Observations and Questions Spark Curiosity | Kamay Botany Bay EEC
Early Stage 1 - Science and Technology
Location
Kamay Botany Bay EEC - Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell
Unit description
Early Stage 1 students investigate the unique bushland, grassland and coastal environments of Kamay Botany Bay National Park through hands-on, sensory-rich experiences that promote curiosity and inquiry.
Students observe living things specific to Kamay environments, identifying features that help plants and animals survive. They explore the properties of natural materials using their senses and investigate how living and non-living things move in different ways across different surfaces.
Through guided questioning and structured activities, students pose simple questions, collect and record data, and communicate their ideas using everyday and scientific vocabulary. Learning is grounded in Dharawal perspectives, supporting understanding of how Aboriginal Peoples use knowledge of plants, animals and materials to live on and care for Country.
- STE-SCI-01 - Identifies and describes characteristics of living things, properties of materials, and movement
- STE-PQU-01 - Poses questions based on observations to collect data
Living things have characteristics that help them survive
- Identify body parts of plants and animals and describe their functions
- Recognise that living things need air, water and energy to survive
- Observe and group plants and animals based on their features
- Describe how Dharawal People use knowledge of plants and animals to live on and care for Country
Objects are made of materials that have observable properties
- Observe materials using the senses (texture, size, shape, colour)
- Compare and group materials based on their properties
- Explore how natural materials are used for specific purposes
- Investigate how Aboriginal Peoples select materials based on their properties
- Observe that materials remain the same even when bent, twisted or manipulated
Living things and objects move in different ways
- Observe and describe how living things move (crawl, fly, swim, jump)
- Explore how objects move (roll, slide, bounce)
- Compare how movement is affected by shape and surface (e.g. sand vs rock)
- Explore movement of objects used by Aboriginal Peoples (e.g. canoe on water)
Communicating supports understanding of Science and Technology
- Communicate observations using simple scientific vocabulary
- Use drawings and oral language to describe observations
- Use simple subject–verb–object sentences (e.g. The crab moves across the sand)
- Pose simple questions and share ideas
| 10:00 - 10:30 | Introduction, toilets & fruit break/recess |
| 10:30 – 11:30 | Bushland Animal Exploration |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Grassland Material Investigations |
| 12:30 – 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 – 2:00 | Beach Habitats and Movement |
| 2:00 | Wrap up, toilet break, roll call and depart |
* There may be variations to timetable based on specific location, group size and weather
Students will:
- Explore the bushland, grassland and coastal environments of Kamay Botany Bay National Park to observe native plants and animals and identify features that help them survive
- Investigate and sort natural materials using their senses, describing their properties and how they can be used for different purposes
- Examine how living and non-living things move by testing and comparing movement across different surfaces such as sand and rock
- Represent and communicate their scientific observations through drawing, building and speaking, while learning how to care for Country