RIC-3531 Primary Science - Book D (Digital)

©R.I.C. Publications 

Low Resolution Images 

Display Copy

Primary Science (Book D) 

Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2002 

Copyright © R.I.C. Publications ® 2002 

This master may only be reproduced by the 

original purchaser for use with their class(es). The 

publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this 

master for the purposes of reproduction. 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

RIC–3531 

Lightning photograph on front cover reproduced by the kind 

permission of the Bureau of Meteorology 

Titles available in this series: 

Primary Science (Book A) 

Primary Science (Book B) 

Primary Science (Book C) 

Primary Science (Book D) 

Primary Science (Book E) 

Primary Science (Book F) 

Primary Science (Book G) 

Copyright Notice 

Blackline masters or copy masters are published and 

sold with a limited copyright. This copyright allows 

publishers to provide teachers and schools with a 

wide range of learning activities without copyright 

being breached. This limited copyright allows the 

purchaser to make sufficient copies for use within 

their own education institution. The copyright is not 

transferable, nor can it be onsold. Following these 

instructions is not essential but will ensure that you, 

as the purchaser, have evidence of legal ownership 

to the copyright if inspection occurs. 

For your added protection in the case of copyright 

inspection, please complete the form below. Retain 

this form, the complete original document and the 

invoice or receipt as proof of purchase. 

Name of Purchaser: 

Date of Purchase: 

Supplier: 

School Order# (if applicable): 

Signature of Purchaser: 



Display Copy 

Internet websites 

In some cases, websites or specific URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication, 

the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages. It is strongly recommended that the class 

teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them. 

View all pages online 

PO Box 332 Greenwood Western Australia 6924 

Website: www.ricpublications.com.au 

Email: mail@ricgroup.com.au

Teachers Information................................................................ii – iii 

Suggestions for Teaching Science....................................................iv 

Meeting the Needs of Students.......................................................v 

Series Overview..............................................................................vi 

Resources......................................................................................vii 

Assessment – Indicators...............................................................viii 

Assessment Proforma.....................................................................ix 

Science Skills...................................................................................x 

Skills Assessment Proforma............................................................xi 

Outcome Links for Book.................................................................xii 

Life cycles .......................................................................................1 

Life Goes Around and Around..............................................2 – 3 

Life Cycle of a Frog...............................................................4 – 5 

Plant Life Cycle Survey.........................................................6 – 7 

The Sea Turtle......................................................................8 – 9 

Assessment.............................................................................10 

Adaptations..................................................................................11 

Adaptations.....................................................................12 – 13 

Plant Adaptations............................................................14 – 15 

Animals Adaptations.......................................................16 – 17 

Adapting Behaviour.........................................................18 – 19 

Assessment.............................................................................20 

Investigating Weather .................................................................21 

The Water Cycle...............................................................22 – 23 

Weather Chart.................................................................24 – 25 

Measuring Rain...............................................................26 – 27 

Wild Winds......................................................................28 – 29 

Assessment.............................................................................30 

Foreword 

Primary Science D is one of series of seven blackline masters written for 

use in Australian primary schools. Each book presents eight units that cover 

the four strands of the National Profiles: Life and Living, Earth and Beyond, 

Natural and Processed Materials, and Energy and Change. 

Comprehensive teachers notes accompany each student activity. Concepts, 

knowledge and skills share an equal emphasis in each unit, along with 

developing positive attitudes to science. 

Primary Science gives students the opportunity to enhance their 

knowledge of the world around themand to engage in collaborative 

learning that makes science interesting and exciting. 

Indicators and assessment pages have been designed to match the National 

Profiles and those of other selected States. 

Contents 

PRIMARY SCIENCE ~ R.I.C. Publications ® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

Titles in this series are: 

• Primary Science – Book A 

• Primary Science – Book B 

• Primary Science – Book C 

• Primary Science – Book D 

• Primary Science – Book E 

• Primary Science – Book F 

• Primary Science – Book G 

Changes to the Local Environment...............................................31 

Our Environment.............................................................32 – 33 

The Local Environment – Fifty Years Ago.........................34 – 35 

Good or Bad?...................................................................36 – 37 

Changes to the Local Environment..................................38 – 39 

Assessment.............................................................................40 

Changing State.............................................................................41 

Solids, Liquids and Gases.................................................42 – 43 

Changing Matter.............................................................44 – 45 

It’s Just a Gas...................................................................46 – 47 

Crystal Shapes.................................................................48 – 49 

Assessment.............................................................................50 

Structures.....................................................................................51 

The Tallest Tower..............................................................52 – 53 

Weak and Strong Shapes.................................................54 – 55 

Bridge Building – 1.........................................................56 – 57 

Bridge Building – 2.........................................................58 – 59 

Assessment.............................................................................60 

Magnets........................................................................................61 

Magnetic Attraction........................................................62 – 63 

Magnetic Strength...........................................................64 – 65 

Magnetic Forces...............................................................66 – 67 

Magnetic Problems..........................................................68 – 69 

Assessment.............................................................................70 

Flight ............................................................................................71 

A ‘Loopy’ Aeroplane.........................................................72 – 73 

Gryocopter.......................................................................74 – 75 

A Whirligig......................................................................76 – 77 

Paper Gliders...................................................................78 – 79 

Assessment.............................................................................80 

Appendix 1 ...................................................................................81 



Display Copy 

i

Teacher Information 

Each book contains eight science units. Each unit is made up of ten pages, and contains: 

• a cover page; 

• four teacher pages; 

• four student pages; 

• an assessment page. 

The first page of each unit is a cover page 

designed for the students. Listed are the titles 

of the four activities included in the unit. 

The cover page can be glued into student 

workbooks at the beginning of a unit or 

copied and attached to the completed 

blacklines at the end of the unit. The students 

can colour the title of the unit on the page. 

Site search is a list of keywords and 

phrases for use by the students. They can be 

typed directly into the students’ preferred 

Internet search engine to promote the most 

appropriate response to the topic. 

The teacher pages include information to assist the teacher with each lesson. 

The activities in Primary Science 

have been written to the National 

Profiles. The outcomes for the unit 

are listed and specific indicators 

that match each activity are 

included. These Indicators can 

be transferred to the assessment 

proforma on page ix. Each of 

the National Outcomes used in 

Primary Science has been linked 

to other State curriculums on page 

xii, making teacher planning and 

student assessment easier. 

Background Information for 

each activity is included for the 

teacher. 

Keywords have been given for 

each unit, in alphabetical order. 

These words can be introduced and 

discussed at the beginning of a unit 

or they can be a focus as they appear 

throughout the activities. Introducing 

scientific terminology to meet the 

needs of individual students is 

discussed on page v. 

‘Did you know?’ is an eclectic 

collection of interesting facts and 

figures relating to one or more of the 

topics. It is designed to engage the 

students’ attention and stimulate their 

interest in the area being studied. 

In Materials and Preparation, the teacher is made 

aware of what needs to be done before the lesson. 

Some materials and tasks are required for the activity 

to be conducted; others are suggestions that will 

enrich the lesson. 

Ideas under the Stimulus heading are 

suggested short activities or discussions to 

capture the students’ attention and spark an 

interest in the topic. Teachers will also able to 

discover the existing knowledge of the class 

or individual students regarding the topic by 

listening to their responses and observations. 



Display Copy 

What To Do gives suggested step-by-step 

instructions for the activity. The 

accompanying blackline may be the focus 

of the activity or it may be where the 

students record their observations and 

ideas after completing the task. 

Additional Activities can be used to 

further develop the outcomes being 

assessed. These activities provide 

ideas to consolidate and clarify the 

concepts and skills taught in the unit. 

Display Ideas for the classroomgive the teacher 

suggestions for the students in the topic and ways of 

presenting work that has been completed during the 

unit. 

The Answers for the activities on 

the blackline are included. Some 

answers will need a teacher check, 

while others may vary depending 

on the students’ personal 

experiences or observations. 

ii 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

PRIMARY SCIENCE ~ R.I.C. Publications ® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

Teacher Information 

After completing the 

unit, the students can 

assess themselves and 

provide feedback to 

the teacher and their 

parents by completing 

the self-assessment 

face. This face 

indicates how they 

felt about the topic. It 

is important that the 

self-assessment takes 

place prior to marking 

by a teacher. 

The student pages contain a 

variety of activities. The written 

activities may be the focus of the 

lesson or they may be where the 

students record their observations, 

investigation results and discoveries. 

The focus of each blackline master 

is given in the indicators on the 

accompanying teachers’ page. 

On the final page of each unit is the 

assessment page. Questions have been written 

that will assess individual student knowledge 

and understanding of the main ideas in the 

unit. The questions have been written fromthe 

specific indicators and overall outcomes of the 

unit. Each assessment page places an emphasis 

on content and understanding as well as skills. 

Indicators have been written in language easily 

understood by parents, students and teachers and 

can be used as a point of reference in parent-teacher 

interviews or three-way conferences. These indicators 

can be transferred to the assessment proformas on 

pages ix and xi. 

Assessment proformas have been included on pages 

ix and xi, with an explanation of how to use themon 

the preceding pages. 

Each book of Primary Science has eight units. This gives teachers the opportunity to change topics every five weeks 

over one school year. However, there is no prescribed length of time for each unit. All units include some activities that 

can be completed in one lessons, others may go over two lessons, depending on a variety of factors, such as: 

• the stimulus suggesting learning about science outside the classroom; 

• the students needing to make observations prior to the lesson; 

• an experiment being conducted that needs to be observed over a number of days; 

• the students being required to find information by researching, using the Internet, 

conducting surveys or interviews; 

• a concept needing to be clarified further to ensure understanding. 

Primary Science has been written to the National Outcomes and linked to other State curriculums. The units and 

activities can be followed precisely or adapted to meet the needs of specific schools and to suit individual styles of 

teaching. Suggestions for setting up a science classroomand for teaching science can be found on page iv. Ideas for 

teaching science to meet the special needs of individual students are discussed on page v, along with exciting ideas for 

presenting scientific information. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

iii

Suggestions for Teaching Science 

Skills 

Science allows students to make new discoveries about the world 

around themand themselves. To do this, certain skills need to be 

developed. Skills that are introduced fromthe early years include: 

• observing • communicating • measuring 

• predicting • inferring • following a procedure 

More demanding skills, such as controlling variables, interpreting data, 

designing experiments and formulating hypotheses become part of 

the activities in the middle/upper years. These skills are introduced in 

Primary Science books Dto G. Each of the skills mentioned is described 

in more detail on page x, with a skills assessment proforma on page xi. 

Safety 

In the Primary Science series, safety precautions for certain activities 

are given on the teachers page. Some activities also have a ‘safety note’ 

written on the blackline master for the students. It is imperative that the 

teacher is aware prior to an activity if careful supervision of the students 

is needed during a lesson. It may be possible to organise another adult 

to be in classroomfor that activity. Ensure that all groups understand 

the instructions, are organised and focused on the task. 

Close adult supervision is required whenever a ‘hands-on’ approach is 

being used. At the very least, all students should be clearly visible to the 

teacher at the same time. The one exception to this is outdoor smallgroup 

work. Here, older students may work on a clearly defined task 

within a specified time frame. 

When taking a class outside of the classroom, prepare by: 

• organising students into their groups in the classroom; 

• checking that the students have the right equipment before they 

leave the classroom. (Note: For early learners, the teacher should be in 

charge of the equipment until it is needed. This will prevent students 

becoming preoccupied with the materials and the materials becoming 

lost before they are needed.) It can also be beneficial to allow students 

a controlled ‘play’ session with new equipment to overcome the 

novelty factor and allow them to concentrate on the task required; 

• visit the site before hand to ensure that examples of what is being 

observed are actually there. 

When students are able to work together in groups, they are encouraged 

to communicate and express their ideas. It is important that teachers 

stay aware of groups working independently to ensure that all students 

are handling the materials and that the members are working together 

as a team. By allocating roles for each group member, it is more likely 

that the dynamics will be equitable. The roles of the students can be 

swapped regularly to give each member the opportunity to participate 

in all tasks. Allow time at the end of group tasks for the students to 

evaluate their teamskills and to make targets to work towards the next 

time they work as a group. Some activities may work better if the groups 

are organised by ability levels, others will be enriched frommixed ability 

groupings. To enable all students to work together at some stage during 

the year, randomly select groups for some activities. 

Demonstration and Experiments 

It is important that, during a teacher demonstration, all students are 

seated so they can clearly see what is taking place. Select students to 

describe what is happening or to come to the front of the classroomand 

participate in the demonstration. Students love to help pour, mix and 

touch the materials. 

By giving clear, step-by-step instructions, students conducting an 

experiment will feel confident to investigate and explore. Depending 

on the age level, individual students and small groups need the 

opportunity to do independent discovery. Always allocate time to bring 

the class together at the end of a lesson. This will allow students to 

discuss their findings and also give the teacher the opportunity to see 

which methods are successful in the science classroomand which need 

working on. 

Organising and Storing Equipment 

Before each science activity, read the materials and preparation given 

on the teacher page. Collect the materials and place themin trays that 

can be carried easily to tables. By sorting the materials so each tray has 

exactly what each group requires, students will not need to queue for 

materials and they can place themdirectly back into the tray at the end 

of the lesson. 

All science equipment should have a ‘home’ and be returned to that 

home after each lesson. For early years’ classrooms, silhouettes of the 

materials cut fromblack card and attached to the front of cupboards 

and drawers, will help pre-readers to find them. At the beginning of 

each science lesson, allocate student ‘jobs’ for collecting and returning 

equipment. Allocate students to check that the materials have been 

returned and kept neat and tidy. 



Display Copy 

iv 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 


Meeting the Needs of Students 

Differentiating Activities 

The activities in the Primary Science series have been designed so that 

they can be followed precisely or adapted by teachers. This flexibility 

allows teachers the opportunity to differentiate lessons and blackline 

masters to meet the needs of students with varying abilities and special 

needs. 

The activities and blackline masters in Primary Science can be 

differentiated by incorporating the following suggestions into teacher 

planning and programming. 

To meet the special needs of students who have English as an second 

language, plan a time on a day before the science unit begins to 

introduce keywords and concepts. Having other adult support would be 

ideal as the group can work in a quiet area away fromthe classroom. 

Keywords can be enlarged and discussed. By explaining each word 

and showing objects or pictures, the students will be able to make 

connections between the word and the object. For ESL students, 

being immersed in the language before a topic begins gives theman 

advantage, especially during the teacher discussion part of the lesson, 

when most teachers tend to speak quite quickly. 

Before the unit, allow time for the students to look at nonfiction or 

fiction books about the topic. These will give students the opportunity 

to learn by reading books with clear and simple language. Students with 

reading problems will be able to immerse themselves before the unit 

begins. If other adult help is available, group students with low literacy 

levels together. The assisting teacher or parent will be able to read 

instructions, labels and the questions on the blacklines to the students 

and guide themthrough experiments. If other adults are not available, 

mixed ability groups will allow ESL students and students with low 

literacy levels to observe and be guided by other students. Teachers 

can produce activity sheets so students can become familiar with the 

terminology and content of a science unit before it is started with the 

whole class. Include activities such as missing letters, matching pictures 

to words and finding definitions. Diagrams fromthe unit can also be 

simplified on these worksheets. Any time that can be spent with the 

students preparing themfor the topic ahead, will enable themto feel 

more familiar and confident with the materials, skills and concepts. 

Students who seemto race through the activities and blacklines and 

who understand the content very quickly, can be challenged by looking 

at the topic in greater depth (rather than being given more of the 

same). They can go beyond the facts and begin to analyse, create their 

own hypothesis and conduct research related to strands of the topics 

that interest them. 

By meeting the needs of individual students, allowing the students 

to learn collaboratively and by having very clear instruction and 

expectations, science lessons should run smoothly. If a student prevents 

others fromlearning or if he or she could potentially cause harmto 

another student, he or she should be removed fromthe classroom. 

Organise a buddy systemwith another colleague, where students are 

taken without explanation. Student-teacher conferences can occur after 

the lesson. 

Display Ideas for the Science Classroom 

By having a variety of means by which they can record and present 

their findings, more students will be given the opportunity to succeed. 

Displays and records can communicate and share ideas, provide the 

stimuli for creative work, show interrelationships, and develop the 

ability to interpret information in different forms or accurately record 

observations and fine details. Some methods by which students can 

display or record their science work are shown below. 

Type of Display/Record Examples Could Follow 

charts pictures, tables, graphs experiments 

creative writing poems, narratives sensory experiences 

models/machines recycled materials, wood, clay experiments 

sketches observations or interpretations excursions 

diagrams plants, animals environmental studies 

tables classification, tallies observations over time 

collections rocks, plants, animals comparing/classifying activities 

tally sheets events, counting objects experiments, counting 

dioramas environments, landforms, systems environmental studies 

graphs measurement, number, change change over time, measuring activities 

maps/plans streets, buildings, environmental sites excursions 

diaries observations, drawings change or progress/deterioration over time 

video or audio recordings sounds, spoken reports, descriptions excursions, environmental studies 

interviews role-playing, guests guest speaker presentation 

mobiles collected objects, words comparing/classifying activities 

posters/banners environmental issues environmental studies 

student books individual research any topic 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

v

Series Overview 

Book A 

Life and Living 

About Me 

Plants and Animals 

Earth and Beyond 

Weather 

Time 

Natural and Processed Materials 

Sorting Materials 

Exploring Water 

Energy and Change 

On the Move 

Sound 

Book E 


Animal Groups and Food Chains 

What Do You Eat? 


Inside the Earth 

Earth, Sun and Moon 


Changes 

Dissolving and Separating 


Investigating Sound 

Circuits and Conductors 

Book B 


Food 

Growing Plants 


Day and Night 

My Environment 


Changes in Materials 

Science Magic 


Colour 

Push and Pull 

Book F 


Flowering Plants 

Human Body 


Space 

Conservation 


Structures and Fibres 

Mystery Powders 


Light and Animation 

Simple Machines 

Book C 


Insects 

Minibeasts 


Rocks and Soils 

Fossils 


Properties of Materials 

Recycling 


Light and Shadows 

Solar Energy 

Book G 


Endangered Species 

Ecosystems 


Erosion 

A Restless Earth 


Kitchen Science 

Liquids 


Time 

Energy and its Uses 

Book D 


Life Cycles 

Adaptations 


Investigating Weather 

Changes to the Local Environment 


Changing State 

Structures 


Magnets 

Flight 



Display Copy 

vi 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 


Essential Science Resources 

Below is a list of essential items for every 

science classroom. By collecting and storing 

these materials, time will be saved when 

preparing for science experiments and 

investigations. 

plastic cups............................................. 

coloured pencils, crayons........................ 

measuring jugs....................................... 

jars and bottles with lids......................... 

coloured crepe paper streamers.............. 

empty buckets and containers................ 

lids - plastic, tin....................................... 

sticky tape, glue, scissors......................... 

aprons/shirts to protect clothes.............. 

paper towel............................................ 

rulers, metre sticks, trundle wheel.......... 

counters, marbles, stones, buttons.......... 

sugar, flour, salt....................................... 

modelling clay........................................ 

paperclips............................................... 

food colouring........................................ 

straws..................................................... 

tissues, corks, plastic blocks..................... 

paper - A4 and A3................................... 

balloons.................................................. 

pop sticks................................................ 

coloured card.......................................... 

cotton wool, string, wool, ....................... 

split pins................................................. 

torches.................................................... 

plastic bags............................................. 

soap, oil.................................................. 

mirrors.................................................... 

milk and egg cartons.............................. 

vinegar, lemon juice................................ 

magnets................................................. 

aluminiumfoil, cling wrap...................... 

bicarbonate of soda................................ 

funnels................................................... 

candles................................................... 

pipe-cleaners.......................................... 

