Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ICTs: iPads
Literacy links: Explore differences in words that represent people, places and things
(nouns, including pronouns), happenings and states (verbs), qualities
(adjectives) and details such as when, where and how (adverbs)
(ACELA1452)
Use interaction skills including turn-taking, recognising the
contributions of others, speaking clearly and using appropriate volume
and pace (ACELY1788)
Mathematical links: Measure and compare the lengths and capabilities of pairs of objects
using informal units (ACMMG019)
Other learning area links: Design & Technology – Generate, develop and record design ideas
through describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006). Use
materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely
make designed solutions (ACTDEP007)
Visual Arts – Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination
to create visual artworks and designs (ACAVAM106)
GCs and CCPs: Literacy, Numeracy, ICT capability, Critical and Creative Thinking,
Personal and Social Capability, Sustainability
DESCRIBE YOUR UNIT an overview of the unit’s aim, and of how this will be achieved by students. (e.g.
what students will do, how and when)
This unit aims to provide students with an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the world around
them starting by introducing them to a guided investigation looking at invertebrates. Studies have shown
that students who have experience and familiarity with animals in their local environment are more likely
to appreciate them and have a positive attitude towards the environment (Tytler, Haslam & Peterson
2015).
A key focus of the unit is on developing observation skills, offering students many opportunities to
practice and refine these. Throughout the learning activities students are asked to draw which
emphasises the observation skills further. Students practice observing external physical features,
comparing invertebrates to observe similarities and differences, and observing movements.
Students will then apply the knowledge gained through their observations and design their own
invertebrate including identifying key characteristics and the external features required in order to have
these characteristics and abilities.
1
Strand(s) (select which of the 3 strands is/are a unit focus i.e SU, SIS, SHE):
Sub-strand description:
Compare observations with those
of others (ACSIS213) & (ACSIS041)
Relevant elaboration:
Discussing observations as a whole
class to identify similarities and
differences in their observations.
Sub-strand: Communicating
Sub-strand description:
Represent and communicate
observations and ideas in a variety
of ways (ACSIS029) & (ACSIS042)
Relevant elaboration:
Discussing or representing what
was discovered in an investigation.
By the end of Year 1, students Students respond to questions, Students respond to questions,
describe objects and events that make predictions, and participate make predictions, and
they encounter in their everyday in guided investigations of participate in guided
lives, and the effects of everyday phenomena. They investigations of everyday
interacting with materials and follow instructions to record and phenomena. They follow
objects. They describe changes in sort their observations and share instructions to record and sort
their local environment and how them with others. their observations and share
them with others.
2
different places meet the needs
of living things.
3
video, YouTube, 20 January, viewed 31 May 2018,
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sAUuMP9NQ8>
Tytler, R, Haslam, F & Peterson, S 2015, ‘Living things and
environments’, in K Skamp & C Preston (eds), Teaching primary science
constructively, 5 edn, Cengage Learning Australia, South Melbourne,
Victoria, pp. 227 – 274.
4
ASSESSMENT of STUDENT LEARNING (select SU, SIS, and / or SHE)
(How do I know what the students know, understand, and are able to do in this science unit?) (Elaborate from page 1)
1. What SCIENCE UNDERSTANDING(s) do I want the students to know, or to understand?
(e.g. what are the specific key concept(s) from S.U.)
Students will appreciate the small living things within our local environment, invertebrate. They
will recognise that like all other living things, invertebrate have common features such as a way
to breath, see, and in particular a way to move. Students will investigate and appreciate the
external features of different types of invertebrate that allow them to move in unique ways.
At the completion of this unit students will be able to participate in guided investigations. They
will be able to observe and gather information about invertebrates. They will record this
information through drawing and written text. They will be able to use this information to
participate in class discussions, sort and classify, and make comparisons.
Students will understand and demonstrate that they are able to make and record observations
about invertebrate living within their local environment (Australia). Students will be encouraged
to ask questions and investigate the answers to their questions.
4. WHEN and HOW will I gather and record this information? (E.g. in activity xx, via conference, observation,
a product?)
In learning activity 1 and 2, students observations will be recorded within their science journals
and collected as work samples. This together with observations and class discussions will form
the basis of the formative assessment for this unit.
