Common Planning Template (Word version)

General Information
Title Life Cycle and Survival
Learning Area Biological Science
Grade Year 4
Overview of Class
Unit Overview/Main Idea
In this unit of work…
Insects as small as the bee play a pivotal role in the world’s ecosystems. Bees are the major
pollinators of the world. This unit provide opportunities for students to explore the special
relationship between plants and animals. Through investigations, students investigate
about the life cycles of these species as well as the mutually beneficial relationships these
spieces have with one another.
Biblical Perspective
Biblical Perspective
Christian 2.1.2 – God created, in intricate detail, an interplay of biological,
Worldview physical and chemical processes within ordered ecosystems
Statements (Colossians 1:16).
2.1.5 – God’s providential and sovereign control governs the large and
minute interworking of matter within natural and physical ‘laws’
(Nehemiah 9:6; Job 26:14).

Prescribed Curriculum Content

Knowledge and Living things have life cycles (Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 20; Job
Understanding 39) (ACSSU072)
Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive as
part of God’s created order (Psalm 147:8-9; Isaiah 55:10) (ACSSU073)
Nature and Development of Science
Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and
relationships in God’s created order (ACSHE061)
Use and Influence of Science
Science knowledge, within a Biblical framework, helps people to
understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)

Skills Questioning and Predicting

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be
investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior
knowledge (ACSIS064)

Planning and Conducting

With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find
 answers to questions, considering the safe use of appropriate
materials and equipment (ACSIS065)

Consider the elements of fair tests and use formal measurements and
digital technologies as appropriate, to make and record observations
accurately (ACSIS066)

Processing and Analysing Data and Information

Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to
represent data and to identify patterns and trends (ACSIS068)

Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for

findings (ACSIS216)

Evaluating
Reflect on investigations, including whether a test was fair or not
(ACSIS069)

Communicating
Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using
formal and informal representations (ACSIS071)

General Literacy: Cross-Curriculum Sustainability:

Capabilities • maps Priorities Students will develop
• science journals an understanding of
• TWLH charts how the growth of
• word walls some living things can
• tables be impacted by
• labelled diagrams environmental
• graphs conditions, including
• annotated diagrams changes due to human
• procedural texts impact. This can assist
• factual texts them to develop
knowledge, skills and
Numeracy: values for making
• collect, interpret and decision about
represent data through individual and
tables and graphs community actions
• use measurement that contribute to
sustainable patterns of
ICT Competence: use of the Earth’s
  use interactive natural resources.
resource
technology to
view, record and
analyse
information
 use the internet
to research
further
information
about
landforms,
weathering and
erosion

Critical & Creative

Thinking:
 use reasoning to
develop
questions for
inquiry
 formulate, pose
and respond to
questions
 consider
different ways of
thinking about
rocks, soils and
landscapes
 develop
evidence-based
claims about
patterns of
erosion.

Ethical Behaviour:
• ask questions of
others, respecting each
other’s point of view.

Personal & Social

Competence:
 • work collaboratively
in teams
• follow a procedural
text for working safely
• participate in
discussions

Intercultural
Understanding:
 Cultural
perspectives
opportunities
are highlighted
where relevant.
 Important
contributions
made to science
by people from a
range of cultures
are highlighted
where relevant.

Teaching and Learning

Essential Questions What are the similarities and differences between the life cycles of
living things?
 What is a life cycle?
 How do frogs and butterflies change during their life cycles?
 What is the life cycle of a flowering plant?
 How does the wind help plants to grow?

How are environments and living things interdependent?

 What physical things do humans need to survive?
 Is all water safe to drink?
 What is a food chain?

Resources Primary Connections: Friend or Foe?

Primary Connections: Among the Gum Trees
Inquisitive
Methodology Explicit teaching, books, interactive websites, images, videos,
investigations
Teaching and
Learning
Experiences
Overview
Assessment
Assessment Diagnostic:
KWL Chart
brainstorming

Formative:
Science journal entries
Class discussions
Word wall
Labelled diagrams
Games
Investigations

Summative:
Written Assessment
Investigation

Achievement Students describe relationships that assist the survival of living things
Standard and sequence key stages in the life cycle of a plant or animal. They
identify when science is used to understand the effect of their actions.

Students follow instructions to identify investigable questions about

familiar contexts and make predictions based on prior knowledge.
They describe ways to conduct investigations and safely use
equipment to make and record observations with accuracy. They use
provided tables and column graphs to organise data and identify
patterns. Students suggest explanations for observations and
compare their findings with their predictions. They suggest reasons
why a test was fair or not. They use formal and informal ways to
communicate their observations and findings.

Evaluation/ Reflection
 Teaching and Learning Planner
Week 1
Topic: Life cycles - What is a life cycle?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Understand that God is Resources: Science journal entries and/or
the creator of all life Lion life cycle timeline / student worksheets
and sustains life by Physical copies of What’s Your Story? for group work Class discussion
establishing cycles and Deeper learning: 3-2-1 graphic pyramid
patterns at creation Challenging: worksheet
(natural laws)
 Understand that all Lesson:
living things have life
cycles Quick review of days of creation and God holds all things together:
 Describe different life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZrwd7DgStA
cycles
 Identify similarities and Read Genesis 1:11-13; 24-31
differences between life What phrase is repeated? (according to their kind)
cycles Discuss what that means for a pear tree or a lion or a rose (they can
only produce after themselves – a pear tree will not grow and apple
and a lion will not have a baby bird)
Psalm 104:24 – praise God for His work of creation

View the stimulus video Lion Life Cycles about the day in the life of a
lion cub.
Students T-P-S their ideas about what the video tells about the lion
cub’s story. Imagine you the lion cub from the video. What are two
events that may have happened to you during the day?
Screen the infographic of a Lion’s Life Cycle. There are key ages in the
lion’s life cycle that are significant. They compare these ages with what
they were doing at a similar age. Students record their thinking on the
provided timeline.
Discuss definitions of ‘Life Cycle’. Students write in their science
journals (All living things have life cycles. A life cycle is a series of stages
that a living thing goes through during its life)

Read the stimulus book What’s Your Story? about the life cycles of
other animals.

Students choose one of the animals from the book and in like-minded
groups, represent the life cycle in a diagram. There is a life cycle
diagram checklist for students to fill out to ensure that they have all that is
needed for their diagram: -
 A title.
 A drawing of your mammal at each stage.
 The age of your mammal at each stage.
 A fact about your mammal at each stage.

Students find a partner who has drawn a different life cycle diagram
from them and compare the two life cycles. They discuss the following
questions:
 Did anything surprise you?
 What is similar about the life cycles?
 What is different about the life cycles?
 The lion is often referred to as ‘The King of the Jungle’ however,
their population in the wild has decreased 43% in the last two
decades. This means that some lions do not make it through all the
stages in their life cycle. Students visit the provided link to the African
Wildlife Foundation website and scroll down to the ‘challenges’ section
to find out more about the threats to this species. Using the 3-2-1
graphic pyramid students: -
 Record three threats to lions.
 Record two things that AWF are doing to help.
 Record one thing that they could do to help.

Students read the article about Christian the lion. They think about
what they have learnt about lions and their life cycles. Students think
about if it was an ethical decision for John and Ace to buy and raise
Christian and give reasons to support their answer (worksheet).

Word wall: cub, ethical, life cycle, living thing, mammal, pride,
reproduce, stage, wean

Week 2
Topic: Tremendous Transformations - How do frogs and butterflies change during their life cycles?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Understand that all Resources: Science journal entries and/or
living things have life Life cycles Venn Diagram /student worksheets
cycles Six hat thinking worksheet / student Research
 Describe different life Metamorphosis Superpowers / student Class discussion
 cycles create a life cycle diagram / student
 Sequence the life cycles Invent an insect checklist / student
of a frog or butterfly iPads
 Identify similarities and
differences between life Lesson:
cycles of frogs and
butterflies Students view the first video clip from the stimulus video: Tadpole’s
Promise. They think about the clip that they have just watched and
discuss the following questions with their class.
 What do you predict will happen next?
 How do you predict the story will end?
After viewing the second video clip from the stimulus video: Tadpole’s
Promise, students discuss with their class whether their predictions
were correct.

