8561RB AC Science Year 6 revised edition LR watermark

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Australian Curriculum Science 

(Year 6) 

Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2011 

Copyright © R.I.C. Publications ® 2011 

Revised and reprinted 2023 

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Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and pay our 

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recognises the role of First Nations Elders as Australia’s 

first educators. 

ISBN 978-1-923005-13-6 

RIC–8561 

Titles in this series: 

Australian Curriculum Science (Foundation) 

Australian Curriculum Science (Year 1) 






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PO Box 332 Greenwood Western Australia 6924 Email: mail@ricpublications.com.au Website: ricpublications.com.au

Foreword 

Australian Curriculum Science (Foundation to Year 6) is a series of books written to specifically support the latest Australian Curriculum, 

Version 9.0. 

The Science understanding and Science as a human endeavour strands are included in the lessons for each year level, while the Science 

inquiry strand and overarching ideas underpin all topics. 

The books are structured according to the Science understanding sub-strands, with units covering Biological sciences, Earth and space 

sciences, Physical sciences and Chemical sciences. 

Our references and activities relating to First Nations Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, history and culture, have 

been checked and approved for appropriateness and accuracy by Melinda Brown, Spirit Dreaming, Ngunnawal Country. 

• Biological sciences 

Science as a 

human endeavour 

Science understanding 

• Earth and space sciences 

• Physical sciences 

• Chemical sciences 

• Nature and development 

of science 

• Use and influence 

of science 

Science inquiry 

• Questioning and predicting 

• Planning and conducting 

• Processing, modelling 

and analysing 

• Evaluating 

• Communicating 



Each lesson uses a science literacy text to introduce the concept and is supported by practical, hands-on activities, predominantly 

experiments and investigations. 

Concise, yet informative, teacher notes are provided to support the teacher in delivering a comprehensive and flexible science program. 

The lessons include differentiation suggestions, as well as formative and summative assessment options. 

Attention area: The resources used in this series may contain images, voices and names of First Nations Australians who may now 

be deceased. 

R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) iii

Contents 

Teacher notes............................................................................................................................................................................................v 

Scope and sequence.................................................................................................................................................................................x 

Biological sciences 

Physical sciences 

Biological sciences curricula links................................................. 2 Physical sciences curricula links................................................. 54 

Lesson 1 

Lesson 1 

What are terrestrial biomes?.................................................. 4–6 

What is electricity and how do we use it at home?............. 56–58 

What are aquatic 

Safety first!.............................................................................. 59 

biomes?.......................................................... 7 

Lesson 2 

Lesson 2 

How does electricity flow?.................................................. 60–62 

How important is soil?.......................................................... 8–10 

Connecting circuits................................................................... 63 

Best conditions for growth........................................................ 11 

Lesson 3 

Lesson 3 

How can we adjust the brightness of light?........................ 64–66 

What are fungi and what do they do?................................. 12–14 

Make it dim or bright................................................................ 67 

Foul fungi................................................................................. 15 

Lesson 4 

Lesson 4 

What are electrical conductors and insulators?................... 68–70 

Why do animals migrate or hibernate?............................... 16–18 Conductor or insulator?............................................................ 71 

Migration and hibernation......................................................... 19 

Lesson 5 

Lesson 5 

How do light globes work?................................................. 72–74 

What is the State of the environment report?...................... 20–22 Electromagnetism unplugged!.................................................. 75 

How can First Nations Australians help the state of the 

Physical sciences integrated unit assessment.......................... 76 

environment?........................................................................... 23 

Chemical sciences 

Biological sciences integrated unit assessment....................... 24 Chemical sciences curricula links............................................... 78 

Earth and space sciences 

Lesson 1 

Earth and space sciences curricula links..................................... 26 What happens when materials are mixed?......................... 80–82 

Lesson 1 

Clean dirty water...................................................................... 83 

What is orbiting around in the solar system?...................... 28–30 Lesson 2 

Make a pocket solar system..................................................... 31 How can we tell if an irreversible change has occurred?..... 84–86 

First Nations Australians’ knowledge of reversible 

Lesson 2 

and irreversible changes.......................................................... 87 

What is the importance of gravity?..................................... 32–34 

Lesson 3 

Modelling gravity...................................................................... 35 

What is solubility?.............................................................. 88–90 

Lesson 3 

The effect of particle size and stirring on solubility.................... 91 

Why do we have seasons?................................................. 36–38 

Lesson 4 

Demonstrating the reason for seasons..................................... 39 What changes do heating and cooling cause?.................... 92–94 

Lesson 4 

Just add salt!........................................................................... 95 

How do sunrises and sunsets change?............................... 40–42 Lesson 5 

Tracking the Sun...................................................................... 43 Why do metals rust?........................................................... 96–98 

Lesson 5 

Rusting nails............................................................................ 99 

Can scientists cooperate in space research?...................... 44–46 Lesson 6 

What have we learnt from the ISS?........................................... 47 

How is reversible change used in recycling?................... 100–102 

Recycling paper...................................................................... 103 

Lesson 6 

Evidence of First Nations Australians as the 

Chemical sciences integrated unit assessment...................... 104 

first space observers.......................................................... 48–50 Integrated unit assessment answers.................................... 105 

First Nations Australians—modern astronomers....................... 51 



Earth and space sciences integrated unit assessment............. 52 

iv Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 978-1-923005-13-6 R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au

Teacher notes 

Australian Curriculum Science digital planner 

A bonus digital planner is available to download at . This 

allows teachers to flexibly cover the Science curriculum using the included lessons. Teachers can select and teach the lessons for one 

sub-strand per term (three terms only for Foundation–Year 2; four terms for Years 3–6). Teachers can also use the term planner as a 

convenient curriculum tracker to record the content that has been taught over the year for their relevant curriculum. Lesson content in 

this series has been mapped to Version 9.0 (V9.0) of the Australian Curriculum. 

The above link also provides access to a curricula-matching document for the New South Wales syllabus, and the Victorian and Western 

Australian curricula. This shows, at a glance, which lessons match the content descriptions/outcomes for states who have yet to revise 

their curriculum in line with V9.0. The matching document is a guide only, as the new Science curriculum has refined and shifted some 

content across year levels. As such, lessons may be suggested from higher or lower year levels, but it is at the teacher’s discretion to 

decide whether the lessons are suitable for use in the year level being taught. 

Term planner features and ‘how-to’ guide 

The term planner provides the following information and functionality: 

Select a curriculum to view the 

mapped content codes that apply 

to each unit. 

Select a unit to view its 

curriculum content. 

Select a lesson number from 

the drop-down list to plan 

which weeks each lesson 

will be taught in the selected 

term. Note: Leave blank if 

using as a curriculum tracker. 

Choose an 

assessment type 

from the drop-down list to 

plan assessments throughout 

the term. 

The curriculum-specific 

strands, sub-strands, codes 

and content descriptions or 

outcomes (NSW only) that 

apply to the lessons. 

Choose a term to teach a unit, 

using the select term drop-down 

box. Note: Leave this blank if 

using as a curriculum tracker. 

The cross-curriculum 

priorities that apply 

to the lessons in the 

selected unit. 

Interactive fields are provided to personalise 

the planner with teacher, school, class and 

year details. 

The general capabilities 

that apply to the lessons in 

the selected unit. 

Click on the lesson numbers 

and lesson titles to navigate 

to the corresponding pages. 

Note: This function is not 

available when the lesson 

is marked as complete. This 

function is only available 

for the digital version of 

this book. 

Interactive fields are provided 

for lesson comments. 

The fields expand to 

accommodate an unlimited 

amount of text. 

Click on the check mark 

when a lesson has been 

completed to highlight the 

column and corresponding 

title in lesson comments. 



Saving and printing the planner 

To retain the information entered into the planner, the PDF must be saved every time it is updated. 

Any individual planner page or set of pages can also be saved as a read-only PDF. To do this, select File and then Print. Select Print to 

PDF from the printer drop-down menu and enter the page range for your completed planner. When the Print button is clicked, a Save box 

opens. Select a file location and enter the document name, before pressing Save. A read-only PDF of your planner has now been created. 

Note: This process may differ, depending on your device. 

R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) v

Teacher notes 

How to use this book 

Each book is divided into units corresponding to the sub-strands of the Science understanding strand of the curriculum. 

Each unit is divided into a number of four-page lessons, each covering a particular aspect and following a consistent format. The lessons 

are numbered for ease of reference and can be followed sequentially, although it is not essential. 

Each four-page lesson consists of a: 

• teacher page 

• student page 1, which is a science literacy text about the concept, with relevant diagrams, images and questions 

• student page 2, which contains questions and activities related to the text 

• student page 3, which involves a hands-on activity, usually an experiment or investigation. 

The Science as a human endeavour strand is integrated into the lessons where possible, and is listed in the Content focus box, at the top 

of each lesson’s teacher page (if applicable). 

The Science inquiry strand is integrated into all lessons. 

The scope and sequence charts on pages x and xi show all the strands, sub-strands and content descriptions covered in each of 

the lessons. 

At the end of each unit, an assessment page is provided, which relates to the achievement standards for that sub-strand, as set out by the 

Australian Curriculum. 

• Science understanding 

sub-strand name/unit title. 

• Lesson title. 

• A brief description of the 

Content focus for the 

lesson, the Science as a 

human endeavour substrand 

and the science 

inquiry skills used in 

the lesson. 

• Background information, 

relevant to the lesson or 

the topic, is provided for 

the teacher. 

• Preparation required by 

the teacher is listed. This 

could include guidance for 

locating websites, online 

resources, books, or a list 

of equipment required for 

the hands-on activity. 


Can scientists cooperate in space research? 

Content focus: 

The International Space Station (ISS) 


Nature and development of science 

human endeavour: 

Science inquiry: 

Lesson 5 

Processing, modelling and analysing | Communicating 

Background information 

The lesson 

• The ‘space race’ became a way for countries to exert their • Pages 45 and 46 are to be used together. 

supremacy over others, especially during the Cold War, when 

• Allow the students to read the text on page 45 independently. 

they did not physically fight each other. 

Assist them with any unfamiliar vocabulary such as ‘milestones’, 

• The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 ‘trusses’, ‘modules’, ‘arrays’, ‘biology’, ‘chemistry’, ‘physiology’, 

(as of 2022) member states located in Europe. Its members ‘physics’ and ‘meteorology’. If necessary, then discuss the 

are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech 

information and concepts. 

Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, 

• To complete the research activity on page 47, students will need to 

Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, 

navigate the NASA, International Space Station website, and search 

Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, 

through the topic of Research and technology. Students could also 

Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 

design their own research rather than using page 47, if there is 

• Data from the crew of the space station is sent daily to a topic about the International Space Station that they find more 

scientists on Earth. Experiments are conducted each day interesting, such as ‘15 benefits of Space Station Research’. 

and can be modified easily. The findings are published 

each month. 

Answers 

• Research on the space station includes finding out about the 

Page 46 

long-term effects of space habitation on the body (relating 

to bone loss and muscle wasting), how to provide medical 1. People’s Republic of China, the European Union, Japan, India, 

care in space, what effect near-weightlessness has on USA, Russia 

the internal processes of plants and animals, how protein 

2. the high cost of building a space station by individual nations 

crystals are formed in space, fluid investigations, and 

knowledge about combustion which may affect energy use 3. The components of the space station are launched into space on 

on Earth. 

board spacecraft. 

• Microgravity is a state in which gravity is reduced to almost 4. 20 solar panels 

non-existent levels, such as during a space flight. 

5. laboratories, docking ports, nodes (connecting passageways), 

• Students can get updated information about activities on the airlocks, living quarters, robotic arms 

ISS by looking at NASA’s International Space Station website 6. NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA, CSA 

or social media pages. 

7. The crew fly missions, conduct experiments and repair and 

Preparation 

replace parts of the space station. They also do educational 

demonstrations, such as experiments for students on Earth. 

• It will be beneficial to explore and become familiar with 

NASA’s International Space Station website. 

8. Answers will vary but might include that the space station will 

provide a base for excursions to objects in space further from 

• Access to a dictionary may be useful to assist students with Earth; it may help to reduce the risks involved in space exploration 

any unfamiliar vocabulary. 

by being able to repair spacecraft in space rather than having to 

return to Earth; it will provide knowledge about how space travel 

affects humans and therefore make it safer. 

Do your students require an extension task? 

Consider asking students to find out about space technology 

which has been adapted for use in everyday life, such as: 

mattress materials; satellite television; satellite imaging for 

weather forecasts; virtual reality; water purification systems; 

baby food; athletic shoes; scratch-resistant lenses; solar 

energy; the cochlear implant; digital cameras. 

Measure in a minute 

Ask students to explain to a partner what they think is the most 

important reason for the existence of the International Space 

Station. 

44 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 978-1-923005-13-6 R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 

• The lesson 

instructions; 

these could relate 

to the literacy 

text, the question 

page or the 

delivery of the 

hands-on activity. 

• Answers for the 

student pages are 

provided, where 

applicable. 



• Ponder point suggestion, to assist 

with differentiating the lesson or 

ensuring inclusion. See page viii for 

more information. 

• Quick assessment 

option for after the 

lesson, to gauge 

student understanding. 

vi Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 978-1-923005-13-6 R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au

Teacher notes 

Student page 1 Student page 2 Student page 3 

Earth and space sciences Lesson 5.1 

Can scientists cooperate in space research? – 1 

Since the beginning of space 

exploration in the 1950s, 

superpowers such as the United 

States of America and Russia 

(then the USSR) have competed 

to achieve milestones in space 

research. The first humanbuilt 

object to orbit Earth was 

Sputnik 1, launched by the USSR 

on 4 October 1957. The first 

human landing on the Moon 

was accomplished by the Apollo 

11 spacecraft of the USA on 

20 July 1969. 



1. Which individual groups and nations are planning future 

space exploration missions? 

2. What was one cause of the merger among the nations 

when they created the International Space Station? 


What have we learnt from the ISS? 

Using the table below, find out what we have learnt from the International Space Station and 

who has been a part of the research. Compile the information into a digital presentation. 

Field of research 

People involved 

and their role 

Although nations and groups of 

nations (including the People’s 

Republic of China, the European Union, Japan, India, USA and Russia) still plan individual 

future space exploration, the findings from all missions expand the knowledge of scientists 

around the world. The best example of multinational cooperation in space is the International 

Space Station. 

The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility assembled in Earth’s orbit. In the 

early 1990s, the idea of merging a number of high-cost space station projects into a single 

multinational program was devised. Construction of the station commenced in 1998 with 

the launch of the first Russian module, Zarya. Since then, the parts, including pressurised 

modules, external trusses and other components, have been launched by several nations 

and groups, including the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan and the European Union. By May 2010, 

14 pressured modules were completed as well as the complete integrated truss structure. The 

station is powered by 20 solar panels mounted on the external trusses. The station consists of 

pressurised modules for laboratories, docking ports, connecting passageways called ‘nodes’, 

airlocks, living quarters and robotic arms. The space station orbits Earth at an average 

altitude of 435km, travels at an average speed of about 28 000km/h and orbits Earth almost 

16 times each day. Construction of the space station was completed in 2011. The first crew 

took up residence in 2000 and the ISS has since had continuous human presence. 

The space station is a joint project among five space agencies—the American National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the 

Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (Roscosmos), the Japanese Aerospace 

Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Sections of the station are 

controlled by mission control centres on Earth. 

Scientists from different countries are able to conduct experiments in biology, chemistry, 

medicine, physiology, physics, astronomy, technology and meteorology in a special 

microgravity environment in the completed modules. The space station is used to test 

spacecraft systems for missions to the Moon and Mars. Crews of six astronauts and 

cosmonauts fly long missions, conduct experiments and learn how to repair and replace 

parts of the station. The crews also make educational demonstrations for students on Earth, 

and show them how to do experiments like those on the space station. The space station 

holds the record for the longest uninterrupted human habitation of space. 

The International Space Station, which can be seen from Earth, is the largest built satellite 

ever to orbit Earth, and a fine example of cooperation among scientists of many nations. 


Science literacy text 

The text should be used to introduce 

the lesson topic. It can be read as a 

class, in groups, in pairs or individually, 

depending on student abilities and the 

year level. In some cases, discussion 

questions are included, designed to 

encourage student thinking, and to 

gauge their existing understanding of 

the topic. 

Integrated unit assessment 

3. How do the different components of the space station get to the location of the 

space station? 

4. What power source for the station is housed on the external trusses? 

5. List the components of the completed modules of the International Space Station. 

6. Write the abbreviations for the five space agencies involved in setting up and operating 

the International Space Station. 

• • • • • 

7. What are the main activities carried out by the crew of the space station? 

8. Explain how learning to repair and replace parts of the space station can help future 

space exploration. 


Question page 

A series of questions or activities, which 

relate to the literacy text. They aim to 

gauge student understanding of the 

concepts presented in the text. Many of 

these questions relate to overarching 

ideas relevant to a specific year level, as 

stated in the Australian Curriculum. 

Summary 

of findings 

Why it is significant 

How does it help 

humans back 

on Earth? 

Other 

interesting facts 


Hands-on activity page 

The third student page provides a handson 

activity in the form of an experiment, 

craft activity, research activity or similar. 

The title of the activity is different to 

the lesson title, but it is related to the 

lesson’s topic. 

An optional integrated unit assessment is provided at the end of each unit. This can be used to assess the content taught throughout the 

unit and is based on the achievement standards set out by the Australian Curriculum, as stated at the top of each assessment page. 

• The page name 

indicates this is 

the start of the 

unit assessment. 


Achievement 

standard: 

integrated unit assessment 

By the end of Year 6, students model the relationship between the Sun and planets of the solar system and 

explain how the relative positions of Earth and the Sun relate to observed phenomena on Earth. 

1. (a) List the planets in the solar system, in order from the Sun. (Hint: use a mnemonic, 

such as, My Very Excited Monster Just Surprised Us Now). 

(b) True or false: 

The planets are always lined up in a straight line when they orbit the Sun. 

True False 

2. Explain the importance of gravity in terms of the Sun and how the planets move around 

the solar system. 


3. (a) Label this diagram with the correct seasons. 

June • July • August 

S 

N 

March • April • May 

Suns shine directly on the 

Northern Hemisphere. 

(b) Explains how the tilt of Earth’s axis contributes to seasons. 

S 

S 

Sun shines equally on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 

N 

N 


Southern Hemisphere. 

December • January • February 

September • October • November 

(c) Explain what the patterns in this data show about daylight hours in different seasons. 

Sunrise 

am 

Sunset 

pm 




Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 

5.38 6.05 6.26 6.47 7.07 7.18 7.08 6.38 5.58 5.23 5.04 5.12 

7.21 6.53 6.18 5.42 5.22 5.21 5.38 5.58 6.17 6.39 7.06 7.25 

S 

N 



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R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) vii

Teacher notes 

Throughout the series, the needs and preferences of diverse learners have been carefully considered when selecting resources and 

designing lesson plans and activities. As a result, a variety of instructional formats, methods for communicating understanding, flexible 

grouping and extension or enrichment activities are used. 

Within each lesson, it may be necessary for the teacher to provide further adjustments for students from culturally and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds and those with diverse abilities and skills. To help teachers think about the types of differentiation that would benefit 

their students, ‘ponder points’ feature throughout the lessons. 

The student requires changes 

to what they learn because: 

• they do not have the 

foundational skills or knowledge to 

understand the topic 

• they already have the skills or 

understand the topic beyond what is 

expected of the lesson 

• their interest or engagement in the 

topic is low or high. 

The student requires changes to 

how they learn because: 

• they have a preferred learning style 

(e.g. visual, auditory, reading and 

writing, or kinaesthetic) 

• their interest or engagement in the topic is low or high 

• they are an English language learner 

• they have a vision or hearing impairment 

• they are neurodiverse 

• they prefer or find it challenging to work with others 

• they are reading below or above what is expected at their 

year level 

• they require less or more time or support to understand 

the lesson. 

Ponder points are question prompts designed 

to help you think deeply about whether it is 

necessary to adjust content, process, 

product or environment to meet the needs 

and preferences of students when 

delivering the lesson. 

Below is an outline of each type 

of adjustment, followed by some 

examples of reasons 

why this change 

may be required. 

The student requires changes 

to how they demonstrate their 

learning because: 

• they have a preferred learning 

style (e.g. visual, auditory, reading 

and writing, or kinaesthetic) 

• they require activities that match 

or extend their understanding 

or skill 

• they prefer or find it challenging to work 

with others 

• they are unable to demonstrate their 

learning clearly in the specified way 

(e.g. writing) 

• they have an individual plan that requires a 

modified assessment of learning. 

The student requires changes to where they do their 

learning because: 

• they are affected by physical aspects of their 

environment (e.g. noise, lighting, space, furniture or 

visual elements in the room) 



• they are affected by social aspects of their environment 

(e.g. supported, independent or collaborative) 

• they require frequent movement to learn effectively. 

viii Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 978-1-923005-13-6 R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au

Teacher notes 

There are many strategies that can be used to differentiate learning across these four areas. Below are some additional strategies that 

can be used to adjust content, process, product and environment in Science. 

Content Process Product Environment 

• Use a KWL chart to determine 

students’ understanding at the 

start of the topic. 

• Determine how students could 

be supported or extended using 

the content descriptions from the 

previous or coming year. 

• Use Bloom’s taxonomy to develop 

similar activities that promote 

higher order thinking. 

• Create a word wall or glossary 

which includes definitions of 

common science vocabulary. 

• Students can work 1:1 or in small 

groups, with support from the 

teacher, to learn content. 

• Students explore/research content 

independently during a wholeclass 

or group lesson. 

• Use a variety of instructional styles: 

say it (e.g. lectures, questioning, 

discussion groups and readalouds), 

show it (e.g. videos, 

images, charts and infographics), 

and model it (e.g. demonstrate, 

build or construct, and use tangible 

items and manipulatives). 

• Use Measure in a minute to 

quickly determine what students 

have understood. 

• Record (video or audio) instructions 

and group discussions so that 

students can refer to these during 

independent activities. 

• Connect learning with student 

interests (e.g. use NASA videos 

and images when learning Earth 

and space sciences). 

• Scaffold learning by breaking the 

whole task into smaller steps. 

• Negotiate the amount of work 

that needs to be completed by 

the student before the end of 

the lesson. 

• Allow students to work 

through the activities at 

their own pace. 

• Use flexible grouping, such 

as working individually, with 

a partner or in small groups 

(this may or may not be 

related to ability). 

• Use a variety of strategies 

for reflection, such as thinkpair-share, 

note-taking and 

mind maps. 

• Offer a range of hands-on 

tools to support learning, 

such as real materials and 

objects, when learning 

about scientific properties. 

• Allow some students to 

search for information 

when completing research, 

whereas others could be 

provided with the necessary 

information to work with. 

• Use a variety of channels 

(e.g. listening, speaking, 

reading, viewing 

and writing). 

• Allow students to use 

a range of learning 

tools to suit their needs 

and preferences (e.g. 

videos, images, models 

and manipulatives). 

• Use a variety of graphic 

organisers to help guide 

students’ learning. 

• Students can work 1:1 

or in small groups, with 

support from the teacher, to 

learn content. 

• Use a visual schedule to 

help students stay on track 

and prepare for transitions. 

• Provide students 

with options on how 

they can share their 

understanding (e.g. 

orally, scribed by an 

adult or peer, drawing 

or writing). 

• Provide students 

with options on how 

they can complete 

an activity (e.g. using 

digital technologies). 

• Allow students to work 

in small groups to 

complete the activity. 

• Provide students with 

sentence stems or 

multiple-choice answers 

to help them answer 

a question. 

• Allow students 

to complete 

fewer questions. 

• Use Bloom’s taxonomy 

to develop similar 

activities that promote 

higher order thinking. 

• Students can work 

1:1 or in small groups, 

with support from the 

teacher, to complete 

an activity. 

• Read questions aloud 

to students before they 

complete them. 

• Use teacher 

observations of learning, 

in addition to completed 

activities, to determine 

students’ achievements. 

• Use Measure in a 

minute, which allows 

students to demonstrate 

what they know in 

quick, creative ways. 

• Create different 

spaces or have tools 

available in the 

classroom (e.g. noisereducing 

headphones) 

that cater to students’ 

needs and learning 

preferences. 

• Provide materials that 

reflect the diversity of 

abilities, families and 

cultures within the 

classroom. 

• Use flexible grouping, 

such as working 

individually, with a 

partner or in small 

groups (this may or 

may not be related 

to ability). 

• Be aware of students’ 

relationships and 

group/pair students 

with those they work 

well with. 

• Allow students 

movement breaks, 

as required. 

• Use nature walks or 

scavenger hunts in 

various environments, 

so students can see, 

touch, hear, smell and 

taste things. 



R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) ix

Scope and sequence 



Pages 

4–7 

8–11 

12–15 

16–19 

20–23 

28–31 

32–35 

36–39 

40–43 

44–47 

48–51 




Nature and Use and 

development influence 

of science of science 


Evaluating Communicating 

Processing, 

modelling 

and analysing 

Planning and 

conducting 

Questioning 

and predicting 

Chemical 

sciences 

Physical 

sciences 

Earth and space 

sciences 

AC9S6I06 write and create texts to communicate ideas and findings 

for specific purposes and audiences, including selection of language 

features, using digital tools as appropriate 

AC9S6I05 compare methods and findings with those of others, 

recognise possible sources of error, pose questions for further 

investigation and select evidence to draw reasoned conclusions 

AC9S6I04 construct and use appropriate representations, including 

tables, graphs and visual or physical models, to organise and 

process data and information and describe patterns, trends and 

relationships 

AC9S6I03 use equipment to observe, measure and record data with 

reasonable precision, using digital tools as appropriate 

AC9S6I02 plan and conduct repeatable investigations to answer 

questions including, as appropriate, deciding the variables to be 

changed, measured and controlled in fair tests; describing potential 

risks; planning for the safe use of equipment and materials; and 

identifying required permissions to conduct investigations on 

Country/Place 

AC9S6I01 pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test 

relationships and make reasoned predictions 

AC9S6H02 investigate how scientific knowledge is used by individuals 

and communities to identify problems, consider responses and make 

decisions 

AC9S6H01 examine why advances in science are often the result of 

collaboration or build on the work of others 

AC9S6U04 compare reversible changes, including dissolving and 

changes of state, and irreversible changes, including cooking and 

rusting, that produce new substances 



AC9S6U03 investigate the transfer and transformation of energy in 

electrical circuits, including the role of circuit components, insulators 

and conductors 

AC9S6U02 describe the movement of Earth and other planets relative 

to the Sun and model how Earth’s tilt, rotation on its axis and revolution 

around the Sun relate to cyclic observable phenomena, including 

variable day and night length 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biological 

sciences 

AC9S6U01 investigate the physical conditions of a habitat and analyse 

how the growth and survival of living things is affected by changing 

physical conditions 

 

 

 

 

 

x Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 978-1-923005-13-6 R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au

Scope and sequence 



Pages 

56–59 

60–63 

64–67 

68–71 

72–75 

80–83 

84–87 

88–91 

92–95 

96–99 

100–103 




Nature and Use and 

development influence 

of science of science 


Evaluating Communicating 

Processing, 

modelling 

and analysing 

Planning and 

conducting 

Questioning 

and predicting 

Chemical 

sciences 

Physical 

sciences 

Earth 

and space 

sciences 

AC9S6I06 write and create texts to communicate ideas and findings 

for specific purposes and audiences, including selection of language 

features, using digital tools as appropriate 

AC9S6I05 compare methods and findings with those of others, 

recognise possible sources of error, pose questions for further 

investigation and select evidence to draw reasoned conclusions 

AC9S6I04 construct and use appropriate representations, including 

tables, graphs and visual or physical models, to organise and 

process data and information and describe patterns, trends and 

relationships 

AC9S6I03 use equipment to observe, measure and record data with 

reasonable precision, using digital tools as appropriate 

AC9S6I02 plan and conduct repeatable investigations to answer 

questions including, as appropriate, deciding the variables to be 

changed, measured and controlled in fair tests; describing potential 

risks; planning for the safe use of equipment and materials; and 

identifying required permissions to conduct investigations on 

Country/Place 

AC9S6I01 pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test 

relationships and make reasoned predictions 

AC9S6H02 investigate how scientific knowledge is used by 

individuals and communities to identify problems, consider 

responses and make decisions 

AC9S6H01 examine why advances in science are often the result of 

collaboration or build on the work of others 

AC9S6U04 compare reversible changes, including dissolving and 

changes of state, and irreversible changes, including cooking and 

rusting, that produce new substances 



AC9S6U03 investigate the transfer and transformation of energy in 

electrical circuits, including the role of circuit components, insulators 

and conductors 

AC9S6U02 describe the movement of Earth and other planets 

relative to the Sun and model how Earth’s tilt, rotation on its axis and 

revolution around the Sun relate to cyclic observable phenomena, 

including variable day and night length 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biological 

sciences 

AC9S6U01 investigate the physical conditions of a habitat and 

analyse how the growth and survival of living things is affected by 

changing physical conditions 

R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) xi

Biological sciences curricula links 

Lesson 

Lesson 1 

What are terrestrial biomes? 

What are aquatic biomes? 

Lesson 2 

How important is soil? 

Best conditions for growth 

Lesson 3 

What are fungi and what do 

they do? 

Foul fungi 

Lesson 4 

Why do animals migrate 

or hibernate? 

Migration and hibernation 

Lesson 5 

What is the State of the 

environment report? 

How can First Nations Australians 

help the state of the environment? 

AC V9.0 


AC9S6U01 

AC9S6I02 























AC9S6H02 







NSW (Stage 3) Vic (Levels 5 and 6) WA (Year 6) 

ST3-4LW-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST3-4LW-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST3-4LW-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST3-4LW-S 

ST3-4LW-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST3-2DP-T 

VCSSU075 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS087 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU075 

VCSIS082 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS086 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU075 

VCSIS082 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS086 

VCSIS087 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU075 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU073 

VCSSU075 

VCSIS082 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS086 

VCSIS087 

VCSIS088 

ACSSU094 

ACSIS103 
























ACSHE098 











2 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 978-1-923005-13-6 R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au


AC9S6U01 investigate the physical conditions of a habitat and analyse how 

the growth and survival of living things is affected by changing physical conditions 



R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 3

Biological sciences Lesson 1 

What are terrestrial biomes? 



The physical conditions of terrestrial and aquatic biomes 

Planning and conducting | Processing, modelling and analysing | Evaluating | Communicating 


• A biome is a classification of a large area that has a certain 

climate, soil and living things that are specific to that area. 

A biome’s biological community is formed in response to its 

physical conditions. There are eight major biomes, including: 

the terrestrial biomes—tundra, grassland, desert, deciduous 

forest, coniferous forest and tropical rainforest; and the aquatic 

biomes—freshwater and marine. 

• An ecosystem is on a smaller scale and refers to the community, 

interactions and relationships between plants, animals and nonliving 

things within a biome. Many ecosystems can exist within 

a biome. 

• A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives. 

Preparation 

• Collect posters, photographs and illustrated books about plants 

and animals in different biomes. 

• Locate free-to-use online images of aquatic biomes and maps 

that show the location of biomes around the world. Students will 

need internet access to view the biome maps for question 4 on 

page 6. 

• Students will require the following equipment for the activity on 

page 7: glass jars and lids with a hole; anacharis, Java moss, 

Java fern or dwarf anubias (found in pet shops); freshwater 

snails or shrimp, such as ghost shrimp, cherry shrimp, 

or Japanese algae eater; aquarium gravel or sand from a 

freshwater source; fresh pond water (or tap water with algae 

pads in it); thermometer; small aquarium net. 

The lesson 

• Pages 5 and 6 are to be used together. 

• Students may wish to research further about the physical 

conditions of aquatic biomes. Display online images of different 

aquatic biomes for students to observe and discuss the physical 

conditions in small groups. What plants and animals can you 

see? What does the climate seem like? Is soil important? 

Could any of your students benefit from having the 

information presented in another way? 

Consider using an interactive activity, such as Build a biome 

(Switch Zoo ® ). 

• After setting up their aquatic ecosystem, students 

are to record their observations in a table (digital 

or print). Students are to take photographs and 

check the temperature of their ecosystem at various 

times. Students are to decide how they will take the 

temperature and which locations in the water they will 

test, considering fair tests and control variables. 

Answers 

Page 6 

1. (a) Soil layer could be sandy, gravelly or stony. 

(b) Temperate has richer soil than savanna. 

(c) Soil is frozen and low in nutrients. 

(d) Soil is sandy, light-coloured, acidic and low in 

minerals and organic matter. 

(e) Soil is very rich due to leaf decay. 

(f) Soil is low in nutrients as intense rain washes 

them away. 

2. (a) ‘Coniferous’ relates to conifers, which are trees or 

shrubs that produce cones instead of flowers, and 

have needles for leaves that do not fall off in winter. 

(b) ‘Deciduous’ refers to trees or plants that shed their 

leaves annually. 

3. While both have low rainfall, the savanna climate 

has more rain. It is warm and humid all year round in 

savanna grasslands, while temperate grasslands have 

cold winters. Savanna grasslands have a rainy season 

and a dry season. 

4. Teacher check: Use an online map of biomes to 

locate countries. 

5. Teacher check—answers could include: agriculture and 

logging, resulting in habitat loss; introduction of invasive 

species; overpopulation; pollution etc. 




Ask students to record as much as they can in two minutes, 

using a mind map, about a biome of their choice. 



Lesson 1.1 

What are terrestrial biomes? – 1 

A biome is a community of plants and animals that has adapted to its climate and soil 

conditions. Earth has six major land biomes (terrestrial biomes) and two water biomes 

(aquatic biomes) that are located at varying latitudes across the globe, from polar to 

tropical regions. 

The physical conditions, including climate, soil conditions and altitude, of a biome determine 

the plants that can grow there and the food web it can support. Humans can alter these 

physical conditions. 

Terrestrial biome 

Desert 

Grassland 

Tundra 

Coniferous forest 

Physical conditions (soil, climate etc.) 

Has a layer of soil that can be sandy, gravelly or stony, depending on the type 

of desert. 

Extremely dry, rarely rains. 

Temperatures vary according to the type of desert: arid deserts are hot and dry 

all year; semi-arid deserts are slightly cooler, with some rain in winter; coastal 

deserts are humid and foggy; cold deserts have extremely low temperatures. 

Open areas that have mostly grass and very few trees. 

Rainfall is low and fires are frequent. 

Savanna – warm, humid climate all year, with a rainy season and a dry season. 

Although rainfall is low, there is more rain than in temperate grasslands. Soil is 

clay based and not very fertile. 

Temperate – warm summers and cold winters, with some rain. Soil is richer 

than in savanna grasslands. 

Types of tundra include arctic (high-latitude land above the Arctic Circle) and 

alpine (high elevation on top of mountains). 

Both have harsh conditions, with long, cold winters, high winds and 

temperatures below freezing. There is a distinct lack of trees. 

Summer lasts from 6–10 weeks and has low temperatures, which are just warm 

enough to thaw a thin layer of soil. 

Very low rain, like a desert biome. 

Arctic soil is permafrost (frozen) and all tundra soil is scarce in nutrients. 

Long, cold winters and cool summers. 

Moisture all year round, with a lot of summer rain and winter snow. 

Soil is sandy, light-coloured, acidic and low in minerals and organic material. 



Deciduous forest 

Tropical forest 

Plant life is limited to conifers. 

Four seasons, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. 

Rain falls throughout the year. 

The soil is very rich due to the leaf decay of the deciduous trees that dominate. 

Very high rainfall all year round. 

Consistently high temperatures throughout the year due to location near 

the equator. 

Soil is low in nutrients due to the intense amount of rain washing away the 

organic material. 


Biological sciences Lesson 1.2 

What are terrestrial biomes? – 2 

1. Draw lines to match the soil type to the biome. 

(a) Desert 

(b) Grassland 

Soil is very rich due to leaf decay. 

Soil layer could be sandy, gravelly or stony. 

(c) Tundra 

(d) Coniferous forest 

(e) Deciduous forest 

(f) Tropical rainforest 

2. What do the following words mean? 

(a) coniferous 

(b) deciduous 

Soil is sandy, light-coloured, acidic and low in minerals 

and organic matter. 

Temperate has richer soil than savanna. 

Soil is low in nutrients as intense rain washes them away. 

Soil is frozen and low in nutrients. 

3. What is the difference in climate between savanna grasslands and 

temperate grasslands? 

4. Use the internet to locate a map that shows the location/s of each biome type. Write one 

country that each is located in. 

(a) Desert 

(b) Savanna grassland 

(c) Temperate grassland 

(d) Tundra 



(e) Coniferous forest 

(f) Deciduous forest 

(g) Tropical rainforest 

5. In what ways do you think humans could alter the physical conditions of a biome? 



What are aquatic biomes? 

Aquatic biomes can either be freshwater, such as ponds, rivers and lakes, or marine, such as 

oceans, reefs and estuaries. The main difference is the salinity (saltiness) of the water, which 

then determines the types of species that can live in that environment. 

Freshwater biomes generally experience moderate climates with significant rainfall. The 

water climate is influenced by: 

• the location of the water—a lake located in a tropical region will be warmer than a lake in a 

polar region. 

• the depth of water—a lake is generally deeper than a pond, so the temperature of the 

water at the bottom will be colder than the temperature in a shallow pond. 

• the changing seasons—a freshwater source is warmer in summer than in winter. 

Make your own closed freshwater ecosystem to observe this type of biome on a small scale. 

Equipment: 

• Glass jar and lid with a hole drilled in it 

• Two plants, such as anacharis, Java moss, Java fern or dwarf anubias (found in 

pet shops) 

• Freshwater snails or shrimp, such as ghost shrimp, cherry shrimp, or Japanese 

algae eater 

• Aquarium gravel or sand from a freshwater source 

• Fresh pond water (or tap water with algae pads in it) 

• Thermometer 

• Small aquarium net 

Procedure: 

1. Place approximately 3cm of gravel or sand at the bottom of the jar. 

2. Half-fill the jar with pond water. 

3. Float the bag of shrimp (or snails) in the jar for 15 minutes. 

4. Remove the bag and anchor the plants into the gravel or sand. 

5. Scoop the shrimp (or snails) out of the bag and place into the jar of water. 

6. Fill the jar with more pond water and leave about 1cm of air on top. 



7. Record the temperature of the water. 

8. Place the jar in a well-lit area, but not in direct sunlight. 

9. Note how the physical conditions and the living things change. Take photographs 

and record the temperature at different times and in different locations within the jar 

(on the top, bottom, close to the edge, in the middle etc.). 

10. What did you find? Did your ecosystem flourish? Did anything go wrong? What 

else would you like to investigate about your freshwater ecosystem? Compile 

your answers with your photographs and observations from Step 9 into a digital 

slide presentation. 



How important is soil? 



Different soils and the effect of salinity on fertility 

Questioning and predicting | Planning and conducting | Processing, modelling and analysing | Evaluating | 

Communicating 


• If the concentration of salt outside the plant is greater than 

that inside it, water leaves the plant in an effort to equalise the 

concentration. This causes dehydration. Mangrove trees can 

tolerate higher levels of salt in water as their cells already have 

a high concentration of salt in them. Many herbicides use this 

principle to destroy plants. 

Preparation 

• Students will require the following equipment for the experiment 

on page 11: four wheat grass plants in a container, labelled A, 

B, C and D; measuring cup; measuring spoons: ¼ teaspoon, ½ 

teaspoon, and 1 teaspoon; tap water; iodized salt; ruler; camera. 

• The students need to understand that in any experiment a 

control or control group is needed. The control is the object, 

material or substance that nothing is done to; it remains the 

same (unchanged) and serves as the standard (or blank state) 

that the other objects, materials or substances are compared to. 

Plant A is the control group in this experiment. 

The lesson 


• For the investigation on page 11, the class can be divided into 

any number of groups with each group following the same 

investigation but with a different plant, or they can complete the 

original experiment and just use the same wheat grass plant. 

• For the investigation on page 11, if each group is given a 

different plant to work with, the class as a whole can also 

determine which plant is the most/least salt tolerant. To ensure 

a fair test, students should ensure that a ¼ cup of watering 

solution is given at each watering. All test plants must be located 

in the same place. 

• Students will need to decide how to record and display their 

data, such as in a table, graph, digital slides etc. Discuss the 

findings, analysis and conclusion together as a class. Students 

can share their time lapse videos with parents and explain what 

is happening. 

Do any of your students have difficulty understanding 

the vocabulary used in this lesson? 

Consider creating a word wall with all key terms, such as clay, 

sedimentary, loamy, peaty, chalky, silty, salinity, groundwater, 

water table, estuary etc. 

Answers 

Page 10 

1. (a) Weathered rock particles and living and decayed 

organic matter 

(b) stability, water, nutrients 

2. (a) By the type of rock it comes from and the size of rock 

particles in it. 

(b) How much air and water it can hold; if it is acidic 

or alkaline. 

3. Plants grow better in fertilised soil but fertiliser can be 

washed into waterways causing an algal bloom. 

4. Teacher check: 

Groundwater – the water present underground 

Water table – how far the level of the underground water is 

below the surface. 

5. (a) They grow deep into the soil, taking up lots of 

groundwater, keeping the groundwater level from rising. 

(b) They do not grow very deep and they use much less 

underground water, especially when watered from above. 

6. (a) Salt is present in the ground and dissolves in the 

groundwater as the level of the water table rises. 

(b) Salt makes it more difficult for roots to take up water. 

This causes plants to dehydrate and die due to lack of 

water. Salt that does get into the plant cannot get out 

again and damages the cells of the plant, causing it 

to die. 

(c) Most plants cannot tolerate a high level of salt and so 

will not be able to grow and survive in soil with a very 

high salt content. 

Page 11 

The plants should show that the control Plant A will survive 

the longest, and that salt water does inhibit the growth of the 

plant. Also, the more salt that a plant is exposed to the quicker it 

will die. 




Ask students to write a brief email to a friend, explaining 

what they learnt about the importance of soil conditions to a 

plant’s growth. 



Lesson 2.1 

How important is soil? – 1 

Soil is the thin layer of weathered rock particles and living and decayed organic matter that 

covers the surface of Earth. It is in which plant roots anchor themselves, giving the plant 

stability, and providing water and nutrients. The decision of what are the best plants to grow 

in a certain area is usually determined by the available soil. 

In the world, there are six different soil types that 

exist. They are classified by the type of rock and 

size of the particles they contain. This affects how 

much air and water the soil can hold and how 

acidic or alkaline it is. The nutritional quality of 

the soil depends on how much organic matter is 

blended with the rock particles. 

A type of plant may be able to grow in all soils 

but will most likely grow best in one or two 

types of soil. Farmers and gardeners need to 

know which plants grow best in which soils. The 

nutritional quality of a soil can be improved by 

adding fertiliser. 

When fertiliser is added to a soil, it can cause plants to grow very well. But when it rains, a 

nitrogen-rich fertiliser can leach into waterways and create an algal bloom (which destroys 

other water life). 

When large plants with deep roots (such as trees) are cut down to make way for cultivating 

shallow-rooted plants, increased salinity can occur. 

Deep-rooted plants take up large amounts of groundwater and lose it to the atmosphere 

through evaporation and transpiration. This keeps the water table low. Shallow-rooted, 

cultivated plants require far less water than trees, so the water table rises. This would not be a 

problem if there was no salt in the soil. 

When the water table rises, it dissolves the naturally-occurring salt in the ground, which then 

attacks plants in two ways. Firstly, it is more difficult for roots to take up water that contains 

salt, so the plant dies through lack of water. Secondly, the salt contained in the water the 

roots do take up remains in the plant, destroying the structure of its cells and causing the 

plant to die. 

Plants that grow in estuaries are more tolerant of the salt levels in sea water, but salinity from 

rising water table levels (known as ‘dryland salinity’) can occur far from the sea where there 

are few, if any, salt-tolerant plants. 

Increasing salinity is a worldwide environmental problem. A rising water table transports more 

salt to the surface, making the soil less able to support life. The salt can be seen as white 

deposits on the surface of the ground. 

clay 

sandy 

silty 

loamy 

peaty 

chalky 

Soil types 

from sedimentary rocks 

from limestone, granite, 

quartz and shale 

contains quartz 

mixture of sand, silt and clay 

mostly organic matter, acidic 

low quality/often infertile 



water table 

water table 

groundwater 

groundwater 



How important is soil? – 2 

1. (a) What does soil consist of? 

(b) What does soil provide for the plants that grow in it? 

2. (a) How is a soil type classified? 

(b) What are the main characteristics of a soil? 

3. Describe the positive and negative effects of adding fertiliser to soil. 

4. What do you think is meant by the terms ‘groundwater’ and ‘water table’? 

5. (a) How do deep-rooted plants keep the water table low? 

(b) How do shallow-rooted plants raise the water table? 



6. (a) Where does the salt in dryland salinity come from? 

(b) How does salt destroy plants? 

(c) How does salt reduce the fertility of soil? 



Best conditions for growth 

How much salt water can a plant withstand? Conduct this experiment to see the timeline of 

the effects that salt water has on plants, and whether the amount of salt makes a difference. 

Equipment: 

• Four wheat grass plants in a container, labelled A, B, C and D 

• Measuring cup 

• Measuring spoons: ¼ teaspoon; ½ teaspoon; 1 teaspoon 

• Tap water 

• Iodised salt 

• Ruler 

• Camera 

Plant A is the control plant and will only receive fresh water. 

Plant B will receive fresh water mixed with ¼ teaspoon of salt. 

Plant C will receive fresh water mixed with ½ teaspoon of salt. 

Plant D will receive fresh water mixed with one teaspoon of salt. 

Prediction: 

What will happen to each plant? 

Procedure: 

1. Water each plant daily with ¼ cup of water or ¼ cup of its saltwater mix. 

2. Record the data, including measuring the plant height, observing how the plant appears 

and taking photographs. Create an appropriate way to display the information. 



3. Compare your findings with another small group and discuss. 

4. What can you analyse and conclude from the data? 

5. Present your findings in the form of a digital time lapse video of the four plants. 



What are fungi and what do they do? 


The behaviour of fungi and their role in food production and spoilage 



• Common fungi include all types of mushrooms, yeasts and 

moulds. They are essential in the breakdown of dead organic 

matter, converting it into nutrients for the soil. 

• Fungi can grow in all but frozen conditions. They can exist in a 

dormant state as spores until conditions improve. 

• Using beneficial fungi, scientists have developed pesticides 

that produce substances that are toxic to many insects and 

crop-destroying pests. 

Preparation 

• Bring in samples of mould-ripened cheeses and different 

varieties of bread that show different sized gas pockets, as 

well as ingredients and equipment for bread making. Also 

bring in (though keep covered) foods that have been spoiled 

by fungi; for example, bread, jam, cheese, fruit. Students will 

need a variety of foods for the experiment but this will only be 

determined once the students decide which foods to test. 

The lesson 



Communicating 

• If possible, demonstrate the process of bread making with 

students, making observations at all stages of the process. 

Show the difference between surface-ripened and veined 

cheeses. Compare the different foods spoiled by fungi. 

• For the investigation on page 15, discuss possible foods and 

locations for samples; for example, fruits and vegetables in 

warm and dry/damp and cold conditions. Remind students that 

all samples must be treated similarly. 

• Remind the students that a fair test is one in which only one 

variable is changed at a time; for example, when comparing 

the effects of light, water and air on two plants, only one of 

these factors (light, water or air) should change at a time. 

Do any of your students require additional scaffolding 

to complete the experiment? 

Consider writing a sample page for students to refer to and 

understand what is required. Go through each section together 

and complete the sections bit by bit. 

Answers 

Page 14 

1. Teacher check—answers could include: fungi can be good or 

bad, and big or small. They can kill or cure. They can destroy 

food or be important in producing food. They are a bit like 

plants and a bit like animals yet they are neither. 

2. (a) They decompose dead organic matter. They feed as 

parasites on living flesh. 

(b) enzymes 

3. (a) from the outside in 

(b) from the inside out 

4. (a) In respiration, only carbon dioxide is produced. 

In fermentation, both carbon dioxide and alcohol 

are produced. 

(b) Respiration occurs in the presence of air. Fermentation 

occurs with little or no air. 

5. (a) carbon dioxide produced during respiration 

(b) alcohol produced during fermentation 

6. (a) Enzymes produced by the mould break down the beans 

into a paste. 

(b) Enzymes produced by the yeast break the paste down into 

a liquid and produce desirable flavours. 

Page 15 

Students will discover that fungi grow in all conditions except 

in freezing temperatures. The greatest growth occurs where 

conditions are warm and damp. 




Ask students to write, on a strip of paper, one thing they 

learnt today and one thing they would like to learn. 



Lesson 3.1 

What are fungi and what do they do? – 1 

Fungi are strange organisms. They are 

neither plant nor animal, but are similar to 

both. They can be so tiny that a microscope 

is needed to see them or so large that they 

can be seen from a distance. Mushrooms 

are fungi. You can eat some, like button 

and oyster, but others, like death cap and 

destroying angel, can kill you. Some fungi 

can cure infections (the penicillin antibiotic 

comes from penicillium) and others can 

cause them (yeast infections such as tinea 

and ringworm). Fungi exist in all varieties of 

environment: in air, soil and water. 

Unlike green plants, fungi do not need 

sunlight to grow. They obtain their food from 

dead organic matter or they live as parasites 

on living flesh. Fungi are important in all food 

webs. As they feed, they produce substances 

called enzymes which break down the 

organic matter, releasing energy back into 

the soil in the form of nutrients. Fungi grow 

best in damp, warm conditions. 

Moulds and yeasts are types of fungi. They 

can destroy food. Mould will grow on any 

moist food item that is left long enough 

in warm conditions. But some yeasts and 

moulds are vital in the production of many 

foods and beverages; for example, yeasts 

can act on the sugar in canned soft drinks 

and form carbon dioxide. 

Some cheeses are mould ripened. The 

mould produces a substance that works on 

the cheese to produce a flavour and smell. 

The longer the cheese is left, the stronger the 

flavour becomes. Brie and camembert are 

coated with a fine layer of white mould and 

the flavour develops from the outside in. This 

is called surface ripening. Stilton and Danish 

blue are injected with blue mould and the 

flavour develops from the inside out. 

Without yeast, bread could not rise and 

fruit and cereal grain could not ferment to 

produce wine and beer. 

Yeast works in two ways. With air, the yeast 

converts sugar to carbon dioxide. This 

process is called respiration. With little or no 

air, sugar is converted to alcohol and carbon 

dioxide. This process is called fermentation. 

In bread making, both processes occur. 

Carbon dioxide from respiration causes the 

dough to rise and fermentation produces the 

delicious smell. The alcohol that is produced 

in the dough is destroyed during baking. 



In the production of soy sauce, first a mould 

is added to break down the soy beans into a 

paste. A yeast then feeds on the paste and 

in doing so produces a liquid with desirable 

flavours. After about a month, the liquid is 

ready to be separated, sterilised to kill the 

yeasts and moulds, and bottled ready for 

sale as soy sauce. 



What are fungi and what do they do? – 2 

1. In your own words, explain why fungi are strange organisms. 

2. (a) Fungi obtain food from two sources. What are they? 

(b) Fungi can decompose organic matter because they produce substances that break 

it down. 

What are these substances called? 

3. Match the method of mould ripening to the mould application of cheese. 

(a) surface ripening • • from the inside out 

(b) mould injection • • from the outside in 

4. (a) What is the difference between the products of respiration of sugar by yeast, and 

fermentation of sugar by yeast? 

(b) What is the difference between the conditions in which respiration and 

fermentation of sugar by yeast occur? 

5. In bread making, what causes: 

(a) the dough to rise? 



(b) the delicious smell? 

6. In the production of soy sauce, what are the main roles of the added: 

(a) mould? 

(b) yeast? 



Foul fungi 

Fungi can be found everywhere but what are their favourite growing 

conditions? Your challenge is to investigate the optimum conditions for 

fungal growth. 

You should choose foods which you think will be easily broken down, 

then decide on the different conditions in which to leave them. 

Before you begin 

At the end of your investigation 

What foods will you 

choose and why? 

Where will you leave the 

food samples and why? 

What do you expect 

to discover? 

How will you ensure a 

fair test? 

How often will 

you observe the 

food samples? 

How will you record 

your observations? 

For how long 

will you conduct 

your investigation? 

What did you discover? 

Did it match with 

your prediction? 



What can you conclude 

from your investigation? 

Would you alter anything 

about your investigation? 

How will you 

communicate the results 

of your investigation? 



Why do animals migrate or hibernate? 



Physical conditions that result in animals migrating and hibernating 



• True hibernation involves a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in 

animals, characterised by lower body temperature, slower breathing and 

lower metabolic rate. An animal in true hibernation appears dead and is 

insensible to sound or touch. There is no movement and it takes a long 

time for the animal to wake up enough to move. Some true hibernators 

include bats, rodents, ground squirrels, marmots, woodchucks, dormice, 

hamsters and hedgehogs. 

• Some hibernating animals (e.g. bears) are not true hibernators. Their body 

temperatures do lower and while they do sleep in their dens, they can be 

woken by a rise in outside temperature or a big disturbance. 

• True migration is seasonal and includes an outward and an inward journey. 

It generally occurs as a response to the basic needs of food, shelter 

and weather. Animals that are non-migratory are referred to as resident 

or sedentary. 

• Humans can affect migration and hibernation in a number of ways. 

Climate change influences the temperatures and sea level of ecosystems 

so places can become uninhabitable. Infrastructure can act as a physical 

barrier, while wind farms can harm migrating birds with their blades. 

Preparation 

• A map of the world with labelled migratory routes of some well-known 

animals would be useful. Classify those who migrate to a specific breeding 

place and those who return ‘home’ to breed in the spring/early summer. 

The lesson 


• After completing pages 17 and 18, students can make an explosion chart 

of animals that hibernate and those that migrate. Compare and contrast 

animals on each chart. Discuss reasons why animals need to migrate: to 

find food, warmth and shelter as they escape the coming winter; to return 

home to breed and rear young in the spring/summer. Discuss the different 

types of hibernation; for example, hedgehogs and tortoises that go into 

a deep sleep and do not rouse until the spring. Many species of squirrel 

hibernate until the spring but some remain active, spending most of the 

winter in their nests and only coming out if there is a warm period and 

they can replenish their stocks. 

• Discuss the answers the students provide for question 8 on page 18 and 

relate these to page 17. 

Do any of your students become overwhelmed when 

presented with too much information? 

Rather than having them read the whole text, consider assigning either 

migration or hibernation to small groups. As groups, students can read and 

research further by watching videos or locating websites, and then share a 

summary of their ideas with the class. 

• Ask students to think about what might happen if 

the physical conditions of the environment changed 

and how it would affect migration or hibernation. 

What if summer lasted longer, or if it was hotter, or if 

new tunnels and structures were built underwater? 

Discuss in small groups and refer to the investigation 

on page 19. 

Answers 

Page 18 

1. food, water, shelter, rearing young 

2. During hibernation, an animal’s body conserves 

energy by reducing its metabolism, body temperature 

and breathing rate. 

3. (a) The purposeful movement from a place of 

reduced food, water and shelter to one of 

abundant food, water and shelter. 

(b) The animals detect natural changes in their 

environment; for example, less daylight hours 

and an abundance of autumn food. 

4. (a) Plants begin to shut down by dispersing their 

seeds, shedding their leaves and preparing 

themselves to survive the winter. 

(b) Herbivores have a reduced supply of food and 

may migrate or hibernate, reducing the food 

supply for carnivores. 

5. They eat enough food to produce layers of fat that 

will nourish them through the winter. 

6. Breeding grounds are areas where animals know 

there will be plenty of food to feed themselves 

and their young as well as providing shelter to 

protect them. 

7. In the Serengeti, migration is motivated by the drying 

up of watering holes and pastures caused by lack 

of rain. 



8. Teacher check—answers could include: hours of 

daylight; plants and animals visible, including young; 

weather conditions (snow, ice etc.); leaves on trees 

(or none); water resources available etc. 


Ask students to write two quiz questions and answers 

about migration and hibernation. Compile the 

questions to conduct a class quiz. 



Lesson 4.1 

Why do animals migrate or hibernate? – 1 

What is migration? 

Migration is the purposeful movement of animals from one 

place to another. It may occur seasonally, just once in a 

lifetime or whenever the environment dictates that it is time 

to move on. Although many species of animal migrate, birds 

are the best known travellers, with some, such as the Arctic 

tern, flying across the globe in search of warmer conditions. 

Seasonal migrating animals begin to move when they detect 

natural changes in the environment; for example, less hours 

of daylight and an abundance of food as nature’s autumn 

harvest ripens. They prepare for their long journey by eating 

well and producing layers of fat that will maintain them until 

they reach their next stop. 

What is hibernation? 

Hibernation is a winter sleep—nature’s way for animals to 

conserve energy when environmental conditions are too harsh 

for survival. The animal’s metabolism drops to very low levels, 

gradually using up the fat stored during the autumn when 

food was abundant. Energy is also conserved as the body 

temperature and breathing rate fall. Some animals hibernate 

very deeply; for example, the European hedgehog does not 

wake up at all until the spring. Others may stir regularly; for 

example, some species of bear. 

Finding food, water and shelter and rearing young are 

the driving forces of an animal in the wild. When the 

environmental conditions make any of these difficult or 

impossible, an animal’s survival instinct informs it that 

something has to be done. 

In many parts of the world, winter is a lean time. Temperatures can fall below freezing and 

snow and ice cover the land, making the search for food almost impossible. 

With the onset of autumn, many changes occur in the natural environment. The days shorten 

and the temperature falls. Plants are unable to photosynthesise effectively and so they begin 

to shut down, dispersing their seeds, shedding their leaves and preparing themselves to 

survive the winter. In this state, they provide no nutrition to animals that feed off them. This 

has an effect on all consumers—carnivores as well as herbivores. 

An animal’s instinct is to provide food for its young to give 

them the best chance of survival. Many animals instinctively 

migrate to a place with an abundant source of food where 

they can breed and rear their young. 



For example, in the Serengeti in September each year, 

thousands of grazing animals (such as wildebeest, zebras, 

elephants and gazelles) migrate in search of watering holes 

and lush pastures. When the water and grass disappear, 

the animals move to the next stage on the route where the 

rains have fallen and provided new watering holes and fresh, 

young grass. 



Why do animals migrate or hibernate? – 2 

1. What are the four necessities that motivate a wild animal? 

• • • • 

2. Describe how an animal’s body behaves during hibernation. 

3. (a) What is migration? 

(b) How do animals know when to migrate? 

4. (a) What do plants do in response to reduced hours of daylight and 

lower temperatures? 

(b) How does this affect herbivorous and carnivorous animals? 

5. How do animals prepare for migration and hibernation? 

6. Why do some animals migrate to breeding grounds? 

7. Describe what motivates migration in the Serengeti. 



8. If you were living in the wild with no communication with the rest of the world, what 

natural clues could you use to inform you of the time of year? 



Migration and hibernation 

Wild animals are faced with either migration, hibernation or adaptation at some point in their 

lives. Their reasons are motivated by a natural urge to find food, water and shelter and/or 

to breed. 

Sometimes humans affect the physical conditions of the environments of migratory and 

hibernating animals. Research one animal that migrates and one animal that hibernates, 

and find out how it is affected. 

Animal species/ 

sub-species 

Natural habitat/ 

location 

Main food source 

Where it migrates to, 

when and why? 

Changes to its 

behaviour due 

to humans 

Animal species/ 

sub-species 

Natural habitat/ 

location 

Main food source 

Where it hibernates, 

when and why? 

Changes to its 

behaviour due 

to humans 

Migration 

Hibernation 





What is the State of the environment report? 




Understanding the changing physical conditions of Australia’s environment 

Use and influence of science 



• The Australian Government conducts 

research every five years to compile 

information and release a State of 

the environment report. See the 

Department of Climate Change, Energy, 

the Environment and Water website at 

for more information. 

• Rising ocean temperatures and 

rising sea levels are associated with 

climate change. This affects Australia’s 

coastline, levels of erosion, marine 

life, marine plants, and freshwater 

systems that run into the ocean. 

Changing temperatures and conditions 

confuse the living things in the 

affected ecosystems. First Nations 

Australians, who have cared for 

Country for generations and continue to 

do so today, are impacted, as climate 

change disrupts their knowledge of the 

environment and seasons. 

Preparation 

• Locate various videos about the State 

of the environment report, such as, 

Everything you need to know about 

Australia’s State of the environment 

report (Behind the news), as well as 

others from a First Nations perspective, 

such as the work of Dr Terri Janke. 

• Locate the State of the environment 

website from the Department 

of Climate Change, Energy, the 

Environment and Water. 

• Locate the news article, Indigenous 

rangers warn sea level and 

temperature rises caused by climate 

change are killing remote Northern 

Territory turtles (ABC News). 


Communicating 

• Students will select materials 

for the investigation on page 23. 

Some suggested materials to have 

available are: hessian; fabric; shade 

cloth; cardboard; twigs/sticks; wood; 

recycled/reclaimed materials; twine. 

The lesson 

• Pages 21 and 22 are to be 

used together. 

• Watch videos about the State of 

the environment report, before 

reading through the text on page 21. 

Navigate around the State of the 

environment website to show 

students what the report looks like 

and the information it includes. 

• Read through and discuss the 

article about the impact of climate 

change on sea turtles in the Northern 

Territory. Highlight how First Nations 

rangers are remedying the situation 

by building shade structures over 

the nests. Students then conduct the 

investigation in small groups. 

• Students will need to decide how to 

record and display their data, such 

as a table, graph, digital spreadsheet 

etc. Discuss the analysis and 

conclusion together as a class. Note 

which designs correspond to the 

lowest temperatures. 

• Students can then complete the 

final task of creating a meme, to 

communicate how climate change 

affects the turtles and how people 

can work together to help save the 

turtles. View other memes online, so 

students understand what memes 

are and their purpose. 

Do any of your students require additional time to complete the 

lesson activities? 

Consider completing the worksheet together to allow more time to be spent on the 

turtle shelter investigation. 

Answers 

Page 22 

1. scientific, traditional, local 

2. To guide the creation of new 

government policies, influence 

people’s behaviour and advise which 

actions are needed to help the 

Australian environment. 

3. climate change, habitat loss, 

invasive species, pollution, extraction 

of resources 

4. Land temperature increasing, ocean 

temperature increasing, frequency and 

severity of extreme weather events 

increasing, coral bleaching 

5. Cleared land for agriculture and 

mining, destroyed native vegetation, 

allowed foreign plants to take over, 

created pollution 

6. A First Nations Australian perspective, 

including how the declining 

environment is impacting people, 

and how traditional knowledge is 

the key to restoring and protecting 

the environment. 

7. Teacher check 

Page 23 

Students will need to ensure a fair test is 

done by using the same location for the 

shade structures, the same sand, and 

having a control patch of sand without a 

shade structure to compare their results to. 

Results should show that the temperature 

of the shaded sand is lower compared to 

the unshaded sand, and that temperature 

results will vary among the different 

shade structures. 




Ask students to create a simple poster, 

showing the main ideas from the State 

of the environment report. 



Lesson 5.1 

What is the State of the environment report? – 1 

Every five years, the Australian Government releases a report that details the health of the 

environment. The environment is assessed by experts, using scientific, traditional and local 

knowledge. The information is used to guide new policies, influence our behaviour and advise 

which actions are needed to help the Australian environment. 

The latest report came out in 2021 and the findings are not good. It shows that the 

environment is deteriorating due to the pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive 

species, pollution and extraction of resources. The deteriorating environment and changing 

physical conditions mean that the living things in many ecosystems are impacted and the 

number of threatened species has increased. 

Human activity is the driving force behind the changing conditions. 

Climate change 

Since 1910, global temperatures have increased overall. Land temperature has increased 

by 1.4°C, and ocean surface temperature has increased by 1.1°C . Many ecosystems cannot 

survive these changing temperatures, such as the coral reefs which release their colourful 

algae and appear bleached as a result. 

Climate change is also connected to an increase in frequency and severity of extreme 

weather events, like droughts and forest fires, as well as a rise in sea level. 

Human activity, particularly the increased global greenhouse gas emissions, has been the 

main cause of climate change. 

Habitat loss 

Humans are also responsible for clearing native vegetation and destroying 7.7 million 

hectares of threatened species’ habitat between 2000 and 2017. Most of this habitat was 

destroyed illegally, and most used for agriculture. As a result, species like the koala are 

rapidly decreasing in population. 

There are now more foreign plants, which were introduced by humans, than there are 

native plants in Australia. 

Pollution and the mining industry are also contributing human factors to the changing 

physical conditions that are threatening our plants and animals. 

The 2021 report incorporates a First Nations Australian perspective for the first time. It 

documents how the declining environment is affecting First Nations Australians. It also 

discusses how using the knowledge and connection to Country of First Nations Australians to 

protect and restore the environment is key to our success in the future. 





What is the State of the environment report? – 2 

1. Name the three kinds of knowledge used to assess the environment. 

• • • 

2. What is the purpose of the State of the environment report? 

3. What are the five main pressures on the environment? 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

4. List four effects of climate change. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

5. Write three ways that humans have caused habitat loss. 

• 

• 

• 

6. What was included for the first time in the 2021 report? 

7. Do you agree or disagree that the knowledge of First Nations Australians is key to 

restoring and protecting the Australian environment? Explain. 





How can First Nations Australians help the 

state of the environment? 

The 2021 State of the environment report emphasises that First Nations 

Australians have been caring for the environment for over 120 000 

years and that they continue to do so. Their knowledge of Australian 

plants and animals, and the delicate ecosystems, is priceless. 

Climate change is altering the physical conditions of so many 

ecosystems and disrupting the nesting, breeding and flowering 

seasons of living things. For example, sea levels are rising around 

Australia at about twice the global average. This is impacting the Olive 

Ridley turtles along our coastline, as the rising water is drowning their nests. The increase in 

temperature is causing all the turtle eggs to turn female, and, when the temperature reaches 

more than 35°C, the eggs cook and die. 

As a solution to the problem, First Nations rangers are considering building shade structures 

over the nests to reduce the temperature. 

In this investigation, you will design a shade structure to cover a sandy area and collect data 

on the effect it has on the temperature of the sand, compared to an unshaded sandy area. 

1. Draw a design for your shade structure and label it with materials that will be most 

suitable. You can do this on a separate piece of paper or digitally on a device. 

2. Before you begin, answer these questions. 

How will you ensure a fair test? 

What will be your control for 

the investigation? 

When, how often, and how deep into the 

sand will you test the temperature? 

How will you record your observations? 

What do you predict will be the outcome 

of this investigation? 

3. At the end of the investigation, answer these questions. 



How do your results compare to 


What can you conclude from 

the investigation? 

How do your results compare to 

those of other groups using different 

shade structures? 

4. Create a meme showing what the turtles would say about climate change. You can do 

this on a separate piece of paper or digitally on a device. 




Achievement 

standard: 

By the end of Year 6, students explain how changes in physical conditions affect living things. 

1. (a) Describe the physical conditions of one biome type. 

(b) Describe how the physical conditions in the biome may change, and how that 

change might affect the living things in the biome. 






2. What causes animals to migrate? 

3. What causes animals to hibernate? 




Earth and space sciences curricula links 

Lesson 

Lesson 1 

What is orbiting around in the 

solar system? 

Make a pocket solar system 

Lesson 2 

What is the importance of gravity? 

Modelling gravity 

Lesson 3 

Why do we have seasons? 

Demonstrating the reason 

for seasons 

Lesson 4 

How do sunrises and 

sunsets change? 

Tracking the Sun 

Lesson 5 

Can scientists cooperate in 

space research? 


Lesson 6 

Evidence of First Nations Australians 

as the first space observers 

First Nations Australians— 

modern astronomers 


































ST3-10ES-S 

ST3-10ES-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST2-10ES-S (Stage 2) 

ST3-10ES-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST2-10ES-S (Stage 2) 

ST3-10ES-S 

ST3-1WS-S 

ST3-10ES-S 

VCSSU078 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS086 

VCSSU078 

VCSIS082 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS087 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU061 (Levels 3 and 4) 

VCSSU078 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS087 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU061 (Levels 3 and 4) 

VCSSU078 

VCSIS082 

VCSIS083 

VCSIS084 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS086 

VCSIS088 

VCSSU073 

VCSSU078 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS088 

ST3-10ES-S VCSSU061 (Levels 3 and 4) 

VCSSU073 

VCSSU078 

VCSIS085 

VCSIS088 

ACSSU078 (Year 5) 






































• Unless otherwise stated 


Earth and space 

sciences 

AC9S6U02 describe the movement of Earth and other planets relative to the Sun and model how Earth’s tilt, rotation 

on its axis and revolution around the Sun relate to cyclic observable phenomena, including variable day and night length 





Lesson 1 

What is orbiting around in the solar system? 



The relative distance of the planets from the Sun and their movement around the Sun 

Processing, modelling and analysing | Evaluating 


• There are eight planets in the solar system, and there are 

many representations of the size and location of these planets. 

Many of these misrepresent the relative size of the planets and 

the distance between them. It is common to see them arranged 

in a horizontal line, but this is not accurate and the chances of 

the planets ever actually lining up is very improbable. 

• The pocket solar system is intended to address the 

misrepresentation of the distance between planets. This will 

also make it clearer that each planet orbits the Sun and, the 

further away from the Sun they are, the longer their orbit. 

Preparation 

• Students will require the following equipment for the activity 

on page 31: 1m strips of paper; coloured pencils or markers; 

ruler; scissors; tape or glue. 

• Locate various mnemonics that are used to help remember the 

order of the planets from the Sun; for example, My (Mercury) 

Very (Venus) Easy (Earth) Method (Mars) Just (Jupiter) Speeds 

(Saturn) Up (Uranus) Nothing (Neptune). 

The lesson 


• This lesson could be accompanied by various videos explaining 

the size and distance of the solar system planets, especially 

after reading through the text. The NASA website can also be 

used to view models of each planet. 

• Discuss ways to remember the planets and their order from 

the Sun by writing a class mnemonic; for example, My Very 

Excited Monster Just Surprised Us Now. 

• Show students a completed pocket solar system and remind 

them that this is demonstrating the distances between the 

planets in a simplistic way, and that the planets are not usually 

lined up in orbit like this. It represents the planets as they 

would be found somewhere along the ellipse at the distance 

shown on the pocket solar system. 

Do any of your students learn better through 

kinaesthetic activities? 

Consider having students role-play the orbiting planets, with 

a student as the central Sun, and others moving around at 

different speeds. 

Answers 

Page 30 

1. Teacher check: Table should include columns for: position in 

the order of planets from the Sun; diameter; time taken to orbit 

the Sun; number of moons. 

2. (a) Mercury (b) Neptune (c) Neptune (d) Venus 

3. (a) Planets with rocky surfaces: Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth. 

(b) Planets that are enormous and are mostly made of gases: 

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. 

4. The outer planets have a stronger gravitational pull and a 

larger magnetic field, which attracts asteroids and pulls them 

into the planet’s orbit. 




Ask students to share three things they learnt today about the 

solar system, two things they found interesting, and one thing 

they want to find out more about. 



What is orbiting around in the solar system? – 1 

The solar system is made up of eight planets orbiting the 

Sun. There are also dwarf planets, comets, moons, asteroids, 

satellites, dust and gases, all moving as dictated by the Sun 

and its gravitational force. 

Sun 

The largest object in our solar system, the Sun, is a star that makes life on Earth possible, thanks 

to its light and heat. Planets orbit the Sun in an oval-shaped path called an ellipse. 

Terrestrial planets – with rocky surfaces 

Mercury 

The smallest planet in the solar system is 4878km in diameter. It is the closest planet to the Sun, 

which means it only takes 88 days to orbit the Sun because of its short elliptical path. 

Venus 

The hottest planet is the second planet from the Sun. It spins from east to west, which is the 

opposite direction to most of the other planets. It is about the same size as Earth, with a 

diameter of 12 104km. It takes 226 days to orbit the Sun. 

Earth 

The third planet from the Sun and the only planet know to sustain life. It takes just over 365 days 

to orbit the Sun. The diameter is 12 760km. Earth also has one moon that orbits it. 

Mars 

The fourth planet from the Sun, known as the red planet due to the iron-oxide dust on its surface. 

Its diameter is 6 787km and orbits the Sun in 687 days. Mars has two moons that orbit it. 

Between Mars and Jupiter lies the asteroid belt. This contains minor planets that all orbit the 

Sun on a similar path. 

Jovian planets – enormous in size, with surfaces mostly made of gas 

Jupiter 

Also known as a gas giant, the fifth planet from the Sun is also the largest planet. It is 139 822km 

in diameter and orbits the Sun in 11.9 years. It has a strong magnetic field, stronger than Earth’s, 

and has up to 92 moons that orbit it. 

Saturn 

The sixth planet from the Sun is known for its ring system, made of ice and rock. It is 120 500km 

in diameter and orbits the Sun in 29.5 years. It has up to 82 moons that orbit it because it has a 

strong gravitational pull that captures nearby asteroids, much like Jupiter. 

Uranus 

Also known as an ice giant, this is the seventh planet from the Sun. It too rotates from east to 

west, like Venus, but it also orbits the Sun on its side. Its extreme tilt causes it to have seasons 

that last more than 20 years and it experiences sunlight on one pole for 84 years at a time. It is 51 

120km in diameter. As with all the outer planets, it has numerous moons (27 in total). 



Neptune 

The eighth planet from the Sun and the coldest. It is 20 times as far from the Sun as Earth. It is 

49 530km in diameter and orbits the Sun in 165 years. 

The Kuiper belt is an area at the edge of the solar system that is made up of icy rocks, which 

orbit in a highly elliptical shape. 



What is orbiting around in the solar system? – 2 

1. Use the information in the text to create a quick-reference table about the planets in the 

solar system. 

Draw the table below, clearly displaying the numerical data stated in the text about 

the planets. 

2. Name the planet with: 

(a) the shortest orbit around the Sun. 

(b) the longest orbit around the Sun. 

(c) the coldest planet. 

(d) the warmest planet. 

3. (a) What is a terrestrial planet? List them. 



(b) What is a Jovian planet? List them. 

4. Why do the outer planets have more moons than the inner planets? 



Make a pocket solar system 

Equipment: 

• Paper • Ruler • Scissors 

• Tape or glue 

• Coloured pencils or markers 

Procedure: 

1. Cut strips of paper that are 7.5cm wide and join them 

together to make a strip that is 1m long. 

2. Draw the edge of the Sun onto the left end of the strip 

and the Kuiper belt onto the right end. 

3. Fold the paper in half, unfold and draw Uranus on the 

crease mark. 

4. Fold the paper in half, and in half again. Unfold it and 

draw Saturn on the crease closest to the Sun. Draw 

Neptune on the crease closest to the Kuiper belt. 

5. Fold the Sun to where Saturn is. Unfold and draw Jupiter. 

6. Fold the Sun to where Jupiter is. Unfold and draw the 

asteroid belt. 

7. Fold the Sun to where the asteroid belt is, then unfold 

and draw Mars. 

8. Fold the Sun to where Mars is, then fold this section in 

half. Unfold and three creases should be present. Draw 

Mercury on the crease closest to the Sun, Venus on the 

next crease and Earth on the crease closest to Mars. 

Conclusion: 

1. Research and record in a table, the distances of each planet from the Sun, so you can 

label your pocket solar system. 

2. What did you notice about the planet distances? 

Reflection: 

Did anything surprise you about what you learnt today? If so, what? 

Sun 

Saturn 

Jupiter 

asteriod belt 

Mars 

Mars 

Uranus 

Kuiper belt 

Neptune 

Saturn 

Venus 

Mercury Earth 





Lesson 2 

What is the importance of gravity? 


What gravity is and how it works 




Communicating 

• Gravity can be seen as a force that acts between two objects with 

mass. The force of gravity is only noticeable if one of the objects, 

such as Earth or the Sun, has a large mass. The gravitational 

pull from the large Sun keeps Earth and the other planets from 

flying off into space. Meanwhile, the sideways force of the planets 

revolving prevents the Sun from pulling them in. The forces are 

perfectly balanced. 

• There is often confusion between mass and weight. Strictly 

speaking, weight (W) is the gravitational force exerted on an 

object. It is the product of the mass of an object (m) and the local 

gravitational acceleration (g), so W = mg. Weight is measured 

as a force in newtons. On Earth’s surface, the acceleration due 

to gravity is almost constant, so the extent of an object’s weight 

is proportional to its mass. In everyday use, the term ‘weight’ 

is commonly used to mean ‘mass’. For the students of this age 

group, the newton unit of measurement has not been included. 

Preparation 

• Introduce the topic with a video, such as Defining Gravity: Crash 

Course Kids #4.1 (Crash Course Kids). 

• The activity on page 35 requires the following equipment: large 

sheet of stretch fabric (polyester/spandex/lycra etc.) that is 2m 

x 2m; marbles of various sizes; pool ball or orange or grapefruit; 

duct/masking tape; pegs; 8–10 chairs; digital recording device. 

The lesson 



Assist them with any unfamiliar vocabulary if necessary, then 

discuss the information and concepts. 

• The modelling activity on page 35 can be conducted as a class or 

done in large groups, depending on the availability of materials. 

Students will need to figure out how to demonstrate the planets 

in orbit. To achieve a circular motion, students will need to roll the 

balls to get them to orbit rather than just let them roll towards the 

object in the middle. They will also need to work out at what speed 

to roll the balls, as rolling them too fast may make them fall out 

of the orbit and too slow will allow the balls to be pulled towards 

the large object in the middle. This demonstrates the perfectly 

balanced forces at work in orbit. 

Do any of your students appear to be disengaged? 

• After the activity on page 35, the teacher and students should 

discuss the methods used, any difficulties encountered and 

any improvements which could be made to enhance the 

demonstration. You may wish to watch the video, Gravity 

visualised (YouTube ), which demonstrates the same activity 

so students can compare approaches and results. Students 

may also like to devise and research any other experiments, 

which can be used to show gravity at work. 

Answers 

Page 34 

1. Answers will vary but should be similar to: gravity is a 

force that causes two objects with mass to be attracted to 

each other. 

2. (a) True (b) False (c) False (d) True 

(e) True (f) True (g) False 

3. (a) the Sun (b) the Moon (c) the ocean’s tides 

4. (a) elliptical (b) closer (c) can 

(d) less (e) more 

(f) Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein 

Page 35 

1–3. Teacher check 

4. The marble will roll down towards the pool ball in the 

centre of the fabric. 

5. The different-sized balls all still roll towards the heaviest 

object in the centre of the fabric. 


7. The marble will turn around and roll back towards the pool 

ball in the centre of the fabric. 

8. These actions show that the gravitational pull of the Sun 

is the strongest because it is the largest object in the solar 

system. It also shows why objects on Earth are pulled 

towards it, because Earth’s mass is much larger than any 

object on Earth. 

9. Students should work out that they will need to roll the ball 

sideways to achieve an orbital path. They will also need to 

roll it at a medium speed, else it will roll off the fabric if it is 

too fast or it will get pulled into the Sun if it is too slow. 




Consider allowing them some time to play with a weight calculator, 

to work out their weight on the other planets and the Moon. 

Ask students to make an audio recording, stating what they 

learnt about the role of gravity in our solar system. 



What is the importance of gravity? – 1 

Have you ever wondered how people can 

walk around and live on Earth and not fall 

off, or go spinning out into space? 

Gravity is a force that causes two objects 

with mass to be drawn towards each 

other. It exists everywhere in the universe. 

It is the force that makes objects fall to 

the ground and prevents people from 

falling off the surface of Earth. Each time 

you jump, you experience gravity. On 

Earth, gravity pulls all objects towards the 

centre of the planet. 

The mass of an object is the amount 

of matter (stuff) it contains. Mass is 

measured in grams or kilograms and 

does not change. The more matter an 

object has, the greater its mass. Any 

object with mass exerts a force of gravity. 

The greater the mass, the greater the force 

of gravity and the greater its weight is. The 

further apart two objects are, the less the force 

of gravity between them is. 

The gravitational force of the Sun holds Earth and the other planets in orbit around it. The 

Sun’s huge mass (98% of all mass in the solar system) exerts a strong gravitational pull 

on the planets, natural satellites, asteroids, comets and meteoroids around it. This strong 

gravitational pull keeps all the planets and other objects travelling around the Sun in elliptical 

orbits. Planets closer to the Sun travel around it more quickly than those further away and are 

more affected by the Sun’s gravity. 

Earth’s gravity keeps the Moon in orbit around it. The Moon has mass, so it too has gravity. The 

Moon’s gravity is not as strong as that of Earth’s because the Moon is smaller. However, the 

ocean tides are caused by the Moon’s gravity trying to ‘pull’ anything on Earth towards it, but 

only the water is affected as it is always moving. Each day, as the oceans rise and fall, there 

are two high tides and two low tides. The closer the Moon is to Earth, the greater the effect of 

the Moon’s gravitational pull on the ocean’s tides. 

Gravity causes objects to have weight. The weight of an object is the force that gravity exerts 

on an object. The weight of an object can change if the force of gravity changes. On the 

Moon, gravity is weaker than on Earth, so an object on the Moon weighs about one-sixth of its 

weight on Earth. A person with a weight of 100kg on Earth will weigh about 16kg on the Moon. 

Gravity on other planets also differs, so the same person will weigh 90kg on Venus, 38kg on 

Mars, 233kg on Jupiter and 112kg on Neptune. However, the mass of the object always remains 

the same. 



It is said that Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727), a mathematician and physicist, realised that a 

force called ‘gravity’ existed when he saw an apple falling from a tree in his orchard. He used 

mathematics to help explain the ‘laws of gravity’. Physicist Albert Einstein further developed 

these laws in the 1900s to find out more about gravity. 



What is the importance of gravity? – 2 

1. In your own words, explain what gravity is. 

2. True or false: 

(a) Mass is the amount of matter an object contains. True False 

(b) Mass is measured in centimetres or metres. True False 

(c) Mass can change. True False 

(d) Objects with mass exert a force of gravity. True False 

(e) Objects with a large mass exert a large force of gravity. True False 

(f) The further apart objects are, the less the force of gravity. True False 

(g) Objects with a large mass have a small weight. True False 

3. Name the object: 

(a) in the solar system with the greatest mass. 

(b) kept in Earth’s orbit by gravity. 

(c) affected by the Moon’s gravity. 

4. Complete the sentences: 

(a) The planets, satellites, asteroids, comets and meteoroids are all pulled into 

orbits by the Sun’s strong gravitational force. 

(b) The planets which travel faster around the Sun and are more affected by 

its gravity, are those which are (closer/further away) . 



(c) Weight (can/cannot) 

(d) Due to gravity, a person will weigh (more/less) 

on Earth. 

(e) Due to gravity, a person will weigh (more/less) 

on Earth. 

change if gravity changes. 

on the Moon than 

on Jupiter than 

(f) Two well-known scientists who helped discover information about gravity are 

and . 



Modelling gravity 

It is impossible to conduct an experiment with the planets in space, but it is possible to 

demonstrate the planets in orbit. The following activity will help you to answer the questions: 

Why do planets orbit the Sun without flying off into space? What shape do their orbits take? 

You are going to build a model of the solar system that demonstrates 

the concept of gravity, using balls of different sizes to represent the Sun 

and planets. You might like to record a video of the demonstration, and 

record a voice-over explaining what is happening in the demonstration. 

Equipment: 

• Large sheet of stretchy fabric, approximately 2m x 2m 

• Various marbles, including larger ‘shooter’ marbles and regular-sized marbles 

• At least one pool ball or other heavy, round objects, such as oranges or grapefruits 

• 8–10 chairs (more if you have a bigger piece of fabric) 

• Duct tape or masking tape, or pegs (pegs must be able to open wide enough to clip onto 

the back of the chairs) 

Procedure: 

1. Place the chairs in a circle and securely clip or tape the fabric to the backs of the chairs. 

2. Place a pool ball or other heavy object in the middle of the fabric. 

3. Predict what would happen if you were to place a marble on the edge of the fabric and 

let go of it. 

4. Do it, using one marble, and write what you observe. 

5. Use several marbles of different sizes and release them at different places around the 

perimeter of the fabric. What do you observe? 

6. Predict what would happen if you were to roll a marble away from the pool ball in the 

middle of the fabric. 

7. Do it, using one marble and write what you observe. 



8. What did these three actions demonstrate about gravity? 

9. Experiment with rolling different-sized marbles, one at a time, to try to demonstrate 

planets in orbit. You will need to work out what speed and which way to roll them to get 

the best ‘orbit’ motion. On the back of this sheet, write which way worked best for you. 



Lesson 3 

Why do we have seasons? 



Patterns of change related to Earth’s tilt, rotation and revolution 



• Earth orbits the Sun on its tilted axis of 23.5 degrees from 

the vertical, giving us seasons. When the southern (bottom) 

part of Earth is facing the Sun, it is summer in the south. 

Approximately six months later, the southern part of Earth is 

facing away from the Sun, giving that part of Earth winter. 

• The tilt causes some areas of Earth to experience slanting rays 

of sunlight for part of the year and more direct rays of sunlight 

at other times. 

• In summer, the Sun appears higher in the sky. The length of the 

shadows change throughout summer and winter, because of 

the Sun’s differing height in the sky. 

Preparation 

• Students will require the following equipment for the 

investigation on page 39: black paper; thermometer; torch; 

ruler; sticky tape, white crayon. 

The lesson 


• Before reading the text, discuss with the class what they know 

about seasons. Once the four seasons have been discussed, 

ask the class why we have seasons. Read through the text to 

clarify the answer. 

• Students work in small groups to complete the experiment, 

measuring and recording the temperature of the thermometer 

when the torch is directly above and when it is at an angle. 

The experiment could be done by measuring an angle of 

23.5 degrees from the vertical, to mimic the tilt of Earth, 

but the temperature results may not be as significant to 

demonstrate the effects of a tilt. 

• Discuss each group’s experiment results. Record them as 

a table on the board. How does this relate to why we have 

seasons? Remind the students that Earth’s axis is on a tilt of 

23.5 degrees from the vertical. 

• Ask students to consider how they could conduct another 

activity that focuses on demonstrating the seasons 

in Antarctica. 

Do any of your students find it challenging to work 

in groups? 

Consider having them assign each member of their group a 

role (e.g. leader, notetaker, reporter, help seeker) during the 

‘Demonstrating the reason for seasons’ activity. 

Answers 

Page 38 

1. 

summer 

winter 

autumn 

spring 


spring 

autumn 

winter 

summer 

2. Earth is tilted at an angle, so some of its parts are tilted 

further towards the Sun than others. The parts of Earth that 

receive more sunlight are warmer and experience summer. 

The opposite parts of Earth receive less sunlight, making them 

colder, which is when they experience winter. 

3. (a) winter (b) summer 

4. True 

5. There are only two seasons in Antarctica. 

6. It is still cold because the Sun that reaches Antarctica is not as 

strong or as warm, due to the low-lying angle of Antarctica. 

7. The polar night relates to Antarctica’s winter sky, which is 

almost always dark from March to October. 

Page 39 

Teacher check: The experiment should demonstrate a reduced 

temperature, as well as a light that is less intense and more 

spread out, when the torch is at an angle. This is similar to how 

the tilt of Earth affects the intensity of sunlight that it receives in 

different parts. 



Give each student a small whiteboard and marker, and ask 

them to draw and label how Earth moves and experiences 

seasons. 



Why do we have seasons? – 1 

Most places on Earth have four seasons a year—summer, autumn, winter and spring—but 

what causes the seasons? 

Earth revolves around the Sun, which takes one year, but it does not revolve around the Sun 

while pointing straight up and down. Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle of 23.5 degrees, due 

to collisions during its formation. The axis is the imaginary line that runs through the centre of 

Earth, from the North Pole to the South Pole. 

Therefore, at different times of the year, one part of Earth is more directly tilted towards the 

Sun than other parts, meaning it receives more heat and experiences summer. At the same 

time, the opposite part of Earth is tilted away from the Sun, so the light is spread out over a 

larger surface area, making it cooler. This part of Earth then experiences winter. This explains 

why children in the southern hemisphere (like those in Australia) can be enjoying sunshine 

at the beach in their summer, while children on the opposite side of the globe (like those in 

Britain) are throwing snowballs during their winter. 

The tilt also affects the daily amount of sunlight that each region receives during the seasons. 

During summer, the daylight lasts longer than in winter, when it gets darker sooner. The days 

are not shorter—it is only the amount and duration of sunlight that changes. Without Earth’s 

tilt, we would have exactly 12 hours of darkness and light for every day of the year. 

During spring and autumn, Earth is not tilted away or towards the Sun, but is tilted in the 

direction of its orbit. This diagram shows how Earth’s rotation on its tilted axis causes the 

seasons to change. 

summer 

S 


winter 

N 


autumn 

Sun shines directly on the 


spring 

S 

S 


N 

N 

spring 



autumn 


S 

winter 

summer 




Some places on the planet do not experience spring and autumn, and instead are always 

hot or always cold, due to their location. For example, Antarctica, which is located at the 

South Pole, experiences only two seasons and even summer is cold. This is because it is 

tilted towards the Sun during summer, so the Sun is almost always in the sky from October to 

March, but, because it is at the bottom of the planet at such a low-lying angle, the light that 

reaches it is not very intense. During winter, the South Pole is tilted away from the Sun and the 

sky is almost always dark. This is known as the polar night and lasts from March to October. 

N 



Why do we have seasons? – 2 

1. Complete the names of the seasons in the diagram. 

autumn 

winter 

2. Explain why Earth experiences summer and winter. 

3. If it is July … 

(a) which season is it in Australia? 

(b) which season is it in Britain? 

4. True or false: During winter the days are shorter. True False 

5. What is different about the seasons in Antarctica? 

6. Why is it still cold in Antarctica during summer? 

7. What is the polar night? 

spring 

summer 





Demonstrating the reason for seasons 

Equipment: 

Procedure: 

• Black paper 

• Thermometer 

• Torch 

• Ruler 

• Sticky tape 

• White crayon 

1. Complete the table. 

Temperature 

1. Place the black paper on the desk. Lay a thermometer face-up on 

the paper. 

2. Record the temperature on the thermometer (room temperature). 

3. Tape the torch to the ruler, with the edge of the torch lined up with the 

ruler’s 10cm mark. 

4. Turn the torch on and hold it directly above the thermometer, so that 

the ruler is touching the desk. 

5. Using the white crayon, draw a line around the shape that the light 

makes when it hits the paper. 

6. Record the temperature after five minutes. Turn off the torch. 

7. Allow the thermometer to return to room temperature, then repeat 

the experiment with a new piece of black paper, but this time tilt the 

torch about halfway towards the desk. 

8. Draw a line around the shape that the light makes when the torch 

is tilted. 

9. Record the temperature after five minutes. 

No torchlight 

(room temperature) 

After five minutes of 

direct light 

After five minutes of 

angled light 

2. Draw a diagram to show how the torchlight differed in Steps 5 and 8 of the experiment. 

You can do this on a separate piece of paper or digitally on a device. 

3. What did you notice about the intensity of the light when it was directly above the 

thermometer, compared to when it was on an angle? 



4. Explain how the results of this experiment help us to understand why we have seasons. 



Lesson 4 

How do sunrises and sunsets change? 



Patterns in daylight hours due to Earth’s tilt 

Questioning and predicting | Planning and conducting | Processing, modelling and analysing | Evaluating 


• While orbiting the Sun, Earth is constantly rotating in an 

anticlockwise direction on its axis. This means that the Sun 

appears to ‘rise’ each morning from the east and ‘set’ in 

the west. 

• During the summer, we experience sunrise earlier than in 

winter. The Sun also sets later in the evening. 

• In winter, daylight hours are much shorter. This is due to Earth’s 

tilt on its axis at 23.5 degrees from the vertical. 

• The solstice denotes the longest (summer solstice) and 

shortest (winter solstice) days of the year. 

• Note: A common misconception is that summer days are 

longer than winter days. Days in summer and winter are of 

the same length—only the number of daylight hours/minutes 

will vary. 

Preparation 

• Locate various websites or apps that detail information about 

sunrises, sunsets and other related information. 

• Students will require access to the internet and graph paper for 

the activity on page 43. 

The lesson 


• After reading through the text, discuss as a class, and use the 

internet to view the sunrise and sunset times for the current 

day. Discuss whether students expected these sunrise and 

sunset times, based on what they have read. Check the sunrise 

and sunset times for a country in the opposite hemisphere 

and compare. 

• Students will then observe the sunlight hours and times for the 

current month they are in. Students are to use a combination 

of their own observations and research/data from websites to 

complete the chart. 

Do any of your students have difficulty recording 

their ideas on paper? 

Consider having them record their observations and data 

digitally. 

Answers 

Page 42 

1. summer 

2. 12.30 

3. (a) They are both decreasing. The sunset is getting earlier and 

the daylight hours are becoming fewer. 

(b) The sunrise time is getting later. 

(c) It is nearing the end of summer, so you would expect 

the daylight hours to start getting shorter, which means 

the sunrise will start to become later and the sunset will 

become earlier, as it moves towards winter. 

4. It would be winter in Australia, so the sunrise would be later, 

the sunset would be even earlier and the daylight hours would 

be fewer. 

5. (a) Teacher check 

(b) Sunrise gets earlier when heading into summer and then 

starts getting later. Usually, when the Sun rises earlier, the 

Sun sets later and there are more daylight hours. 

Page 43 

Teacher check: Students may wish to draw a column graph to 

show daylight hours only, or a line graph showing sunrise, sunset 

or both. 




Ask students to write, on a sticky note, a sentence about the 

patterns in daylight hours throughout the year. Display the 

sticky notes in the classroom. 



How do sunrises and sunsets change? – 1 

Earth is constantly rotating in an anticlockwise direction while it is orbiting the Sun. Earth’s 24-hour rotation causes daytime and night time, 

while its orbit causes seasons throughout the year. Due to Earth’s rotation, the Sun appears to ‘rise’ each morning from the east and ‘set’ in 

the west. 

During the summer, we experience sunrise earlier than in winter. The Sun also sets later in the evening. 

In winter, daylight hours are much shorter. This is because, during its orbit around the Sun, Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt on its axis causes 

one hemisphere to lean towards the Sun and experience summer (with more daylight hours), while the other hemisphere tilts away, 

experiencing winter (with fewer hours of sunlight). The days are not shorter or longer—only the daylight hours and minutes vary. 

The time the Sun rises and sets can be predicted because it follows a pattern. The image 

shows the Sun’s pattern on a given day. 

The sunrise and sunset times vary each day and change with the seasons. This table 

provides an example of what data can be calculated and observed. 

February Sunrise (am) Sunset (pm) Daylight hours Solar noon (pm) 

February Sunrise (am) Sunset (pm) Daylight hours Solar noon 

(pm) 

1 5.41 7.18 13hr 37min 12.30 15 5.53 7.07 13hr 13min 12.30 

2 5.42 7.17 13hr 35min 12.30 16 5.54 7.06 13hr 11min 12.30 

3 5.42 7.17 13hr 34min 12.30 17 5.55 7.05 13hr 9min 12.30 

4 5.43 7.16 13hr 32min 12.30 18 5.56 7.04 13hr 7min 12.30 

5 5.44 7.15 13hr 30min 12.30 19 5.57 7.03 13hr 5min 12.30 

6 5.45 7.14 13hr 29min 12.30 20 5.58 7.01 13hr 3min 12.30 

7 5.46 7.14 13hr 27min 12.30 21 5.58 7.00 13hr 1min 12.30 

8 5.47 7.13 13hr 25min 12.30 22 5.59 6.59 13hr 0min 12.30 

9 5.48 7.12 13hr 23min 12.30 23 6.00 6.58 12hr 58min 12.29 

10 5.49 7.11 13hr 22min 12.30 24 6.01 6.57 12hr 56min 12.29 

11 5.50 7.10 13hr 20min 12.30 25 6.02 6.56 12hr 54min 12.29 

12 5.51 7.09 13hr 18min 12.30 26 6.03 6.55 12hr 52min 12.29 

13 5.52 7.08 13hr 16min 12.30 27 6.03 6.54 12hr 50min 12.29 

14 5.52 7.07 13hr 15min 12.30 28 6.04 6.53 12hr 48min 12.29 





How do sunrises and sunsets change? – 2 

1. Which season does the sunrise and sunset data show? 

2. According to the data, at what time did solar noon 

generally occur in February? 

3. (a) What do you notice about the amount of daylight hours and the time the Sun sets 

in February? 

(b) What do you notice about the sunrise times in February? 

(c) What is the reason for these trends? 

4. How would you expect the data to be different in July? 

5. (a) Look at the information below. It gives the time the Sun rose and set on the 28th of 

each month for one year. 

Time (am and pm) 


Sunrise am 5.38 6.05 6.26 6.47 7.07 7.18 7.08 6.38 5.58 5.23 5.04 5.12 

Sunset pm 7.21 6.53 6.18 5.42 5.22 5.21 5.38 5.58 6.17 6.39 7.06 7.25 

7.30 

7.20 

7.10 

7.00 

6.50 

6.40 

6.30 

6.20 

6.10 

6.00 

5.50 

5.40 

5.30 

5.20 

5.10 

5.00 



J F M A M J J A S O N D 

Months 

Present these sunrise and sunset times as a line graph. Use a different colour pencil 

for am and pm. 

(b) What patterns can you see? 



Tracking the Sun 

Over the next month, track the changes in the sunrise, sunset and solar noon times, by 

observing the sky, reading weather reports and searching weather information websites. 

Month/year: 

Season: 

Predicted pattern: 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

Sunrise (am) Sunset (pm) Daylight hours Solar noon (pm) 



Continue this table on a piece of paper to complete the month. 

1. Use graph paper to show the data another way. You may choose to show the data from 

one column or more. 

2. Explain any patterns you can see in the data. 



Lesson 5 

Can scientists cooperate in space research? 




The International Space Station (ISS) 




• The ‘space race’ became a way for countries to exert their 

supremacy over others, especially during the Cold War, when 

they did not physically fight each other. 

• The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 

(as of 2022) member states located in Europe. Its members 

are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech 

Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, 

Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, 

Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, 

Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 

• Data from the crew of the space station is sent daily to 

scientists on Earth. Experiments are conducted each day 

and can be modified easily. The findings are published 

each month. 

• Research on the space station includes finding out about the 

long-term effects of space habitation on the body (relating 

to bone loss and muscle wasting), how to provide medical 

care in space, what effect near-weightlessness has on 

the internal processes of plants and animals, how protein 

crystals are formed in space, fluid investigations, and 

knowledge about combustion which may affect energy use 

on Earth. 

• Microgravity is a state in which gravity is reduced to almost 

non-existent levels, such as during a space flight. 

• Students can get updated information about activities on the 

ISS by looking at NASA’s International Space Station website 

or social media pages. 

Preparation 


• It will be beneficial to explore and become familiar with 

NASA’s International Space Station website. 

• Access to a dictionary may be useful to assist students with 

any unfamiliar vocabulary. 

Do your students require an extension task? 

Consider asking students to find out about space technology 

which has been adapted for use in everyday life, such as: 

mattress materials; satellite television; satellite imaging for 

weather forecasts; virtual reality; water purification systems; 

baby food; athletic shoes; scratch-resistant lenses; solar 

energy; the cochlear implant; digital cameras. 

The lesson 



Assist them with any unfamiliar vocabulary such as ‘milestones’, 

‘trusses’, ‘modules’, ‘arrays’, ‘biology’, ‘chemistry’, ‘physiology’, 

‘physics’ and ‘meteorology’. If necessary, then discuss the 

information and concepts. 

• To complete the research activity on page 47, students will need to 

navigate the NASA, International Space Station website, and search 

through the topic of Research and technology. Students could also 

design their own research rather than using page 47, if there is 

a topic about the International Space Station that they find more 

interesting, such as ‘15 benefits of Space Station Research’. 

Answers 

Page 46 

1. People’s Republic of China, the European Union, Japan, India, 

USA, Russia 

2. the high cost of building a space station by individual nations 

3. The components of the space station are launched into space on 

board spacecraft. 

4. 20 solar panels 

5. laboratories, docking ports, nodes (connecting passageways), 

airlocks, living quarters, robotic arms 

6. NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA, CSA 

7. The crew fly missions, conduct experiments and repair and 

replace parts of the space station. They also do educational 

demonstrations, such as experiments for students on Earth. 

8. Answers will vary but might include that the space station will 

provide a base for excursions to objects in space further from 

Earth; it may help to reduce the risks involved in space exploration 

by being able to repair spacecraft in space rather than having to 

return to Earth; it will provide knowledge about how space travel 

affects humans and therefore make it safer. 




Ask students to explain to a partner what they think is the most 

important reason for the existence of the International Space 

Station. 




Since the beginning of space 

exploration in the 1950s, 

superpowers such as the United 

States of America and Russia 

(then the USSR) have competed 

to achieve milestones in space 

research. The first humanbuilt 

object to orbit Earth was 

Sputnik 1, launched by the USSR 

on 4 October 1957. The first 

human landing on the Moon 

was accomplished by the Apollo 

11 spacecraft of the USA on 

20 July 1969. 

Although nations and groups of 

nations (including the People’s 

Republic of China, the European Union, Japan, India, USA and Russia) still plan individual 

future space exploration, the findings from all missions expand the knowledge of scientists 

around the world. The best example of multinational cooperation in space is the International 

Space Station. 

The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility assembled in Earth’s orbit. In the 

early 1990s, the idea of merging a number of high-cost space station projects into a single 

multinational program was devised. Construction of the station commenced in 1998 with 

the launch of the first Russian module, Zarya. Since then, the parts, including pressurised 

modules, external trusses and other components, have been launched by several nations 

and groups, including the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan and the European Union. By May 2010, 

14 pressured modules were completed as well as the complete integrated truss structure. The 

station is powered by 20 solar panels mounted on the external trusses. The station consists of 

pressurised modules for laboratories, docking ports, connecting passageways called ‘nodes’, 

airlocks, living quarters and robotic arms. The space station orbits Earth at an average 

altitude of 435km, travels at an average speed of about 28 000km/h and orbits Earth almost 

16 times each day. Construction of the space station was completed in 2011. The first crew 

took up residence in 2000 and the ISS has since had continuous human presence. 

The space station is a joint project among five space agencies—the American National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the 

Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (Roscosmos), the Japanese Aerospace 

Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Sections of the station are 

controlled by mission control centres on Earth. 



Scientists from different countries are able to conduct experiments in biology, chemistry, 

medicine, physiology, physics, astronomy, technology and meteorology in a special 

microgravity environment in the completed modules. The space station is used to test 

spacecraft systems for missions to the Moon and Mars. Crews of six astronauts and 

cosmonauts fly long missions, conduct experiments and learn how to repair and replace 

parts of the station. The crews also make educational demonstrations for students on Earth, 

and show them how to do experiments like those on the space station. The space station 

holds the record for the longest uninterrupted human habitation of space. 

The International Space Station, which can be seen from Earth, is the largest built satellite 

ever to orbit Earth, and a fine example of cooperation among scientists of many nations. 




1. Which individual groups and nations are planning future 

space exploration missions? 

2. What was one cause of the merger among the nations 

when they created the International Space Station? 

3. How do the different components of the space station get to the location of the 

space station? 

4. What power source for the station is housed on the external trusses? 

5. List the components of the completed modules of the International Space Station. 

6. Write the abbreviations for the five space agencies involved in setting up and operating 

the International Space Station. 

• • • • • 

7. What are the main activities carried out by the crew of the space station? 

8. Explain how learning to repair and replace parts of the space station can help future 

space exploration. 






Using the table below, find out what we have learnt from the International Space Station and 

who has been a part of the research. Compile the information into a digital presentation. 

Field of research 

People involved 

and their role 

Summary 

of findings 

Why it is significant 

How does it help 

humans back 

on Earth? 



Other 

interesting facts 



Lesson 6 


first space observers 


How First Nations Australians recorded and communicated time based on astronomical observations 







• First Nations Australians are considered the first astronomers, 

as they are the most ancient civilisation in the world. There 

is much evidence of their knowledge and recording of the 

astronomical movements in various sites across Australia. 

Once considered depictions of myths and legends, these 

records are now acknowledged for their scientific value and 

are still being researched today. 

• The solstice denotes the longest (summer solstice) and 

shortest (winter solstice) days of the year. An equinox, which 

occurs twice a year, is when the Sun crosses Earth’s equator, 

so that Earth’s axis is perpendicular to the Sun and is not 

leaning towards or away from the Sun. This means that the 

number of night-time and daylight hours is equal. 

Preparation 

• Locate various videos about First Nations’ astronomy, as it 

is depicted in art, such as, Moon Rock reveals Aboriginal 

astrology (The Sydney Morning Herald online), about the site at 

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The video can also be located 

within the article titled, Moon Rock Aboriginal site in Sydney 

shows long association with astronomy and Dreamtime stories. 

• Students will require access to the internet and digital 

presentation software to compete the research activity on 

page 51. 

The lesson 


• After reading the text on page 49, view the video about Kuring-gai 

Chase National Park. After discussing the information 

presented in the video as a class, students complete page 50. 

• The research activity on page 51 can be done in pairs. 

Students may also wish to research another significant 

First Nations Australian who has contributed to the field of 

astronomy, or another significant website or video. 

Do any of your students have more success 

working independently? 

Provide them with an individual copy of the research activity 

to work through on their own, before joining the class to share 

their digital presentation. 

Answers 

Page 50 

1. The way that First Nations Australians have recorded and 

communicated their knowledge through oral traditions, songs, 

dances, stories, art (including petroglyphs), paintings and 

stone arrangements. 

2. It is now scientifically recognised and valued. 

3. This image shows a solar eclipse, with ‘the moon man’ 

obscuring ‘the sun woman’ as would occur during the eclipse. 

Above them, a crescent moon shape depicts the Moon as it 

would appear in the sky during an eclipse. 

4. (a) An equinox is when the Sun crosses Earth’s equator, 

meaning Earth’s axis is not tilted away from or towards the 

Sun—it is instead straight up and down. The night time 

and daylight hours are of equal length. This occurs twice 

a year. 

A solstice is when the Sun’s path is the furthest north 

or south from the equator. This occurs twice a year. The 

winter solstice is when the North Pole is tilted closest to 

the Sun, and the summer solstice is when the South Pole is 

tilted closest to the Sun. 

(b) 


equinox 

winter solstice 

summer solstice 




Ask students to record a brief video, stating what they learnt 

about First Nations Australians’ astronomical knowledge. 




first space observers – 1 

First Nations Australians have used astronomical observations of the Moon, stars, planets and 

Sun to develop time-keeping systems for thousands of years. They are the first astronomers. 

One of the biggest differences between western science and First Nations Australians’ 

astronomy is the way that First Nations peoples have recorded and communicated their 

discoveries and knowledge. For countless generations, First Nations Australians have used 

oral traditions, songs, dances, stories and art to communicate their astronomical knowledge. 

In the past, this astronomical knowledge was regarded by many as myths and legends, but 

now it is finally being recognised in the scientific field. Many rock paintings, petroglyphs (rock 

carvings) and stone arrangements are being preserved and valued for their contribution 

and provide evidence of the ancient knowledge that First Nations Australians have of the Sun, 

Moon, stars and planets. 

Petroglyphs 

Ngaut Ngaut, located in Ngarrindjeri Country in South Australia, is an ancient rock art site that 

has many astronomical connections. The art is in the form of engravings or carvings into the 

sides of cliff faces. It includes images of animals, people, deities, the Sun and the Moon. One 

of the most significant is a series of dots and lines in the rock, which, the Traditional Owners 

explain, show the cycles of the Moon. 

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, in Darramurra-gal Country in New South Wales, is where the 

Guringai peoples recorded and communicated their observations of the Moon. The phases 

of the Moon are depicted in a series of eight engravings, which together form the lunar 

calendar. The phases begin with the creator Biame’s boomerang. 

Another location in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, on 

the Basin Track, is said to depict a solar eclipse. It shows 

a man and woman with their arms and legs overlapping, 

and a crescent shape above their heads. It is thought that 

this crescent represents the Moon as it would appear in the 

sky during a solar eclipse, and that the characters below 

represent ‘the moon man’ obscuring ‘the sun woman’ 

during the eclipse. 

Stone arrangements 

Wurdi Youang is a significant stone 

arrangement, built by the Wathaurung 

peoples in Victoria. It is an eggshaped 

ring that roughly measures 

50m across and contains more than 

50 basalt stones. The stones are 

deliberately aligned with significant 

astronomical positions. The formation 

is laid out in an east-west direction, 

and the stones on the west side show 

the position of the setting sun at the 

equinoxes and solstices. 

winter solstice 



equinox 

summer solstice 




first space observers – 2 

1. What is the biggest difference between western science and First Nations 

Australians’ astronomy? 

2. What has changed about how First Nations Australians’ astronomical knowledge 

is viewed? 

3. Describe the astronomical event that this image shows. 

4. (a) Find out, and write about what the following words mean: 

equinox 

solstice 

(b) Draw arrows and label this diagram of Wurdi Youang, using the terms: equinox; 

summer solstice; winter solstice. 



5. Do you think it is important to conserve these ancient sites and artworks? Why? 


Earth and space sciencesLesson 6.3 

First Nations Australians—modern astronomers 

Research one of the following First Nations Australian astronomers and find out about their 

dedication to First Nations’ astronomy. Use the template as a guide, and then compile the 

information into a digital presentation. 

Kirsten Banks Willy Stevens Krystal de Napoli Professor Martin Nakata 

Date and place 

of birth 

Education 

First involvement 

in the field 

of astronomy 

What are they 

passionate about? 

Other 

achievements 



Interesting facts 




Achievement 

standard: 

By the end of Year 6, students model the relationship between the Sun and planets of the solar system and 

explain how the relative positions of Earth and the Sun relate to observed phenomena on Earth. 

1. (a) List the planets in the solar system, in order from the Sun. (Hint: use a mnemonic, 

such as, My Very Excited Monster Just Surprised Us Now). 

(b) True or false: 

The planets are always lined up in a straight line when they orbit the Sun. 

True 

False 

2. Explain the importance of gravity in terms of the Sun and how the planets move around 

the solar system. 






3. (a) Label this diagram with the correct seasons. 





N 

N 

S 



S 

N 

(b) Explains how the tilt of Earth’s axis contributes to seasons. 

S 




(c) Explain what the patterns in this data show about daylight hours in different seasons. 

Sunrise 

am 

Sunset 

pm 


5.38 6.05 6.26 6.47 7.07 7.18 7.08 6.38 5.58 5.23 5.04 5.12 

7.21 6.53 6.18 5.42 5.22 5.21 5.38 5.58 6.17 6.39 7.06 7.25 



S 

N 


Lesson 

Lesson 1 

What is electricity and how do we 

use it at home? 

Safety first! 

Lesson 2 

How does electricity flow? 

Connecting circuits 

Lesson 3 

How can we adjust the brightness 

of light? 

Make it dim or bright 

Lesson 4 

What are electrical conductors 

and insulators? 

Conductor or insulator? 

Lesson 5 

How do light globes work? 

Electromagnetism unplugged! 

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AC9S6U03 investigate the transfer and transformation of energy in electrical 

circuits, including the role of circuit components, insulators and conductors 





Lesson 1 

What is electricity and how do we use it 

at home? 


What electricity is, how it is used and how to be safe when using it 





• An electric current is a flow of microscopic particles called electrons through 

wires and electric components. Much like how water is pushed through pipes 

by a pump, electric current is pushed through wires by a battery. An electron 

has a negative charge. The battery has a negative terminal and a positive 

terminal. The battery’s negative terminal will push negative electrons along a 

wire and the battery’s positive terminal will attract negative electrons along a 

wire. Electric current flows from the battery’s negative terminal, through the 

light bulb, to the positive terminal. 

• Electricity travels from a power source, such as a battery, around a circuit 

(series of conductors) and back to the power source. Electricity will not flow if 

there is a gap in the circuit. 

• Search the keywords ‘electrical safety tips’ online to locate information that 

is relevant to your state or territory. 

Preparation 

• Locate various online videos about electricity and electrical safety, such as 

Why Sparky got a shock (Western Power). 

• Prepare mystery brown paper bags for small groups, each containing: four AA 

batteries; two battery holders; six insulated wires; two 1.5-volt light bulbs; 

two sockets. 

The lesson 



Planning and conducting | Processing, modelling and analysing | Communicating 

• This lesson serves as an introduction to electricity and a way to assess what 

students already know. 

• After reading through the text on page 57, discuss what students know about 

electricity and state items that use electricity to work. You may wish to use a 

Venn diagram to list items found at home, at school and in both places. 

• After students create their poster of electrical safety hazards, they are tasked 

with working out how to make the bulb light up using the items in their 

mystery bag. Some students may work it out and others may not; it is more 

about seeing what the students are capable of and introducing them to the 

components of circuits that they will be using in this unit. 

Do any of your students find it challenging to contribute to 

whole class discussions? 

Consider having them discuss what they know about electricity in small 

groups, before selecting a representative to share a summary of their ideas 

with the class. 

Answers 

Page 58 

1. A fossilised rock called amber, known in Latin 

as ‘electrum’, which, when rubbed with wool, 

produces an electrical force. 

2. (a) False (b) False (c) True (d) True (e) True 

3. (a) no electric charge 

4. 

(b) negative electric charge 

(c) positive electric charge 

A 

C 

5–6. Teacher check 

Page 59 


2. (a) Students are to assemble and draw a simple 

circuit with two wires, one from each end of 

a battery, leading to a light bulb. 

(b) A battery provided the power. 

B 

(c) The wires were used to connect the circuit, 

by attaching the battery to the light bulb. 




Ask the class to hold up their fingers on 

one hand, as a scale to show how well they 

understood the concept of electricity—from one 

finger for not understanding at all, to five digits 

for fully understanding. 


Physical sciences Lesson 1.1 

What is electricity and how do we use it at 

home? – 1 

Electricity is an essential part of our everyday lives. From streetlights to hand-held devices, our 

reliance on electricity has become so embedded in our modern world that many of us take it 

for granted. It is true that many of us happily consume large amounts of electricity on a daily 

basis, but have very little understanding of what it is or how it is produced. So, what exactly 

is electricity? 

More than 400 years ago, an English scientist named William Gilbert first coined the term 

‘electricity’ after studying the effect of rubbing wool on a type of fossilised rock called amber 

(known in Latin as electrum). He found that this action produced a type of electrical force 

that could attract wool and other light objects to the rock. A century later, Benjamin Franklin 

further discovered that electricity could attract and repel objects. He named these two types 

of electricity ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ electric charges. Electricity is created by the flow of these 

electric charges. 

To understand how these opposite charges create electricity, we must first learn about the 

structure of atoms. Atoms are the tiny particles that make up all physical matter. They are 

made from three even smaller particles called protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and 

neutrons surround the nucleus (or centre) of the atom. The electrons revolve around the 

nucleus. Protons carry a positive electric charge while electrons have a negative electric 

charge. Neutrons are neutral and carry no charge at all. In an atom with no electric charge, 

there is an equal number of protons and electrons. 

Just like magnets, opposite charged particles (i.e. proton + electron) are attracted to one 

another, whereas same charged particles (i.e. proton + proton; electron + electron) repel one 

another. When an atom passes one or more of its electrons onto another atom it becomes 

positively charged. The atom that has received extra electrons becomes negatively charged. 

The accumulation of negatively charged electrons is what creates electricity. 

Current electricity is a type of electricity that powers all the appliances and devices we use 

in our everyday lives. It is a flow of electrons that are in constant motion. As it flows, current 

electricity is converted into more practical forms of energy, such as heat for the oven or 

motion for the washing machine. 

Even though electricity is very useful to us, it can also be highly dangerous. That is why it is 

important to keep your home safe and childproof. These are some helpful tips: 

• Do not play with or bite electrical cords. 

• Do not stick fingers or any other objects into 

electrical outlets, and use childproof plugs 

if needed. 

• Do not overload sockets; use 

powerboards instead. 

• Do not pull on cords to unplug appliances; 

pull by the plug. 

• Never touch an electrical appliance with wet 

hands or while standing in water. 

• Do not play near electrical equipment 

or powerlines, and never throw things 

over powerlines. 

• If you see a powerline down, do not 

touch it! 



• It is best to ask an adult to help you 

with electrical appliances and cords, 

and always let a parent or adult know 

if there is a problem with an outlet, wire 

or other electrical appliance. 

• Never use an electrical cord that is 

broken, frayed or has wires showing. 



Lesson 1.2 

What is electricity and how do we use it at 

home? – 2 

1. Where does the term ‘electricity’ derive from? 


(a) Amber is a fossilised rock called ‘electrum’ in Greek. True False 

(b) Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. True False 

(c) Atoms make up all physical matter. True False 

(d) Opposite electric charged particles attract. True False 

(e) If there is an equal number of protons and electrons in 

an atom there is no charge. True False 

3. Connect each particle to its charge. 

(a) neutron • • positive electric charge 

(b) electron • • no electric charge 

(c) proton • • negative electric charge 

4. Label the parts of the atom. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

neutron 

electron 

proton 

5. What do you think are the top three rules to remember when using electricity at home? 

6. Write two things that you would like to learn about electricity. 

• 



• 



Lesson 1.3 

Safety first! 

1. Design a poster, showing a scene with electrical hazards, that you can use to test 

whether others can ‘spot the electrical safety hazards’. 

List the hazards below, then create the poster on a separate piece of paper. 

2. Keeping safety in mind, use the equipment provided by your teacher to see if you can 

work out how to make the light bulb light up! 

(a) Draw what your equipment looked like when you assembled it and made the light 

turn on. 



(b) What did you use for power? 

(c) What did you use the wires for? 



Lesson 2 

How does electricity flow? 



A complete circuit is needed for electricity to flow 


Communicating 


• Electrons in the outer shell of each 

atom in a metal wire are not fixed 

to a specific atom. When a circuit is 

complete and the battery provides 

the force (voltage) for the electrons 

to flow, the electrons in the outer 

shells move from one atom to the 

next. They continue to travel in this 

way until there is a break in the 

circuit and the flow stops. 

• Household wiring can be arranged 

as series and parallel circuits. From 

the mains to the meter box, the 

circuit is in series. This is why when 

there is a power cut, there is no 

power to the house. 

• Students may notice the difference 

in light intensity of the globes in 

each circuit. The flow of electricity 

is affected by the resistance 

within the circuit. All globes act as 

resistors. In a series circuit, there 

is twice as much resistance so 

each globe is half as bright as a 

single globe in series would be. 

In a parallel circuit, each globe 

has its own circuit branch and the 

resistance for each is the same as 

for a single globe in series so each 

globe glows equally brightly. 

Preparation 

• Search the internet using the 

keywords ‘Circuits with friends 

National Geographic’ to locate and 

complete activity. You will need at 

least six tennis balls and various 

objects to act as obstacles. 

• Teachers will need to collect the 

electrical components as listed on 

page 63. 

The lesson 

• Pages 61 and 62 are to be 

used together. 

• Before reading the text, discuss what 

students learnt about how electricity 

works when they attempted to make 

the light bulb work in the previous 

lesson. Was it easy? Did it make 

sense? They should understand that 

electricity travels as a continuous 

flow of electrons. If there is a break 

anywhere in the circuit, the electrons 

(and hence the electricity) will cease 

to flow. 

• Model a human circuit by playing a 

game such as, Circuits with friends 

(National Geographic), found online. 

• If students have difficulty making 

the activity on page 63 work, they 

can consider how accurately they 

have assembled each circuit and the 

possibility that the batteries may have 

run down or the globes have blown. 

Answers 

Page 62 

1. (a) The current will not flow because 

there is a break in the circuit. 

(b) The current will flow because there 

are no breaks in the circuit. 

(c) The current will not flow because 

there is a break in the circuit as the 

switch is open. 

2. (a) electrons—negatively 

charged particles 

(b) current—the flow of electrons from 

one atom to another 

(c) resistance—the force that acts 

against the flow of electrons 

(d) load—something that 

uses electricity 

(e) voltage—the force that pushes 

electrons around a circuit 

3. (a) False (b) True (c) True 

4. (a) Electrons flow from the negative end 

of the battery, through a circuit, to the 

positive end. 

(b) Answers should be similar to: the 

negatively charged electrons are 

pushed from the negative end of the 

battery, through a circuit, and return to 

the positive end of the battery. 

5. An ammeter measures the electric current 

in a circuit in amperes. It measures either 

DC (direct) or AC (alternating) current. 

Page 63 

1. Hypothesis/results 

Switch 1 – This is a series circuit and the 

current has only one path along which to 

flow. When the switch is turned off, both 

bulbs go out because there is no longer 

any current flowing. 

Switch 2 – This switch is arranged in 

series so when it is switched off, neither 

globe will work because the current has 

stopped flowing. When it is turned on, the 

globes will only work if their switches are 

also turned on. 

Switches 3 and 4 – These are arranged 

in parallel with their globes. If they are 

turned on, the globes will work if switch 2 

is also turned on. If it is not, neither globe 

will work. If either switch is turned off, the 

other will still work if switch 2 is turned on. 

2. Switch 1 – series; Switch 2 – series; 

Switch 3 – parallel; Switch 4 – parallel 



3. Answer should be similar to: electrical 

components arranged in series will only 

work if there are no breaks in the circuit. 

Arranged in parallel, the components can 

work independently of one another. 

Do any of your students require an extension task? 

Consider having pairs of students experiment with the number of switches, or 

adding more branches to a parallel circuit, to see the effect. 


Ask students to write or draw on a strip of 

paper what a simple circuit, series circuit, 

and parallel circuit are. 



How does electricity flow? – 1 

Imagine riding a bicycle on a path around a lake. If there are no obstacles on the path, you 

can easily complete the circuit and end up back where you started. In the same way, if 

there are no breaks in an electrical circuit, a current will start at a battery and flow around 

the circuit until it is back at the battery. If when cycling an obstacle falls on the cycle path 

behind you, it will not stop you completing the circuit because you have already passed that 

point. However, if a break occurs anywhere in an electric circuit at any time, the electricity 

stops flowing. 

On the bicycle path, there may be a tunnel to ride through or a bridge crossing over a stream, 

but these will not stop your progress. In an electric circuit, there may be a light globe or a 

doorbell that uses the electricity but, like the tunnel or the bridge, they do not stop the flow 

of electricity. 

Perhaps a train line crosses the cycle path. When a train is due, warning lights flash and a 

gate comes down across the path, blocking the way. Until the train has passed and the gate 

is lifted, you will not be able to continue. A switch in an electric circuit is like that gate. It stops 

and starts the flow of electricity. 

Electric current 

Everything is made up of atoms, each 

of which has a positively charged core 

(called a nucleus) and a number of 

concentric shells surrounding it. These 

shells contain tiny negatively charged 

particles called electrons. In metals, 

electricity is the flow of electrons from 

the outer shell of one atom to the outer 

shell of another. This flow of electrons 

is called a current. The path of the 

current is called a circuit. 

+ve 

-ve 

Voltage 

battery 

light globe 

open switch 

closed switch 

+ve 

-ve 

To make the electricity flow, a force 

is needed to push the electrons 

around the circuit. This force, which 

is called the voltage, is provided 

by the battery. The electrons flow 

from the negative terminal of the 

battery, along a wire to the load, 

then along another wire to the 

positive end of the battery. 

Electric circuit 

A simple circuit consists of a battery to provide 

power, wires to carry the current and a load 

that uses the electricity; for example, a light 

globe. The wires are connected from the 

positive end to the negative end 

of the battery. In between, a 

light globe is attached. A switch 

can be added, to create or _ 

break the circuit, so the globe 

can be switched on and off. + 

flow of electrons 

closed switch 

Resistance 

+ve 

-ve 

open switch 



As a current flows through a circuit, the wire exerts 

a force against the flow of electrons. This force is 

called resistance. It causes friction by slowing down 

the movement of electrons. 

A thin wire slows the electrons more than a thick 

wire and creates more resistance. This is the same 

for the longer wire. 

It takes energy for electrons to move against the 

resistance along a wire. 



How does electricity flow? – 2 

1. For each circuit, state whether the current will or will not flow. Explain why or why not. 

(a) 

+ve 

-ve 

The current will/will not flow because ... 

(b) 

(c) 

+ve 

-ve 

+ve 

-ve 

2. Match each word with its meaning. 

(a) electrons • • something that uses electricity 

(b) current • • the force that pushes electrons around a circuit 

(c) resistance • • negatively charged particles 

(d) load • • the flow of electrons from one atom to another 

(e) voltage • • the force that acts against the flow of electrons 


(a) Electrons pass more easily along a thin wire than a thick wire. True False 

(b) More energy is lost in a longer wire than a shorter wire. True False 

(c) A thick, short wire has less resistance than a thin, long wire. True False 

4. In an electric circuit, electrons flow from the battery in one direction only. 

(a) Tick which you think is the correct end to the statement. Electrons flow from ... 

• the positive end of the battery, through a circuit, to the negative end. 

• the negative end of the battery, through a circuit, to the positive end. 

(b) Rewrite the correct sentence in your own words. 

5. Research and explain what an ‘ammeter’ measures. 







Connecting circuits 

Electrical circuits can be connected in two ways: 

Series 

Parallel 

In a series circuit, the current flows along 

a single path from the battery, through 

each component in turn, and back to 

the battery. 

You are going to investigate both types of circuit. 

Equipment: 

• Two batteries 

• Four switches 

Procedure: 

• Four light globes 

• 13 connecting wires 

Set up each circuit as shown in the diagrams. 

+ve 

-ve 

1. In the table, record: 

1 

The current in a parallel circuit can flow 

along more than one path and through the 

components in each branch of the circuit 

at the same time. 

+ve 

-ve 

battery 

light globe 

+ve 

-ve 

3 

4 

open switch 

closed switch 

(a) what you think will happen to each globe when each switch is opened and closed. 

(b) what happened to each globe when each switch was opened and closed. 

Switch (a) Prediction (b) Results 

1 

2 

3 

4 



2. Write either series or parallel to indicate how each switch is connected. 

Switch 1 Switch 2 

Switch 3 Switch 4 

3. What can you conclude from this investigation? 

2 



Lesson 3 

How can we adjust the brightness of light? 




How the transfer of energy can be impeded or enabled 

• Nature and development of science 

• Use and influence of science 




• This lesson discusses the invention of the dimmer switch, which 

uses a transistor to control the flow of energy. This is beyond the 

scope of students’ knowledge, but serves as an introduction to the 

idea of experimenting with circuits to impede or enable energy to 

pass through to a light. 

• The experiment involves a comparison of circuits and should be 

done by changing one factor at a time. Circuits can be altered in 

a number of ways; for example, wire can be lengthened; more 

batteries added; more bulbs added; and switches can be included 

in the circuit. 

• The more batteries included in a circuit, the brighter the bulbs will 

be. The more bulbs in a series circuit (in a line), the dimmer the 

bulbs will be. 

Preparation 

• Have a simple circuit set up to display to the class. 

• Students will require the following equipment for the experiment: 

six AA batteries; three battery holders; eight insulated wires; four 

1.5-volt light bulbs; four sockets. 

• Note: When making a circuit, the device and battery should be 

matched (e.g. a 1.5-volt bulb needs a 1.5-volt battery). 

• Organise the equipment for each table into trays. Organise the 

students into small groups. 

The lesson 


• Before commencing the experiment on page 67, demonstrate a 

circuit with one bulb and one battery, and then add another battery. 

Ask the students what difference is apparent by looking at the 

bulb. (One circuit’s bulb is brighter than the other.) 

Do any of your students require movement breaks? 

• Students then work in small groups and experiment to 

make the brightest light and the dullest light they can. 

(Explain that globes are designed to be used with batteries 

of a particular voltage and can burn out if the voltage is 

exceeded.) Ensure that students make only one change to 

their circuit each time. 

• For groups that need additional support, suggest adding 

more batteries and fewer bulbs. 

• The students record their results on page 67. They discuss 

the observations and whether it was a fair test with the 

members of their group, and evaluate which circuits were 

the most or least successful. 

Answers 

Page 66 

1. (a) To create a mood in different rooms of a house. 

(b) Joel Spira 

2. (a) Older switches absorbed the energy to reduce the 

energy flowing through to the light, while modern 

dimmers control the energy by interrupting the flow 

and chopping out parts of the voltage. 

(b) integrated 

touchscreen 

slide 

rotary 

controlled remotely, like in a smart 

home system 

installed on a wall and operated 

by touch 

simple fittings for the wall, that slide up 

and down 

simple fittings for the wall, with knobs 

that are turned manually 

3. A dimmer switch saves on the cost of energy, and is better 

for the environment than traditional switches because it 

reduces carbon emissions. 



4. Light bulbs would last longer, as dimmer switches mean 

that the bulbs are not lit at their highest energy point, so 

they will not burn out as quickly as when they are fully lit. 

Consider having students go for a walk through the school grounds 

and locate any lighted areas that may benefit from a dimmer switch 

in order to save energy. 


Ask students to write an email to a friend, explaining how 

they made a bright light and how they made a dim light. 



How can we adjust the brightness of light? – 1 

Have you ever used a light dimmer switch before? Have you seen the lights fade up and 

down at the cinema or a theatre? Did you know that the light dimmer switch was originally 

invented as a way to create a mood, much like at a candle-lit dinner? 

Joel Spira was the inventor of the 

light dimmer switch in the 1950s. He 

wanted to use lighting to create a 

nice environment in different rooms 

of a house. He spent hours testing 

his device to find the right balance 

of dim to bright. 

He was very successful in his 

endeavours and dimmers still 

remain popular today. Even the 

Statue of Liberty, in New York, is lit 

up using this technology. 

How a dimmer switch works 

The dimmer switch lets you adjust the light levels from nearly dark to fully lit. The early, simple 

dimmer switches reduced the amount of electricity flowing through a circuit by absorbing 

energy, to make the light dimmer. 

Modern dimmer switches control how much current flows through the circuit by interrupting 

the flow of energy. The switch chops out parts of the voltage that passes to the light bulb by 

turning off more than 100 times per second. The mechanism works so quickly that you will 

never notice any flickering. When you turn the dimmer up, the mechanism switches off fewer 

times and makes the light brighter. 

Types of switches 

Some designs include: integrated 

dimmer switches, which are controlled 

remotely, like in a smart home system; 

touchscreen dimmer switches, which 

are installed on a wall and operated by 

touch; slide dimmers, which are simple 

fittings for the wall that slide up and 

down to control brightness; and rotary 

dimmers, which are simple fittings for the 

wall with knobs that are turned manually. 



Advantages 

Not only does a dimmer switch allow you to control the amount of light, it also saves energy, 

which helps to reduce household energy bills. In the United States of America, the home of the 

inventor, dimmer switches save people over $1 billion a year in electricity costs. 

Saving energy also means reducing carbon emissions, which is better for the environment. 

The original inventor did not even consider this potential impact, but now dimmer switches 

have their place in helping to save the environment. 



How can we adjust the brightness of light? – 2 

1. (a) Why was the dimmer switch originally created? 

(b) Who created it? 

2. (a) What is the difference between older dimmer switches and more modern 

dimmer switches? 

(b) Match the type of dimmer switch to the description. 

integrated • • installed on a wall and operated by touch 

touchscreen • • simple fittings for the wall, that slide up 

and down 

slide • • simple fittings for the wall, with knobs that are 

turned manually 

rotary • • controlled remotely, like in a smart 

home system 

3. Write two advantages of the dimmer switch. 

• 

• 

4. Do you think light bulbs would last longer or burn out quicker if connected to a dimmer 

switch? Explain. 





Lesson 3.3 

Make it dim or bright 

It would be very difficult to make the mechanism behind a dimmer switch and would involve 

a complex circuit. A much simpler way to play with the brightness of a bulb is to experiment 

with a simple circuit. 

1. Begin with a simple circuit and draw it in the box below. Make one change at a time to 

find the brightest light and the dullest light. 

My original circuit 

Possible changes and predicted effect 

2. What problems did you have during your testing? 

3. (a) How did you make the brightest light? 

(b) How did you make the dullest light? 



4. Yasmin is about to complete a circuit and wants to make one bulb very bright. She adds 

three bulbs to her circuit and believes the bulb closest to the battery will be the brightest. 

Is she right? Explain. 



Lesson 4 

What are electrical conductors and insulators? 



The difference between electrical conductors and insulators 


Communicating 


• Ensure students understand the meaning of resistance. It is a 

force that acts against something. In electricity, resistance acts 

against the flow of electrons. It slows them down and does not 

want them to pass through. Electrical conductors have a low 

resistance to the flow of electrons, which means they allow 

electrons to flow easily. Insulators have a high resistance to 

electron flow. Effective insulators can halt the flow of electrons, 

stopping them completely. 

Preparation 

• Bring to the lesson two- and three-pin plugs, including those 

that can be pulled apart; lengths of copper wire; insulated wire 

(blue, brown, yellow/green); and outer cables. 

• For the activity on page 71, provide sufficient electrical 

components: batteries; insulated wires with connecting clips; 

light globes and/or other loads; and switches. Materials 

for testing can include: different metals; steel wool; water; 

graphite from pencils; charcoal; chalk; polystyrene (trays); 

cottonwool; plastic; chipboard; ceramics; slate; bark. 

The lesson 


• Allow students to cut outer cables to see the coloured 

insulation inside and then cut this to reveal the copper wire. 

Ask: Why is the copper wire in thin threads and not in one solid 

piece? Students can pull the plugs apart and see the different 

coloured wires connected to the live, neutral, and earth pins, 

noting that only bare copper wire is part of the connection. 

Safety first: Ensure no student plugs an uncovered plug into 

a socket. 

• Discuss students’ ideas for each part of the investigation on 

page 71. Guide them towards connecting each material, in 

turn, to a circuit. If the material allows electricity to flow, it is 

a conductor. If it does not, it is an insulator. Ask: How will they 

know if electricity is flowing? (They will need to incorporate 

a load, such as a light globe or bell, into the circuit.) It may 

be possible to determine an order of effectiveness of the 

conductors by how well the load works. 

• Materials that did not conduct electricity in the first part of 

the test can be used as insulators in this part. Ask: How will 

they determine which conductor to use? Does it matter? 

How will they cover the conductor with the insulator? How 

will they ensure a fair test? With some insulating materials, 

covering the conductor may pose problems. Ask: How will 

they overcome these problems? In their evaluations, students 

can discuss practical points that may have helped or hindered 

their investigations. 

Answers 

Page 70 

1. (a) True (b) False (c) True (d) False 

2. The electrons in the outer shell are held firmly in place and do 

not move from one atom to another when an electrical force 

is applied. 

3. Copper is less expensive than silver and it is almost as good as 

silver at conducting electricity. 

4. Water is a good electrical conductor and the human body is 

about 55% to 65% water. 

5. (a) They cover copper wires that carry electricity, 

preventing the current from passing to us or any other 

conducting material. 

(b) Bare copper wire is first covered with an insulating 

sheath made of plastic. Lengths of wire are then insulated 

together in a thick, plastic outer cable. 

6. (a) For electricity to flow, a circuit must be complete. The 

brass pins make the connection between the wires in an 

appliance cable and the wires between the socket and the 

source. If they were insulated, the pins would not be able 

to make this connection. 

(b) To prevent anyone putting something (which may conduct 

electricity) in them and getting electrocuted. 



Do any of your students require further teaching of 

the concepts? 

Page 71 

At the conclusion of the activity, the students will be able to name 

types of material that conduct electricity and those that do not. 

They will discover that some insulators are far more effective than 

others. Water and metals are generally good conductors, while 

good insulators include cotton, rubber, glass, porcelain, paper, 

wood and fibreglass. 


Consider connecting the lesson to authentic experiences, and 

display some wires and materials mentioned in the text for the 

students to see and feel. 

Ask students to draw a table and list materials that are 

conductors in one column and materials that are insulators in 

the other column. 



What are electrical conductors and insulators? – 1 

Some materials have a low resistance to 

electricity and will allow it to easily pass 

through them. These are called electrical 

conductors. Electrical insulators are 

materials that have a high resistance 

to electricity and will not allow it to flow 

through them. Some materials are better as 

conductors and some better as insulators. 

So what makes a material one or the other? 

All materials are made up of atoms. These 

are tiny particles, each with a positively 

charged core called a nucleus with a 

number of concentric shells surrounding it. 

The shells contain tiny negatively charged 

particles called electrons. In all but the outer 

shell, the electrons are held securely in 

place. In materials that are good electrical 

insulators, the electrons in the outer shell 

are also held firmly. But in some materials, 

the electrons in the outer shell are held only 

loosely. These electrons easily flow from one 

atom to another when an electrical force 

(voltage) is applied. Metals are examples of 

this type of material and many metals are 

good electrical conductors. 

Inside an atom 

nucleus 

of the atom 

electrons in orbit 

electrons 

shells 

nucleus of the atom 

Although silver is the best conductor of 

electricity, it is very expensive. Copper is 

almost as good a conductor and much 

cheaper than silver, so copper wiring is 

often used in electrical appliances and 

to conduct electricity from one place 

to another. 

Did you know that the human body is a 

good conductor of electricity? Water is a 

good electrical conductor and the human 

body is about 55% to 65% water! This is why 

it is important to never plug in an electrical 

appliance if your hands are wet or if you are 

standing in water. 

The strength (voltage) of electricity supplied 

to our homes is very low compared to the 

voltage in powerlines, but at 220–240V it 

is still deadly. So how are we able to use 

electricity safely? 

Bare copper wire used for carrying 

electricity is enclosed in a protective sheath 

made from an insulating material, usually 

plastic. The sheath stops the electricity 

escaping from the wire and flowing through 

any other conducting material. The wire 

in the sheath is then insulated in a thicker 

outer plastic cable. 

Household appliances have at least two 

lengths of wire within the outer cable. The 

‘live’ wire is in a brown sheath and the 

‘neutral’ wire is in a blue sheath. A third, 

‘earth’ wire in a yellow/green sheath can 

also be included. 

copper wire 



live wire 

R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 69 

live 

earth 

neutral 

earth wire 

neutral wire 

Wires are encased in insulating material 

to protect us from electric shock or even 

death, so if you can see any exposed 

copper wiring in a cable at home, maybe it 

is time to replace it!


What are electrical conductors and 

insulators? – 2 


Lesson 4.2 

(a) Good conductors have a low resistance to electricity. True False 

(b) Insulators allow electricity to flow through them. True False 

(c) Electrons in the outer shell of conductors are held loosely. True False 

(d) Electrons in the outer shell of insulators are held loosely. True False 

2. Explain why insulating materials do not conduct electricity. 

3. Why is copper used instead of silver in electrical wiring? 

4. Why is the human body a good electrical conductor? 

5. (a) How do insulating sheaths protect us from electrocution? 

(b) Describe how bare copper wire in appliance cables is insulated. 

6. (a) If all the wires in household circuits are insulated for safety, why do you think the 

brass pins on an electric plug are not insulated? 



(b) Why do you think people put plastic covers on sockets that are not being used? 



Conductor or insulator? 

All materials are either conductors or insulators of electricity. 

You are going to plan and then carry out a two-part investigation. 

1. Test a number of materials to determine if they are conductors or insulators. 

2. Determine which materials are the most effective insulators. 

What equipment 

will you need? 

What materials 

will you test? 

Method – What 

will you do? 

Hypothesis – 

Explain what you 

expect to discover. 

How will 

you present 

your results? 

Conclusion – What 

have you learnt? 

Evaluation – How 

could you improve 


Communicating 

– How will 

you present 

your information? 

Lesson 4.3 

Part One: 

Part One: 

Part Two: 

Part Two: 





Lesson 5 

How do light globes work? 



The features of some electrical devices: globes and electromagnets 

Planning and conducting | Processing, modelling and analysing | Evaluating 


• Thomas Alva Edison was the inventor of the first practical incandescent 

light globe, which is still used today. The globe uses a long coil of tungsten 

wire which is related to resistance. The longer the wire, the greater the 

resistance so the slower the flow of electrons and the greater the build 

up of energy. Initially, this energy is just in the form of heat. When the 

temperature is over 2000ºC, approximately 10% is released as visible light 

energy. The wire needs to be coiled so that a high enough temperature 

can be reached for visible light energy to be released. 

• Fluorescent lights are tubes that have a coating of phosphor on the inside 

walls of the tube as well as mercury beads. The mercury vaporises and 

produces ultraviolet rays, which are absorbed by the phosphor and emit a 

visible light. 

• All light globes are sealed and the air replaced with argon, an inert gas 

that does not react with any elements, stopping the globe burning out. 

• In an incandescent globe, the wires supporting the filament and those 

carrying the electric current are supported by a glass mount. Glass is an 

electrical insulator, unable to conduct electricity and interfere with the 

electric circuit. 

Preparation 

• Prepare large, coloured flow diagrams describing what happens within 

each type of globe when electricity is flowing. 

The lesson 


• Bring to class clear incandescent and different shaped fluorescent globes 

for students to look at. Study the component parts that can be seen. 

Safety first: do not deliberately break any. 

• After reading the text, indicate the process on the prepared diagrams. 

Discuss government proposals to phase out incandescent globes in favour 

of fluorescent ones. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both? 

• Before commencing the activity on page 75, revise the basic principles of 

magnetism, including how opposites attract and likes repel, and that some 

materials can be magnetised by stroking them with a permanent magnet. 

Also revise the stages of investigations: questioning, predicting, planning, 

fair testing, observing, recording, analysing, concluding, evaluating,and 

communicating. How are they going to do each of these? 

Could any of your students benefit from more structure 

during the research activity? 

Consider modelling what is required for each step of the investigation 

process: questioning, predicting, planning, fair testing, observing, 

recording, analysing, concluding, evaluating, and communicating. 

Answers 

Page 74 

1. incandescent, fluorescent 

2. argon 

3. Glass does not conduct electricity and will not 

interfere with the electric circuit. 

4. (a) False (b) True (c) False 

5. It is a liquid at room temperature. It is poisonous. 

6. (a) ultraviolet light 

(b) The phosphor absorbs the invisible ultraviolet 

light and emits visible light. 

7. A large force between the electrodes attracts 

electrons through the gas from one electrode to 

the other. 

8. (a) a build-up of electric current 

(b) A ballast controls the flow of electrons through 

the gas, stopping the current from becoming 

too high. 

9. Most of the energy released in a fluorescent globe 

is converted to visible light. 

Page 75 


2. Students should discover that: 

(a) the greater the number of coils, the stronger the 

electromagnetic field produced. 

(b) the thicker the core, the stronger the 


(c) only some metals can be used as the core 

(those which can be magnetised). 



(d) the greater the voltage, the stronger the 



Ask students to record as much as they can in two 

minutes, in a mind map about electromagnetism. 



How do light globes work? – 1 

There are two types of globes we can buy for our lights at home: the traditional incandescent 

globe and the more energy-efficient fluorescent globe. 

Incandescent globe 

Fluorescent tube 

glass case 

contact wires 

screw thread 

contact 

argon gas 

tungsten filament 

support wires 

glass mount 

electrical foot 

contact 

The components of an incandescent 

globe are housed in a sealed glass 

case containing a gas called argon. The 

metal filament coil is about 2.5cm long. 

It is made from two metres of extremely 

thin tungsten wire. To fit into the space, 

the fine strip of wire is wound into a tight 

coil, which is then wound around itself to 

make an even tighter coil. 

The filament is supported by two wires 

connected to a glass mount, and two stiff 

contact wires that form part of the circuit. 

The globe is connected to the circuit by 

two metal contacts, one at the foot of the 

globe and the other at the side. 

Current flows from the circuit through one 

contact, up the stiff wire to the filament, 

then down the stiff wire to the other 

contact and back into the circuit. 

As the electrons flow through the filament 

and crash into the tungsten atoms, 

they release energy so the filament 

gets hot. The resistance of the coiled 

thin wire slows the flow of electrons 

and the energy that is released by the 

bombardment of atoms increases. 

Only a little of the energy given off is light 

energy; 90% of it is released as heat. This 

is why incandescent globes get very hot. 

This is very inefficient and wastes a lot 

of energy. 

electrode 

pins 

phosphor 

coating 

ballast 

AC supply 

argon gas 

electrode 

mercury 

pins 

A fluorescent light globe is a sealed glass 

tube filled with argon and containing a 

small amount of mercury, a poisonous 

metal that is a liquid at room temperature. 

The glass tube can be a long strip, circular 

or coiled to fit in standard lamp fittings. 

There is an electrode at each end of the 

tube. When the globe is switched on, a 

large force between the two electrodes 

attracts electrons through the gas, from 

one electrode to the other. As the current 

flows, heat is produced which turns the 

mercury into a gas. When the electrons 

and argon atoms collide with the atoms of 

mercury gas, energy is released in the form 

of ultraviolet light, which the human eye 

cannot see. 

However, the inside of the tube is coated 

with a layer of phosphor, a substance 

which can store energy and release it as 

light. The phosphor absorbs the invisible 

ultraviolet light and emits a bright visible 

light. The colour of the light can be varied 

by using different amounts of phosphor. 



Most of the energy released in a 

fluorescent globe is converted to visible 

light energy. 

A ballast controls the flow of electrons 

through the gas. When a current flows 

through gas, there is not much resistance 

to the flow of electrons and the current 

can build up. This would cause the globe 

to blow; however, the ballast corrects 

this problem. 



How do light globes work? – 2 

1. What are the two types of light globes that we most often use in 

our homes? 

• • 

2. Each globe is a sealed unit with air removed and a gas added. 

What is the name of the gas? 

3. Glass is a good insulator. In an incandescent globe, why do you 

think a glass mount is used? 


(a) The long coiled wire of a tungsten filament provides less 

resistance than a short straight piece of tungsten wire. 

(b) Resistance causes the flow of electrons to slow. True False 

(c) Most of the energy released by an incandescent globe is 

light energy. 

5. Mercury has two notable characteristics. What are they? 

• 

• 

Lesson 5.2 

6. (a) What type of light does the mercury release? 

(b) Why is the inside of a fluorescent globe coated with phosphor? 

7. How does the electricity flow between the electrodes in a fluorescent globe? 

8. (a) What might cause a fluorescent globe to blow? 

(b) How is this avoided? 

True 

True 

9. Why are fluorescent globes more energy efficient than incandescent globes? 

False 

False 





Electromagnetism unplugged! 

Electromagnetism is a basic principle of science that has many 

applications for use in today’s technological world. For example, 

doorbells, speakers, motors and even central locking systems in cars 

use electromagnetism. But what is an electromagnet? 

An electromagnet works just like a permanent magnet (likes repel 

and opposites attract), but only functions when an electric current is 

flowing through it. 

When electrons flow along a wire between the negative and positive 

terminals of a battery, they generate a small, circular magnetic field around the wire. The 

field is strongest close to the wire and weakens further out. The effect of the magnetic field 

of a straight wire is increased if the wire is coiled. This can be demonstrated by the effects a 

current flowing through a straight wire and a coiled wire have on a compass placed close by. 

1. Plan your own investigations to discover more about the strength of an 

electromagnetic field. 

A 

B 

C 

D 

Lesson 5.3 

Using a long iron nail as the core and staples or small paperclips, determine 

the effect of the number of coils of wire on the strength of the magnetic field 

produced. Measure the strength of the magneticfield in paperclips. 

Use different thicknesses of material for the core. 

What effect do they have on the strength of the electromagnetic field? 

Use different materials for the core; for example, aluminium; ‘lead’ from a pencil; 

plastic; and wood. 

What effect do they have on the strength of the electromagnetic field? 

Use two batteries, connected in series. 

What effect does this have on the strength of the electromagnetic field? 

2. When you have completed your investigations and recorded your observations, write 

statements to describe the relationship between the strength of the electromagnetic 

field generated, and: 

(a) the number of coils in the wire. 

(b) the thickness of the core. 

(c) the type of material the core is made from. 

(d) the voltage provided to run the current. 

iron core 

North pole Pole 

south South pole Pole 

wire coil 






Achievement 

standard: 

By the end of Year 6, students identify the role of circuit components in the transfer and transformation of 

electrical energy. 

1. (a) Colour the lightbulb/s to show the circuit that works. Explain why the circuits will or 

will not work. 

_ 

(b) Label the circuits using the terms ‘series circuit’, ‘simple circuit’ and ‘parallel circuit’. 