In learning activity 4 students will create their own invertebrate and this will capture that they
have observed external features of invertebrate, understood how these help invertebrate to
move and applied this understanding to the creation of their own invertebrate. To complete this
task students will complete an Invertebrate Profile sheet (Appendix B) and create a model of
their designed invertebrate. These two items, the profile sheet and model, will form the
summative assessment for the unit.
5
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of STUDENTS
The Prior Knowledge Activity
(Knowledge about..? How will their current views be collected? Give a brief outline of the PK task and why it was chosen)
To elicit students’ current views about invertebrates a general class discussion took place about
what animals or minibeasts the students thought they may find in the garden or school yard. The
students’ suggestions were recorded on the IWB. This stimulated thoughts and discussions and
to focus students’ thoughts in on minibeasts.
Each student was asked to pull out their science journals and draw an animal they thought they
may find in their gardens or school yard. Students gave the drawing the heading “Animal in the
garden”. Students were encouraged to draw not just the animal but also where they think it may
live within the garden. As students were drawing the teacher spent time sitting with them,
asking them to describe what they were drawing. Students were encouraged to label their
drawings.
This strategy was chosen because it gave each student equal opportunity to demonstrate and
record what they already know about minibeasts. It also gave a reference point to reflect back
upon at the completion of the unit.
The findings showed that the students had limited knowledge of animals external features. They
were able to identify a small number of common external features such as legs and eyes but
weren’t able to identify all external features of their chosen animal. This activity highlighted that
students would benefit from guided investigations that took a very close look at a variety of
invertebrate and their external features. This type of guided investigation would improve their
observation skills and ability to represent their observations through verbal (discussion) and non-
verbal (drawings, labels) communication.
6
DETAILED PLANNER: THE LEARNING SEQUENCE
Links to the LESSON SEQUENCE RESOURCES
LEARNING
(ACSHE034) chosen invertebrate and they label it as best they Magnifying glasses
can. IWB
O
those of others the incursion and use magnifying glasses to take a Snails, Leaf or Stick Insects & Worm Farm from
(ACSIS213) & closer look at the invertebrate. Nature Education Centre
P
(ACSIS041)
Use class iPads to take photos of the
invertebrates for reference in future lessons.
X
7
In their science journal each student labels the ASSESSMENT
second column “After a close look” and draws
another picture of their chosen invertebrate.
Discuss as a class why it’s important to have a
closer look and how their drawings changed after Formative Assessment
they had the opportunity to have a closer look. Observations of students taking part in the
Focus on using adjectives to describe the incursion.
invertebrates. Recorded before and after drawings in student’s
After the incursion: science journals.
Discuss with students what features they
observed. Record them on the IWB. Use
observation proforma – name of invertebrate,
number of legs, number of wings, number of
eyes, location of mouth, does it have a tail,
picture of invertebrate.
Keep some snails, leaf or stick insects, and worms
in the classroom for students to observe in the
classroom for the remainder of the unit.
Form groups of students so that each group can
focus on either the snails, leaf or stick insects or
worms. Ask them to keep an eye on their
invertebrate over the remainder of the unit and
notice how the invertebrate move, eat, breath,
protected themselves.
How could the invertebrates be categorised? By
how they moved? By how they looked? By what
they ate? By how they protected themselves?
8
Livings things have a Learning Activity 2: Group Observations IWB
variety of external Observing, drawing and labelling Invertebrates: 15x clear plastic containers
features (ACSSU017) Discuss with students what they might observe 5-10x snails
invertebrates. Some guiding questions may be: 5x worms
N
Represent and
o What colour is it? 5x leaf or stick insects
communicate
observations and
o How big is it? ABC Bugs App on iPad
I
plastic container.
Give each team a magnifying glass and some food ASSESSMENT
E
looks, finds food, moves, breaths, sees and then Team discussions
Whole class discussions
R
9
Livings things have a Learning Activity 3: How They Move Nature sounds:
variety of external Introduction – exploring movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sAUuMP9NQ8
features (ACSSU017) With soft nature sounds playing in the
background ask students to stand up and find a Reference cards:
Participate in guided
space. Ask students to slowly start walking http://www.minibeastwildlife.com.au/resources/mem
investigations to
around the room. Next ask students to start to ory-cards/
explore and answer
questions (ACSIS025) move like a butterfly. Next ask them to slither or http://www.minibeastwildlife.com.au/resources/mini
& (ACSIS038) slide like a snail. Next ask them to jump like a beast-posters/
cricket or grasshopper. Next ask them to walk like
Represent and an ant. Venn Diagram template:
N
communicate Now ask them to walk around the room and find https://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/201
observations and photos of invertebrates that have been hidden 4/08/17/integrated-and-interactive-science-unit-on-
I
ideas in a variety of around the room and bring them back to the mat. living-things-for-years-f12/
A
journals. IWB
Discuss the invertebrates’ external features and Science journals
the way in which they move.
