SCIENCE

Grade 3/4s 

The Grade 3/4 students have been continuing to work through their unit ‘Living and not living’. Over the past few weeks, the students have been learning about the growth and life cycles of various living things. They have been learning about how they can draw a life cycle as a circle or on a line and comparing how different species develop.  

We have recently focused on the life cycle of a Bogong moth. The students have been learning about its features and its importance to the wider ecosystem. As part of the conservation measures to boost the Bogong moth population, if one is seen in the wild, people can share it to the Zoos Victoria tracker. As a class we looked at the tracker and saw that there have been some sitings within a 30-minute radius of Rushworth. If students see a Bogong moth around, they can take a picture and with adult support, submit it to Moth Tracker (https://mothtracker.swifft.net.au/). 

Over the next few weeks, the students will be comparing life cycles as we finish up the unit before moving into our new unit of ‘Colour’. 

Focus vocabulary for this fortnight: 

Larva: The immature form of many young amphibians and insects, after it hatches from its egg. 

Metamorphosis: The process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in amphibians, insects and some other animals. 

Pupa: The inactive stage during metamorphosis where the larva develops into its adult form. They are protected by a cocoon or chrysalis. 

Grade 5/6s 

The Grade 5/6 students have started their unit on ‘Natural disasters’ over the past few weeks. So far, the students have focused on the layers of the Earth, extreme weather, earthquakes and volcanoes. They have been specifically looking at how the Earth’s surface and atmospheric layers create some natural disasters. The students have been able to engage in some small group research tasks about historic earthquakes and investigated the location, magnitude, and effects of it on the community. 

Once the students return from camp, we will turn our focus to droughts, floods, and human impact on the environment. 

Focus vocabulary for this fortnight: 

Lava: Hot, molten rock erupted from a volcano or fissure. 

Lithosphere: The solid portion of the Earth made up of the crust and the upper mantle. 

Magma: Molten rock when it is below Earth’s surface.