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Science Unit Plan

Year Level: Foundation School: Elizabeth North Primary School

Date: Term 2, Weeks 3-6 Duration: Five Lessons

Context for Unit Plan: ‘Human and Animal Movement’

This unit plan is aimed at a foundation level class, with 17 students, at Elizabeth North Primary School. All students speak English fluently, however there are
three students with speech impediments and one student with cerebral palsy. In the following unit plan, each learning experience can be adapted depending
on the students needs. Science is taught as a NIT (non-instruction time) once a week as a double lesson for the class. There are two science teachers, with a
junior primary and upper primary science focus. The junior primary science room is quite small compared to classrooms. There is an interactive
television/table, however general resources are limited and need to be gathered from the upper primary room if needed.

The focus for science in term two for foundation level is physical sciences. Therefore, the following unit plan focuses on this sub-strand with an exploration
of human and animal movement. A prior knowledge learning experience has been completed with a small group of children from the class, and it was
discovered that the students had limited understandings of how the human body moved and alternative conceptions about movement terms (Appendix A).
It is important to address these limited understandings and alternative conceptions, therefore the following unit plan has been based with such consideration.

Australian Curriculum Learning Outcomes

• Learning Outcome 1: Students will observe, compare, and demonstrate the movement of living things (humans and animals), as well as explain how the
way they move depends on their size and shape (ACSSU005 (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2017d)).
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• Learning Outcome 2: Students will participate in an animal movement investigation by observing and researching animals, engaging in formal and
informal discussions and representing and sharing their ideas and findings with others (ACSIS011 (ACARA 2017a); ACSIS233 (ACARA 2017c); ACSIS012
(ACARA 2017b)).

Strands

Science Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry and Skills

Physical sciences: Students will Nature and development of science: Questioning and predicting: Students will pose and respond to questions
explore the way living things move Students will engage with the topic by about the topic.
depends on a variety of factors. observing, asking questions about, and
Planning and conducting: Students will participate in an animal movement
Biological sciences: Students will describing changes in living things. investigation, using their senses of sight and touch.
understand that living things have Processing and analysing data and information: Students will engage in
basic needs. discussions about the topic and will make observations and representations.

Communicating: Students will share observations and ideas with others.

General Capabilities

o Literacy o Ethical Understanding o ICT Competence o Critical and Creative Thinking

o Numeracy o Intercultural Understanding o Personal and Social Competence

Cross-Curriculum Priorities

o Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures o Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

o Sustainability
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Related Learning Areas

English Mathematics The Arts

Students will listen to and engage with narrative
and informative texts (ACELA1430), they will
engage with movement songs and poems
(ACELT1579), and will contribute to class
discussions and present work to their peers
(ACELY1646, ACELY1784, ACELY1647).
Students will classify animal movements Students will create a movement model using
(ACMNA005) and describe human and animal various art materials (ACAVAM107) and use
positioning and movement (ACMMG010). fundamental movement skills when interacting
with movement songs and poems (ACADAM002).

Links to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

Outcome 2.4 Students explore, observe, and notice the relationships between people and animals and show respect for and care for the natural
environment (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) 2009, p. 29).

Outcome 3.2 Students combine gross and fine motor movement to achieve increasingly complex sensory-motor skills and movement patterns
(DEEWR 2009, p. 32).

Outcome 4.2 Students manipulate objects to experiment with cause and effect, trial and error, and motion (DEEWR 2009, p. 35).

Outcome 5.1 Students interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, clarify and challenge thinking, negotiate, and share new understandings
(DEEWR 2009, p. 40).

Key Scientific Concepts

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The key scientific concept addressed in this unit plan is movement. Students will explore movement in humans and animals, and will therefore have the
capacity to continue to understand their world around them (Australian Academy of Science 2012, p. 9).

