6172RB Science a STEM approach Year 2 low res watermark

© R.I.C. Publications 

Low resolution display copy

Science: A STEM approach (Year 2) 

Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2017 

Copyright © R.I.C. Publications ® 2017 

ISBN 978-1-925431-95-7 

RIC–6172 

Titles in this series: 

Science: A STEM approach (Foundation) 







All material identified by is material subject to copyright 

under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and is owned by the Australian 

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2017. 

For all Australian Curriculum material except elaborations: This is 

an extract from the Australian Curriculum. 

Elaborations: This may be a modified extract from the Australian 

Curriculum and may include the work of other authors. 

Disclaimer: ACARA neither endorses nor verifies the accuracy of the 

information provided and accepts no responsibility for incomplete or 

inaccurate information. 

In particular, ACARA does not endorse or verify that: 

• The content descriptions are solely for a particular year and 

subject; 

• All the content descriptions for that year and subject have been 

used; and 

• The author’s material aligns with the Australian Curriculum content 

descriptions for the relevant year and subject. 

You can find the unaltered and most up to date version of this 

material at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ 

This material is reproduced with the permission of ACARA. 

Copyright Notice 

A number of pages in this book are worksheets. 

The publisher licenses the individual teacher 

who purchased this book to photocopy these 

pages to hand out to students in their own 

classes. 

Except as allowed under the Copyright Act 1968, 

any other use (including digital and online uses 

and the creation of overhead transparencies 

or posters) or any use by or for other people 

(including by or for other teachers, students or 

institutions) is prohibited. If you want a licence 

to do anything outside the scope of the BLM 

licence above, please contact the Publisher. 

This information is provided to clarify the limits 

of this licence and its interaction with the 

Copyright Act. 

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: 


Low resolution display copy 

Internet websites 

In some instances, 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 sample pages online 

PO Box 332 Greenwood Western Australia 6924 

Website: www.ricpublications.com.au 

Email: mail@ricpublications.com.au

Introduction.............................................................. iv 

Unit description ...................................................iv–vi 

Biological sciences: 

Growing and changing.................................. 1– 38 

Overview...........................................................2–3 

Lesson 1............................................................4 –7 

Lesson 2..........................................................8 –10 

Lesson 3....................................................... 11 –14 

Lesson 4....................................................... 15 –17 

Lesson 5....................................................... 18 –20 

Lesson 6....................................................... 21 –26 

Assessment................................................. 27 –28 

STEM project............................................... 29 –38 

Chemical sciences: 

Living in a material world............................39–74 

Overview...................................................... 40–41 

Lesson 1....................................................... 42–45 

Lesson 2....................................................... 46 –48 

Lesson 3....................................................... 49 –52 

Lesson 4....................................................... 53–55 

Lesson 5....................................................... 56 –60 

Lesson 6....................................................... 61 –63 

Assessment................................................. 64–65 

STEM project............................................... 66–74 

Foreword 

Science: A STEM approach (Foundation to Year 6) is a series of books written with the intent to support 

Australian Curriculum Science while offering a way to introduce a STEM project based on the science 

concepts taught. 

All Science Understanding and Science Inquiry Skills for each unit are included, and any connecting 

Technologies or Mathematics curriculum concepts are also incorporated. 

The STEM project allows students to apply the science knowledge and understanding, and includes 

any curriculum links to Technologies and Mathematics curriculum. 

If you would like us to feature your completed STEM projects on our website, please 

email a photograph, video or audio of the project to 

. 

If you would like to view completed STEM projects and get some inspiration, please 

go to . 

Contents 

Earth and space sciences: 

Our resourceful world............................... 75 –110 

Overview...................................................... 76 –77 

Lesson 1....................................................... 78 –81 

Lesson 2....................................................... 82 –85 

Lesson 3....................................................... 86 –89 

Lesson 4....................................................... 90–91 

Lesson 5....................................................... 92 –95 

Lesson 6.....................................................96 –100 

Assessment.............................................101 –102 

STEM project...........................................103 –110 

Physical sciences: 

Forced to move........................................ 111–145 

Overview..................................................112 –113 



Lesson 1...................................................114–117 

Lesson 2...................................................118 –121 

Lesson 3...................................................122–124 

Lesson 4...................................................125 –128 

Lesson 5...................................................129 –131 

Lesson 6...................................................132–136 

Assessment.............................................137 –138 

STEM project...........................................139 –145 

Warning: This series may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. 

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au 978-1-925431-95-7 YEAR Science: 

2 A STEM APPROACH iii

Introduction 

What is STEM? 

In a nutshell, STEM is the integration of science, 

technologies, engineering and mathematics 

concepts using project-based and cooperative 

learning. Educators have been integrating learning 

areas since the beginning of time, so although the 

idea behind STEM is not new, this series hopes 

to make it easier for you to execute learning 

integration in the classroom. 

The Australian Government, and governments around the world, have placed a high priority on 

STEM skills. The future workforce will require current students to be creative and critical thinkers who 

can collaborate and design solutions to problems. The skills utilised in STEM have never been more 

valued. 

STEM education aims to prepare students for the roles of the future with skills such as innovation, 

creativity, reasoning, problem-solving, and technical science skills such as questioning, observing, 

systematic experimentation, and analysis and interpretation of data. 

Format of this book 

This series focuses on delivering a comprehensive and contemporary science program, culminating in 

a STEM project which applies the scientific knowledge acquired during the science lessons. The series 

incorporates the use of online resources, digital devices and iPad® applications where appropriate, in 

order to enhance the use of technology in the classroom. 

The units 

The science units are organised by sub-strand—Biological sciences, Chemical sciences, Earth and 

space sciences and Physical sciences. At the start of each sub-strand unit, keywords, a unit overview 

and curriculum scope and sequence are provided, as shown below. 

Each unit contains a term’s worth of work with 5–7 lessons, a summative assessment of the science 

knowledge with teacher notes, and a STEM project. 

Unit overview 

Chemical sciences 

LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD 

materials 

change 

properties 

hard 

strong 

bendy 

Keywords 

soft 

smooth 

stretchy 

absorbent 

waterproof 

see-through 

combine 


2 A STEM APPROACH 39 

mix 

uses 

purpose 

mixture 

recycle 

Unit overview 

40 Science: YEAR 

A STEM APPROACH 2 



Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (ACSSU031) 

Lesson 1 

Students recall their prior knowledge of different materials 

What are materials? and their properties. Students then explore the properties 

What properties do of objects made from different materials and test their 

materials have? 

knowledge of materials and their properties using an 

interactive game. 

Lesson 2 

Students explore the school playground to find examples 

What materials are of how different materials have been used and take a digital 

found in the local photograph of each use. Students record the material each 

environment? What are object is made from and list the properties which make that 

their properties? How material useful for the object. 

are they used? 

Lesson 3 

Students observe images of objects that have been made 

What happens when by combining different materials together. Students explore 

materials are mixed? the work of Charles Macintosh, a chemist who created 

Do their properties waterproof jackets by combining rubber with fabric. They 

change? 

then apply their knowledge of combining materials to 

draw and label a design for a house that is suitable for an 

underwater environment. 

Lesson 4 

Students explore toys that are made from different 

What different 

materials and toys that are made from more than one 

materials are toys made material. Students discuss why each material has been 

from? Why? 

used to create a particular toy and then use this knowledge 

to draw and label a design of a toy that uses different 

materials for different parts. 

Lesson 5 

Students explore how materials are mixed together for 

What happens to the different purposes by examining breakfast foods that are 

property of materials mixtures and non-mixtures. Students conduct experiments 

when they are used to to explore different mixtures that are commonly used while 

create a mixture? cooking and suggest different uses for each. 

Lesson 6 

Students explore what happens to paper after they place 

How does paper it in a recycling bin and how different materials are mixed 

recycling involve together to recycle the paper we throw away. They then 

mixing materials? apply this knowledge to create a papier-mâché bowl using 

recycled egg cartons and discuss how mixing materials 

together created a bowl with different properties to the 

original egg carton. 

Summative assessment Assess students’ knowledge of the materials that different 

objects are made from and their properties and how 

materials are combined or mixed together for particular 

purposes. 

STEM project 

Students combine materials to recreate an oil spill and 

Oil spill clean-up then devise a a method to remove the oil from the water 

and from bird feathers that have been affected by the oil. 

Students record a video describing the most effective 

method and how this could be applied to the real world. 

978-1-925431-95-7 R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au 

Title page Unit overview Curriculum scope and 

sequence 

Pages 

42–45 

46–48 

49–52 

53–55 

56–60 

61–63 

64–65 

66–74 



Curriculum scope and sequence 

SCIENCE UNDERSTANDING 


SCIENCE AS A HUMAN ENDEAVOUR 

Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing 

changes in, objects and events (ACSHE034) 

People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their 

environment and living things (ACSHE035) 

SCIENCE INQUIRY SKILLS 

Questioning and predicting 

Pose and respond to questions, and make predictions about familiar 

objects and events (ACSIS037) 

Planning and conducting 

Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer questions 

(ACSIS038) 

Use informal measurements to collect and record observations, using 

digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS039) 

Processing and analysing data and information 

Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and 

provided tables and through discussion, compare observations with 

predictions (ACSIS040) 

Evaluating 

Compare observations with those of others (ACSIS041) 

Communicating 

Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways 

(ACSIS042) 

Unit overview 

Lesson 

STEM 

1 2 3 4 5 6 Assessment 

project 





iv 

Science: 

A STEM APPROACH 

YEAR 

2 

978-1-925431-95-7 R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

Unit description 

Lessons 

The lessons are based on science knowledge and skills. The lessons contain a page of teacher notes, 

outlining the inquiry questions, science strands and any links to technologies and mathematics 

concepts, followed by a suggested lesson plan. Any resource sheets required for the lesson follow on. 



Teacher notes 

Science inquiry focus: 

What happens when materials are combined? Why are 

materials combined? 

Science Inquiry Skills: 

• Questioning and predicting QP 

• Planning and conducting PC 

• Processing and analysing data and information PA 

• Evaluating E 

• Communicating C 

Science as a Human Endeavour: 

• Students observe components in objects, ask questions 

about and describe properties of materials. 

• Students understand that science is used in daily life, such as 

when combining materials to construct objects. 

Technology/Engineering/Mathematics links: 

• exploring a PowerPoint presentation as a class 

• exploring the characteristics and properties of materials that 

are used for a raincoat 

• drawing a design for a house and selecting suitable 

materials based on their properties 

Background information 

• A number of different materials may be combined to make 

different products. The different materials are chosen 

because of the properties that make them most suitable 

for their use. For example, a window may be constructed 

using glass with wooden or aluminium frames. A toy car 

may be made from plastic, metal and rubber—with each of 

these materials being used for a particular purpose. Some 

properties of materials are more important than others. 

• Composition of objects in the pictures on page 51: 

Windows are a combination of metal/aluminium, wood 

and glass; the jacket is made from nylon or leather outer 

fabric and has a metal or plastic zip with fur fabric inside; 

the car has a metal body, glass windows and lights, rubber 

tyres, metal hubcaps; the cardigan is wool, with plastic 

buttons and cotton thread. 

Assessment focus: 

• Use the house design as 

a formative assessment of 

students’ understanding of how 

materials can be combined and 

what the purpose is. 

• Observe the final presentation 

to gauge students’ ability to 

articulate their understanding. 

Resources 

• Digital copy of page 51 

• Charles Macintosh 

PowerPoint presentation 

at 

• Alternative Charles 

Macintosh website 

• A3 card and drawing 

materials 

• Selection of fabrics and 

materials 



Lesson 3 

Lesson 3 





Lesson 3 

Lesson plan 

Combining materials images 

Introduction: 

1. Display the images from page 51 to the class. In pairs, students discuss what materials they think 

make up the objects shown. What materials have been used to make this window? Car? Cardigan? 

Jacket? Students use a mini whiteboard to list the materials. QP PA 

2. With their partner, students discuss the questions Why is a window not made from glass only? Why 

can’t a car be all metal? Why does a cardigan not have wool buttons? Why shouldn’t a jacket be all 

fur? QP C 

Development: 

3. Students explore the purpose for combining materials by discussing the work of Charles 

Macintosh, a chemist who created waterproof jackets. As a class, view the PowerPoint presentation 

introducing Charles Macintosh at and read the notes to the class 

(you will need to register for this website before starting the lesson, but it’s free). Alternatively, use 

the information at . PC 

4. In small groups, discuss: What materials did Charles combine to make his jacket waterproof? Why 

did he not just use all rubber? Or all fabric? E C 

5. Students then apply this principle of combining materials that have different properties to draw and 

label a diagram of an underwater house, showing which materials they would combine together 

and why. They will need to consider the needs of an underwater house, what kind of properties 

would be useful and which materials possess those properties. Students should complete page 52 

first, to guide their design. PA C 

Differentiation 

• Less capable students can be grouped together and provided with extra guidance and support. 

• More capable students can be grouped together to challenge each other and may choose 

another theme for their house, such as in space, in the desert etc. They will need to explore what 

properties these environments require. 

50 Science: 



Teacher notes Lesson plan Resource sheets 

Assessment 

A teacher page is provided outlining the assessment indicators and answers for the following 

assessment page(s). The assessment page(s) covers the science knowledge explored in the previous 

lessons. 

Assessment 

Teacher notes 

Science knowledge 


Indicators 

• Identifies objects, the materials they are made from and their properties. 



YEAR 

2 



• Identifies combinations of materials that are used in objects, and what purpose they serve. 

• Draws and labels a diagram of an object that uses a combination of materials because of their 

properties. 

• Identifies food items that are mixtures of materials. 

• Identifies and describes mixtures used in everyday life and what purpose they serve. 

Answers 

Page 65 

1.–2. Teacher check 

3. muesli, fruit salad 

4. Teacher check. Answers may include mixing 

soap and water to have a bubble bath, 

mixing flour, eggs and butter to make a cake 

batter etc. 


Teacher notes 

Assessment page(s) 

Reflection: 

6. Students present their house design to the class and describe the materials they have chosen to 

use based on the properties required. C 

YEAR 

2 



1. Complete the table by listing two objects, the material each is made 

from and the materials’ properties. 

Object Material Properties 

2. A window combines both glass and a wooden or aluminium frame. 

Draw and label another object that uses different materials because of 

their properties. 

3. Circle the food items that are mixtures. 

Assessment 

muesli fruit salad milk eggs 

4. Write two other ways that you have created a mixture in everyday life 

and why. 



What materials have been combined to make these things? 

Why shouldn't a 

car be all metal? 

Why does a cardigan 

not have wool buttons? 

Why is a window not 

made from glass only? 


jacket be all fur? 






2 A STEM APPROACH v

Unit description 


The STEM project provides students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the 

previous science lessons while incorporating technologies, engineering and mathematics concepts 

where possible. The project entails group collaboration and an extended learning period of 

3–4 weeks. This gives students a real-life experience of working with ‘colleagues’ to share ideas 

and test designed solutions. Each STEM project contains an overview listing STEM concepts and 

alternative project ideas, curriculum links, teacher notes and a group assessment rubric, and a project 

brief and checklist for students. Any resource sheets required are also provided, as well as a selfassessment 

sheet. 


Science Understanding 

STEM curriculum links 

SCIENCE CURRICULUM 

• Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (ACSSU031) 

Science as a Human Endeavour 

Science Inquiry Skills 

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au 978-1-925431-95-7 YEAR 

67 

YEAR 



STEM project overview and 


2 


• Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE034) 

• People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035) 


• Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer questions (ACSIS038) 


• Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables and through discussion, compare 

observations with predictions (ACSIS040) 

Communicating 

• Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways (ACSIS042) 

TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM 

Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding 

• Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solutions 

(ACTDEK004) 



Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills 

• Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005) 

• Generate, develop and record design ideas through describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006) 

• Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions (ACTDEP007) 

• Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of design ideas, processes and solutions including their care for 

environment (ACTDEP008) 

• Sequence steps for making designed solutions and working collaboratively (ACTDEP009) 

Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding 

• Recognise and explore digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose (ACTDIK001) 

Measurement and Geometry 

STEM project overview 

Oil spill clean-up 

Students combine materials to recreate an oil spill and then devise a method to remove the oil 

from the water and from bird feathers that have been affected by the oil. 

Concepts overview: 

Science 

• Apply knowledge of materials and their properties to remove oil from water. 

• Apply knowledge of mixing different materials to remove oil from feathers. 

• Conduct investigations to find suitable solutions. 

• Create a video to communicate the results of the oil spill clean-up attempt. 

• People use science in their everyday lives to understand how to use materials to clean up 

environmental disasters. 

Technology/Engineering 

• Plan steps collaboratively. 

• Explore and test the properties of materials for use in a designed solution. 

• Evaluate and revise the material used for absorbing oil from water or the substance used to 

remove oil from feathers. 

• Use a digital application to record a video. 

Mathematics 

• Use informal measurement to add oil, water and cocoa powder to a bowl. 

Alternative project ideas: 

• Students design and create an outdoor water trolley using recycled materials. Students select 

materials based on their properties to create a trolley that is waterproof and is strong enough 

to hold five one-litre jugs of water. 

• Students design and create decorated biscuits. Students measure the ingredients and mix 

materials together to create the biscuits, following the simple recipe at . Once cooked and cooled, students combine icing and sweets to decorate each 

biscuit. 

• Students create either their design for an underwater house from Lesson 3 or their design for a 

toy from Lesson 4, using the materials labelled on their designs. 

MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM 



• Compare and order several shapes and objects based on length, area, volume and capacity using appropriate uniform 

informal units (ACMMG037) 


2 

YEAR 

66 Science: A STEM APPROACH 



A STEM APPROACH 2 

Project steps 



Investigate 

Learn about oil spills and test materials. 

As a class, watch the video about oil spills by scanning 

this QR code. 

Learn about what absorbency is and what materials have this property. 

Test three materials to see which is the most absorbent. 

Test three substances to see which mixes best with oil. 

Design, plan and manage 

Plan your oil spill and collect your clean-up materials. 

Plan how you will recreate an oil spill and what sort of container will 

be used. 

Collect the materials that will be used to carry out the clean-up, based 

on your investigations. 

Create 

Create your oil spill, then clean it up. 

Create the oil spill by pouring water into your chosen container, then 

adding vegetable oil and cocoa powder. 

Dip the feather in the mixture to soak up the oil, then remove and set 

aside. 

Absorb the oil from the water. 

Remove the oil from the feather. 

Check and make changes 

Check if the oil is fully removed from the water. If it isn’t, consider if 

there is a different material that would be more absorbent. 

Check that the feather is completely clean. If it isn’t, think about 

another substance you didn’t test that might be better at removing oil. 

Communicate 

As a group, record a video explaining how you absorbed the oil from 

the water and what substance you decided to add to the oily feather 

to clean it. 


67 


Teacher notes 

STEM project: 

Students recreate an oil spill using a mixture of oil, cocoa powder and water. They devise a 

method to remove the oil from the water by testing different materials to absorb the oil, based 

on the properties required. Students then devise a method to remove oil from feathers by testing 

different materials to clean the feathers. 

Estimated duration: 3–4 weeks 

1. Introduce the project 

• Play a short Behind the News video to the 

class to introduce what an oil spill is, by 

clicking on the image at . Students can rewatch the 

video by scanning the QR code on their 

project brief page on page 69. 

• Display page 69 to the class and introduce 

the project brief—to remove oil from 

the water using an absorbent material, 

and remove oil from feathers using an 

ingredient that will mix with oil. Students 

will first need to recreate an oil spill by 

making a mixture of water, oil and cocoa 

powder in a plastic tub or large bowl. 

• Clarify any details students do not 

understand. 

2. Investigate 

• As a class, explore what absorption is by 

looking at the PowerPoint presentation at 

. Note: The 

last 4 slides don’t need to be viewed as 

they relate to a specific investigation of the 

absorbency of paper towels. 

• In small groups, students brainstorm 

materials they think are absorbent and 

would like to test. Students then investigate 

the absorbency of three materials using the 

template on page 71. 

• Students also investigate which ingredients 

can be mixed with oil, using the template 

on page 72. 



3. Design, plan and manage 

• Students plan how they will recreate an oil 

spill and what container will be used. 

• Students collect the materials and 

substances they will need for the oil cleanup. 

4. Create 

• Students conduct the oil-absorbing 

challenge and the feather-cleaning 

challenge, based on the results of their 

earlier investigations. 

5. Evaluate and refine 

• Students re-read the design brief to 

ensure they have included all the required 

components and have satisfied the criteria 

and checklist. They make changes if 

necessary. 

6. Communicate 

• Students record a video explaining how 

they absorbed the oil from the water and 

what substance they decided to add to the 

oily feather to clean it. 

• Share the video with the class. 


2 

YEAR 

68 Science: A STEM APPROACH 

Teacher notes 



Oil absorption investigation 


Student names: 

Hypothesis: Which materials do you think are absorbent? 

Circle which three you will test. 

Materials: 

Procedure: 

• vegetable oil 

1. Use the pipette to place drops of oil onto 

• pipette/eye-dropper each of your three materials. 

2. Observe and record the results. 

• 

• 

• 

Results: 

Material 

Conclusion: Which material is the most absorbent? 

Result 



Student name: 

CRITERIA 

Science: YEAR 

2 

74 A STEM APPROACH 


Group members: 

Project task: 

Recreate an oil spill and devise a way to absorb oil using an absorbent material, and 

select a substance to remove oil from a feather. 


Understands that materials have properties that can be used for a purpose. 

Understands that substances can be mixed for a purpose; e.g. oil and detergent. 

Science skills 

Conducts an investigation into which materials are absorbent. 

Conducts an investigation into which substances will mix with oil and can be used as a 

cleaning agent. 

Records information and observations from the investigation using a table. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully using a digital video. 

Technology/Engineering skills 

Devises a suitable recreation of an oil spill. 

