Science

Year 1 Syllabus
Year Level Description
The science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour strands are described across a two-year band. In their
planning, schools and teachers refer to the expectations outlined in the achievement standard and also to the content of
the science understanding strand for the relevant year level to ensure that these two strands are addressed over the two-
year period. The three strands of the curriculum are interrelated and their content is taught in an integrated way. The
order and detail in which the content descriptions are organised into teaching and learning programs are decisions to be
made by the teacher.
Incorporating the key ideas of science
From Pre-primary to Year 2, students learn that observations can be organised to reveal patterns, and that these patterns
can be used to make predictions about phenomena.
In Year 1, students infer simple cause-and-effect relationships from their observations and experiences, and begin to link
events and phenomena with observable effects and to ask questions. They observe changes that can be large or small
and happen quickly or slowly. They explore the properties of familiar objects and phenomena, identifying similarities and
differences. Students begin to value counting as a means of comparing observations, and are introduced to ways of
organising their observations.
 Australian Curriculum: Science (Year 1)
Sub-strands Content Descriptions Achievement Standard
Biological • Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017) By the end of Year 1, students
sciences describe objects and events
• Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211) that they encounter in their
Science understanding

everyday lives, and the effects

Chemical • Everyday materials can be physically changed in a variety of ways (ACSSU018) of interacting with materials
sciences and objects. They identify a
range of habitats. They
Earth and • Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape (ACSSU019) describe changes to things in
space sciences their local environment and
suggest how science helps
Physical • Light and sound are produced by a range of sources and can be sensed people care for environments.
sciences (ACSSU020)
Students make predictions,
• Science involves asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and and investigate everyday
Nature and
development of events (ACSHE021) phenomena. They follow
instructions to record and sort
endeavour (Year 1-2)

science
Science as a human

their observations and share

their observations with others.
Use and • People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment
influence of and living things (ACSHE022)
science (1-2)

Questioning • Respond to and pose questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and
(Yea
inqu

skill
Scie

r 1-
nce

iry

2)
s

and predicting events (ACSIS024)

 Australian Curriculum: Science (Year 1)
Sub-strands Content Descriptions Achievement Standard
Planning and • Participate in different types of guided investigations to explore and answer
conducting questions, such as manipulating materials, testing ideas, and accessing information
sources (ACSIS025)
• Use informal measurements in the collection and recording of observations, with
the assistance of digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS026)
Processing and • Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided
analysing data tables (ACSIS027)
and • Through discussion, compare observations with predictions (ACSIS212)
information
Evaluating • Compare observations with those of others (ACSIS213)

Communicating • Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways such as
oral and written language, drawing and role play (ACSIS029)
General Capabilities Cross Curriculum Priorities Notes:
• Literacy • Aboriginal and Torres Strait
• Numeracy
Islander histories and cultures
• Information and communication
technology (ICT) competence • Asia and Australia’s engagement
• Critical and creative thinking with Asia
• Ethical behaviour
• Personal and social competence • Sustainability
• Intercultural understanding
Forward planning document:
Schoolyard safari
 FORWARD PLANNING DOCUMENT

TERM/WEEKS: Week 6 YEAR LEVEL: 1 LEARNING AREA/TOPIC: Science

EYLF Responsiveness to Learning through Intentional Learning Assessment for Cultural Continuity of Holistic approaches
PRACTICES children play teaching environments learning competence learning &
transitions
PRINCIPLES 1. Secure, respectful & 2. Partnerships 3. High expectations & equity 4. Respect for diversity 5. Ongoing learning & reflective
reciprocal relationships practice
OUTCOMES 1.Children have a strong 2.Children are connected 3.Children have a strong 4.Children are confident and 5.Children are effective
sense of diversity with and contribute to their sense of wellbeing involved learners communicators
world