Key Aspects of Thinking and Working Scientifically

There are various aspects of thinking and working scientifically the students will be engaging with throughout the unit plan. These are related to human and
animal movement and include observing, questioning, discovering, collaborating, exploring, predicting, manipulating objects and things, classifying,
communicating, constructing, drawing, and researching (Skamp & Preston 2015, p. 86).

Structure Teacher Activity Learner Activity Preparation/Resources

Learning Introduce: Movement Songs and Games. Introduce: • Science Journal

Experience 1 Together with students, participate in movement Participate in movement songs. • Paper

songs (Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes; Hokey • Pencils

Develop:
Engage Pokey).
Contribute to class discussion.
Develop: What Parts of Our Bodies Move and How?
Suggest how the teacher should be moving in
Movement: How Connecting to prior knowledge experience completed their drawing. Draw image of them moving
do our bodies (Appendix B), ask students to think about what parts and communicate with teacher.
move? of our bodies move, how they move, and why the
Conclude:
move? Record answers in science journal.
Share and discuss movement drawing with
With students help, draw an example picture of the
the class.
teacher moving. Give students a piece of paper each
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and ask them to draw themselves moving. Roam

around room asking questions about their drawings.

Conclude: Share Movement Drawings.

Ask selected students to share their drawings with the

class, communicating what movement they are doing.

Adaptations • Human body image can be provided for students to point to body parts during movement songs.

Learning Introduce: Movement Songs and Games. Introduce: • Movement Dice

Experience 2 Connecting to previous lesson, together with students, Participate in movement songs and games. • Science Journal

participate in movement songs (Heads, Shoulders, • Wooden Art Model

Develop:
Knees and Toes; Hokey Pokey) and games (using • Bendy Wire
Explore Brainstorm different activities we can do to
movement dice). • Clay
run, hop, climb, and stretch. Contribute to
Develop: Movement Activities and Movement Models. class discussion.
Movement:
Human bodies Invite students to brainstorm different activities we Working collaboratively, take turns to
can do to where we would move in certain ways (run, manipulate the wooden art model to create
hop, climb, and stretch). Record answers in science movements. Use art materials to construct a
journal. movement model.
Split students into small groups. Using a wooden art Conclude:
model, instruct students to take turns creating
Share and discuss movement model with the
different movements and telling peers what
class.
movement they have made. Provide students with
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bendy wire and clay so they can individually create the

movements they have been experimenting with.

Conclude: Share and Discuss Movement Models.

Ask students to present their wire and clay movement

model to the class, communicating the movement
their model is representing and why they chose it.

Adaptations • Human body image can be provided for students to point to body parts during movement songs.
• Provide strips of paper and glue as an alternative to working with bendy wire and clay.

Learning Introduce: Animal Movement Books. Introduce: • Move! by Steve Jenkins

Experience 3 Read books Move! and From Head to Toe to introduce Listen and interact with books being read. and Robin Page

students to animal movements. Encourage students to Develop: • From Head to Toe by Eric

interact by doing the movements. Carle

Explore Contribute to class discussion. • Science Journal
Explain Develop: Comparing and Sorting Animal Movements.
Independently, cut and paste images of • Animal Images
Invite students to engage in a discussion comparing animals into categories, classifying whether • Glue
human movements with animal movements: can they can fly, walk, hop, or swim. Share work
Movement: • Scissors
animals move like humans, and can all animals move with class if asked.
Human bodies vs. • Today I Will Fly by Mo
the same? Record answers in science journal.
Animal bodies Conclude: Willems
Completed independently, provide students with
Listen to book being read and contribute to
images of animals to cut, paste, and sort into
class discussion.
categories of how they move (fly, walk, hop, swim).
Choose students to share their work with the class.
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Conclude: Can Humans Move Like Animals?

Read the book Today I Will Fly. Connect to previous

discussion about whether animals can move like
humans, this time focusing on can humans move like
animals? Also use sorting activity for visual prompts.

Adaptations • Provide pre-cut images, if needed.