Resources 

Materials Needed for Primary Science – Book D 

Below are the resources needed to conduct the activities described in this book. The items in italics 

are optional and may be collected to enrich the lesson. Not mentioned are those items included in 

the ‘Essential Science Resources’ list. 

Life Cycles 

• area of school grounds with a diverse plant 

population 

• photographs, charts, books of: animals at 

different stages of their life cycle; endangered 

species; plants and plant life cycles 

• frogs eggs or tadpoles, an aquarium or 

container for storing eggs/tadpoles, shallow 

water, rocks, water weed or pond weed, fish 

food 

Adaptations 

• access to school grounds 

• cactus • binoculars 

• photographs, charts, books: 

of plants and animals that have identifiable 

adaptations and are from a variety of 

environments; e.g. hot, cold; 

showing animal behaviour (e.g. flocks, 

colour changes, human clothing for weather 

conditions) for adaptation; birds 


• kettle 

• sand 

• oven gloves • bottle caps 

• masking tape • wooden block 

• dowel rod • yoghurt pots 

• pebbles/small rocks • soil, plants 

• local newspapers for each day of 

the school week 

• 2-litre soft drink bottles 

• television and video to view taped weather 

reports from previous night 

• photographs and pictures of: 

the water cycle; different types of weather; 

crops; people and places experiencing different 

strengths of wind; cyclones and the devastation 

they can cause 

• a kite 


• an area of the school grounds where the soil is 

in poor condition 

• pictures, postcards, artefacts, newspaper 

clippings, archive pictures and maps of the 

local community in the past 

• a person willing to discuss the changes that 

have occurred to the environment in the local 

community over the past 50 years 

• video displaying human-made environmental 

changes and people who are protesting the 

changes 

• pictures of farming equipment used at the turn 

of the century and the machines used today 


• perfume • cordial 

• marbles • borax 

• ice cubes • rock 

• apple 

• potato 

• large tray • balloon 

• bicarbonate of soda • vinegar 

• kettle 

• hand lens 

• solids – pencils, marbles, pots etc. 

• liquids – dishwashing liquid, cordial, water etc. 

• trapped gases – gas bottle, air in a balloon, 

sparkling drink etc. 

• electric frying pan with lid 

• three pieces of steel wool 

• two small snap-lock plastic bags 

• plastic bottles (with narrow necks) 

• pictures of snow and snowflakes, gems or crystals, 

sand, sugar 

Structures and Construction 

• plastic drinking straws (30 per group) 

• dressmaking pins (30 per group) 

• pictures of different types of bridges 

Magnets 

• magnets – bar, horseshoe etc. 

• variety of materials to test – bottle caps, cloth, 

aluminiumcans, bolts, nuts, safety pins, cotton 

wool, thumb tacks, crayons, chalk, aluminium 

foil, coins etc. 

• paperclips (20 per group) 

• iron filings • paper plates 

Flight 

• straws • paperclips 

• paper 

• measuring tape 

• metre rulers 

• stiff card – cereal packs 

• cardboard, styrofoam or balsa 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

vii

Life Cycles 

• Can identify the life cycles of familiar living things. 

• Understands that animals are at greater risk of harm at certain 

stages in a life cycle. 

• Identifies possible reasons for animals being threatened or 

endangered. 

Adaptations 

• Understands the meaning of adaptation. 

• Identifies leaves to suit a specific climate. 

• Describes food to best suit bird beak shapes. 

• Identifies animals and their adaptations. 


• Develops an understanding of the different stages of the water 

cycle. 

• Describes the importance of weather information to community 

groups such as farmers. 

• Describes an experiment that measures rain and identifies 

possible improvements to the accuracy of the investigation. 

• Draws an anemometer and describes how it measures wind. 

Assessment - Indicators 

Below are the indicators taken fromthe assessment pages for each unit in Primary Science – Book D. These 

indicators can be transferred across to the assessment proforma on the accompanying page. By using proformas, 

teachers can meet the needs of outcome–based learning experiences in science. The format of each page is ideal 

for inclusion in student portfolios, or for reporting purposes. Using proformas allows teachers to provide a well 

explained, logically presented indication of progress to both students and parents. Indicators have been developed 

as a basis for determining progress towards achieving that outcome. 


• Recognises factors that create our environment. 

• Identifies that some influences on our environment can have 

negative and positive effects. 

• Compares the local environment to 50 years ago. 

• Describes changes to farming in the last century and the effect it 

has on the land. 

• Identifies ways to improve the condition of soil in the local area. 


• Identifies key words describing changes in the state of matter. 

• Lists examples of solids, liquids or gases. 

• Distinguishes between a solid, liquid and gas. 

• Describes how water changes when it is heated or frozen. 

Structures and Construction 

• Identifies rigid shapes. 

• Draws a rigid share made from a single sheet of paper. 

• Identifies rigid shapes made from paper. 

Magnets 

• Identifies differences in magnetic and non-magnetic materials. 

• Shows understanding of magnetic facts. 

• Draws ‘patterns’ to show understanding of magnetic poles. 

• Understands the correct terms ‘attract’ and ‘repel’. 

• Uses knowledge of magnets to solve a problem. 

Flight 

• Describes how a variety of flying machines move. 

• Describes an alteration made to improve the performance of a 

flying machine. 

• Evaluates that alteration’s success. 

• Discusses how extra weight affects the performance of a flying 

machine. 

Using the Assessment Proforma 

An explanation of how to use the proforma is outlined below. 

Fill in the appropriate learning area. 

For example : 

Earth and Beyond – Time 



Display Copy 

Give a brief description of the 

activities in the unit and what 

was expected of the students. 

Write the relevant 

outcome(s) from 

the unit. 

Use this space to comment on an 

individual student’s performance 

which can not be indicated in 

the formal assessment, such as 

work habits or particular needs 

or abilities. 

List the indicators 

assessed in the unit. 

viii 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 


Assessment Proforma 

Name Year Term 

Learning Area 

Tasks 

Your child was asked to: 

Outcomes 

Assessment 

Your child can: Still Developing Understanding 



Display Copy 

Teacher Comment 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

ix

An explanation of the science skills used in Primary Science books A – G is detailed below. 

Observing 

Inferring 

Students naturally observe the world around them. This involves When a student suggests a possible explanation for something that 

describing things, seeing how they change and exploring how things has been observed, he or she is making an inference, or inferring. Prior 

work. Observations can require the use of special tools such as hand knowledge and the senses are combined to make predictions and 

lenses and viewing multimedia resources. However, this is not essential interpret observations. 

in the primary classroom. It is important that students know the 

difference between an observation and an inference. An observation Following a Procedure 

is a fact whereas an inference is when prior knowledge and the senses Fromthe very early years, students can begin to follow procedures to 

combine to make a prediction. 

investigate the world around them. Through clear verbal or written 

Communicating 

Many science lessons today include collaborative learning. Students 

work in small groups, which encourages themto communicate with 

their peers. They develop this skill by sharing their observations and 

ideas. Another means of developing communication is by students 

verbally sharing their findings with the teacher and the class. Science 

journals can be used for students to record their ideas and to write, 

sketch, create graphs, draw diagrams in etc. 

Measuring 

The measurement of exact information observed and collected in 

science investigations is essential to the conduct of experiments. In the 

early years, students make simple comparisons by using nonstandard 

measurements such as hand or body lengths or cut lengths of string 

or paper. Student use phrases like ‘bigger than’ or ‘wider than’. In 

later years, students begin to use standard measuring units such as 

centimetres, grams and litres and tools such as thermometers and 

clocks. 

Predicting 

When students make a guess about what they think will happen and 

use their past observations and experiences as the foundation of that 

guess, they are predicting. Predictions are recorded before the activity 

takes place so that the prediction and what really happened can be 

compared. In upper primary, students begin to hypothesise. This is the 

process by which a number of observations are recorded and a general 

explanation is given. 

Using the Skills Assessment Proforma 

An explanation of how to use the proforma is outlined below. 

Science Skills 

instructions, students follow steps to find results. 

Classifying 

When student are asked to organise objects and materials into groups, 

they are classifying. Groups are made by sorting the objects that have 

similar properties. Classifying activities include sorting objects into 

designated groups or choosing the type of groups that the objects will 

be classified in to. 

Interpreting Data 

After observations and measurements have taken place, results are 

gathered and the data presented as charts, tables, graphs etc. These data 

are studied to identify any patterns that exist, the relationship between 

the two variables and the direction and extent of change. 

Formulating Hypotheses 

Fromthe results of a number of observations, students are able to 

incorporate their findings to and try to think of a reason that explains 

why something happens. A hypothesis refers to an explanation of why 

something occurs. 

Working with Others 

Through collaborative learning, students share their ideas, observations 

and findings. They work with others to get a better idea of what 

something is and how it works. 

Designing Experiments 

In the upper years, students begin to design their own experiments to 

investigate a problem. 



Display Copy 

Fill in the appropriate learning area: 

For example : Earth and Beyond – Time 

Mark the skills that have been 

addressed in the science unit. 

Give a brief description of the activities in 

the unit formulated to assist the students 

to develop and use these skills. 

Use this space to comment on an individual 

student’s performance which can not be 

indicated in the formal assessment, such as 

particular needs or abilities. 

x 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 


Skills Assessment Proforma 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

xi

Outcome Links 

Units 

National Outcome Links 

WA 

Vic. 

SA 

Qld 

NSW 

Life Cycles 

Adaptations 

Investigating 

Weather 

Changes to the 

Local 

Environment 


Structures 

Magnets 

Flight 


2.8 Links observable features to their functions in 

familiar living things. 

2.9 Compares and contrasts similarities within and 

between groups of familiar living things. 


2.1 Records way we monitor and use information 

about changes to the Earth. 

2.2 Describes changes that occur in the local 

environment. 


2.11 Describes the substructure of some common 

materials. 

2.12 Distinguishes between changes that cannot be 

readily reversed and those that can. 


2.5 Describes properties of light, sound, heating and 

movement. 

2.6 Describes observable changes that occur in two 

objects that interact, identifying the energy source 

and receiver. 

LL3 BS3.1 2.5 3.1, 3.2 LT S2.3 

LL3 BS3.2 2.6 3.2, 3.3 LT S2.3 

EB3 E+SS3.1 2.1 3.1 ES S2.6 

EB3 E+SS3.2 2.1 3.3, D3.5 ES S2.6 

NPM3 CS3.1 2.7 3.1 BE S2.1 

NPM3 CS3.2 2.8 3.1, 3.2, BE S2.1 

D3.4 

EC3 PS3.2 2.4 3.2, D3.5 PP S2.4 

EC3 PS3.2 2.3 3.2, D3.5 PP S2.4 



Display Copy 

South Australian acknowledgment 

The extracts fromthe South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework published by kind permission of the Department of Education, Training 

and Employment, Banksia Avenue, Seacombe Gardens, South Australia, 5047. Phone (08) 8377 0399 

NATIONAL OUTCOMES acknowledgment 

The extracts fromthe National Statement and Profiles. Permission has been given by the publisher, CurriculumCorporation, POBox 177, Carlton South, Victoria 3053. 

http://www.curriculum.edu.au Email: sales@curriculum.edu.au Tel.: (03) 9207 9600 Fax: (03) 9639 1616 

xii 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 


life cycles 

frogs 

life cycle of a frog 

life cycle of a plant 

sea turtles 

endangered species 

Life Goes Around and Around 

Life Cycle of a Frog 

Plant Life Cycle Survey 

The Sea Turtle 

Life Cycles 

So far, the earliest frog we know about lived in the 

Jurassic Period – that’s about 190 million years ago. 

Fossils from that time show that frogs have changed 

very little. They probably developed those powerful 

hopping legs so they could get out of the way of 

hungry dinosaurs. 

adolescent 

burrow 

cycle 

develop 

endangered 

extinction 

fertilise 

flower 

frog 

fruit 

germinate 

grow 

hatchlings 



Display Copy 

larva 

life 

observe 

pupa 

repeat 

roots 

seedling 

senior 

species 

stage 

survive 

tadpole 

turtle 

Name: 

PRIMARY SCIENCE ~ R.I.C. Publications ® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au 1 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Life Cycles – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.9 Compares and contrasts 

similarities and differences 

within and between 

groups of familiar living 

things. 

Indicators 

• Identifies changes during 

the life cycles of familiar 

living things or natural 

processes. 

Skills Focus 

• Predicts 

• Records 

• Communicating 

Background Information 

Cyclic patterns occur in nature. 

The most obvious of these 

are the life cycles of different 

animals, including humans. 

Other cycles involve weather, 

climate, the passing of time 

(days, weeks, months, years), 

water etc. The repetitive nature 

of life on Earth is a concept 

that can be reinforced from 

many perspectives. 

Before the Lesson 

Materials Needed 

Photographs and charts of animals at different stages of their life cycle, or life 

cycle charts. 

Preparation 

• Collect charts and photographs of animals at different stages in their life cycle. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Use photographs and charts to show a variety of animals at different stages of 

their life cycle. Discuss the differences between a caterpillar and a butterfly. How 

can these be the same animal? Talk about the differences between a tadpole and 

a frog. How can these be the same animal? Introduce the concept of animals 

developing as part of a cycle. Discuss ‘cyclic’ terms (for example, larvae, pupa, 

seedling). 

What to Do 

• Ask the students to complete the first part of the activity sheet. How is this cycle a 

cycle of time? What other cycles of time are there? 

• Students complete the four cycles by drawing and naming the steps in each cycle. 

They discuss their ideas with a partner 

• When the students have completed the task, discuss each cycle to ensure the 

correct steps are included. 

• Complete the lesson by getting students to name other life cycles. 

After the Lesson 

Answers 

1. morning afternoon night morning afternoon night 

2. (b) seed seedling flower fruit 

(b) egg larva pupa adult 

(c) winter spring summer autumn 

(d) baby child adolescent/teenager adult senior 

Additional Activities 

• Explore the cycles of animals that hibernate; for example, the life cycle of bears. 

Display Ideas 

• Students look through magazines and find pictures of people in one of the five 

stages of their life cycle. The pictures can be glued on black card, labelled and have 

arrows attached to show the order. 

• Other posters of life cycles can be created and displayed. The students can draw, 

paint or use pictures from the Internet and put them in the correct order, showing 

the cycle. 



Display Copy 

2 PRIMARY SCIENCE ~ R.I.C. Publications ® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au 

ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Many parts of life and nature involve a cycle. A cycle is something that goes through stages and repeats itself. 

1. 

2. 

a 

c 

Today is a cycle. Complete the cycle of a day. 

Morning Night Afternoon 

Complete the missing parts of these cycles. 

seed 

baby 

winter 

b 

d 

egg 

pupa 



Display Copy 

spring 

adult 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.9 Compares and 

contrasts similarities 

and differences within 

and between groups of 

familiar living things. 

Indicators 

• Identifies changes during 

the life cycle of a frog. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Observes 

• Shows responsibility and 

care 

• Collects data 

• Evaluates 


Collecting animals for 

observation should only be 

done if the animals are not 

harmed. In the case of this 

observation, a good supply 

of water and food will ensure 

the survival of the tadpoles. 

Once developed into frogs the 

animals should be released 

into the environment where 

they were found. 

There are numerous Internet 

web sites that explore the life 

cycle of a frog and provide 

detailed information on it. 


Note: this lesson can be approached in two ways. 

(i) by collecting frogs eggs or tadpoles and observing their life cycle in class. 

(ii) by using only the worksheet to identify the life cycle of a frog. 


Frogs eggs or tadpoles, an aquarium or container for storing eggs/tadpoles, 

shallow water, rocks, water weed or pond weed, fish food (live from the pond or 

little pieces of hard-boiled eggs), a variety of resoures on the life cycle of a frog. 

Preparation 

• Ensure your container is prepared using water from the same environment the 

eggs/tadpoles were collected from. Keep the terrarium away from heaters and 

chalk dust. 

• Collect posters, books or charts to show the lifecycle of a frog. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• The stimulus for this lesson could involve a field trip to collect frogs’ eggs or 

tadpoles. Alternatively the eggs/tadpoles could be collected prior to the lesson and 

introduced to the prepared enclosure at this time. Use collected resources on the 

frog life cycle to discuss with students. 

What to Do 

• Using the worksheet, show the students the change that is expected over the 

coming weeks as the tadpoles develop into frogs. 

• Frog observations should occur weekly. The students record development and 

compare changes from the previous week. 

• At each observation, students should identify the stage of development. 


Answers 

Teacher check 


• Identify frogs native to the local environment. 

• Use books and the Internet to identify unique and interesting frogs. Research the 

countries they live in. 

• Explore how frogs are seen as a key indicator to the stability and health of an 

environment/ecosystem. 

Display Ideas 

• Take photographs of the students collecting the frogs and tadpoles, and 

introducing them to their new environment. Display with appropriate captions. 

• Identify frogs from around the world. Display drawings and research about each 

frog around a world map. Use string to show the country where they can be 

found. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



The tadpole has now 

developed into an adult frog and 

can move easily on land and water. 

The female frog lays eggs which are 

fertilised by the male frog. 

The tadpole continues to grow and 

starts to look like a frog with a tail. 

Frog Observations 

The tadpole hatches from 

the egg, breathing 

through gills. 

The tadpole develops legs and lungs. 

Date Drawing Changes 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 






things. 

Indicators 

• Locates plants and 

identifies at which stage in 

a life cycle they currently 

are. 

Skills Focus 

• Classifies 

• Observes 

• Records 

• Infers 



Plants can reproduce 

themselves from seeds, spores 

or by using parts of the plant 

itself (e.g. stem cuttings). 

Most make seeds that can be 

dispersed by the wind, people, 

water or animals. When the 

seeds have the right conditions 

to grow (space, food, water, 

light) they start to germinate. 

Once the seedling starts to 

grow out of the seed it also 

develops roots. The young 

plant continues to grow 

developing a stem, leaves and, 

later, bearing flowers and fruits. 

The flower is the reproductive 

organ of the plant. Pollination 

of the flower leads to the 

making of more seeds and the 

cycle continues. 