_ 

_ 

_ 

+ 

+ 

+ 

2. (a) Write the names of two materials that conduct electricity. 

• 

• 

(b) Write the names of two materials that slow down or stop electricity from flowing 

through them (insulators). 

• 

• 

_ 

+ 

+ 






3. (a) How do switches work? Draw a diagram. 

(b) Draw two circuits, showing how to make the light bulbs brighter or dimmer. 

Brighter 

Dimmer 




Lesson 

Lesson 1 

What happens when materials 

are mixed? 

Clean dirty water 

Lesson 2 

How can we tell if an irreversible 

change has occurred? 

First Nations Australians’ 

knowledge of reversible and 

irreversible changes 

Lesson 3 

What is solubility? 

The effect of particle size 

on solubility 

Lesson 4 

What changes do heating and 

cooling cause? 

Just add salt! 

Lesson 5 

Why do metals rust? 

Rusting nails 

Lesson 6 

How is reversible change used 

in recycling? 

Recycling paper 

Chemical sciences curricula links 

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AC9S6U04 compare reversible changes, including dissolving and changes of state, 

and irreversible changes, including cooking and rusting, that produce new substances 





Lesson 1 

What happens when materials are mixed? 



Possible outcomes when materials are mixed 



• Most reversible changes are physical changes. 

• Materials can be changed by mixing with another material, 

heating, cooling and burning. 

• Reversible changes made by mixing materials can be reversed 

by filtration (of insoluble materials), evaporation (of soluble 

materials), sieving (materials of different sizes) and pouring 

(liquids of different densities). 

• Some actions create an irreversible physical change; for 

example, beating an egg alters the consistency of the egg 

irreversibly but the chemical composition of the egg is 

the same. 

Preparation 

• The students will need some knowledge of the following terms: 

– evaporation: the process of converting a substance into a 

gaseous state or vapour 

– filtration: the process of passing a liquid through a filter (a 

device made from cloth, paper, porous porcelain, or a layer 

of charcoal or sand) to recover solids 

– miscible: capable of being mixed 

– immiscible: incapable of being mixed 

– particle: a minute portion, piece or amount 

– solvent: the substance in which a solute dissolves 

– solute: the substance that dissolves in a solvent 

– solution: the mixture of a solvent and a solute 

– soluble: a solid that will dissolve 

– insoluble: a solid that will not dissolve 

– solubility: the degree by which a solute will dissolve in a 

given volume of the solvent at a given temperature 

– siphon: to transfer using a siphon (an enclosed tube or 

similar, through which a liquid is conveyed from a container 

at one elevation to a lower elevation). 

• For the activity on page 83, the students should use colanders 

and sieves of different sizes and types; for example, absorbent 

paper and coffee filters, a range of plastic and acrylic 

containers and funnels. 

Do any of your students demonstrate difficulty with 

comprehending the meanings of key terminology? 

Consider displaying the words from the Preparation section on 

a poster, alongside an image of each, as a visual prompt rather 

than a description. 

The lesson 


• After the students have read page 81, explain the concepts 

and ensure they understand all the terms included. 

(See Preparation.) For added impact it would be good to 

demonstrate the substances being mixed so students can see 

for themselves the resulting product. 

• For the test on page 83, dirty the water using a range of nonhazardous 

materials. For the test to be fair, each group must 

be given an equal volume of the test water after it has been 

stirred thoroughly. Compare filtered samples by collecting in 

clear acrylic glasses and observing them against a plain white 

backing. This will highlight any debris remaining in the water. 

Answers 

Page 82 

1. Across: 1. soluble 4. reversible 9. distillation 

10. miscible 11. separation 

Down: 1. sieving 2. filtration 3. reaction 

5. evaporation 6. density 7. particles 

8. siphoning 

2. Step 1: Filter the talcum powder from the water. 

Step 2: Evaporate the water from the solution to leave 

the salt crystals. 

3. In a reversible change, there is no chemical reaction between 

the materials and no new substance is formed. The materials 

can return to their original state. In an irreversible change, a 

new substance is formed, which is evidence that a chemical 

reaction has taken place. The materials cannot return to their 

original state. 

4. Sand and sugar can be separated because the particles of 

sugar dissolve in water, which can be filtered to remove sand 

and soluble sugar can be retrieved by evaporation. 

Page 83 



Students should investigate websites and search for how-to videos 

online before commencing their design. The students should 

consider the methods of separating liquid–solid mixes, such as 

those on page 81. 


Ask students to explain to a partner one example of mixing 

together two materials and what happens when they are mixed. 


Chemical sciences Lesson 1.1 

What happens when materials are mixed? – 1 

When different materials are mixed together a number of things may happen. 

Liquid–liquid mix Liquid–solid mix Solid–solid mix 

Example 1: The liquids do not 

mix. They are immiscible. The 

more dense liquid sinks to the 

bottom and the less dense 

rises to the top. 

They do not react 

with each other. 

The two liquids 

can be separated 

by siphoning. 

Examples: 

olive oil and water 

Example 2: The liquids do mix 

because they have equal 

density. They are miscible. 

They do not react with each 

other. This is a reversible 

change. They can be 

separated by distillation. 

The liquids are heated until 

the lower boiling point of the 

two liquids is reached. This 

vapour is then collected in a 

condenser, where it returns to 

its liquid phase. 

Examples: 

water and 

fruit juice 

Example 3: The liquids do mix 

because they have equal 

density. They are miscible. 

The liquids react with each 

other to form another 

substance. This is an 

irreversible change 

because the liquids cannot 

be separated. 

Examples: 

acid and alcohol 

Example 1: The solid does 

not dissolve. It is insoluble in 

the liquid. 

There is no chemical 

reaction between the two. 

The solid can be separated 

by filtration. 

Examples: 

vinegar and 

sawdust 

Example 2: The solid 

dissolves. It is soluble in 

the liquid. 

There is a chemical reaction 

between the two, resulting 

in a new substance being 

formed. The change is 

irreversible. The solid cannot 

be separated from the liquid. 

Examples: 

vinegar and baking soda 

Example 3: The solid 

dissolves. It is soluble in 

the liquid. 

There is no chemical reaction 

between the two. The change 

is reversible. The solid can be 

separated by evaporation. 

Examples: 

water and salt 

Example 1: If the solids have 

different-sized particles, they 

can be separated by sieving. 

Examples: 

flour and instant 

coffee grains 

Example 2: The solids have 

same-sized particles and 

one dissolves in a liquid but 

the other does not. They can 

be separated by adding the 

liquid, filtering the insoluble 

solid and separating the 

soluble solid by evaporation. 

Examples: 

sand and sugar, using water 

Example 3: The solids 

have same-sized particles 

and both dissolve in all 

liquids. They cannot be 

separated easily. 



Examples: 

salt and caster sugar 



What happens when materials are mixed? – 2 

1. Write the words to complete the puzzle. 

Across 

1. Solids that dissolve in a liquid are this. 

4. A change that can be returned back 

to its original state. 

9. A way of separating two liquids. 

10. Liquids that mix together are this. 

11. Splitting up. 

7. 

11. 

9. 

Lesson 1.2 

2. 

6. 

Down 

1. A way of separating 

two solids of different 

sized particles. 

2. A way of separating a 

solid from a liquid in which it is insoluble. 

3. This can occur between two substances. 

2. Explain the steps to separate a mixture of table salt and talcum powder. 

3. What is the difference between a reversible and an irreversible change? 

4. Explain why sand and sugar can be separated. 

4. 

1. 

10. 

5. 

8. 

3. 

5. A way of separating 

a solid from a liquid 

in which it is soluble. 

6. The mass of a 

substance in a 

given volume. 

7. Small pieces of 

a solid. 

8. A way of 

separating two 

immiscible liquids. 





Clean dirty water 

Clean water is essential for everyone, yet for many people in the world their 

water supply is contaminated and needs to be purified in order to be safe 

to use. 

In groups, your task is to use a selection of simple kitchen equipment and 

household materials to design the best filtration system for cleaning dirty water. 


fair challenge for each 

filtration system? 

How will you compare the 

filtered samples? Is this a 

fair comparison? 

Draw and label a sketch 

of your design, explaining 

how it works. 

Did water pass easily 

through the system? 

Lesson 1.3 

Which parts of the design 

worked well? 

Which parts of the design 

need improving? 

Which feature 

contributed to the most 

successful design? 

Which feature 

contributed to the least 

successful design? 


Designing your system 

Evaluate your design 



Evaluating all designs 



Lesson 2 

How can we tell if an irreversible change 

has occurred? 


• Understanding physical and chemical changes, and reversible and irreversible changes 

• First Nations Australians’ knowledge of reversible and irreversible processes 






Communicating 


• Some changes can be reversed and some cannot. Melting, 

freezing, evaporation and condensation are all reversible 

changes, caused by heat being added or removed. 

• When a candle is lit, the wax that burns and evaporates cannot 

be brought back again; this is an irreversible change. When 

an egg has been hard-boiled, it has changed from a liquid to a 

solid—this change cannot be reversed. 

• Some physical changes, such as chocolate melting and ice 

freezing, can be reversed. Chemical changes, such as wood 

burning, are permanent changes. 

Preparation 

• Students will require various pieces of equipment and 

materials for the investigation on page 87, depending on which 

inquiry question they will investigate. Equipment/materials 

could include: epoxy resin; sand; charcoal; rocks; wood; twigs; 

thermometer; bowls; heating equipment. 

The lesson 


• Students will gain a broad understanding of reversible and 

irreversible processes, and investigate these further based on 

First Nations Australians’ use of this knowledge. 

• The investigation can be three experiments conducted by 

each group, or each inquiry question can be assigned to a 

different group. 

• Students should be able to devise a suitable experiment, and 

be able to measure how strong the adhesion is or how hot the 

resin has to become before it turns brittle and unusable. They 

will need to plan how to make the test fair when measuring the 

adhesive power (e.g. they could place a number of weights on 

the adhered substances to see if they break apart). They will 

also need to decide what they will stick together (e.g. sticks, 

pieces of wood, rocks etc.). 

Do any of your students thrive when allowed to 

choose the direction of their learning? 

Consider allowing them to choose another experiment topic 

related to First Nations Australians’ knowledge of reversible and 

irreversible changes. 

• Once students have completed their investigations and detailed 

the information in the template on page 87, they can share 

their information with the class using a digital presentation. 

Answers 

Page 86 

1. E N N F X P L A I N H O W I R 

N L O I R R E V E R S I B L E 

D R I I I C A T O R L S N O V 

M F T G T C H E M L I O C A E 

L C S H H I A N Y G I E S M R 

I G U H T T S H S T U G G R S 

E S B T T H P O A A T A E T I 

L N M I R O R T P E V T E A B 

R A O S R I N B L M T E C E L 

H A C O N E G E H A O A S H E 

O C L I M C U R M R E C D R H 

I H Z R S L N Y G G Y F O D A 

C C E G L Y Y B H C Q Z M F C 

B F B V U T H F M K V D I U G 

M G D E C O M P O S I T I O N 

(a) matter (b) physical (c) form 

(d) reversible (e) composition (f) irreversible 

(g) combustion (h) fermentation (i) decomposition 

(j) heat, light (k) chlorophyll 




Page 87 

Teacher check: Ensure students have followed the template and 

covered all fields. 


Ask students to write, on a sticky note, an example of an 

irreversible change and how they know it is an irreversible 

change. Display the sticky notes in the classroom. 



How can we tell if an irreversible change has 

occurred? – 1 

Everywhere you look, matter exists in its various forms. Whether it is a solid, a liquid or a gas, 

all things that make up our universe are made of matter. States of matter can be changed in 

many ways. Some changes can be physical and others can be chemical. 

Physical change 

Piece of paper 

Before During After 

Paper is scrunched 

into a ball 

Chemical change Piece of paper Paper is burnt 

Same substance 

(re-flattened paper) 

New substance 

created (ash) 

A physical change occurs when the form or appearance of a substance changes, such as its 

size, shape or state (solid, liquid or gas). Physical changes are usually reversible, and no new 

substances are created during this process. 

Chemical changes alter the composition of a substance. This means that the substance 

has been changed in such a way that an entirely new substance is formed. The matter that 

causes these changes is not replaced or destroyed. Instead, the tiny particles that make 

up the matter are rearranged to form the new substance. Chemical changes are almost 

always irreversible. 

There are five main ways to identify that a chemical change has occurred: noise may be 

produced; the colour of the substance may be changed; heat or light may be released; 

gas bubbles may be formed; an odour may be released. Observing these can sometimes 

indicate that an irreversible change has occurred. 

Noise production 

Party poppers are a common sight at New Year’s Eve celebrations and birthday parties, but 

did you know that the loud sound they produce when pulled is caused by an irreversible 

chemical reaction? The end of the popper string is covered by a piece of paper that is 

coated with a small amount of gunpowder. Pulling the string creates friction which heats 

the gunpowder and causes a combustion reaction. 

Formation of gas bubbles 

Yeast is a type of living 

organism used to make 

bread rise. The yeast 

converts the sugars in the 

dough into carbon dioxide, 

which creates small bubbles 

in the bread. This irreversible 

chemical change is 

called fermentation. 

Colour change 

Odour emission 

It is easy to identify when 

food has gone bad, due to 

the unpleasant odour that 

is released. The smell is 

produced by the growth of 

bacteria, fungus and mould 

which consume the food. This 

irreversible chemical change 

is known as decomposition. 

Release of heat and/or light 

Firework displays are a 

mesmerising example of 

an irreversible change. 

The chemicals used to 

make the fireworks cause a 

combustion reaction when 

lit, resulting in the emission 

of colourful light and 

intense heat. 



The beautiful hues of autumn leaves are caused by a chemical change inside the leaf. 

As the tree receives less sun in the winter months, it stops producing chlorophyll (which 

gives leaves their green colour), allowing the red and yellow chemicals in the leaves to 

show through. 



How can we tell if an irreversible change has 

occurred? – 2 

1. Answer the questions and find the answer words in the word search puzzle. 

(a) Everything in the universe is 

made from this. 

(b) Scrunching a piece of paper 

into a ball is an example of 

what kind of change? 

(c) Physical changes cause the 

or 

appearance of a substance 

to change. 

(d) The type of change that 

happens when no new 

substances are created by 

a physical change. 

(e) Chemical changes alter the 

of a substance. 

(f) Chemical changes are usually . 

(g) Party poppers produce noise because of this type of reaction. 

(h) The irreversible reaction caused by yeast is called . 

(i) 

(j) 

Lesson 2.2 

The emission of odour from rotting food is caused by this chemical reaction. 

Fireworks produce these two chemical reaction indicators. 

• • 

(k) This chemical give leaves their green colour. 

E N N F X P L A I N H O W I R 

N L O I R R E V E R S I B L E 

D R I I I C A T O R L S N O V 

M F T G T C H E M L I O C A E 

L C S H H I A N Y G I E S M R 

I G U H T T S H S T U G G R S 

E S B T T H P O A A T A E T I 

L N M I R O R T P E V T E A B 

R A O S R I N B L M T E C E L 

H A C O N E G E H A O A S H E 

O C L I M C U R M R E C D R H 

I H Z R S L N Y G G Y F O D A 

C C E G L Y Y B H C Q Z M F C 

B F B V U T H F M K V D I U G 

M G D E C O M P O S I T I O N 



2. List two examples of chemical changes not included in the text. Identify which of the five 

indicators of chemical change can be observed in your examples. 



First Nations Australians’ knowledge of 

reversible and irreversible changes 

First Nations Australians have long demonstrated the understanding that some changes are 

reversible and others are irreversible. 

Resins were commonly used as an adhesive to make various tools, as it is soft and malleable 

when heated. The resin later cools and hardens, which demonstrates a reversible change. 

Those making the tools were careful not to overheat the resin, as they understood that, at a 

certain point, the resin would be made unusable and the change would be irreversible. 

Resins can also be mixed with other materials to make them stronger adhesives. 

For example, the Yidinji peoples of Far North Queensland mix grasstree resin with beeswax, 

charcoal, sand or dust, to make a cement with better adhesive properties. 

Your investigation will involve answering one or all of the following questions about First 

Nations Australians’ knowledge and use of reversible and irreversible changes. 

Inquiry questions: 

Lesson 2.3 

• Is resin an effective adhesive? 

• Does the effectiveness of adhesion change with the addition of sand or charcoal? 

• At what temperature does resin become unusable? 

Plan your investigation using the following format: 

Title 

(What am I investigating?) 

Prediction 

(What do I expect to discover?) 

Procedure 

(How am I going to set up the investigation?) 

Equipment 

(What do I need? How do I use it? What will the resin adhere to?) 

Reliability 

(How will I ensure a fair test?) 

Observations/measurements 

(How will I record what I see and/or measure?) 



Analysis of results 

(What do my results show? How do they relate to my prediction?) 

Developing explanations 

(What do my results mean?) 

Communicating 

(How will I present my results?) 

Reflecting on methods 

(How effective was my method for this investigation? How would I change the method to 

provide more meaningful data?) 



Lesson 3 

What is solubility? 



Features of solubility 



• The solubility of a solute is the maximum amount that can be 

dissolved in a given volume of solvent at a given temperature. 

• In terms of liquids and solids, when a solvent (liquid) dissolves 

a solute (solid), the particles of the solvent separate the 

particles of the solute and then fill the spaces between. The 

molecules of some solutes and solvents are polar, meaning 

they have positive and negative electrical charges. This allows 

attraction between the molecules and greater solubility. 

Preparation 

• Make an illustrated chart defining the words associated with 

solubility. Include familiar examples of solutes, such as sugar 

and salt, and solvents, such as water and oil. 

• For the experiment on page 91, students will need the 

following equipment: sugar cubes; acrylic tumblers; marker 

pens for labelling; water at room temperature; measuring jugs; 

knives; stirrers and stopwatches. 

The lesson 


• The words associated with solubility are very similar and can 

be confusing. Discuss the meaning of each so that students 

are clear about which is which. Give examples, or find clues, to 

assist understanding and recall of definitions. 

• For the experiment on page 91, discuss how the test will be 

fair. The amount of solute must be the same for all the tests so 

any stray sugar must be added to the tumbler it belongs with. 

Measuring the water must be done accurately. It is better to 

use a narrow jug than a wide one. The same person should 

stir the three stirred samples to ensure consistency of force. 

Discuss the point at which the solute is seen to be completely 

dissolved: one moment it can still be seen, the next moment 

it cannot. 

• Students should discuss their conclusions as a class. In small 

groups, they can then create a short blog post that gives tips 

on how to add sugar to make a cup of tea or coffee in the 

fastest way possible. 

Are any of your students showing signs of 

discomfort in the learning environment? 

During the experiment, allow students to work in a quiet space 

(e.g. the wet area or just outside the classroom door) with their 

partner if they prefer. 

Answers 

Page 90 

1. (a) The solvent separates the solute particles and distributes 

them evenly throughout the water. The solvent dissolves 

the solute particles from the surface layer inwards, until all 

the particles have been dissolved. 

(b) Increasing the surface area of the solute by crushing it 

into smaller particles; stirring the solute as it is added to 

the solvent. 

2. (a) The mixture of a solute and a solvent 

(b) The solid that is dissolved by the solvent 

(c) The substance that dissolves the solute 

(d) The greatest amount of solute that can be dissolved in a 

known quantity of solvent at a given temperature 

(e) The point at which no more solute can be dissolved 

(f) A solution containing the maximum amount of solute 

3. (a) high solubility 

(b) low solubility 

4. by raising the temperature of the solution 

5. (a) The solution would no longer look clear. 

(b) The solute would not dissolve and could be seen as the 

solution becomes very cloudy and solute could be seen at 

the bottom of the glass. 

6. Because it can dissolve so many different solutes. 

Page 91 

Students will discover that the solute in T1 takes longest to 

dissolve and that in T6 dissolves in the least time. The greater 

the surface area, the faster the dissolving time. If stirring is also 

incorporated, the time is reduced. 




Ask students to share the blog post they wrote about how 

to make a cup of tea or coffee with sugar in the fastest way 

possible. 



What is solubility? – 1 

When a substance dissolves in water, the powder or crystals are broken down into even 

smaller particles and distributed evenly throughout the water. This mixture of a solid dissolved 

in a liquid is called a solution. The solid is called the solute and the liquid is the solvent. The 

solvent separates the solute particles and takes up the space between the solute particles. 

(water) 

solvent 

particles 

(sugar) 

solute 

particles 

solution 

The maximum amount of solute that can dissolve in a known quantity of solvent at a certain 

temperature is its solubility. Some things (for example, salt) are highly soluble in water 

because they dissolve easily. A solute that does not dissolve easily (for example, pepper) has 

low solubility. 

A solute can be made to dissolve faster. 

(water) 

solvent 

particles 

(sugar) 

solute 

particles 

saturated solution 

When a solute dissolves, it does so, only on the outer surface of each particle. As the outside 

layer is dissolved, it exposes the next layer. This continues until the whole particle has 

disappeared. So a solute in a form with greater surface area will dissolve faster than those 

with lesser surface area; for example, a sugar cube dissolves more slowly than the same 

weight of sugar as loose crystals. 

When a solute is stirred into a solvent, the stirring action brings the solute particles into 

contact with more solvent, thereby also increasing the dissolving rate. The temperature of the 

solvent also affects the rate that the solute dissolves. A higher temperature means that the 

molecules are moving around more so they are able to dissolve faster. 

A liquid solvent can only dissolve a given amount of solute at a given temperature. If any 

more solute is added, the solution will no longer look clear. It will start to turn cloudy and the 

solute can be seen at the bottom of the container. When the solution stops looking clear, the 

solvent has reached its saturation point for that solute at that temperature and is called a 

saturated solution. There is no room in the solvent for any more solute molecules. But if the 

solution is heated, more solute can be dissolved until the saturation point for the solvent, at 

the higher temperature, is reached. 



Not all solutes dissolve in all liquid solvents. Water is known as the ‘universal solvent’ because 

there are many solutes that will dissolve in it. 

Solubility is an important factor in the manufacture of dehydrated foods. Instructions on the 

packets of dehydrated foods tell you how much water, stock or milk is required to make the 

product to the correct consistency. Such foods have made a significant contribution to the 

welfare of people living in areas where fresh foods are not readily available; for example, 

dried milk, which has all the nutrition of fresh milk, has been a lifesaver for young children 

living in famine struck areas of the world and where there have been natural disasters. 



Lesson 3.2 

What is solubility? – 2 

1. (a) What happens to the solute as it is added to a solvent 

and dissolves? 

(b) Write two ways a solute can be made to dissolve faster. 

2. Write the definition for each word or phrase. 

(a) solution 

(b) solute 

(c) solvent 

(d) solubility 

(e) saturation point 

(f) saturated solution 

3. Match the correct pairs. 

(a) dissolves easily • • low solubility 

(b) does not dissolve easily • • high solubility 

4. How can a saturated solution be made to dissolve more solute? 

5. (a) How could you tell that a solution was reaching its saturation point? 



(b) What would happen if more solute is added to a solution after the saturation point 

is reached? 

6. Why is water called the ‘universal solvent’? 



The effect of particle size and stirring on solubility 

How long does it take for a solute to dissolve in a solvent? 

The answer to this question depends on the surface area of the solute particles and how 

much, (if any), stirring takes place. 

You will conduct an experiment to determine how particle size and stirring affect 

the time it takes for sugar to dissolve in water that is at room temperature. 

Prediction: 

What do you think will be the outcome of this experiment? 

Equipment: 

• 24 cubes of sugar 

• Six acrylic tumblers labelled from T1 to T6 • Stirrer 

• Water at room temperature • Measuring jug • Knife • Stopwatch 

Procedure: 

1. Prepare the solute. 

• Leave eight sugar cubes for T1 

and T2, whole (four for each). 

• Cut the eight sugar cubes for 

T3 and T4 in half (eight halves 

for each). 

• Cut the eight sugar cubes for T5 

and T6 into quarters (16 quarters 

for each). 

2. Add 200mL of water to all tumblers. 

3. Add the solute to the solvent. 

Repeat steps (a) and (b) for T3 and T4, and then for T5 and T6. 

Results: Record all the times in the table. 

(a) Add the four whole sugar cubes to T1 and 

at the same time, start the stopwatch. 

Record the time it takes for all the sugar 

cubes to dissolve. 

(b) Add the four whole sugar cubes to T2 and 

at the same time, start the stopwatch. Stir 

the solute for five seconds after adding 

the cubes. Record the time it takes for all 

the sugar cubes to dissolve. 

Time for solute to dissolve 

Whole cubes Halved cubes Quartered cubes 

Without stirring With stirring Without stirring With stirring Without stirring With stirring 

Conclusion: 

Lesson 3.3 



T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 

What can you conclude from this experiment? 



Lesson 4 

What changes do heating and cooling cause? 


How temperature changes affect the molecular structure and bonding of a substance and how this alters the 

state of the substance 




Communicating 

• Heating and cooling can cause changes to substances, some 

reversible, some irreversible. 