• Use visual prompts from the classifying activity to encourage students to think about whether humans can move in those ways.

Learning Introduce: Observing Animal Movements. Introduce: • Selected Animal

Experience 4 By hiring an animal, collecting insects from the garden, Observe movements of selected animal. • Science Journal

or viewing animals outdoors, observe the movements Contribute to discussion about how the • Information Texts

of a selected animal. Ask students how the animal is animal moves and predict why it moves in • Interactive TV
Explain
moving and to predict why the animal may be moving that way. • Poster Paper
Elaborate
in that way. Record answers in science journal. • Pencils
Develop:
Develop: How Do We Discover Information About Observe how to find out information about
Movement: Animals? animals. Contribute to discussion about the
Observing animal
Together with the students, model ways to find out selected animal and help decide the best
movement
information about the animal selected for observation answers.
(for example, using informative texts, searching the Conclude:
internet). Collectively with students, decide where the
Independently, create a poster displaying the
animal lives, what the animal eats, what the size of the
information that has been discovered about
animal is, what movements it makes, and whether it
the selected animal.
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can move like us humans. Record answers in science

journal.

Conclude: Our Collective Research

Using this information, ask students to work

independently to create a poster displaying what we
have discovered through our research.

Adaptations • When modelling how to research information, use informative texts including simple texts with lots of images and advanced texts
with lots of words.

Learning Introduce: How Did We Discover Information About Introduce: • Animal Research Posters
Experience 5 Animals Last Lesson? Contribute to discussion about how we • Science Journal

Connecting to previous lesson, have a discussion with conduct research. • Informative Texts

students about how we discovered information about • Interactive TV

Elaborate Develop:
animals. Use posters from last week as a visual • Poster Paper
Evaluate Working collaboratively, research information
reminder. Record answers in science journal. • Pencils
about a selected animal using informative
Develop: Researching an Animal texts and internet searches and record
Movement:
Instruct students to, in pairs, chose an animal from a information on poster paper through drawing
Researching
selected list and ask them to use informative texts and and/or writing.
animal
internet searches (with teacher assistance) to research Conclude:
movement
where it lives, what it eats, what size it is, and how
With peer, present poster to the class and
does it move and whether it moves like humans do.
discuss the information discovered through
their research.
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Instruct students to record their answers through

drawings on poster paper.

Conclude: Share and Discuss Research

Invite each pair to present their chosen animal and to

discuss the information they discovered through their
research.

Adaptations • Collaborate with teachers to pair students.

• Provide pre-categorised poster paper, if needed.

Assessment

As science is taught once a week, the science teacher keeps track of assessment through weekly grades and effort marks. To closely follow the structure
implemented by the teacher, a formative assessment grid will be used during each learning experience, apart from the final learning experience, where
students will be assessed according to criteria met through their research of an animal.

Formative For learning experiences one to four, a grid will be created and used to determine students’ engagement and
achievement with the focus for the lesson (Appendix C). Using a grid as an assessment tool is useful as it can
identify any gaps or students that have been missed (Brady & Kennedy 2012, p. 148).

Learning Experience 1: Student participates in movement songs and demonstrates movement actions.

Learning Experience 2: Student creates movement model and can explain that movement.

Learning Experience 3: Student classifies animals according to how they move.

Learning Experience 4: Student creates poster about selected animal and displays information discussed.
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For learning experience five, students research poster will be assessed according to criteria relating to their
research of an animal (Appendix D).

Summative Using the formative assessment grids and the achievement criteria for their animal research, an overall
comment and achievement rating will be made about their engagement and achievements with the unit plan,
with relation to the learning outcomes (Appendix E).


Teacher Resources

Resource Relevance

Teaching Primary Science Constructively Teaching Primary Science Constructively was useful in gaining background information about movement,
(Skamp & Preston 2015) especially in relation to the terms ‘push’ and ‘pull’, which are a focus in foundation year science.