Non-flowering plants such 

as ferns and mushrooms 

reproduce through spores, 

usually found on the underside 

of the plant. 



Area of school grounds with a diverse plant population, a dry day, posters, charts 

or books about plants and plant life cycles. 

Preparation 

• Note: This lesson can be approached in two ways: 

(i) the students can find their own 30 different plants in the school grounds to 

survey. 

(ii) 30 plants can be found and marked by the teacher first. The teacher then 

designates students to specific areas. 

• Organise the class into small groups (suggest 3 – 4). 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Discuss the life cycle of a plant and how all flowers and plants follow the same 

cycle. 

• Discuss the terminology and features relating to each part of the cycle (seeds, 

seedlings, flowers, fruit etc.). 

• Explain how the students are going to locate 30 different plants to observe and 

identify the stage each plant is at, in that cycle. 

What to Do 

• Explain how each plant should be observed and recorded. (Revise what makes a 

tally if necessary.) 

• Students locate and observe 30 plants. This number can be increased or decreased 

depending on the availability of plants. 

• Discuss observations. Does the season have any effect on the findings? Are there 

any other influences? 

Note: If the students come across a plant they are unsure of, take a note of where 

it can be found so that it can be checked and studied when time allows. 


Answers 

Answers will vary. 


• Conduct this activity at another time of the year and compare the results. 

• Identify any plants students could not classify. Where are they in their cycle? Why 

was there a difficulty? 

Display Ideas 

• Make a class or group graph of the results collected about plants in different 

stages of a cycle. 

• Make a large chart showing the life cycle of a plant. Label sections and add simple 

statements about the changes that occur in each stage. Add arrows to show the 

cycle. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. 

2. 

In this activity you will survey 30 different plants in your school grounds. Observe each plant. 

Make a tally in the box which best describes the life cycle stage of the plants found. 

seed 

seedling 

plant in flower 

plant in fruit 

other 

Tally 

What can you say about the plants in your school grounds? 

Places Found 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Life Cycle – Activity 4 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 






things. 

Indicators 

• Identifies how stages in 

an animals life cycle can 

contribute to its chances 

of survival. 

Skills Focus 

• Analyses text 

• Infers 

• Investigates 

• Summarises 


At certain stages in its life cycle 

an animal may be vulnerable. 

The example given is that of a 

sea turtle which, as a newborn, 

must survive a trip across sand 

to reach the safety of water. At 

this stage it is highly vulnerable 

to birds and other predators. 

This is one reason why a turtle 

lays large numbers of eggs. 

Nature has provided protection 

to vulnerable species by 

ensuring large numbers of 

young are born, allowing 

for high rates of mortality. In 

addition to the pressures of 

nature, humans have, through 

their development, created 

increasing pressure on many 

animal species. 

The spread of population and 

development of beaches have 

increased pressure on turtles 

which will return to the same 

beach to breed each season. 



Photographs, charts, books of endangered species, Internet access 

Preparation 

• Collect books about endangered animals, encyclopaedias and CD-ROMs. Bookmark 

websites on the Internet that contain appropriate images and text about 

endangered animals. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Read the passage on the sea turtle from the worksheet. Discuss the turtle’s life 

cycle and how the turtle is endangered while out of the water. 

What to Do 

• After discussing the life cycle, have students suggest three reasons why the turtle’s 

life cycle can contribute to its extinction. 

• Discuss how the spread of human civilisation has created pressure on many animal 

species. Students list three ways in which this has affected the sea turtle. 

• Discuss what animals would have existed in your local environment before it was 

settled by humans. Students suggest how the life cycle of these animals made them 

vulnerable to human development. 

• Discuss how some animals (generally larger animals) are more vulnerable to human 

development than smaller species such as insects. 

• Use the research materials to find out more about one endangered animal 

(working individually or in pairs). Record and summarise the information and 

present it to the class. Discuss the types of threats to these endangered animals 

(for example, poaching, deforestation). Are any threats more common than 

others? 


Answers 

1. The breeding cycle means that young turtles, when making their way to the water, 

are vulnerable to attack by birds and other predators. 

2. Human activity has had a negative effect on the turtle population. Activities such as 

hunting, egg collecting, lights on beaches and human activity have reduced nesting 

areas and affected the survival rate of hatchlings. 

3. Answers will vary. 

4. Teacher check 


• Identify the life cycle of a mammal or bird now extinct from your local 

environment. Describe how the life cycle contributed to the animal’s extinction 

from the environment. 

Display Ideas 

• Display research reports completed by students about an endangered animal. 

Reports could include locations, descriptions, habitats, food, special features and 

threats leading to endangerment. 

• Draw or collect pictures of endangered species to make a collage. Label with titles 

or special facts. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



The life cycle of some animals makes their survival very difficult. This has combined with the threat posed 

by human development, leading to numerous animals becoming endangered. 

2. 

The Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle 

The sea turtle is a very fast animal when in the water. On land the 

turtle is very slow. In the life cycle of a turtle the female 

must leave the water and lay hundreds of eggs in deep 

burrows in the sand. When the young turtles hatch they 

must get from the burrow to the water across many metres of 

sand. There are only eight species of sea turtle and they face 

extinction from many different directions. 

1. Describe how the sea turtle’s life cycle contributes to it being in danger of extinction. 

4. 

List other reasons why you think the sea turtle 

is an endangered species. 

a 

b 

c 

3. 

What animals native to your local environment 

have become endangered? How has their life 

cycle contributed to this? 



Display Copy 

Complete the box below with facts you have found about one endangered animal. 

Name: 

Where found: 

Why is it endangered? 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Life Cycles 

Assessment 

1. 

Complete the missing pictures and number these life cycles in the order they occur. 

2. 

Plant 

Human 

Describe how an animal’s 

life cycle can affect its chances of survival. 



Display Copy 

3. Many animals are endangered or threatened. List two possible reasons for this. 

Indicators 

• Can identify the life cycles of familiar living things. 

Demonstrated Needs further 

opportunity 

Self-assessment 

• Understands that animals are at greater risk of harm at certain stages in a life cycle. 

• Identifies possible reasons for animals being threatened or endangered. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

animal adaptation 

plant adaptation 

adaptations in the desert 

adaptations in the rainforest 

adaptations in alpine regions 

animal behaviour 

animal survival 

plant survival 

Adaptations 

Plant Adaptations 

Animal Adaptations 

Adapting Behaviour 

Adaptations 

A walrus can sleep while it swims. It has air sacs 

in its throat that fill and act as floats, so it can bob 

vertically in the water and sleep. 

The Rafflesia rainforest plant is a parasite. It 

attaches itself to roots for food and water. Its 

flower grows to a metre wide and smells like 

rotting meat to attract flies for pollination. 

adaptation 

animal 

beak 

behaviour 

bill 

climate 

environment 



Display Copy 

feral 

human 

moisture 

plant 

prey 

survey 

survive 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Adaptations 

Adaptations – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.8 Links observable features 

to their functions in living 

things. 

Indicators 

• Observes plants and 

animals in the local 

environment. 

• Identifies how plants and 

animals have adapted in 

order to survive. 

Skills Focus 

• Observes 

• Communicates 

• Identifies 

• Infers 



Adaptations are features or 

characteristics of plants and 

animals that help them to 

survive in their environment. 

Adaptations can include 

colour, size, shape, habits and 

many other characteristics. 

For example, many fish lay 

millions of eggs at a time. This 

increases the chances that a 

small percentage will survive 

and reach adult breeding 

age. Another example is the 

way in which many Australian 

gum trees have long, slender 

leaves. The shape ensures that 

not too much light or heat 

is absorbed. The opposite 

applies to plants in cooler 

climates. 

Every organism has some 

form of adaptation to help 

its endeavour to survive and 

continue the species. 



Access to school grounds, clipboards (optional), paper, charts/pictures of plants and 

animals that have identifiable adaptations and are from a variety of environments; 

e.g. hot, cold. 

Preparation 

Collect charts/pictures of a variety of plants and animals that have identifiable 

adaptations (e.g. camel, polar bear, cactus, eucalyptus trees). 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Use the photographs to show a variety of plants and animals. Discuss how each 

has developed to survive in its environment. Introduce the word ‘adaptation’ and 

explain its meaning (see Background Information). 

What to Do 

• Discuss the two examples on the worksheet. What adaptations does each one 

have? Note them. Would they be able to survive without these features – Why 

not? 

• Have students observe plants and animals in their local school environment. Make 

note about their findings. 

• List on the blackboard plants and animals found in the local environment. 

• Each student selects one plant and one animal. Draw a picture of each and suggest 

what adaptations it has to help it survive in its environment. 

• Discuss the suggestions of the students and identify adapted features of local flora 

and fauna. 


Answers 

1. Teacher check. Possible solutions: 

(a) Sharp curved beak to tear meat, long claws for clasping prey, large wingspan 

for powerful flight with little effort, large eyes to see prey easily. 

(b) Few or no leaves or flowers (to reduce transpiration), stores or conserves 

water. 



• Discuss whether plants or animals studied in the lesson would be able to survive in 

different environments. 

• Discuss the issue of feral plants and animals. How do they survive in new 

environments? Why are they seen as a threat to the environment? 

Display Ideas 

• Research special adaptations of plants and animals for different environments and 

biomes (e.g. tundra, desert, rainforest). Display examples from each environment 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Adaptations 

1. 

2. 

Plants and animals have adaptations that help them to survive in their environment. Those plants and 

animals best adapted will survive and reproduce. 

List some features you think these plants and animals have that help them to survive. 

a 

Identify a plant and an animal living in your local environment. 

Draw each one and suggest how each has adapted to survive in the environment. 

Animal 

b 

Plant 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




things. 

Indicators 

• Observes native and 

introduced plants in the 

local environment. 

• Identifies the plant’s 

ability to survive and to 

adapt. 

Skills Focus 

• Observes 

• Infers 



Plants adapt in many ways to 

survive in the environment. To 

assess this we need to look 

at the survival requirements 

of plants, such as sunlight, 

water and nutrition. Each 

environment has a different 

mix of these requirements and 

therefore plants have adapted 

to suit. 

Some examples of how plants 

adapt include: 

(i) Leaf Shape: The less 

available sun the greater 

the surface area of plants’ 

leaves to collect the 

available light. Many 

Australian plant species 

have narrow leaves to 

avoid excessive sunlight. 

(ii) Root Structure: This is 

adapted to match the 

availability of water, 

with some plants being 

capable of chasing water 

hundreds of metres 

beneath the surface. 

Other plants use roots 

to hang on in rocky 

environments and high 

wind areas. 

(iii) Seed Dispersal: The 

number of seeds 

dispersed by a plant 

may reflect its chance of 

survival. The method of 

dispersal also determines 

how far the seeds are 

dispersed. 

(Note: There are many 

different plant adaptation 

techniques, of which these 

are only a few.) 



Cactus (optional), clipboard (optional), posters, charts, books showing a variety of 

plants and adaptations 

Preparation 

Prepare for students to observe native and introduced plant species in the school 

grounds. Choose a number of plants that can be observed. 

Note: There will need to be a selection of introduced and native plants for the 

students to study. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Discuss the cactus plant from the previous lesson and explain how the cactus 

survives in hot conditions by storing water in fleshy stems and leaves and then 

protecting the water from evaporation by a thick waxy coating. A piece of cactus 

plant can be used to show this. Discuss how other plants adapt. Make a blackboard 

list of adaptations. Use plant visual resources and discuss possible adaptations. 

What to Do 

• Have students discuss with a partner which leaf they believe is best suited to 

survival in a hot climate and to give reasons for their selection. 

• Students indicate their selection and provide reasons. (The long narrow leaf is best 

suited as it presents a smaller surface area to the sun, preventing excessive water 

loss.) 

• Survey plants in the school grounds, including native and introduced species. 

Students select two of each, draw the leaf shape and then rate each plant on its 

suitability to survive (naturally) in the environment. 

• Discuss the findings of the survey. How would these plants survive in a totally 

natural environment (e.g. no sprinklers)? 


Answers 

1. The long narrow leaf is best suited as it presents a smaller surface area to the sun, 

preventing excessive water loss. 



• Discuss the difference between deciduous and evergreen plant species. How is this 

general classification also an adaptation? 

Display Ideas 

• Collect or draw a variety of plants. Research to find out about their special 

adaptations to their environment. Display with students’ reports to accompany the 

pictures. 

• The students take photographs of the plants they studied in the school grounds. 

A display board can be divided into ‘poorly adapted’ and ‘well adapted’ and the 

appropriate photographs added. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy



1. 

The Australian climate is warm to hot in summer. Plants need moisture to survive. Colour the leaf below 

which you think would be best suited to survival in a hot climate – explain your reason. 

2. 

big leaf long skinny leaf fern leaf 

Use the grid to record the results of your survey. 

a 

b 



Display Copy 

c 

d 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




things. 

Indicators 

• Observes native birds in 

the local environment. 

• Identifies how they have 

adapted in order to 

survive. 

Skills Focus 

• Observes 

• Infers 




Birds come in many shapes, 

colours and sizes. Bird 

adaptations come in the size, 

shape and function of their 

bills, feet and wings, although 

there are other adaptive 

features. 

Bills: The bills or beaks of 

a bird are adapted to suit 

feeding habits and will come 

in many different shapes and 

sizes. For example, a bird’s 

bill may be long and tubular 

to draw nectar from within a 

flower, or strong and chisellike 

to search for insects in 

the bark of trees, or short 

and hard to break open seed 

casings, or strong and hooked 

to tear meat. 

Feet: Birds can have long legs 

and feet for wading in water, 

webbed feet for paddling in 

water, strong sharp talons for 

grasping prey, or agile and 

nimble to grasp trees and 

branches, or strong and short 

to scratch the dirt. 

Wings: The wings of a bird 

have been adapted to suit 

water birds, or allow them to 

fly and glide to great heights, 

to fly quickly, or to hover over 

a flower. 

(Note: There are many more 

adaptations of birds.) 



Pictures, books and charts of birds, binoculars (optional) 

Preparation 

Prepare for students to observe bird species in the school grounds. Have students 

bring binoculars if available. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Discuss the pictures of different birds collected and identify the adaptations of 

each. Discuss the parts of a bird that could be adapted; e.g. beak, feet, wings, 

colouring etc. 

What to Do 

• Have students select which bird from the activity sheet is best adapted to feed on 

the nectar of flowers and explain their selection. 

• Discuss the selection process from the first activity. 

• Explain how you are going to observe birds in the school grounds to identify their 

beak structure and the type of feeding they are adapted to. 

• Each student identifies four birds and sketches the beak shape. Explain that 

observing the birds’ behaviour may also give clues to their feeding habits. 

• Discuss the students’ records. Identify relationships between beak shapes and food 

types. Prepare a chart that illustrates the class’s observations. 


Answers 

1. (a) Thin pointed bill to feed on pollen. 



• Develop and draw a chart of different bird beaks, feet or wings and list their 

purpose. 

• Develop a bird roll for the school environment. Record the appearance and identity 

of different bird species over a period. Research to find out more about each 

species. 

Display Ideas 

• Draw or collect pictures of a variety of animals to make a collage. Label their 

special features and adaptations. 

• Have the students be creative and draw a bird designed to suit specific habitats or 

food. 

Examples: food – eats tough seeds 

– eats insects under bark 

– spears frogs and fish 

– scoops food from water 

body – has a tail like a support 

– wings for soaring 

– floats like a boat 

What it does – perches in trees 

– catches live prey 

– wades in shallow water 

• Display designs with a report about its name, its features and how it uses them. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. Birds are adapted to suit their environment and the way they feed. Colour the bird below that you think is 

best adapted to feeding on the pollen of plants. Explain why. 

2. 

a b c 

Observe birds in the local environment. Draw the shape of their beaks below and suggest what food they 

are adapted to eat. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




things. 

Indicators 

• Observes adapted 

behaviours in animals of 

the local environment. 

Skills Focus 

• Observes 


• Infers 


Humans are, by far, the species 

with the most adapted and 

flexible behaviours, due 

largely to their higher level 

of intelligence. For example, 

humans can live in all climates 

and even survive in space for 

short periods. 

Nocturnal animals have 

adapted to climate and feeding 

habits to be active at night and 

rest during the day. Birds and 

fish congregate in flocks and 

schools as a method of survival. 

Every animal has behaviour 

traits that assist in their survival 

in the environment. 



Photographs or pictures showing animal behaviour (e.g. flocks, colour changes, 

human clothing for weather conditions) for adaptation. 

Preparation 

Collect pictures and photographs of animals displaying behaviour related to 

adaptation. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Discuss the clothes the students are wearing today. How do these clothes suit what 

they are doing? Discuss, for example, climate, protection, cleanliness, where they 

are. 

Explain how this is an example of human behaviour that is helping us to survive 

in our environment and how our survival could be at risk if we were not dressed 

suitably for the conditions. 

What to Do 

• The first three lessons have looked at physical and structural adaptations of 

plants and animals. This activity looks at how the behaviour of animals is also an 

adaptation that ensures survival. 

• Discuss how ‘slip, slop, slap’ is a behaviour adaptation. One hundred years ago 

sunscreen did not exist and for people of European descent this worsened a 

potential skin cancer risk. Also discuss how Aboriginal Australians had already 

adapted through skin pigmentation and behaviour to be at lesser risk. 

• Have students complete their behaviour profile for winter and summer. Discuss 

results. 

• Students complete nocturnal questions. Discuss how nocturnal feeding is a 

behaviour resulting from climate, availability of food and feeding habits. These 

animals have also adapted their senses, such as sight, to be better suited to 

nocturnal habits. 

• Students observe one animal (bird, insect, mammal etc.) in the school environment 

and record observations relevant to behaviour traits that help the animal to 

survive. Discuss findings with the class. 


Answers 

1. ‘slip, slop, slap’ 

2. Teacher check – (Some suggestions may be to avoid heat during the day, to feed in 

safety from predators.) 



• The students choose an animal or plant and use books, encyclopaedias and the 

Internet to discover the adaptations it has to help it survive in its environment. 

Display Ideas 

• The students display their findings and animal adaptations as a poster or 

information page. 

• Students find out more about nocturnal animals. They find or draw pictures of 

the animals and attach them to an area that has been made to look like its natural 

habitat. This could include a night sky and trees for koalas and possums. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

In Australia we are taught to , and 

when we go out into the sun. This is an example of humans adapting their behaviour to suit the 

environment. Humans are one of very few animals that can adapt to suit almost all environments. 

Describe how you adapt your behaviour in: 

Many Australian animals are ‘nocturnal’. This means they are active at night and rest during 

the day. How do you think this behaviour helps them to survive? 



Display Copy 

Observe one animal in your school environment and describe 

the behaviours that help that animal to survive. 

Animal 

Behaviours 

Draw your animal here. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Adaptations 

Assessment 

1. 