Tadpole’s Promise shows some of the stages of the life cycle of a

butterfly and of a frog. Using their prior knowledge of these life cycles,
students work out which stage is missing in both life cycles.

Students look at the stimulus infographics for the life cycles of a frog
and butterfly. They complete the Venn Diagram comparing these life
cycles.

Discuss and define ‘metamorphosis’ and write in student journal

(Metamorphosis is when an animal changes its form dramatically during
its life cycle. For example, a tadpole to a frog or a caterpillar to a
butterfly.)
Students imagine they are either the tadpole or the caterpillar in the
story and answer the following Six Thinking Hats questions.
 Yellow Hat: What do you think are the advantages of going
through metamorphosis?
 Black Hat: What do you think are the disadvantages of going
through metamorphosis?
 Red Hat: How do you feel about going through metamorphosis?

In groups of 5 or 6, students play the life cycle stages game by

following the instructions:
 Sit in a circle with your group.
 Choose someone to start. They must choose whether the group
is going to use the life cycle of an insect or of an amphibian.
 The next person in the circle must say the first stage in the
chosen life cycle. They may choose to say either one or two
stages. For example, ‘Egg Stage’ or ‘Egg Stage, Larva Stage’.
 The next person must say the next stage or two stages in the
life cycle.
 This process continues until there are no more stages to list.
The person who is left without a stage to say is out.
 Repeat the process until there is only one person left in. They
are the winner.
(Screen image so visual learners have choices of stages)

Worksheet Metamorphosis Superpowers. Students read each

 statement and predict which animal (honeybee, flea, ant or
salamander) gains each ‘new power’.
 carry up to 5000 times my body weight
 fly up to 25 km per hour
 jump 200 times my height
 regrow damaged parts of my body, including limbs!
They then complete independent research to find out whether their
predictions were correct.

Students invent a new insect that goes through metamorphosis

and they create a life cycle diagram about it. Students use the Invent
an insect checklist to help them. They may want to use some scrap
paper to create a first draft.

Word wall: adult, amphibian, chrysalis, egg, gills, insect, larva, life
cycle, metamorphosis, predator, predict, pupa, reproduce, stage

Week 3
Topic: From Seed to Flower - What is the life cycle of a flowering plant?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Describe the needs of a Resources Science journal entries and/or
flowering plant Tomatoes of differing variety, shape, purpose worksheets
 Describe the reason for Tomato Troubles / student Research
flower and fruit Class science journal Class discussion
 Construct and How Does It Grow? / student
senquence the life cycle life cycle of a flowering plant quiz / group
of a tomato plant Seed dispersal table / student
Deeper: Seed Dispersal by Wind Concept Map. / student
Challenge: worksheet
iPads

Lesson
Introduce the tomatoes. Discuss shapes, sizes, taste, how they are
eaten and cooked, and favourite types. Ask if any students have grown
tomatoes and what they know about growing them.

View Why Plants Make Fruit (view to 4:23)

Screen ‘Tomato Troubles’ to the board. Read and discuss.

Ask questions, such as:
 Why does a plant produce fruit?
 Why does a plant produce flowers
 Are people the only ones who eat fruit? What else eats
fruit?

Distribute copies of ‘Tomato troubles’. Ask students to complete the

sentences.

Students to share their responses with the class. Record students’

answers in a class science journal.

As a class, students read the stimulus eBook poem: From Seed to

Flower to find out more information about the life cycle of a flowering
plant.

Using information from the poem, students to cut out the images
from How Does it Grow? worksheet and glue into science journals to
show how they think a tomato plant grows. Students add labels or
any other information needed to explain their ideas.

The life cycle of a flowering plant quiz has been answered. In small
groups, students read the answers and decide what marks should be
given. If they think an answer is wrong, they write down the correct
answer in a different coloured pen. Students may want to look back at
the eBook poem: From Seed to Flower to help them.

Seed dispersal is the movement or transport of seeds away from the

parent plant. It is an important part of the life cycle of a flowering plant.
There are five main methods of seed dispersal: gravity, animals, wind,
water, force.

