Education Queensland
www.amarooeec.eq.edu.au
Phone: (07) 4696 7140
Science - Year 5 - Survival In The Australian Environment
Content Based Unit
Focus: Plant and animal adaptations
In this programme Amaroo Environmental Education Centre implements elements of the Australian Curriculum Science
strands as well as Cross Curriculum Priorities: Sustainability.
This programme is delivered at Peacehaven Park and is a full school day in length.
The sequence of lessons on the following pages outlines both the activities undertaken by the Amaroo teacher and
suggested activities to be conducted by the teacher in the school.
Synopsis of Program:
Topics include:
•
Plant adaptations
•
Animal [insect focus] adaptations
Activities include:
•
Discussion and recording ideas about adaptations: definition/functions/
examples/structural/behavioural. This is followed by a matching pairs game.
•
Bush walk during which structural adaptations are investigated, identified
and photographed using digital cameras.
•
Construction and test flight of students’ seed pods.
•
Investigation of different seed pods, noting special adaptations and the
purpose of these.
•
Examining insects set in resin; students hypothesize about different
adaptations that are evident in their insect samples.
Conclusion: Reflect upon and explain how structural and behavioural adaptations help animals and plants survive in
different environments.
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Pedagogical Key: Based on Amaroo EECs Pedagogical Framework
The Amaroo EEC teachers deliver this program utilising a variety of Pedagogical Strategies which are based on the four dimensions of
Productive Pedagogies plus the 5th Pedagogy: Pedagogy and Place - Learning Beyond the Classroom. Each pedagogy is abbreviated
in [ ] according to this key
Pedagogy and Place – Learning Beyond the Classroom
Being in the Natural Environment [BNE]
Life Learning in Real Places [LLRP]
Learning by Doing [LbD]
Intellectual Quality
Higher-order thinking [HoT]
Substantive Conversation [SC]
Deep Understanding [DU]
Connectedness
Background Knowledge [BK]
Knowledge Integration [KI]
Supportive Classroom Environment
Academic Engagement [AE]
Self Regulation [SR]
Content Based Unit
The lessons in the teaching sequence have been colour coded as follows:
Lessons in these boxes should be taught/facilitated by the class teacher in the school setting
Lessons in these boxes will be taught by the Amaroo teacher as part of your program.
ItTeaching
is suggested
that pre/post work may be conducted on these objectives
Sequence
Topic
Lesson Objectives
Lesson outlines
Pre-engagement or “The Hook”
Lesson objectives - Students will:
Pet rock creatures will be supplied by Amaroo prior to the visit and must be returned
on the visit day
•
Students will receive a ‘pet rock creature’. They
hypothesise about the purpose of the
adaptations their creature displays and
what sort of habitat it may live in.
understand the functions of adaptations
[AE; KI; DU; HoT; BK]
Surviving the Australian Environment
Lesson objectives - Students will:
[AE; SR; HoT]
•
understand the functions of adaptations
•
discuss how camouflage helps living
things survive.
Exploring adaptations in plants
Lesson objectives - Students will:
•
[HoT; LLRP; LbD; BNE]
•
Observing and Recording adaptations in
plants
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Investigate structural adaptations in
plants.
Design and construct a seed pod.
Lesson objectives - Students will:
Students will discuss and explore examples of
plant/animal adaptations (structural and behavioural).
Play ‘Adaptation Matching Game’ using stimulus
cards.
Students examine examples of real ‘winged’
seeds.
Students design and construct own version of a
seed pod which will be tested later in the day’s
program.
Students complete a bush walk in which plant
adaptations are observed and discussed.
•
Participate in a guided bush walk.
•
Working in small groups, students photograph
Digitally photograph various examples of
specific examples of plant adaptations-leaf drip
plant adaptations in Peacehaven Park.
tips, bright flower colours, broad/narrow leaves,
bark textures, epiphytes etc.
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Teaching Sequence
Topic
Lesson objectives
Lesson - outline
Conducting seed flight experiment.
Lesson objectives
Students will individually launch previously constructed seed pods, measuring flight ability,
adaptation employed and distance.
Students will:
Launch, observe and discuss seed pod flights.
Relating adaptations of plants to their environment
Lesson objectives
Students will:
•
Comparing different adaptations in plants.
Predict, observe and discuss results of
buoyancy experiment.
Lesson objectives
Students will:
•
Lesson objectives
Reviewing a creature
•
Students will:
•
Exploring adaptations in plants
Explore the relationship between structural and behavioural adaptations
Note different adaptations utilised by
creatures
Lesson objectives - Students will:
•
Students investigate different seed pods [in
kits], note special adaptations, seed dispersal
methods and suggest adaptation purposes.
Investigate large variety of seed pods in
kits noting special adaptations and possible purposes of each.
Differentiating structural and behavioural
adaptations
[AE; KL; SR; HoT]
Students predict, observe and then discuss
results of group experiment investigating buoyancy ability of selected seed pods.
understand the functions of adaptations
Insects set in resin are examined and possible
structural adaptations are discussed and noted.
Students hypothesize about different behavioural adaptations that could be employed by their
insect samples and then share discussions with
whole group.
Photos taken by students will be made available
to the school.
Suggested Assessment Tasks:
•
Using the previously provided Crazy Creature as a basis, the students may then [at school] create a fictional creature and describe the relationship between structural features and behavioural adaptations needed to survive in an environment
•
Students may use photos taken on their Peacehaven visit to create a Multi-media presentation (e.g. to make a digital presentation on plant
adaptations).
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Cross Curriculum Priority Link: Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain life.
Organising Idea: Systems OI.1 All life forms, including human life, are connected through ecosystems on which
they depend for their well-being and survival.
Australian Curriculum References for this program:
Year 5 Science - Content Descriptions
Science Understandings
Biological Science
•
Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)
Science as a Human Endeavour
Use and Influence of Science
•
Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083)
Science Inquiry Skills
Questioning and Predicting
•
With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations(ACSIS231)
Planning and Conducting
•
Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems using equipment and materials safely and identifying potential risks (ACSIS086)
Communicating
•
Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multimodal texts (ACSIS093)
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