Give students prompting questions to help them
with their comparison. Display these on the IWB
and discuss possible answers for each to assist
students. Questions include:
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o What colour is it? ASSESSMENT
o How many legs does it have?
o How many body segments can you see?
o How big is it?
o Does it have wings?
o How does it move? Formative Assessment:
o Does it eat anything? Whole class discussions
Reinforce the features of a Venn Diagram, Completed venn diagram stuck into their
including labelling and ways to include answers science journal
(pictures or written responses).
Use class Venn Diagram as a point of reference
for further lessons.
Students Questions:
1. Why don’t worms suffocate under ground? Could snails and stick or leaf insects live under ground too?
2. Students then become really interested in how some invertebrates are great jumpers (crickets or grass hoppers) and others are
really good at flying and some are great at hiding. What makes some invertebrate able to fly? What makes some really good at
protecting themselves? What makes other really good at jumping?
11
Livings things have a Learning Activity 4: Build your own invertebrate Classification idea inspiration:
variety of external Classify https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-
E features (ACSSU017) On the mat place 4 hoops and in each hoop place plans/teaching-content/inventing-insects-creative-
the name of a movement: fly, jump, lesson-plan/
Participate in guided
slither/slide/wriggle, walk. Ask the students to
T
investigations to
classify their invertebrate photos based on how 4x Hoola Hoops
explore and answer
A
they think they would move. If students are Photos of invertebrates (Appendix A)
questions (ACSIS025)
& (ACSIS038) unsure ask them to place them to the side and
U
Represent and
communicate classification choices. Don’t highlight anyone’s Science journals
A
they have discovered about the external features ABC’s Create a Creature:
http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1497405/
T
12
live up in trees perhaps they would need some ASSESSMENT
wings. If they wanted to be really good at hiding
maybe they will need to camouflage like a leaf or
stick insect.
Students should use the Invertebrate Profile
Summative Assessment
Worksheet to record their choices and reasoning
Students completed invertebrate profile
Once students have identified the external
worksheet for their made up invertebrate.
features students can draw their invertebrate
Students completed model of an invertebrate.
Then students can construct their invertebrate
using recycled materials.
Extension: Students requiring further extension
may like to play with the ABC’s Create a Creature
game. It requires an advanced level of reading
skill.
13
References
Amgrow 2018, African black beetle, Amgrow Pty Ltd, viewed 2 June 2018,
<http://www.amgrow.com.au/problem/african-black-beetle-2/>
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2015a, Science: Sequence of content F-6,
v 8.1, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 20 March 2018,
<http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Science_-_Sequence_of_content.pdf>
- 2015a, Science: Sequence of achievement: F-6, v 8.1, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority, viewed 20 March 2018,
<http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Science_Sequence_of_achievement.pdf>
Bray, E 2014, Science Unit – Living Things (9 weeks), Australian Curriculum Lessons, viewed 17 May 2018,
<https://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Science-Unit-Living-
Things-9-Weeks.pdf>
Bugs n Slugs 2018, Bugs n Slugs, Conservation Education Services, viewed 10 May 2018,
<http://www.bugsnslugs.com.au>
Cool Australia n.d., Activity: What sort of animal is that?, Cool Australia, viewed 17 May 2018,
<https://www.coolaustralia.org/activity/what-sort-of-animal-is-that-12/>
Cyclop n.d., Butterfly blue monarch animation loop, Storyblocks, viewed 2 June 2018,
<https://www.videoblocks.com/video/butterfly-blue-monarch-animation-loop-nqenrnskgik77fnlw>
Education Services Australia Ltd 2013, Create a creature, online application, Education Services Australia Ltd,
viewed 2 June 2018, <http://education.abc.net.au/res/i/L755/index.html>
Henderson, A 2017, Minibeast Memory Cards, Minibeast Wildlife, viewed 16 May 2018,
<http://www.minibeastwildlife.com.au/resources/memory-cards/>