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

WEEK/ AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES
LESSON LINKS LESSON (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
OBJECTIVE (include learner diversity)
Science Science as a Science
Understanding Human Inquiry Skills
Endeavour
Wk6 Living things Science Use Students will be Diagnostic ENGAGE: What do • TEXT: What
have a involves informal
able to: assessment: Introduction: animals use Do You Do
variety of observing, measureme
Mon external asking nts to - Record • Whole class: Read the book What Do You Do With a their With a Tail
features questions collect and observations Objectives 1&2: Tail Like This? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. legs/arms/ante Like This? By
(ACSSU017) about, and record (written or Use observational • Think, pair, share: Discuss some of the external nna/shells for? Steve Jenkins
describing observation
drawn) booklet as a work features you noticed in the text and what are their and Robin
changes in , using
objects and digital throughout the sample to complete functions. What Page.
events technologie nature walk a checklist. • Class discussion: similarities/diffe • Gloves
(ACSHE021). s as o Safety on the excursion: rences can you • Clipboard
appropriate
- Recognise at Key: § Always stay with your partner see between • Observation
(ACSIS026).
least 2 external - Not displayed § Ask to go to the toilet two animals? booklet
features • Working § Do not wonder off • Pencil &
(written or towards § Stay where the teacher can see Why do eraser
drawn). Ö Achieved you different • A3
§ Keep your gloves on when animals have pictograph
touching biological properties (e.g. different template.
Photos will be soil or snails). external
taken by the o What is a habitat? features?
educator assistant o Excursion roles allocated
throughout the § Manager Why do
excursion to § Recorder/s different
document learning. • Hand out observation booklet animals have
The educator will o The teacher will explain that during their different
write anecdotal nature walk they will be taking habitats?
notes as necessary. observations on:
§ What animals do you see? What/how do
§ What habitats do you see? animals use
§ What external features can you their external
see on each animal? features for
§ What is similar/different between specific
the external features or habitats purposes?
of different animals?
§ What was the most common How many
animal? different
o The teacher will also discuss how to take animals did you
observations e.g. key words, pictures, find?
tallies, diagrams or short sentences.
What were the
Body: Nature Walk park excursion animal doing as
• Children will walk across to the park and will need to you watched
bring: them?
o Hat
o Water bottle Were any
o Sunscreen (applied before departing) animals difficult
o Clipboard to see? Why?
o Observation booklet
o HB pencil Did you find any
• Children will be shown the boundaries they need to dead
stay with-in. animals/parts of
• The educator will then model how pairs will complete animals?
observations – by using a skipping rope to mark out
their observation area to help keep them focused.
• Return to school

Conclusion:
• Class discussion/graph:
o Discuss what was found on the nature walk
and graph data in a pictograph to record
the different animals that were found.
o The graphing/analysing of data will
continue into todays mathematics session
where children will represent data with
objects and drawings (ACMSP263) and
choose simple questions to gather
 responses and make simple inferences
(ACMSP262).

EXTENSION:
• Group and classify animals according to animal diet (e.g.
herbivore/carnivore/omnivore
• Use animal class to compare/contrast external features,
internal features, habitats and typical characteristics,
e.g. mammal/reptile/amphibian etc.
• Prompt children to observe each animals mode of
locomotion and relate this to the function of their
external features.
ENABLING:
• De-clutter observation booklet
• Pair child requiring extra prompting with confident
children who can model positive observation skills
• Demonstrate an observation on arrival
• Allocate roles
• Encourage children to focus on one aspect/external
feature e.g. legs or wings
• Continue to prompt and scaffold observations during the
excursion

SAFETY:
• Follow the school’s policy’s and guidelines regarding
excursions
• Check children’s health records for allergies
• Complete appropriate risk assessments and risk
management paperwork for excursions
• All children must wear gloves when handling biological
material e.g. snails, soil and frogs
• Always wash hands with soap and water after handling
biological material
• Keep hands away from mouths when handling
biological materials
• Clarify with children that they should never encourage
peers to eat biological material or animals, e.g. snails
• Ensure children are familiar with a Code for Caring
poster when working with animals.
Tues Living things Participate Students will be Formative EXPLORE: What do • TEXT: Guess
have a in guided
able to: assessment: Introduction: animals use Who On the
variety of investigatio
external ns to - Correctly label their Move, by
features explore and at least 3 Objective 1: • Whole class: Read the text Guess Who On the Move. legs/arms/ante Jeanette
(ACSSU017) answer different The educator will By Jeanette Rowe. nna/shells Rowe
questions
external observe children at • Whole class brainstorm: What are some external (external • Whiteboard
(ACISIS025)
. features the sorting and features of animals and their functions? E.g. birds have features) for? and markers
classifying centre wings to fly. • Backyard
- Describe the and will complete a • Verbalise success criteria and write on the board: What small world
function of at checklist to o Correctly label 3 different external features at similarities/diffe scene
least 3 different determine if they the play dough station and sorting/classifying rences can you • Playdough
external were able to station. see between • Playdough
features. correctly label at o Talk with peers/teacher about the function of two animals? mats
least 3 different different external features. • Playdough
external features. • Establish how children will rotate between the Why do tools/
upcoming stations. To rotate children will: different accessories
Key: o Freeze when they hear an animal sound e.g. animals have • Speaker and
- Not displayed bird chirping. different animal
• Working o Children will then rotate in a clockwise external sounds
towards direction using the mode of locomotion of the features? • Animal
Ö Achieved animal noise e.g. flapping wings. figurines
Why do • What am I
Objective 2: different cards.
The education Lesson body: animals have
assistant will 3 rotation stations different
question and • Children will choose a partner to explore with. habitats?
interview children • 3 pairs will work at each station at any given time (6
about the function children in total). What/how do
of external features • Station 1: Small worlds animals use
at the playdough • Station 2: Play dough creations their external
station. Children’s • Station 3: Sorting and classifying features for
responses will be specific
• Teacher to primarily work with the sorting/classifying
recorded as purposes?
station to offer questioning and prompts.
anecdotal notes.
What external
Conclusion:
features do
• Whole class: Plays ‘What am I?’ on the interactive
humans have?
whiteboard.
Are these
• Individual: Informal self-assessment: ‘Fist to five’ –
similar/different
how confident do you feel about labelling the external
to animals?
features of animals?
• This lesson will integrate with visual arts in the
upcoming week as children explore different materials
to create models of a chosen small animal
(ACAVAM107).
 EXTENSION:
• Effective questioning
• Introduce new small animals and their external
features
• Encourage exploration of the texture, shape, size of
these animals
• Prompt discussion about the needs of animals – what
do they need to survive? Why? Is this set of needs the
same for every animal? Why/Why not?
• Create word cards for the sorting/classifying table –
match literacy to the external features.
ENABLING:
• Pre-labelled diagrams of animals
• Real-life photos of animals at the play-dough station
and small worlds

