Survive and thrive
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- examine and compare the food they eat with the food eaten by a peregrine falcon.
- predict and describe changes that occur to their body during movement/exercise.
- observe and discuss the air and water needs of a peregrine falcon.
Students will demonstrate their understanding as they:
- contribute to a class T-chart to compare the food needs of humans and peregrine falcons.
- contribute to class Y-charts to record observations of how they look, feel and sound before and after exercise.
- contribute to the construction of a class graph about the amount of water consumed by a sample of students.
- discuss findings to reach consensus on animals’ need for food, air and water.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- students’ recognition of food as a requirement for animal survival. Are students able to recognise that all animals need food? Are students able to describe the different foods needed by different animals/humans?
- students’ recognition of air and water as requirements for animal survival. Are students able to recognise that all animals (including humans) need air and water to survive?
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Access to the Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam Project and the FalconCam Project YouTube channel
Demonstration copy of Predator or prey Resource sheet
What are Lungs? video (2:35)
Access to view the location of the peregrine falcons on Google maps
Lesson
Re-orient
Recall the previous lesson, focusing on animals’ need for space and shelter. Review students’ ideas about the basic needs of animals using the mind map created in the previous lesson.
Discuss with students what they have done so far this morning to fulfill their needs.
- When you get up in the morning, what do you do?
- Do you eat breakfast?
- Do you have a drink?
- Do you yawn? Stretch?
- How do these things fulfill your needs?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkEating what and why?
Refer to any questions about food as a need asked by students and recorded at the end of the Launch phase. Ask students to consider these questions in the context of the peregrine falcons from the previous lesson.
- Do you think we eat the same foods as a peregrine falcon?
- How can we compare the falcon’s food/diet to ours?
- Why do we need to eat food?
Record ideas, and any further questions students have about animal food needs.
Pose the question: What food does a peregrine falcon eat?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWho eats what?
Students recount footage they have seen of the Charles Stuart peregrine falcons either eating or bringing food back to the nest.
Ask students what it means to say that these falcons are wild—they live in their natural habitat without human help. They are not fed by people, but have to find their own food.
Introduce the terms 'predator' and 'prey' and ask students for ideas about their meaning. Use the demonstration copy of the Predator or prey Resource sheet to discuss the meaning of these terms.
Using the Predator or prey Resource sheet discuss and label the body features of a peregrine falcon, such as their sharp, powerful claws, hooked beak, and their wings and tail that allow them to fly very fast. Discuss that adult peregrine falcons often live and hunt in pairs. Through this discussion determine that these things all assist the peregrine falcon to hunt, catch and eat their prey. See the embedded professional learning Peregrine falcon's diet for further information.
Consider if watching footage of the Charles Stuart peregrine falcons whilst they are eating is appropriate for your students. You might have a discussion with students before viewing any footage about what they might see, and allow them opportunities to not watch the footage if they find it distressing.
Use either the live video feed (if the falcons happen to be eating), or pre-recorded videos such as Diamond brings and stashes prey, Stashed night prey, or Tug of war if you determine that watching the footage is suitable for your students. Always watch the content of any clips in full before showing them to your students.
If discussing diet only:
- What features does a peregrine falcon's body have?
- Why do you think they have these features? What do they use them for?
- What do you think a peregrine falcon eats?
- Would they have sharp claws and a sharp beak of they ate plants?
- What do animals with sharp claws, beak, teeth, horns etc. usually eat?
If watching footage of the peregrine falcon's eating:
- When the falcons arrive back to the nest, what do they have with them?
- What part of their body are they using to hold their prey?
- How do they eat it?
- How do you think they catch it?
- What sort of things are they eating? What can you see on the prey that helps you figure out what it might be?
- Do you think the peregrine falcons are predators or prey? Why do you think that?
Begin a T-chart comparing the diet of a peregrine falcon and a human by listing the food a peregrine falcon would eat in the first column. Refer to the embedded professional learning Peregrine falcon diet.
