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.
Over Years 3 to 6, students develop their understanding of a range of systems operating at different time and geographic scales.
In Year 3, students observe heat and its effects on solids and liquids and begin to develop an understanding of energy flows through simple
systems. In observing day and night, they develop an appreciation of regular and predictable cycles. Students order their observations by grouping
and classifying; in classifying things as living or non-living they begin to recognise that classifications are not always easy to define or apply. They
begin to quantify their observations to enable comparison, and learn more sophisticated ways of identifying and representing relationships,
including the use of tables and graphs to identify trends. They use their understanding of relationships between components of simple systems to
make predictions.
By the end of Year 3, students use their understanding of the movement of Earth, materials and the behaviour of heat to suggest explanations for
everyday observations. They group living things based on observable features and distinguish them from non-living things. They describe how
they can use science investigations to respond to questions.
In previous lesson students explored the concepts of the Sun, Earth and Moon and the rotation of them. They also looked at the differences between
day and night and what causes day and night.
Learning objectives - (for the teacher - by the end of the lesson the students will):
By the end of the lesson students will have a better understanding of the size of the sun, moon and earth.
Learning intentions: (Written in language for the students to understand what they will know, do and understand…)
In this lesson we will investigate the size of the earth, moon and sun and use spherical objects to explore why the sun and moon appear to be the
same size when observed from earth.
Earth and Space Sciences Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day ACSSU048
Cross-Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities (only highlight those that would be explicit in the lesson)
Ethical Understanding
Intercultural Understanding
LESSON SEQUENCE
INTRODUCTION
10 Discuss whole Students will be discussing: For learning Using the objects 3Dand 2D shapes
mins class lesson - What 3D is and how is it different to 2D will help with visual sourced from around
goals - Ask them on their knowledge of what learners. the classroom.
people used to believe the earth to be
Whole class shapes as (flat) and why so many people
discussion believed that.
with peer Use 3D and 2D objects and drawings and get the
input. students to identify weather they are 3D or 2D.
Questioning to
check for
students
understanding
15 min Sumarise new Take students out onto the oval or under covered For learning
learning in a area. Split the students into groups of 3.
physical
demonstration Explain that for the following activity teams will
use a basketball to represent the Sun and a tennis
ball to represent the Moon.
Self-reflection:
I think this lesson went extremely well. All of the students were engaged throughout the whole lesson. As a class we learnt new things and refreshed
our brain on old facts.
Supervising teacher feedback:
In future lesson I would spent more time on the research task as I feel like they could have spent a bit more time doing that. Even by spreading the
lesson over 2 small lessons would also work well.
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