Students complete the table by deciding which plant from the pictures
(Dandelion, Squirting cucumber, Water lily, Coconut, Strawberry) uses
each method of seed dispersal (gravity, animals, wind, water, force).

Wind is one of the main methods of seed dispersal. The way it

transports the seed depends on the type of seed and where it grows.
Students visit the provided website link to ‘The Seed Site’ to find out
more about dispersal of seeds by the wind. They then complete the
Seed Dispersal by Wind Concept Map.
 The Eucalyptus tree is native to Australia. The first record of a
Eucalyptus tree in Europe was in England in 1774. This is
approximately 15,000 km away! Students come up with three creative
ways to explain how a seed from a Eucalyptus flower made its way
from Australia to England (worksheet).

Word wall: force, germination, gravity, nutrients, pollen, pollination,

roots, seeds, seed dispersal

Week 4
Topic: Wonderful Wind - Seed Dispersal By Wind: An experiment – How does the wind help plants to grow?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 With support, develop a Resources Science journal entries and/or
question to investigate Investigation planner / student worksheets
 Make a prediction 3 balloons / group Class discussion
about the effect of wind 30 sequins (at least) / group Note: We attempted the
on the dispersion of 2 one-metre rulers / group investigation in Year 3 and
seeds Fan (with 3 settings) / group found:
 With support, plan an Pin / group  The room was not big
investigation that enough, use the MPH
incorporates a control Lesson  Be prepared to
and fair testing View the stimulus image: and use the vocabulary in the vocabulary measure 10+m. May
 Describe and reflect on box to describe what is happening and what will happen next. ( The need the long
the results of an photo shows seeds dispersing from a flowering plant. Seed dispersal is the measuring tape as well
investigation movement or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. It is an  Don’t blow up the
important part of the life cycle of a flowering plant. We can explore seed balloon too big. About
 dispersal through scientific experiments.) 25 cm circumference
should be sufficient
Students are to conduct an experiment on the affects of the wind on  Make sure all windows
seed dispersal. and doors are closed to
prevent drafts that may
Before conducting the experiment, watch and discuss Think and Work interfere
Like a Scientist and What’s A Fair Test.  I have a couple of old
fans in my classroom
Screen and read through the materials required and the procedure you are welcome to use
and together with the students, write an investigation.  There is a mistake on
the investigation
In groups, students complete investigation, record and graph results. planner. In the
recording table the
Individually, students explain their results and evaluate the speeds should be ‘0’, ‘1’,
investigation. ‘3’.

Week 5
Topic: Survival School - What physical things do humans need to survive?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Explain how God Resources Science journal entries and/or
created the world in the Timeline worksheet / student worksheets
order that He did to Natural features write lists / pair Research
provide for all our describing animals / student Class discussion
needs.
 Understand that living Lesson
things, including To stimulate interest and curiosity about Living World - Survival of
humans, depend on Living Things, as a class, students view the stimulus video ‘Survival
natural features of the School’. This engaging video, featuring students attending a real-life
environment to survive. Survival School, introduces the students to the four basic needs of life.
Students Think Pair Share their understanding of the four basic needs
of life and whether anything surprised them about how long you can
survive without each.

Students complete a timeline showing how long you can survive

without each basic need.

Review the days of creation in order (Genesis 1). Knowing what is

needed for survival, explain why God did not make man on the first
day of creation.
Read Psalm 147:8-11 and praise God for His wisdom and His
provision.

Students are asked to imagine that they have been invited to go to

Survival School. In preparation they have been asked to watch the
video of Survival Lilly building a shelter. They think about what natural
features of the environment Survival Lilly used to build her shelter and
reflect on what other natural features of the environment might be
helpful when building a shelter.
Note: A natural feature of the environment is a part of the
environment that is not made by people.
In Pairs (using rally coach) students write lists of natural features that
were used and natural features that could be used.
Students read the clues describing animals. These animals also use
natural features of the environment for shelter. They highlight the
natural feature of the environment in each clue and then match the
clue to the animal that it is describing. They think deeply about why it
is important for humans to know that animals depend on natural
features of the environment.

Screen photos of five items that students will be given to take to

Survival School. In groups of 3, students discuss each item and explain
how each one might help them get shelter, food or water (use rally
robin structure).

Present Survival School Task 1. Students complete the Compass

Point thinking routine by answering the following questions:
North: What else do you Need to know about his task?
South: What Suggestions do you have for this task?
East: What Excites you about this task?
West: What Worries you about this task?

Students read the five statements about survival in the wild. They
predict whether each statement is a fact or a myth and circle either
the tick or the cross. They research, using the guided research links
provided, whether the statements are facts or myths.

Vocabulary: depend, environment, food, hydrate, natural feature,

oxygen, shelter, survival, water
Week 6
Topic: Clean That Water! - Is all water safe to drink?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Explain how/why water Resources: Science journal entries and/or
is an essential natural Soil worksheets
feature to life Tap water Research
 Demonstrate how Cup/group Class discussion
water can be filtered so Funnel/group
that it is more safe to Natural features eg sand, stones, leaves/group
drink Paper towels at least 3/group
 Plan, investigate and 1 transparent measuring container/group
evaluate which natural 1 spoon/group
features are most 3 transparent empty containers/group
effective for filtering investigation planner, here and here / student
water
Lesson:
Screen the question “Why is water important?”. Using a rally robin,
students list as many ideas as they can in 2 minutes to answer the
question (eg will die without it, needed to increase energy levels,
reduces risk of getting sick, prevents or eases headaches, transports
nutrients through the body, essential for good circulation, helps keep
the outside of our bodies clean)

Screen the stimulus page of different water sources. Although they all
look clean, students things about and explain why they can’t drink
from all of them.

Have students imagine they are at Survival School in the Australian

Bush. There are no taps and they must collect water from natural
water sources. In their science journals, and working in groups of
three, students brainstorm, sketch and label the natural water sources
that might be available (optional: use brainstorm sheet)

Hands on investigation:
Read the materials and procedure and in small science groups,
students conduct a fair test about which natural feature of the
environment make the best water filter.
Complete the investigation planner, here and here

Approximately 35% of the world’s population do not have access to

clean water. Students choose a story to read from the Water for
People charity website to find out how this charity’s work has provided
communities with access to clean water. They choose from the
following three stories:
 A Dream of Safe Water
 More Time, Better Education
 Meet Carolina
After reading their chosen story, the students are asked the question:
‘How has having clean water affected the people in your story?’
They use the #Sentence, Phrase, Word thinking routine to record their
thoughts.

Students design a new water bottle that Survival School students

will be given to help them survive. Their water bottle will need to be
able to collect, hold and filter water.
 Vocabulary: desalination, fair test, filter, hypothesis, natural feature,
natural source, transparent, variable

Week 7
Topic: Who Eats What? - What is a food chain?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Understand that living Resources
things, including iPad
humans, depend on
natural features of the
environment to survive. Lesson:
 Identify what different To stimulate interest and curiosity about Living World-Survival of
living things depend on Living Things, students look at the stimulus image of a crocodile and a
to survive and snail. Using words from the vocabulary box, they describe what the
represent this using a snail might be thinking.
food chain.

Note: Living things depend on food to survive. Food gives them energy.
Food chains show how energy from one living thing passes to another
living thing when it is eaten.
Watch The Food Chain for Kids (about 10 mins long).

As a class, students read and discuss the stimulus eBook ‘Food for
Thought’. They Think Pair Share all the living things they can
remember from the book.
As a class, think about what happened in the eBook and complete a
food chain involving Wanda the Wallaby.

Students visit the DK Find Out! website to find out more about food
chains. After reading the website, they reflect on the food chain in
Question four and think about what they could add. This could be
another level in the food chain, or some labels.

Add vocab words to word wall: carnivore, omnivore, herbivore,

consumer, producer, decomposer, food chain.
In time-pair-share (30sec), give students the vocab word they need to
define to their partner.

Students explore the interactive to learn more about living things in

Kakadu. Instructions for the students are as follows:
• Click on a card
• Drag to the correct category

Students think about what they have learnt about food chains. They
draw and label a food chain involving living things from the interactive.
The below checklist is provided to help students complete the activity.
The Who Eats What? printable cards may be used as an alternative to
drawing the living things.

Food Chain Checklist:

 My food chain starts with the sun.
 My food chain has one producer and two consumers
 The arrows in my food chain are going in the correct direction.
 Students look at the food chain involving algae, shrimp, barramundi
and a human. In groups of 3 or 4, they each choose a different living
thing. They imagine they are this living thing and complete the #Think,
Feel, Care thinking routine.
Think- What is your role in the food chain?
Feel- How do you feel about your role?
Care-What do you care about in your role?

Students choose two or three food chains from this lesson to

combine to create a food web. They use post-its (one for each living
thing) and pipe-cleaners (for the arrows) to create their food web.
They could do this in groups and take a photo of their food web as a
record of their learning.

Students imagine that the crocodile community in Kakadu are

trying a new vegan diet. They think about the advantages and
disadvantages of this change for Wallabies. They then think of two
creative ways that wallabies could overcome the disadvantages of
crocodiles being vegan. They use the Six Thinking Hats routine to
record their answers.

Vocabulary: carnivore, consumer, decomposer, depend, energy, food

chain, food web, herbivore, living things, omnivore, predator, prey,
producer
Week 8
Topic: Unbelievable Bees - Who needs bees?
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
 Understand that living Resources
things, including See Think Wonder thinking routine/ student
humans, depend on the question table / student
natural features of the dictionaries/small group/pair
environment to survive. balloon/group
 Investigate and 2 paper plates/group
understand that bees 2 different coloured powders (eg cinnamon/flour, paint powders)
are important for the
survival of a variety of Lesson:
living things. To stimulate interest and curiosity about Living World-Survival of
Living Things, students watch the video stimulus ‘Flower and Bees’.
Using their prior knowledge of the relationship between bees and
flowers, they complete the See Think Wonder thinking routine.

As a class, students watch the video stimulus ‘The Feeling is Mutual’ to

find out more about the special relationship between bees and
flowers. Using what they have learnt from the video, students
complete the question table. They answer the following questions
from the point of view of a bee, flower and the beekeeper.
• What did I need?
• Why did I need it?
• Who helped me get it?

Students first find out the meaning of each word in the phrase
‘mutually beneficial relationship’. They then Think Pair Share their
thoughts on what this phrase means.
Beginning with the Bible, we know that flowering plants and trees
were created on Day 3 and their animal pollinators were created on
Day 5 (birds, nectar bats, flying insects) and Day 6 (crawling animals).
God created in such a way that beneficial partnership could readily
form between the members of various plant kinds and animal kinds
during Creation Week to quickly produce a bountiful seed and fruit
crop.

In small groups, students conduct an investigation and here into how

pollination occurs by using the materials given to them and following
step by step instructions.
During the investigation they discuss the following questions:
Predict: What do you think will happen when your ‘bee’ goes to feed
on the ‘nectar’ from one of the ‘flowers’?
Observe: What happened when your ‘bee’ was drinking ‘nectar’ from
the first ‘flower’? What happened at the second ‘flower’?
Explain: Why do you think this happened? What do you think will
happen next?

Students look at the photos of different foods. They circle the ones
that they have eaten in the last week and predict which ones they
think depend on bees for pollination.
Note: Although other insects and birds can also be pollinators, bees
are by far the most effective.

Students look at the bee dependency table document. They identify

 which crops depend on bees for more than 70% of their pollination.
They cross these crops out on the previous page.
They discuss the following:
 What surprised you about what you learnt?
 How would your diet change if there were no bees?

Students conduct guided research to find out how bees can help
elephants. From their research, they answer the following questions:
 What is the threat to elephants?
 How can bees help?

Students find out what the idiom ‘You’re the bee’s knees’ means.
Using their knowledge about bees, they come up with a theory for
where this idiom originated from.

Vocab words: crops, depend, mutually beneficial relationship, nectar,

pollen, pollination
Week 9
Topic: Assessment
Learning Intentions Activities and Experiences Assessment
Written assessment