SAFETY:
• No running in the classroom
• Do not eat play dough
• Wash hands with soap and water before and after
playing with the play dough
• Check children’s health and allergy records – Wheat
allergies and intolerance diseases such as Coeliac (play
dough)
• Do not put any thing in your mouth – small parts
choking hazard at stations 1 and 3.
Wed Living things Science Students will be Formative EXPLAIN: What do frogs • Der Glumph
have a involves
able to: assessment: Introduction: use their song and
variety of observing,
external asking - Correctly • Whole class: Sing the Der Glumph song: external speaker
features questions record at least 3 Objective 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHzTuZuUBUc features for? • Pin the parts
(ACSSU017) about, and external The educator will • Split into groups of 5: Play a game of ‘pin the parts of the on the frog
describing
features observe children frog’. What does a game
changes in
objects and and use • Allocate lesson roles: frogs habitat • Observation
events - Discuss the observation • Manager look/smell/feel/ booklet
(ACSHE021). function of booklets as work • Recorder/s sound like? • Whiteboard
specific external samples to markers
features. complete a Lesson body: How do frogs • STEM design
checklist – to • Observe frogs in the school nature pond and write move? brief
determine if observations of their movements and external features Why/how do
children were able • Draw a labelled diagram of the external features of a they move this
to correctly label at frog whilst at the pond and engage in discussion about way?
least 3 different the function of their features.
external features
(using their drawn Conclusion: What do frogs
diagram as a work • Whole class: Brainstorm to complete a KWL chart. need to
sample). • Introduce the STEM design brief survive? How
• This lesson is integrated with the upcoming STEM design does their
Key: challenge (across the learning areas of science, environment
- Not displayed technology, engineering and math). support this?
• Working
towards EXTENSION: How are frogs
Ö Achieved • Did they see any other animals in the frog habitat? What similar/different
were they? Why were they there? to other
Objective 2: • What class do frogs belong to? What other animals are animals?
The educator will in the same class? What is similar between all animals in
use the class iPad that class? Compare this class to others in the animal
to video discussions kingdom (amphibian)
between children • Explore the internal features of frogs, relate them to
facilitated by the their functions.
educator. The ENABLING:
teacher will then • De-clutter observation booklet
write anecdotal • Pair child requiring extra prompting with confident
notes on student children who can model positive observation skills
progress based on • Demonstrate an observation on arrival
the videos. • Allocate roles
• Encourage children to focus on one aspect/external
feature e.g. legs or wings
• Continue to prompt and scaffold observations during the
incursion.

