports to communicate
their methods and findings.
Evaluating  Reflect on the investigation, including whether a test was fair or not (ACSIS069)
Australian Curriculum: Biological Science (Year 4)
Sub-strands Content Descriptions Achievement Standard

Communicating  Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, physical representations and simple reports
(ACSIS071)
 English
Animals and plants related terminology
Use a range of methods to investigate
and represent findings, patterns and
trends – flow chart with an explanation
of how a food chain works, write a story
or poem about a food chain (ACSIS068)
Represent and communicate
observations, ideas and findings to
peers using formal and informal
representations – group discussion and
peer group assessments (ACSIS071)
Science / Technology & Enterprise
Building and creating food chains from a variety of
ecosystems
Society and Environment
Research the different uses
of plants and animals in
different cultures,
particularly Indigenous
Australians
CONCEPT MAP Maths
(option 1) Data representation, with or without
the use of digital technologies –sorting
Religious Education / Spiritual Education animals into different types of
Discuss references to plants and animals in ecosystems using a table and noting
how many animals are in
the Bible and what they represented
Draw images of plants and animals used in each (ACMSP096)
the Bible Identifying and discussing numerical
and visual patterns in data collected
from students - looking at animals in
specific ecosystems and discussing
the trends/patterns of similar food
chains (ACSIS069)
Concept: Living things survival
Term: 3 Weeks: 5
©The University of Notre Dame 2010 developed by C McGunnigle
Health & Physical Education
Discuss the benefits of and participate in activities that
involve nature such as bushwalking and explore the
different animals within the area
History The Arts
Review artworks with any part of a food chain,
Find the history of extinct such as plants, animals, or the sun
animals and their habitats and Use different plants and flowers to create
what they ate to survive prints
 FORWARD PLANNING DOCUMENT

TERM/WEEKS: 3/5 YEAR LEVEL: year 4 LEARNING AREA/TOPIC: Biological Science

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
General Capabilities:
Literacy Numeracy ICT Critical and creative Ethical Behaviour Personal and social Intercultural Understanding
thinking Competence
Cross-curriculum priorities:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and Cultures Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia Sustainability

5E’s- ENGAGE (1-2 lessons)

To capture student interest and find out what they know about Food chains

 To elicit students’ questions/ prior knowledge about foo chains
 Diagnostic assessment used- in this lesson you will find out what the students already know about food chains. This will allow you to take account of students’ existing ideas when planning learning
experiences

WEEK/ AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES
LESSON LINKS LESSON (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
OBJECTIVE (include learner diversity)
Science Science as Science
Understand a Human Inquiry
ing Endeavour Skills
Wk1 ACSSU073 ACSHE061 (ACSIS064) Discuss the cycle DIAGNOSTIC INTRODUCTION: What do you Flow
of life video and Collection and  Show video clip from Disney’s "The Lion King." Use the clip where Mufasa discusses know about chart/mind
create a recording of with Simba food chains? map
brainstorm student good  The circle of life. Circle of life & Morning lesson clips. worksheets
sharing ideas chain brainstorm Can you
 Students should find a partner and see if they can identify any “delicate balance” in
about what a identify each Coloured
food chain is and Focus - what do their surroundings or their communities. animal and textures
components of a students know  Teacher explains this is what we call a food chain. plant?
food chain. about food BODY: Videos:
chains?  Students now working in pairs engage in the topic through discussing what is a food Can you put Circle of life
Write or illustrate chain, what animals eat, what habitats they live in and writing this down on their animals into https://www.
animals into groups of youtube.com/
brainstorm worksheet. Students draw or write animals down.
ecosystems and their watch?v=Gibi
discuss  Students discuss within their groups and take what they learnt from the video to ecosystems? Ny4d4gc
similarities. brainstorm ideas.
 Looking into different living environments/ ecosystems, brainstorm about one Morning
ecosystem and what animals live there and what they eat to survive. lesson:
 Students share their ideas through class discussion https://www.
youtube.com/
 Students discuss what they have found to compare the similarities and differences.
watch?v=bW7
PLENARY:
PlTaawfQ
 End of lesson activity: bring students outside of classroom to identify different plants
and animals they can find. Students take pictures of what they find, bring it back into
the classroom to discuss what they found in their own environment (ask what types
of animals and plants did you find? How do they survive in this environment?
Learner diversity:
Provide relevant assistance to students with writing and reading skills. All instructions
presented visually, verbally and demonstrated for all types of learners.
Health and safety:
 Students must take turns when handling any equipment (sharing of textures for mind
map

5E’s- EXPLORE (2-3 lessons)

 To provide hands on, shared experiences of food chains
 To support students to investigate and explore ideas about food chains
 Formative assessment

