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This unit plan is aimed at a foundation level class, with 17 students, at Elizabeth North Primary School. All students speak English fluently, however there are
three students with speech impediments and one student with cerebral palsy. In the following unit plan, each learning experience can be adapted depending
on the students needs. Science is taught as a NIT (non-instruction time) once a week as a double lesson for the class. There are two science teachers, with a
junior primary and upper primary science focus. The junior primary science room is quite small compared to classrooms. There is an interactive
television/table, however general resources are limited and need to be gathered from the upper primary room if needed.
The focus for science in term two for foundation level is physical sciences. Therefore, the following unit plan focuses on this sub-strand with an exploration
of human and animal movement. A prior knowledge learning experience has been completed with a small group of children from the class, and it was
discovered that the students had limited understandings of how the human body moved and alternative conceptions about movement terms (Appendix A).
It is important to address these limited understandings and alternative conceptions, therefore the following unit plan has been based with such consideration.
• Learning Outcome 1: Students will observe, compare, and demonstrate the movement of living things (humans and animals), as well as explain how the
way they move depends on their size and shape (ACSSU005 (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2017d)).
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• Learning Outcome 2: Students will participate in an animal movement investigation by observing and researching animals, engaging in formal and
informal discussions and representing and sharing their ideas and findings with others (ACSIS011 (ACARA 2017a); ACSIS233 (ACARA 2017c); ACSIS012
(ACARA 2017b)).
Strands
Physical sciences: Students will Nature and development of science: Questioning and predicting: Students will pose and respond to questions
explore the way living things move Students will engage with the topic by about the topic.
depends on a variety of factors. observing, asking questions about, and
Planning and conducting: Students will participate in an animal movement
Biological sciences: Students will describing changes in living things. investigation, using their senses of sight and touch.
understand that living things have Processing and analysing data and information: Students will engage in
basic needs. discussions about the topic and will make observations and representations.
General Capabilities
Cross-Curriculum Priorities
o Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures o Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
o Sustainability
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Students will listen to and engage with narrative Students will classify animal movements Students will create a movement model using
and informative texts (ACELA1430), they will (ACMNA005) and describe human and animal various art materials (ACAVAM107) and use
engage with movement songs and poems positioning and movement (ACMMG010). fundamental movement skills when interacting
(ACELT1579), and will contribute to class with movement songs and poems (ACADAM002).
discussions and present work to their peers
(ACELY1646, ACELY1784, ACELY1647).
Outcome 2.4 Students explore, observe, and notice the relationships between people and animals and show respect for and care for the natural
environment (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) 2009, p. 29).
Outcome 3.2 Students combine gross and fine motor movement to achieve increasingly complex sensory-motor skills and movement patterns
(DEEWR 2009, p. 32).
Outcome 4.2 Students manipulate objects to experiment with cause and effect, trial and error, and motion (DEEWR 2009, p. 35).
Outcome 5.1 Students interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, clarify and challenge thinking, negotiate, and share new understandings
(DEEWR 2009, p. 40).
The key scientific concept addressed in this unit plan is movement. Students will explore movement in humans and animals, and will therefore have the
capacity to continue to understand their world around them (Australian Academy of Science 2012, p. 9).
There are various aspects of thinking and working scientifically the students will be engaging with throughout the unit plan. These are related to human and
animal movement and include observing, questioning, discovering, collaborating, exploring, predicting, manipulating objects and things, classifying,
communicating, constructing, drawing, and researching (Skamp & Preston 2015, p. 86).
Adaptations • Human body image can be provided for students to point to body parts during movement songs.
Adaptations • Human body image can be provided for students to point to body parts during movement songs.
• Provide strips of paper and glue as an alternative to working with bendy wire and clay.
students to animal movements. Encourage students to Develop: • From Head to Toe by Eric
or viewing animals outdoors, observe the movements Contribute to discussion about how the • Information Texts
of a selected animal. Ask students how the animal is animal moves and predict why it moves in • Interactive TV
Explain
moving and to predict why the animal may be moving that way. • Poster Paper
Elaborate
in that way. Record answers in science journal. • Pencils
Develop:
Develop: How Do We Discover Information About Observe how to find out information about
Movement: Animals? animals. Contribute to discussion about the
Observing animal
Together with the students, model ways to find out selected animal and help decide the best
movement
information about the animal selected for observation answers.
