Lesson number: 6 Title: Researching environmental impacts. Time: 1 hour.

Objectives: For students to extend on their ability to conduct research and deepen their understandings of environmental
impacts on the lifecycles of plants and animals and share/ present this knowledge to their class through working
collaboratively with group members.
Outcomes and Indicators:
ST2-4WS investigates and predictions by analysing collected data, suggesting explanations for their findings, and
communicating on the processes undertaken.
Develop knowledge, understanding of and skills in applying the processes of working scientifically.
ST2-10LW describes that living things have life cycles, can be distinguished from non-living things and grouped, based on
their observable features.
ST2-11LW describes ways that science knowledge helps people understand the effect of their actions on the environment
and on the survival of living things.
EN2-1A Communicates in a range of informal and formal contexts by adopting a range of roles in group and classroom
contexts.
Interacts effectively in groups, adopting a range of roles.
EN2-4A Uses an increasing range of skills, strategies and knowledge to fluently read, view and comprehend a range of
texts on increasingly challenging topics in different media and technologies.
Uses comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and
linking ideas and analysing texts (ACELY1680/ACELY1692).
ACSIS054/ACSIS065 works collaboratively to suggest ways to plan and conduct investigations to find answers to
questions.
ACSIS060/ACSIS071 Represents and communicates ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, simple
reports, written and oral facts and explanations.
Key Scientific Knowledge:
The environment in which an organism (plant or animal) lives in has the capacity to
affect their ability to grow, survive and thrive (Kinnear & Martin, 2000). Humans are
the cause of some environmental impacts but not all (Tilman & Lehman, 2001).
Common environmental impacts include: temperature, access to light, water
availability, wind and water movement (Boyle & Senior, 2002), strong salty winds,
introduction of hard-hoofed animals, mineral -efficient soils, pollution (Kinnear &
Martin, 2000) and gravity (Snyder, Kennedy & Aubusson, 1990).
Resources & Equipment:
Computers, internet, cardboard,
printer, smart board, textas, glue
sticks and tables and chairs.
Lesson Overview:
Introduction
The lesson will begin with the educator gathering students and leading them to the computer room. Students will be
divided into the same groups as the previous lesson and instructed to conduct research on one environmental impact on a
living thing (either plant or animal). Students will be provided with 30 minutes to obtain as much information as they feel
necessary before printing it off and returning to the classroom.
Activities
1. The teacher will remind students about the environmental impacts explored in the previous lesson through a
discussion.
2. The teacher will divide students into their groups (as per previous lesson) and allocate a computer(s) to each group.
3. The educator will explain to students that within these groups they have 30 minutes to conduct research and obtain as
much information and images as they feel necessary on an environmental impact on a living thing (plant or animal).
4. Students have the option of researching one of the environmental impacts they discovered within the school
playground or an environmental impact of interest to the group members.
5. Students will be encouraged to research information regarding what their environmental impact is, how it impacts a
living thing (plant or animal) and how this form of environmental impact can be abolished or reduced.
6. Once students have obtained all the images and information they need or the 30 minutes is up, students will be
gathered and return to the classroom.
7. Within these groups students are then to create a poster on their environmental impact to present to the class. Students
will be encouraged to include the information and images collected and present them with facts and explanations.
Conclusion:
The educator will conclude the lesson by explaining to students that they will present their poster and receive another 15
minutes to make final edits to the poster in the next lesson. All posters will be placed along the wall for students to observe
and investigate prior to the presentation.
Modifications
Simplification:
The educator will provide suggestions on what environmental impacts can be
researched and provide guidance on how to conduct research on these
impacts.
Students struggling to engage with the lesson can also choose to explore one of
the environmental impacts on the weebly page in the previous lesson,
however, are not to browse the teacher resources tab.
Extension:
Students will be encouraged to present
their environmental impact with their
poster along with some form of
multimedia off the smart board such as a
Youtube clip or a slideshow of images
surrounding their environmental impact.