Discusses and plans how to clean up the oil spill and feather, and collects the 

appropriate materials needed. 

Evaluates and revises the material or substance to improve the oil spill clean-up. 

Successfully uses digital technology to film a short video. 

Mathematics 

Uses informal measurement to create a mixture. 

Group skills 



Project brief 

OIL SPILL CLEAN-UP 

The problem 

An oil spill has occurred in the ocean. Your job is to find 

the quickest and most effective way to remove the oil 

from the water and save the birds trapped in the oil slick. 



Project brief 

Group assessment rubric 

Each group member contributed equally to the project and had a clear role. 

Each group member collaborated and worked well together to solve problems. 

Each group member communicated positively and listened to others. 



1 = Below expectations 

2 = Meeting expectations 

3 = Above expectations 



The task 

1. You need to make an oil spill mixture by combining water, oil and 

cocoa powder. 

2. You need to work out what material will best soak up the oil from 

the water. What properties do you need the material to have? 

3. You need to work out what ingredient will best remove the oil 

from the feathers. What ingredient will mix with oil? 

4. You will then make a video describing the best method and how 

this could be applied to the real world. 

Important things you need to do! 

• You must work in groups of 2–3 students. 

• You must make an oil spill by combining water, oil and cocoa 

powder. 

• You must dip the feathers into the oil spill and coat them well. 

• You must remove the oil from the water by absorbing it with a 

material. 

• You must remove the oil from the feathers by adding a substance to 

clean it. 



STEM project: Oil spill clean-up 

I listened to the ideas of others. 

I gave ideas. 

I helped to research. 

I helped collect materials. 

I helped with the design plan. 

I helped create the design. 

The project was easy hard . 

The part of the project I liked best was 

because 

Self-assessment 

I could improve my work next time by 

Date: 




I think my work on this project was excellent good fair poor . 



. 

. 

Project steps 

Resource sheets 

Self-assessment and 


vi 



YEAR 

2 


Biological sciences 

GROWING AND CHANGING 

living things 

animal 

plant 

mammal 

Keywords 

insect 

similar 

grow 

offspring 

change 

reproduce 

birth 

stage 



amphibian 

develop 


2 A STEM APPROACH 1

Unit overview 



Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030) 

Lesson 1 

What is an offspring? 

Lesson 2 

How do humans grow and 

change from a baby to an 

adult? 

Lesson 3 

How do plants grow and 

change from a seed to a plant? 

Lesson 4 

How do offspring that look like 

their parents grow and change? 

Lesson 5 

How do the offspring of frogs 

grow and change? 

Lesson 6 

How do offspring of insects 

grow and change? 

Summative assessment 


Life cycle map 

Students observe living and non-living things, and 

discuss what offspring means. Students then scan QR 

codes to pair adult animals with their correct offspring 

and discuss how the animal is different or similar to its 

parent. 

Students use time-lapse videos and personal 

photographs to explore how humans grow and 

change, and how they predict they will look in the 

future. Using photographs, students compile a timelapse 

video of their own personal growth so far. 

Students revise the needs of a plant and explore how a 

plant grows from a seed by watching time-lapse videos 

linked to QR codes. Students then recreate a growing 

plant using a simple stop-motion technique. 

Students explore Instagram posts from a zoo and 

observe mammals and their offspring. Students 

compile a simple digital report to describe how the 

animals look at different stages of their life from birth 

to young to adult, and how the offspring are similar to 

their adult parents. 

Students predict how a frog lives two lives and explore 

how this relates to the stages of its life by viewing 

interactive websites. Students write and draw about 

how frog offspring grow and go through complete 

changes, and do not resemble the adult parents. 

Students explore and compare images of various 

insects including bees, ants, beetles, ladybugs, flies 

and butterflies. Students order the images according 

to the predictable stages that each insect goes 

through, from egg, to larvae, to pupa to adult, and take 

a digital photograph of their work. 

Assess students' understanding of the predictable 

changes in humans and animals as they grow, and that 

some animals have offspring that look similar to the 

parents while others don't. 

Design and create a mat for a Bee-Bot activity, based 

on the changes and growth of a living thing. 

Pages 

4–7 

8–10 

11–14 

15–17 

18–20 

21–26 

27–28 



29–38 



YEAR 

2 




Unit overview 


Lesson 



Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to 

themselves (ACSSU030) 











Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer 

questions (ACSIS038) 







Evaluating 


Communicating 

Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of 

ways (ACSIS042) 




project 



Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


What is an offspring? 







• Students describe how living things change from baby to 

adult. 


• using a QR code reader to view images 

• analysing displays of data to work out how it is classified 


• Living things reproduce and grow and change. Non-living 

things do not. 

• Offspring are the young of animals and humans, the result 

of two parents. Some look similar to their parents, while 

others may change drastically as they grow. 

• Images on page 7: 

chicken 

woman/adult 

piglet 

horse 

baby 

chick 

foal 

pig 


• The completed student work 

on page 7 may be used as 

a formative assessment or 

a diagnostic assessment to 

gauge the student’s level of 

understanding that adults have 

offspring. 

Resources 


• Sufficient copies of page 7 

for students 

• Computer tablets with QR 

code reader 

• Online video—Animals and 

their babies at 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display page 6 on a whiteboard to the class. Allow students a few minutes to observe the images 

in the columns and then find a partner to share what they think the columns are showing. What do 

the things in the first column have in common? What about the things in the second column? How 

are they grouped? How would you label the columns? Test their theory by sorting the three images 

at the bottom. Students should establish that the first column contains living things, and the second 

column contains non-living things. Label the columns appropriately. QP PC PA 

Development: 

2. What makes a living thing a living thing? Focus on the image on page 6 of the dog and its puppies. 

Do all animals have babies? Which one is the baby? Which one is the adult? Do they look the same? 

How are they different? QP C 

3. Write the word offspring on the board. What do you think this word means? Discuss with students 

that the babies of adult animals and humans are called offspring. Add this definition to a word wall. 

QP C 

4. In pairs, students scan the QR codes on page 7 to match the images of the offspring with the 

correct adult (for answers see Background information). Students discuss how the adult and its 

offspring are similar or different. PC PA 


• Less capable students may need to be assisted to write the name of the animal and its offspring 

on page 7. 

• More capable students can write a sentence or two describing the similarities and differences 

between the adult and its offspring. 

Reflection: 

5. View the online video Animals and their babies at . Pause the video 

at each animal and ask individual students the name of the animal and its offspring. C 





Lesson 1 

Concept attainment chart 







YEAR 

2 




Adults and babies 

Lesson 1 

Scan the QR codes. Write the name of the adult or offspring in the images 

and then match them correctly by drawing a line. 





Lesson 2 



Teacher notes 


How do humans grow and change from a baby to an adult? 







• Students act like scientists when they make observations, 

ask questions and describe changes in human beings at 

different stages of development. 


• using a QR code reader to view a video 

• using iMovie® (or similar) to create a time-lapse video 

• submitting a video online or via email 


• All living things grow and their features change over the 

course of their life. Growing and changing is part of an 

organism’s ability to find and use available resources, 

reproduce and survive. 

• The appearance and activity of people, animals and plants 

changes as they go through a complete life cycle. 

• The human life cycle can be divided into different stages in 

a number of ways. The stages include infancy, childhood, 

adolescence/teenager, adulthood and old age/elderly. 

The lengths of these stages vary across individuals, 

cultures and time. Development in the stages is affected 

by environmental and physiological factors, as well as 

differing experiences. 


• The worksheet on page 10 

may be used as a formative 

assessment to gauge student 

understanding that humans 

grow and change throughout 

their lives. 

Resources 

• Photographs of the teacher 

at different stages of life 

if possible (baby, child 

and adult). These can be 

scanned for viewing on the 

whiteboard 

• Photographs of each 

student as a baby and 

throughout their childhood 

to the present day. Ensure 

students bring at least 

12 photographs from 

different stages of their 

life. Alternatively, parents 

may provide digital 

photographs instead 


• Computer tablet with 

iMovie® or similar 

application, and QR code 

reader 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Guess who? Display the baby and child photographs (of the teacher) on the whiteboard and ask 

the students to identify the person. Display the adult photograph so the students can see the 

answer. What changes can you see (physically) from one photograph to the next? In what other ways 

do people change as they grow? What things can an adult do that a baby or child can’t do? QP 

Development: 

2. Show the baby photographs of the students one at a time, for students to guess who it is. How have 

they changed? How do they look the same? How do they look different? QP 

3. Provide each student with a copy of page 10. Students scan the QR code and watch the time-lapse 

video of a baby growing into a girl. Individually, students write about themselves and what they 

looked like or will look like at each stage. Students think about what kinds of things they were able 

to do at the different stages and what they are looking forward to being able to do as an adult, and 

include this information on their page. PC PA 

4. Students use the photographs that they have brought in and a computer tablet to take a digital 

photograph of each individual photograph. Students then use the iMovie® application (or similar) 

to create a movie using the digital images, similar to the time-lapse video they watched. Teachers 

may wish to ensure they understand how to use iMovie®, but it is relatively simple, as explained at 

. PA C 


• Assist less capable students to complete sections of page 10 and question them to help them 

develop appropriate conclusions. 

• More capable students can complete page 10 independently and may be asked to write 

additional details for each stage. 

Reflection: 

5. Select students to talk about how they have grown and changed from the time when they were a 

baby, and what they expect to look like or be doing as an adult. They can refer to their completed 

worksheet and also show their time-lapse video of themselves. C 

6. The teacher may also wish to upload the student time-lapse videos to the school website, 

e-newsletter, class blog site or send it via email. Students can assist where appropriate. C 





Lesson 2 

Growth and change in me 



Scan the QR code to watch a video of a baby growing into a girl. 

Write or draw to show how you have grown and changed. 

When I was a baby, I … 

Now I am a child, I … 

When I am an adult, I … 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 3 

Teacher notes 


How do plants grow and change from a seed to a plant? 








• Students act like scientists when they make observations, 

ask questions and describe the growth of a plant. 

• Students explore how science is used in caring for plants 

and providing adequate sun, soil, water and air for it to 

grow and change to an adult plant. 


• participating in an interactive website activity 

• using a QR code reader on a computer tablet to watch a 

video 

• using the iMovie® or PowerPoint application to take 

photographs and create a stop-motion video 


• The life cycle of a plant begins with a seed. 

Usually seeds fall to the ground. If the 

conditions are right, the seed will germinate 

(begin to grow or develop). The roots grow 

first to seek water and nutrients to aid 

growth. Then the stem emerges, pushing 

up to the sunlight. Finally the branches 

and leaves develop. The small plant is now 

called a seedling. The plant grows taller 

and the stem gets thicker. The plant now 

looks like its parent plant. A mature plant 

produces flowers which are fertilised by 

bees or the wind, and produces seeds in a 

fruit or seed pod. The seeds are distributed 

by the wind or animals, or simply drop to 

the ground. The parent plant eventually 

dies, but the life cycle continues. 


• Use page 13 as a formative 

assessment of the student’s 

understanding that plants grow 

and change from a seed to an 

adult plant with flowers and 

fruit. 

Resources 

• Interactive plant sites 

• Fully-grown strawberry plant, blueberry 

plant or cherry tomato plant 


• QR code reader on a computer tablet 

• iMovie® application or similar 

• Tomato stop-motion video at and clay-mation 

video at 

• Videos linked to QR codes on page 13: 

and 

 





Lesson 3 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Revise the needs of plants by displaying various images from the internet on the whiteboard. 

Students say yes or no to whether a plant needs this to survive. Images to locate include: donuts, 

paper, air, sunlight, orange juice, water, soil with nutrients, bed. PC C 

Development: 

2. At the front of the class, display a fully-grown strawberry plant, blueberry plant or cherry tomato 

plant (anything that is compact and has fruit on it). Ask students to name the parts of the plant. 

Where are the flowers on the plant? Where are the seeds? Which part becomes the fruit? How does 

a plant begin its life? Students may wish to examine inside the fruit to see the seeds. QP 

3. How does a plant look as it grows? How does it change? Ask students to predict the stages of a 

fruiting plant and write the suggestions on the board in an order that the whole class agrees with. 

QP PA 

4. Using the QR codes on page 13, students watch time-lapse videos of plants growing and discuss 

with a partner what they observed. What grows first? What grows next? Students individually 

complete page 13, drawing and writing the stages of a plant. Suggested stages include: a seed 

is planted, roots grow underground, a stem and leaves grow above ground, stems and leaves get 

bigger, flowers are formed and fruit is formed. PC PA C 

5. As a class, watch the life cycle of a tomato stop-motion video and 

the clay-mation video at . In pairs or small groups, students use a 

similar style (either draw or use plasticine) to recreate the simple stages of plant growth based on 

the information from Step 4. Students use an application like iMovie® or PowerPoint to create a 

slide show. This involves a maximum of five or six photographs or scenes to be created, so it should 

not be too time consuming. PA C 

Differentiation: 

• Less capable students can complete page 13, which has drawings to assist with recognising the 

stages of plant development. 

• More capable students can complete page 14, which allows them to identify, draw and write 

about the stages of plant development. 

Reflection: 

6. Students play their stop-motion movie to the class and discuss any differences or similarities with 

the stages of development. Students also compare the development stages to their predictions. Is 

this what you predicted? Is anything similar to how a human grows and changes? 



C 



YEAR 

2 




Stages of a growing plant – Option 1 

Scan this QR code to see the first stages of a plant growing. 

Write about the stages you observe. 

Lesson 3 

Scan this QR code to see the final stages of a plant growing. 






Lesson 3 

Stages of a growing plant – Option 2 

Scan this QR code to see the first stages of a plant growing. 




Scan this QR code to see the final stages of a plant growing. 






YEAR 

2 




Lesson 4 

Teacher notes 


How do offspring that look like their parents grow and change? 








• Students act like scientists when they make observations, ask 

questions and describe the growth of an animal. 


• viewing images on Instagram posts 

• using the internet to research a website 

• using an application on a computer tablet to compile a 

report 

• writing a plan for a digital report 


• Some animals grow and change just as humans do. 

Mammals are born live and change in size, but closely 

resemble their parents. 

• Other animals, such as insects and frogs, go through a 

complete metamorphosis. 


• Use page 17 or the digital 

report as a formative 


understanding that some 

offspring go through simple 

changes in their life and look 

similar to their parents from 

birth, young and adult. 

Resources 

• Cincinnati Zoo Instagram 

page at 

• Seesaw application on 

computer tablet. Teachers 

should familiarise 

themselves with the 

application at . If the 

application is not available 

on the school computer 

tablets then an alternative 

like ShowMe or PowerPoint 

can be used 





Lesson 4 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. View the Instagram post from the Cincinnati Zoo at showing their hippopotamus family. Which ones are the parents? Which one is 

the offspring? How are they similar or different? Are they more similar than they are different? What 

other animals can you think of that are similar to their parents? QP 

Development: 

2. As a class, explore other images from the zoo page at . Based on what they have observed, students choose which animals from the web 

page have offspring that look similar to them and write up a class list; e.g. rhinoceros, elephant, 

giraffe, tiger, chimpanzee, meerkat, otter, painted dog, squirrel. Note: Adult animals like the takin 

and flamingo are not similar to their offspring so should not be listed. PC PA 

3. Refer to the animals in the list as mammals. Read through a simple explanation of mammals at 

. Discuss that humans are also mammals so, like humans, the offspring 

resemble their parents. The offspring go through three simple stages of development—birth, 

young, adult. PC 

4. In pairs, students select one of the listed animals to research and explore how the animal looks 

at three different stages of its life: birth, young, adult. Students use a computer tablet to create 

a digital report. Students will need to find images to collate and write a description about the 

changes they can observe from the images, including size, colour and features. Suggested 

applications for the report include Seesaw, ShowMe and PowerPoint (see Resources). Students use 

page 17 to guide their enquiry and plan their digital report. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can record audio to describe the changes they see. 

• More capable students can write more detailed information for the different stages of the animal 

and research to find a fun fact about the animal as it becomes an adult. 

Reflection: 

5. Students show their digital report to the class and upload it online for family and friends to view. 

C 

6. Discuss any differences amongst those groups who researched the same animal. E 





YEAR 

2 




Animal investigation 

Choose an animal that has offspring that looks like the parents: 

Lesson 4 

Find a picture of the animal from different stages of its life: 

When it is born, when it is young and when it is an adult. 

At each of these stages, write what you notice about its: 

Size: 

Colour: 

Features: 



Did you find anything else out? 



Lesson 5 



Teacher notes 


How do the offspring of frogs grow and change? 








• Students act like scientists when they make observations, ask 

questions and describe the growth of an animal. 


• viewing an interactive video online 

• entering a URL address correctly in order to download a file 

• researching online 


• Some animals, like the frog, undergo a series of big 

changes as they become adults. The offspring do not 

resemble the adults. 

• Frogs start their lives as eggs which are laid in water. The 

eggs then hatch into tadpoles which live underwater and 

have gills but no legs. They swim using their tail. Then they 

form back then front legs. Once they have grown all four 

legs they are known as froglets. They still have a tail but 

they breathe with lungs. Finally, the tail and gills disappear 

and the froglet becomes a frog. It leaves the water to live 

on the land. 

• This lesson is to highlight that some living things do not 

look the same as an offspring as they do as an adult. They 

do, however, have predictable stages of development and 

observable changes. It is not meant to go too in depth into 

life cycles as this is covered in Year 4. 




ability to identify that a frog 

goes through a series of 

predictable changes as it 

becomes an adult frog and 

looks different at each stage. 

• Observe student discussions 

in Step 5 to gauge their ability 

to evaluate their results and 

find information to clarify the 

answers. 

Resources 

• Science up close video 

about amphibians at 

 

• Access to computers/ 

computer lab (the file types 

do not play on iPads®) 

• Life cycle of a frog file 

download at 


for students 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 5 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. View images of various amphibians. What do you think the word amphibian means? Watch the 

video at and pause at 0.57, to find out how amphibians start their 

lives in water and then live on the land. How do you think a frog lives two lives? Do you think a frog 

looks the same as an adult as it does when it is born? What will it need to live in water? What will it 

need to live on land? Do they grow and change the same way as the mammals you learnt about in 

the previous lesson? QP 

Development 

2. As a class, view the rest of the video at . Discuss the different stages 

viewed. How many stages are there? What does the frog look like? How does it change? Why does it 

change? PC 

3. In pairs, students conduct further research by going to the website at and reading through the information presented on the poster. Advise students to click 

on the magnifying glass to view the information close up. PC 

4. Students individually complete page 20 by illustrating and writing about the changes that a frog 

goes through. PA C 

5. Students find a partner and compare what they have written and drawn, and correct errors. 

Students may wish to view the website again to clarify any discrepancies between answers. PC 

PA C 


• Pair less capable students with more capable students to assist with leading the research. 

Drawings may be used to explain the stages instead of sentences. 

• More capable students can add more detailed information to page 20 and use labelled 

diagrams. 

Reflection: 

6. Discuss as a class how the changes that a frog undergoes are different or similar to other animals. 

Do you think all animals go through the same stages of development? Does a frog offspring look 

the same at the start of its life as the adult frog? Can you think of any other animals that have 

offspring that do not look like the adult? 

C 





Lesson 5 

Stages of a frog 



Go to the website to find out more about 

how a frog changes. Describe how it looks at each stage. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 6 

Teacher notes 


How do offspring of insects grow and change? 








• Students act like scientists when they make observations 

and describe the growth of insects. 

• Students explore how science is used to identify the stages 

that animals have in common as they grow and change. 


• using a digital device to take a photograph 

• identifying a predictable pattern in the stages of insects, and 

using it to sort insect images correctly 


• Most insects completely change their size, shape and 

colour during a life cycle of four stages from egg, larva, 

pupa to adult. This is called complete metamorphosis. 

These insects include butterflies, moths, flies, ants, bees, 

beetles and ladybugs. 

• Some insects, such as grasshoppers and cockroaches, 

have three stages—egg, nymph (larva) and adult. The 

larva looks similar to the adult, so it is called incomplete 

metamorphosis. 

• Other insects, like silverfish and lice, have no 

metamorphosis. They hatch from eggs looking like 

miniature adults and grow larger over time. 

• This lesson is to highlight that some living things do not 

look the same as an offspring as they do as an adult. They 

do, however, have predictable stages of development 

and observable changes. It is not meant to go too in 

depth into life cycles as this is covered in Year 4. 




understanding that insects go 

through common changes and 

do not look the same at birth 

through top adulthood. 

• Page 26 can also be used as a 

summative assessment when 

they compare the changes of 

all animals and how they are 

different or the same. 

Resources 

• A bug’s life video clip 

 

• Strips of blank paper 

• Print, copy and laminate 

images on pages 23–25, 

1 per station 

• iPad® or digital camera 


for students 

• Short episode from 

Miniscule linked to QR 

code on page 26 





Lesson 6 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Show students a clip from the movie A bug’s life, depicting the caterpillar becoming a butterfly, at 

. What animal is this meant to be? Does it look the same when it is 

born as it does as an adult? QP 

2. In pairs, ask students to draw what they know about what a butterfly looks like from birth to 

becoming an adult. QP 

Development: 

3. In small groups, students rotate through six stations set up with images from pages 23–25 of 

the stages that bees, ants, beetles, ladybugs, fruit flies and butterflies go through from birth 

to becoming an adult. Do not label the stations with the insect names and do not include the 

numbers of each stage (this is for teacher reference). Allow students two minutes to work out which 

insect it is, and which order the images belong. Students write the name of the insect they believe 

it is on a strip of paper and place it next to the ordered images. Students take a digital photograph 

of the arranged images and the name of the insect. PC 

4. As a class, go through each insect at the stations and correctly identify them and how they look as 

they grow. Students can compare this to their photograph. Ask students if they observed anything 

about how each insect looked. How did they all look at birth? What did they look like next? How are 

they all similar? PA E 

Note: At the end, students should be able to recognise that insects go through predictable stages 

of egg, larvae (worm), pupae and adult, without having to name the stages. Students simply need to 

be aware that the characteristics of insects from birth to adulthood are predictable and the same. 

