Investigations of Changes Provide Knowledge and Understanding | Kamay Botany Bay EEC

Stage 1 - Science and Technology

Location

Kamay Botany Bay EEC - Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell

Unit Description

This fieldwork-based excursion provides opportunities for students to investigate change, patterns and cause-and-effect relationships within the unique coastal environments of Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

Students engage in hands-on scientific investigations to explore living things and life cycles, how their senses gather information about the environment, how forces affect movement and how weather and environmental conditions influence living things. Through observation, measurement, testing and data collection, students identify patterns and relationships and communicate their findings using scientific vocabulary, diagrams and simple data displays.

Aboriginal perspectives are embedded throughout the program, highlighting Dharawal Peoples' knowledge of seasonal change, living things and caring for Country.

Green trees in a forest
trees surrounded by fire
Key Syllabus outcomes

ST1-SCI-01 – Measures and describes changes in living things, materials, movement, Earth and the sky

ST1-PQU-01 – Poses questions based on observations and information to investigate cause and effect

ST1-DAT-01 – Collects, represents and uses data to identify patterns and relationships

Content Groups

Living Things Change Over Time

• Collect data about the variety of living things in a local habitat, group them and justify the groupings

• Describe changes in plants and animals using observations, data and scientific models

• Describe how Aboriginal Peoples use Knowledges of life cycles and seasonal changes

The Human Body's Sense Organs Detect Its Environment

• Investigate how senses gather information

• Observe and describe how eyes, ears, nose and skin help detect environmental changes

• Pose questions and test observations using sensory investigations

Planet Earth Is Our Home

• Observe and record weather

• Identify environmental patterns

• Investigate rocks and natural formations

• Explore Aboriginal seasonal indicators

Suggested timetable
10:00 - 10:30 Introduction, toilets & fruit break/recess
10:30 - 11:30 Habitat detectives - investigating living things and life cycles
11:30 - 12:30 Exploring our environment through our senses
12:30 - 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 2:00 Coastal Habitat Detectives: Living Things and Change
2:00 Toilet break, reflection, wrap up, roll call and departure

* There may be variations to timetable based on specific location, group size and weather

Students will: