Science Term 4 Newsletter

Welcome to Term 4

This term students will build on their learning across biological sciences, with a strong focus on scientific inquiry and problem-solving. This term science is taught by Mrs Emmanouil, Mrs Spain and a CRT. 

Foundation:

Students are exploring living things and how they meet their basic needs for survival. They are learning to identify living and non-living things and to describe how plants and animals find what they need in their environments. Through hands-on activities such as planting grass heads, students are observing how plants grow and change. They are also exploring how animals use food, water, and shelter to stay safe and healthy. Students are developing their inquiry skills by asking questions, making observations, and comparing how living things survive in different environments.

Year 1 and 2:

Students will be exploring the key features of plants and animals and how these features help them survive. They are learning to identify the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers and to describe how each part of the plant helps them grow. Students are also investigating how different animal features, such as fur, feathers, fins, and beaks, support survival and movement. They will also learn about the features of modern animals compared to those of dinosaurs to understand how animals adapted to their environments. They are developing their skills to observe and compare how plants and animals use their features to survive and respond to changes in their surroundings. 

Year 3 and 4:

This term, students will be learning about the difference between living, non-living, and once-living things. They are exploring how fossils provide evidence of life from the past and what they can tell us about animals and plants that once lived on Earth. Students are developing their scientific reasoning by comparing features of living and once-living things and creating their own trace fossil models. Students are also learning about food chains and how energy flows through an ecosystem. Students are practising how to draw and label simple food chains using scientific vocabulary and are exploring what happens when part of a food chain or habitat changes.

Year 5 and 6:

Students are exploring how living things have adaptations that help them survive in their environments. Through investigations and hands-on activities, students will identify structural and behavioural adaptations used by animals for finding food or hiding. They will explore camouflage and how it helps animals avoid predators or ambush prey. They will engage in experiments to investigate how beak shapes of different birds are suited to different diets. Students will engage in designing and presenting their own animal with its unique adaptations that would help it survive.