Living Things Unit Plan

Unit Overview
Unit Summary
Students will learn about living things, specifically that living things can be distinguished from non-
living things, living things have lifecycles and that living things depend on environmental factors to
survive. As part of their learning, students will undertake a gardening project, applying their
knowledge of the needs of native plants suitable to the local conditions and climate.
Examine the parts and lifecycle of plants
nderstand the features of the lifecycle of animals !including humans"
#ame some native Australian plants
$iscuss how plants have traditionally been depicted using botanical illustrations
%dentify ways that the environment can affect the life cycle of plants and animals
$escribe some examples of how science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of
their actions on the environment and the survival of living things
nderstand the needs of humans in relation the different systems of the human body
nderstands the relationship between diet and the complex systems in the human body.
$iscusses the impacts that physical activity can have on the human body.
Year Level
Stage &, 'ears ( and )
Approximate Time Needed
*+ ,eeks !( lessons per week"
Unit Foundation
Standards/Syllaus Out!omes
S!ien!e
S-&-*+.,/ describes that living things have life cycles, can be distinguished from non-living things
and grouped, based on their observable features
S-&-**.,/ describes ways that science knowledge helps people understand the effect of their
actions on the environment and on the survival of living things
"istory
0-&-)/ $escribes and explains effects of 1ritish 2olonisation in Australia !Sir 3oseph 1anks 4
introduced species"
P#"P$
50S&.*&% $iscusses factors influencing personal health choices *taught and assessed by support
teachers.
&urri!ulum &onsiderations
Cross-curriculum priorities
Aboriginal 6-orres Strait %slander histories 6
cultures
Asia 6 Australia7s engagement with Asia
Sustainability
General capabilities
2ritical 6 creative thinking
Ethical understanding
%nformation 6 communication technology
capability
%ntercultural understanding
.iteracy
#umeracy
5ersonal 6 social capability
Other learning across the curriculum areas
2ivics 6 citi8enship
$ifference 6 diversity
,ork 6 enterprise
&urri!ulum'Framing (uestions
,hat do living things need to survive9
Assessment Plan
Assessment Timeline
Pre'assessment Formative assessment Summative
1rainstorm
:uestioning
-eacher observation
$iscussion feedback
;erbal interview with
students about the
ecosystem diorama.
,ritten grid with <uestions
about Australian
ecosystems.
Pedagogy
&ontent and Tea!hing and Learning A!tivities Part ) Plants
1rainstorm the differences between living and non-living things. se patterns in the observable
features of living things to group them, by using tables or diagrams.
=esearch ways that Aboriginal and -orres Strait %slander peoples classify some plants or animals.
Examine the structure and parts of a plant. %ntroduce terminology such as
$iscuss the lifecycles of common plants and examine what a plant needs to survive.
5lant a fast growing seed plant as it grows and develops, and sequence the stages in its life cycle
$iscuss that, according to the different needs of different plants, some plants are designed to live in
certain places !> opportunity to discuss the water cycle".
%ntroduce different Australian ecosystems and the specific need and adaptations of living things to
suit that environment.
Ecosystem word study/ biodiversity, flora and fauna, sustainability, impact, etc.
%ntroduce some Australian native plants, discuss the specific needs of these plants and why they
are suited to their particular environments !suggested ?roup 3igsaw Activity".
$iscuss which animals that would be attracted to different native Australian plants and why
!biodiversity".
$iscuss Sir 3oseph 1anks and his role on 3ames 2ook7s expedition to Australia on the Endeavour.
Show the class some images of 1ank7s botanical drawings. Explain that the drawings were needed
in the absences of photographs and that they needed to be very detailed in order to ade<uately
document the flora and fauna of Australia. $isplay some images of native Australian plants and
have students make detailed sketches and colour the plants !making botanical drawings".
2reate a Sir 3oseph 1anks diary entry.
Examine introduced species !plants and animals" and how these have impacted on the Australian
environment. =ead Rosie Dock by 3eannie 1aker.
&ontent and Tea!hing and Learning A!tivities Part * The "uman +ody ,-ee.s /')01
%ntroduction to 0uman 1ody
1rainstorm what students already know about the human body !@,. chart"
$iscuss importance of looking after your body. ,ays students look after their bodies and impact
this has on different systems of the body !cause and effect"
$igestive System is being taught by =AA teachers during 5$05E lessons on #utrition
S.eleton System 2 dis!uss the 3un!tion o3 the s.eleton4
,atch short video /http/BBkidshealth.orgBkidBhtbwBSSmovie.html
Show slideshow about skeleton/
http/BBwww.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.ukBinteractivesBscienceBbodyandmedicineBtheskeletonB
:ui8 for revision/
http/BBwww.softschools.comB<ui88esBscienceBskeletalCsystemB<ui8DE).html
Ask students why the skeleton is important, facts they know from the slideshow, show examples of x-
rays and what they tell us of our bones, best ways to look after our bones. Explain how the skeletal
system enables us to move !explanation writing"
5lay interactive game
http/BBwww.abcya.comBskeletalCsystem.htm
Students label skeleton of their own-
http/BBimg.docstoccdn.comBthumbBorigBF(D+&EF*.png
2A5A G make dried pasta skeleton of a specific part of the body
http/BBwww.enchantedlearning.comBcraftsBhalloweenBpastaskeletonB
https/BBsavingstar.comBblogB&+**B*+BD-kid-friendly-halloween-craftsB
&ir!ulatory System' delving into the human heart
Show short video
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/CSmovie.html
Discuss the importance of the heart,show picture of the heart and how it interacts with the rest of the body
Explanation of how the heart works: Jigsaw Activity of Heart acts
http:!!www"heart"org!idc!groups!heart#public!$wcm!$global!documents!downloadable!ucm%&'&('("pdf )for teacher
explanation*
http:!!idahoptv"org!dialogue+kids!season,!heart!facts"cfm )use for students -igsaw activity*
http:!!www"aboutkidshealth"ca!en!-ustforkids!body!pages!heart"aspx )use for students -igsaw activity*
.abel the heart:
http:!!thingkid"com!crayola#coloring#pages#human#heart!
Heart experiment / refer to sheet 01ork your muscles"2 )E3uipment: bluetac, toothpicks, stopwatches*
Experiment / the heart as a pump: )E3uipment # -ars, skewers, straws, balloons*
http/BBwww.smm.orgBheartBlessonsBlessonEa.htm
5espiratory System 2 lungs in a!tion
0ow do we know we are alive9 !e.g. our bodies are warm, we have a pulse, breathing, we respond with
our senses etc"
Students discuss importance of lungs and explain how we breathe.
,atch short video/
http/BBkidshealth.orgBkidBhtbwB=Smovie.html
Explanation of =espiratory System
http/BBhes.ucfsd.orgBgclaypoBrepiratorysys.html
http/BBwww.ducksters.comBscienceBbreathing.php
.abel the =espiratory System
http/BBimg.docstoccdn.comBthumbBorigBFH++IFIH.png
Answers for labelling/
http/BBs&.hubimg.comBuBF)DFE&*CfE&+.jpg
.iteracy .esson #A5.A# -eaching Strategies &+** G reading to locate information !exploring
metalanguage"
http/BBwww.schools.nsw.edu.auBlearningBF-*&assessmentsBnaplanBteachstrategiesByr&+**Bindex.php9
idJliteracyBreadingBlrCdiloBlrCdiloCs(aC**
+ody $xperiments 2
Senses Experiments !E.g. different part of the tongue taste test !eware o3 3ood allergy students",
blindfold trust game around playground G what can you hear9 ,hat was difficult about walking around
blind9 ,hat did you have to do to compensate for lack of sight9 etc."
http%//.idshealth4org/.id/!loset/experiments/experiment6main4html
https%//3a!ulty4washington4edu/!hudler/!hsense4html
Tongue 7ap
http%//)4p4logspot4!om/63x5$Ld8(-9!/S6n":;<i=+>/AAAAAAAAA#o/?<;l8Poe"r./s=0
0/Tongue4gi3
&lass Pro@e!t as homewor. 2 Students to hand in human ody
pro@e!ts during -ee. )0 7onday
A!!ommodations 3or #iverse Needs
Students with
Spe!ial Needs
Kixed ability partnershipsBgroups, mentoring, modifications of tasks.
$nglish as a Se!ond
Language ,$SL1
Students
ES. teacher involved within the class G providing extra assistance for these
students
Ai3ted Students
7aterials and 5esour!es 5e<uired 3or Unit
Resources
Botanical drawings:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/index-illustrations.html
Introduced species and the Australian environment:
http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage6/ees/introsp.html