Complete the T-chart by listing the food that humans eat.
Peregrine falcon’s diet
What is the diet of a peregrine falcon?
The peregrine falcon is a predator that feeds on small and medium-sized birds. It has also been known mammals such as rabbits, mice etc. as well as occasionally eating reptiles and insects. It typically favours whatever birds are in abundance, so its diet will vary based on location.
The peregrine falcon swoops down on its prey from above, catching or stunning them with its powerfully hooked talons, before grasping and carrying it off to a perch to pluck and eat. They will pursue flying birds, and are able to fly at speeds of up to 300 km/h. They soar to a great height in search of prey.
Pairs of falcons may hunt prey co-operatively. One bird, typically the male, will scatter a flock of birds while the other swoops down to attack a particular individual. This co-operative behaviour is most often observed during the breeding season.
Videos of the peregrine falcons at Charles Sturt bringing back their prey:
- Diamond brings a large racing pigeon back to the box
- Xavier brings the remains of a prey back to the box then Diamond takes off with it
- Diamond feeds her two week old chicks then accidentally gets a face full of poo (at 6:18 mark)
- Xavier delivers a starling, then Diamond returns (skip to 5:30) to pluck (6:37) and feed (8:05) it to the nestlings
- Diamond attempts to feed her two nestlings, Marri (strong nestling) takes the catch (a pigeon) for herself, so Diamond looks around the nest box and retrieves a discarded starling to pluck and feed to the other nestling Barru
- Budhin brings a large cicada back to the box
Peregrine falcons have also been known to hunt at night, with this news update explaining how Diamond returned to the box at night with a water-bird known as a grebe.
Sensitivity warning
The FalconCam Project's YouTube channel live, and pre-recorded videos contain footage of the falcons bringing dead birds back to their nest, consuming them, and, at certain times of the year, feeding them to their chicks. Consider if this content is appropriate for your students, or what discussions you might need to have before viewing the video content. Always check the live feed privately before allowing students to view it.
The peregrine falcon is a predator that feeds on small and medium-sized birds. It has also been known mammals such as rabbits, mice etc. as well as occasionally eating reptiles and insects. It typically favours whatever birds are in abundance, so its diet will vary based on location.
The peregrine falcon swoops down on its prey from above, catching or stunning them with its powerfully hooked talons, before grasping and carrying it off to a perch to pluck and eat. They will pursue flying birds, and are able to fly at speeds of up to 300 km/h. They soar to a great height in search of prey.
Pairs of falcons may hunt prey co-operatively. One bird, typically the male, will scatter a flock of birds while the other swoops down to attack a particular individual. This co-operative behaviour is most often observed during the breeding season.
Videos of the peregrine falcons at Charles Sturt bringing back their prey:
- Diamond brings a large racing pigeon back to the box
- Xavier brings the remains of a prey back to the box then Diamond takes off with it
- Diamond feeds her two week old chicks then accidentally gets a face full of poo (at 6:18 mark)
- Xavier delivers a starling, then Diamond returns (skip to 5:30) to pluck (6:37) and feed (8:05) it to the nestlings
- Diamond attempts to feed her two nestlings, Marri (strong nestling) takes the catch (a pigeon) for herself, so Diamond looks around the nest box and retrieves a discarded starling to pluck and feed to the other nestling Barru
- Budhin brings a large cicada back to the box
Peregrine falcons have also been known to hunt at night, with this news update explaining how Diamond returned to the box at night with a water-bird known as a grebe.
Sensitivity warning
The FalconCam Project's YouTube channel live, and pre-recorded videos contain footage of the falcons bringing dead birds back to their nest, consuming them, and, at certain times of the year, feeding them to their chicks. Consider if this content is appropriate for your students, or what discussions you might need to have before viewing the video content. Always check the live feed privately before allowing students to view it.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkEating more, eating less
Discuss the differences in a human and peregrine falcon's diet. Be sensitive to students’ personal experiences when facilitating this discussion. In particular, be aware of student perceptions of eating meat and reasons for vegetarian dietary choices.
