Title: Australian Flora and Fauna

Class/Stage: Stage 3 (Year 5)

Students will engage in a unit of work about Australian Flora and Fauna.
Key Scientific Knowledge (KSK)

Lesson number

a) Australian Flora and Fauna- Plants and

Lessons 1 to 6

animals that are native to Australia and vary

across the many different natural
environments in the country (Australian
Government, 2007; Wells, 2013).
b) Ecosystem- The process, which includes

Lessons 1, 3 and 4

the production, nutrient cycling and

decomposition of nature (Smith & Werner,
2009). Lesson 1
Ecosystem- a system formed by organisms
interacting with each other and with their nonliving surroundings in a balanced way
(Rickard et al., 2013, p.225). Lessons 3 and 4
c) Ecological communities- Naturally
occurring group of native plants or animals
that interact together within a habitat. The
native plants or animals within an ecological
community all have different roles and
relationships in contributing the functioning of
the environment (Australian Government
Department of the Environment, 2014).

Lesson 1

d) Bio climate- analysis and prediction

Lesson 1

system: Ways of stimulating the geographical

implications of climate change for alpine and
temperate rainforest vegetation and a rare and
a common mammal species (Pearmans,
1988). Greenhouse: Planning for Climate
Change
e) Climatic variations-The variations of

Lesson 2

climate or climate fluctuations, which occurs

due the seasonal cycle of a certain region.
Climate variation is a change in the climate
(Garhrecht & Piechota, 2006).
f) Plateaus- These are extensive upland

Lesson 2

areas characterised by flat or rough surfaces,

steep walls that rise above the ground
(Bharatdwaji, 2006).
g) Habitat-the place where organisms live

Lesson 3 and 4

(Rickard, Devlin, Linstead, Madden and

Spenceley, 2013, p. 225)
h) Organisms- all living things (Greg et al.,

Lessons 3 and 4

2013, p.225)
i) Aves- animals with feathers covering their

Lessons 3

body; lay hard-shelled eggs and are

endothermic (Rickard et al., 2013, p.273).
i) Endothermic- describes animals with a

Lesson 3

body temperature controlled internally

(Rickard et al., 2013, p.273).
k) Species- a group of animals with many

Lessons 3

features in common (Warnant et al., 2010,

p.431)
l) Adaptations- a characteristic of an

Lessons 3, 4, 5

organism that improves its chances of survival

in a particular habitat (Warnant et al., 2010,
p.421). Lessons 3 and 4
Adaptation- a physical or behavioural
characteristic that is inherited and which result
in an individual being more likely to survive
and reproduce in its environment. Lesson 5
m) Arid lands- areas that receive an average

Lesson 4

rainfall of 250 mm or less (National Museum

of Australia [NMA], 2005, p. 1).
n) Semi-arid lands-areas receiving between

Lesson 4

250 mm and 350 mm average rainfall (NMA,

2005).
o) Ephemerals- short-lived plants appearing

Lesson 4

when there is abundant moisture following

good rains (National Museum of Australia
[NMA], 2005, p. 5).
p) Environments- are the space, conditions
and factors that affect an individuals ability to

Lesson 5, 6

survive (Charlesworth & Lind, 2013). Plants

and animals survive in varying environments
including nearby salt water or fresh water
(Wright, 2014).
q) Technologies- the knowledge and creative

Lesson 5

processes that assist people to use tools,

resources and systems to solve problems and
meet human needs and wants.
r) Traditional learning- based upon

Lesson 5

observation and repetition of Indigenous

Australians, where knowledge is passed down
from the elders and is shared when the youth
reach the age of understanding (Skamp,
2012).
s) Resources- include anything that can be

Lesson 6

used to fill a need. Natural resources include

coal and water (Charlesworth & Lind, 2013).
t) Sustainable- supports the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to support their needs
(Charlesworth & Lind, 2013).

Lesson 6