5. Individually, students complete page 26, detailing what they learnt about the growth and change 

of insects. C 


• Less capable students can draw and write simple sentences to complete page 26. 

• More capable students can write more detailed information for the different stages of insect 

development on page 26. 

Reflection: 

6. Students use a character interview format and pretend they are either an ant, butterfly, beetle, bee 

or fruit fly, and a partner has to ask them questions about their life, how old they are and what they 

look like, based on what they have learnt during the lesson. 



C 



YEAR 

2 




Insect stages of development – 1 

Station 1—Ladybird 

1 2 

Lesson 6 

3 4 

Station 2—Butterfly 

1 2 

3 4 





Lesson 6 


Station 3—Bee 

1 2 



3 4 

Station 4—Fruit fly 

1 2 

3 4 





YEAR 

2 





Station 5—Beetle 

1 2 

Lesson 6 

3 4 

Station 6—Ant 

1 2 

3 4 





Lesson 6 

Insect table 



Insect 

What does it 

look like at birth? 

Does it look 

the same or 

different next? 

Does it look 

the same or 

different next? 

Does it look the 

same or different 

as an adult? 

Bee 

Fruit fly 

Ant 

Beetle 

Butterfly 

Ladybird 

Conclusions 

1. Does an insect look the same all through its life? yes / no 

2. How many different changes do insects go through? 

3. Do humans go through the same changes as an insect? Explain. 

4. Do mammals, like dogs, go though the same changes as an insect? 

Explain. 



5. Do frogs go through similar changes as an insect? How? 



YEAR 

2 

When 

you have 

finished, 

scan this to 

watch a video 

of a caterpillar 

transforming. 




Assessment 

Teacher notes 


Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030) 

Indicators 

• Identifies and draws what a human looks like at different stages of growth, from birth to adulthood. 

• Identifies an animal that has offspring that looks the same as its parents. 

• Identifies, draws and describes an animal that has offspring that changes as it grows into 

adulthood. 

Answers 

Page 28 

1. Teacher check. Drawings should show a 

progression from being a baby, to a child, to being 

an adult and then an elderly person. 

2. Teacher check. Answers include dog, cat, giraffe, 

chimpanzee, horse or any mammal. 

3. Teacher check. Pictures could include a frog 

as it grows and changes, or any type of insect. 

Description should indicate that the animal is an 

egg at birth and then changes into other forms 

before it reaches its adult form. 





Assessment 



1. Draw how a human changes as it grows. 

2. Name an animal that has offspring that looks similar to the parents. 

3. Draw and describe an animal that looks different at birth to what it looks 

like as it grows into an adult. 





YEAR 

2 






Life cycle map 

Design and create a mat for a Bee-Bot activity, using images/text depicting the growth of a 

living thing. Students then program a Bee-Bot to move along the correct pathway. 

(If your school does not have access to Bee-Bots, students act as a ‘Bee-Bot’ and move around 

the mat as directed by a fellow student.) 



• Apply knowledge of living things and their predictable characteristics as they grow and 

change. 

• Conduct an investigation of a chosen living thing to explore how it looks as it grows and 

changes. 

• Use drawings to show life stages of a living thing. 

• Communicate findings in the form of a grid mat and give instructions to guide a Bee-Bot to the 

correct grid squares. 


• Plan a mat design collaboratively. 

• Create drawings and a Bee-Bot mat. 

• Evaluate the mat and check the life stages drawn are correct, and refine if necessary. 

• Program a Bee-Bot with simple step-by-step coding. 

Mathematics 

• Use ruler lengths to informally measure distances to create a grid. 

• Use arrays to describe the arrangement of a grid as 4 x 4, which equals a total of 16 squares. 

• Use fractions to determine sixteenths by folding paper or vinyl sheets. 

• Create a specific pathway along a grid using quarter and half turns. 

• Give and receive directions in order to follow a pathway on a grid map. 




• Students recreate the growth of a plant or animal out of Lego using a time-lapse movie and 

verbally explain how it changes. 

• Students create a digital book about themselves and how they have grown and changed using 

. 

• Create a habitat for an animal that caters for each of its stages in life as it grows and changes. 




29 

2







• Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030) 









Communicating 











Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills 

• Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004) 

• Explore how people safely use common information systems to meet information, communication and recreation needs 

(ACTDIP005) 


Number and Algebra 

• Recognise and represent multiplication as repeated addition, groups and arrays (ACMNA031) 



• Recognise and interpret common uses of halves, quarters and eighths of shapes and collections (ACMNA033) 




• Interpret simple maps of familiar locations and identify the relative positions of key features (ACMMG044) 

• Identify and describe half and quarter turns (ACMMG046) 




2




Teacher notes 


Design and create a mat for a Bee-Bot activity, which shows how a living thing grows and changes. 

Students can then program a Bee-Bot to move along the correct pathway. (If your school does not 

have access to Bee-Bots, students act as a ‘Bee-Bot’ and move around the mat as directed by a 

fellow student.) 

Estimated duration: 4 weeks 


• Go to and 

ask students what they know about Beebots 

or other robots. How do they move? 

What kind of instructions do they need? 

Note: The direction pad shows forward and 

backward using up and down arrows, and 

turns using left and right arrows. 

• Watch the video about how a Bee-Bot 

works at . 

• Display page 32 to read to the class and 

introduce the problem and task—to design 

and create a Bee-Bot mat and program a 

Bee-Bot to follow the life cycle of a living 

thing in the correct order. Clarify what a 

living thing is, and any details about the 

task that students do not understand. Give 

students a copy of the project steps on 

page 33. 


• Students select a living thing and explore 

how it grows and changes throughout its life. 

Students use page 34 to collate information. 

Information from previous lessons can be 

applied here. If more stages are needed, 

students can draw up their own table. 

• Students explore the website individually to 

ensure they understand how a Bee-Bot 

moves and what type of instructions are 

required to program it. 

• Students explore the website to explore different 

mats that can be used with a Bee-Bot. 

Display the example on page 35. 

• Practise how to instruct a Bee-Bot/student 

to the different stages in the life of a 

butterfly in the correct order, using page 35. 


• Students design a mat by sketching a plan 

first, using page 36. The sketch should 

include images of stages of the living thing 

as it grows and some extra decorative 

squares to complete the 4 x 4 configuration. 

Students may write details about the 

changes in the living thing at each stage if 

space allows. 

4. Create 

• Groups create their design cooperatively 

and decide who will complete each 

component of the design. 

• Students measure and rule up the squares 

on the mat using a large sheet of cardboard 

or a piece of white vinyl cut to the length and 

width of two rulers; i.e. 60 cm x 60 cm. Divide 

the large squares into sixteen equal-sized 

squares in a 4 x 4 array. 

• Students draw and label images of different 

stages in the life cycle of a living thing on the 

squares. Other images/text relating to the 

living thing such as elements of its habitat 

will also need to be drawn as filler squares. 

Alternatively, students may repeat some of 

the stages so a number of different pathways 

can be programmed into the Bee-Bot. 

• Students write one way of programming the 

Bee-Bot so it follows the growth of the living 

thing in the correct order. 


• Students check that their mat includes all 

stages of how the living thing grows and 

changes throughout its life. 

• Students also check that their mat is 

constructed correctly and contains 

16 equal-sized squares in the correct array. 


• Students display their mat, explaining 

how they made it and describing the life 

cycles of their chosen living thing. They can 

demonstrate the programming they worked 

out to navigate to the stages of the life 

cycle. Once they know the life cycle, other 

students should be given opportunities to 

test the Bee-Bot mats of other students. 

Discuss the directions in terms of turns and 

position, as well as simple digital code. 






31 

2




• You must work in a group of 

three. 

• You must rule squares on a 

Bee-Bot mat. You need to 

include 16 squares in a 

4 x 4 array. First you need to 

fold the mat into half, then 

quarters, then eights, then 

sixteenths. 

• You must make drawings 

and write labels (and other 

details if room) of all the 

different stages in the life of 

a living thing you have 

learnt about—a plant, 

mammal, human, 

frog or insect. 

Project brief 

LIFE CYCLE MAP 

The problem 

You need a new Bee-Bot mat to teach other classes about living 

things. 

The task 

You have to choose a living thing, find out and record information 

about what a living thing looks like as it grows, and use the 

information to create a Bee-Bot mat. 


• You must use the materials 

provided (cardboard or vinyl 

square, coloured permanent 

markers, short ruler, long ruler, 

Bee-Bot). 

• You must write a program for 

the Bee-Bot that moves it to 

the correct squares on the 

mat, following the life stages 

in the correct order. 





YEAR 

2 





Project steps 

Investigate 

Learn about your living thing and investigate Bee-Bots and programming. 

Research what your selected living thing looks like from birth to 

adult, or from a seed to flowering plant. 

Explore how a Bee-Bot moves and what sort of programming it needs 

by looking at the website . 

Explore what sort of mats are used for the paths of the Bee-Bot by 

looking at the website . 


Plan your mat drawings and positions. 

Decide on the drawings and labels you will need to include and make 

a plan of where they will be placed on the mat. 

Decide what other pictures, decorations or writing you will include to 

fill the empty squares. One square needs to say ‘START HERE’. 

Create 

Create your Bee-Bot mat. 

Cut a large square that is the length and width of 

two rulers (60 cm). This will be your map. 

Fold the mat in half, then quarters, then eights, then 

sixteenths to create 16 squares for your mat. Then 

you can use a marker and long ruler to rule the lines 

on the fold marks. 

Write an answer sheet that shows a program for a 

Bee-Bot to move on the correct path. 




Check to see if your design includes the correct life stages of your chosen 

living thing, and that your instructions are correct. If not, change it. 

Communicate 

Share your mat with the class, explaining your chosen living thing and 

how it changes as it grows. 

Program (or ask another student to program) the Bee-Bot to follow the 

pathway to find out about the life cycle of a living thing. 




The life of a 

Investigation 



Stage 1 

Stage 2 

Stage 3 

Stage 4 

Stage 5 

Stage 6 

Stage 7 

Picture 

Description 





YEAR 

2 





Sample Bee-Bot mat (reduced in size) 

The life of a butterfly 

Pupa/chrysalis 

Caterpillar 

Eggs 

Adult butterfly 








Blank Bee-Bot mat (reduced in size) for student design plan 

The life of a 





YEAR 

2 




Student name: 


Date: 


STEM project: Life cycle map 


I gave ideas. 







because 




. 

. 









CRITERIA 

Project task: 

Create a Bee-Bot mat, showing the stages of a living thing as it grows and changes. 


Understands that living things grown and change, and go through predictable stages 

in their life. 

Understands that living things have offspring; some are similar to their parents and 

others are not. 


Conducts some research or investigation to understand the predictable stages that a 

living thing goes through as it grows. 

Organises information effectively using a table. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully by drawing and labelling stages 

appropriate for a Bee-Bot mat. 


Sketches a design of a Bee-Bot mat. 

Builds an appropriate mat based on the design. 

Evaluates and revises the mat or images of the living thing to achieve a better result. 

Plans a program for a Bee-Bot to correctly follow the pathway of the growth of a living 

thing. 

Successfully programs a Bee-Bot (or instructs a student to move along the mat). 

Mathematics 

Accurately measures materials required for construction of a Bee-Bot mat, using two 

ruler lengths as an informal measure. 

Is able to fold a large square into sixteenths and recognise common fractions used in 

the process: 1 2 , 1 4 , 1 8 , 1 

16 . 

Understands the creation of a grid using a 4 x 4 array. 

Accurately gives/receives directions to arrive at a specific place on a grid mat. 

Group skills 











YEAR 

2 




materials 

change 

properties 

hard 

strong 

Keywords 

soft 

combine 

smooth 

mix 

stretchy 

uses 

absorbent 

purpose 

waterproof 

mixture 



bendy 

see-through 

recycle 



Unit overview 




Lesson 1 

What are materials? 

What properties do 

materials have? 

Lesson 2 

What materials are 

found in the local 

environment? What are 

their properties? How 

are they used? 

Lesson 3 

What happens when 

materials are mixed? 

Do their properties 

change? 

Lesson 4 

What different 

materials are toys made 

from? Why? 

Lesson 5 

What happens to the 

property of materials 

when they are used to 

create a mixture? 

Lesson 6 

How does paper 

recycling involve 

mixing materials? 


Students recall their prior knowledge of different materials 

and their properties. Students then explore the properties 

of objects made from different materials and test their 

knowledge of materials and their properties using an 

interactive game. 

Students explore the school playground to find examples 

of how different materials have been used and take a digital 

photograph of each use. Students record the material each 

object is made from and list the properties which make that 

material useful for the object. 

Students observe images of objects that have been made 

by combining different materials together. Students explore 

the work of Charles Macintosh, a chemist who created 

waterproof jackets by combining rubber with fabric. They 

then apply their knowledge of combining materials to 

draw and label a design for a house that is suitable for an 

underwater environment. 

Students explore toys that are made from different 

materials and toys that are made from more than one 

material. Students discuss why each material has been 

used to create a particular toy and then use this knowledge 

to draw and label a design of a toy that uses different 

materials for different parts. 

Students explore how materials are mixed together for 

different purposes by examining breakfast foods that are 

mixtures and non-mixtures. Students conduct experiments 

to explore different mixtures that are commonly used while 

cooking and suggest different uses for each. 

Students explore what happens to paper after they place 

it in a recycling bin and how different materials are mixed 

together to recycle the paper we throw away. They then 

apply this knowledge to create a papier-mâché bowl using 

recycled egg cartons and discuss how mixing materials 

together created a bowl with different properties to the 

original egg carton. 

Assess students’ knowledge of the materials that different 

objects are made from and their properties and how 

materials are combined or mixed together for particular 

purposes. 

Pages 

42–45 

46–48 

49–52 

53–55 

56–60 

61–63 





Students combine materials to recreate an oil spill and 

then devise a a method to remove the oil from the water 

and from bird feathers that have been affected by the oil. 

Students record a video describing the most effective 

method and how this could be applied to the real world. 

64–65 

66–74 



YEAR 

2 




Unit overview 















(ACSIS038) 







Evaluating 


Communicating 


(ACSIS042) 

Lesson 





project 



Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


What are materials? What properties do materials have? 








• Students observe objects, ask questions about and describe 

properties of materials. 


when appropriate materials are used for objects. 


• classifying materials by properties 

• engaging in an interactive website 


• A material is any substance with specific properties that 

goes into the makeup of a physical object. Objects can be 

made of one or more materials, such as paper, wood, glass 

or metal. 

• Materials can be used as they occur naturally (natural 

materials), or can be created by people (processed 

materials); for example, oil is used to make plastic and 

sand is heated to make glass. 

• Materials have properties—basic or essential attributes that 

can distinguish them from other materials and which can 

be detected using the senses. The property of a material is 

a description of its characteristics. 

• Some common properties include hardness (resistance 

to scratching and pressure), strength (the amount of 

force needed to break the material by pushing or pulling 

down), toughness (resistance to breaking by cracking), 

elasticity (ability to return to its original shape when a 

force is removed), absorbency (ability to soak up a liquid), 

waterproofness (resistance to liquids), and transparency 

(ability to be seen through). 


• Use page 44 as a diagnostic 

assessment to gauge the level 

of prior knowledge about 

materials. 

• The completed student 

worksheet on page 45 may 

be used as a formative 

assessment activity. Note 

any observations from the 

discussion at Step 6 about 

what students know about 

materials and how they can 

be changed. 

Resources 

• A variety of objects from 

home and/or school—glass; 

clear, plastic food wrap; 

jug of water; wooden ruler; 

plastic ruler/cup/mug; lump 

of playdough; saucepan; 

copper wire; sheet or 

paper/book; rubber band; 

hair ribbon; brick/length 

of wood/wooden building 

block; baking paper; paper 

towel; rubber balloon 

(deflated); fabric, such as 

cotton, used for making 

dresses and such 

• Video—Properties of 

materials at 

• Copy of page 44 for each 

group of students 






YEAR 

2 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display a selection of objects at the front of the classroom for students to discuss (see Resources). 

What are materials? What materials are these objects made from? How would you describe them? 

What are properties of materials? In small groups, students spend five minutes, using 

page 44 to list as much as they know about materials. QP PA 

Development: 

2. What properties do materials have? As a class, watch the video Properties of materials at . Discuss what objects are made from the materials mentioned in the video; 

i.e. glass, water, kitchen film, wool, sandpaper, steel, rubber, nylon. Discuss the properties of these 

and of a towel vs sandpaper. PC 

3. Set up eight stations with one object made from a different material at each station, for small 

groups to rotate around. Each station will also require a cup of water with a dropper in it so 

students can test the properties of being waterproof or absorbent. Provide students with a copy of 

page 45 to complete individually. PC PA 


• Less capable students can simply place a tick or cross on the observation sheet. 

• More capable students can be encouraged to write additional descriptive words, rather than just 

placing a tick or cross. 

4. As a class, discuss what materials students observed and which would be best to build a raft or 

boat. Which materials float? Which materials could be used for a sail? What properties does a sail 

need to have? What could you make a mast from? Why? PC PA 

Reflection: 

5. As a class, discuss the materials and properties of the objects from each station and compare 

responses. E C 

6. Compare observations with their initial thoughts from the beginning of the lesson. Students can 

add anything they may have learnt to the page. Why do we need different materials? What other 

things can be made from the materials you observed? PA C 





Lesson 1 

Topic wheel 



What I know about materials 



What I know about the properties of materials 



YEAR 

2 




Lesson 1 

Object Material 

Properties of materials 

Touch and observe the objects. Use the water dropper to test whether each object is waterproof or 

absorbent. 

Properties of the material ✔ or ✘ 

strong waterproof stretchy bendy absorbent see-through soft smooth 





Lesson 2 



Teacher notes 


What materials are found in the local environment? What are 

their properties? How are they used? 








• Students observe objects, ask questions about and 

describe properties of materials. 

• Students understand that science is used in daily life, such 

as when appropriate materials are used for objects. 


• using digital devices to photograph an object 

• using a digital application like PowerPoint or ShowMe to 

add written observations to a digital photograph 

• interpreting simple tally results about the frequency that a 

type of material is found in an outdoor playground 


• Materials have properties—basic or essential attributes that 

can distinguish them from other materials and which can 

be detected using the senses. The property of a material is 

a description of its characteristics (adjectives that tell about 

the material). 

• Some common properties include hardness (resistance 

to scratching and pressure), strength (the amount of 

force needed to break the material by pushing or pulling 

down), toughness (resistance to breaking by cracking), 

elasticity (ability to return its original shape when a force 

is removed), absorbency (ability to soak up a liquid), 

waterproofness (resistance to liquids), and transparency 

(ability to be seen through). 

• Outdoor materials are often more durable and resistant to 

weather. Students are more likely to observe hard plastic, 

wood, bricks, metal, sand, grass, plastic netting for sports 

equipment, rubber etc. 


• The completed worksheet 

on page 48 or the digital 

presentation may be used as a 

formative assessment activity. 

• Observe discussions in 

Step 5 to gauge the student’s 

ability to evaluate and 

communicate findings. 

Resources 

• What if rain boots were 

made of paper? by Kevin 

Beals and P David Peterson 

at 


(optional) 

• Computer tablet to take 

digital photographs 

• Digital application such as 

PowerPoint or ShowMe 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. As a class, read a few pages from the story What if rain boots were made of paper? at . Discuss the final sentence. Should everything be made of metal? Why? What 

things shouldn’t be? QP 

Development: 

2. Ask students to think about their school playground. What objects will you find in the playground? 

What kind of materials do you think they are made from? Will anything be made from paper? Metal? 

Rubber? QP 

3. In pairs, students conduct a playground search to find different materials and their uses. Students 

identify four objects made from different materials and take a digital photograph. Students then 

complete page 48 with their observations. Alternatively, display page 51 to the class as a guide. 

Students then use a digital application like PowerPoint or ShowMe to add written details to the 

image taken. Suggested objects they may find in the playground include a slide, a sandpit, 

benches, monkey bars, a grass area, soccer nets, a basketball court, cricket pitch, brick pathways 

and so on. PC PA C 

4. Pairs of students find another pair to show their digital presentation to and compare observations 

of which different materials are used in the playground. Pairs can continue to share with other pairs 

as time allows. E C 


• Less capable students can draw and label to record information about four objects. Alternatively, 

they may be asked to complete information about two objects only. 

• More capable students can complete their worksheet independently. They could also write 

additional objects made from the same material, or find more than four examples of objects. 

Reflection: 

5. Conduct a class tally showing which type of material was observed most often. Ask students to 

raise their hand if they observed something plastic, metal, wood, fabric, paper or something else, 

and record results. In pairs, students discuss why a certain material was found more often in the 

playground, and compare to predictions from Step 2. What properties of the material make it 

suitable for an outdoor playground? Would you expect to see an outdoor object made of paper? 

Why? PA E C 





Lesson 2 



School playground materials observation 

Object 1 Object 2 

What material is it made from? What material is it made from? 

What properties make the 

material a good choice for 

making this object? 




Object 3 Object 4 

What material is it made from? 




What material is it made from? 








YEAR 

2 




Lesson 3 

Teacher notes 


What happens when materials are combined? Why are 

materials combined? 








• Students observe components in objects, ask questions 

about and describe properties of materials. 


when combining materials to construct objects. 


• exploring a PowerPoint presentation as a class 

• exploring the characteristics and properties of materials that 

are used for a raincoat 

• drawing a design for a house and selecting suitable 

materials based on their properties 










• Composition of objects in the pictures on page 51: 

Windows are a combination of metal/aluminium, wood 

and glass; the jacket is made from nylon or leather outer 

fabric and has a metal or plastic zip with fur fabric inside; 

the car has a metal body, glass windows and lights, rubber 

tyres, metal hubcaps; the cardigan is wool, with plastic 

buttons and cotton thread. 


• Use the house design as 

a formative assessment of 

students’ understanding of how 

materials can be combined and 

what the purpose is. 

• Observe the final presentation 

to gauge students’ ability to 

articulate their understanding. 

Resources 


• Video—The story of Charles 

Mackintosh – he invented 

rainwear! at 

• Alternative Charles 

Macintosh website 

• A3 card and drawing 

materials 

• Selection of fabrics and 

materials 





Lesson 3 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display the images from page 51 to the class. In pairs, students discuss what materials they think 

make up the objects shown. What materials have been used to make this window? Car? Cardigan? 

Jacket? Students use a mini whiteboard to list the materials. QP PA 

2. With their partner, students discuss the questions Why is a window not made from glass only? Why 

can’t a car be all metal? Why does a cardigan not have wool buttons? Why shouldn’t a jacket be all 

fur? QP C 

Development: 

3. Students explore one purpose for combining materials by viewing the work of Charles Mackintosh, 

a chemist who created waterproof jackets. Watch the video The story of Charles Mackintosh – he 

invented rainwear! at . PC 

4. In small groups, discuss: What materials did Charles combine to make his jacket waterproof? Why 

did he not just use all rubber? Or all fabric? E C 

5. Students then apply this principle of combining materials that have different properties to draw and 

label a diagram of an underwater house, showing which materials they would combine together 

and why. They will need to consider the needs of an underwater house, what kind of properties 

would be useful and which materials possess those properties. Students should complete page 52 

first, to guide their design. PA C 


• Less capable students can be grouped together and provided with extra guidance and support. 

• More capable students can be grouped together to challenge each other and may choose 

another theme for their house, such as in space, in the desert etc. They will need to explore what 

properties these environments require. 

Reflection: 

6. Students present their house design to the class and describe the materials they have chosen to 

use based on the properties required. C 





YEAR 

2 




Combining materials images 

Lesson 3 

What materials have been combined to make these things? 


car be all metal? 

Why does a cardigan 

not have wool buttons? 

Why is a window not 

made from glass only? 




jacket be all fur? 



Lesson 3 

Waterproof house 



Design a house for an underwater environment that is waterproof and 

strong. 

Part of house 

Materials that will be used 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 4 

Teacher notes 


What different materials are toys made from? Why? 








• Students observe combinations of materials, ask questions 

about and describe properties of the combinations. 

• Students understand that science is used in daily life such 

as when combining materials to construct objects. 


• participating in an online interactive game 

• exploring the characteristics and properties of materials 

that are used for toys 

• drawing a design for a toy and selecting suitable materials 

based on their properties 

• using a digital recording device to explain a toy design 

and materials 











• Use the student’s completed 

video or completed diagram 

as a formative or summative 

assessment of their ability 

to understand that materials 

can be combined to make a 

product, and that the different 

materials have different 

purposes. 

Resources 

• Everyday materials quiz 

at 

• Various toys such as a 

rubber ball, football, soccer 

ball, Lego® blocks, toy 

cars, trucks, play kitchen 

equipment, plush animals, 

dolls, toy prams 

• Sufficient copies of 

page 55 for students or a 

digital version to display on 

a whiteboard 

• Card and markers for the 

toy design diagram 

• Digital video recorder 





Lesson 4 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. As a class, revise materials and their properties by completing the Everyday materials quiz at 

. QP PC C 

Development: 

2. At the front of the class, display items such as a rubber ball, football, soccer ball, Lego® blocks, toy 

cars, trucks, play kitchen equipment, plush animals, dolls and toy prams. What materials are theses 

toys made from? C 

3. In small groups, students sort the items into categories according to material, using the table 

on page 55 to list the items. Alternatively, display page 55 on the whiteboard and sort the items 

as a class. Question students about toys that have several materials, such as a toy truck which 

may appear to be plastic, but may also contain parts of metal. Does each toy only belong in one 

category? Which toys can be written in more than one section? Are toys for a baby made from 

different materials to toys for older children? Why? PA 

4. Each small group chooses one toy that is listed in more than one section and discusses why more 

than one material was used to make it. C 

5. Students then draw a design for their own toy, labelling which materials it will be made from and 

why. The toy should be for a child the same age as them. PA 

6. Students record a video showing their design and explaining their material choices. C 


• Less capable students can draw a simple diagram and use the video to explain what they mean 

in more detail. 

• More capable students can elaborate in more detail and construct a more detailed diagram. 

Reflection: 

7. Groups can rotate to watch each others’ videos. As a class, discuss which materials were used for 

most of the designs and why. The group videos can be shared via email or uploaded to a class 

website or e-newsletter. E C 





YEAR 

2 




Wood 

Material sort 

Metal 

Lesson 4 

Plastic 

Fabric 





Lesson 5 



Teacher notes 


What happens to the property of materials when they are used 

to create a mixture? 








• Students observe mixtures of materials, ask questions about 

and describe properties of the combinations. 

• Students understand that science is used in daily life, 

including when combining materials; for example, when 

stirring sugar into a cup of tea or adding salt to a recipe. 


• allocating a combination of materials to a category 

• observing similarities and differences in properties of 

materials 


• Mixing materials together creates a mixture. The 

substances are physically combined and can be separated 

again by methods such as sieving, filtering or evaporating. 

The change can be reversed and a new material is not 

formed. For example, when salt is dissolved in water it can 

be retrieved by evaporation. 

• Mixing some materials together can create a new 

substance. In this case, a chemical change has taken place 

which usually cannot be reversed. The original materials 

cannot be easily retrieved. Properties can be altered when 

materials are mixed. For example, vinegar when combined 

with bicarbonate soda causes a chemical reaction and 

carbon dioxide bubbling to occur. The substance is 

changed and not reversible. 


• Use pages 59 and 60 as a 

formative assessment to gauge 

the student’s understanding of 

what a mixture is and whether 

it changes the ingredients into 

a new substance with new 

properties. 

• Students can be asked to 

choose one combination of 

materials, such as vinegar and 

oil, and write and/or draw about 

the result of the experiment and 

the change in properties of the 

materials. This may be used as a 

formative assessment activity. 

Resources 

• Materials for mixing 

experiments—flour and 

water, oil and vinegar, 

lemon juice and icing, 

detergent and oil, flour 

and eggs, sugar and water, 

vinegar and bicarbonate 

soda 

• Scanned or enlarged copy 

of page 58 

• Sufficient copies of 

pages 59–60 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 5 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. What did you have for breakfast today? After a brief discussion, display the breakfast items on 

page 58 to the class. What do the items in Column A have in common? What do the items in 

Column B have in common? Students should be able to conclude that the items in Column A are 

not mixtures, but the items in Column B are. How is mixing different to combining materials from the 

previous lessons? QP C 

Development: 

2. In pairs, students go through each item in Column B and list the materials that make up the mixture, 

using page 59. Students can also suggest two other mixtures they are aware of or commonly have 

for breakfast. PA 

3. In small groups, students rotate around stations set up with ingredients to mix. Using a copy of 

page 60, students observe the individual properties of the ingredients prior to mixing and then 

observe and record the properties once mixed. Students suggest possible uses for each mixture. 

PC PA 

Possible answers include: 

flour and water—white, gluggy, thick—glue, papier-mâché 

oil and vinegar—doesn’t mix—salad 

lemon juice and icing sugar—thick, white—icing a cake 

detergent and oil—mixes/joins together—washing dirty dishes 

flour and eggs—thick liquid—baking 

sugar and water—sugar disappears (dissolves), clear, watery—drinks 

vinegar and bicarbonate soda—bubbles up—cleaning, cooking 


• Less capable students can work together in a group and be assisted by the teacher. Students 

may also draw or record audio observations instead of writing. 

• More capable students can write more detailed observations, or even create their own mixtures 

to observe what happens to the properties. 

Reflection: 

4. As a class, discuss and compare the results of mixing the ingredients and what the resulting 

properties were. Did all of the mixtures change the properties of the ingredients? How would you 

use the mixtures? E C 

5. In a round-robin circle, students respond with one mixture they have used in their daily life. C 





Lesson 5 

Column A 

Breakfast foods 



Column B 

water 

fresh 

orange 

juice 

bacon 

glass of milk 

eggs 

cup of tea 

bowl of 

cereal 

muesli 

fruit salad 



toast with jam 



YEAR 

2 




Breakfast mixtures 

Lesson 5 

Breakfast food 

cup of tea 

Parts of the mixture 

What is a cup of tea made up of? 

bowl of 

cereal 

fruit salad 

muesli 

toast 

with 

jam 

List two other mixtures. 

What is cereal made up of? 

What is fruit salad made up of? 

What is muesli made up of? 

What is toast or bread made up of? 





Lesson 5 

Mixture 

Mixing stations 

What happens when mixed? 

Describe the properties. 



How could this 

mixture be used? 

flour and 

water 

oil and 

vinegar 

lemon juice 

and water 

detergent and 

oil 

flour and 

eggs 

sugar and 

water 



vinegar and 

bicarbonate 

soda 



YEAR 

2 




Lesson 6 

Teacher notes 


How does paper recycling involve mixing materials? 







• Students observe mixtures of materials, ask questions 

about and describe properties of the combinations. 

• Students understand that science is used in daily 

life, including when mixing materials to make new 

materials, like recycling paper into another product. 


• investigating paper recycling by watching an online 

video as a class 

• using a digital camera or iPad® to take a photograph 

and observe the mixture 

• playing with materials to create design ideas like a 

bowl 

• exploring the properties of materials that are needed 

for a bowl 

• measuring ingredients 


• Mixing materials together creates a mixture. 

The substances are physically combined and 

can be separated again by methods such as 

sieving, filtering or evaporating. The change can 

be reversed and a new material is not formed. 

For example, when paper is mixed with water 

it can be returned back to paper by drying out 

the water with heat, as happens in the recycling 

process. 

• If the papier-mâché bowls did not have glue 

and salt added, they would dry to be similar 

in feel to the original egg carton cardboard. 

For the purpose of creating a bowl, the paper 

needs to dry harder. The addition of glue to the 

mixture adds this property. 



assessment of the student’s ability 

to think scientifically through 

creating a hypothesis, conducting an 

experiment, following a procedure, 

observing results and making a 

conclusion. 

• Observe students’ responses 

during the reflection to gauge their 

understanding that recycling involves 

mixing materials together for a 

purpose, and that materials can be 

added to enhance a desired property, 

like glue to make something hard. 

Resources 

• Recycled paper and bins from the 

classroom 

• How it’s made—paper recycling video 

at 

• Bowl making activity: 

— cardboard egg cartons 

— warm water 

— 2 tsp salt 

— 3 tbsp glue 

— cling wrap 

— various bowls or containers to use 

— digital camera 

Note: To save time the teacher may 

wish to soak the ripped pieces of 

egg carton in warm water prior to the 

lesson. Two hours should be sufficient. 





Lesson 6 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Divide the class into groups of four (depending on class size) to conduct a relay race outside. Using 

the contents of the recycling bin, empty out the paper in to small piles for each small group. A bin 

is placed at one end of a track and the students line up at the other end. Students in each group 

must collect a pile of paper, run to the bin, deposit the paper and then run back to tag the next 

student in line. 

Development: 

2. Discuss with students if they know what happens to paper once it is placed into a recycling bin. 

Where does the paper go? What happens to it? How does the paper get recycled? Do you think 

paper is mixed with any other materials to be recycled? Students brainstorm answers on sticky 

notes and attach them to the board at the front of the classroom. QP 

3. Watch a video showing how paper is recycled at . Discuss the video 

as a class. What materials were mixed together in the recycling process? Could you recycle your 

own paper like this? PC QP 

4. In pairs or individually as resources allow, students recycle egg cartons in a similar way, following 

the activity procedure on page 63. Students individually record their hypothesis, observations 

and conclusion, as well as take a digital photograph of the wet mixture (before) and another 

photograph of the dried bowl (after). Note: To save time, the teacher may want to pre-prepare the 

egg carton cardboard and water mixture so that the water has had a chance to soak in. Alternatively, 

start the lesson earlier in the day and continue it later. QP PC PA C 


• Less capable students can work with a partner to record answers together on page 63. 

• More capable students can brainstorm other things they want to create with the egg carton 

cardboard and what properties they will need to have. Students then work out what ingredients 

to add to the water and egg carton cardboard mix to create this property. 

Reflection: 

5. As a class, discuss whether the properties of the egg carton cardboard changed when the glue, 

water and salt was mixed together. Students predict what properties the bowl will have when it 

dries, or they wait until the next day to describe the properties of the bowl compared to the egg 

carton cardboard. Students may refer to the before and after photographs. What would happen 

if the glue and salt wasn’t added? Would the properties of the cardboard change? Why would the 

bowl need to be harder and tougher than the egg carton cardboard? QP C 





YEAR 

2 




Papier-mâché bowl 

Hypothesis: 

How can egg carton cardboard be recycled and turned into a bowl? What 

properties does a bowl need to have? 

Materials: 

• cardboard 

egg cartons 

• warm water 

to cover 

pieces 

• 2 tsps salt 

• 3 tbsp glue 

• cling wrap 

• various 

bowls or 

containers 

to use 

• digital 

camera 

Observations: 

Procedure: 

1. Tear egg cartons into small pieces and cover with 

warm water. 

2. Leave to soak for 2 hours. 

3. Add salt and glue. 

4. Mix together. 

5. Take a photograph of the mixture. 

6. Line bowls or containers with cling wrap and press 

cardboard mixture into the base and sides to create 

a bowl. 

7. Leave to dry. 

8. Remove from container and it’s ready to use as a 

bowl! 

9. Take a photograph of the new product. 

Conclusion: 

How does recycling involve mixing materials? 

Lesson 6 





Assessment 



Teacher notes 



Indicators 

• Identifies objects, the materials they are made from and their properties. 

• Identifies combinations of materials that are used in objects, and what purpose they serve. 

• Draws and labels a diagram of an object that uses a combination of materials because of their 

properties. 

• Identifies food items that are mixtures of materials. 

• Identifies and describes mixtures used in everyday life and what purpose they serve. 

Answers 

Page 65 

1.–2. Teacher check 

3. muesli, fruit salad 

4. Teacher check. Answers may include mixing 

soap and water to have a bubble bath, 

mixing flour, eggs and butter to make a cake 

batter etc. 





YEAR 

2 




Assessment 

1. Complete the table by listing two objects, the material each is made 

from and the materials’ properties. 

Object Material Properties 

2. A window combines both glass and a wooden or aluminium frame. 

Draw and label another object that uses different materials because of 

their properties. 

3. Circle the food items that are mixtures. 

muesli fruit salad milk eggs 



4. Write two other ways that you have created a mixture in everyday life 

and why. 








Students combine materials to recreate an oil spill and then devise a method to remove the oil 

from the water and from bird feathers that have been affected by the oil. 



• Apply knowledge of materials and their properties to remove oil from water. 

• Apply knowledge of mixing different materials to remove oil from feathers. 

• Conduct investigations to find suitable solutions. 

• Create a video to communicate the results of the oil spill clean-up attempt. 

• People use science in their everyday lives to understand how to use materials to clean up 

environmental disasters. 


• Plan steps collaboratively. 

• Explore and test the properties of materials for use in a designed solution. 

• Evaluate and revise the material used for absorbing oil from water or the substance used to 

remove oil from feathers. 

• Use a digital application to record a video. 

Mathematics 

• Use informal measurement to add oil, water and cocoa powder to a bowl. 


• Students design and create an outdoor water trolley using recycled materials. Students select 

materials based on their properties to create a trolley that is waterproof and is strong enough 

to hold five one-litre jugs of water. 

• Students design and create decorated biscuits. Students measure the ingredients and mix 

materials together to create the biscuits, following the simple recipe at . Once cooked and cooled, students combine icing and sweets to decorate each 

biscuit. 

• Students create either their design for an underwater house from Lesson 3 or their design for a 

toy from Lesson 4, using the materials labelled on their designs. 






2







• Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (ACSSU031) 










Communicating 





(ACTDEK004) 


• Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005) 

















67 

2




Teacher notes 


Students recreate an oil spill using a mixture of oil, cocoa powder and water. They devise a 

method to remove the oil from the water by testing different materials to absorb the oil, based 

on the properties required. Students then devise a method to remove oil from feathers by testing 

different materials to clean the feathers. 

Estimated duration: 3–4 weeks 


• Play a short Behind the News video to the 

class to introduce what an oil spill is, by 

clicking on the image at . Students can rewatch the 

video by scanning the QR code on their 

project brief page on page 69. 

• Display page 69 to the class and introduce 

the project brief—to remove oil from 

the water using an absorbent material, 

and remove oil from feathers using an 

ingredient that will mix with oil. Students 

will first need to recreate an oil spill by 

making a mixture of water, oil and cocoa 

powder in a plastic tub or large bowl. 

• Clarify any details students do not 

understand. 


• As a class, explore what absorption is by 

looking at the PowerPoint presentation at 

. Note: The 

last 4 slides don’t need to be viewed as 

they relate to a specific investigation of the 

absorbency of paper towels. 

• In small groups, students brainstorm 

materials they think are absorbent and 

would like to test. Students then investigate 

the absorbency of three materials using the 

template on page 71. 

• Students also investigate which ingredients 

can be mixed with oil, using the template 

on page 72. 


• Students plan how they will recreate an oil 

spill and what container will be used. 

• Students collect the materials and 

substances they will need for the oil cleanup. 

4. Create 

• Students conduct the oil-absorbing 

challenge and the feather-cleaning 

challenge, based on the results of their 

earlier investigations. 


• Students re-read the design brief to 

ensure they have included all the required 

components and have satisfied the criteria 

and checklist. They make changes if 

necessary. 


• Students record a video explaining how 

they absorbed the oil from the water and 

what substance they decided to add to the 

oily feather to clean it. 

• Share the video with the class. 






2




Project brief 

OIL SPILL CLEAN-UP 

The problem 

An oil spill has occurred in the ocean. Your job is to find 

the quickest and most effective way to remove the oil 

from the water and save the birds trapped in the oil slick. 

The task 

1. You need to make an oil spill mixture by combining water, oil and 

cocoa powder. 

2. You need to work out what material will best soak up the oil from 

the water. What properties do you need the material to have? 

3. You need to work out what ingredient will best remove the oil 

from the feathers. What ingredient will mix with oil? 

4. You will then make a video describing the best method and how 

this could be applied to the real world. 



• You must make an oil spill by combining water, oil and cocoa 

powder. 

• You must dip the feathers into the oil spill and coat them well. 

• You must remove the oil from the water by absorbing it with a 

material. 

• You must remove the oil from the feathers by adding a substance to 

clean it. 






Project steps 



Investigate 

Learn about oil spills and test materials. 

As a class, watch the video about oil spills by scanning 

this QR code. 

Learn about what absorbency is and what materials have this property. 

Test three materials to see which is the most absorbent. 

Test three substances to see which mixes best with oil. 


Plan your oil spill and collect your clean-up materials. 

Plan how you will recreate an oil spill and what sort of container will 

be used. 

Collect the materials that will be used to carry out the clean-up, based 

on your investigations. 

Create 

Create your oil spill, then clean it up. 

Create the oil spill by pouring water into your chosen container, then 

adding vegetable oil and cocoa powder. 

Dip the feather in the mixture to soak up the oil, then remove and set 

aside. 

Absorb the oil from the water. 

Remove the oil from the feather. 


Check if the oil is fully removed from the water. If it isn’t, consider if 

there is a different material that would be more absorbent. 

Check that the feather is completely clean. If it isn’t, think about 

another substance you didn’t test that might be better at removing oil. 



Communicate 

As a group, record a video explaining how you absorbed the oil from 

the water and what substance you decided to add to the oily feather 

to clean it. 



YEAR 

2 




Oil absorption investigation 



Hypothesis: Which materials do you think are absorbent? 


Materials: 


• pipette/eye-dropper 

• 

• 

• 

Results: 

Material 

Conclusion: Which material is the most absorbent? 

Procedure: 

1. Use the pipette to place drops of oil onto 

each of your three materials. 


Result 






Oil mixing investigation 




Hypothesis: Which substances do you think will mix with oil? 


Materials: 


• three bowls 

• stirrer 

• 

• 

• 

Results: 

Substance added 

Procedure: 

1. Add a small amount of oil to each bowl. 

2. Add each of your three substances. 

3. Mix together with a stirrer. 


Result 



Conclusion: Which substance mixes best with oil and could be used to 

clean it from a feather? 



YEAR 

2 




Student name: 


Date: 


STEM project: Oil spill clean-up 


I gave ideas. 







because 




. 

. 








CRITERIA 


Project task: 

Recreate an oil spill and devise a way to absorb oil using an absorbent material, and 

select a substance to remove oil from a feather. 


Understands that materials have properties that can be used for a purpose. 

Understands that substances can be mixed for a purpose; e.g. oil and detergent. 


Conducts an investigation into which materials are absorbent. 

Conducts an investigation into which substances will mix with oil and can be used as a 

cleaning agent. 

Records information and observations from the investigation using a table. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully using a digital video. 


Devises a suitable recreation of an oil spill. 

Discusses and plans how to clean up the oil spill and feather, and collects the 

appropriate materials needed. 

Evaluates and revises the material or substance to improve the oil spill clean-up. 

Successfully uses digital technology to film a short video. 

Mathematics 

Uses informal measurement to create a mixture. 

Group skills 











YEAR 

2 


Earth and space 

sciences 

OUR RESOURCEFUL WORLD 

Earth’s resources 

natural state 

transformed 

processed 

transported 

natural environment 

source 

Keywords 

production 

air 

water 

sun 

water 

soil/sand 

minerals 

animals 

fossil fuels 

reduce 

reuse 



recycle 

upcycle 

sustainability 

use 

plants 



Unit overview 

Earth and space sciences 


Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways (ACSSU032) 

Lesson 1 

What are Earth's 

resources? Where do they 

come from and how do we 

use them? 