Primary Connections Series: On The Move The On The Move component of the Primary Connections Series was highly relevant for both background
(Australian Academy of Science 2012). knowledge and sequencing of this unit plan. Each lesson example was useful in creating and adapting relevant
activities to explore human and animal movement.

Australian Curriculum Science: Foundation Although this series provides a range of black line masters, the recommendation from the science teacher
(RIC Publications 2017). proved useful in creating and adapting lessons such as in Learning Experience 3 where students classify animals
by the ways they move.

A Sense of Wonder: Science in early Although A Sense of Wonder: Science in the early years does not provide explicit lesson examples, the activities
childhood education (Aitken et al. 2015). suggested in the book provided useful when considering hands on activities for the students to engage with,
such as moving to music in Learning Experiences 1 and 2.
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Pinterest With a prevalence of social media available today, Pinterest was not one to overlook when searching for
lesson ideas in relation to movement. Teachers around the world can share their ideas on Pinterest using
images and they certainly provided inspiration for a majority of activities included in this unit plan.

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References

Aitken, J, Hunt, J, Roy, E, Sajfar, B & Featherstone, S 2015, A sense of wonder: Science in
early childhood education, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK.

Australian Academy of Science 2012, On the move: Foundation Year: Physical Sciences,
Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, ACT.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2017a, F-10

Curriculum, Science: Science Inquiry Skills, v8.3, ACSIS011, Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 6 May 2017,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#cdcode=ACSIS011&level=F>.

- 2017b, F-10 Curriculum, Science: Science Inquiry Skills, v8.3, ACSIS012, Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 6 May 2017,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#cdcode=ACSIS012&level=F>.

- 2017c, F-10 Curriculum, Science: Science Inquiry Skills, v8.3, ACSIS233, Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 6 May 2017,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#cdcode=ACSIS233&level=F>.

- 2017d, F-10 Curriculum, Science: Science Understanding, v8.3, ACSSU005, Australian

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 6 May 2017,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#cdcode=ACSSU005&level=F>.

Brady, L & Kennedy, K 2012, Assessment and reporting: Celebrating student achievement,
4th edn., Pearson Australia, Melbourne, Vic.
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Carle, E 1999, From head to toe, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) 2009, Belonging,

being & becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia, Australian
Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, viewed 6
May 2017,
<https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_t
he_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf>.

Jenkins, S & Page, R 2006, Move!, Houghton Miffin Harcourt Publishing Company, New York,
NY.

RIC Publications 2017, Australian curriculum science: Foundation, RIC Publications,

Greenwood, WA.

Skamp, K & Preston, C 2015, Teaching primary science constructively, 5th edn, Cengage
Learning Australia, South Melbourne, Vic.

Willems, M 2007, Today I will fly!, Hyperion Books, New York, NY.
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Appendix A

Excluded due to student privacy.

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Appendix B
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Appendix C

Learning Experience 1

Student participates in movement songs and demonstrates movement actions

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4

Student 5 Student 6 Student 7 Student 8

Student 9 Student 10 Student 11 Student 12

Student 13 Student 14 Student 15 Student 16

Student 17 Overall Comments:

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Appendix D

Animal Research Poster

Name:

o Identifies animal

o Where does the animal live?

o What does the animal eat?

o What size is the animal?

o How does the animal move?

o Does the animal move like a human?

o Uses informational texts and/or internet search

o Works collaboratively

o Shares research findings with the class

Appendix E

The Movement of Living Things

Name:

Students will observe, compare, and demonstrate the movement of living things (humans and
animals), as well as explain how the way they move depends on their size and shape (ACSSU005)

Excellent High Satisfactory Developing

Students will participate in an animal movement investigation by observing and researching

animals, engaging in formal and informal discussions and representing and sharing their ideas and
findings with others (ACSIS011, ACSIS233, ACSIS012)

Excellent High Satisfactory Developing

Comment: