Year Three/ Four 

Unit Title: Earth, Moon & Sun

Through Line: Our World & Beyond

Learning Area/s: Earth & Space Science/Geography

Content:

Science Content Descriptors – Physical Sciences

Science as a human endeavour

• Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions

Earth and space sciences

• Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes
• Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity

Science Content Descriptors – Science Inquiry Skills

Questioning and predicting

• With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge

Planning and conducting

• Suggest ways to plan and conduct investigations to find answers to questions including consideration of the elements of fair tests
• Safely use appropriate materials, tools, equipment and technologies

Recording and processing

• Use formal measurements in the collection and recording of observations
• Use a range of methods including tables and column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends

Analysing and evaluating

• Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings
• Reflect on an investigation, including whether a test was fair or not

Communicating

• Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings to show patterns and relationships using formal and informal scientific language

Geography Content Descriptors

Place, space and interconnection

• Identify and describe the characteristics of places in different locations at a range of scales

Data and information

• Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from the field and other sources

Achievement Standards:

By the end of Level 4:

Science – Science Understanding

• Describes situations where science understanding can influence their own and others’ actions.
• Explains the effects of the Earth’s rotation on its axis.
• Discusses how natural and human processes cause changes to the Earth’s surface.

Science – Science Inquiry Skills

• Describes how they use science investigations to identify patterns and relationships and to respond to questions.
• Follows instructions to identify questions that they can investigate about familiar contexts and make predictions based on prior knowledge.
• Discusses ways to conduct investigations and suggest why a test was fair or not.
• Safely uses equipment to make and record formal measurements and observations.
• Uses provided tables and column graphs to organise and identify patterns and trends in data.
• Suggests explanations for observations and compares their findings with their predictions.
• Uses formal and informal scientific language to communicate their observations, methods and findings.

Geography

• Identifies and describes spatial characteristics, and the characteristics of places and environments.
• Collects and records relevant geographical data and information.
• Interprets data and information, and uses geographical terminology, to identify and to develop descriptions, explanations and conclusions.

Unit Title: Earth, Moon & Sun

Through Line: Our World & Beyond

Questions:

How is the Earth, the Moon and the Sun connected?

What are the seasons? 

Why do seasonal changes occur?

What affect do seasonal changes have on the Earth’s surface?

How do seasonal changes impact human activity?

How does the Moon cause changes to the Earth’s surface?

Where can these changes be seen in the natural environment?

How can we use science investigations to respond to questions?

How can we record and present our observations?

Key Understandings:

How people use science in their daily lives.

The Earth’s rotation around the Sun

Seasons and seasonal changes

The Earth rotates on its axis to cause night and day.

The relationship of the Earth and the Moon

The impact of changes to human activity

Posing scientific questions and conducting investigations.

The recording, sorting and representation of their observations.