Lesson 2 

What natural resources do 

we use for food? How do 

different foods get from a 

farm to our fork? 

Lesson 3 

What do we use water for? 

How does water get from 

a source to our house? 

How does water get 

removed from our house? 

Lesson 4 

What do we use Earth's 

minerals for and where 

are they found? How do 

minerals get from a source 

to a factory and what 

happens to them at the 

factory? 

Lesson 5 

How did Aboriginal and 

Torres Strait Islander 

people use Earth's 

resources? How did they 

ensure there were enough 

resources for future 

generations? 

Lesson 6 

How can we use Earth's 

resources wisely and how 

can we reduce, reuse and 

recycle our waste? 



Compost bin 

Students explore types of Earth's resources and how 

we use these resources in our everyday lives. Students 

conduct a school walk to find and take digital photographs 

of how Earth's resources are used in their natural or 

transformed state around the school. 

Students identify Earth's resources that we use for food and 

the types of food products that come from each resource. 

Students watch videos and participate in interactive games 

to identify how food products are produced and how they 

are transported from a farm to a supermarket for us to buy. 

Students identify natural sources of water on Earth and 

how we use water in our everyday lives. Students use an 

interactive game to explore how water is transported from 

a source to our homes and back to the ocean, through 

several processes, and how this changes in different 

locations, such as the city or the country. 

Students investigate different minerals found on Earth 

and conduct an activity to extract different types of 

minerals from a tub filled with sand. They then classify 

these minerals into three groups—rocks, gems and metals. 

Students explore how minerals are mined from the ground 

and transported to factories to be transformed into 

different products. 

Students explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 

people used Earth's resources for food, water, shelter 

and to make tools to help them perform everyday tasks. 

Students scan QR codes to watch videos of Aboriginal 

and Torres Strait Islander people explaining how they use 

Earth's resources and how they ensure there are resources 

available for future use. 

Students identify possible issues that may arise in the 

future if humans continue to use Earth's resources faster 

than they are replenished. They explore how we can 

be kinder to the environment by reducing, reusing and 

recycling our waste. 

Students communicate their understanding of how we use 

each of Earth's resources in our daily lives, the types of 

resources we get from farms, rivers and mines, and how we 

can reduce, reuse and recycle our waste. 

Pages 

78–81 

82–85 

86–89 

90–91 

92–95 

96–100 



Students design and create a miniature compost bin to 

show the school gardener how he/she can reuse waste 

materials to make free compost. Students record a video 

explaining how a compost bin works and how to look after 

it. 

101–102 

103–110 



YEAR 

2 




Unit overview 


Lesson 















(ACSIS038) 







Evaluating 


Communicating 


(ACSIS042) 




project 



Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


What are Earth’s resources? Where do they come from and 

how do we use them? 








• Students observe, ask questions about and describe how we 

use Earth’s resources in our daily lives, in either their natural 

or transformed state. 


• taking digital photographs of Earth’s resources around the 

school 

• uploading, re-sizing and printing digital photographs 

(optional) 


• Earth’s resources are resources found naturally on Earth. 

Humans extract these resources from the air, the water, on 

the ground or underground, to use in their natural state or 

to transform into useable energy or a useable product. 

• We commonly use Earth’s resources to meet our basic 

needs, such as for food, water, warmth, shelter or 

protection, or to obtain power/energy sources and 

products that we want in our daily lives, such as jewellery, 

kitchenware, clothing, electrical goods and money. 

• Earth’s resources that are used in their natural state, such 

as the sun, water, air and soil/sand, will be more familiar 

to students. Other resources, such as minerals and fossil 

fuels, may be less familiar to students and need to be 

explained. 

• Minerals are inorganic solid materials that can be 

categorised as metals, rocks or crystals. Minerals are used 

for a variety of electronic, household and infrastructure 

purposes. 

• Fossil fuels, including coal, crude oil and natural gas, have 

been created naturally by the decomposing matter of 

prehistoric plants and animals. These are used for fuel, 

electricity, plastic production, medicine and cosmetics. 


• Use completed copies of 

page 80 to monitor students’ 

use of different recording tools 

and prior knowledge of how 

Earth’s resources are used 

around the school. 

• Monitor the student’s ability 

to match Earth’s resources to 

their uses, during the Reflection 

activity. 

Resources 

• Online video—Resources: 

Welcome to the 

neighbourhood at 

• One digital copy of 

page 80 for display on an 

interactive whiteboard 

• One copy of page 80 for 

each pair 

• A digital camera or iPad® 

for each pair 

• One copy of the cards on 

page 81. These will need 

to be enlarged and cut out 

prior to the lesson. They 

may also be laminated to 

add to a class word wall for 

future use 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Play a game of I spy. Choose a natural or man-made object that you can see and give students 

clues relating to its use, where it can be found or if it is naturally occuring or man-made. Repeat the 

game a few times using different objects. QP PC 

2. Explain to students that all of these objects are resources. Resources are materials or objects that 

can be used in our everyday lives. Some resources can be found naturally and some need to be 

transformed in factories or laboratories to be useable. The resources that can be found naturally are 

called Earth’s resources. What natural resources can you think of that we use in our everyday lives? 

QP 

Development: 

3. Watch the video Resources: Welcome to the neighbourhood at . 

This video gives a brief overview of Earth’s resources, how communities are built around available 

resources and how these are transformed into useable products and energy sources. 

4. Display the Earth’s resources brainstorm on page 80 on an interactive whiteboard. Read each 

category of Earth’s resources, including air, sun, water, soil, minerals and rocks, plants, and animals. 

Discuss that in addition to these resources, fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, are also 

natural resources that have been created by the decomposing matter of prehistoric plants and 

animals. Note: These are used as energy sources or transformed in factories into plastics and other 

man-made materials, and may be difficult for students to find around the school. For this reason, 

fossil fuels have not been included on page 80. 

5. Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a digital camera or an iPad® and a copy of page 80. 

Conduct a 15-minute school walk where students find examples of how Earth’s resources have 

been used around the school. Students list examples of each resource on page 80 and take a 

digital photograph of each. PC PA 

6. Return to the classroom and ask students to partner up with another pair and share their recorded 

information and photographs. Then, using the brainstorm displayed on the interactive whiteboard, 

ask students to share their recorded information about how these resources have been used 

around the school. Add students’ suggestions to the class brainstorm. Note: Students may be 

encouraged to print and attach their digital photographs to the brainstorm. E C 

Reflection: 

7. Give each student one card, either a ‘Resource’ card or a ‘Use’ card from the pre-prepared cards 

on page 81. Without talking, students attempt to form groups to match the Earth’s resource to the 

uses of that resource. Note: Depending on class size, students may be given just a ‘Use’ card with 

‘Resource’ cards placed in various locations around the room. Students form groups of three at each 

‘Resource’ card. When students have formed their groups, encourage them to share the name of 

the Earth’s resource and the uses for that resource. PA C 


• Less capable students may be given a familiar resource such as sun, air, water, soil/sand, plants 

or animals. For students who need further support, a resource card from column one or an 

easily-identifiable ‘Use’ card, such as those listed in column two on page 81 may be used 

instead. 

• More capable students may be given a less-familiar resource, such as minerals or fossil fuels, or 

be given a more challenging ‘Use’ card, such as those listed in column four on page 81. 





Lesson 1 



How are Earth’s resources used around the school? 

air 

water soil 

Earth’s resources 

minerals and 

rocks 

sun animals plants 





YEAR 

2 




What do we use Earth’s resources for? 

Lesson 1 

Resource: sun Use: warmth Use: lighting Use: solar energy 

Resource: air Use: breathing Use: inflating Use: wind power 

Resource: water Use: drinking Use: cleaning Use: hydropower 

Resource: soil/sand Use: gardening Use: shelter Use: landfill 

Resource: rocks Use: shelter Use: roads/paths Use: recreation 

Resource: minerals Use: jewellery Use: money Use: appliances 

Resource: plants Use: food Use: shelter Use: paper and 

cardboard 



Resource: animals Use: food Use: recreation Use: work 

Resource: fossil fuels Use: plastic bottles Use: petrol 

Use: electricity 

OFF 



Lesson 2 



Teacher notes 


What natural resources do we use for food? How do different 

foods get from a farm to our fork? 









use Earth’s resources, such as plants and animals, for food, 

and how this food gets from a source to our homes. 


• participating in an online interactive game to identify the 

main stages in production of different food products 

• using an iPad® to scan QR codes which link to online videos 

of food production 


• Earth’s resources used in food production are plants and 

animals. 

• Plants provide us with different fruits, vegetables, legumes, 

grains, seeds and oils. Different parts of a plant provide 

us with different foods such as carrots (roots), celery 

(stem/trunk), lettuce (leaves), apples (fruit), sesame (seeds 

and oil) and wheat (grain). Nuts can also be a source of 

milk, such as almond milk. Some food products come 

from multiple parts of the plant, such as mushrooms and 

broccoli. 

• Animals provide us with different types of red and white 

meat, dairy products, eggs and honey. Red meat comes 

from farmed animals such as beef cows, pigs, sheep, 

goats, deer and wild animals, such as kangaroos. White 

meat comes from fish and poultry. Dairy products are 

made from milk, which can be sourced from many animals. 

In Australia, we often use milk from dairy cows and goats. 

• For food production, plants and animals are often grown 

on farms, extracted through various processes and 

transported to supermarkets for us to buy and take home 

to use. 


• Use each group’s A3 piece of 

paper to assess students’ inquiry 

skills and their understanding 

of the production process for 

a given food, from its source to 

our home. 

• Assess students’ understanding 

of Earth’s resources that provide 

us with food and how these are 

grown and transferred from a 

source to our homes for us to 

use. 

Resources 

• One pad of sticky notes for 

each group 

• One copy of each mini 

poster outlined on page 84. 

These will need to be cut 

out and laminated prior to 

the lesson for display on a 

concept wall 

• Eight iPads® with QR 

scanners 

• Eight A3 pieces of paper 

• One copy of the cards on 

page 85. These will need to 

be cut out and laminated 

prior to the lesson 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Divide the class into groups of six and give each group a pad of sticky notes. Ask students What 

food products do we eat or use? As a group, students think of as many different food products as 

possible and record each one on a separate sticky note. After two minutes, display the mini poster, 

‘What food products do we eat or use?’ on page 84 and encourage students to add more ideas to 

their sticky notes. Stop the students after a few minutes. QP PA 

2. As a group, students decide which of Earth’s resources we get food from (plants and animals). Ask 

students to sort the food items recorded on their sticky notes into two groups—food from plants 

and food from animals. QP PA 

Development: 

3. Using a think-pair-share, ask students How do different foods get from their natural environment to 

our homes? Share their ideas. QP 

4. In groups of three, assign students a product for them to role-play how the product gets from the 

farm to their fork. Students need to decide on three basic steps for each of them to role-play; i.e. 

farmer picks apple, worker juices apple, shop sells it. Suggested simple food products are apple 

juice, potato chips, banana bread, cereal, cheese, fruit salad and peanut butter. QP PC PA 

5. Divide the class into eight groups and give each group one iPad® with a QR scanner on it and 

one pre-prepared card from page 85. Using an A3 piece of paper folded in half, students copy 

one question from their pre-prepared card onto each half of the page. Under the first question, 

students work as a team to brainstorm and record examples of Earth’s resources that we use for 

certain food products. Students then discuss the second question and scan a QR code to watch 

a video showing how a specific food gets from a farm to your house. Students discuss the steps 

described during the video, to choose and record, using words or images, five main stages in 

the production of their given food. Note: These videos were produced in the United Kingdom by 

Tesco as part of the Food to fork series. For this reason, it is recommended that students are taught 

that these processes are used in many countries around the world, including Australia. 

QP PC PA 


• Less capable students may be encouraged to draw images of different food products or 

contribute orally to mixed-ability groupings. Alternatively, they may be grouped together and 

assisted by an adult. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to write explanations for each step of the process. 

6. Pair a group that researched food products from animals with a group that researched food 

products from plants. When paired, each group takes a turn to read each question and share the 

information recorded on their piece of paper with the other group. E 

Reflection: 

7. Using a think-pair-share, one student explains how food products that come from animals get 

from a source (their environment) to our supermarkets and subsequently to our houses. The 

other student must listen and clarify misunderstandings. Students swap roles to explain how food 

products that come from plants get to our supermarkets and houses. E C 





Lesson 2 

Earth’s food resources 



What food products 

do we eat or use? 

Where do food products 

come from? 





YEAR 

2 




Where do food products come from? 

Which land animals give us meat? 

Think about different types of 

meat you can buy. 

How does beef get from a farm to 

our house? 

Scan the QR code 

to find out. 

Which animals give us eggs? 


birds that lay eggs. 

How do chicken eggs get from a 

farm to our house? 


to find out. 

Which plants give us vegetables? 


vegetables you can buy. 

How do carrots get from a farm to 

our house? 


to find out. 

Which plants give us oil? 

Think about different types of oil 

you can buy. 

How does olive oil get from a 



to find out. 

Lesson 2 

Which sea animals give us meat? 


seafood you can buy. 

How does salmon get from a farm 

to our house? 


to find out. 

Which insect gives us honey? 

Think about an insect that makes 

honeycomb in a hive. 

How does honey get from a farm 

to our house? 


to find out. 

Which plants give us fruit? 

Think about different types of fruit 

you can buy. 

How do pineapples get from a 



to find out. 

Which plants give us grains? 


grains you can buy. 



How do oats get from a farm to 

our house? 


to find out. 



Lesson 3 



Teacher notes 


What do we use water for? How does water get from a source 

to our house? How does water get removed from our house? 








use Earth’s water resources, both directly and indirectly, and 

how this resource is moved from a source to our homes and 

then back out to the sea. 


• participating in an online interactive game to identify how 

water is transported to and from our homes 

• participating in an online quiz 


• Earth’s water is used in many ways, both directly and 

indirectly. We use water directly when drinking, watering 

plants and washing. We use water indirectly when we use 

factory-made products that use water in production. 

• Water is found naturally all over the world. Salt water, 

found in oceans, accounts for 97% of Earth’s total water 

and is unusable for drinking and cleaning purposes. Of the 

freshwater supply, only 1% is usable and found in rivers, 

streams and lakes. 

• Water needs to be collected, stored, cleaned and 

transported to a house for us to use. Wastewater must then 

be removed and cleaned before it is returned to the sea. 

• In some country houses, rainwater is collected in a tank 

and carried through pipes to a tap in the house. The 

wastewater is then moved to an underground septic tank 

where it can break down. 

• In the city, rainwater is stored in dams and is cleaned 

before being transported to houses. It then goes through 

a sewerage treatment plant before being returned to the 

sea. 


• Use page 89 to assess the 

student’s understanding of how 

water is transported to and from 

a house in the city. 

• Use observations during the 

online quiz to identify any 

misunderstandings about 

Earth’s water resource and how 

this is transported to and from 

houses in the country and the 

city. 

Resources 

• One copy of each mini 

poster outlined on page 88. 

These will need to be cut 

out and laminated prior to 

the lesson for display on a 

concept wall 

• Online interactive game— 

We all use water at 

• Unity Water—The water 

cycle at 

• Unity Water—Urban water 

cycle diagram at 

• Unity Water—Sewage 

treatment at 

• Computers 

• One copy of page 89 for 

each student or each pair 

• Online quiz at 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 3 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Using a think-pair-share, students think about all the different ways we use water, both in its natural 

state and where water can be found naturally. Display the mini posters ‘What do we use water for 

in its natural state?’ and ‘Where can water be found naturally on Earth?’ on page 88 to reinforce 

the uses and sources of water. These mini posters can be added to a class concept wall for future 

reference. QP PA 

Development: 

2. As a class, view the interactive activity We all use water at . This 

explains in simple terms how we use water directly and indirectly in our everyday lives. Read the 

information aloud to the class or click the sound recording icon to listen to the information. Some 

words such as ‘faucet’ and ‘irrigation’ may need to be explained. Click the ‘Water use activity’ 

tab on the right-hand side. Click on each image in Isabella’s day to see how she uses water both 

directly and indirectly. Note: Information is similar across all images. If time is limited, select five 

images from different stages of the day and read those only. PC 

3. Ask the class to discuss and predict how they think water actually gets to their home and what 

happens to their used water. Then, individually, students complete the first part of page 89. Either 

as a class, or individually, view the interactive diagram at and play 

the videos and other interactive icons as you go along. Students then complete the rest of page 89. 

QP PC PA 


• Less capable students may be grouped together and given a pdf handout of the urban water 

cycle diagram from . They can focus on the simple steps of this 

process. 

• More capable students can be encouraged to find out more about what happens at the 

sewerage treatment plant after we use our water. Students can use the fact sheet at to explore the treatment phases. 

Reflection: 

4. As a class, go to to take an online quiz. To play, click ‘Start without 

an account’ then read the questions aloud and encourage students to answer with a show of 

hands. This quiz has questions of varying difficulty to test students’ understanding of Earth’s water 

resource and how it is transported to and from our house, based on the information learned 

thoughout the lesson. Note: There is a time limit of 20 minutes for the completion of the quiz. C 





Lesson 3 

Earth’s water resources 



What do we use 

water for in its 

natural state? 

Where can water be 

found naturally 

on Earth? 





YEAR 

2 




Prediction 

Earth’s water resources 

1. How do you think water gets to homes in the city? 

Lesson 3 

2. Does everyone get their water the same way? Yes No 

Research—City scene 

3. How does water get from a source to our homes? Draw a picture for 

each major step, to show how water is collected and transported to a 

house in the city. 

rain 

dam 

water 

treatment 

plant 

pumping 

station 

4. Where does the water go when you have used it? Draw a picture for 

each major step to show how water is removed from a house in the city. 

tap 

wastewater 

https://tinyurl.com/whrdupe 



sewerage 

treatment 

plant 

sea 

tap 



Lesson 4 



Teacher notes 


What do we use Earth’s minerals for and where are 

they found? How do minerals get from a source to 

a factory and what happens to them at the factory? 




• Processing and analysing data and 

information PA 




• Students observe, ask questions about and 

describe how we mine minerals, including 

rocks, gems and metals for use in a variety 

of products and how these resources are 

transferred from a mine to a factory for smelting 

and refining. 


• A mineral is a solid material that is 

inorganic, meaning it is not alive and 

never was. Scientists have discovered 

approximately 2000 different minerals, 

which can be categorised into three main 

groups—metals, rocks and gems/crystals. 

• Minerals can be found on or under Earth’s 

surface and are extracted by mining. 

The type of mining required (surface or 

underground) depends on the mineral 

being extracted. 

• To extract minerals in the most costeffective 

and environmnetally-friendly 

way, scientists locate the minerals using 

high-tech equipment and perform tests to 

examine the type, quality and quantity of 

the mineral to assess if it is worth mining. 

Miners then use tools and heavy machinery 

to carefully extract the mineral before 

sending it to a factory for smelting and 

refining. Finally, the land is restored to its 

natural state. 

• Minerals are used to produce metal, crystal 

and stone products used for a variety of 

electronic, household and infrastructure 

purposes. 



• taking a digital photograph 

• uploading, resizing and printing a 

digital photograph or uploading a 

digital photograph to a class blog 

(optional) 


• Use the photograph of each group’s 

sorted minerals to assess the student’s 

inquiry skills and their ability to sort 

different minerals that occur naturally 

on Earth into groups of different types 

of minerals. 

• Use observations to assess the student’s 

understanding of minerals during the 

online quiz. 

Resources 

• Completed copies of page 80 from Lesson 1 

• Online video—Real world science: Rocks 

and minerals at 

• Grassed area or large sandpit 

• Large plastic tub filled with sand and the 

following ‘minerals’: gold and silver glitter 

to represent metal-based mineral particles; 

gold and silver glitter pipecleaners (cut in 

half and rolled into a ball) and aluminium 

foil (scrunched into small balls) to represent 

load deposits of metal-based minerals; 

small, rough limestone-based rocks and 

pebbles to represent rock-based minerals; 

and rock salt and a variety of small and 

medium rhinestones to represent gem/ 

crystal-based minerals 

• Digital camera or iPad® for each group. 

• One piece of A4 paper for each group 

• Online video—Modern Mining—How Eagle 

Mine produces nickel and copper at 

 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 4 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Students review their completed copy of the brainstorm from Lesson 1 (page 80). Using a thinkpair-share, 

students discuss the questions What are rocks and are they different to minerals? Where 

do we find minerals? Share ideas as a class. QP 

2. View the video Real world science: Rocks and minerals at . This 

shows objects made using important minerals and what these minerals look like when they are 

unrefined. PC 

Development: 

3. Divide the class into groups of four and take the class outside to an area where it is okay to spill 

sand. Give each group a pre-prepared large plastic tub, a sandpit sieve, a craft stick, a matchstick 

and a fine paint brush. Students work as a team to uncover minerals from the large plastic tub 

(ground) using the tools available to them. Students must ensure they handle each mineral carefully 

without breaking or wasting any of the valuable resource. PC 

4. Students sort and classify the minerals they found into three groups and give each group a label to 

identify the type of mineral (rocks, gems and metals). Students look at each mineral in each group 

and write a definition for each type, then share their definitions as a class and refine their own if 

needed. They then take a digital photograph of each group and its definition. Note: If time allows, 

encourage students to upload, resize and print a copy of the photographs or upload it to a class 

blog. QP PC PA E 


• Less capable students may be told the group names and encouraged to sort the objects into 

each group. Students may work with an adult to write a definition or may describe the properties 

of the objects in each group to their group. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to find a dictionary definition for each group and 

compare it to their definition. They may also be encouraged to identify the difference between 

each type of mineral. 

