In Levels 3 and 4, the curriculum focus is on recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and undertaking investigations. 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, and investigating the life cycles of living things, they develop an understanding of the...
In Levels 3 and 4, the curriculum focus is on recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and undertaking investigations. 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, and investigating the life cycles of living things, they develop an understanding of the regularity and predictability of cycles. Students order their observations by grouping and classifying and in classifying things as living or nonliving they begin to recognise that classifications are not always easy to define or apply. Their understanding of classification and form and function is broadened through an exploration of the properties of natural and processed materials. They learn that forces include noncontact forces and begin to appreciate that some interactions result from phenomena that can’t be seen with the naked eye. They begin to appreciate that current systems, such as Earth’s surface, have characteristics that have resulted from past changes and that living things form part of systems. 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. They apply their knowledge to make predictions based on interactions within systems, including those involving the actions of humans.
By the end of Level 4, students describe situations where science understanding can influence their own and others’ actions. They explain the effects of Earth’s rotation on its axis. They distinguish between temperature and heat and use examples to illustrate how heat is produced and transferred. They explain how heat is involved in changes of state between solid and liquid. They link the physical properties of materials to their use. They discuss how natural and human processes cause changes to Earth’s surface. They use contact and non-contact forces to describe interactions between objects. They group living things based on observable features and distinguish them from non-living things. They describe relationships that assist the survival of living things. They compare the key stages in the life cycle of a plant and an animal and relate life cycles to growth and survival.
Students describe how they use science investigations to identify patterns and relationships and to respond to questions. They follow instructions to identify questions that they can investigate about familiar contexts and make predictions based on prior knowledge. They discuss ways to conduct investigations and suggest why a test was fair or not. They safely use equipment to make and record formal measurements and observations. They use provided tables and column graphs to organise and identify patterns and trends in data. Students suggest explanations for observations and compare their findings with their predictions. They use formal and informal scientific language to communicate their observations, methods and findings.
