In Levels 5 and 6, the curriculum focus is on recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and undertaking investigations. Students explore how changes can be classified in different...
In Levels 5 and 6, the curriculum focus is on recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and undertaking investigations. Students explore how changes can be classified in different ways. Students are introduced to cause-and-effect relationships that relate to form and function through an exploration of adaptations of living things. They explore observable phenomena associated with light and begin to appreciate that phenomena have sets of characteristic behaviours. They broaden their classification of matter to include gases and begin to see how matter structures the world around them. Students develop a view of Earth as a dynamic system, in which changes in one aspect of the system impact on other aspects. They consider Earth as a component within a solar system and use models for investigating systems at astronomical scales. Students begin to identify stable and dynamic aspects of systems, and learn how to look for patterns and relationships between components of systems. Students learn about transfer and transformations of electricity, and continue to develop an understanding of energy flows through systems. They link their experiences of electric circuits as a system at one scale, to generation of electricity from a variety of sources at another scale and begin to see links between these systems. Similarly, they see that the growth and survival of living things are dependent on matter and energy flows within a larger system. Students begin to see the role of independent, dependent and controlled variables in performing experimental investigations and learn how to look for patterns and relationships between variables. They develop explanations for the patterns they observe, drawing on evidence.
By the end of Level 6, students explain how scientific knowledge is used in decision making and develops from many people’s contributions. They discuss how scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions affect peoples’ lives. They compare the properties and behaviours of solids, liquids and gases. They compare observable changes to materials and classify these changes as reversible or irreversible. They explain everyday phenomena associated with the absorption, reflection and refraction of light. They compare different ways in which energy can be transformed from one form to another to generate electricity and evaluate their suitability for particular purposes. They construct electric circuits and distinguish between open and closed circuits. They explain how natural events cause...
By the end of Level 6, students explain how scientific knowledge is used in decision making and develops from many people’s contributions. They discuss how scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions affect peoples’ lives. They compare the properties and behaviours of solids, liquids and gases. They compare observable changes to materials and classify these changes as reversible or irreversible. They explain everyday phenomena associated with the absorption, reflection and refraction of light. They compare different ways in which energy can be transformed from one form to another to generate electricity and evaluate their suitability for particular purposes. They construct electric circuits and distinguish between open and closed circuits. They explain how natural events cause rapid change to Earth’s surface and use models to describe the key features of our Solar System. They analyse how structural and behavioural adaptations of living things enhance their survival, and predict and describe the effect of environmental changes on individual living things.
Students follow procedures to develop questions that they can investigate and design investigations into simple cause-and-effect relationships. When planning experimental methods, they identify and justify the variables they choose to change and measure in fair tests. They make predictions based on previous experiences or general rules. They identify and manage potential safety risks. They make and record accurate observations as tables, diagrams or descriptions. They organise data into tables and graphs to identify and analyse patterns and relationships. They compare patterns in data with their predictions when explaining their findings. They suggest where improvements to their experimental methods or research could improve the quality of their data. They refer to data when they report findings and use appropriate representations and simple reports to communicate their ideas, methods, findings and explanations.