Describe what ‘adaptation’ means. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Circle the leaf that is best suited to a cool climate and tick the leaf best suited to a hot climate. 

a 

long, skinny leaf 

Describe what food each beak is best suited for. 

fern leaf 

Choose two animals. Describe a behaviour each animal has used to help it survive. 

b 



Display Copy 

c 

big leaf 


Indicators 

• Understands the meaning of adaptation. 

• Identifies leaves to suit a specific climate. 

• Describes food to best suit bird beak shapes. 

• Identifies animals and their adaptations to survive. 


opportunity 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

ureau of meteorology 

weather 

meteorology 

atmosphere 

disasters 

water cycle 

news – weather 

The Water Cycle 

Weather Chart 

Measuring Rain 

Wild Winds 

Investigating 

Weather 

Between 1942 and 1977, Ray Sullivan, an American 

parks ranger, was struck by lightning seven times! 

• 1942—lost his big toenail 

• 1969—lost his eyebrows 

• 1970—burns to his shoulder 

• 1972—his hair set on fire 

• 1973—burns to legs and hair caught fire 

• 1976—damaged his ankle 

• 1977—burns to his chest and stomach 

cloud 

condensation 

cyclone 

data 

drought 

equipment 

evaporation 

gas 

gauge 

humidity 

ice 

liquid 

moisture 

pattern 

rain 

solid 

temperature 

vapour 

water 

water cycle 

weather 



Display Copy 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Weather – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.1 Records ways we monitor 

and use information 

about changes to the 

Earth. 

Indicators 

• Develops an 

understanding of the 

different stages of the 

water cycle. 

• Follows a procedure to 

create a miniature water 

cycle. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Observes 

• Follows procedures 


The water cycle is fundamental 

to our understanding of 

weather patterns. The planet’s 

water is moving constantly. 

This circulation of water 

gives us an environment that 

sustains life. 

Water can exist in three 

different states: liquid, solid 

(ice) and vapour (steam). 

Specific conditions are needed 

for water to be able to change 

states between a solid, liquid 

and a gas. 

Tiny droplets of water (water 

vapour) exist in the air as 

clouds. When the temperature 

drops, the vapour condenses 

and falls as rain. If it is very 

cold, the rain will fall as hail 

or snow. The water on the 

land drains to a low point 

until it reaches lakes, rivers or 

the ocean. Heat from the sun 

makes the water evaporate, 

turn into water vapour and rise 

again. 



Poster or pictures of the water cycle, kettle, mirror, oven glove, jars with screw-top lids, 

soil, plants, sand, bottle caps, pebbles or small rocks—enough for one per group. 

Preparation 

• Organise the students into small groups. Divide the materials for the miniature water cycle 

among the groups. Have the materials on the tables. Suggestion: Prepare your own water 

cycle as a model to demonstrate to the students. Ensure that it is kept in a cool place prior 

to the lesson so that evaporation or condensation does not begin. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Go outside and look at the sky. (Warn the students that it is dangerous to look directly at 

the sun!) Ask the students to list what they can see in the sky. Talk about what clouds are 

made of. 

What to Do 

Evaporation: when water changes state from a liquid to a gas through heating. 

• Place a shallow plate with water on a sunny windowsill. Check every thirty minutes or so. 

Where does the water go? Explain that the water (as a liquid) becomes vapour (gas) in the 

air, by heating. 

Condensation: when water changes state from a gas to a liquid through cooling. 

• Pour water into a kettle. Explain that water is in its liquid form. Boil the kettle. Point out 

the steam (water vapour) that is coming out of the kettle when it is boiling. Above the 

kettle place a large mirror that has been in the fridge. (Wear oven gloves for this part of the 

demonstration.) Show the students the droplets of water that have formed on the mirror. 

The water vapour is cooled by the mirror and turns back into a liquid. 

• Show the students a diagram of the water cycle. Go through the different stages, explaining 

the terms; for example, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, solar heating, vapour, 

transpiration. 

• In small groups, students create their own miniature water cycle by following the 

procedures at the bottom of the blackline. They can then observe the water cycle in action. 

Class discussions of what is being observed in the jar can follow. 


Answers 

4 

5 

6 

2 

1 



Display Copy 

3 


• Once the students have finished creating their ‘mini’ water cycle models, they can observe 

them over a number of days. Sunny days will work best. They can complete an evaluation 

sheet that includes: 

• What materials did you use? • What did you do? 

• What happened? • Draw your ‘mini’ water cycle. 

• Was your experiment a success? • What improvements would you make? 

Display Ideas 

• A large poster of the water cycle can be displayed. The students can add their own notes 

to describe and explain each part of the cycle. Encourage the correct use of the words 

‘evaporation’ and ‘condensation’. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. 

2. 

a 

b 

c 

Colour the picture of the water cycle. 

Read the sentences below. Write the numbers in the correct boxes on the diagram. 

Add arrows to the diagram to show how the water cycle works. 

1. Vapour cools and falls as rain, snow or hail 

onto the land. 

3. Rivers flow into the sea. 

5. Water from oceans, lakes and trees evaporates. 

Make your own miniature water cycle. 

What you need: 

• big glass jar with a screw-top lid 

• soil 

• sand 

• plants 

• bottle cap 

• pebbles or small rocks 

What happened: 

‘Mini’ Water Cycle 

2. Water drains into rivers. 

4. Sun heats water on Earth. 

6. Vapour rises into the air and forms clouds. 

What to do: 

1. Add your small rocks or pebbles to the jar first, 

then the sand and finally the soil. 

2. Add your plant to the soil. 

3. Fill your bottle cap with water and place it in the 

jar. 

4. Put the lid on the jar and put it in a sunny place. 

5. Watch your miniature water cycle in action! 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Weather Chart 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.1 Records ways we monitor and use 

information about changes to the 

Earth. 

Indicators 

• Identifies that the weather can be 

observed and measured. 

• Describes the importance of 

knowing weather information by 

community groups such as farmers. 

Skills Focus 

• Observes 


• Records 

• Infers 


Weather conditions on earth rely on 

many elements: wind, temperature, 

moisture, air pressure and humidity. Wind 

is the movement of air. Temperature is 

the degree of heat in the atmosphere. 

Moisture refers to the water vapour in the 

air that falls as rain when the conditions 

are right. Air pressure is the force of the 

atmosphere on the Earth. Humidity is the 

amount of water vapour (moisture) in the 

air. People often refer to humid days as 

being ‘muggy’. 

Knowing about the weather (especially 

wind) is important for pilots and the safety 

of their passengers. Anglers need to know 

whether to venture out to sea for the day’s 

catch. Will there be storms that may leave 

them unable to return? 

For farmers, information about the 

weather is crucial. Farmers will, out of 

necessity, plant crops even if there is a 

possibility of a drought the following 

year. Although weather patterns can 

be observed and weather predicted, 

there can be no guarantees. Farmers are 

always looking to the sky when they are 

harvesting their crops. Because crops 

have to be dry before they are cut down, 

farmers must wait for sequential dry days. 

A small rainfall can put off harvesting for 

days. Rain can affect the quality of the 

product as water can stain crops such as 

barley. When harvesting begins, farmers 

must listen to weather information each 

day. If heat and high wind are declared, 

harvesting will stop. This is to prevent the 

tragedy that could occur from a harvester 

catching fire and the flames spreading 

across paddocks of crops. 



Local newspapers for each day of the school week, television and 

video to view taped weather reports from previous night (suggestion), 

photos of different types of weather, photos of crops in good and poor 

condition. 

Preparation 

• Time will need to be allocated each day for students to record 

information on their weather chart. Multiple copies of the weather 

page from the local newspaper each day for each group will save time 

and noise. Ask the students to view a weather report each night and to 

make notes about maximum and minimum temperatures, cloud cover, 

humidity and rainfall. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Ask the students why they are dressed the way they are today. Are they 

wearing jumpers? Did they bring their coats or an umbrella? Why do 

they have to wear hats during break times? Discuss weather forecasts, 

terminology and predictions. 

What to Do 

• Use observations, newspapers and television forecasts to record 

information about the weather over five school days. Summarise the 

collected information. 

• Brainstorm ideas about why it is important to know what the weather 

is going to be. Look at the list. 

• What kinds of groups need to know weather information for their 

jobs? Make a list. How does the weather affect their jobs? (e.g. 

farmers, anglers – see Background Information.) 


Answers 

1. Answers will vary 

2. See Background Information 


• Find definitions and pictures of weather words such as air, barometer, 

Celsius, climate, clouds, cyclone, drought, evaporation, forecast, flood, 

gale, hail, humidity, lightning, meteorology, precipitation, season, 

temperature, thermometer, thunder, wind. Make a class topic dictionary 

with the information collected. 

Display Ideas 

• Display weather charts with summaries of the week’s weather. 

Display photos of people who rely on weather information to do their 

jobs. Write explanations about why the weather is so important to 

them. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


1. a 

Design a key for the different types of weather. 

Weather Chart 

For example, hot = 

b 

c 

Rain Windy Cloudy Mainly fine 

Sunny 

Thunderstorm 

Foggy 

Snowing 

Record the weather each day for one school week by looking at newspapers and watching the 

television. Complete the chart. Use your key for the weather description. 

Use the information on your weather chart to describe the weather in your local area over the last 

school week. 



Display Copy 

2. 

Is weather an important part of a farmer’s life? 

Explain your answer. 

yes no 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 



and use information 

about changes to the 

Earth. 

Indicators 

• Constructs a rain gauge 

and uses it to measure 

precipitation over a twoweek 

period. 

Skills Focus 

• Follows a procedure 

• Interprets 

• Observes 

• Infers 

• Records 



Rainfall is measured in 

millimetres. Any form of water 

that falls from a cloud is known 

as precipitation. Rain falls when 

the water vapour in the sky (a 

cloud) cools and condenses 

by changing from a gas to a 

liquid. 



2-litre soft drink bottles, masking tape, measuring jugs (mL), water – enough for 

each group. 

Preparation 

• Divide the materials among the number of groups in the class. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Walk around the school after it has been raining. Look at the areas in the school 

grounds where rain has collected to form a puddle. Where does the water go? 

Discuss evaporation and the water cycle. Are there any areas on the ground that 

did not get wet or where the water has evaporated already? Why is that? 

What to Do 

• Explain to the students that they are going to be recording the amount of rainfall 

that occurs over two weeks. In small groups, the students will need to decide on 

a place in the school grounds where they can place their ‘rain collecting’ device, 

the rain gauge. They will also need to decide on the best method for recording 

weekend rain. This may involve averaging the rain collected over the two weeks. 

To make a rain gauge: 

• Cut the soft drink bottles in half and insert the top half into the bottom, upside 

down. Fix it in place with tape. 

• Attach a vertical strip of masking tape to the side of the bottle. Use the measuring 

jug to pour 10 millimetres of water into the bottle. 

• Mark on the tape the level of the water. Continue to do this in 10-millimetre steps. 

• On another piece of masking tape, write the initials of the members of the group. 

• Tip out the water and place your rain gauge outside in the open. Make sure that it 

will not blow over in the wind. 

Remember to measure the rain at the same time each day and return the empty 

rain gauge to the same place. The students will need to draw a table to record 

their results. This information can then be transferred onto the blackline. 

• Complete the experiment write-up. Record the results as a line graph. 

• Look at each group’s results. Are there differences in the data? Make a list of 

possible reasons. (These could include the placement of the instrument and 

accuracy in measuring.) 


Answers 

• Answers will vary. 


• Make your own cloud. You will need a glass bottle, warm water, ice cubes. Pour 

about 100 mL of warm water into the bottom of a glass bottle. Immediately place 

a large ice cube into the mouth of the bottle, covering the hole. When the warm 

air meets up with the cold air underneath the ice cube, vapour will form to make 

a small cloud in the bottle. Use a template similar to the one on page 27, for the 

students to record their observations and the results of the experiment. 

Display Ideas 

• Display the rain gauge next to the data. Groups can enlarge their results table and 

their line graph to produce a display. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


1. 

Write about your experiment below. 

What did you do? Use bullet points. 


Record your results. Construct a table and enter your data. 

What did your experiment look 

like? Remember to label your 

diagram. 

2. Display your data as a line graph. 

Could you have made any 

improvements? 



Display Copy 

Rainfall (mm) 

Days 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Wild Winds! 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 



and use information about 

changes to the Earth. 

Indicators 

• Constructs an anemometer 

to measure the force and 

speed of wind. 

• Identifies steps taken 

to reduce the risks of 

expected events like a 

cyclone. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Infers 

• Conducts simple tests 

• Observes 

• Explains findings 

• Estimates 

• Analyses text 


An anemometer is used by 

meteorologists to measure wind 

speeds. The ‘cups’ catch the 

wind and spin. The speed of 

the rotation is read by a special 

device that converts it into wind 

speed. 

Sometimes, the natural weather 

patterns are more extreme 

than usual. These affect the 

environment and people who 

live in the area. They may cause 

a great deal of damage and 

sometimes even the death of 

many people and animals. 

Cyclones are powerful rotating 

storms that form over warm 

ocean waters. They are called 

hurricanes when they start over 

the Atlantic Ocean; typhoons 

when they form over the western 

Pacific Ocean; and cyclones 

when they start over the Indian 

Ocean or southern Pacific 

Ocean. With heavy rains and 

gusts of over 120 km/h, cyclones 

can cause great damage. They 

have an ‘eye’ of calm surrounded 

by strong thunderstorms, high 

winds and heavy rains. High 

waves and damage to coastal 

areas can also be produced. 

Cyclones are detected by 

weather stations that monitor 

the winds with sophisticated 

computer systems, radars and 

satellites. 



Yoghurt pots, corks, pens, lids, dowel rod (thick and thin), wooden block, photographs 

of people and places experiencing different strengths of wind, pictures or photographs of 

cyclones or a windy day and the devastation they can cause, a kite (optional). 

Preparation 

• Display pictures and photographs around the classroom. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Take the students outside to observe the wind blowing. Ask the students to describe 

observations that tell them the wind is blowing; for example, the trees are moving or their 

hair is moving. Ask the students to place a finger in their mouth and put it in the air. Can 

they tell what direction the wind is blowing in? Fly a kite with your class watching. Let the 

students tell you when the wind is strongest or weakest. 

What to Do 

• In groups, the students construct their model anemometer. Explain that meteorologist uses 

an anemometer to read wind speed. 

• Students complete question one of the blackline after observing an anemometer over a day. 

• Read the newspaper article about ‘Cyclone Tracy’. Talk about the devastation that extreme 

weather conditions can cause. Discuss pictures or photographs of cyclones and their 

damage. 

• Make a list of the students’ ideas about how people could prepare for a cyclone if they had a 

warning it was coming. 

• Introduce these ideas : 

• Make sure that torches and portable radios are working. 

• Clear loose materials and rubbish. 

• Tie down equipment. 

• Listen to television and radio warnings. • Board windows. 

• Be prepared to move rapidly to adequate shelter. 

• Disconnect electrical appliances and turn off gas valves. 

• Stay away from windows. 

• Stay underneath a mattress or strong table or desk. 

• Remain indoors until the authorities say it is safe. 

• Avoid using the telephone except in emergencies. 


Answers 


2. (a) Teacher check (refer to list of introduced ideas for examples) 

(b) Teacher check 


• Make a pinwheel using a 20-centimetre square of thin card, a straw and a 

pin (place a blob of modelling clay or blu-tac on the end of the pin to avoid 

pricks!) Draw diagonal lines across the square and cut halfway to the centre. 

Fold the paper to the centre and press the pin through all of the paper. 

• Research the Beaufort scale and how it is used to measure the force and 


Display ideas 

• Display weather photos. Display a world map. Add research and pictures of other areas in 

the world that have experienced extreme weather conditions like cyclones. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy


Wild Winds! 

1. 

An anemometer is used by meteorologists (scientists who study the weather) to measure wind speeds. 

a Use the diagram to build a model anemometer. 

b Write about your experiment below. 

What happened? 

2. Read the passage and answer the questions about the disaster. 

b 

TRACY DESTROYS CHRISTMAS! 

The people of Darwin, Australia, 

were used to cyclone warnings. 

A few weeks before Christmas, 

they had prepared for 

Cyclone Selma that 

was to have hit the 

town but changed 

direction at the last 

minute. Most people 

expected Cyclone Tracy to do the 

same. 

The residents happily continued 

to prepare for Christmas. 

However, just after 1.00 a.m. 

Describe how you made your anemometer. 

on Christmas morning, 1974, 

Cyclone Tracy tore at the city 

for six long hours. Roofs were 

ripped from houses, 

trees uprooted, cars 

overturned and 

buildings flattened. 

Ninety per cent of the 

Northern Territory’s 

capital city was destroyed, 65 

people were killed, thousands 

were seriously injured and 30 

000 people were left homeless 

on Christmas Day! 

Watch your anemometer for 

30 seconds. Try to count the 

revolutions. If 50 revolutions in 

30 seconds = 18 kilometres/hour, 

estimate how fast the wind is 

blowing. 

If the people of Darwin had believed 

the warning for Cyclone Tracy, what 

could they have done to prepare for 

the extreme weather conditions? 

List five things. 

Would you like to live in a cyclone area like Darwin? Explain. (Use the back of this sheet.) 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

a 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

kilometres/hour 



Display Copy

Weather 

Assessment 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Number the sentences (from 1 to 6), in the order they occur during the water cycle. 

The first one is numbered for you. 

a 

Sun heats water on Earth. 

Water drains into rivers. 

Vapour rises to the air and forms clouds. 

List three people who rely on the weather 

to be able to carry out their jobs. 

Rivers flow into the sea. 

Describe an experiment that would allow you to measure the amount of 

rain that falls on your school grounds over two weeks. 

Vapour cools and falls as rain, snow or hail 

onto land. 

Water from oceans, lakes and trees evaporates. 

Explain why weather information is so 

important to farmers. 

Billy was asked to build an anemometer in science. Help him by drawing a diagram and 

by describing how an anemometer measures wind speed. 

b 

1 



Display Copy 


Indicators 

• Develops an understanding of the different stages of the water cycle. 

• Describes the importance of weather information to community groups such as 

farmers. 

• Describes an experiment that measures rain and identifies possible improvements 

to the accuracy of the investigation. 

• Draws an anemometer and describes how it is used to measure the force and 



opportunity 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Our Environment 

The Local Environment – Fifty Years Ago 

Good or Bad? 


Changes to 

the Local 

Environment 

conservation 

Australian environment 

farming 

Over 100 years ago the Australian State of Victoria 

had about 90% of its land covered by forests. Today, 

only about 35% of the State exists as forest areas. 

The cleared land is mainly used for farming. 

affect 

change 

community 

condition 

conservation 

destroy 

develop 

effect 

environment 



Display Copy 

farming 

fire 

human-made 

logging 

natural 

needs 

soil 

weather 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Changes to the Local Environment – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.2 Describes changes 

that occur in the local 

environment. 

Indicators 

• Recognises factors that 

create our environment. 

• Identifies that some 

influences on our 

environment can have 

negative and positive 

effects. 