WEEK/ AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES
LESSON LINKS LESSON (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
OBJECTIVE (include learner diversity)
Science Science as Science
Understand a Human Inquiry
ing Endeavour Skills
Wk2 ACSSU073 WALT - Identify FORMATIVE INTRODUCTION: Are food chains For each group
ACSHE061 ACSIS065 and explore Subjective  WALT and WILF explained simple? of 3:
food chains records – were  Warmup game: Roll a ball to each other and share ideas /what students know  5x Plastic cups
through what students able to and what they want to know. Were you able
 1x String
animals may create their own to identify what
 Read through additional food chain information/pp.  3x lanyards
eat. food chain after animals were
identifying and  Students complete worksheet as power point provides answers. from different
(Manager/
BODY: reporter/mate
WILF - Engage exploring food ecosystems?
in discussions chains through  Create a table in groups of 3, and give students roles: Manager/ reporter/ rials)
and contribute what animals may materials. What direction  Blue tack/
ideas about eat?  Students asked to work in groups of 3 to fill out planning sheet first. do the arrows Sticky tape
 5 different
what different  Students build food chain using materials provided. point showing
animals eat the transfer of Animal/plant
Were students  Once built students have opportunity to build numerous chains if working
based on their energy? sun cards1x
able to fill out
efficiently and have time. planning sheet
environments food chain
and create own worksheet and  Gallery walk and peer assessment.  3x Worksheets
food chains correctly place  Work sheet
with given arrows in correct PLENARY: answers
materials position- checked  Class discussion: What different food chains are there?, What did you find? Are  3x Peer
off a checklist of a food chains simple? assessment
list of class. sheets
Learner diversity:
Provide relevant assistance to students when delegating roles and in the actual
Peer assessment process of building the food chain.
sheet and Health and safety:
worksheet Ensuring students are walking during transitions and the gallery walk and are aware
of the people around them. Students must take turns when handling any
equipment. Each piece of equipment (i.e. bluetack, pictures of animals) is one per
group, however students must share and take it in turns to contribute to the food
chain.

5E’s- EXPLAIN (1 lesson)

 To support students to develop explanations for experiences and make representations of developing conceptual understandings
 Formative assessment
WEEK/ AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES
LESSON LINKS LESSON (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
OBJECTIVE (include learner diversity)
Science Science as Science
Understand a Human Inquiry
ing Endeavour Skills
Wk3 ACSSU073 ACSHE061 ACSIS068 Identify and FORMATIVE INTRODUCTION: • Why are green Consumers/pre
investigate Subjective records-  Go through each of the slides and have students take notes and fill out a plants called dators online
producers, Are students able to worksheet. producers? game
consumers and identify plants,  Ask key questions to understand students level of understanding A: They make https://www.bb
decomposers animals and fungi as their own food. c.co.uk/bitesize
BODY:
through food producers, consumers • Why animals /topics/zbnnb9
chains. and decomposers by  Students are prompted to categorize several examples from the power are considered q
placing them in point of organisms such as plants, animals, and fungi. consumers?
Engage in correct columns on  Student divided into groups of three. A: They get their Presentation on
discussions and the board.  Students will use coloured sticky notes green= producers, yellow food from plants Producers,
contribute ideas or other animals. consumers and
=consumers, and pink= decomposers.
about what Were students able to decomposers
different animals create/discuss a food  They will write the name or draw the organism on the appropriate color of
are (producers, chain from the sticky sticky note.
consumers and notes of their  Students will place sticky notes on a worksheet to create a food chain Additional
decomposers) by producer’s consumers based on these categories resource if have
creating food and decomposers.-  When complete, student will do a gallery walk. In the gallery walk one of time
chains on the checked off a Food chain
members of each group will stand by the food web chart to explain it. The
board. checklist of a list of game – memory
class. other group members will rotate to another chart and remain there for game
three minutes for discussion. Group members who went and looked at - Students can
others come back to original group to discuss what they found. play memory
 As a class students will create a food chain with the teacher using the sticky game –
notes on the board and discuss further what are consumers, producers and instructions on
decomposers worksheet
PLENARY:
 Finish with an online food chain game
 There are a selected amount of options of ecosystems to choose from until
pack up time.
 The game is interactive and considers specific ecosystems.
Learner diversity:
Provide relevant assistance to students with poor writing and reading skills. All
instructions presented visually, verbally and demonstrated for all types of
learners. Monitor Billy and Joe when completing online game
Health and safety:
Ensuring students are walking during transitions and the gallery walk and are
aware of the people around them. Students must take turns when handling any
equipment. No inappropriate use or wasting of equipment (sticky notes). Online
safety.