5. Using a think-pair-share, students discuss the questions How do we extract minerals from the 

ground? What is mining? and How did people mine minerals in the past? Display the tools that 

students used to mine their minerals from the large tub. What issues would miners have using these 

tools for large-scale mining? How do we mine minerals nowadays? QP 

6. View the video Modern Mining—How Eagle Mine produces nickel and copper at . This video explains in simple terms how nickel and copper are found, mined and 

processed at Eagle Mine in the United States of America. Note: There are many different types of 

mining and the process varies slightly for each; however, the main three-step process is the same. 

Some sources state rehabilitation or restoration of the natural environment as a fourth step in the 

process. This is becoming increasingly more important to provide a sustainable future. PC 

Reflection: 

7. Using a think-pair-share, students answer the question What is a mineral? C 

8. As a class, test students’ knowledge of minerals by asking them a series of questions (with some 

hints). Read the following to the class, then instruct students to move to one side of the class for yes 

and the other side for no. Question 1. Is quartz a mineral? Does anybody make it? Where is it found? 

Question 2. Is plastic a mineral? Who makes plastic? Do you know what plastic is made from? 

Question 3. Is gold a mineral? Can you make gold? Where do you find gold nuggets? Question 4. Is 

granite a mineral? What do you think it is made of? Question 5. Is charcoal a mineral? You can find 

it after a fire has burned, but where does it come from? Question 5. Is an iceberg a mineral? What is 

made of? Is it natural? Is it solid? QP PC PA E C 





Lesson 5 



Teacher notes 


How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 

use Earth’s resources? How did they ensure there were 

enough resources for future generations? 








• Students observe, ask questions about and describe 

how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people used 

Earth’s resources to meet their needs and how they 

cared for the land to ensure there were resources 

available for future generations. 


• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people used Earth’s 

resources to meet their basic needs. They constructed 

tools to source/hunt, collect and store food and water 

resources. They ate fresh food from native flora and fauna. 

They created fires for cooking and warmth and built 

shelters to rest in. They made basic clothing using natural 

plant and animal materials and created paintings using 

ochre (mineral-based hard clay powder) to communicate 

information. 

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had a mutually 

respectful relationship with the land. They believed the 

land cared for and provided them with everything they 

needed to survive and in return they took care of the land. 

• To ensure resources were plentiful for future use, 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: 

— only took what they needed 

— distributed seeds and young animals to new areas 

— burnt off old vegetation to minimise wildfires and 

encourage new growth 

— moved from one area to another to avoid resource 

depletion, and 

— collected and saved water while resources were 

abundant. 


• scanning QR codes to view videos 

• participating in developing an online 

mind map with the class 


• Use completed copies of page 95 to 

monitor student’s understanding of how 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 

people sourced, collected and used 

Earth’s resources to meet their needs. 

Resources 

• Online video—Is mining 

important? at 

• One iPad® for each student 

or pair with a QR scanner 

installed 

• One copy of pages 94 and 

95 for each student or pair 

• Online mind-mapping tool 

at 

• Online video—We are 

caretakers at 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 5 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. View the online video Is mining important? at . This video explains 

the knock-on effect that would occur if we did not mine minerals, such as the lack of infrastructure, 

agriculture or transportation which rely heavily on minerals. 

2. Ask students Can humans meet their needs for food, water and shelter without steel, cement, 

concrete and fertiliser? Students move to one side of the classroom if they answered yes to the 

question and the other side if they answered no. Students share their reasoning with others who 

answered similarly. Ask each group to share their reasons with these who had a different opinion. 

QP PC PA 

Development: 

3. Individually or in pairs, give students a copy of pages 94 and 95. Students read the information 

on page 94 about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people met each need for food, 

water, shelter and tools and then use a QR scanner to watch a video related to that need. Students 

think about the information they have read, seen and heard to identify how Aboriginal and Torres 

Strait Islander people used water, minerals and rocks, plants and animals to meet their need for 

food, water, shelter and tools. Students add information to the worksheet on page 95 to answer 

the questions What did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use each of these resources 

for? and How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people source and collect each resource? 

Students then scan another QR code to see how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 

source ochre to make paint. PC PA C 


• Less capable students may have the information read and discussed with them. They may also 

draw images on a piece of paper to show each type of Earth’s resource and how Aboriginal and 

Torres Strait Islander people used each resource. Students can then create a presentation, such 

as ShowMe, to explain how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people found, collected and 

used each resource. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to draw and label examples of food and water 

sources, shelters and tools used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on the back of 

page 95. 

4. Students partner up with another student or pair, and compare their answers. Students add 

information to, or correct their information as required. E 

5. As a class, use an online mind-mapping tool, such as the one found at to collate answers about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people used Earth’s 

resources including water, minerals and rocks, plants, and animals. Note: Other resources such as 

the sun, air and soil may be included, allowing students to predict how Aboriginal and Torres Strait 

Islander people used each resource to survive. QP PA C 

Reflection: 

6. View the video We are caretakers at . Use a think-pair-share to 

discuss the questions How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people look after the land that 

provided them with so many resources? Which practices have we adopted from the way Aboriginal 

and Torres Strait Islander people cared for the land? and What other practices do you think we 

should adopt? Note: See Background information for some suggestions of how Aboriginal and 

Torres Strait Islander people cared for Earth’s resources. 

QP PC PA C 





Lesson 5 



Using Earth’s resources in the past – 1 

Food 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait 

Islander people used available 

flora and fauna for food. The 

food they ate changed with each 

season. The men hunted animals 

and fish and the women gathered 

food from plants. They only 

collected enough food to feed 

the family. 


Islander people moved around 

to find different foods. This meant 

they did not take all the resources 

from one place. They 

collected food using 

carrying dishes. 

Bush tucker 

Shelter 


Islander people built shelters 

using branches, leaves and bark 

from plants. They sometimes 

used animal skin and clay to make 

them waterproof. Caves in rocks 

and hollow tree trunks were also 

useful shelters. 


Islander people moved around a 

lot and often slept in front of the 

fire with only a small windbreak 

shelter. If food and water was 

available in the area, 

they built bigger 

shelters. 

Water 


Islander people collected 

water from natural sources 

such as rivers, rock pools and 

underground. If they were 

moving away from natural 

sources, they would create tools 

using bark or animal skins that 

could carry their water. 


Islander people took only enough 

water to last the journey to the 

next water source. They covered 

water with leaves 

so it didn't spill as easily. 

Finding water sources 

Tools 


Islander people made tools using 

branches and leaves from animal 

bones, shells and rocks. These 

included weapons such as spears 

and boomerangs, nets and traps, 

carrying dishes, bags and food 

utensils such as digging sticks 

and seed-grinding stones. 


Islander people made only 

enough tools to help them 

meet their needs. They 

re-used tools as much 

as possible. 



Stone hut shelters 

Making tools 



YEAR 

2 




Using Earth’s resources in the past – 2 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had a strong connection with 

the land. They depended on the Earth’s resources for food, water and 

shelter. They used Earth’s resources to make tools which helped them 

meet their needs. Living off the land made them think about the danger of 

taking too much and leaving nothing for future generations. 

Water 

Minerals 

and 

rocks 

Plants 

Animals 

What did Aboriginal and Torres 

Strait Islander people use each 

of these resources for? 

Lesson 5 

How did Aboriginal and Torres 

Strait Islander people source and 

collect each resource? 



How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make paint? 

Find out here 



Lesson 6 



Teacher notes 


How can we use Earth’s resources wisely and how can we 

reduce, reuse and recycle our waste? 







• Students identify how they can help conserve Earth’s 

resources in their everyday lives by reducing their use 

of limited resources, reusing and upcycling unwanted 

resources, and recycling waste items correctly. 


• scanning QR codes using an iPad® to view online videos 

• using an iPad® to film an interview 

• participating in an online interactive activity to sort waste 

into groups 


• Everything we do in our daily lives uses Earth’s resources in 

either their natural or transformed state. 

• As human populations continue to expand exponentially, 

there is growing concern for how long Earth’s resources 

will last. In recent years, the overuse of Earth’s resources 

has been a major focus with concerns over climate change, 

deforestation, resource depletion and other environmental 

issues. 

• ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ has been a vital campaign for 

many years. It includes: 

— reducing our use of a resource, such as turning off taps, 

lights and electronic devices when not in use and saying 

no to unnecessary plastic packaging 

— reusing resources for different purposes, such as using 

an old phone as a digital camera or upcycling unwanted 

objects 

— recycling waste materials by giving unwanted clothes, 

toys and furniture to charity, placing recyclable materials 

in the correct bins and using old food scraps as compost 

• Some people suggest we need to do more than just 

reduce, reuse and recycle; see more at . 


• Use students’ filmed interview 

segments to assess their 

knowledge of how humans can 

reduce their waste, reuse waste 

items and recycle correctly in 

their everyday lives. 

Resources 

• Online video—A story about 

sustainability at 

• Online video—Recycling 

at 

• A3 copy of page 98 

• One copy of pages 98 and 

99 (or 100) for each pair 

• One iPad® with a QR 

scanner for each pair 


City of Surrey – Rethink 

waste at 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 6 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. View the online video at to hear a story about a greedy king that 

discovered he could use Earth’s resources to build all the things his heart desired and to develop 

his land into a beautiful city … until his kingdom began to suffer. Discuss the questions, Why did the 

king use Earth’s resources? What problems were caused by the king using Earth’s resources the way 

he did? How did the king try to be kinder to the environment? and Do you think the kingdom will 

change for the better? QP PC 

2. Using a think-pair-share, students discuss how the story from the video reflects real life. What do we 

use Earth’s resources for? What problems do we face by the overuse of Earth’s resources? How can 

we be kinder to the environment? QP 

Development: 

3. Watch the Behind the News video, Recycling, at . This video 

explains Australia’s landfill problem, how we can recycle and the issues with putting the wrong 

things in the wrong bins. It highlights how schools can reduce up to 80% of the waste they send to 

landfill simply by reducing, reusing and recycling. 

4. Display an A3 copy of the ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ poster on page 98. Discuss the meaning of each 

word and read through the examples of how we can reduce our water use and waste production, 

how we can reuse Earth’s resources in a variety of ways and how we can recycle products that can 

be remade into new products for sale. PC 

5. Divide the class into pairs and give each pair an iPad®, a copy of the poster on page 98 and the 

interview questions on page 99. Using an iPad®, students scan the QR codes on the poster to watch 

videos about how they can save Earth’s resources. Students then conduct and film an interview 

using an iPad® and the interview questions. Both students take turns to ask, answer and film each 

question. Note: If time allows, students should be encouraged to upload their interview segment to 

a class vlog (video log) or email it to the teacher, a parent or a buddy class. PC PA C 


• Less capable students may be grouped together and assisted by an adult to discuss the 

information in each video. Students may film each interview directly after watching and 

discussing the information presented in each video. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to research and answer the interview questions on 

page 98 or write their own, such as questions about the types and uses of Earth’s resources and 

how we can conserve other types of resources. 

Reflection: 

6. Individually, or as a class, play the waste sorting game at . Students 

sort items into either garbage, organics or recyclables. Encourage students to explain their choices 

after the game, and what type of materials are generally recyclable. QP PC PA C 





Lesson 6 

Reduce, reuse, recycle – 1 



Reduce the amount of fresh 

water that you use when 

gardening, cleaning cars and 

playing. Save fresh water for 

drinking, cooking and cleaning. 

Find out more about 

saving fresh water here. 

Reduce the amount of food 

scraps you place in the bin. Reuse 

food scraps by adding them to 

a compost bin or worm farm to 

return nutrients to your garden. 

Find out more about 

starting a worm farm here. 

Reduce the amount of recyclable products you send 

to landfill. Reuse recyclable materials for gardening, 

craft projects and science activities. Recycle all 

plastic, glass, metal and paper products correctly. 

Find out 

more about 

upcycling 

here. 

Reduce, Reuse, 

Recycle! 

See how you can upcycle your waste here. 

Reduce the amount of electronic waste you make! Reuse the same Find out more 

about e-waste here. 

electronic device carefully until it no longer works or use it for a 

different purpose, such as using an old mobile phone as a camera. 

Recycle your electronic waste correctly at an e-waste recycling facility. 

Reduce the amount of 

plastic packaging you use. 

Reuse the same lunch box 

and drink bottle by washing 

them out at home. 

Find out more about plastic 

packaging here. 





YEAR 

2 





Lesson 6 

Reduce, reuse, recycle Fresh water 

What does reduce, 

reuse and recycle 

mean and why is it 

important? 

Recyclable materials 

What does upcycling 

mean and how can 

you upcycle recyclable 

materials? 

Plastic packaging 

How can you reduce 

the amount of plastic 

packaging you send 

to landfill? 


your use of fresh water 

and why is it important 

not to waste water? 

Food scraps 

How can you reuse 

egg shells and food 

scraps from plant foods 

to help the garden? 

Electronic waste 



How can you reduce, 


electronic waste? 



Lesson 6 




Metals 

How can you 

reduce, reuse and 

recycle waste from 

precious metals? 

Paper 

How can you 

reduce your use of 

paper and how can 

paper be reused or 

recycled correctly? 

Garden waste 

How can you reuse 

plant leaves, branches 

and grass trimmings to 

help the garden? 

Electricity 


your use of electricity 

and why is it important 

not to waste power? 

Clothes, toys and 

furniture 

How can you reduce, 


waste from clothes, 

toys and furniture? 

Petrol 

How can you 

encourage people 

to reduce their use 

of petrol made from 

fossil fuels? 





YEAR 

2 




Assessment 

Teacher notes 



Indicators 

• Identifies how we use Earth’s resources in our daily lives. 

• Identifies examples of Earth’s resources that are sourced from farms, rivers or mines. 

• Identifies tips for how we can protect our environment by reducing, reusing and recycling. 

Answers 

Page 102 

1. Teacher check 

Answers may include: 

• Sun—warmth, lighting and solar energy 

• Air—breathing, inflating and wind power 

• Water—drinking, cleaning and hydropower 

• Soil—gardening, building shelters and 

covering landfill 

• Minerals—making jewellery, money or 

appliances; building shelters, paths or 

roads; and for recreation 

• Plants—food, building shelters and making 

paper, cardboard or furniture 

• Animals—food, transporting people or 

goods, work (police dogs) and for recreation 

• Fossil fuels—petrol, making plastic and 

generating electricity 

2. (a) Farms—plants and animals 

(b) Rivers—fresh water, plants and animals 

(c) Mines—Minerals (including rocks) and fossil 

fuels (including coal, oil and natural gas) 

3. Teacher check 





Assessment 



1. Draw or write how we use each resource in our daily lives. 

sun air water soil 

minerals plants animals fossil fuels 

2. Write the types of resources we get from each source. 

(a) farms 

(b) rivers 

(c) mines 

3. Write tips for how we can be kinder to the environment by reducing, 

reusing and recycling waste. Include at least three tips in each column. 

Reduce Reuse Recycle 





YEAR 

2 






Compost bin 

Students work in groups of 2–3 to design and create a miniature compost bin to show the 

school gardener how he/she can reuse waste materials from Earth’s natural resources to make 

a compost bin that will provide nutrients to the garden. Students then create a video explaining 

how a compost bin works and how the gardener will need to look after it. 



• Apply knowledge of Earth’s resources and how reducing, reusing and recycling our waste can 

protect the environment for future generations. 


• Apply the design process to plan, create and evaluate a compost bin showing how food and 

garden waste, paper and cardboard can be reused. 

• Select appropriate materials and apply safety procedures while creating. 

• Create a digital video to explain to the school gardener how compost bins work and how to 

look after a compost bin. 

Mathematics 

• Use knowledge of halves and quarters to measure and add waste materials to the compost bin. 

• Use a calendar to record when waste materials need to be added to the compost bin and 

when it will need to be mixed for airation. 


• In groups, students design and create a water filter using a recycled plastic bottle and 

Earth’s natural resources. Students take a digital photograph of each step and upload the 

photographs to a computer to create a step-by-step guide showing how to turn ground water 

into clean drinking water. The presentation must include students’ photographs and a written 

explanation of each step. See how to make the water filter at . 

• In pairs, students design and create equipment for an outdoor game or activity, using recycled 

materials. Suggestions include: traditional outdoor games, such as ring toss; real-life versions 

of digital games, such as Angry birds ; or enlarged versions of indoor games, such as Jenga . 

Students then create a video advertisement explaining why people should buy their game 

rather than a shop-bought game. 






103 

2




Science Knowledge 

• Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways (ACSSU032) 








• Pose and respond to questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events (ACSIS037) 






Communicating 




• Identify how people design and produce familiar products, services and environments and consider sustainability to meet 

personal and local community needs (ACTDEK001) 


(ACTDEK004) 












Number and Algebra 

• Recognise and interpret common uses of halves, quarters and eighths of shapes and collections (ACMNA033) 


• Use a calendar to identify the date and determine the number of days in each month (ACMMG041) 




2




Teacher notes 


Design and create a miniature compost bin to show the school gardener how he/she can reuse 

waste materials from Earth’s natural resources to make a compost bin that will provide nutrients 

to the garden. Record a video explaining how a compost bin works and how to look after it. 



• Watch the online video Reduce, reuse, 

recycle to enjoy a better life at . This video clip 

shows how we can avoid contaminating 

our planet by reducing, reusing and 

recycling our waste. 

• Read the problem on page 106 to 

students. 

• Discuss the different ways the school 

gardener can add nutrients to the garden 

to help the plants grow, including by 

adding fertiliser, creating a worm farm or 

composting. 

• Read the task and the important 

information on page 106 to students. 

Clarify any information that students are 

not sure of. 


• Provide time for students to find out 

information about composting and reusing 

waste. 

— Give each group a copy of page 107 to 

guide their project. 

— Provide a selection of nonfiction and 

fiction texts for students to look at, 

ensuring that only factual information is 

transferred. 

— Take the class on a school walk to 

see the gardens and invite the school 

gardener to talk to the class about his/ 

her role in the school. 


• Students plan their compost bin and 

create a diagram of it, labelling the waste 

materials that will be added to the compost 

bin. Students may be provided with a copy 

of page 108 to see examples of each type 

of waste material. 

• Students use a calendar to plan and record 

when they will add more waste to their 

compost bin and when the compost will be 

mixed. 

• Students collect the materials necessary. 

Remind students about resource 

management, conserving resources and 

ensuring that resources are shared. 

4. Create 

• Students measure the amount of each 

waste material they will add to their 

compost and place each material in 

separate containers. 

• Students create their compost bin in a 

plastic bottle by adding layers of each 

waste material. 


• Students evaluate their compost bin to 

ensure that all the criteria on page 106 is 

included. 

• Students make any adjustments necessary 

to their designed product. 


• Students create a video of their compost 

bin using an iPad® application or a digital 

camera, explaining how compost bins work 

and how the gardener will need to look 

after it. 

• Students upload and email their videos to 

the school gardener or a buddy class. 

• Students complete the self-assessment of 

how well they participated and cooperated 

within the group. 






105 

2






YEAR 

2 

Project brief 

COMPOST BIN 

The problem 

The plants in the garden at school are starting to 

die. They need to be given more nutrients to help 

them grow and blossom but the school gardener 

can’t afford to keep buying fertiliser. 

How can the school gardener use food scraps and 

recyclable materials to provide nutrients to the 

garden for free? 

The task 

Design and create a miniature compost bin using food and garden waste, 

paper and cardboard. Use a calendar to record when food and garden 

waste will be added to the bin and when the compost will be mixed. 

Record a video explaining to the school gardener 

how compost bins turn food and recyclable 

materials into nutrient-rich compost for the 

garden and how he/she will need to look after 

the compost bin. 



• You must use a 2-L plastic ice cream container with a lid and holes in 

the bottom and sides of the container so extra water can drain out 

and air and micro-organisms can get in. 

• The compost bin must include half of the mixture as garden waste, 

one quarter of the mixture as recycled paper or cardboard and one 

quarter of the mixture as food scraps. 

• You must use a calendar to record when food and garden waste will 

be added to the bin and when the compost will be mixed. 

• The video must include an explanation of how a compost bin works 

and how the gardener will need to look after it. 






Project steps 


Investigate 

Learn about different types of food and garden waste and how much of 

each people send to landfill. 

Talk to people that live in your area about how much food, paper and 

garden waste they put into the trash. 

Read books and online information about food/garden waste. 

Learn how to make a compost bin and how compost helps the environment. 

Scan the QR code to learn about composting. 

Find out how often ingredients need to be added. 

Find out how often compost should be mixed. 


Plan your compost bin, calendar and video. 

Draw a diagram of your compost bin and label the waste materials 

you will place inside it. 

Use a calendar to plan and record when you will add more waste to 

your compost bin and when you will mix the compost. 

Collect the materials you need to add to your compost bin. 

Create 

Create your compost bin and calendar. 

Measure how much of each waste material you will need. 

Make your compost bin. 


Check that it is correct and you are happy with it. 

Check that all the important things in the project brief were done. 

Check that all group members are happy with it. 



Communicate 

Tell the school gardener or a buddy class bout your compost bin. 

Use an iPad® to record a video. 




Compost ingredients 



Food waste 

Garden waste 



Paper and cardboard 



YEAR 

2 




Student name: 


Date: 


STEM project: Compost bin 


I gave ideas. 







because 




. 

. 








CRITERIA 


Project task: 

Design and create a miniature compost bin to show the school gardener how he/she 

can reuse waste materials from Earth’s natural resources to make a compost bin that 

will provide nutrients to the garden. Record a video explaining how a compost bin 

works and how to look after it. 


Creates a compost bin that reuses food scraps, garden waste, paper and cardboard. 


Creates a diagram of their compost bin and labels the waste materials that will be 

added. 

Conducts an investigation to find out how how often waste materials should be added 

to a compost bin and how often the compost should be mixed. 