Skills Focus 

• Observes 

• Records 

• Interprets information 


Some changes to the 

environment benefit it, other 

changes benefit the people 

who live in that environment. 

Many human-made changes 

have a great influence on 

the natural environment. 

Unfortunately, these influences 

usually have a negative impact. 

Today we are very aware that 

the way we live can damage 

the environment. We are 

now more educated about 

environmentally friendly ways 

to live than ever before. To try 

to repair some of the damage 

we have created, we now 

recycle rubbish, use aerosol 

cans less frequently and try 

to car pool or ride bicycles to 

work and school. Hopefully, 

these small steps will start to 

rectify some of the negative 

impacts that humans have had 

on the natural environment in 

the past. 



A3 paper, coloured pencils, pictures, charts or books showing natural or damage to 

the environment (e.g. erosion, deforestation) 

Preparation 

Organise the students into pairs or small groups for the second part of the activity. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Write the word ‘environment’ on the board. Brainstorm words and images about 

the environment until the board is full. As a class, create a definition of ‘the 

environment’. (Environment – The physical conditions of a place such as weather, 

water, vegetation and surrounding influences.) 

What to Do 

• Discuss what makes up the environment. Explain that it is not just people, plants 

and animals but also the air, the ground we stand on and the places we live and 

work. Students complete Question 1 on the blackline. 

• In pairs or small groups, students discuss and write examples of each of the four 

influences on the environment. If they find it difficult to write the positive effect 

of people on the environment, remind them that we are now trying to fix our 

damage. 

• Students share the results of Questions 2 with the class. 

• Focus on the positive effects of people on the environment. Make a list of ways we 

are now trying to rectify the damage we have caused. Obviously some damage is 

irreparable, such as land that has been cleared to build cities and homes. 

• Students work together to create posters that remind us of ways we can help to 

conserve the environment. 


Answers 


2. (a) Possible answers 

• rain: good effect – animals, plants will flourish, soil will hold together and 

not be blown away, bad effect – flooding, destroy crops and soil. 

• logging: good effect – we have furniture to sit on, paper to write on and 

houses to live in, bad – forests destroyed, land cleared and soil in bad 

condition. 

• fire: good effect – germinate seeds providing food for animals and plants 

to flourish, bad – destroy plants and animals, destroy their homes and our 

homes. 

• people: bad effect – pollution, logging, mining, greenhouse effect, landclearing, 

overpopulation, extinction of animals, good effects – in the 

last twenty years, we have begun to consider the consequences of our 

actions. We now recycle, use less chlorofluorocarbons, car pool, conserve 

environments to prevent animal extinction and much more. 


• Students choose one way of conserving the environment to research. They use 

books and the Internet to find information and present it as a poster. 

• Students spend a weekend at home making records of things they can do to be 

environmentally friendly. These can include saving electricity by turning lights off, 

not using aerosol cans, saving water and recycling rubbish. 

• Students research National Parks and the reason we have them. 

Display Ideas 

• Display student posters. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy


1. 

2. 


The environment is everything around us. Draw pictures or write keywords about the things that 

represent your environment. 

The environment is … 

people animals and plants the air we breathe 

the water we drink and play in 

the buildings we live and work in 

In your group, look at each of the pictures. 

Write an example of a good and bad way that they affect the environment. 

Good Effect 

the country 

Bad Effect 



Display Copy 

3. 

Design a poster that shows ways we can help to repair some of the damage to the environment; for 

example, by recycling, conserving water and energy and by riding our bikes to school. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

The Local Environment – 

Fifty Years Ago 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




environment. 

Indicators 

• Investigates what the local 

environment was like 50 

years ago by conducting 

a survey. 

Skills Focus 


• Compares 

• Conducts a survey 

• Evaluates 


The environment is always 

changing. We try to make 

the environment suit our 

needs and make our lives 

more comfortable. We build 

shelters to protect us from the 

weather. We create farms to 

provide us with food and build 

dams so we can store water. 

We build roads to move from 

place to place. As the human 

population increases, the built 

environment encroaches more 

and more onto the natural 

environment. 



A4 paper, pictures, postcards and maps of the local community in the past, 

artefacts, newspaper clippings, archive pictures, a person willing to discuss the 

changes that have occurred to the environment in the local community over the 

last 50 years. 

Preparation 

• At the beginning of the unit, send a letter home to parents informing them of 

the science topic ahead. Explain that the class is investigating the changes to the 

local environment over the last 50 years and would appreciate any photographs, 

pictures, sketches, newspaper clippings or postcards showing the area during that 

time. The students will also need to locate a person to survey who has lived in the 

local community for at least the last 50 years. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Display pictures, postcards and maps of the local community from the past. Add 

arrows showing sections of the community that were fields and that now have 

homes or office buildings. Attach the dates the pictures were taken to each. 

Suggestion – order the pictures to represent a simple timeline. 

What to Do 

• Ask the students to close their eyes and picture the local community. This includes 

the area where they live, go to school, go shopping and participate in leisure 

activities. Ask them to imagine what it was like 50 years ago. Ask the students 

what they think would be missing. Make a list. Repeat the activity for 100 years 

ago and make another list. 

• Ask the students to imagine what the area was like 200 years ago. What would 

have existed then? What would the landscape have been like? Discuss ways we 

could find out what the area was like 200 years ago. 

• Explain to the students that they are going to survey a person who has lived in the 

local community for at least the last 50 years. Brainstorm questions to ask and the 

things they would like to find out. 

• The students complete the survey. For students who are unable to locate a person 

to question, perhaps a teacher or another adult who is associated with the school 

could speak with a small group about the changes they have witnessed. 


Answers 

Answers will vary 


• Choose a natural part of the local environment that should be protected. Design a 

poster that informs people of the importance of preserving this local area. 

• Look at quarries and the effect they have on the environment. 

Display Ideas 

• If the people being surveyed give permission, take photographs of them and 

display them next to mounted copies of their survey responses. 

• Display the pictures, postcards and maps of the local community from the past. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


The Local Environment – 

Fifty Years Ago 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

a 

Survey 

Name of the person you are surveying 

Your name 

How different is the built (not-natural) part of your local environment now to 50 years ago? 

a List three built things that we see today b List three things that are missing. 

that existed 50 years ago. 

How different is the natural part of your local environment now from 50 years ago? 

a List three natural things that we see today 

that existed 50 years ago. 

b List three natural things that are missing. 

Do you think there are any areas in your local environment 

that should be protected from further use by people? 

b 

Describe one area. 

Explain why it should be protected. 



Display Copy 

What else have you discovered about your local environment 50 years ago? Write your findings below. 

• 

• 

• 

• 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Good or Bad? 

Changes in the Local Environment – Activity 3 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




environment. 

Indicators 

• Identifies changes made 

to the local environment 

in the last 50 years. 

• Considers opinions of 

different community 

groups towards that 

change. 

Skills Focus 

• Categorises 

• Compares 

• Communicating 

• Inferring 


Our environment is constantly 

changing. There are natural 

changes such as a river 

gouging out a wider riverbank 

over time. There are also 

human-made changes. These 

changes usually involve 

creating something that the 

ever-increasing population 

needs or wants. Unfortunately, 

many things that people do 

cause changes that affect the 

environment in a harmful way. 

For example, rubbish disposal, 

farming, land-clearing, 

logging, mining and damming 

all have the propensity to 

cause great environmental 

change. 



Video displaying a human-made environmental change (for example, logging, 

damming, mining etc.) and people who are protesting the change. 

Preparation 

• Organise the students into groups of four. If possible, create groups with a mixed 

range of speaking abilities. The students will be performing short pieces in front of 

the class. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Watch a video that shows people protesting a change to the environment. This 

could include sections of the news or a documentary. Discuss with the class the 

impact of the change to the environment. Discuss who the protesting people might 

be. If possible, find a video where a representative from the protesters and the 

organisation that is making the change are explaining their actions. 

What to Do 

• Share the students’ answers from the survey with the whole class. List the main 

changes that have occurred to the local environment. 

• Discuss each change briefly. Students complete Question 1 of the blackline. Next to 

each change, the students write ‘N’ for a change that has occurred naturally and 

‘H’ for a human-made change. 

• In small groups, the students categorise the changes that have been an 

improvement to the environment and those that have damaged the environment. 

The faces next to their descriptions are completed with either a sad look or a 

happy smile. 

• As a group, the students choose one change. They complete Question 2 of the 

blackline by considering the opinions of the four people pictured on the blackline. 

• Roles are chosen and short scripts written and performed to the class. 


Answers 




• Research human-made changes that have occurred in the local environment that 

may have caused unrest in the community. Present information about the changes 

as a newspaper article. 

• Consider natural changes that have occurred in the local environment. Create a 

poster that explains the reason why these changes occurred. Include pictures and 

diagrams with labels. 

Display Ideas 

• Display information about changes that have occurred in the local environment 

over the last 50 years. Visit the areas with the most changes (natural and humanmade) 

and take photographs as they look now. Place the ‘past’ and ‘present’ 

pictures next to each other and explain the change. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Good or Bad? 

1. 

2. 

Choose six changes that have occurred in your local environment over the last 50 years. 

Describe them below and complete the table. 

Change to the Local Environment 

Change 

Natural 'N' or 

human-made 'H' 

Good change or 

bad change 

a Choose one change and describe it in the box below. 

b In your group, discuss what you think each person would say about the change. 

Write his or her comments in the speech bubbles. 

town mayor 

environmentalist 



Display Copy 

shop owner 

longest town resident 

c 

Write a short script and perform it to the class. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




environment. 

Indicators 

• Reads and analyses 

information about land 

clearing and the effects it 

has on farming. 

• Evaluates an area of soil 

that is degrading. Devises 

a plan to improve the 

condition of the soil. 

Skills Focus 

• Compares 

• Analyses 

• Conducts investigation 


Clearing the land has caused 

a number of problems. When 

trees and plants are cleared 

for farming, the soil begins 

to erode from wind and rain. 

Plants help to keep the soil 

in good condition with their 

roots, allowing oxygen to 

move through the soil. The 

roots of the trees and plants 

help to keep the soil together 

and prevent it from being 

blown away. 

Because of land-clearing and 

destructive farming methods, 

the Earth now has large areas 

of soil that are useless to the 

environment. 

Some farmers cause problems 

for soil conservation by 

overgrazing their land. This 

occurs when too many animals 

graze on too small an area 

of land. All of the grass and 

shrubs are eaten, leaving the 

soil loose and easily blown 

away by water and wind or 

carried away by water. 



Pictures of farming equipment used at the turn of the century and the machines 

used today. An area of the school grounds where the soil is in poor condition. 

Preparation 

• Walk around the school and find areas in the school grounds where the soil 

appears to be in poor condition. These areas may be where students walk or play, 

or near a tap or water fountain. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Show the students a loaf of bread. Ask them where it comes from. Talk to them 

about wheat and the process of farming it. This includes ploughing, seeding, 

fertilizing and finally harvesting. Explain that to grow crops such as wheat, the 

condition of the soil must be good. Ask the class what might make the soil poor. 

Make a list. 

What to Do 

• Read the passage about farming. Show the students the pictures and photographs 

of the farming machinery. Compare them. Ask the students what the main 

differences would be when using them. Talk about time and how important it is 

during harvest for the crops to be collected before the wet season. (This is due to 

the wheat swelling and barley becoming stained.) 

• Students compete Question 1 (a) of the blackline; 1 (b) may need pair, group or 

class discussions to be completed. Discuss overgrazing with the students as another 

cause of soil degradation. 

• Explain to the students that they are going to be studying an area in the school 

grounds where the soil is in poor condition. 

• Walk around the grounds and find an area or areas that the students can study in 

small groups. Students complete Question 2 of the blackline. 

• Posters are designed and displayed to make the school aware of the degraded soil. 

Each week, the soil can be checked by students, who report back to the class on its 

condition. Through the effort of the class, the areas should start improving. 


Answers 

1. (a) Teacher check 

(b) Plant trees and native vegetation to improve the quality of the soil. Make sure 

they don’t overgraze the land by moving the sheep or cows from paddock to 

paddock and limiting stock numbers. 



• Study other areas in the school grounds with soil degradation. Have different 

groups looking after the areas. Make weekly reports on any changes. Compare 

each site and discuss the cause and possible solution to the damage. 

• Research the farming methods at the turn of the century. Present the information 

as a poster with facts, diagrams and a time line. 

Display Ideas 

• Display the pictures and photographs of past and present farming machinery with 

explanations of the difference and the progression. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. 

2. 

Farming 

At the beginning of the twentieth century, farming changed. the machines from having to slow down, trees and native plants 

Ploughs that were once pulled by horses were attached to tractors. were removed from the land. This left the soil with very little to 

Harvesting machines were used 

hold it together and the wind blew a lot of 

to collect crops much faster than 

it away. In winter, the rain washed the soil 

ever before. This modernisation of 

from the land. This loss of topsoil left the land 

farming meant that things were 

in poor condition and sometimes useless for 

done very quickly and, as a result, 

growing crops. In many countries today, over 

the amount of land used for crops 

half of the topsoil has been lost due to poor 

and grazing increased. To prevent 

farming methods. 

a 

b 

Why has the land used by farmers changed during the last century? (In your own words.) 

How could farmers improve the condition of the soil? Write two suggestions. 

• 

• 

Soil Profile 

a 

Take a walk around the school grounds. Find an area where the soil looks like it is in poor condition. 

Complete the soil profile. 

What: 

Where: 

The Problem 

The Cause 



Display Copy 

The Solution 

b Design a poster… 

that tells the school about the area in trouble. 

Add suggestions to help conserve it. For example: 

• walk around the area 

• turn off the taps 

• play on the grass not by the tree 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Assessment 

1. 

List four things that are part of our environment. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

a 

b 

Write an example of a good effect and bad effect each of the following has on the environment. 

good : 

bad : 

good : 

bad : 

Describe a natural change that has occurred in your local environment in the last 50 years. 

Describe a human-made change that has occurred in your local environment in the last 50 years. 

How have changes to farming in the last century affected farmland today? 



Display Copy 

List two ways to help improve the condition of natural areas in the school grounds. 


Indicators 

• Recognises factors that create our environment. 

• Identifies that some influences on our environment can have negative and 

positive effects. 

• Compares the local environment of today to 50 years ago. 

• Describes changes to farming in the last century and the effect it has had on the land. 

• Identifies ways to improve the condition of soil in a local area. 


opportunity 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

changing state 

changing matter 

evaporation 

condensation 

transpiration 

water cycle 

matter experiments 

freezing experiments 

melting experiments 

Solids, Liquids and Gases 

Changing Matter 

It’s Just a Gas! 

Crystal Shapes 

Changing 

State 

Water is the only liquid that takes up more space 

when it turns into a solid (ice). This is why ice floats 

in a glass of drink. Ice is less dense than water! 

When rubbish is dumped in landfill sites, the 

rotting waste gives off methane gas. This gas can 

be collected and used as fuel! 

absorb 

boiling 

change of state 

cold 

condensation 

contract 

cool 

evaporation 

expand 

flow 

freeze 

freezing 

gases 

ice 



Display Copy 

liquids 

melt 

melting 

molecules 

powder 

saturate 

shape 

shrink 

solids 

solution 

temperature 

vapour 

warm 

water 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Changing States – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 

Natural and Processed 

Materials 

2.12 Distinguishes between 

changes that can not be 

readily reversed and those 

that can. 

Indicators 

• Distinguishes between a 

solid, liquid and a gas. 

• Identifies solids, liquids 

and gases in the 

environment. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Observes 




Solids, liquids and gases are all 

around us. Some substances 

can change from one state 

to another when heated or 

cooled. Water can change into 

all three states. 

Everything (all matter) is 

made up of tiny particles 

called molecules. Molecules 

are always moving. Whether 

an object is a solid, liquid or 

gas governs how much the 

molecules move around. Solids 

are packed tightly together in a 

definite shape and are usually 

easy to handle. Solids (like 

pencils, cars and desks) are 

rigid and hold their shape. 

Liquid molecules are close 

together but can slide past 

each other and change places. 

This means liquids can flow and 

change shape easily. They take 

on the shape of the container 

that holds them. 

Gas molecules are very widely 

spaced. Gases are often 

difficult to sense or see but we 

know they are there. They are 

usually detected through our 

sense of smell. Gas molecules 

spread out in all directions but 

can fit and even be squashed 

to fit into different shapes. 



Bottle of perfume (or similar smelling spray), cordial, different-shaped glasses or containers, 

marbles, examples of solids (pencils, marbles, pots etc.), liquids (dishwashing liquid, cordial, 

water etc.), trapped gases (gas bottle, air in a balloon, sparkling drink etc.). 

Preparation 

• String or rope to form a circle for stimulus activity. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Have a group of students (10–15) stand outside a circle of string or rope. Direct them to 

move inside the circle. If it’s not full, add more students. When it is tightly packed explain 

how each child is a molecule and together, tightly packed, they make a ‘solid’ with a definite 

shape (change the shape of the rope if you like). Next, have fewer students step inside the 

rope. This time they represent liquid molecules, which can slide past each other, gently 

bounce or move around the shape. Gas molecules will require even fewer students inside 

the rope. These molecules can spread out and move and bounce freely. They can even move 

outside the shape. Revise and discuss how the molecules move by comparing them to real 

solid, liquid and gas objects. 

Note: A molecule is two or more atoms bound together. Explain that molecules are the tiny 

parts that ‘make up’ solids, liquids and gases. 

What to Do 

• Materials can be grouped according to whether they are a solid, liquid or gas. 

• Demonstrate by spraying perfume into the air. Get students to put their hand up when they 

can smell it. The perfume liquid has a smell. That smell is a gas that can spread throughout 

the room. 

• Look at the cordial. Is it liquid, solid or gas? Pour it into different containers to see how it 

takes on their shape. Hold the cordial bottle with the lid. Tip it in different positions and 

observe how the ‘shape’ of the liquid conforms to the shape of the bottle. 

• Look at the marbles. Pass them around for students to feel. Describe them; for example, 

hard, heavy, definite shape, can feel them, see them, can’t go through them. Marbles are a 

solid. 

• Look around the room or outside to record things under these headings. 

• Identify and circle the solids, liquids and gases in the picture using the specified colours. 

Discuss reasons for choices. (Question 2.) 

• Study the items in Question 3a and 3b. Record the parts of each picture that show solids, 

liquids or gas. 

• Discuss answers and revise the differences between the states of a solid, liquid or gas. 


Answers 

1. solids – pencils, marbles, chair 

liquids – tap water, cooking oil, honey 

gases – steam, car exhaust fumes, air we breathe, air in a balloon. 


3. (a) solid – bottle, liquid – soft drink, gas – bubbles 

(b) solid – glass, sand, shell, plant. liquid – water, gas – bubbles in water, fish breathing 

out bubbles. 


• Make a class chart of examples (pictures or words) of known solids, liquids and gases. 

