Year 5

Earth’s place in space

Humans have always looked with wonder at the movement of celestial bodies in the sky. Investigate movement, size and scale by creating 3D models of the solar system.

Earth’s place in space addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU078 The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun), through the context of thinking like an astronomer to seek out visible signs that prove the relative positions of the sun, Earth and moon.

Explore our new sequences for Year 5 aligned to AC V9

Earth’s place in space provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • observe and describe the movement of the moon across the sky
  • explore and model different theories about the movements of the sun, Earth and moon
  • interpret their model in reference to personal and scientific observations

Students apply their new learning by:

  • analysing data about the solar system to create a 3D scaled model of the solar system

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Earth’s place in space, students represent and explain their understanding about how the Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun), by creating these representations:

  • Factual recount
  • Flow chart
  • Glossary
  • Procedural text
  • Role play
  • Data table
  • TWLH chart
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Earth’s place in space sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Earth’s place in space unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Our new all-online sequence Space innovators shares a curriculum content descriptor with this sequence. Space innovators is aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 and contains embedded professional learning and supplementary teacher advice.

Year 6

Space innovators

Students use scientific models to explore phenomena on Earth involving the relative position of the Sun and Moon, such as day and night, variable day length and the phases of the Moon. They explore the wider solar system and consider the scientific and technological innovations that have enabled humans to study space.

Year 5

Light shows

Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted. In this unit, conduct investigations that explore these ideas and discover the amazing behaviour of light for yourself.

Light shows addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU080 Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted, through the context of conducting investigations to observe the behaviour of light in a variety of situations.

Explore our new sequences for Year 5 aligned to AC V9

Light shows provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • explore the role of light in enabling us to see objects
  • consider sources of light and how light travels
  • investigate the size and direction of shadows
  • explore how reflective surfaces and different materials affect the path of light
  • investigate what happens when light passes through water

Students apply their new learning by:

  •  planning and conducting an investigation into the factors that affect the height of a shadow

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Light shows, students represent and explain their understanding about how light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted, by creating these representations:

  • Graph
  • Labelled diagram
  • Procedural text
  • Ray diagram
  • Science chat-board
  • Data table
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Light shows sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Light shows unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Our new all-online sequence Light imitates art shares a curriculum content descriptor with this sequence. Light imitates art is aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 and contains embedded professional learning and supplementary teacher advice.

Year 5

Light imitates art

Students learn about how light is transferred, how it helps them to see, and how reflections, shadows, and refraction occurs. They explore real-life applications by designing and/or making an artwork that utilises light in an artistic or celebratory capacity.

Year 5

What’s the matter?

Solids, liquids, and gases - they are literally everywhere! What are their properties and how do they behave? Explore exactly that in this unit, and take a closer 'look' at air and how temperature can change its properties.

What’s the matter? addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU077 Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties and behave in different ways, through the context of exploring everyday materials.

Explore our new sequences for Year 5 aligned to AC V9

What’s the matter? provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • explore the properties of liquids, including viscosity
  • identify properties of solids and apply their knowledge to determine if powder is a solid or liquid
  • investigate air as a gas to find out if it takes up space

Students apply their new learning by:

  • planning and conducting an investigation to discover if temperature affects the volume of a gas

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In What’s the matter?, students represent and explain their understanding about how solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties and behave in different ways, by creating these representations:

  • Annotated drawing
  • Factual text
  • Science chat-board
  • Data table
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The What's the matter sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The What's the matter unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Our new all-online sequence Communicating matters shares a curriculum content descriptor with this sequence. Communicating matters is aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 and contains embedded professional learning and supplementary teacher advice.
 

Year 5

Communicating matters

Students learn about solids, liquids and gases, determine their properties and consider how their particulate arrangement relates to their properties and behaviour. They study science communication to communicate what they have learned.

Year 5

Desert survivors

Some animals are suited to live in the desert and other animals are suited for a forest home… In this unit, explore the structural features and adaptations that help an animal survive in its environment.

Desert survivors addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU043 Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment, through the context of exploring how living things survive in desert environments.

Explore our new sequences for Year 5 aligned to AC V9

Desert survivors provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • explore how plants lose water through their leaves
  • investigate how surface area affects the rate of water and heat loss
  • draw conclusions about what water loss might mean for plants and animals in the desert
  • investigate camouflage and how it may help animals survive in the desert and discuss why some animals are not camouflaged
  • examine if structural features of animals are helpful adaptations for surviving in their environment

Students apply their new learning by:

  • designing, planning and conducting an investigation to see if features of an animal are structural adaptions that help it to survive in a desert environment

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Desert survivors, students represent and explain their understanding about how Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment, by creating these representations:

  • Annotated drawing
  • Graph
  • Oral presentation
  • Summary
  • Data table
  • TWLH chart
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Desert survivors sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Desert survivors unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Year 4

Beneath our feet

We live in a world that is constantly changing. Even things that might be considered immovable such as mountains or rocks are gradually changing. Create miniature landscapes to explore the impacts of natural processes and human activity.

Beneath our feet addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU075 Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity, through the context of exploring rocks, soil and landscapes.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Beneath our feet provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • explore, describe and represent the components of different soils
  • examine the features of rocks and draw conclusions about what this might mean for their use
  • investigate and model of how weather may change rocks over time
  • investigate and model of how weather may change landscapes over time

Students apply their new learning by:

  • planning and conducting an investigation into the factors that affect water erosion of soils

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Beneath our feet, students represent and explain their understanding about how Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity, by creating these representations:

  • Annotated diagram
  • Factual text
  • Graph
  • Labelled diagram
  • Map
  • Procedural text
  • Data table
  • TWLH chart
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Beneath our feet sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Beneath our feet unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Our new all-online sequence Dig deep shares a curriculum content descriptor with this sequence. Dig deep is aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 and contains embedded professional learning and supplementary teacher advice.

Year 3

Dig deep

Students learn about the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals, and their importance as resources. They explore a way to sustainably use or reuse a resource that exists because of soils, rocks or minerals, in a design challenge adapted to their local context.

Year 4

Smooth moves

Every single thing on Earth, living and non-living, can be affected by this external influence. It can change the motion, direction and shape of anything, by direct contact and even from afar! It’s force of course - pushes and pulls! Explore friction, gravity and compare how different sized forces can affect an object.

Smooth moves addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU076 Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance, through the context of exploring how forces affect the movement of objects around them.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Smooth moves provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • exploring and representing the effects of different sized forces on rollable objects
  • exploring and representing how friction affects objects when they are pushed
  • exploring and representing the force of gravity acting on objects around them

Students apply their new learning by:

  • planning and conducting an investigation into the effects of different sized forces on the motion of objects

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Smooth moves, students represent and explain their understanding about how forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance, by creating these representations:

  • Annotated drawing
  • Force-arrow diagram
  • Graph
  • Narrative
  • Role play
  • Story board
  • Data table
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Smooth moves sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Smooth moves unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Year 4

Magnetic moves

Can you feel the pull? It’s like an invisible force. It’s magnetic! In this unit, explore magnets and the force fields they create. Investigate what is attracted to magnets and how far a magnetic field extends. Apply understanding to design and create a game that uses magnetic forces.

Magnetic moves addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU076 Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance, in the context of magnetism.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Magnetic moves provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • identify the materials that magnets attract
  • explore how magnets exert a force on certain objects and how that force affects the object
  • consider how the pull of magnetism is different from the pull of gravity
  • inquire about magnet poles and magnetic fields, and the distance at which they act on objects

Students apply their new learning by:

  • designing, making, and testing a game that uses forces, including magnetic force, to work

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Magnetic moves, students represent and explain their understanding about how forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance, by creating these representations:

  • Annotated diagram
  • Data table
  • Factual text
  • Force-arrow diagram
  • Ideas map
  • Labelled diagram
  • Procedural text
  • TWLH Chart
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Magnetic moves sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Magnetic moves unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Year 4

Package it better

Everyday, more and more packages are being sent around the world. In the context of design, explore the properties of materials that make them suitable for packaging, and construct a package strong enough to protect a fragile gift.