SAFETY:
• Check children’s health records for allergies
• No running in the classroom or on the pavement
• All children must wear gloves when handling biological
material e.g. snails, soil and frogs
• Always wash hands with soap and water after handling
biological material
• Keep hands away from mouths when handling biological
materials
• Clarify with children that they should never encourage
peers to eat biological material or animals, e.g. snails
• Ensure children are familiar with a Code for Caring
poster when working with animals.
Thurs Living things Science Participate Students will be Summative ELABORATE: What is a • Padlet
live in involves in guided
able to: assessment: habitat? website (on
different observing, investigatio
places where asking ns to - Record their Introduction: iPads)
their needs questions explore and observations in Objective 1: • Whole class: Discuss ‘what is a habitat’ Why are • Detective
are met about, and answer a table Use each child’s • Whole class: Create a class Padlet to brainstorm ideas animals habitats dress ups and
(ACSSU211). describing questions
observation about habitats or recall using the class iPad in pairs all different? magnifying
changes in (ACSIS025).
objects and - Verbally booklets as a work https://padlet.com/ (an online collaborative learning glass
events recognise at sample to complete tool). How are • Pencil and
(ACSHE021). least 2 features a checklist. different observation
of a habitat Lesson body: habitats booklet.
Key: • Children will work in small groups and dress up as created?
- Work - Not displayed ‘habitat detectives’ (detective coat, hat and
collaboratively. • Working magnifying glass). What is
towards • Allocate roles: similar/different
Ö Achieved § Manager about 2
§ Recorder/s different animal
Objective 2: § Speaker habitats?
The educator will • Children will search the school play ground for
observe children evidence of animal habitats. How do animals
and complete a o When they find a habitat they will use their habitats help
rubric for each child recording sheet to record observations. them to
during their oral o Children will then discuss the similarities survive?
presentation. and differences between habitats, discuss
who might live there and support their Would different
Objective 3: reasoning. animals survive
The educator will in each others
observe children Conclusion: habitats?
and take anecdotal • In pairs: Children will present their findings to their class Why/Why not?
notes throughout in a short oral presentation. They will highlight areas E.g. Would a
the session on the such as: fish survive in a
child’s ability to o Similarities/differences birds nest?
work cooperatively o Whose habitat is it/why?
with others. o What did it look like? Do we need
o What did you find interesting? frogs? How do
• This lesson will integrate with a music, dance and drama they help the
session in the afternoon. Children will explore the environment?
different sounds and movements in a frogs natural
habitat (swamp, pond and lake) and use their body,
props and instrument to portray this in different ways
(ACADAM001, AACADAM002, ACADRM028 and
ACAMUM080).

EXTENSION:
• Prompt children to think about how animal habitats
were created/got there? Do birds find nests or make
them? Do frogs find lakes/ponds or use a hose to make
them?
• Encourage discussion about placing animals in each
others habitats, would they survive? Why/why not? E.g.
a frog in a birds nest
• Draw labelled diagrams of the habitats they find – label
the materials and explore how they were made
• Explore the benefits of frogs in the eco-system.

ENABLING:
• De-clutter observation booklet
• Pair child requiring extra prompting with confident
children who can model positive observation skills
• Explain habitats as animal homes
• Demonstrate an observation on arrival
• Allocate roles
• Encourage children to focus on one aspect/external
feature e.g. legs or wings
• Continue to prompt and scaffold observations during
observations.

SAFETY:
• Check children’s health records for allergies
• No running in the classroom or on the pavement
• All children must wear gloves when handling biological
material e.g. snails, soil and frogs
• Always wash hands with soap and water after handling
biological material
• Keep hands away from mouths when handling biological
materials
• Clarify with children that they should never encourage
peers to eat biological material or animals, e.g. snails
• Ensure children are familiar with a Code for Caring
poster when working with animals.
Fri Living things Students will be Summative EVALUATE: What external • Paper
live in
able to: assessment: features does • Markers/cray
different
places where - Construct a Introduction: your animal ons/pencils
their needs detailed ‘wanted Objective 1: The • Whole class: Discuss what needs to be included in a have? • iPads
are met poster’ on a children’s wanter wanted poster
(ACSSU211)
small animal poster is a product • Teacher modelled session: The teacher will model Where does
Living things that has all of literacy and it how to create a wanted poster for an animal your animal
have a success criteria. will be used a work wanted poster. live?
variety of sample. The • Write the success criteria for a wanted poster on
external
- Reflect on the educator will use the white board: What does your
features
(ACSSU017) unit of work by this work sample to o Animal name animal eat?
participating in a complete a marking o External features
community rubric. o Habitat What is
circle. o Diet something
Objective 2: The o At least 1 ‘fun fact’ interesting/fun
educator will video fact?
the community Lesson body:
circle conversation • Children work independently to create a wanted poster
using the class iPad. for a backyard animal of their choice, such as:
The teacher will o Frog, ant, spider, bird, cricket, lady bug or
later use this to caterpillar.
record each child’s o They will use 1 iPad between 2 children to
response in a further study and research their chosen
table/checklist. animal.

Conclusion:
• Gallery walk: Children will place their wanted posters on
their desks and they will walk around to view each
others work.
• Community circle: Identify what they have learnt/found
interesting in this unit of work.
• This session will be followed by a sequence of
English/Humanities lessons in which children will explore
wanted posters and their historical significance and use.

EXTENSION:
• Encourage the inclusion of extra information such as
class, external feature/function relationships or where
they fit in the food chain/animal kingdom
• Encourage detailed diagrams to be included.
ENABLING:
• Visual prompts – animal photos/diagrams
• Visual instructional cues.
SAFETY:
• No running in the classroom
• Do not place anything in your mouth
• No pushing when on the gallery walk
• Consider the feelings of others during the community
circle – create a safe space where all opinions, findings
and comments are welcome