6174RB Science A STEM approach Year 4 low res watermark

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Science: A STEM approach (Year 4) 

Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2017 

Copyright © R.I.C. Publications ® 2017 

ISBN 978-1-925431-97-1 

RIC–6174 

Titles in this series: 

Science: A STEM approach (Foundation) 







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For all Australian Curriculum material except elaborations: This is 

an extract from the Australian Curriculum. 

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Curriculum and may include the work of other authors. 

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• The content descriptions are solely for a particular year and 

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material at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ 

This material is reproduced with the permission of ACARA. 

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Foreword 

Science: A STEM approach (Foundation to Year 6) is a series of books written with the intent to support 

Australian Curriculum Science while offering a way to introduce a STEM project based on the science 

concepts taught. 

All Science Understanding and Science Inquiry Skills for each unit are included, and any connecting 

Technologies or Mathematics curriculum concepts are also incorporated. 

The STEM project allows students to apply the science knowledge and understanding, and includes 

any curriculum links to Technologies and Mathematics curriculum. 

If you would like us to feature your completed STEM projects on our website, please 

email a photograph, video or audio of the project to 

. 

If you would like to view completed STEM projects and get some inspiration, please 

go to . 

Introduction.............................................................. iv 

Unit description ...................................................iv–vi 

Biological sciences: 

The cycle of life............................................... 1–39 

Overview...........................................................2–3 

Lesson 1............................................................4–6 

Lesson 2............................................................7–9 

Lesson 3....................................................... 10–15 

Lesson 4....................................................... 16–20 

Lesson 5....................................................... 21–24 

Lesson 6....................................................... 25–27 

Assessment................................................. 28–30 

STEM project............................................... 31–39 

Chemical sciences: 

Materialistic...................................................41–76 

Overview...................................................... 42–43 

Lesson 1....................................................... 44–47 

Lesson 2....................................................... 48–52 

Lesson 3....................................................... 53–55 

Lesson 4....................................................... 56–58 

Lesson 5....................................................... 59–61 

Lesson 6....................................................... 62–65 

Assessment................................................. 66–68 

STEM project............................................... 69–76 

Contents 

Earth and space sciences: 

Surface changes..........................................77–112 

Overview...................................................... 78–79 

Lesson 1....................................................... 80–83 

Lesson 2....................................................... 84–87 

Lesson 3....................................................... 88–91 

Lesson 4....................................................... 92–96 

Lesson 5....................................................... 97–99 

Lesson 6...................................................100–101 

Assessment.............................................102–104 

STEM project...........................................105–112 

Physical sciences: 

Forces near and far.................................. 113–151 

Overview..................................................114–115 

Lesson 1...................................................116–119 

Lesson 2...................................................120–124 

Lesson 3...................................................125–129 

Lesson 4...................................................130–132 

Lesson 5...................................................133–136 

Lesson 6...................................................137–141 

Assessment.............................................142–144 

STEM project...........................................145–151 



R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au 978-1-925431-97-1 YEAR Science: 

4 A STEM APPROACH iii

Introduction 

What is STEM? 

In a nutshell, STEM is the integration of science, 

technologies, engineering and mathematics 

concepts using project-based and cooperative 

learning. Educators have been integrating learning 

areas since the beginning of time, so although the 

idea behind STEM is not new, this series hopes 

to make it easier for you to execute learning 

integration in the classroom. 

The Australian Government, and governments around the world, have placed a high priority on 

STEM skills. The future workforce will require current students to be creative and critical thinkers who 

can collaborate and design solutions to problems. The skills utilised in STEM have never been more 

valued. 

STEM education aims to prepare students for the roles of the future with skills such as innovation, 

creativity, reasoning, problem-solving, and technical science skills such as questioning, observing, 

systematic experimentation, and analysis and interpretation of data. 

Format of this book 

This series focuses on delivering a comprehensive and contemporary science program, culminating in 

a STEM project which applies the scientific knowledge acquired during the science lessons. The series 

incorporates the use of online resources, digital devices and iPad® applications where appropriate, in 

order to enhance the use of technology in the classroom. 

The units 

The science units are organised by sub-strand—Biological sciences, Chemical sciences, Earth and 

space sciences and Physical sciences. At the start of each sub-strand unit, keywords, a unit overview 

and curriculum scope and sequence are provided, as shown below. 

Each unit contains a term’s worth of work with 5–7 lessons, a summative assessment of the science 

knowledge with teacher notes, and a STEM project. 

Unit overview 

Biological sciences 

ecosystem 

mutually beneficial 

mutualism 

Daintree Rainforest 

producer 

consumer 

decomposer 

life cycle 

THE CYCLE OF LIFE 

Keywords 

cassowary 

cassowary plum 

pollination 

seed dispersal 

egg 

chick 

subadult 

adult 

seed 

seedling 

tree 

flower 

fruit 

endangered 

Unit overview 



Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072) 

Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073) 

Lesson 1 

Students use their prior knowledge to explore what 

What is an ecosystem? What 

an ecosystem is through focusing on the Daintree 

is the Daintree Rainforest 

Rainforest. Students answer questions about what kinds 

ecosystem? 

of living things exist there, why they exist there and how 

they might interact with each other, using an application 

like Popplet. 

Lesson 2 

Students explore the relationships between living 

What role does the cassowary 

things, focusing on the mutual relationship between 

play in the Daintree Rainforest? 

the cassowary and plants in the Daintree Rainforest and 

What is a mutually-beneficial 

conducting research using QR codes. Students present 

relationship? 

their research using PowToon. 

Lesson 3 

Students research to find definitions for producer, 

What is a producer, consumer 

consumer and decomposer. Students practise sorting 

and decomposer and why are 

living things into these categories using a pyramid and 

they important to each other? 

an online game, and also sort living things from the 

Daintree Rainforest. 

Lesson 4 

Students act as biologists and research the life cycle of 

What is the life cycle of a 

a cassowary and one other animal from the Daintree 

cassowary? 

Rainforest. They then compare the life cycles using a 

Venn diagram. 

Lesson 5 

Students research the life cycle of a cassowary plum 

What is the life cycle of the 

using the internet. Students present their life cycle by 

cassowary plum tree? How 

either drawing it or using a digital application. Students 

does the life cycle of a fruiting 

then discuss questions about the similarities and 

tree compare to that of an 

differences between plant and animal life cycles. 

animal? 

Lesson 6 

Students conduct online research to find out how 

How does human activity 

human activity impacts the Daintree ecosystem and 

impact an ecosystem like the 

present their findings using a digital application. 

Daintree Rainforest? 

Summative assessment Students complete a written assessment covering what 

a mutually beneficial relationship is; offering examples 

of producers, consumers and decomposers; drawing 

life cycle diagrams of a cassowary and a fruiting plant; 

and describing human activities that have an impact on 

the Daintree Rainforest. 

STEM Project 

Students work in pairs to design and create a simple 

A web page for the Daintree 

web page to raise awareness about the endangered 

Daintree Rainforest ecosystem. The web page will 

include a survey to obtain information about which way 

people are willing to offer assistance to this cause. 

Pages 

4–6 

7–9 

10–15 

16–20 

21–24 

25–27 

28–30 



Curriculum scope and sequence 

SCIENCE UNDERSTANDING 


Living things depend on each other and the environment to 

survive (ACSSU073) 

SCIENCE AS A HUMAN ENDEAVOUR 

Science involves making predictions and describing patterns 

and relationships (ACSHE061) 

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of 

their actions (ACSHE062) 

SCIENCE INQUIRY 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) 

Lesson 

Unit overview 

STEM 

1 2 3 4 5 6 Assessment 

project 



31–39 


4 A STEM APPROACH 1 

2 Science: YEAR 

A STEM APPROACH 4 

978-1-925431-97-1 R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au 



Title page Unit overview Curriculum scope and 

sequence 

iv 

Science: 

A STEM APPROACH 

YEAR 

4 

978-1-925431-97-1 R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

Adult 

Egg 2 months 

Sub-adult 15 months 

Chick 7 months 

Fruit 

Seeds 

Flower 

Seedling 

Tree 

Unit description 

Lessons 

The lessons are based on science knowledge and skills. The lessons contain a page of teacher notes, 

outlining the inquiry questions, science strands and any links to technologies and mathematics 

concepts, followed by a suggested lesson plan. Any resource sheets required for the lesson follow on. 