Package it better addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU074 Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use, through the context of designing and making packaging strong enough to protect a fragile parcel.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Package it better provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • explore the properties of materials used in packaging
  • discuss the environmental impacts of packaging materials
  • investigate the capacity of different materials to protect food from impact
  • investigate how the shape of paper impacts its strength

Students apply their new learning by:

  • design, make and evaluate an effective package that will protect a fragile parcel during the delivery process

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Package it better, students represent and explain their understanding about how natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use, by creating these representations:

  • Design portfolio
  • Interview
  • Oral presentation
  • Procedural text
  • Summary
  • Data table
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Package it better sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Package it better unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Our new all-online sequence Packaging pioneers shares a curriculum content descriptor with this sequence. Packaging pioneers is aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 and contains embedded professional learning and supplementary teacher advice.

Year 4

Packaging pioneers

Students learn about the properties of natural and man-made materials including fibres, metals, glass and plastics. They explore how to test materials for different properties, and examine real-life applications by designing packaging suitable to store and transport food, justifying why each material has been chosen. 

Year 4

Material world

We are living in a material world, and those materials have a range of physical properties that influence their use. Investigate the properties of things we use everyday and apply understanding to investigate how materials keep things warm.

Material world addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU074 Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use, through the context of exploring why certain materials are used to make products such as clothes and bags.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Material world provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • consider why some materials are biodegradable and others are not
  • investigate how quickly processed materials will rot
  • explore the absorbency of different materials
  • investigate the tensile strength of different materials
  • inquire how materials are used to heat things or keep them warm

Students apply their new learning by:

  • planning and conducting an investigation into the thermal insulation properties of different materials

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Material world, students represent and explain their understanding about how natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use, by creating these representations:

  • Analogy
  • Factual text
  • Glossary
  • Graph
  • Labelled diagram
  • Role play
  • Data table
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Material world sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Material world unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

Our new all-online sequences Take, shape and create and Packaging pioneers share curriculum content descriptors with this sequence. Take, shape and create and Packaging pioneers are aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9 and contain embedded professional learning and supplementary teacher advice.
 

Year 2

Take, shape and create

Students learn about the properties of materials and how materials can be physically changed without changing their inherent properties. They apply this knowledge to design and make a 3D sculpture using repurposed everyday materials.

Year 4

Packaging pioneers

Students learn about the properties of natural and man-made materials including fibres, metals, glass and plastics. They explore how to test materials for different properties, and examine real-life applications by designing packaging suitable to store and transport food, justifying why each material has been chosen. 

Year 4

Plants in action

We depend on plants for the oxygen we breathe, many foods, fibres, building materials, medicines and fuels, and for the pleasures of beautiful flowers. Agriculture, horticulture, forestry, conservation of natural habitats and gardening all require an understanding of plants.

Plants in action addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU072 Living things have life cycles, through the context of growing a bean.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Plants in action provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • observe and compare dry and soaked bean seeds
  • observe and record the on-going process of the germination of a bean seed
  • explore the parts of a flower and consider which are required for pollination
  • observe fruits and the seeds inside them and consider the relationship between flowers and fruits

Students apply their new learning by:

  • planning and conducting an investigation into the factors that affect plant growth

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Plants in action, students represent and explain their understanding about how living things have life cycles, by creating these representations:

  • Cross section
  • Factual text
  • Labelled diagram
  • Procedural text
  • Data table
  • Timeline
  • TWLH chart
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Plants in action sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Plants in action unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools

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