Hicks, S n.d., Inventing insects: A creative lesson plan, Scholastic, viewed 1 June 2018,
<https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/inventing-insects-creative-lesson-
plan/>
KissPNG n.d., Violet-winged grasshopper Insect Cricket Locust – grasshopper, KissPNG, viewed 2 June 2018, <
https://www.kisspng.com/png-violet-winged-grasshopper-insect-cricket-locust-gr-736660/>
Lindsay, S 2016, How to manage garden snails, Urban Studios, viewed 2 June 2018, <http://www.urban-
studios.com.au/manage-garden-snails/>
Meul 2013, Harlequin ladybird in flight, Nature Picture Library, viewed 2 June 2018,
<https://www.arkive.org/harlequin-ladybird/harmonia-axyridis/image-G78824.html>
14
Minibeast Wildlife 2015, Minibeast posters, Minibeast Wildlife, viewed 16 May 2018,
<http://www.minibeastwildlife.com.au/resources/minibeast-posters/>
National Geographic Kids 2017a, Ant facts, National Geographic Society, viewed 2 June 2018,
<https://www.natgeokids.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ant-facts.jpg>
Natural Ways 2017, This is what happens when you put earthworm in your garden soil, video, YouTube 23
July, viewed 2 June 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxIBlAZmeaI>
Nature Education Centre 2018, Nature Education Centre, Nature Education Centre, viewed 10 May 2018
<https://www.nature.sa.edu.au>
Peapod Labs LLC 2017, ABC bugs, version 6.0, mobile application, Peapod Labs LLC, viewed 2 June 2018,
<https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/abc-bugs/id660789586?mt=8>
Primary Connections 2012, Schoolyard safari: Year 1, Biological sciences, Rev. ed., Australian Academy of
Science, Canberra, A.C.T.
Sanders, L n.d., South African carder bee, Afranthidium Immanthidium repetitum, Bowerbird, viewed 2 June
2018, <https://www.ala.org.au/blogs-news/citizen-science-and-biosecurity-bee-alert-and-bee-alarmed/>
Scholastic n.d., A discovery of minibeasts: An insects lesson plan, Scholastic, viewed 1 June 2018,
<https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/discovery-minibeasts-insects-lesson-
plan/>
Sounds from the core – sleep & relaxation channel 2017, Australian bush at dawn | Nature sleep sounds |
Nature sounds for insomnia, video, YouTube, 20 January, viewed 31 May 2018,
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Thulier, C 2012, Australian spiders – the 10 most dangerous, Australian Geographic, viewed 2 June 2018,
<http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/
topics/wildlife/2012/08/australian-spiders-the-10-most-dangerous/>
Tytler, R, Haslam, F & Peterson, S 2015, ‘Living things and environments’, in K Skamp & C Preston (eds),
Teaching primary science constructively, 5 edn, Cengage Learning Australia, South Melbourne, Victoria, pp.
227 – 274.
15
Appendix A
https://www.natgeokids.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/04/Ladybird-facts-
2.jpg
https://www.natgeokids.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/02/ant-facts.jpg
https://www.videoblocks.com/video/butterfly-
blue-monarch-animation-loop-
nqenrnskgik77fnlw https://www.arkive.org/harlequin-
ladybird/harmonia-axyridis/image-
G78824.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxIBlAZm
http://bwvp.ecolinc.vic.edu.au/fieldguide/fauna eaI
/smooth-slater
16
http://www.urban-studios.com.au/manage-
garden-snails/
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Children%
27s-Stick-Insect/Tropidoderus/childrenii.html
https://www.kisspng.com/png-violet-winged-
grasshopper-insect-cricket-locust-gr-736660/ http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/
topics/wildlife/2012/08/australian-spiders-
the-10-most-dangerous/
17
https://www.ala.org.au/blogs-news/citizen-
science-and-biosecurity-bee-alert-and-bee-
alarmed/
http://www.envirotechnics.com.au/pest-
library/bees/
http://www.amgrow.com.au/problem/african-
black-beetle-2/
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Appendix B – Invertebrate Profile
My Invertebrate Profile
Name: _____________________ Date: _________________
My invertebrate is a ___________________________________
It moves by __________________________________________
____________________________________________________
It eats ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
It eats by ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
It lives ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
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