5E’s- ELABORATE (1-2 lessons)

  To challenge and extend students’ understandings in a new context or make connections to additional concepts through a student planned investigation
 To use investigative/ inquiry skills
 Summative assessment of science inquiry skills

WEEK/ AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES
LESSON LINKS LESSON (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
OBJECTIVE (include learner diversity)
Science Science as Science
Understand a Human Inquiry
ing Endeavour Skills
Wk4 ACSSU073 ACSHE062 ACSIS071 Identify the SUMMATIVE- INTRODUCTION: What do you Animal/plant
importance of Science Inquiry  Review and discuss concept of food chains from previous lesson. think a food web lanyards/role
food webs has in Skills  Write Food Web on board. Explain it looks complicated but when you is? cards – cards of
each ecosystem break it down it will make more sense. Ask key questions animals from the
Identify key parts · Most living things are part of more than one food chain. What would rain forest
Identify how to a food chain · The many food chains in an area are combined, or linked, to for a web. happen if a part
many food chains including arrow · Discuss examples of food chains from rain forest animals studied, of a food chain Yarn of wool
can create a food direction and depicting how animals can be prey for various predators disappeared?
web types of  Ask key question – A) When one part of the food web is affected, many Mini test
producers, other living things are affected also. What might
consumers and BODY: happen if the
decomposers in a  Food Web Activity: utilizing a rain forest ecosystem: plants of the rain
mini written test. a. Give each student a role card to pretend to be; put around their neck forest were
and form a large circle. destroyed?
b. Assign students without cards to be helpers
c. Have each student read aloud card of what they are and what they eat, Why is a food
students with matching cards raise hands. web more
d. Have helpers give one end of yarn to student reading card and the accurate than
other ends to students raising hands (yarn is symbol of energy being food chain?
passed in form of food) a web will be formed when finished.
PLENARY:
 Discuss: What might happen if the plants of the rain forest were
destroyed? Everything will be affected
 Cut the strings of the rain forest plant to show that it’s dead. All animals
that eat phytoplankton will also die so strings also need to be cut.
Continue cutting until all animals are dead.
 Class discussion of importance of a balanced ecosystem and how if one
animal/plant disappears every part of the food chain will fall apart.
 Take home message – ask what your parents what you can do at home to
be more environmentally friendly to protect the food chains.
Students will complete a mini test, based on consumers, producers and
decomposers.
Learner diversity:
Provide relevant assistance to students with poor writing and reading skills. All
instructions presented visually, verbally and demonstrated for all types of
learners. Monitor student’s engagement select helpers to Jessica and Callum as
helpers within activity for improved engagement.
Health and safety:
Ensuring students are walking during transitions and are aware of the people
 around them. Students must take turns when handling any equipment. No
pulling or poor behaviour when using wool as a class.

5E’s- EVALUATE (1 lesson)

 To provide opportunities to review and reflect on their learning about food chains and represent what they know about predators, prey, carnivores/omnivores
 Summative assessment of science understanding

WEEK/ AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM SPECIFIC LESSON ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES
LESSON LINKS OBJECTIVE (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
(include learner diversity)
Science Science as Science
Understand a Human Inquiry
ing Endeavour Skills
Wk5 ACSSU073 ACSHE061 (ACSIS071 Identify the differences SUMMATIVE - INTRODUCTION: Why did you label
between a predator and Science inquiry  Students review what they have learnt in past lessons with the plant as a Materials for:
prey. Identify the class discussion producer? Story
difference between  Introduce more in depth concept of predators and prey Movie/stopmotion
Engage, individually, with predators and prey How do you know Poster
through class discussion. – Ask key questions
prior knowldge about through a the plant is a Ipads/computer
where producers, story/poster/movie  Students then complete prey and predator worksheet producer? Writing materials
consumers and BODY: Poster creating app
decomposers are located  Students are given the opportunity to showcase their How does the Animal
and use knowledge to Students have the knowledge by creating in form of a poster/stop motion (movie) plant produce its
make a creative piece of option to present or story, the process of a food chain to show “a day in the life own energy? Instructions page
work knowledge in the of an ecosystem” showing how energy is transferred. for project
form of a What type of
 Students given some examples and questions to spark
Poster consumer did you Prey and predator
Stop motion/movie creativity include? worksheet
Or story  Using correct vocabulary (sun, producer, consumer,
decomposer, plants, animals, prey, predator, food web, and How do you know Creative piece
food chain. that animal is a rubric
 Students pick one ecosystem, to then create a food chain, with consumer?
each animal labelled correctly.
What do we call a
 Must show plan before starting creative piece of work plant eater?
PLENARY:
 Ask students to present their work or digital product to a What do we call a
partner or the class. meat eater?
 Review the TWLH chart to identify what students have
What do we call
learned and how they learned those things.
those who eat
 Review any unanswered questions. both plants and
 Ask students to reflect on their learning during the unit. Ask meat?
questions, such as:
 • How did your ideas change during the unit? • What is a
 • What have you learned that you did not know before? predator?
A: An animal that
 • What activity did you enjoy the most? eats other
 • What activity did you find the most challenging? animals.
• What is a prey?
 • What are you still wondering about?
A: The animal “a
consumer” that is
(The two main points of this lesson are that in food chains almost
being eaten
all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants and that
the sun is often the ultimate source of energy needed for all
How do energy
organisms to stay alive and grow.)
flow work?
Learner diversity:
Provide relevant assistance to students with writing and reading
skills. All instructions presented visually, verbally and
demonstrated for all types of learners. Monitor students
engagement and on task behaviour when given freedom to work
on project.
Health and safety:
Ensuring students are walking during transitions and are aware of
the people around them. Students must take turns when
handling any equipment/ICT. When using equipment should be
use appropriately and without need to unsafe in any way.