Communicates science understanding correctly, clearly and concisely using a digital 

video. 


Plans and designs a compost bin to reuse waste materials. 

Creates a compost bin using materials and tools safely. 

Evaluates designed products to ensure they meet the criteria and makes any necessary 

changes. 

Plans and creates a digital video, using an iPad® or digital camera, to explain how 

compost bins work and how the gardener will need to look after it. 

Mathematics 

Measures and adds correct amounts of each waste material to the compost bin using 

knowledge of halves and quarters. 

Uses a calendar to identify when waste materials will be added to the compost and 

when the compost will be mixed. 

Group skills 

All group members contributed fairly and appropriately. 

All group members collaborated and communicated effectively. 

Group members were able to resolve conflicts independently. 








YEAR 

2 


Physical sciences 

FORCED TO MOVE 

force 

applied/applying 

push 

pull 

gravity 

invisible forces 

position 

Keywords 

shape 

size 

weight 

movement 

soft push/pull 

hard push/pull 

small 

large 

mass 

path 

float 



sink 

buoyancy (optional) 

direction 

medium 



Unit overview 



A push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape (ACSSU033) 

Lesson 1 

What is a force and 

what does it do? 

Lesson 2 

What is the difference 

between a push and a 

pull? 

Lesson 3 

Does the amount of 

force applied to an 

object affect how it 

moves or changes 

shape? 

Lesson 4 

Does the size and/or 

mass of an object 

change how much 

force is needed to 

move it? 

Lesson 5 

Why do objects fall to 

the ground when there 

is no surface for them 

to sit on? 

Lesson 6 

How do pushes and 

pulls affect objects in 

water? 



Air vs gravity 

Students explore different ways they can move a balloon and 

sort into two categories—push or pull. Students conduct an 

experiment to investigate how objects move or change when 

a force is applied to each side of an object. 

Students explore the difference between pushes and 

pulls. Students predict where they think a person must be 

positioned to move an object from one place to another 

using a given force. Students participate in an interactive 

game and compare the information in the game to their 

predictions. 

Students investigate how different amounts of force being 

applied to different sides of a hula hoop can change its 

shape or how it moves. Students conduct an experiment and 

then apply their knowledge to participate in an interactive 

game. Students also observe how obstacles placed in an 

object's path can affect how they move. 

Students explore if the size and weight of an object affects 

the amount of force needed to move it. Students investigate 

ways more force can be added through an interactive game 

and by using more muscle power during their experiment. 

Students should conclude that the amount of force needed 

to move objects depends on an object’s mass, not its size. 

Students briefly learn about Sir Isaac Newton and one of his 

famous discoveries, gravity. Students conduct an experiment 

to explore how gravity affects the path objects travel when 

they are dropped from a given height, when they are pushed 

or pulled off a surface and when they are thrown in the air. 

Students conduct an experiment to test objects that float and 

sink in water. Students investigate which objects are getting 

pulled to the bottom of the tub of water by gravity and which 

are getting pushed to the surface of the water by another 

invisible force. They identify how pushes and pulls affect the 

movement and position of objects in water. 

Students demonstrate their knowledge of pushes and pulls 

and how these forces are used in our everyday lives, such as 

when playing games or moving boxes, and they investigating 

objects that float or sink. 

Students design and create a floating ball toy for each 

partner that uses a push force to make a table tennis ball 

float in the air. The toy must have a small container to catch 

the ball when gravity pulls it towards the ground. Students 

take two digital photographs of their floating ball toy, one 

while the ball is at rest and one while it is in action, and 

upload these to a computer, labelling the type of force at 

work and the direction of the force in each image. 

Pages 

114–117 

118–121 

122–124 

125–128 

129–131 

132–136 

137–138 



139–145 



YEAR 

2 




Unit overview 


Lesson 



A push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape 

(ACSSU033) 












(ACSIS038) 







Evaluating 


Communicating 


(ACSIS042) 




project 



Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


What is a force and what does it do? 









• Students identify how we use forces in our 

everyday lives to change the position, size or 

shape of a stationary object or to change an 

object’s direction while in motion. 


• A force is a push or pull that is applied by a 

person, another object or an invisible force, 

such as gravity, to change a stationary or 

moving object’s position, direction, shape or 

size. 

• A push is a force that moves objects away from 

that which is applying the force. 

• A pull is a force that moves objects closer to that 

which is applying the force. 

• Gravity is an invisible force that acts on all 

objects. It is a force that pulls objects towards 

the centre of the Earth. Students commonly 

believe that gravity does not work on objects 

that are sitting on a surface, such as a table. It 

is important to show students that when the 

surface is removed, gravity will act on the object. 

• The direction of force applied to an object, the 

amount of force applied and the properties of 

the material each object is made from affects 

whether the object changes position, direction, 

shape or size, and the amount of change that 

will occur. 


• taking digital photographs of playdough 

that has been changed by applying force 

• uploading and resizing digital 

photographs and inserting them into a 

computer program (optional) 



• Use each group’s digital photographs 

to assess the student’s ability to follow 

instructions to conduct a simple 

experiment. 

• Use the student’s answers to the online 

quiz to assess their understanding of 

the meaning of a force, a push, a pull 

and gravity; and their knowledge of how 

objects change their position, direction, 

size or shape when a force is applied. 

Resources 

• A blown-up balloon for each pair 

• A packet of sticky notes for each pair 

• An A3 piece of blank paper for each 

pair 

• Online video—Gravity, force and work 

at 

• A medium-sized ball of playdough 

for each group. Students will divide 

this amount between four group 

members so that each student has a 

small ball of playdough each 

• Four counters for each group 

• Four rulers for each group 

• One copy of the cards on page 116 

for each group. These will need to be 

cut out prior to the lesson 

• A digital camera or iPad® for each 

group 

• Computer access for each group 

(optional) 

• Online quiz—Forces quiz at or a copy of 

page 117 for each student 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Divide students into pairs and give each pair a balloon. Students work together to move the 

balloon in as many different ways as they can. Prompt students by asking, How can you move your 

balloon from one partner to another? How can you move your balloon up into the air? How can you 

move your balloon down to the ground? How can you move your balloon from the floor to your 

waist? How can you move the balloon from the air to your waist? Students record each way they 

moved the balloon on a seperate sticky note and place each sticky note on their desk. QP PC 

PA 

2. After five minutes, stop the class and ask students to sort their sticky notes into two groups—push 

or pull (including gravity). Students fold a piece of A3 paper in half and label each half with either 

‘push’ or ‘pull’. Students attach the sorted sticky notes to each section to show examples of pushes 

and pulls. Students compare the examples in each section to answer What is a push? and What is a 

pull? QP PC PA 

Development: 

3. View the online video Gravity, force and work at . This video briefly 

explains how objects move when a person pushes or pulls them and how gravity acts on objects to 

pull them to the ground. 

4. Divide the class into groups of four and give each group a ball of playdough, four counters, four 

rulers and a copy of the pre-prepared cards on page 116. Ask one student to divide the playdough 

into quarters and give each student a piece of playdough, a ruler and a counter. Each student 

will need to break off a small amount of playdough to attach the counter to the desk so that the 

counter doesn’t move. As a group, students read the instructions on the first challenge card on 

page 116 and individually carry out the experiment. Note: Students must ensure they do not touch 

their playdough after the action has been performed. As a group, students discuss which type of 

force they applied to their playdough and compare what happened to each student’s playdough 

when force was applied. Students record a group answer for each question on the challenge card. 

Note: Students should tick all the changes that occured to the playdough when answering 

question 2. Using a digital camera or iPad®, students take a photograph of the card and the four 

pieces of playdough in their changed position, shape or size. Students collect their piece of 

playdough and repeat the process for the remaining challenges. PC PA E C 


• Less capable students may be grouped together and assisted by an adult to read and discuss 

each challenge card. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to identify and test other ways they can use force to 

change the position, direction, shape or size of an object. 

5. If time allows, students should be encouraged to upload their digital photographs to a computer, 

resize them and insert all four photographs into a computer program, such as Microsoft® Word or 

PowerPoint, to create a poster. Students type their names onto the poster and print it. 

PC PA C 

Reflection: 

6. As a class, test students’ knowledge of forces using the Forces quiz at . Read the question aloud to the class and allow time for students to think about their 

answer. Note: The quiz creator website will ask you to join. On the right-hand side, click ‘Start without 

an account’. Alternatively, give each student a copy of page 117 to complete a hard copy version of 

the quiz. PA C 





Lesson 1 

Playdough experiment 



Challenge 1 Challenge 2 

Instructions 

Roll the playdough into a ball. 

Place it on the counter so that it is 

still. Hit one side of the ball using a 

sweeping motion of medium force. 

Questions 

1. Which force was applied to the 

playdough? 

push pull gravity 

2. What happened to the 

playdough? 

It changed position. 

It changed direction. 

It changed shape. 

It changed size. 

Instructions 

Place a flat piece of playdough onto 

the table. Using a medium force, 

slice the playdough in half with the 

edge of a ruler and remove one half. 

Questions 


playdough? 

push pull gravity 


playdough? 





Challenge 3 Challenge 4 

Instructions 

Roll the playdough into a ball. Grip 

two sides of the ball with both 

hands. Move your hands apart 

slowly to stretch the ball. 

Questions 


playdough? 

Instructions 

Roll the playdough into a ball. Push 

the ball across the table using a 

medium force so that it falls off the 

edge of the table. 

Questions 


playdough? 

push pull gravity push pull gravity 


playdough? 


playdough? 













YEAR 

2 




True or false 

1. A force is a push or pull that is 

applied to an object to change its 

position, direction, shape or size, 

or a combination of these. 

(a) True 

(b) False 

2. A push is a force that, when 

applied to an object by a person, 

another object or an invisible 

force, makes the object move 

closer to you or the other object. 

(a) True 

(b) False 

3. A pull is a force that, when 

applied to an object by a person, 

another object or an invisible 

force, makes the object move 

towards you or the other object. 

(a) True 

(b) False 

4. Gravity is an invisible force that 

pulls objects towards the centre 

of the Earth. 

(a) True 

(b) False 

5. If gravity is acting on an object 

that is sitting on a table, the 

object will fall through the table 

and sit on the ground. 

(a) True 

(b) False 

Forces quiz 

Lesson 1 

Multiple choice 

6. What happens to a ball of 

playdough when it is still and 

you push the side of it using a 

sweeping motion? 

(a) It changes position and/or 

direction. 

(b) It changes shape and/or size. 

7. What happens to a flat piece of 

playdough when you push down 

on it with the edge of a ruler and 

remove one half? 


direction. 



playdough when you stretch it 

using two hands? 


direction. 



playdough when you push it off 

the edge of a table? 


direction. 




10. On which sides of an object can a 

force be applied to? 

(a) Left and right 

(b) Front and back 

(c) Top and bottom 

(d) All sides 



Lesson 2 



Teacher notes 


What is the difference between a push and a pull? 








• Students identify how we use pushes and pulls in our 

everyday lives and how we position our body to apply a 

push or a pull. 


• participating in online interactive games 

• using mathematical knowledge of relative positions 

and directions to move an object from a given starting 

position to a finishing position 


• A push is a force that moves an object away from that 

which is applying the force. If the force is being applied 

to an object by a person, the object will move away from 

the person. If the force is being applied to an object from 

another object, such as when basketballs collide, the 

objects will move away from each other. 

• A pull is a force that moves an object towards that which 

is applying the force. If the force is being applied by a 

person, the object will move towards the person. If the 

force is being applied by an invisible force, such as gravity, 

the object will move towards the object that is applying 

the invisible force, such as the Earth. 

• When changing the position of objects, the position of 

the person applying the force, the type of force and the 

amount of force used will affect the direction and speed 

the object travels. 

• When pushing an object to change its position, the person 

stands behind the object and pushes it in the direction of 

the finish line. 

• When pulling an object to change its position, the person 

stands between the object and finishing line and pulls it in 

the direction of the finish line. 

• When changing an object’s position, it is important that 

students identify what is applying the force, the type of 

force used and the finishing position. 



student’s understanding of 

relative positions and directions, 

and the forces used to move an 

object in a given direction using 

a given force. 

Resources 

• A digital copy of the table 

on page 120 

• An A3 copy of page 121 for 

each student 


Push and pull blocks at 

(computer only) 

• Online image —Forces in 

action playground scene 

at 


Rock and roll (medium) 

at (computer only) 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display a digital copy of page 120 on the interactive whiteboard. Students compare the examples 

of forces in the first column and contrast them to the examples in the second column to identify 

a heading for each column. Students brainstorm other examples of pushes and pulls that can be 

added to each column. QP PC PA 

Development: 

2. Give each student an A3 copy of page 121. For each scenario, students look at the starting position 

of the trolley and where the food will be delivered to (finishing position). Students identify where 

they would need to stand to move the trolley to the finishing position using a given force, and draw 

a picture of themselves in that position. Students then add an arrow to the diagram to show the 

direction the trolley will move. QP PC PA 

3. Individually or in pairs, students play the online game Push and pull blocks at . Students follow instructions to either push or pull blocks to cover a dot. The game gets 

progressively harder. QP PC PA 

4. Students compare what they have learnt from the game about how to position a block correctly to 

use the right type of force, to the position a person would need to be to push a cart. PA E 

5. As a class, view the Forces in action playground scene at . Divide 

the class into twelve groups (groups of 2–3 students) and allocate each group a letter from A–K. 

Students find their letter in the scene and discuss the forces in action for their particular image. 

QP PC PA C 


• Less capable students may be grouped together and given an easier example of forces in 

action, such as the boy pulling a wagon (J) or the mum pushing a pram (K). 

• More capable students may be given harder examples of forces in action, such as the man 

leaning against the wall (C) or the boy using a bow and arrow (F). 

Reflection: 

6. Individually or as class, students play the interactive game Rock and roll (medium) at . Note: Students must be limited to the medium version of the game as the 

other versions include more complex aspects of forces that will be covered in subsequent lessons. 

Students decide if Max needs to push or pull the boulder to move it to an identified position. 

Students will need to look at Max’s position and the position of the boulder to see which force is 

needed. PA C 





Lesson 2 

Examples of forces 



Pushing objects 

Pulling objects 





YEAR 

2 




How will you move it? 

Lesson 2 

1. Deliver the food to the guests in room 3. 

(a) Draw yourself in the position you would need to stand to push the trolley. 

(b) Draw an arrow to show the direction the trolley would move. 


(a) Draw yourself in the position you would need to stand to pull the trolley. 



(a) Draw yourself in the position you would need to stand to push the trolley. 



(a) Draw yourself in the position you would stand to pull the trolley. 






Lesson 3 



Teacher notes 


Does the amount of force applied to an object 

affect how it moves or changes shape? 









• Students explore how applying different 

amounts of force to different sides of 

everyday objects, such as a hula hoop, can 

change the way it moves or changes shape. 


• The direction of force applied to an object, the 

amount of force applied and the properties of the 

material each object is made from will affect how 

it changes shape or position. 

• During the investigation, students will discover 

that: 

— when a hula hoop is pushed/pulled from the 

left or right side, it will roll from its starting 

position to its finishing position. 

— when a hula hoop is pushed/pulled from the 

front or back, it will change positions from 

standing up to laying flat on the ground. 

— when a hula hoop is pushed from the top it will 

bend into a different shape. 

— when a hula hoop is pulled from the top or 

pushed from the bottom, it will travel upwards 

through the air before gravity pulls it back 

down. 

— when a hula hoop is pulled from the bottom, it 

will travel downwards towards the ground. The 

hula hoop will remain standing on the ground. 

— the amount of force applied, will affect the 

amount of change that occurs to the object. 


• participating in online interactive games 

and activities 

• using mathematical knowledge of relative 

positions and directions to move a trolley 

from a given starting position to a given 

finishing position 

• using an app, such as ShowMe on an iPad®, 

to record a simple video (optional) 


• Use page 124 to monitor each group’s 

ability to conduct simple experiments and 

record their observations using informal 

measurements and directional language. 

• Use each group’s video or observations 

from the interactive games to assess 

students’ understanding of how applying 

different amounts of force to different 

places on an object changes the way it 

moves. 

Resources 

• A digital copy of page 124 

• A hula hoop for each group 

• An A3 copy of page 124 for each 

group 

• An outdoor open space, such as an 

oval or grassed sitting area 

• An iPad® with a presentation app, 

such as ShowMe, for each group 

(optional) 

• Online interactive game—Fish force 

at (computer only) 

• Online interactive game—Rock and 

roll (hard) at (computer only) 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 3 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display a hula hoop in front of the class for students to discuss. How can we make this hula hoop 

roll? How can we make this hula hoop slide? How can we make this hula hoop change shape? How 

can we make this hula hoop move through the air? How will applying different amounts of force to 

an object change how it moves or changes shape? QP 

Development: 

2. Display a copy of the investigation worksheet on page 124. Explain how to start each test by 

holding the hula hoop facing the body in a still position. Demonstrate the place on the hula hoop 

that the force will need to be applied to for each test. (For the left, right, top and bottom sides, 

apply the force to the centre of each side. For the front and back, apply the force to the front or 

back of the top edge of the hula hoop.) 

3. Divide the class into groups of four and give each group a hula hoop and an A3 copy of page 124. 

As a group, students work outside in an open space to investigate how applying different amounts 

of a push or pull to different sides of an object affects how it moves. All group members should 

test each object and discuss what they think the result should be. This will minimise the variation 

in results that are greatly impacted by the strength of the invidividual applying the force. Students 

record their group results for each test using the tables on page 124. Note: Students will need to 

record their observations use key words, directional language, informal measurements and relative 

sizes, such as ‘It rolled 15 steps to the left’ or ‘It moved up higher than the building’. PC PA 


• Less capable students may contribute ideas orally to the group and be assisted by a group 

member to measure using informal measurements. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to write the group’s ideas on page 124 and may be 

encouraged to measure using more accurate units of informal measurement or formal units of 

measurement. 

4. If time allows, encourage each group to use a presentation app, such as ShowMe on an iPad®, to 

record a simple video showing how an object moves differently when a different amount of force is 

applied to different sides of the object. PC PA 

5. Return to the classroom and ask each group to pair up with another group to share their written 

results or their video presentations. E 

6. As a class play the game Fish force at . Explore what 

happens when different amounts of force are adjusted to move the fish. QP PC PA C 

Reflection: 

7. Individually or as class, students play the interactive game Rock and roll (hard) at . Note: Students must be limited to the hard version of the game as the other versions 

include easier or more complex aspects of forces that will be covered in other lessons. Students 

decide if Max needs to push or pull the boulder to move it to an identified position. Students will 

need to look at Max’s position and the position of the boulder to see which force is needed. 

PC PA C 





Applying different amounts of force 

Use the table to record how the hula hoop moves or 

changes shape when each amount of force is applied 

to a different side of the hula hoop. Remember to 

hold the hula hoop still and facing the body before 

performing each test. 

Left side 

Right side 

Front 

Back 

Top 

Bottom 

Left side 

Right side 

Front 

Back 

Top 

Lesson 3 

Soft push 

Soft pull 



Hard push 

Hard pull 



Bottom 



YEAR 

2 




Lesson 4 

Teacher notes 


Does the size and/or mass of an object change how much force 

is needed to move it? 








• Students explore how we use different amounts of force to 

move everyday objects of different masses. 


• participating in online interactive games and activities 

• using informal measurements to mark a controlled distance 

and height that each object will be moved to, and comparing 

the masses of each object 

• using mathematical language to informally compare the 

amount of force needed to move objects of different masses 


• A force is a push or pull that is applied by a person, 

another object or an invisible force, such as gravity, to 

change a stationary or moving object’s position, direction, 

shape or size. 

• The amount of force required to move an object depends 

on the mass of the object, not it’s size. For example: An 

expanded balloon, which is larger but lighter than a 

marble, will need less force to move it than a marble will. 

During the investigation, students should compare the 

mass of the full bucket to the mass of the full tissue box to 

see why the bucket needs more force than the tissue box. 

• Increasing the amount of force applied to an object 

can be achieved by using more muscle power from an 

individual, more people or simple machines, such as 

pulleys. 

• When completing the investigation, the amount of force 

that each group uses to move an object will be subjective, 

as it will depend on the strength of the inviduals that 

tested it. At this age, it is sufficicient for students to know 

that a small amount of force will make less change to an 

object than a large amount of force. 



student’s science inquiry skills, 

including predicting and 

recording results. 


student’s understanding of 

forces and how different 

amounts of force need to be 

applied to objects of different 

size and weight. 

Resources 


Pushing and pulling (How 

much force?) at 

• Online video—Tug of war 

at 

• A copy of pages 127 and 

128 for each student 

• An empty tissue box 

and an empty bucket 

(approximately 10 L) for 

each group 

• Access to a sandpit 

• Online interactive activity— 

Fish force at 





Lesson 4 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. In pairs, students play a different version of the Fish force game at by selecting the create option instead. Students take turns to create a game for the other 

student to play. As a class, discuss what students found was the trickiest part about knowing how 

much force to apply, the position to place the cannon, and what obstacles they navigated. QP 

PC 

Development: 

2. Load the video showing a game of tug of war in action at . Before 

viewing the video, ask students to predict which team they think will win—the team with two 

children or the individual child. View the video and compare students’ predictions to the result. 