• Almost all substances have freezing, melting and boiling 

points. If a substance is not a mixture or not contaminated in 

any way, these temperatures can be used to identify or confirm 

the identity of a pure substance. 

• Heating and cooling a substance changes its state from solid 

to liquid to gas (and vice versa if the change is reversible). This 

is related to how tightly the molecules of the substance are 

held together. 

Preparation 

• For the activity on page 95, the following equipment will be 

needed: water; table salt; spoons; weighing scales; containers; 

measuring jugs; and stirrers for making up the solutions. Also 

provide thermometers capable of measuring low temperatures, 

and access to a domestic freezer. 

The lesson 


• Take time to explain the concept of the bonding of atoms 

within molecules, and bonding in the solid, liquid and gas 

phases. This can be done in an open space with each child 

playing the part of a molecule. In a solid, the molecules are 

held together in a rigid structure. Group the students into 

rows and columns. They place their left hand on the shoulder 

of the person in front of them and put their right arm around 

the person to their right. Their arms are the bonds holding the 

molecules together. In the column to the right and the row 

at the front, each molecule has an unused bond, this is for 

attaching to more molecules. In a liquid, the bonds are still 

present but as it is heated, the molecules start to move and 

loosen the bonds. To show this, students jog on the spot and 

loosen their right arm bonds. In doing so they move further 

apart. They are starting to melt! In a gas, the bonds are broken 

completely and the molecules are free to take up the whole 

space available to them. Students drop both arms and move 

around the whole area. Only if they are contained in a small 

area can they be cooled and condensed. 

Do any of your students require an 

enrichment activity? 

Consider having them explore the use of salt on icy roads 

further and look at real-life examples. 

• For the investigation on page 95, students should make up 

about six salt water solutions of known concentration; for 

example, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 20% and 50%. As a control, 

they will need a plain water sample. All weighing must be 

carried out on the same scales and water measured using 

the same apparatus. When the solutions are made, they will 

be placed in a domestic freezer and examined at set intervals 

of time for ice formation. At this point, the temperature of the 

sample is taken. Students should initially record their results 

in a table and then graphically, showing salt concentration vs 

freezing temperature. Students may need to be reminded what 

a ‘control’ and a ‘fair test’ are. 

Answers 

Page 94 

1. (a) False (b) True (c) False (d) True 

2. (a) boiling point (b) molecules 

3. (a) liquid (b) gas (c) solid 

4. (a) When a liquid is heated above boiling point. 

(b) When a gas is cooled below boiling point. 

5. The heat energy is used to break the bonds holding the liquid 

molecules together and instead forms a gas. 

6. They must be collected and cooled. 

Page 95 

Teacher check: Students should find that the more salt is added, 

the lower the freezing point. 




Ask students to share three things they learnt today about how 

substances change with heat or cold, two things they found 

interesting, and one thing they want to find out more about. 



What changes do heating and cooling cause? – 1 

Atoms are the building blocks of everything. 

Most things are made up of two or more 

types of atom. They are joined together as 

molecules by forces of attraction called 

bonds. A well-known example of a molecule 

is water, which is made of two atoms of 

hydrogen bonded with one atom of oxygen. 

When a substance 

is heated and 

O 

cooled, it changes 

between the 

states of solid, 

H H 

liquid and gas. 

In a solid, the 

a water molecule molecules hold 

together as a rigid 

structure. As the 

substance is warmed, the molecules begin 

to move and separate from each other as 

the bonds among them weaken. This is what 

happens as a solid melts. The more heat that 

is applied, the faster the molecules move. 

When a substance is cooled, the reverse 

happens. The molecules slow down and 

move closer together, until they form their 

rigid structure again. 

When a solid substance is heated, the 

temperature at which it starts to melt is 

called its melting point. This is the same 

temperature at which the substance in 

Temperature 

MP melting point 

BP 

MP 

boiling point 

its liquid form starts to freeze when it is 

cooled. The melting and freezing points of a 

substance are the same. 

As a substance continues to melt, its 

temperature does not rise even though it is 

still being heated. The heat energy is being 

used to speed up the molecules of the solid 

until the substance is all liquid (at which 

point its temperature will start to increase). 

That is why snow, even as it is melting, is 

always cold. 

When a liquid substance is heated, the 

temperature at which it starts to boil is 

called its boiling point. The bonds between 

the molecules are broken and the liquid 

evaporates as the molecules disperse as 

a gas. 

The gas can be collected in a condenser and 

cooled to a liquid again. If it is not collected, 

the gas spreads into the atmosphere. 

The water cycle is an example of the 

constant change of state of a substance. 

Water is constantly moving among its three 

states of matter. In oceans, lakes, swimming 

pools and puddles, water evaporates into 

water vapour (gas), which later condenses 

and falls as rain, hail or snow. When the 

temperature falls to 0°C and below, 

ice forms. 



BP 

Liquid starts 

to evaporate. 

solid 

Solid starts 

to melt. 

Solid is completely 

melted. 

Liquid is completely 

evaporated. 

Time 



What changes do heating and cooling cause? – 2 


Lesson 4.2 

(a) The molecules in a solid move very quickly. True False 

(b) When a liquid is cooled, its molecules slow down. True False 

(c) The molecules of a gas are tightly held together. True False 

(d) The freezing and melting temperatures of a substance 

are the same. True False 

2. Read the clues to find the answers to the riddles. 

(a) I am a reading on a thermometer. When I am reached, the molecules of a 

substance move very fast and break apart from each other as the bonds among 

them are broken. The substance begins to evaporate. What am I? 

I am a b p . 

(b) We are groups of atoms held together by attractive forces. In a solid, we are 

stationary and held as a rigid structure. In a liquid, we can move a little and are held 

together more loosely. In a gas, we are completely free unless we are captured in a 

condenser and cooled down. What are we? 

We are m . 

3. In which state or phase (solid, liquid or gas) is a substance 

in if its temperature is: 

(a) between melting point and boiling point? 

(b) above boiling point? 

(c) below freezing point? 

4. (a) When does evaporation occur? 

(b) When does condensation occur? 

5. When a liquid is heated to its boiling point and continues to be heated, the liquid does 

not get any hotter. Why not? 



6. For condensation to occur, what must happen to the escaping gas molecules? 



Just add salt! 

In places that experience cold winters, when icy roads create hazardous driving conditions, 

some local councils spread salt on the roads to reduce the freezing point of the water on the 

roads’ surface. This reduces the temperature at which it turns to ice. 

This can reduce the freezing point of the water to far below 0°C. 

Your task is to find out how much the freezing point of water is 

reduced when known amounts of salt are added to the liquid. 

Complete the table by answering the questions. 


How many salt water test 

solutions will you make? 

How much salt will 

you add to each salt 

water solution? 

What will you use as 

the control? 


fair test? 

What do you expect 

the outcome of your 

investigation to be? 

How will you carry out 

your test? 

What equipment will 

you need? 

How will you record 

your results? 

How will you present 

your results? 

After your investigation 

How did your 

results compare to 


What changes would 

you make to improve 


Lesson 4.3 





Lesson 5 

Why do metals rust? 



Conditions and chemical reactions that cause rusting 


Communicating 


• When iron corrodes, rust is formed and the iron loses its metallic properties; that 

is, electrical conductivity, strength and shine. The process, which occurs through 

oxidation (combination with oxygen), produces iron oxide (rust). 

• Rusting is an example of corrosion, which is an electrochemical process in which 

electrons given up by the iron, combine with oxygen in the presence of water and 

accumulate as rust. 

• Steel is used commonly in the construction of buildings and other large structures, 

as well as for household items. It is an alloy of iron; it is iron with carbon added to 

increase strength. It also increases iron’s ability to resist oxidation, and does not 

rust as easily as wrought iron. 

• Non-reactive metals, such as gold, are resistant to oxidation. They are called ‘noble 

metals’. They occur naturally although they are rare. 

• Reactive metals, such as iron, are mined in their ore states. A metal ore, found in 

rock, contains traces of the metal. The ore is extracted by mining and then refined 

to obtain the metal. 

Preparation 

• Make a collection (or find pictures) of rusting objects for students to view 

and discuss. 

• For page 99, provide sufficient nails, plastic cups, salt, stirrers, measuring jugs and 

weighing scales for each student or group of students. 

The lesson 


• After examining the rusting object, note how corrosion eats at the metal. Discuss 

the implications of this for safety and longevity of metal objects. Discuss what 

students already know about protecting metals from corrosion. 

• For the activity on page 99, the students need to accurately prepare a number 

of salt solutions of different concentrations, add a nail (or similar metal object) 

to each solution and observe what happens over time. They need to draw up a 

table on which to record their observations for each solution sample. To ensure a 

fair test, all metal objects should come from the same source and be free of rust. 

They must be non-galvanised. The water must come from the same tap and be 

of the same temperature. The salt must come from the same packet. Students 

record what they expect to see and then exactly what they do see. Discuss their 

observations, allowing them to derive an explanation. 

Have any of your students completed the activities quickly 

and thoroughly? 

Consider asking them to conduct an experiment to explore the best way to prevent 

rusting from the options listed on the page 97. 

Answers 

Page 98 

1. rust 

2. (a) air and water 

(b) Teacher check—students should 

include the components: metal, air, 

water and rust. 

3. When salt water evaporates from metal, 

it leaves salt behind. The presence of salt 

speeds up the rusting process. 

4. (a) Acid dissolves metal. 

(b) Acid dissolves rust before it 

attacks metal. 

5. (a) A metal that combines easily 

with other elements/reacts more 

readily/corrodes easily. 

(b) the more reactive metal 

6. Humid; there is a lot of moisture in the air, 

which continues the rusting process. 

Page 99 

• Students will need to make up a number 

of salt solutions of increasing and 

known concentration. 

• They will also require a plain water control. 

• For a fair test, the metal they use must be 

the same for each solution; for example, 

iron nails from the same packet. 

• At set times, they will have to record exactly 

what they see happening in each solution. 

These observations are best recorded in 

a table. 

• Students will observe that rusting occurs 

more rapidly in the strongest salt solution. 

The chemical reaction that takes place on 

the surface of the metal involves electron 

transfer which occurs more rapidly in 

salt water because salt water is a better 

conductor of electricity than plain water. 




Ask students to write two quiz questions and 

answers about rust. Compile the questions to 

conduct a class quiz. 



Why do metals rust? – 1 

metal + air + water = rust 

If a steel bicycle is left out in the rain, orange-red marks will 

soon appear on the chain, sprockets, handlebars and other 

places where the metal is unpainted. This is rust. If nothing is 

done to stop it, the rust will continue to corrode the metal. 

Rusting is an irreversible change. Oxygen in the air and rain 

water have combined with the metal and created another 

substance, which is known as iron oxide. 

Water is the main cause of rusting. When it comes into 

contact with an unprotected metal, two reactions begin. 

Hydrogen in the water combines with carbon dioxide in the 

atmosphere and forms a weak acid. As the acid begins to dissolve the metal, oxygen in the 

water combines with the dissolving metal and iron oxide (rust) is formed. This corrosion cycle 

will continue for as long as the metal is in contact with water or even if the air is heavy with 

moisture, like it is on a hot and humid day. 

Scientists have discovered that some metals react with water and oxygen more readily than 

others. Reactive metals corrode easily. Through scientific discovery, a list ordering metals 

from the least reactive to the most reactive has been produced. This list has been valuable 

for scientific progress. 

How to prevent rusting 

• Keep the metal dry or dry it thoroughly after it has been wet; for example, keep your bicycle 

in the shed and always wipe it down if you have been cycling in the rain. 

• Cover the metal with oil or grease, which repel water; for example, always oil your bike 

chain after you have cleaned it. 

• Paint the metal; for example, the garden gate, outdoor metal furniture. 

• Use metal that has been galvanised—an industrial method for coating metals with a 

protective layer of a less corrosive metal; for example, used in car manufacturing and 

ship building. 

• Use sacrificial protection; for example, placing layers or blocks of more reactive metals 

next to or on ship hulls, oil rigs and underwater pipelines. The block or coating of metal 

rusts rather than the metal it is protecting. However, the sacrificial metal must be replaced 

before it is completely corroded. 

During the rusting process, at the same time as the acid 

is dissolving, the metal it also dissolves the existing rust. 

Because of this, stronger acids are often used to clean 

rust because they will dissolve the rust before they attack 

the metal. 



In some places, rust can be a significant problem because 

the presence of some chemicals in the environment adds to 

the rusting process; for example, where saltwater spray from 

the ocean reaches cars and buildings, or where acid rain is 

a problem. The salt and other chemicals which are dissolved 

in the water remain on the metal after the water evaporates, 

and can speed up the rusting process. 



Why do metals rust? – 2 

1. Iron oxide is the chemical name for which common problem? 

2. (a) Which two elements are required for the rusting process to occur? 

and 

(b) Draw a flow chart to explain how rust is formed. 

3. Rain causes metal to rust, but sea spray causes it to rust more quickly. 

Explain why this is so. 

4. Explain how acid can: 

(a) damage metal. 

5. (a) What is a reactive metal? 

(b) clean rusty metal. 

(b) If pieces of two different metals were left together in a tray of water, which would rust 

first? Tick the correct answer. 



the more reactive metal 

the less reactive metal 

6. Rusting would be a greater problem in a (dry/humid) 

climate because 

. 



Rusting nails 

Does a stronger salt solution mean that rusting will occur more quickly? 

Devise an investigation to answer the question. 

Procedure 

What equipment 

will you need? 

What will you do? 

How will you 

ensure a fair test? 

How will you 

record your data? 

Results/Observations 

What I think 

will happen. 

What did happen? 



Conclusion 

Explain 

what happened. 

Further investigation 

How would you 

compare the 

rate at which 

the different 

metals corroded? 



Lesson 6 

How is reversible change used in recycling? 



The reversible changes that allow recycling of glass, plastic and paper products 



• There is no limit to how often glass can be 

recycled, provided it is not contaminated. To prevent 

contamination with other materials, only cleaned clear, 

green and brown bottles and jars should be recycled. 

• Glass is made from sand, silica and limestone. In the 

manufacture of most glass products, recycled glass, 

cullet, is added to these raw ingredients. The cullet 

lowers the overall melting point of the mixture and so 

less energy is required in the manufacturing process. 

• Downstream recycling means that the recycled product 

(e.g. plastic or paper) is of reduced quality compared 

to the original product. This means these materials can 

only be recycled a limited number of times. 

Preparation 

• Obtain or draw large colourful flowcharts of the 

recycling processes of glass, plastic and paper. 

The lesson 


• Collect examples of glass, plastic and paper waste. 

Discuss their differences and how they would be sorted 

at a recycling plant. Discuss the reversible change 

element of the recycling process of each material. 

• Once students complete the table on page 103, 

they should use the information to compile a digital 

presentation about paper recycling. 

Answers 

Page 102 

1. To reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfill; 

to conserve natural resources that are used to make 

new materials. 

2. Recycling processes rely on the reversible change from 

solid to liquid and back to solid; the chemical properties 

of the materials allow them to be heated and cooled 

and yet remain unchanged. 

Could any of your students benefit from 

visual materials? 

3. Glass: waste glass collected; sorted into different colours; crushed 

into cullet; sand, limestone and soda ash added; heated to melting 

point; moulded into new bottles. Plastic: waste plastic collected; 

sorted into different grades; shredded into flakes; heated to melting 

point; formed into nurdles; sold in bulk. 

4. Recycled glass is used to make the same products it came from; 

for example, glass bottles. Recycled plastic is not used to make the 

same products it came from but is formed into nurdles and used 

in the manufacture of other products. Recycled glass requires the 

addition of other materials to the cullet. 

5. To identify the grade of plastic used to make the item and for 

accurate sorting at the recycling centre. 

6. Glass and plastic are heated to their melting points to become 

molten. Water is added to paper to return it to pulp. The paper pulp is 

cleaned a number of times. 

Page 103 

1. (a) To reduce the impact on the environment caused by industrial 

papermaking; for example, felling trees, and air and water 

pollution. Recycling paper uses less energy and also 

reduces landfill. 

(b) Most paper in everyday use—including newspapers, magazines, 

junk mail pamphlets, telephone directories, office waste and 

cardboard—can be recycled. 

(c) Pulping: Adding water and beating to separate fibres. 

Screening: Removing contaminants greater in size than 

pulp fibres. 

Centrifugal cleaning: Contaminants that are more dense than 

pulp fibres are thrown to the outside and separated as the pulp 

slurry is spun at high speed. 

Flotation: Ink particles are attracted to chemicals added to the 

slurry. As air is passed through the slurry, the chemicals foam 

and rise to the surface. 

Kneading/Dispersion: Contaminants are reduced in size 

by beating. 

Washing: Small particles of contaminant are rinsed away from 

the pulp. 

Bleaching: Chemicals are added to brighten the paper if required. 

Papermaking: The recycled fibre is used to make paper by the 

same process as pulp from bark. 

Dissolved air flotation: The water used in the recycling process is 

cleaned and reused. 

Waste disposal: The sludge remaining is buried, burned or used 

as fertiliser. 




Consider using various online videos and diagrams to 

support student understanding of the recycling process 

and reversible changes. 

Ask students to choose a recycled product (paper, glass, plastic) and 

draw a simple flowchart of the recycling process, highlighting where 

the reversible change occurs. 



How is reversible change used in recycling? – 1 

We all know how important it is to recycle as much material 

as we can. This helps to reduce the volume of rubbish going 

into landfill sites and to conserve natural resources that are 

used to make new materials. 

Recycling glass and plastic is possible because the chemical 

properties of both materials allow them to be heated 

and cooled and yet remain unchanged. But unlike simply 

melting and refreezing an ice block, industrial recycling is 

more complicated. 

There are many different 

grades of recyclable plastic, 

all of which are used for 

different products. For 

example, high-density 

polyethylene (HDPE) is used for plastic jugs and some 

toys, and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is used for food 

wrapping and plastic bags. Have you ever noticed the triangle formed with three arrows 

which is printed on plastic containers? It usually has a number between one and seven inside 

the triangle and letters outside it. This label identifies the type of plastic the item is made from 

and is used when plastics are sorted during the first stage of the recycling process. 

After it is separated into its different grades, the plastic is shredded into flakes. In this state, 

the material is heated to its melting point. The molten plastic is formed into pellets known as 

‘nurdles’, which are sold in bulk and used in the manufacture of other products; for example, 

engineered woods like plywood and MDF. 

Recycling plastic does not reduce the need for manufacturing new plastic, but it can 

reduce the demand for other resources; for example, less trees are felled to make wood 

products because engineered ‘wood’, which is stronger and more durable, is made using the 

plastic nurdles. 

With glass recycling, after it is collected the glass is sorted by colour (green, brown, clear etc.). 

After this, the glass is crushed into small pieces and is then referred to as cullet. 

Before the cullet is melted in a furnace, other raw materials used to make glass are added. 

These include sand, limestone and soda ash. After being mixed at approximately 1500°C, the 

glass can be moulded into new bottles and other products. 

Like glass, the papermaking 

process is also reversible, 

allowing the tonnes of waste 

paper created every year to 

be used again. Water and 

chemicals are added to the 

waste paper, which is then 

reduced to slurry in a pulper. 

The pulp goes through 

a number of cleaning 

processes before being 

made into paper again. 



$3.99 



How is reversible change used in recycling? – 2 

1. Give two reasons why recycling materials is important. 

• 

• 

2. Why is it possible to recycle materials such as glass and plastics? 

3. Use the steps written below to create a chart for the recycling of glass and plastic. One 

step is used for both materials. 

crushed into cullet formed into nurdles sold in bulk 

waste plastic collected moulded into new bottles shredded into flakes 

sorted into different colours heated to melting point waste glass collected 

sand, limestone and soda ash added 

Glass 

sorted into different grades 

Plastic 

4. What is the main difference between recycling glass and recycling plastic? 



5. What is the purpose of the triangular label embossed on plastic items? 

6. How do the recycling processes for glass and plastic differ from the paper 

recycling process? 



Lesson 6.3 

Recycling paper 

Recycling paper requires less energy than making new paper from bark. 

The process is very effective and takes only a few days to complete. The 

need for paper made from new pulp can be reduced by recycling all 

paper waste and buying paper products made from recycled paper. 

Research information to complete the table. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

Why should people recycle paper? 

What types of paper can be recycled? 

Explain in one sentence, the ten steps of the paper recycling process. 

Pulping 

Screening 

Centrifugal 

cleaning 

Flotation 

Kneading/ 

Dispersion 

Washing 

Bleaching 



Papermaking 

Dissolved air 

flotation 

Waste 

disposal 




Achievement 

standard: 

By the end of Year 6, students classify and compare reversible and irreversible changes to substances. 

1. (a) Draw a reversible change and an irreversible change. 

Reversible 

Irreversible 

(b) What process is causing the materials to change? 

• • 

2. (a) Complete the table. 

water and juice 

Materials mixed 



flour and instant coffee granules 

sand and sugar in water 


(b) How is rust formed? Draw a diagram and write an explanation. 

Reversible or irreversible change 



3. Rock salt dissolves faster than table salt. Is this statement true? Explain, and include other 

ways that might make salt dissolve faster in water. 


Integrated unit assessment answers 

Biological sciences integrated unit assessment – page 24 

1. Teacher check: Students should choose a type of biome (terrestrial—tundra, grassland, desert, deciduous forest, coniferous forest and 

tropical rainforest; aquatic—freshwater and marine); and describe the physical conditions and how, if these were to change, the living 

things there would be affected. 

2. Some animals migrate when they detect natural changes in the environment; for example, less hours of daylight and an abundance 

of food as nature’s autumn harvest ripens. They know that they will not survive in the coming colder temperatures and that food will 

be in short supply, so they migrate to somewhere more suitable. Many animals migrate to a place where they know there will be an 

abundant source of food, so they can breed and rear their young, giving them the best chance of survival. 

3. Some animals hibernate to conserve their energy when environmental conditions are too harsh for survival. Their metabolism drops 

to very low levels, gradually using up the fat stored during the autumn when food was abundant, and their body temperature and 

breathing rate fall. They wake up in spring, when they can survive in warmer temperatures and food is again available and easy to find. 

Earth and space sciences integrated unit assessment – page 52 

1. (a) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune 

(b) False 

2. The gravitational force of the Sun holds Earth and the other planets in orbit around it. This strong gravitational pull keeps all the 

planets and other objects travelling around the Sun in elliptical orbits. Planets closer to the Sun travel around it more quickly than 

those further away and are more affected by the Sun’s gravity. 

March • April • May Sun shines equally on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 

3. (a) 


summer 

S 

winter 

N 

autumn 



spring 

S 

S 

N 

N 

spring 



autumn 


S 

winter 

summer 


(b) Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle. Therefore, at different times of the year, one part of Earth is more directly titled towards 

the Sun than other parts, meaning it receives more heat and experiences summer. At the same time, the opposite part of Earth 

is tilted away from the Sun, so the light is spread out over a larger surface area, making it less warm. This part of Earth then 

experiences winter. 

(c) The sunrise and sunset times vary each day and change with the seasons. During the summer, we experience sunrise earlier than 

in winter. The Sun also sets later in the evening. In winter, daylight hours are much shorter. This is because, during its orbit around 

the Sun, Earth’s tilt on its axis causes one hemisphere to lean towards the Sun and experience summer (with more daylight 

hours), while the other hemisphere tilts away, experiencing winter (with fewer hours of sunlight). 

Physical sciences integrated unit assessment – page 76 

1. (a) The first circuit will not work as the wire is not correctly connected to the light bulb. The second circuit will work as all three light 

bulbs are correctly connected to the battery. 

(b) simple circuit, parallel circuit, series circuit 

2. (a) Teacher check; for example, metals (especially silver and copper) and water. 

(b) Teacher check; for example, plastic, cotton, rubber, glass, porcelain, paper, wood and fibreglass. 

3. Teacher check diagrams. 

Chemical sciences integrated unit assessment – page 104 

1. Teacher check: One reversible and irreversible change, plus their processes. 

2. (a) Materials mixed Reversible or irreversible change 

water and juice 

reversible 


irreversible 


reversible 

flour and instant coffee granules reversible 

sand and sugar in water 

reversible 


irreversible 

(b) Teacher check diagram. Explanation should be something like: when water comes into contact with an unprotected metal, two 

reactions begin. Hydrogen in the water combines with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and forms a weak acid. As the acid 

begins to dissolve the metal, oxygen in the water combines with the dissolving metal and iron oxide (rust) is formed. 

3. The statement is false. Rock salt does not dissolve faster than table salt because its granules are larger and it has a smaller surface 

area. The salt could be made to dissolve faster by stirring, as the stirring action brings the solute particles into contact with more 

solvent. The temperature of the solvent also affects the rate that the solute dissolves. A higher temperature means that the molecules 

are moving around more so they are able to dissolve faster. 

R.I.C. Publications ® ricpublications.com.au 978-1-923005-13-6 Australian Curriculum Science (Year 6) 105 

N 


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