• Make mosaic pictures to represent molecules of solids, liquids and gases using white squares 

and paper punch dots. (Solids tightly packed, liquids with more spaces to allow movement, 

gases – very few floating in and outside the square.) 

Display Ideas 

• Divide a board into three columns with headings ‘solids’, ‘liquids’, ‘gases’. The students find 

pictures in magazines or draw them and attach to the correct column. 

Note: Gases can be drawn attached to what is making them; e.g. a car exhaust, perfume bottle. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy



1. 

2. 

3. 

Sort these things into the correct group and then add some examples of your own. 

pencils tap water steam cooking oil marbles 

chair car exhaust fumes honey the air we breathe air in a balloon 

Look at the 

picture carefully. 

Find three examples of 

each state and colour the; 

solids – red 

liquids – blue 

gases – green 

Can you find a solid, liquid and gas in each of these pictures? 

solid 

Solids Liquids Gases 



Display Copy 

a 

b 

liquid 

solid 

liquid 

gas 

gas 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


Materials 


changes that can not be 

readily reversed and those 

that can. 

Indicators 

• Identifies changes in 

materials using the 

senses. 

• Distinguishes changes 

in matter that can and 

cannot be reversed. 


to observe and record 

changes in matter 

• Records and discusses 

observations during 

investigations. 

Skills Focus 


• Records 





Everything we see and touch is 

matter. Sometimes we can see 

and feel matter and sometimes 

we can’t. Matter is all around us 

and exists as a solid, liquid or 

a gas. Most matter can change 

from one state to another 

when it is heated or cooled. 

Some matter, like water, can 

be easily changed from a solid 

to a liquid, or a liquid to a gas 

and back again. It may be ice, 

steam or water vapour, but it is 

still water. 

Water is one of the few 

substances that can change 

states and not be permanently 

changed. Other substances 

may react to heating or cooling 

but the changes are not 

reversible (e.g. burning paper 

to ash, cooking an egg). When 

water is warmed it evaporates 

(as a gas into the air). When 

warm air touches something 

cold it condenses and becomes 

a liquid. 



Apple, potato, rock, three pieces of steel wool, two small sealable or snap-lock plastic bags, 

glass of water, measuring cup, plates, tablespoon, string, balloon, electric frying pan with lid, 

ice cubes. 

Preparation 

• The experiment can be prepared four days prior to the lesson to allow changes in materials 

to occur, or make observations on day of preparation as Day 1 of observations and leave gaps 

between observation days or extend observation time. 

• Select an observation table or part of the classroom where samples can be observed safely. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• (Adult-directed activity.) Demonstrate changes of state in water by heating a frying pan. 

Place in ice cubes and allow students to observe the change to liquid. This activity can be 

timed. Turn up the heat and watch the water boil. Notice the steam rising into the air. Ensure 

students are standing away from the table. Demonstrate how the steam is really water 

droplets by holding a lid carefully over the steam and watch the steam turn to water droplets 

and return to the pan (condensation). Boil the water until the pan is empty (evaporation). 

The air is now filled with invisible water vapour produced from icecubes. Revise and discuss 

the changes that occurred from the ice block to water vapour. Look at the ice cube. Is it a 

solid or liquid? When water gets very cold it freezes and when it gets warm it melts into a 

liquid. When water is heated it becomes steam, which will condense back into water. 

What to Do 

• Cut up the apple and potato into pieces and leave on a plate. (The whole apple or potato may 

not be needed, depending on size.) 

• Blow up a balloon and tie it with a string to something so it can’t float away. Measure its 

circumference each day. 

• Put a cup of water into the measuring cup. Measure its volume each day. 

• Put one piece of steel wool in a plastic bag with three tablespoons of water and seal the bag. 

(Try to remove any air.) 

• Put one piece of steel wool in a plastic bag with three tablespoons of water and leave it open. 

• Put the third piece of steel wool in a dry place where it can’t be touched. 

• Put the rock and all the above substances in a safe observation area. 

• Students observe and record the changes each day for five days. 

• Discuss and describe the changes that have occurred and record the results over the selected 

observation day. What do you think has happened to the samples to cause changes (e.g. lost 

air, exposed to air, evaporated)? 


Answers 

The potato and apple rotted and changed colour – they are not the same any more. 

The water evaporated. 

The dry steel wool had no change. The rock did not change. 

The wet steel wool in the open bag allowed air in and rusted, because iron turns to rust 

when exposed to oxygen and moisture. 

The wet steel wool that wasn’t exposed to the air should have stayed a similar shape. 

The balloon didn’t change but got smaller and went limp as some air escaped. However it 

was still a balloon. 


• Study the water cycle. Discuss how water is recycled and a precious resource to our Earth. 

• Collect and test other materials to observe changes in matter. (Burning a match, candles, 

cooking an egg, etc.) Make a list of irreversible changes. 

Display Ideas 

• Display objects on a ‘safe’ table. The students can create a large version of the blackline using 

coloured card. The results can be transferred to the new chart and extra information about 

the students’ observations can be attached (written and presented by the students). 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy



Apple 

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 



Display Copy 

Potato 

Cup of water 

Steel Wool 

(dry) 

Steel Wool 

(wet and sealed) 

Steel Wool 

(wet and unsealed) 

Blown-up 

balloon 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

Rock



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


Materials 


changes that can not 

be readily reversed and 

those that can. 

Indicators 

• Identifies changes in 

materials through the 

senses. 

• Describes and draws 

conclusions from the 

investigation. 

Skills Focus 


• Observes 

• Records 

• Describes 



When some materials are 

mixed together a gas is made. 

In this chemical reaction, 

vinegar and bicarbonate 

of soda react together and 

give off carbon dioxide. The 

balloon inflates as it fills with 

the gas. 



Plastic zip-lock or snap-lock bag, two small plastic bottles (with narrow necks), 

large tray, a balloon, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, a teaspoon, a funnel, tray. 

Preparation 

Organise sufficient materials for small groups. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Demonstrate how air takes up space by taking an empty snap-lock plastic bag from 

its container. Open the bag and swing it hard through the air. Without flattening 

it, zip it closed. How is the bag different from when it came out of the packet? (It 

has now expanded and filled with air.) The plastic bag now takes up space and will 

not fit back in its packet. Why? It is filled with air (gas) and is too big to fit into its 

original packet. 

What to Do 

• Sometimes when materials are mixed together a gas is made. 

• Explain that the following experiment will make a gas. 

• Choose one student in the group to practise fitting a balloon over the neck of one 

of the bottles. This will need to be done quickly during the experiment. 

• In the other bottle, place a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda using a funnel. (Put the 

tray under the bottle to catch any spills) 

• Carefully pour a small amount of vinegar into the bottle. 

• Put your thumb over the opening of the bottle. What do you feel? (heat) What 

do you see? (bubbling reaction) What do you hear? (fizzing) Record these 

experiences. 

• Repeat the process with the second bottle, but this time quickly place the balloon 

over the neck of the bottle. Shake the bottle gently side to side. What happens? 

Record your results. 

• Discuss why the balloon inflates. 


Answers 

1. Possible answers: oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, steam (water vapour), carbon 

monoxide 



• Cook cakes to show the changes that occur throughout the cooking process. 

Baking powder makes cakes rise. It gives off bubbles of carbon dioxide gas when 

it is heated. The bubbles are trapped in the mixture making it springy to touch 

and making the cake rise. Discuss what liquids are used in the mixture. Did they 

change? Why? (heat) 

Display Ideas 

• Take photographs of the students performing their ‘chemical reaction’. Display the 

pictures. Students add labels and notes to the display describing their findings. 

• Students make a collage using pictures from magazines of food and drinks that 

contain or used carbon dioxide to make them; for example, soft drinks, cakes and 

biscuits. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


1. 

Write down the names of any gases you know. 


2. 

Describe the experiment below. 

a 

b 

Bottle 1 

What did you feel? What did you see? What did you hear? 

Bottle 2 

Draw the balloon to show what happened. Describe the experiment in your own words. 




Display Copy 

c 

Look at the list of materials. Colour the boxes using the key below. 

green – gas blue – liquid red – solid 

• bottle 

• balloon 

• vinegar • bicarbonate of soda • carbon dioxide 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


materials 


changes that can not 

be readily reversed and 

those that can. 

Indicators 

• Uses a variety of materials 

to form crystals. 

• Uses a hand lens to 

observe and draw formed 

crystals. 

Skills Focus 



• Observes 

• Records 

• Infers 


When a large amount of a 

substance like sugar, salt 

or borax is dissolved in hot 

water, the water eventually 

becomes saturated – it is filled 

to capacity with dissolved 

crystals. 

As the water evaporates there 

isn’t enough left to keep the 

crystals dissolved, so they 

begin to reform. Crystals grow 

best when the solution cools 

slowly. The hot water breaks 

down the sugar (or substance 

used) into tiny molecules that 

are impossible to see. 

Hot water holds more sugar 

molecules than cold water, 

so when the water cools 

and evaporates it can’t hold 

as much sugar. The sugar 

molecules come out of the 

solution and ‘stack together’ 

to form crystals. More 

crystals grow as more water 

evaporates. 



Glass jars, pipe cleaners, string, tablespoon, water, kettle, hand lens, old pencil or 

popstick, borax (salt, Epsom salts or sugar may also be used), pictures of snow 

and snowflakes (close-ups), gems or crystals, sand, sugar. 

Preparation 

• Crystals can take a long time to form so start ‘observation days’ several days after 

the preparation is prepared. 

• Organise enough materials for small groups or pairs to grow crystals. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Show pictures of snow and snowflakes and talk about how they are a type of 

crystal. Have a bucket of sand and a bowl of sugar for children to feel and view 

using magnifying glasses. These too, are types of crystals. Discuss what the shapes 

of the sugar and sand look like. Discuss how a diamond is a valuable crystal that is 

formed under heat and pressure below the Earth’s surface. 

What to Do 

Can we grow our own crystals? 

• With the help of an adult, fill a heatproof jar with hot water (boiling is best). 

• Add borax (or another suggested substance) about a tablespoon at a time, mixing 

until it dissolves. 

• Keep doing this until no more will dissolve. (This will be about three tablespoons to 

a cup of hot water.) 

• Bend the pipe-cleaner into a star or other desired shape, and tie a length of string 

to it. 

• Place the shape into the solution. Lay a pencil or popstick across the jar opening 

and tie the string to it so the shape is suspended low into the solution but not 

touching the bottom of the glass. 

• Place the jar in a sunny position so the solution can evaporate and watch the 

crystals form. 

• Record the changes. Observe the formed crystals closely using hand lenses. Record 

the results. 


Answers 

Teacher check 


• Try adding different food colourings to form coloured crystals. 

• Make up three or four different solutions using a different substance in each; 

e.g. Epsom salts, borax, sugar, salt. Compare the differences in the crystals they 

produce. (Epsom salts will need twice the volume of water.) 

Display Ideas 

• Make different shapes from the pipe-cleaners. When the crystals have formed, 

hang them as a mobile from punched holes in the rim of a yoghurt container. 

• Make paper snowflakes by folding and cutting patterns in coloured paper. Display 

around the room. 

• Make 3-D crystal shapes out of card, shapes, or recycled products. How many 

different shapes can you research and make? 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


1. 


Describe your experiment below. 

My group: What we used: What we did: 

2. 

Results 

Day Day Day 

Day Day Day 



Display Copy 

3. 

Describe and draw in detail your crystals. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Changing States 

Assessment 

1. 

2. 

4. 

Complete the sentences using the words from the box. 

change solid difficult see tightly 

gas feel no liquid container 

Matter can exist as either a 

(a) 

, liquid or 

(b) 

. 

Solids have tiny particles that are 

(c) 

packed together. It is 

(d) 

to change their shape. We can see solids and 

Name two types of matter for each heading. 

Solid 

Liquid 

Gas 

What happens to water when it is … 

heated? 

(e) 

them. 

A gas has 

(f) 

shape and we can’t always 

(g) 

or feel it. 

A 

A liquid can 

(h) 

can spread everywhere or fit into different shapes easily. 

(i) 

shape. 

It flows easily and takes on the shape of its 

(j) 

. 

a 

b 

c 

a 

3. 

Draw a line to match the words to the 

correct part of the picture. 

Solid 

Liquid 

Gas 



Display Copy 

b 

frozen? 


Indicators 

• Identifies key words describing changes in the state of matter. 

• Lists examples of solids, liquids or gases. 

• Distinguishes between a solid, liquid and gas. 

• Describes how water changes when it is heated or frozen. 


opportunity 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

idges 

history of bridges 

bridge design 

bridge structure 

bridge experiments 

The Tallest Tower 

Weak and Strong Shapes 

Bridge Building – 1 


Structures 

Arch bridges made of cobble have been used for at 

least 4000 years. The Romans developed the design 

from bridges built in Mesopotamia and used the 

bridges to create their famous aqueduct system. 

structure 

rigid 

solution 

strong 

weakness 

experiment 



Display Copy 

tower 

rigidity 

weak 

strength 

bridge 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Structures – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


Materials 

2.11 Observes and describes 

the characteristics of 

common materials. 

Indicators 

• Investigates rigid and 

non-rigid shapes by 

building a tower from 

plastic drinking straws. 

• Investigates the role of 

compression and tension 

in deciding whether 

structures stay up or fall 

down. 

Skills Focus 



• Infers 

• Designs and constructs 


This topic explores energy 

and the forces created when 

building towers and bridges. 

Tension is the pulling force. 

Stretching an elastic band is an 

illustration of tension. A weight 

suspended beneath a bridge 

creates tension. 

Compression is the pushing 

force. It squashes. A weight 

placed on top of an object 

creates compression. 

Torque is the combination of 

force and the distance from a 

pivot point. (Building a bridge 

out from a bank.) 

Centre of mass is the balance 

point of an object. 

It is not necessary for students 

to gain detailed knowledge of 

these concepts, but rather to 

use the topic to explore and 

develop investigation skills. 



Plastic drinking straws (30 per group of students); dressmaking pins (30 per 

group of students) 

Preparation 

Prepare drinking straws and pins by counting them into lots of 30. Organise the 

class into small groups. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

In this lesson, students will use straws and pins to build a tower. Safety when using 

sharp objects such as pins should be emphasised. It is important that students 

be provided a ‘free-play’ time to get rid of excess excitement related to the new 

materials. Students could be asked to make as many different shapes as they can. 

What to Do 

• Explain the task to students. The task is to build the tallest free-standing tower 

using 30 drinking straws and 30 pins. 

• Explain to the class that they need to create a set of rules that each group must 

abide by. These rules may include, ‘The tower can not be fixed to the floor’ etc. 

When the class has agreed on a set of rules, display them on the board. 

• Allow sufficient time for students to try various alternatives and to learn from 

their errors. 

• Have each group complete the worksheet and then present their tower to the 

class. Discuss the different difficulties encountered. 

Note: This activity provides an excellent ‘group dynamics’ opportunity. Size of 

groups should ideally be no greater than 3 – 4 students. 


Answers 



• Complete the same activity with fewer or more drinking straws. Does using twice 

the number of straws create a tower twice the height? 

• Devise methods to test the strength of the towers. 

• After the task has been completed, provide each student with a ‘group analysis’ 

sheet. The students can reflect on each member of the group’s contribution and 

communication skills. 

Display Ideas 

• Take photos of the students during and at the completion of the task. The students 

can add their own comments. 

• Display the students’ constructions. Behind their constructions, attach photos of 

tall towers from around the world; e.g. the Eiffel Tower. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. 

Use 30 plastic drinking straws and 30 pins to build the tallest tower you can. 

Now that you have built your tower, discuss the two questions below with the members of your 

group. 

a • What problems did you find when you were building your tower? 

• How did you solve each problem? 

Problem 1: 

Solution: 

Problem 2: 

Solution: 

2. 

b 

a 

Place a tick on the ‘strength scale’. 

About to 

fall over! 

How Strong is your Tower? 

Draw the shapes you think are strong and 

helped to make your tower work. 

Problem 3: 

Solution: 

Very 

strong 

0 1 2 3 4 5 

b 

Draw the shapes you think are weak and 

made your tower unstable. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


Materials 




Indicators 

• Investigates and identifies 


strong, rigid shapes. 





down. 

Skills Focus 

• Infers 




Note: This activity looks at 

the strength of various ‘closed 

shapes’. The understanding 

developed here will develop 

strong concepts that can be 

applied in future lessons and 

real-life situations. 

The fewer vertices, the 

stronger the shape, with the 

triangle being the most rigid 

shape. 

A shape can be made more 

rigid by the introduction 

of other shapes such as a 

triangle. 

For example: 

A square is not rigid. 



Plastic drinking straws, dressmaking pins 

Preparation 

Prepare drinking straws and pins for each group. Organise the class into small 

groups or pairs. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Discuss the previous ‘tower building’ lesson. Which shapes were identified as 

strong? Introduce the word rigid. Explain that ‘rigid’ means ‘not flexible’. 

It is important that students be provided a ‘free-play’ time to get rid of excess 

excitement related to the materials. Students could be asked to make as many 

different shapes as they can. 

What to Do 

• Have students follow the procedure on the worksheet, working individually or in 

pairs. Rate each shape after all the shapes have been constructed. 

• Discuss with the class how they will decide if their shape is strong and rigid. What 

kinds of tests can they perform? 

• The students choose their two weakest shapes. They are asked to make two weak 

shapes rigid. Allow time for students to explore and investigate this challenge. 

• Discuss how students made their shapes rigid and reinforce the concept of using a 

triangle within shapes to provide strength. 

• Look at the four shapes made. Describe each of the shapes and discuss why some 

of the shapes are stronger than others. 


Answers 



• Survey the school buildings to identify where triangles are used to provide 

strength/rigidity. 

• Ask the students to be aware of the shapes used to provide strength to objects in 

their local area. Give the class a few days to look at objects in the environment and 

to take note of the shape. The students can report their findings to the rest of the 

class. 

Display Ideas 

• Display each of the shapes on the wall. Add information that describes how strong 

the shape is and how the students came to that conclusion. Record each pair or 

student’s rating for each shape. Add together all of the numbers and divide that 

total by the number of ratings. This will calculate the ‘class rating’ of strength for 

that shape. 



Display Copy 

However, introducing a 

triangle makes a square more 

rigid. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Use your plastic straws to make each of these shapes. 

1. 

2. 

Test how strong and rigid each shape is and give it a ‘strength rating’. 

Select your two weakest shapes. How can you make these shapes strong by adding straws? 

Draw each of the shapes before and after your test 

Shape 1 Shape 2 

Before 

square 

triangle 

hexagon 

pentagon 

low medium high 

0 1 2 3 4 5 


0 1 2 3 4 5 


0 1 2 3 4 5 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Before 



Display Copy 

After 

After 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Bridge Building 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


Materials 




Indicators 





down. 

• Investigates and applies 

previous knowledge to 

build a bridge spanning 

an open space. 

Skills Focus 





Materials have certain 

properties which make them 

useful. The materials used 

to build bridges need to be 

sturdy (strong) and also rigid 

(stiff). 