- What is the same about what humans and peregrine falcons eat?
- What is different?
- Do falcons have fingers/knives/forks? How do you know?
- How do falcons eat their meat?
- How do humans eat their meat?
Discuss the signs of hunger in humans, and what students think about how animals know they're hungry.
- How do you know that you are hungry?
- How do you feel when you eat something?
- Why do you think we get hungry?
- Our bodies need food for energy, to keep healthy and to grow.
- What other sensations might we have when it comes to food?
- We might feel not hungry, feel full, or crave a particular food. Sometimes people like certain foods more than others, or dislike specific foods.
- Do you think animals feel hungry, not hungry or full like humans do?
- How do you know?
- You can see that, at times, when a falcon brings food back to the other in the nest it does not eat it, and the falcon takes it away again. This must mean that sometimes they don't feel 'hungry'.
Record students' ideas in the class science journal.
Compare the food needs of the students with the food needs of the peregrine falcon by reviewing the T-chart.
- Do you eat more or less food than the peregrine falcon?
- Why do you think you need to eat more or less food than the peregrine falcon?
- Bigger animals need more energy for movement and more nutrients for their bodies.
Record students’ ideas in the class science journal under the question ‘Why do animals eat?’.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe effects of exercise
Discuss how animals need to move around to find food, water and shelter.
- Why do animals move from one place to another?
- To find food, water, shelter, mates.
- Students might give other valid responses. However, focus on these four for the purpose of this lesson.
- Can animals find everything they need to survive if they stay in one place?
Explain that we are going to move around to see what happens to our bodies and what changes we can observe.
As a class, complete a ‘Before Exercise’ Y-chart in the class science journal.
- Look
- While you are sitting there now, look at the person next to you, describe how they look…
- What colour are their cheeks? Can you see any red?
- Are they sweating? Can you see any droplets of water on their skin?
- Feel
- How do you feel at the moment?
- Can you feel anything happening inside your body?
- Can you feel your heart beating?
- Is it beating fast or slow?
- Sound
- Can you hear yourself breathing?
- Can you hear someone else breathing?
- How fast are they breathing?
Students predict what changes they will notice once they start running around and playing games. Record their predictions in the class science journal.
Lead the students through some simple games or exercises to get them puffing and sweating.
After the games or exercises, complete an ‘After exercise’ Y-chart to capture the changes that are occurring to their bodies.
Discuss with students how and why their breathing rate and heart increased after physical activity.
- Did you use lots of energy when you were exercising? How do you know?
- We feel tired.
- Why do you think you started breathing faster when you exercised?
- What is happening inside your body when you take big breaths?
Watch the video What are Lungs? (2:35).
Ask students if all of the running around made them thirsty, and why they think exercise makes them feel this way.
Take students to have some water and select three students to count how many times they swallow (reminding them that it is not a competition). In the class science journal, create a simple data table and/or graph to illustrate how many mouthfuls of water the selected students swallowed.
Ask students if they felt sweaty during the exercise, what happens when people perspire or sweat, and why our bodies need water.
- Did you feel sweaty when you were running around?
- What happens when people perspire or sweat?
- 'Water' comes out of their bodies. Usually you see it on people’s faces, or underneath their arms.
- Where do you think the water comes from?
- The water is stored in our bodies.
- When do people sweat?
- When they do physical activity, or when it is hot. Sometimes people sweat when they are sick because their bodies are hotter than normal.
- Why would people sweat?
- To help their bodies cool down.
- Do children sweat as much as adults? Why not?
- Students may not know they answer to this. You might explain to them that, whilst children do still sweat, they don't sweat as much/ as effectively as adults because their bodies are still developing. This means that children's bodies don't cool down as easily and they have to be extra careful in the heat. As people get older (and reach puberty) the hormones in their bodies cause changes that means they will sweat more.
- Do you sometimes drink more water when you are hot or exercising? Why do you think that is?
- Your body needs to sweat to cool down, and water is part of sweat, so your body needs more water if it is sweating more.
- How did you feel after drinking water?
- On our graph, who swallowed the most mouthfuls of water? Who swallowed the least?
- Why do some people drink more than others?
- Some may have had other recent drinks; some people may have been exercising harder than others; some people sweat more and need more water to replace the water they lose through sweating.
- Is sweat made up of only water?
- 99% of sweat is water, but it also contains other things that are in your body, like salt and fat.
- What would happen if we didn't have enough water in our bodies?
- Our bodies would not work properly. Water is important for more than just sweating, and it helps our bodies function. But it is also a main component of sweat, so if we don't have enough water, especially when it's hot, our bodies couldn't cool down and we would overheat and get very sick.
- Our bodies would not work properly. Water is important for more than just sweating, and it helps our bodies function. But it is also a main component of sweat, so if we don't have enough water, especially when it's hot, our bodies couldn't cool down and we would overheat and get very sick.
Animals need air, food and water
How are these three needs connected?
Animals will often move around to ensure their needs, including those for food and water, are met.
Energy from food is stored in an animal’s cells. The oxygen in air is required to break down these complex molecules and release the stored energy.
Many things dissolve in water. This means it plays an essential role in transporting substances around the body, flush out toxins and maintain a safe body temperature.
Animals will often move around to ensure their needs, including those for food and water, are met.
Energy from food is stored in an animal’s cells. The oxygen in air is required to break down these complex molecules and release the stored energy.
Many things dissolve in water. This means it plays an essential role in transporting substances around the body, flush out toxins and maintain a safe body temperature.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkDo all animals need air and water?
Observe and discuss the air and water needs of the peregrine falcon.
- Have we observed the peregrine falcon drinking water?
- Do you think it is drinking water? Why do you think that?
- Do we have any evidence of the falcon drinking?
- Does that mean it isn’t drinking any at all? Why/why not?
View the location of the peregrine falcons on Google maps and point out any nearby water sources in the landscape.
View and discuss the peregrine falcon drinking and bathing (this is not the Charles Sturt peregrine falcons). Through discussion determine that peregrine falcons do indeed need water to survive.
Pose the questions: Does the peregrine falcon have access to fresh air to breathe? and Do you think the peregrine falcon’s breathing also changes after exercise like fast flying, just as it does for humans after physical exercise?
Watch the video showing the Peregrine falcon breathing more rapidly after returning to the nest with a bundle of grass. Ask students to watch the bird's abdomen closely and describe what they are seeing. Compare the movement observed here to footage of the birds in a resting/relaxed state.
Ask students what claim they could make about peregrine falcons and their need for air. Through discussion, determine that peregrine falcons do indeed need air, and that they often breathe more heavily after higher levels of physical exertion. Encourage students to use their observations from the videos as evidence for their claim.
- Do we have any evidence that the peregrine falcon needs air?
- It is breathing.
- How do we know the peregrine falcon is breathing?
- The stomach moves in and out like ours does.
- Do you think the peregrine falcon exercises like we do? How do we know? What evidence do we have?
- Did the exercise affect the peregrine falcon's breathing?
- How is the peregrine falcon's breathing like our breathing?
- Do you think other animals are the same?
Optional: Discuss the air and water needs of other animals, particularly those that don't have the same anatomy as mammals. For example, a fish uses its gills to extract the oxygen it needs from the water it lives in.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- revisit the FalconCam Project's YouTube channel to observe behaviours related to food, air and water.
- add relevant words and images to the class word wall of vocabulary related to food, water, air etc.
- discuss how students were thinking and working like scientists during the lesson, focusing on predictions and observations.