Discuss the questions, What force was being applied by each team? Why do you think the individual 

child won? If both children in the losing team were as big and strong as the child in the winning 

team, who do you think would win? Does a heavy object always need more than one person to 

move it? QP PC PA 

3. Give each student a copy of page 127. Individually, students predict how much force they think will 

be required to push and pull a tissue box and a bucket, when they are empty and when they are 

filled with sand. Students record their predictions on page 127, using a 5-point scale, from a small 

amount to a large amount. QP 

4. Divide the class into groups of four and give each group an empty tissue box and an empty bucket. 

As a group, students work outside in a sandpit, to investigate how much force is needed to push 

and pull each object. Students will need to measure a controlled distance that the objects will be 

pushed and a controlled height that the objects will be pulled to. All group members should test 

each object and discuss what they think the result should be. This will minimise the variation in 

student’s individual results that are greatly impacted by the strength of the invidividual. Using 

page 127, students individually record their group’s result for each test. Students may be 

encouraged to check their results by comparing two objects at a time to see if the results for each 

object are reasonable. PC PA 

5. Return to the classroom and ask groups to pair up to compare their results. For any differing results, 

each group should record the other group’s result using a different colour. E 

Reflection: 

6. Individually, students review both groups answers on page 127. Students then communicate their 

understanding of how the mass of an object affects the amount of force needed to move it by 

completing page 128. C 


• Less capable students may work with an adult to complete page 128 orally. Students may also 

be given each object to compare again before providing an answer. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to write their own sentences comparing the amount 

of force needed to move different stationery or craft supplies, such as a pencil needs less force 

than a stapler does to move it from one position to another. 





YEAR 

2 




Applying force to different objects – 1 

1. Colour a square on each scale to predict the amount of force needed to 

move a tissue box and a bucket when they are empty and full. 

Empty 

tissue 

box 

Full 

tissue 

box 

Empty 

bucket 

Full 

bucket 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

Push 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 



Pull 

2. Colour a square on each scale to show the result of each test. 

Empty 

tissue 

box 

Full 

tissue 

box 

Empty 

bucket 

Full 

bucket 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

Push 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

A small 

amount 

Pull 

3. How did your group’s results compare to your predictions? 

All results matched 

my predictions. 

Some results matched 

my predictions. 

Lesson 4 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 

A large 

amount 



A large 

amount 

No results matched 

my predictions.

Lesson 4 

Applying force to different objects – 2 

1. Write more or less to complete each sentence. 



(a) An empty tissue box needs 

force than a full tissue 

box to move it from one position to another. 

(b) An empty bucket needs 

to move it from one position to another. 

force than a full tissue box 

(c) A full bucket needs 

force than a full tissue box to 

move it from one position to another. 

2. Complete the cloze using the words in the box below. 

To move an object, a 

needs to be applied. A force is a 

or a pull. A force can be applied to an object by a 

, another object or an invisible force, such as 

. The mass of an object affects the 

of force that is needed to move it. The 

of an object does not affect how much force is needed to move it. An 

object that is small but 

move it than an object that is 

amount 

big 

force 

gravity 

will need more force to 

heavy 

person 

but light. 

push 

size 

3. Draw and label an object that needs a small, medium and large amount 

of force to be moved. 



Small force Medium force Large force 



YEAR 

2 




Lesson 5 

Teacher notes 


Why do objects fall to the ground when there is no surface for 

them to sit on? 








• Students investigate and explore how gravity works on 

everyday objects, including themselves, by pulling them 

towards the centre of the Earth. 


• using an iPad® or digital camera to record a video 

• using an iPad® or computer to email a digital video to the 

teacher (optional) 


• Through careful observation and testing, Sir Isaac Newton 

discovered an invisible force (gravity) that acts on all 

objects with mass. It is a force that pulls objects towards 

the centre of the Earth. 

• The amount of gravitational pull on an object is directly 

relational to the mass of the object. A heavier object will 

have a larger gravitational pull than a light object. At this 

age it is sufficient for students to know that all objects with 

mass are acted upon by gravity. 

• When completing the investigation, students should 

discover that regardless of whether a push, a pull or no 

force was applied to the beanbag initially, the beanbag 

fell to the floor. This is because a gravitational force is at 

work, pulling the object towards the centre of the Earth. 

When a surface is removed or the object is released from 

a hold, gravity pulls the object to the ground. 

• The path an object travels depends on the forces at work. 

If gravity is the only force at work, the object will travel 

straight down to the ground. If a force is applied to the 

side of an object, the object will travel in that direction 

until the force of gravity is able to move it closer to the 

ground. If an object is thrown into the air, it will travel in 

the same direction until gravity pulls it back down. 


• Use completed copies 

of page 131 to assess 

the student’s predicting, 

observing and recording 

skills. 

• Use students’ self-created 

videos to assess their 

knowledge of gravity and how 

it works on objects that have 

been pushed or pulled in 

different directions. 

Resources 

• Online video about Sir 

Isaac Newton at 

• A copy of page 131 for 

each pair 

• A beanbag for each pair 

• Access to a cleared table 

• Online video—Defining 

gravity at 

• An iPad® or digital camera 

for each pair 





Lesson 5 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. As a class, watch the cartoon at . What happened to the apple when 

it was no longer attached to the tree? What happened to the apple after Newton threw it in the air? 

What happened to the two apples when Newton held them in his hands and then let them drop? 

Where did the objects land? Were the objects being pulled or pushed towards the Earth? What 

other examples were shown of things falling towards the ground? QP 

Development: 

2. Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a copy of page 131. Students read each test in the 

table and draw the path they predict the beanbag will take when the test is conducted. Note: 

Ensure students use a lead pencil to record their predictions. QP 

3. Give each pair a beanbag to conduct the tests on page 131. Students explore how objects move 

differently when they are dropped, pushed off a surface, pulled off a surface and thrown in the air. 

For each test, students observe the path the beanbag traveled and use a red pencil to record their 

result on the same image as their prediction. PC PA 

4. Students compare their predictions to their results and record if their predictions were correct by 

placing a tick in the last column on page 131. PA 

5. Students share their results with another pair and suggest reasons for any differences that occured, 

such as the amount of push given to each object. Students compare the general path taken by the 

object in each pair’s results. Prompt students by asking, Do both pairs’ results for test one show the 

beanbag moving straight down to the ground? Do both pairs’ results for test two show the beanbag 

moving across the table, then changing direction and moving down to the ground? PA E 


• Less capable students may be prompted by one question at a time, allowing them to 

concentrate on one set of results at a time. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to explain why they think the beanbag moved to 

the ground during each test and record these explanations on the back of page 131. 

6. View the video investigation Defining gravity at . This video explains 

what gravity is and how Sir Isaac Newton discovered it in simple terms. Students compare the 

results of the video investigation to the their results. Did you come to the same conclusion? PA 

Reflection: 

7. Divide the class into pairs and give each pair an iPad® or digital camera. Students create a video 

in a quiet location to answer the question What is gravity and how does it work on objects that are 

pushed or pulled in different directions? Students explain as much information as they can about 

gravity. If time allows, students may be encouraged to email their video to the teacher to show 

what they’ve learnt. If resources are limited, conduct this activity using an interview-style discussion. 

C 





YEAR 

2 




The beanbag’s path 

Draw the path a beanbag will travel when each test is conducted. Use a 

lead pencil to record your predictions and a red pencil to record your 

results on the same image. 

Test Path travelled Correct? 

1. Place the beanbag 

in your hand and 

hold your hand 

out straight in front 

of you. Drop the 

beanbag. 


on the table near 

the edge. Give 

the beanbag a 

push using a large 

amount of force. 


on the table near 

the edge. Give 

the beanbag a 

pull using a large 

amount of force. 

Remember to 

stay out of the 

beanbag's path! 

4. Throw the beanbag 

above your head 

so that it lands on 

the table using a 

medium amount of 

force. 

Remember to 

throw your beanbag 

carefully so it 

doesn't hit anyone! 

Lesson 5 





Lesson 6 



Teacher notes 


How do pushes and pulls affect objects in water? 








• Students investigate and explore everyday objects that float 

and sink to identify if they are getting pulled to the bottom of 

a tub of water or pushed to the surface of the water. 


• participating in a class vote to record a tally of students floating 

and sinking predictions 

• counting tally marks to record a total 

• using a presentation app, such as ShowMe, on an iPad® to take 

a digital photograph of the objects in the water, labelling each 

set of objects with float and sink, and drawing directional arrows 

to show the direction of each force 

• participating in an online interactive activity to sort objects into 

two categories—objects that float and objects that sink 


• Objects behave differently when placed in water. Some 

objects float, such as those filled with air, and some 

objects sink, such as those that are solid. 

• Objects float or sink depending on the density of the 

particles within each object. The density of an object 

affects the amount of gravity and buoyancy that is at 

work on the object. 

• If an object is more dense than the water it is sitting in, 

the object will be pulled to the bottom of the water by 

gravity. This is commonly referred to as ‘sinking’. 

• If an object is less dense than the water it is sitting 

in, the object will be pushed up to the surface of the 

water using another invisible force, buoyancy. This is 

commonly referred to as ‘floating’ 

• At this age, it is sufficient for students to see that 

objects in water are also affected by forces that push 

and pull the object. These forces can be observed by 

testing if objects float or sink. Note: Students are not 

required to name or explain the invisible forces at work 

when objects float or sink. 


• Use completed copies of 

page 136 to assess the 

student’s observation and 

recording skills. 

• Use the student’s digital 

presentation to assess their 

knowledge of how floating and 

sinking relates to pushing and 

pulling. 

Resources 

• An enlarged copy of page 134 

• A digital copy of page 135 

for display on the interactive 

whiteboard 

• A large tub of water, a wooden 

craft stick, a metal spoon, a 

plastic spoon, a metal coin and 

a copy of page 136 for each 

pair 

• An iPad® with a presentation 

app, such as ShowMe 

• Online video—Sink or float? at 

 

• Online interactive activity—Sink 

or float? at (Click the image 

that shows two squares to sort 

objects into. This will download 

as a .swf file.) 





YEAR 

2 




Lesson 6 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. As a class, ask students How do pushes and pulls affect objects in water? Display the concept 

attainment chart on page 134. Students compare the objects in the first column and contrast them 

with the objects in the second column to identify a heading for each column. Note: Objects in the 

first column float and objects in the second column sink. Students then predict which of the objects 

at the bottom of the page they think belong in each column. QP 

Development: 

2. Display page 135 on the interactive whiteboard. Conduct a class vote to record students’ 

predictions of whether each object will float or sink. Ask students to stand if they think the wooden 

craft stick will float and remain seated if they think it will sink. Record a tally mark for each student 

in the corresponding section of the table on page 135. Total each row and record it in the final 

column. Repeat the vote for each object. QP 

3. Divide the class into pairs and give each a large tub of water, a wooden craft stick, a metal spoon, a 

plastic spoon, a metal coin and a copy of page 136. Students take turns to investigate if each object 

will float or sink and if it will get pushed to the surface of the water or pulled to the bottom of the 

tub. One student places an object into the tub to test it, while the other student records the result 

by answering each question in the table on page 136. Students swap roles and test the remaining 

objects. PC PA 

4. When all four items have been tested, students look at their results on page 136 to compare 

floating and sinking columns to the pushing and pulling columns. Students should conclude that 

objects that float are pushed to the surface of the water and objects that sink are pulled to the 

bottom. Students take a digital photograph of the tub using a presentation app, such as ShowMe, 

on an iPad® and label ‘float’ or ‘sink’ on the image. Students then draw an arrow to show the 

direction objects are getting pushed and an arrow to show the direction objects are being pulled. 

PA 


• Less capable students may be grouped together to discuss how floating and sinking relate to 

pushing and pulling. 

• More capable students may be encouraged to add an audio recording to their image explaining 

which objects floated and which objects sank, and the forces at work on each set of objects. 

5. View the video Sink or float? at . This video shows the same 

experiment that the students conducted and provides a simple explanation of why things float and 

sink. Students compare their results to the results in the video. PA 

Reflection: 

6. As a class, conduct the interactive activity Sink or float? at to sort 

objects into two categories—objects that float and objects that sink. Note: This activity requires Flash 

player and will not work on an iPad®. Select individual students to move an object into the category 

they think it belongs in. When all objects have been sorted, click the check button. Repeat the 

activity until all objects are sorted correctly. Ask students to name the objects that were pushed to 

the surface of the water and those that were pulled to the bottom of the tub of water. C 





Lesson 6 

Examples of forces at work in water 





Which column do each of these objects belong in? 

Wooden craft 

stick 

Metal spoon Plastic spoon Metal coin 



YEAR 

2 




Class vote 

Lesson 6 

Object 

Float or 

sink? 

Tally 

Total 

Wooden 

craft stick 

Metal 

spoon 

Plastic 

spoon 

Metal coin 

Float 

Sink 

Float 

Sink 

Float 

Sink 



Float 

Sink 



Lesson 6 

Float or sink? 



Object Did it float? Did it sink? 

Was it pushed 

to the surface of 

the water? 

Was it pulled to 

the bottom of 

the tub? 



Wooden craft stick 

Metal spoon 

Plastic spoon 

Metal coin 



YEAR 

2 




Assessment 

Teacher notes 


A push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape (ACSSU033) 

Indicators 

• Identifies the type of force at work in an image—push, pull or gravity. 

• Identifies the type of force needed to move an object from a starting position to a finishing 

position. 

• Identifies ways a person can add more force if an object is too heavy for them to move by 

themselves. 

• Identifies and explains how objects that float are being pushed to the surface and objects that sink 

are being pulled to the bottom of the mass of water. 

• Identifies the direction of a push and a pull force that is applied to objects in water, causing them to 

float and sink, and draws arrows on a diagram to show the diection of each force. 

Answers 

Page 138 

1. (a) pull 

(b) gravity 

(c) push 

2. (a) A strong push will be needed to move the 

box. 

(b) Teacher check—Shaun could ask friends to 

help him, ask a stronger person to move it 

for him or use a simple machine, such as a 

trolley to help him move the box. 

3. (a) Objects that float 

are being pushed 

to the surface of 

the water by an 

invisible force. 

(b) Objects that sink 

are being pulled 

down to the 

bottom of a mass 

of water by gravity. 





Assessment 



1. Write the type of force at work in each image. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

2. Shaun wants to the move the box 

from its starting position to the 

finish line. 

(a) Which type of force would he 

need to move the object to the 

finish line and how much force 

will he need to apply? 

(b) If the box was too heavy for Shaun to move by himself, how could 

he add more force to the box? 

3. Look at each image of objects floating and sinking. Describe how the 

images are being pushed or pulled and draw arrows on each image to 

show the direction of the force. 

(a) 

(b) 

F I N I S H 


HEAVY 




YEAR 

2 






Air vs gravity 

Students design and create a floating ball toy for each partner that uses a push force to make 

a table tennis ball float in the air. The toy must have a small container to catch the ball when 

gravity pulls it towards the ground. Students take two digital photographs of their floating ball 

toy, one while the ball is at rest and one while it is in action, and upload these to a computer, 

labelling the type of force at work and the direction of the force in each image. 



• Apply knowledge of how different forces make objects move in different directions and how the 

amount of force needed to move an object depends on the object’s mass. 


• Apply the design process to plan, create and evaluate a floating ball toy which uses a push force 

to make the ball float, and allows gravity to pull it down towards the ground so that it can be 

caught in a container. 

• Select appropriate materials and apply safety procedures while creating the toy. 

• Take digital photographs of the floating ball toy at rest and in action. Upload the photographs 

to a computer and add labels to show the type of force at work and the direction of the force on 

each image. 

Mathematics 

• Use indirect measurement to measure the mass of the table tennis ball and to ensure the 

floating ball toy is shorter than a ruler. 


• In small groups, students design and create a winch or a pulley system that can be used to lift a 

drink bottle. It must use a pull force to lift the drink bottle and gravity to lower the drink bottle. 

Students must lift the drink bottle as high as a 30-cm ruler. When completed, students record 

a video showing how their simple machine used forces to lift the drink bottle and the direction 

the drink bottle moved when lifted. See the example at . 

• In pairs, design and create a set of sinking and floating toys for young children to play with. 

The set must include at least two sinking toys and two floating toys. The sinking toys must be 

heavier than the floating toys. Students create a video explaining why teachers should buy their 

set of floating and sinking toys to help students learn about pushing and pulling. 






139 

2




Science Knowledge 



• A push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape (ACSSU033) 






• Pose and respond to questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events (ACSIS037) 



• Use informal measurements to collect and record observations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS039) 




Communicating 




• Identify how people design and produce familiar products, services and environments and consider sustainability to meet 

personal and local community needs (ACTDEK001) 


(ACTDEK004) 


















2




Teacher notes 


Students design and create a floating ball toy for each partner that uses a push force to make 

a table tennis ball float in the air. The toy must have a small container to catch the ball when 

gravity pulls it towards the ground. Students take two digital photographs of their floating ball 

toy, one while the ball is at rest and one while it is in action, and upload these to a computer, 




• Read the problem on page 142 to 

students. 

• Watch the online video at . This video shows a child 

using an airconditioner to make inflated 

objects levitate using an upward push 

force. 

• As a class, discuss students’ prior 

knowledge of the types of forces and how 

forces affect the direction, path and motion 

type of the object. 

• Read the task and the important 

information on page 142 to students. 


• Provide time for students to find out 

information about floating ball toys. 

— Find online images of floating balls toys 

that can be purchased from stores. 

— Provide a selection of nonfiction and 

fiction texts about forces for students 

to look at, ensuring that only factual 

information is transferred. 

— Conduct experiments with different 

amounts of force to see how much push 

is required to lift the table tennis ball out 

of the container. 


• Students plan their floating ball toy and 

label the forces acting on the toy when it is 

at rest and in motion. Students plan a list of 

materials they will use. 

• Students collect the necessary materials. 

Remind students about resource 

management, conserving resources and 

ensuring that resources are shared. 

4. Create 

• Students choose which materials they will 

use to make each part of the floating ball 

toy. 

• Students create their floating ball toy 

according to their diagram. 


• Students evaluate their floating ball game 

to ensure that all the criteria on page 142 is 

included. 

• Students make any adjustments necessary 

to their designed product. 


• Students take a digital photograph of 

their floating ball toy at rest and in action. 

Students upload their digital photographs 

to a computer and add labels to show the 

type of force at work and the direction of 

the force on each image. 

• Students may print their images to create 

a before and after poster. Display these 

posters around the classroom. 

• Students complete the self-assessment of 

how well they participated and cooperated 

within the group. 






141 

2






YEAR 

2 

Project brief 

AIR VS GRAVITY 

The problem 

Mia and Leo are having a play date. They have been challenging each 

other to competitions all morning and want to hold a competition to 

see who can make a ball float in the air the longest. 

How can Mia and Leo make a floating ball toy using materials found 

around the home? 

The task 

Design and create a floating ball toy for each partner 

that uses a push force to make a table tennis ball 

float in the air. The toy must have a small container 

to catch the ball when gravity pulls it towards the ground. 

Take a digital photograph of your floating ball toy at rest and in action. 

Upload the photographs to a computer and label the force at work 

and the direction of the force on each image. 


• You must work in pairs. 

• It must have a small cone or funnel-shaped container that connects 

to a thin cylinder, which the ball can sit still in when gravity is pulling 

it towards the ground. 

• You must use your mouth to make a pushing force through a thin 

cylinder, to lift the table tennis ball out of its container and make it 

float in the air. 

• Your floating ball toy must be strong enough to hold in one hand 

without breaking and must be shorter than a ruler. 

• You must take a digital photograph of your floating ball toy when 

the table tennis ball is at rest and when it is floating in the air. 

• You must label the types of forces at work and the direction of the 

force on each uploaded image, using a computer. 







Project steps 

Investigate 

Research how a push or pull is used to move objects and the direction 

an object will move when each force is applied. 

Research examples of pushes and pulls and how they work. 

Research the direction an object will move when each force is applied 

and the position a person should stand to apply each type of force. 

Learn how floating ball toys work. 

Scan the QR code to see a floating ball toy in action. 

Find out how forces work on the ball in a floating ball toy. 

Research why the ball must fit snugly in its container. 


Plan your floating ball toy. 

Draw a diagram of your floating ball toy and label the types of forces 

that will act on the table tennis ball and the direction that each force 

will make the ball move. 

Write a list of the materials you will need for each part. 

Collect the materials you need to make your floating ball toy. 

Create 

Create your floating ball toy. 

Measure the length of the cylinder to make sure it is shorter than a 

ruler. 

Make your floating ball toy. 


Check that it is correct and you are happy with it. 



Check that all the important things in the project brief were done. 

Check that both group members are happy with it. 

Communicate 

Tell another group about your floating ball toy. 

Use an iPad® or digital camera to take two digital photographs and 

upload them to a computer. Label the forces on each one. 




Student name: 


Date: 



STEM project: Air vs gravity 


I gave ideas. 







because 





. 

. 



YEAR 

2 







CRITERIA 

Project task: 

Design and create a floating ball toy for each partner that uses a push force to make 

a table tennis ball float in the air. The toy must have a small container to catch the 

ball when gravity pulls it towards the ground. Take two digital photographs of your 

floating ball toy, when the ball is at rest and in action, and upload these to a computer, 



Creates a floating ball toy that uses a push force to lift a table tennis ball into the air, 

and has a small container to catch the ball when gravity is at work. 


Creates a labelled diagram of their floating ball toy, showing the forces at work when 

using it. 

Plans, conducts and evaluates an investigation to find out how much force is required 

to lift the ball out of the container. 

Communicates science understanding by showing labelled photographs of forces in 

action when using a floating ball toy. 


Plans and designs a floating ball toy that uses forces. 

Uses materials safely when creating a floating ball toy. 

Creates a floating ball toy that is strong enough to hold in one hand without breaking. 

Evaluates their floating ball toy to ensure it meets the criteria and makes any necessary 

changes. 

Takes digital photographs to show the toy at rest and in action, and uploads each 

photograph to a computer, labelling the forces at work and the direction of the forces 

on each image. 

Mathematics 

Uses informal measurement to measure the mass of the table tennis ball and to 

ensure the toy is shorter than a ruler. 

Group skills 

Both group members contributed fairly and appropriately. 

Both group members collaborated and communicated effectively. 

Group members were able to resolve conflicts independently. 












YEAR 

2

6172RB Science a STEM approach Year 2 low res watermark

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?