(for example, using informative texts, searching the Conclude:
internet). Collectively with students, decide where the
Independently, create a poster displaying the
animal lives, what the animal eats, what the size of the
information that has been discovered about
animal is, what movements it makes, and whether it
the selected animal.
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Adaptations • When modelling how to research information, use informative texts including simple texts with lots of images and advanced texts
with lots of words.
Learning Introduce: How Did We Discover Information About Introduce: • Animal Research Posters
Experience 5 Animals Last Lesson? Contribute to discussion about how we • Science Journal
Connecting to previous lesson, have a discussion with conduct research. • Informative Texts
Assessment
As science is taught once a week, the science teacher keeps track of assessment through weekly grades and effort marks. To closely follow the structure
implemented by the teacher, a formative assessment grid will be used during each learning experience, apart from the final learning experience, where
students will be assessed according to criteria met through their research of an animal.
Formative For learning experiences one to four, a grid will be created and used to determine students’ engagement and
achievement with the focus for the lesson (Appendix C). Using a grid as an assessment tool is useful as it can
identify any gaps or students that have been missed (Brady & Kennedy 2012, p. 148).
Learning Experience 1: Student participates in movement songs and demonstrates movement actions.
Learning Experience 2: Student creates movement model and can explain that movement.
Learning Experience 4: Student creates poster about selected animal and displays information discussed.
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For learning experience five, students research poster will be assessed according to criteria relating to their
research of an animal (Appendix D).
Summative Using the formative assessment grids and the achievement criteria for their animal research, an overall
comment and achievement rating will be made about their engagement and achievements with the unit plan,
with relation to the learning outcomes (Appendix E).
Teacher Resources
Resource Relevance
Teaching Primary Science Constructively Teaching Primary Science Constructively was useful in gaining background information about movement,
(Skamp & Preston 2015) especially in relation to the terms ‘push’ and ‘pull’, which are a focus in foundation year science.
Primary Connections Series: On The Move The On The Move component of the Primary Connections Series was highly relevant for both background
(Australian Academy of Science 2012). knowledge and sequencing of this unit plan. Each lesson example was useful in creating and adapting relevant
activities to explore human and animal movement.
Australian Curriculum Science: Foundation Although this series provides a range of black line masters, the recommendation from the science teacher
(RIC Publications 2017). proved useful in creating and adapting lessons such as in Learning Experience 3 where students classify animals
by the ways they move.
A Sense of Wonder: Science in early Although A Sense of Wonder: Science in the early years does not provide explicit lesson examples, the activities
childhood education (Aitken et al. 2015). suggested in the book provided useful when considering hands on activities for the students to engage with,
such as moving to music in Learning Experiences 1 and 2.
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Pinterest With a prevalence of social media available today, Pinterest was not one to overlook when searching for
lesson ideas in relation to movement. Teachers around the world can share their ideas on Pinterest using
images and they certainly provided inspiration for a majority of activities included in this unit plan.
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References
Aitken, J, Hunt, J, Roy, E, Sajfar, B & Featherstone, S 2015, A sense of wonder: Science in
early childhood education, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK.
Australian Academy of Science 2012, On the move: Foundation Year: Physical Sciences,
Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, ACT.
- 2017b, F-10 Curriculum, Science: Science Inquiry Skills, v8.3, ACSIS012, Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 6 May 2017,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#cdcode=ACSIS012&level=F>.
- 2017c, F-10 Curriculum, Science: Science Inquiry Skills, v8.3, ACSIS233, Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 6 May 2017,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#cdcode=ACSIS233&level=F>.
Brady, L & Kennedy, K 2012, Assessment and reporting: Celebrating student achievement,
4th edn., Pearson Australia, Melbourne, Vic.
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Carle, E 1999, From head to toe, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY.
Jenkins, S & Page, R 2006, Move!, Houghton Miffin Harcourt Publishing Company, New York,
NY.
Skamp, K & Preston, C 2015, Teaching primary science constructively, 5th edn, Cengage
Learning Australia, South Melbourne, Vic.
Willems, M 2007, Today I will fly!, Hyperion Books, New York, NY.
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Appendix A
Appendix B
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Appendix C
Learning Experience 1
Appendix D
Name:
o Identifies animal
o Works collaboratively
Appendix E
Name:
Students will observe, compare, and demonstrate the movement of living things (humans and
animals), as well as explain how the way they move depends on their size and shape (ACSSU005)
Comment: