Stage 3

ST3-1WS-S

A student plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions.

ST3-4LW-S

A student examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things.

ST3-2DP-T

A student selects and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity.

GE3-4

A student acquires, processes and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry.

How can we group living things?

How do the structural and behavioural features of living things support survival?

What are the similarities and differences between the life cycles of living things?

Describe how changing weather conditions in the environment affect the growth and survival of living things, for example weather conditions affecting cicada emergence.

There are three incursion lessons. Lessons 1 and 3 can be delivered by the classroom teacher and take approximately 1 hour. All learning materials are provided.

Lesson 2 is delivered by teaching staff from Longneck Lagoon EEC and runs for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. All learning materials are provided.

Lesson 1 activities

Learn about the lifecycle, body parts, distribution and calls of Australian cicadas.

Lesson 2 activities

Review previous lesson content, wall of sound activity, fieldwork: locating cicada shells, live cicadas – taking photos, recording cicada song, marking sightings on map, upload sighting and recording to citizen science app.

Lesson 3 activities

Review previous lesson content, rotate through a range of tasks – use story scaffold to describe life cycle, design an informational poster, use tally sheets to record numbers and sex of cicada shells, scientific drawing labelling body parts.

ST3-7MW-T

Explains how the properties of materials determines their use for a range of purposes.

ST3-9PW-ST

Investigates the effects of increasing or decreasing the strength of a specific contact or non-contact force.

ST3-1WS-S

Plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions.

ST3-2DP-T

Plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity.

ST3-3DP-T

Defines problems, and designs, modifies and follows algorithms to develop solutions.

How do the shapes used in construction affect the strength of a bridge?

In what ways does a design process allow us to make a better design?

Which parts of the bridge are in compression?

Which parts are in tension?

Students will:

• engage in a group reading of the picture book 'Engibear’s Bridge' by Andrew King. 
• undertake the challenge of designing, constructing and evaluating a bridge.
• assess their design against pre-determined criteria.

ST3-SCI-01

uses evidence to explain how scientific knowledge can be used to develop sustainable practices

Living things may change over millions of years, in response to their environments

• Observe behavioural and structural adaptations of plants and animals, and suggest how these may help them survive in their environments

Students will

• explore the concept of structural and behavioural adaptations and how they support survival in different biomes

• conduct a fair test to model how camouflage affects survival in different habitats

• apply understanding of adaptations by designing a fictional creature suited to a specific biome.

 ST3-SCI-01

uses evidence to explain how scientific knowledge can be used to develop sustainable practices

Living things may change over millions of years, in response to their environments

• Describe how Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ sustainable practices continue to protect the environment

Students learn about various examples of Aboriginal fishing methods. They explore how  construction of fish traps allowed seasonal migration and the passage of smaller fish. Students experiment with constructing their own fish traps using natural materials, and construct a model river environment to test their designs.