There are many different types 

of bridges. 

Arch bridges can be made 

of rows of bricks, stones 

or concrete. They get their 

strength from the arch itself. 

Suspension bridges are 

supported by huge cables that 

span across the gap. 

Other types include girder, 

truss and cantilever. 



Plastic drinking straws, dressmaking pins, pictures of bridges, rulers. 

Preparation 

Prepare drinking straws and pins for each group. Each group will need about 50 

straws and 50 pins. Organise the class into small groups. Organise desks or areas 

to be used. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Show students pictures of a variety of bridges and discuss any bridges in the local 

community. Discuss how a simple bridge such as a log over a stream can work 

well, but when the distance to be spanned increases, there is a need for special 

forces to be controlled by engineering. It is important that students be provided a 

‘free-play’ time to get rid of excess excitement related to the materials. Students 

could be asked to make as many different shapes as they can. 

What to Do 

• Explain the task of constructing a bridge over a 40-cm span. 

• In this activity students will be required to apply knowledge from previous lessons. 

• As in the first activity, ask the class to agree on a set of rules that each group must 

abide by when constructing its bridge; for example, ‘The bridge is allowed to be 

fixed to the desk using tape’. These rules will ensure that the students are working 

to the same guidelines and will bring a feeling of ‘fairness’ to the activity. Display 

the rules on the board. The students discuss the rules as a group at the beginning 

of the activity. 

• Testing the strength of the bridge needs to be discussed; however, suspending 

metal washers or similar objects of the same size and weight beneath the bridge is 

one useful method. 

• Discuss how the bridges will be tested for strength and agree on a common 

method. 

• The students build their bridges. Allow sufficient time for experimentation to 

occur. 

• Test the strength of the bridges as a whole class. 

• Students complete the activity sheet, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of 

their bridge. 


Answers 



• Complete the same activity using twice the number of drinking straws. Does this 

double the strength of the bridge? Can it be longer? 

• Students choose one type of bridge structure (beam, cantilever, arch or suspension 

etc.) and find drawings and information about it. The students can draw diagrams 

of their bridge and use books and the Internet to find examples from around the 

world. 

Display Ideas 

• Display pictures, photographs and postcards of different types of bridges. 

• Display the students’ bridges in a safe area. 

• Students could sketch bridges in the local area for display or look at photographs 

and pictures of famous bridges and paint them. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Bridge Building 

1. 

2. 

3. 

• Use your straws and pins to build a bridge between two desks that are 40 cm apart. 

• Test how much weight your bridge can hold. 

a 

b 

c 

Can you fix the bridge to the desk? 

yes no 

Can any part of the bridge touch the ground? 

Does your bridge stand up by itself? 

yes no 

How will your group test the strength of the bridge? 

Draw a diagram of your completed bridge. 

yes no 

4. What are the strengths of your bridge? (What made it work?) 

a 



Display Copy 

b 

What are the weaknesses of your bridge? 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


Materials 




Indicators 

• Uses acquired knowledge 

to build bridges using 

new materials. 





down. 

Skills Focus 




• Infers 


There are a number of ways 

to make paper rigid. These 

include rolling, folding, 

corrugating (like a concertina), 

angling and by creating 

shapes. 



Paper, tape 

Preparation 

Ensure a sufficient supply of paper. Anything from newspaper to photocopy paper 

is suitable, but the paper supplied to the class should all be the same. Organise the 

class into small groups. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Using a single sheet of paper, illustrate the paper’s lack of rigidity by waving it in 

the air and trying to get it to stand up vertically, unsupported. 

• Discuss with students what can be done with the paper to make it more rigid. 

• It is important that students be provided a ‘free-play’ time to get rid of excess 

excitement related to the new materials. Students could be asked to make as many 

different shapes as they can. Discuss results. 

What to Do 

• Ask the students to build a bridge similar to Lesson 3 using only tape and paper. To 

complete this activity successfully, students will have to explore different ways of 

manipulating paper to convert it into rigid shapes. 

These include: 

(i) rolling 

(ii) folding 

(iii) corrugating 

(iv) angling 

(v) creating shapes 

This activity is more challenging than using straws and groups should be 

encouraged to use their acquired knowledge from previous lessons and to 

experiment. 

• Have students, in groups, experiment with pieces of paper, trying to make them 

more rigid. 

• Ask the students to apply knowledge from the previous lessons and the first 

activity to build a bridge over a 50-cm gap. Discuss rules as in Lesson Three, 

especially focus on the overuse of tape. This can be controlled by supplying a 

limited amount of tape to each group. 

• As a class, decide on a set of rules that each group must abide by while making the 

paper bridge. Display the rules on the board. 

• The students build their bridges. 

• The students complete the activity sheet, identifying the strengths and weaknesses 

of their bridges. 


Answers 



• Explore tower and bridge building with different materials. 

• Survey bridges in the local community. What method(s) are used to provide 

strength and rigidity? 

• Investigate the different types of bridges (cantilever, arch, beam, truss, suspension 

etc.). 

Display Ideas 

Display the students’ paper bridges. The students can use a word processor to 

type a recount of their investigation. The text can be placed on coloured card and 

attached to the wall or folded so that it will stand up next to their creation. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy



• Use paper and tape to build a bridge between two desks 50 cm apart. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Using your sheets of paper, experiment to find methods that 

make the paper more rigid. Draw each method below. 

Using your supply of paper, construct a bridge over a 50-cm gap. Draw your bridge below. 



Display Copy 

What are the strengths of your bridge? (What made it work?) 

What are the weaknesses of your bridge? 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Structures 

Assessment 

1. 

Circle the rigid shapes. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Draw a line on each shape to make it more rigid. 

Draw a diagram to show one way of making a single sheet of paper rigid. 

Which is the strongest paper fold? Circle it. 



Display Copy 

Indicators 


opportunity 

• Identifies rigid and non-rigid shapes. 

• Draws a rigid shape made from a single sheet of paper. 


• Identifies rigid shapes made from paper 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Magnets 

magnets 

magnetise 

magnetic materials 

magnetic field 

magnetic force 

Samuel Morse 

morse code 

Magnetic Attraction 

Magnetic Strength 

Magnetic Forces 

Magnetic Problems 

Magnets 

The word ‘magnet’ is thought to have been first 

used by the Greeks around 600 BC. They used it to 

describe a mysterious rock that attracted iron and 

other metals. 

By using an electromagnet to move a pencil resting 

on a piece of paper, Samuel Morse sent the first 

messages over a long distance. Samuel later invented 

morse code. 

aluminium metals 

attract 

nickel 

attraction non-magnetic 

cobalt 

north 

field 

pole 

iron 

repel 

iron filings repulsion 

lines of force steel 

magnetic 

‘The Law of Magnetic Poles’ 



Display Copy 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Magnets – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.6 Describes observable 

changes that occur in 

two objects that interact, 

identifying the energy source 

and the receiver. 

Indicators 

• Predicts which objects will be 

attracted by a magnet. 

• Classifies materials into 

magnetic and non-magnetic 

categories. 

• Collects and interprets data 

and draws simple conclusions 

from results. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Observes 

• Identifies patterns 


• Draws conclusions 


All magnets have a force 

concentrated at their two poles 

(north and south). All magnets 

have the ability to attract or repel 

certain objects. This ability is 

produced by the arrangement 

of electrons within the magnetic 

material. 

Electrons are extremely small 

particles that are found in atoms. 

Atoms are small particles that 

make up matter. 

Each electron has its own two 

poles. In most materials the 

electrons are randomly placed, 

so there is no obvious magnetic 

effect. However, if the electrons are 

lined up with their poles aligned in 

the same direction, then we do get 

a magnetic effect. Objects that do 

show this effect are magnets, while 

items attracted to a magnet are 

called magnetic materials. 

All magnetic materials are metal. 

However, not all metals are 

magnetic. Iron, nickel, cobalt 

and mixtures of these metals can 

be magnetic. So can alloys of 

aluminium, copper, nickel, iron and 

cobalt. An alloy is a metal made up 

of two or more metals. Iron is by 

far the strongest. Aluminium and 

some stainless steels, however, are 

not at all magnetic. 



Magnets (different sizes and shapes; e.g. bar, horseshoe), variety of materials to test 

(e.g. bottle caps, cloth, aluminium cans, bolts, nuts, safety pins, cotton wool, thumb 

tacks, crayons, chalk, aluminium foil, coins). 

Preparation 

Magnetism activities can be set up in class stations for small groups to rotate through 

if material supplies are limited. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Ask the students if they have magnets or objects that are magnetic at home. Discuss 

their responses. 

Show a variety of different types of magnets (horseshoe, bar, button, door-latch 

magnet, ring etc.). To introduce the idea of ‘magnetic poles’, use bar magnets with 

clearly labelled ends. Have children demonstrate reactions when like and unlike poles 

are put together. What can they ‘feel’ when the poles ‘repel’? 

What to Do 

• Have the students explore the properties of magnetic poles and record results. (Rule 

of Magnetism: Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.) 

• Within their group, have the students explore the properties of a magnet by testing a 

variety of the materials provided. 

• Group and record the materials using whether they are attracted or not attracted 

to a magnet as criterion. Students should be able to identify materials that attract. 

Materials like aluminium cans, paper, plastic, wood or corks are not attracted or 

repelled by magnets. 

• Study the objects in each group, recording any similarities (e.g. metals – attract). How 

are the objects the same or different from other objects or groups? 

• Based on what was discovered, have students predict two or more materials they 

think would be magnetic and non-magnetic. If possible, test these predictions and 

discuss the reason behind their decisions. 


Answers 

Answers will vary depending on objects tested, but generally metal objects are 

attracted. Materials like aluminium cans, paper, plastic, wood or rocks neither attract 

nor repel. 


• Find buried treasures. In a small sand tray or box, hide a variety of magnetic 

materials. Secure small bar or button magnets to the end of a stick or ruler with tape. 

Students can only use the magnetic sticks to find the objects. Tell them the number 

of items buried and see who can find the most or who can find them all in the fastest 

time. 

• Make fish shapes on sturdy card. Attach a small magnet to a piece of string and tie 

the string to a pole or stick to make a fishing rod. Place a paperclip on the nose 

of each fish. How many fish can you catch? Make it a spelling or maths activity by 

attaching words or sums to the fish to match to certain sounds or numbers. 

• Test other objects around the room or outdoors that are attracted to a magnet. 

Predict the outcome and test for results 

Display Ideas 

• Make a large chart classifying drawings, pictures or words of things which are 

attracted to or unaffected by magnets. 

• Research toys or other objects we use that contain magnets. Draw and explain how 

the magnets work for each item (e.g. magnet sculptures, door bells, door latches, 

telephones, computers, some trains/tracks, tape recorders). Display the reports. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



1. 

Colour the box to show what happens when the two magnets get close to each other. 

a 

attract repel 

2. 

b 

c 

Record which objects are attracted by magnets and which are not. 

3. What is similar about the objects attracted to magnets? 

attract repel 

attract 

repel 



Display Copy 

4. 

a 

Name two objects that could be found outdoors that you think would be 

attracted to magnets. 

b 

Explain your choices. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 





identifying the energy 

source and the receivers. 

Indicators 

• Investigates aspects of 

behaviour of magnets 

and their strength. 

• Designs an experiment or 

fair test to measure and 

record the strength of 

magnets. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Measures 

• Observes 





Magnetism is an invisible force 

that can make some things 

move towards each other. 

Rocks were the first magnets. 

Materials differ in the ease 

in which their atoms can 

align themselves or become 

magnetised. The strong 

magnetic field of some 

magnet’s atoms can temporarily 

magnetise objects made of 

iron, steel, nickel or cobalt. 

When a metal nail, pin or paper 

clip is brought near the north 

pole of a magnet, the particles 

inside those objects line up in 

one direction and the whole 

object becomes a temporary 

magnet. If the object is 

removed from the magnet, 

however, the particles revert to 

their random pattern and their 

magnetic qualities disappear. 



Two different types of magnets (e.g. bar and horseshoe), paperclips (about 15 to 

20 per student, pair or small group) 

Preparation 

Examples of different types of chains (e.g. necklace, metal chain, paper chain, 

paperclip chain). 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Use the various chain examples to establish what makes a chain. Explain how they 

are linked together in some way. Explain how magnetism can hold some objects 

together in a chain. Demonstrate how a magnet can pick up one paperclip, then 

show how another can be carefully picked up or placed at the end of the first one 

to start a chain. 

What to Do 

• Have the students try to make a magnetic chain. How many can they drag across 

the desk end to end without breaking? 

• Try two different magnets. Does this affect the results? Why do you think this is? 

• How many paperclips will a magnet lift end to end? 

• Investigate the lengths of the chains using two different magnets. 

• Record and compare results. 

• Which magnet could drag more paperclips? Which magnet could lift more 

paperclips? Was the larger magnet the stronger? 

• Ask the students if they can think of another way to drag or lift more paperclips 

than before. They can draw their design and test it. 

• Experiment with the number of paperclips that can be held at different places on a 

magnet. Are more held at the poles or in the middle? Discuss findings. 


Answers 

1–4. Teacher check 

5. Possible answers may include picking up needles from a sewing kit, nails or 

screws from a tool box and attaching things to the fridge for display. 


• Try the same experiment using pins. Do the results alter? 

• Test the strength of the magnets by using a ruler, bar or horseshoe magnet, and 

pins. Lay a pin above the ruler so the point touches the one centimetre mark. 

Slowly move a magnet from the other end of the ruler towards the pin. Observe 

and record the mark where the pin moves to the magnet. Test different magnets. 

Do the distances alter? Try different objects, which will have different attraction 

distances. 

• Investigate the properties of a rock called ‘magnetite’. Are there any other 

magnetic rocks? 

Display Ideas 

• Use a digital camera to take photographs of the students doing their experiment. 

Display with texts written by the students describing what they did. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


1. 

Test your magnets and complete the chart. 


2. 

3. 

4. 

Magnet 1 Type: 

Paperclip 

chain dragged 

along desk 

Paperclip 

chain lifted by 

magnet 

a 

b 

c 

Which magnet dragged the longer chain? 

Which magnet lifted the longer chain? 

Was the larger magnet the stronger? 

Draw another way in which you could drag or lift more paperclips than before. 

Test your model. 

a 

b 

c 

Number of paperclips dragged 

Number of paperclips lifted 

Was this method better than your first attempt? 

Explain your answer. 

yes no 

Magnet 2 Type: 



Display Copy 

yes no 

Discuss with a partner how a magnet might be used at home. Write your answer. 

b 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 






source and the receiver. 

Indicators 

• Identifies how iron filings 

can show the lines of 

magnetic force. 

• Identifies how iron filings 

can support the ‘Law of 

Magnetic Poles’. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Observes 



• Draw conclusions 


The ‘Law of Magnetic Poles’ 

states that unlike poles 

attract and like poles repel. 

Surrounding all magnets is 

a magnetic field which is 

invisible to the eye. It’s at 

its greatest strength at the 

two poles of a magnet. By 

sprinkling iron filings over a 

paper surface with a magnet 

underneath the ‘lines of 

force’ can be demonstrated. 

These lines of force make up 

the magnetic field which is 

the strongest at the poles. 

The iron filings become 

magnetised and collect where 

the magnetic forces are 

working their strongest. They 

show the ‘lines of force’. The 

iron filings may stand up at 

different angles depending 

on which forces around the 

magnet are working on them. 

The magnetic field is threedimensional. 



Two bar magnets, paper, iron filings in container 

Preparation 

Collection of iron filings. Separate filings into several small containers with lids (film 

canisters are useful) to suit the number of groups. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Revise the forces of magnets by using two bar magnets clearly marked with ‘N’ and ‘S’ 

poles. Discuss what happens when ‘like’ and ‘unlike’ poles are put together. Get the students 

to describe the feeling when doing this (unlike poles attract, push together firmly; like poles 

have a repelling force stopping the magnets going together). 

What to Do 

• Place one bar magnet on a flat, non-magnetic surface (e.g. a desk). 

• Lay the paper over the magnet. 

• Sprinkle the iron filings gently over the paper (tap the paper gently if needed). 

• Draw what happens to the filings. Why do you think there are heavier lines near the poles? 

(The force of attraction is stronger at the poles.) 

• Gently fold the paper to form a scoop and carefully replace filings into their container. 

• Place two bar magnets on the desk about one centimetre apart. Try the three different pole 

positions. Predict the results based on the ‘Law of Magnetism’ demonstrated in the stimulus. 

Lay paper over the magnets. Sprinkle carefully with iron filings. Record results and replace 

iron filings carefully after each position. 

Position A – Like poles (N/N) together – will repel 

Position B – Like poles (S/S) together – will repel 

Position C – Unlike poles (N/S) together – will attract N S 

• Discuss the results with the class. 

• Did their predictions for ‘like’ or ‘unlike’ poles match the patterns of force shown by the 

iron filings? 


Answers 

1. 

2. The poles have a stronger magnetic force. 

3. (a) (b) (c) 


• Challenge the students to make a class list showing the uses of magnets in our daily lives 

(e.g. computer disks, cassette players, compass, radio, TVs, telephones, loudspeakers, toys 

etc.). Review the list as it grows. 

• Investigate people’s jobs that involve the use of magnetism (e.g. tailors – pins/needles, 

mechanics – mechanic tools, window cleaners, teachers – magnetic boards). 

• Predict and draw what the lines of forces could look like for a horseshoe magnet. Test 

and compare results. The student should find the two ends of a horseshoe magnet (poles) 

attract each other. Why? – (Opposite poles attract.) 

Display Ideas 

• Use a digital or normal camera to record students working on experiments. Label with 

student texts describing what they were doing. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 

N 

S 



Display Copy 

N N S S N S 

N 

S 

N 

S



1. Draw the lines made when iron filings are sprinkled over a magnet. 

2. 

3. 

Why do you think the filings collect mostly around the poles? 

Draw lines to show what patterns are made when using two magnets. Give reasons for this. 

a 

b 



Display Copy 

c 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 






source and the receiver. 

Indicators 

• Observes the effects of 

magnetism on objects in 

the environment. 

• Uses prior knowledge 

on magnetism to solve 

problems. 

Skills Focus 

• Records 

• Predicts 

• Observes 





Magnets will attract objects 

through some materials but 

some materials will form a 

barrier. 

Magnetism will pass through 

materials that are not 

magnetic. When students are 

allowed to experiment with 

magnets and objects they 

soon discover they can make 

objects move without actually 

touching them. A magnet can 

move the paperclip from the 

water by sliding the magnet 

up the outside of the jar. As 

the paperclip is magnetically 

attracted it will follow. Window 

cleaners use magnets on 

either side of large or difficult 

windows (like aquariums or 

high rise buildings) to clean 

them. 



