PST Names:
Topic:
Year Level:
Lucy Andrew and Rebecca Mealings
Survival
One and Two
Unit outcomes
AusVELS
Science domain:
Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)
Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211)
Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030)
Science involves asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE021)
Use a range of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables(ACSIS040)
Through discussion, compare observations with predictions (ACSIS214)
Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways such as oral and written language, drawing
and role play (ACSIS029)
Respond to and pose questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events (ACSIS024)
Other domains:
Rehearse and deliver short presentations on familiar and new topics (ACELY1667)
Understand the use of vocabulary about familiar and new topics and experiment with and begin to make conscious
choices of vocabulary to suit audience and purpose (ACELA1470)
Interpersonal development: Students work in teams in assigned roles, stay on task and complete structured activities
within set timeframes. They share resources fairly. With teacher support, they describe their contribution to the
activities of the team.
Sustainability: All life forms, including human life, are connected through ecosystems on which they depend for their
wellbeing and survival.
Concepts:
Living, non-living and dead
Animal adaptations (including common features and camouflage)
Food chains and food webs
Habitats
Unit outcomes:
Describe the use of animal body parts and adaptations to help survive
Identify common features of animals
Understand the complex nature of food webs within ecosystems
Recognise that different living things live in different places i.e. land and water (AusVELS 2015)
Label key animal features
Order and categorise different systems e.g. food webs, animals, habitats
Unit overview
Phase/
Lesson
Science outcomes
-
Lesson 1
(Engage)
Living,
nonliving
and dead
Students identify
features of a
variety of plants
and animals i.e.
MRS GREN.
They distinguish
between living,
non-living and
dead
Literacy outcomes
-
Students learn
language and
vocabulary
associated with
characteristics
of living and
non-living things
Lesson Summary
-
Lesson 2
(Explore)
Animal
adaptati
ons
-
Students can
differentiate
between different
animal features
and justify why
they are useful to
that animal
Create an animal
features chart
Use different
adjectives to
describe and
differentiate
between
features of
different animals
Engage in
discussion about
Assessment
opportunities
Quick meet and greet share
some facts
Cut and paste magazine as a
group
o Living
o Non-living
o Dead
Make comparisons using
posters hopefully creating mrs
gren
MRS GREN
Write up on new/4th poster
Explore adaptations of animals
Cut and paste activity
Discussion of why animals
have certain features and how
they are useful for survival
Diagnostic-test
through
classification
sheet
Probing
discussion
questions to find
out what
students know
At the conclusion
of session
students share
examples of
living, non-living
and dead items
Formative:
Informal
assessment
through student
discussion and
anecdotal notetaking
Teacher analysis
of student work
highlighting three
important
features of
animals from a
variety of habitats
Lesson 3
(Explore)
Camoufla
ge
-
Lesson 4
(Explain)
Food
chain
and food
web
Make
observations of
one survival
feature used by a
variety of different
animals
Understand why
animals
camouflage and
the different
methods some
animals take
Understand why
food chains are
important to the
entire ecosystem
Understand the
difference
between food
webs and food
chains
Understand the
categories of
the various
animal
adaptations
Write
justifications
about why
certain features
are important to
that animals
survival
Informally
present ideas to
the group
Engage in
discussion of
animal
camouflage
abilities
Make
predictions
about the
likelihood of
colours
camouflaging
Understand and
effectively use
the correct
science
terminology
(e.g. herbivore,
producer)
Provide
definitions of
key science
terms and
in the form of
verbal feedback
Explore camouflage using
images and discussion
Take students outside to play
paper-clip camouflage in the
grass and make predictions
and explanations
Hide-a-ray activity
Sing food chain jingle with
students involvement at least
two times
Discussion about key terms
and words
Re-invention of jingle with
student input regarding
appropriate actions
Creation of physical food web
assigning students to certain
producers/consumers and ball
Formative:
Informal
assessment
through student
discussion and
anecdotal notetaking
Teacher analysis
of student work
in the form of
verbal feedback
Formative:
Photo is taken of
completed food
webs to assess
understandings
Informal
assessment
through student
answers to
teacher led
questions
different animals
i.e. predator,
consumer,
herbivore etc
discuss
differences
between these
terms
Lesson 5
(Explain)
Habitats
Understand what
habitat is and why
it is important
Explore different
habitats
Justify why a
habitat is suitable
for a certain
animal
Understand and
effectively use
the correct
science
terminology
(e.g. grasslands,
seabeds)
of string
Students create mini food
chain using their chosen class
project animal in the form of a
poster
Discussion about dependence
of food chain on other
elements
Start by reading students book
who lives here? and use
information to prompt class
discussion
o Whats included in a
habitat?
Shelter
Food
Put 4 habitats in 4 corners of
the room
Read animal riddles, ask
students to go to appropriate
corner
Ask students to construct their
own animal riddles then play
whole class game using them
Take all students to each
habitat corner and discuss
what features would help an
animal survive
Food chains will
be collected to
assess
understandings
of producers,
consumers,
herbivores,
carnivores and
omnivores using
a formal rubric
Formative
assessment
through
observation and
discussion
Understanding
will be visually
evident through
the corners of
the room
students attend
Lesson 6
(Elaborat
e/
Evaluate)
Ultimate
survival
animal
Celebrati
on Day
(Evaluate
)
Understand the
term adaptations
in relation to the
animal they
create
Use scientific
terminology while
describing
animals
Be aware of how
habitat will
influence their
choices
Think of and use
scientific
terminology
while writing
and verbally
sharing their
animal
Understand how
to use writing in
different formats
e.g. labelling,
paragraphs
Justify and
informally
present their
creation to the
class
Students will be asked to use
all their prior knowledge and
information gained from
previous activities to create
their own ultimate survival
animal using real animal
features that would help them
survive in certain habitats
Summative
assessment:
Students will
receive written
feedback in the
form of
comments
Students should
be able to:
Justify their
animal in terms
of its adaptations
and suitability for
its given habitat
Students show their posters to the rest of the classes. They are able to explain their ultimate survival
animal, justifying and reflecting on their choices.