Problem 1 – paper plates, magnet, paperclip 

Problem 2 – narrow jar, paperclips, paper towels, magnet, water 

Preparation 

Group materials from problems 1 and 2 into separate trays. Provide enough for 

half the class to work on opposite problems and then allow the groups to swap 

activities. This may extend to two lessons. Organise the class into small groups. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Revise results from previous lessons on magnets. What is the ‘Law of Magnetic 

Poles’? What types of objects are attracted to a magnet? 

• Working with groups and the materials supplied, students are to plan and design 

ways of solving each problem using their prior knowledge of magnets and their 

properties. 

What to Do 

• Allow students time to study the problem and the materials given. 

• Record possible ideas to solve the problems and test the best idea. 

• Students record their success rate and what may be needed to improve the 

experiment. 

• They attempt the next problem using the same group strategy and discuss 

possibilities. 

• The students test an idea and record the results. 

• Discuss the differences in the way the class groups approached the problems. 

Are there ways to improve the methods used? What worked? Why? What didn’t 

work? 

• Discuss with the students how many paper plates can be put between the paperclip 

and magnet before the magnetic attraction stops. How many paperclips can be 

moved around or out of the jar of water? 


Answers 



• Can the students think of other problems to solve using magnets. How could it be 

done? For example, an object buried in the sand; moving an object through water. 

• Test a variety of materials to see what a magnetic force will pass through. Use 

cloth, cardboard, paper, aluminium foil, glass, rice etc. Experiment by placing 

different layers over a magnet to see which forms a barrier and which still 

allows magnetic forces to pass through. Which materials stopped a magnet from 

working? Make a list. 

Display Ideas 

• Investigate and report on other magnetic experiments (e.g. how to magnetise a 

nail; make an electromagnet; make a compass). Have the students write a science 

procedure for the experiment and display it as a poster. Students can demonstrate 

their findings to the class. Other students can follow the procedure on the poster 

and compare their results. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Problem 1 

Diagram 

How can you make a paperclip ‘walk’ around a paper plate without touching it? 

Plan of action/Possible ideas 

Materials used 

Problem 2 

Diagram 

What we did 

Rating 

not good average very good 

0 1 2 3 4 5 

Why it did/didn’t work 

How can you remove a metal object from a narrow jar of water without touching it? 

Materials used 

Rating 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Plan of action/Possible ideas 

What we did 



Display Copy 

Why it did/didn’t work 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Magnets 

Assessment 

1. 

List two objects for each box. 

2. 

4. 

True or False 

a 

b 

c 

d 

Iron is attracted to a magnet. 

Like poles attract. 

Unlike poles attract. 

Some materials like paperclips 

can become temporary magnets. 

Finish the sentence using these words. 

a 

b 

The same magnetic poles 

Opposite magnetic poles 

How could you move the cork and nail 

through the water without touching it? 

3. 

Draw what iron filings’ patterns 

would look like for these magnets. 

a 

b 



Display Copy 


Indicators 

• Identifies differences in magnetic and non-magnetic materials. 

• Shows understanding of magnetic facts. 

• Draws ‘patterns’ to show understanding of magnetic poles. 

• Understands the correct use of the terms ‘attract’ and ‘repel’. 

• Uses knowledge of magnets to solve a problem. 


opportunity 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Flight 

flight 

aeroplanes 

helicopter 

gyrocopter 

aerodynamics 

flying machine 

A ‘Loopy’ Aeroplane 

Gyrocopter 

A Whirligig 

Paper Gliders 

Flight 

The longest distance flown by a paper aircraft, 

launched from the ground and indoors, is 58.82 m. 

This is about the same length as a Jumbo jet! 

The smallest origami paper model of a crane bird 

was folded under a microscope with tweezers in 

Japan and was made from a piece of paper 2.9 

mm square! 

aeroplane 

aircraft 

designs 

distance 

drag 

experiment 

flight 

flying machine 

glider 

gravity 



Display Copy 

gyrocopter 

helicopter 

horizontal 

lift 

performance 

rotor 

spin 

tail 

vertical 

wings 

Name: 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Flight – Activity 1 

Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 


2.5 Describes properties of 

light, sound, heating and 

movement. 

Indicators 

• Constructs a flying 

machine. 

• Makes a variety of 

alterations to improve the 

performance of a flying 

machine. 

Skills focus 



• Observes 

• Records 

• Measures 

• Explains findings 


Things that fly are either 

lighter than air or they 

overcome the force of gravity. 

Gravity acts as a magnet 

drawing things back to the 

Earth’s surface. 

Things that are lighter than 

air will float on it (e.g. hotair 

balloons). Heavy objects, 

like planes, fly because their 

engines push them through 

the air and their wings lift them 

up. 

Paper planes are made to fly 

when they are thrown through 

the air. The ‘loopy plane’ is 

unusual in that it is a successful 

flying machine even though it 

has no wings, tail or stabilisers. 

Safety Warning 

Do not aim flying objects at 

any person. 

Always test flying objects in 

safe conditions and areas. 

Fly them away from people 

or windy conditions. 



Straws, sheet of paper, tape, scissors, ruler, pencil, measuring tapes or metre rulers 

Preparation 

• Have a model aircraft or pictures of a variety of aircraft for students to view and 

gain ideas from. 

• Build a model to show students a completed shape. Have examples of wing shapes 

(flat paper or aerofoil shapes ) and tail pieces that students may like to try 

after they have made some attempt at changes in design. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Discuss aircraft models and pictures to show a variety of designs and changes in 

aircraft over time. Discuss what makes each machine fly. Explain how the students 

are going to make and design a flying machine. 

What to Do 

• Cut two strips of paper – one 3 cm wide and one 1.5 cm wide. 

• Measure the 3 cm strip for 20 cm in length and cut. 

• Curl and tape this strip to make a loop. 

• Make a small loop with the 1.5 cm strip so that the loop is 

about half the size of the large loop. (From 12 to 15 cm in length.) 

• Tape both loops to opposite ends of the straw. 

• Test ‘The Loopy Plane’. How well does it fly? Which way does it fly the best – with 

the small or large loop at the front? Test your flying machine three times and 

record your longest flight. 

• Now have the students make their own aircraft and improve on this one. Change 

the loop sizes, the length of the straw. Let the students experiment by adding 

more straws, more loops, more wings, a tail etc. 

• Conduct test flights with each new aircraft design. The students choose their 

two best ideas to test. They record the changes made to the design and the flight 

distances travelled. 

• Students or groups could demonstrate their new designs, explaining what has 

increased the plane’s performance. Which designs were more successful? Which 

designs were less successful? Why? 


Answers 

Teacher check 


• Hold a class competition to find the plane that can travel the furthest or stay in the 

air the longest. 

• Construct three different-sized planes or flying machines of the same design. 

Test each three times and record the flight distances. Which one flew the greatest 

distance? Can you explain why? Does the size alter its performance? 

Display Ideas 

• Research different flying machines through history. Construct a time line and add 

pictures, drawings or a simple report about each of the machines. 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8



Design 1 

Changes to design 


Design 2 

Design 3 

1. 

2. 

3. 

'Loopy' Plane Test Flights 

Changes to design What happened? 


Changes to design 



0 1 2 3 4 5 


0 1 2 3 4 5 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

My best design was … 



Display Copy 

What made it the best? 

My longest flight was design 

What could make it even better? 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Gyrocopter 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 




movement. 

Indicators 

• Constructs a flying 

machine. 


alterations to improve the 


machine. 

Skills Focus 


• Predicts 


• Observes 

• Identifies patterns 

• Draw conclusions 



An autogyro is like a helicopter 

in that it generates the lift 

needed to fly by using rotors 

(rotating wings) on top rather 

than stationary wings. Unlike 

the helicopter, the rotors are 

not powered and need a flow 

of air over their surfaces to 

keep them moving. 

When the model gyrocopter 

falls, air pushes up against 

the blades, bending them up 

slightly. The two blades get 

the same amount of push 

but in opposite directions, 

causing the gyrocopter to spin. 

Changing the blade directions 

will cause it to spin in different 

directions. 

Adding a weight (e.g. a 

paperclip) to the base will 

make it spin faster to the 

ground. 

Igor Sikorsky designed the first 

successful helicopter in the 

late 1930’s. He was inspired by 

Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings 

of an aircraft with a rotating, 

screw-like rotor. 



Gyrocopter pattern, scissors, paperclips. 

Preparation 

• Collect pictures or videos of planes with propellers, helicopters or ‘rotor’ designs 

through the ages. 

• Make a model gyrocopter and practise from a variety of positions, using different 

weights. These may help the performance of the craft when dropped from a 

higher position, such as when standing on a chair or desk. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

Show pictures or videos of helicopters, autogyros, and if possible da Vinci’s 

drawings or early rotor models. Discuss their use of rotor blades for flight. Explain 

how the students will make a rotor-like flying machine. 

What to Do 

• Ask the students to cut out the gyrocopter pattern. Cut along the solid lines only. 

Fold on the dotted lines. 

• Fold ‘A’ wing towards you and ‘B’ wing away from you. 

• Fold ‘C’ and ‘D’ so they overlap each other. 

• Fold the base ‘E’ upwards along the dotted line. 

• Experiment with the gyrocopter to see how it flies. What do you notice? What 

direction does it spin, clockwise or anticlockwise? Can you make it change 

directions? Colour it brightly and watch the colours as it spins. 

• Experiment further with the design. Record the changes and how each affects its 

flight. (For example, add weight (paperclips), alter blade angles, lengthen blades, 

alter the width, drop it from different heights, throw it upwards and let it drop.) 

• The students alter two different variables and test and record the differences in 

performance. 

• Which design was better? Explain why. 

• Have students discuss their changes and designs with the class. 


Answers 

Teacher check 


• Have students experiment and select their best gyrocopter design. Hold 

competitions to time the fastest/slowest ‘copter’. 

• Make a large gyrocopter (as big as you can) and a tiny version. Experiment and 

compare the two. Does size alter the performance? 

• Write a report about Igor Sikorsky and his first helicopter design. 

Display Ideas 



Display Copy 

• Make a time line with pictures about helicopter 

or ‘rotor’ designs through the ages. Display 

around the classroom. 

• Investigate jobs where helicopters are used 

(news – traffic reports, firefighting, defence 

forces, rescue, farming etc.). Display pictures, 

drawings and information about how the 

machines are important for each job. 



any person. 






ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8


Gyrocopter 

When I first dropped my gyrocopter it 

Follow the steps to describe and improve your gyrocopter. 

Step 1 Design 1 Step 2 Design 2 

Test Results 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Test Results 


0 1 2 3 4 5 

Step 3 

Things I changed 

Design 

was better. 

I could improve the design by … 



Display Copy 

A B 

C D 

E 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

A Whirligig 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 

Energy and change 



movement. 

Indicators 

• Makes predictions about 

flight patterns of the 

whirligig. 

• Constructs and throws a 

whirligig. 

Skills Focus 

• Predicts 

• Observes 




Four basic forces are involved 

in flight – gravity, lift, drag and 

thrust. Thrust is created by 

a plane’s propellers or its jet 

engines. Drag is the natural 

force of air resistance against 

the plane’s forward movement. 

Lift is created by the plane’s 

wings as they move through 

the air and gravity is a natural 

force that pushes the plane 

towards the ground. Gravity 

and lift are opposite forces, as 

are drag and thrust. 

The ‘whirliggig’ flies through 

the air because of the force 

used when it is thrown. It spins 

and cuts through the air in 

the same way as a propeller. 

It works best when held by 

the end of one of the blades 

or wings with the thumb and 

index finger. 

Keep the whirly-gig vertical 

and flick forward and upward 

to start a spinning action. It 

should return in a semicircle 

and come back to the place it 

was thrown from. It may take 

several practices to get the 

correct thrust to make it return. 



any person. 







Stiff card (e.g. cereal packs – other materials such as cardboard, styrofoam or 

balsa can also be used), whirligig template (page 81), scissors. 

Preparation 

• Have templates already made in thick card for students to trace around. 

• Make a model whirligig and practise throwing it to demonstrate and discuss 

results. 

• Students will need a large area like a gymnasium, an undercover assembly area or 

oval to practise throwing their whirligig (little wind). 

• Have a collection of pictures of aircraft with propellers or rotor blades on display 

(as in gyrocopter activity). 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Discuss pictures where aircraft use propellers or rotor blades. 

What to Do 

• Students trace around a whirligig template onto card. 

(See ‘Appendix 1’ on page 81.) 

• They carefully cut around the shape so the edges are smooth. 

• Students can colour it brightly and add their names. 

• Ask students to predict what they think will happen when the whirligig is thrown. 

• Demonstrate how to hold and throw the whirligig for students by holding one 

blade vertically and flicking it forward and upward. 

• Students will need to practise to get the correct amount of thrust to make the 

whirligig circle and come back like a boomerang. (Students will need a large area 

to practise—preferably indoors without wind.) 

• Students record what they have found about their whirligig. 

• Try throwing the whirligig horizontally. What happens? 

• What could be changed to make it better? Allow students to experiment and 

record results. 

• Talk about the performances of the whirligigs. 

• Ask who can throw and catch their whirligig. Give each throwing technique a 

rating. 


Answers 

Teacher check 


• Make a frisbee using an aluminium pie plate and modelling clay. Turn the plate 

upside down and try to fly it. What happens? Add small amounts of modelling clay 

evenly spaced around the outside edge of the dish. Using a backhand toss, try to 

fly it again. Is it better with or without the weights? Try different types of plates 

or alter the weights used. What differences can you notice? Record results and 

compare with others in the class. Hold a competition for the longest flying pie 

plate design. 

• Make small finger boomerangs (from stiff card) that can be launched off a slightly 

tilted book with the flick of a finger. Strike the boomerang so that it spins off 

the book rapidly. The boomerang should fly straight out, turn and come back. If 

needed, give one edge of each wing a slight bend upward like a forward flap. 

Display Ideas 

• Research and display pictures and reports showing the uses and 

types of boomerangs. Do they all return? 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy


Follow the steps to describe and improve your whirligig. 

A Whirligig 

Step 1 

Step 2 

What do you want to find out about your whirligig? 

What do you think will happen? 


What happened when you threw it vertically? 

Stay Safe! 

Do not aim your whirligig at 

anyone. 

Test your whirligig in a safe area 

(like outside or in the assembly 

room). 

What happened when you threw it horizontally? 



Display Copy 

Step 3 

What could you do to improve 

your whirligig? Try it! 


Colour a rectangle on 

the ratings picture to 

show how it went. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Paper Gliders 


Lesson Focus 

Outcomes 

Energy and change 



movement. 

Indicators 

• Constructs and flies a 

paper glider. 


changes to improve the 


machine. 

Skills Focus 


• Observes 

• Records 

• Measures 


• Predicts 


• Works cooperatively 


Paper planes fly differently 

depending on their shape. 

Long, thin designs are better 

for long, straight flights. 

Large wings slow down flight 

and cause the plane to ‘loop’. 

Flying objects all use the wind 

indirectly to fly, using the 

Bernoulli principle. 

Daniel Bernoulli was a Swiss 

scientist who discovered that as 

air flows horizontally, its vertical 

pressure decreases as its speed 

increases. This decrease in air 

pressure can lift objects from a 

paper plane or frisbee to a real 

plane. The light wings and tail 

help the glider to lift and float 

in the air when it is thrown. The 

paperclip gives it balance and 

keeps it going forward. Too 

little weight will make it tail 

heavy and too much weight will 

make it dive. 



any person. 







A4 sheets of paper, metre rulers, paperclips, tape 

Preparation 

• Have a paper glider already complete plus paper to work through the construction of 

gliders, piece by piece, with the students. 

• Find other glider models to show students. 

• Students will need a large area like a gymnasium or assembly area (preferably indoors 

without wind) to practise throwing their gliders. 

The Lesson 

Stimulus 

• Show examples of paper plane models and demonstrate how they perform. Discuss their 

differences. Allow the students time and paper to make their own designs and test them. 

This ‘free-play’ time will get rid of excess excitement related to the activity. 

What to Do 

• Guide students step by step to make their own glider. 

• Take the A4 sheet. The students can colour it now 

or after the plane has been made. 

• Fold it down the centre, then open it out. 

• Fold corners A and B until they meet the centre 

fold. 

• Fold C and D until they meet the centre fold. 

• Fold glider backwards in half along fold line, into 

the centre. 

• Fold down wings either side so A meets B. Then 

adjust the wings to be horizontal. 

Back view 

• The students write their names on it. 

• Test your glider with a partner or in small groups. Record your glider’s flight distance over 

three trials. Did the distance improve? 

• Does extra weight affect the glider? Add a paperclip to its nose and record its distance over 

three trials. 

• Discuss the variety of paper models shown at the beginning of the lesson. (Some with 

different shapes, wings, tail etc.). Demonstrate each again and leave for students to view. 

• Allow students time to think of ways to change their models (e.g. alter wings, tail, seal the 

body with tape). Have the students select one method and try it on their glider. 

• Test its performance and record what happens. Did it improve? What could be tried next? 


Answers 

Teacher check 


• Make three different-sized gliders (small, medium, large). Test their performance over 

several trials. Does size make a difference? Which travelled the greatest distance? Have 

students explain the results. 

• Using the same paper glider, change its weight by adding two, three or four paperclips to 

different positions on the plane. Observe and record the differences in performance. 

• From the students’ findings, have them design and construct their own glider. Hold a 

race to see which travels the greatest distance. Examine the winning plane to explain its 

performance. 

Display 

• Graph flight results on a large chart. Use paper streamers cut to lengths for a bar graph. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8 



Display Copy 

B 

a 

c 

d 

b 

A


Follow the steps to describe and improve your paper glider. 

What happened when you first flew your paper glider? 

Paper Gliders 

Step 1 

T 

E 

S 

T 

1 

Step 2 

T 

E 

S T 

1 

Step 3 

T 

E 

S 

T 

2 

T 

E 

S T 

2 

Distance Travelled 

What happened when you added a paperclip to the nose of the glider? 

• 

• 

Possible ideas to improve my 

glider … 

Distance Travelled 

Did this change increase the 

distance your glider could travel? 

Explain why. 

T 

E 

S 

T 

3 

T 

E 

S T 

3 

yes no 



Display Copy 

• 

• 

What would you change next? 

Circle the one you want to try. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Flight 

Assessment 

1. 

Flying machine 

Describe how it moved 

Describe a change made to 

the design. 

2. 

‘Loopy’ Aeroplane 

Gyrocopter 

Whirly-gig 

Paper Glider 

Did it improve? 




Does adding weight to a flying machine improve its performance? Explain your answer. 



Display Copy 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Indicators 


opportunity 


• Describes how a variety of flying machines move. 

• Describes an alteration made to improve the performance of a flying machine. 

• Evaluates the alteration’s success. 

• Discusses how extra weight affects the performance of a flying machine. 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

Flight – Activity 3 (resource) 

A Whirly-Gig 

Appendix 1. (See activities page 76 – 77) 



Display Copy 


ISBN 978-1-925660-54-8

RIC-3531 Primary Science - Book D (Digital)

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?