Lesson 1 

Teacher notes 

Science inquiry focus: 

What is an ecosystem? What is the Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem? 

Science Inquiry Skills: 

• Questioning and predicting QP 

• Planning and conducting PC 

• Processing and analysing data and information PA 

Science as a Human Endeavour: 

• Students make predictions about an ecosystem, what it 

consists of and the importance of each component. 

• Students identify various relationships in an ecosystem. 

Technology/Engineering/Mathematics links: 

• exploring satellite images and digital photographs of 

Earth and the Daintree ecosystem 

• recording information using an application such as 

Popplet 

• using a digital concept map creator to organise class 

questions 

• using an online dictionary 

Background information 

• A habitat is a place where a living thing lives. 

• An ecosystem may consist of many habitats, and 

includes the interaction of living things. See for more information. 

• A set of ecosystems that have similar characteristics 

can be grouped into biomes such as wetland, desert, 

tundra, grassland, forest, rainforest and marine. At this 

stage students can refer to them as ecosystems rather 

than biomes. 

• The Daintree Rainforest is located on the north-east 

coast of Australia. It is a tropical rainforest which 

has existed for over 100 million years. It is unique 

because it reaches right to the coastline of the sea. The 

ecosystem is very complex and contains many diverse 

plant species and native animals such as the cassowary, 

and many other bird species, insects and amphibians 

such as the Northern barred frog. 



Assessment 

Teacher notes Lesson plan Resource sheets 

A teacher page is provided outlining the assessment indicators and answers for the following 

assessment page(s). The assessment page(s) covers the science knowledge explored in the previous 

lessons. 

Assessment 

Teacher notes 

Teacher notes 



Assessment focus: 

• Use the four posters as a diagnostic 

assessment to gauge the level 

of understanding regarding the 

four questions posed about the 

Daintree ecosystem. 

Resources 

• Google Earth 

• Online video—Ecosystem 

 

• Daintree photographs 

 

• Four pieces of poster paper 

with one question from page 

6 on each (alternatively, 

computer tablets with the 

Popplet application can be 

used) 

• Digital concept map creator 

 




Science knowledge 

Indicators 

Living things have life cycles • Defines and identifies a mutually beneficial relationship in an 

(ACSSU072) 

ecosystem. 

Living things depend on each • Identifies examples of producers, consumers and decomposers. 

other and the environment to • Chooses an appropriate method to represent data. 


• Draws and labels the life cycle of the cassowary. 

• Draws and labels the life cycle of a fruiting plant. 

• Identifies and describes the impact of human activity on the 

Daintree Rainforest ecosystem. 

Answers 

Pages 29–30 

1. (a) A mutually-beneficial relationship (or mutualism) is one where both organisms benefit from the 

activities of the other. 

(b) Some examples include: a sea anemone and clown fish, as clown fish live in the tentacles 

of sea anemone for protection, while the clown fish eat algae and clean the anemone; the 

cassowary and the cassowary plum, where the cassowary eats the fruit whole and disperses the 

seeds through excretion; termites and flagalettes, where the flagellates help digest the wood 

that the termite eats and get fed themselves; humans and animals breathe out carbon dioxide, 

while plants absorb the carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for humans to breathe; bees 

and flowers, where the bees are attracted to the nectar of the flowers and carry the pollen to 

other flowers causing pollination; bull-horn acacia and ants, where the ants nest in the plant for 

protection, while protecting the plant from attack by other herbivores; spider crabs and algae, 

where the algae grows on the shell of the crab and this serves to camouflage the crab; the redbilled 

ox-pecker and the impala, where the ox-pecker eats the ticks on the impala’s coat which 

provides food for it, while it grooms the impala and removes harmful parasites; pistol shrimp 

and goby, where the shrimp makes a burrow for protection, while the goby acts as a lookout 

because the shrimp has poor eyesight. 

2. Students may display the 3. Cassowary life cycle: 4. Cassowary plum life cycle 

data as a table, in a pyramid 

(see pages 22 and 23 for 

drawing or another suitable 

other fruit tree life cycles): 

representation. 

Producers: plants, grass, 

fruit, trees, corn, wild ginger, 

mangrove, nuts, orange, 

flowering plant, wheat, 

cactus, grapevine 

Consumers: cassowary, 

other animals such as cows, 

humans, musky rat kangaroo, 

crocodile, butterfly, blue 

quondong, auger beetle, cat, 

duck, grasshopper, snake, 

dingo, horse, hawk, rabbit 

Decomposers: mushrooms, 

fungi, worms, slug, snail 

5. Answers include logging, tourism, mining and development. 






Lesson plan 

Lesson 1 

Introduction: 

1. Go to Google Earth and show students the Daintree Rainforest 

by typing it into the search function. Zoom into various spots of the rainforest such as the river or 

tree canopies. Revise what a habitat is by asking students to name a habitat they can see; e.g. tree, 

river. What habitats can you see? What living things call these habitats home? What lives in the river? 

What lives in the tree canopy? QP 

Note: This is to establish what the students think they know, including any misconceptions, so it is 

important to not correct them at this stage. 

Development: 

2. Zoom out of the rainforest and show its expansive coverage. Describe the rainforest as an 

ecosystem. What is an ecosystem? How is it different to a habitat? What living things would you find 

in a rainforest ecosystem like the Daintree? Why do certain plants and animals live there? QP 

3. Watch a video describing what an ecosystem is at . Write a class 

definition and display it on a word wall. Students may wish to check for a definition using an online 

dictionary. PC 

4. Display an image of the forest growth of the Daintree such as . Place 

a large piece of poster paper at four stations, each labelled with one of the questions from page 6. 

Divide the class into four groups, with one at each station. Students discuss and write one answer 

to the question in five minutes, before passing the paper to the next group in a clockwise motion. 

Students read the previous group’s answer, discuss and then write their own answer. No answers 

can be repeated. At the end of the activity there will be four answers to each question. Each group 

shares their predicted answers for each question. Alternatively, an application such as Popplet may 

be used to record answers in a concept map; just place one iPad ® at each station, with the question 

typed in for students to add their answers. QP PA 

Differentiation 

• Less capable students can draw pictures in response and contribute to the discussion. 

• More capable students can write more detailed responses, or take the role of scribe. 

Reflection: 

5. What would you like to find out about the Daintree ecosystem? Students name one thing they want 

to find out. As a class, add the questions to an online concept map such as . Type ‘Daintree Rainforest’ as the starting ‘node’, add a ‘child node’ for the first question, 

then a ‘sibling node’ for each question added. Print out the file and display on a word wall. QP 

PA 





1. (a) What is a mutually-beneficial relationship? 

(b) List 3 examples. 

Assessment 

2. Give three examples each of producers, consumers and decomposers. 

Choose how you want to display the examples. 



Assessment page(s) 

Lesson 1 



What do you know about the rainforest? 

What kinds of living things would 

you find in the Daintree Rainforest? 

Why do only certain living things 

exist in the Daintree Rainforest? 

How do the living things exist 

together in the Daintree Rainforest? 

What would happen to the Daintree 

Rainforest if one of the living things 

disappeared from the ecosystem? 







4 A STEM APPROACH v

X 

Conservation Photos Other links 

DAINTREE IN DANGER 

Consequences 

read more... 

read more... 

Unit description 

STEM project 

The STEM project provides students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the 

previous science lessons while incorporating technologies, engineering and mathematics concepts 

where possible. The project entails group collaboration and an extended learning period of 

3–4 weeks. This gives students a real-life experience of working with ‘colleagues’ to share ideas 

and test designed solutions. Each STEM project contains an overview listing STEM concepts and 

alternative project ideas, curriculum links, teacher notes and a group assessment rubric, and a project 

brief and checklist for students. Any resource sheets required are also provided, as well as a selfassessment 

sheet. 

STEM project STEM project 


THE CYCLE OF LIFE STEM project 

Science Understanding 

STEM curriculum links 

SCIENCE CURRICULUM 

• Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072) 

• Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073) 

Science as a Human Endeavour 

• Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061) 

• Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062) 

Science Inquiry Skills 

(ACSIS068) 




• With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find answers to questions, considering the safe use of 

appropriate materials and equipment (ACSIS065) 


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

Communicating 

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

TECHNOLOGIES CURRICULUM 

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills 

• Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical 

representation techniques (ACTDEP015) 

• Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care 

for the environment (ACTDEP017) 

• Plan a sequence of production steps when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP018) 

Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding 

• Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different 

types of data (ACTDIK007) 

• Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008) 

Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills 

• Collect, access and present different types of data using simple software to create information and solve problems 

(ACTDIP009) 

• Implement simple digital solutions as visual programs with algorithms involving branching (decisions) and user input 

(ACTDIP011) 

• Explain how student solutions and existing information systems meet common personal, school or community needs 

(ACTDIP012) 

• Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social 

protocols (ACTDIP013) 

Statistics and Probability 

MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM 

• Select and trial methods for data collection, including survey questions and recording sheets (ACMSP095) 

Science: YEAR 

4 

32 A STEM APPROACH 

STEM project overview 



Students create a web page to help raise awareness about the endangered Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem. 

Concepts overview: 

Science 

• Apply knowledge of the relationships that exist between living things that interact in the Daintree 

Rainforest environment. 

• Apply knowledge of life cycles of plants and animals from the Daintree Rainforest. 

• Conduct an investigation of environmental awareness campaigns and why the Daintree needs to 

be saved. 

• Communicate findings in the form of a web page. 

• Understand the impacts people may have on an ecosystem and how science helps explain this. 

Technology/Engineering 

• Produce drawings to show features of a web page design. 

• Evaluate design ideas, based on criteria. 

• Sequence steps to produce a web page. 

• Use a digital photography device to upload images to a computer. 

• Recognise that text and images are forms of data when stored using a digital system. 

• Collect information from online sources, and present and organise information in a web page. 

• Explore and incorporate common navigation elements on a web page. 

• Use a web page and online survey to collect data to help meet a community need. 

• Manage a project to publish a web page safely with appropriate privacy settings. 

Mathematics 

• Use survey questions to collect data about the level of awareness of the Daintree Rainforest. 

Alternative project ideas: 

• Students grow a tomato plant over the course of a term and track its development using a 

camera or video recording, in order to compile a documentary. The documentary can then be 

shared by emailing to friends and family. 

• Students make a stop-motion video based on When the forest meets the sea by Jeannie Baker, to 

raise awareness of the human impact on the ecosystem of the Daintree Rainforest. An example 

can be seen at . Students share the link to their video or upload it 

to a class blog or website. 

• Students explore the activity at Scootle Education , which allows 

them to design an enclosure for an injured cassowary. Students then apply their knowledge of 

the cassowary’s life cycle and mutually-beneficial relationships with plants, to construct a 3D 

model of a sanctuary for injured or sick cassowaries. 




STEM project overview and 




Investigate 

Revise the life cycles of the living 

things in the Daintree Rainforest 

and the relationships they have 

with each other. 

Make sure you understand which 

living things are in danger in the 

Daintree Rainforest and why. 

Explore how web pages are 

structured and what makes them 

good, bad or interesting. 

Explore how to use the web page 

creator at . 

Design, plan and manage 

Plan what kind of images or 

photographs you want to use on 

your web page. 

Think of a catchy title or headline. 

Write a plan for the information 

you will include, being sure to 

include the keywords producer, 

consumer, decomposer, mutuallybeneficial, 

ecosystem and life 

cycle. 

Design your web page including 

placement of the title, text, images 

and survey. Make sure the page is 

easy to navigate. 

Project steps 


Create 

Enter the login details your 

teacher has provided, at . 

Upload any photographs you may 

want to include on your web page 

to the computer, or search and 

save images from the internet. 

Enter the title, text and images 

into weebly. 

Place a survey on the page using 

the ‘Survey’ icon under ‘More’ in 

the left-hand panel. 

Check and make changes 

Does the text have any errors? Are 

the images eye-catching? 

Did you include the required 

keywords? 

Did you include a survey? 

Communicate 

Publish your web page and 

present it to the class, or send 

the URL link to family and friends 

to view and take part in the 

survey (remember to include any 

password required). 

Compile and interpret the 

data collected from the survey 

questions and include it in your 

presentation to the class. 






Teacher notes 

STEM project: 

Create a web page to help raise awareness about the endangered Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem. 

Estimated duration: 3-4 weeks 

Notes: Prior to commencing it is advised to send 

a note to parents such as the one provided on 

page 38, requesting permission for their child to 

create a website, if permission has not yet been 

given as part of a whole school policy already. 

If some parents do not allow permission then 

students can simply create a design and layout 

of a web page using paper and markers. 

Teachers will also need to set up a teacher 

website account at and add a class and student names. 

Students can then be provided with individual 

login details to enter into in order to create their web page. 

Be sure to set the class settings to private. 

1. Introduce the project 

• Display page 34 and read through the 

problem, ensuring students understand 

what the challenge is. 

• Display a website that is about saving the 

Daintree Rainforest, such as , in order to illustrate what 

current web pages have done to help raise 

awareness. 

2. Investigate 

• Students research and explore existing web 

pages to decide what features they like, 

using the links on page 36. 

• Students should also revisit their previous 

science work to ensure they understand 

what life cycles are affected in the Daintree 

and how, as well as how the relationships 

between the living things are affected. 

• Students should also spend some time 

familiarising themselves with weebly and 

the components of a web page, by logging 

in and exploring. 

Teacher notes 


3. Design, plan and manage 

• Students plan and search for impactful 

images/photographs to use on their web 

page. 

• Students write a catchy title for the web 

page and plan the content for the text, 

including the keywords. Students also write 

three appropriate survey questions to find 

out how people are willing to help save the 

Daintree. Students should be able to come 

up with questions such as ‘Would you be 

willing to take part in a tree planting day?’, 

‘Would you be willing to donate money?’, 

‘Would you be willing to hold a fundraiser 

activity?’, ‘Would you be willing to sponsor 

a cassowary?’. 

• Using an A3 piece of paper students plan 

the layout of their web page, placing the 

location of the headline, text, images and 

survey. 

4. Create 

• Students create their web page based on 

their design. Explain that the web page is 

set to private, and discuss the meaning of 

and the reasons for this. 

• Students will need to upload images and 

enter text and survey questions. Note: The 

answers to the survey questions will be sent 

to the email address linked to the account. 

5. Evaluate and refine 

• Students check that their web page does 

not contain any errors, and that it contains 

sufficient text including the keywords, as 

well as appropriate images to make it eyecatching. 

6. Communicate 

• Students publish their website and share 

the URL with friends and family, along 

with any passwords required to access the 

private web page. 



Internet research 

Look at these web pages and list what was good, bad and interesting about 

them. 

Web page Plus Minus Interesting 

https://tinyurl.com/ 

y7sh2tws 


y85xhzs3 


y8xxdz26 


yafk9dft 







Project brief 

A WEB PAGE FOR THE DAINTREE 

The problem 

In the 1970s developers wanted to tear down the Daintree Rainforest. 

Protestors joined together and stopped them, but the threat from all kinds of 

human activity still remains. This has a devastating effect on the animals and 

plants that depend on each other to survive in the Daintree. 

How can you help raise awareness to protect this important ecosystem? 

The task 

You need to design and create a simple web page to explain which living 

things exist in the Daintree, how they are in danger and why they need 

protection. 

Things to consider 

• You must work in pairs. 

• The web page must have a catchy title 

www.thekidzsite.com 

and be easy to navigate. 

NEWS 

• The web page must have an engaging 

description of the living things that are 

in danger and how their life cycles and 

relationships are affected by human 

activity. 

• You must include the keywords 

producer, consumer, decomposer, 

mutually-beneficial, ecosystem and life 

cycle in your text. 

• The web page must contain at least one image or photograph. 

• You will need to include a survey on your page to collect data about how 

people would be willing to help protect the Daintree. 

• You will need to write three survey questions. 

Dear 






Project brief 




Parent letter 

During this term the class has been learning about the life cycle of the 

cassowary and plants in the Daintree Rainforest. We have also been learning 

about the relationships that exist in ecosystems and how living things depend 

on each other for survival. 

As part of this, the students are going to raise awareness of the endangered 

Daintree Rainforest ecosystem, and the plants and animals within that 

ecosystem that are threatened due to human activity. 

The students have been assigned a project to create a simple web page 

containing information about this issue, which you will receive a link to once 

complete. 

For your child to be able to create a web page, I require your permission. The 

page will be secure and set to private, for which a password will be required. 

No images of the students will be used and the students will be monitored at 

all times. The web page is created under a teacher educational account, which 

can only be accessed by the assigned students. See for more information. 

Please sign and return this form by . 

Regards 

Student name: 

I, give permission for 

Signed Date 

Science: YEAR 

4 

38 A STEM APPROACH 

Self-assessment 

STEM project: A web page for the Daintree 

1. Colour a face to rate how you worked in your team. 

I contributed equally to the group. 

I listened carefully to other group 

member’s ideas and encouraged 

others to share ideas. 

I spoke respectfully to other group 

members. 

I was on task the whole time. 

I am happy with the outcome of the 

project. 

Date: 

2. If you had to do the project over again, what would you change? 

3. List one difficulty you faced while working in your group. 

to create a secure web page. 





4. List one compromise that the group made, to achieve a better result. 

5. What grade do you think you deserve, and why? 





Project steps 

Resource sheets 

Self-assessment and 

Group assessment rubric 

vi 

Science: 


YEAR 

4 



ecosystem 

mutually beneficial 

mutualism 


producer 

consumer 

decomposer 


Keywords 

cassowary 

cassowary plum 

pollination 

seed dispersal 

egg 

chick 

subadult 

seed 

seedling 

tree 

flower 



fruit 

endangered 

life cycle 

adult 


4 A STEM APPROACH 1

Unit overview 




Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073) 

Lesson 1 

What is an ecosystem? What 

is the Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem? 

Lesson 2 

What role does the cassowary 

play in the Daintree Rainforest? 

What is a mutually-beneficial 

relationship? 

Lesson 3 

What is a producer, consumer 

and decomposer and why are 

they important to each other? 

Lesson 4 

What is the life cycle of a 

cassowary? 

Lesson 5 

What is the life cycle of the 

cassowary plum? How does 

the life cycle of a fruiting tree 

compare to that of an animal? 

Lesson 6 

How does human activity 

impact an ecosystem like the 

Daintree Rainforest? 

Summative assessment 



Students use their prior knowledge to explore what 

an ecosystem is through focusing on the Daintree 

Rainforest. Students answer questions about what kinds 

of living things exist there, why they exist there and how 

they might interact with each other, using an application 

like Popplet. 

Students explore the relationships between living 

things, focusing on the mutual relationship between 

the cassowary and plants in the Daintree Rainforest and 

conducting research using QR codes. Students present 

their research using PowToon. 

Students research to find definitions for producer, 

consumer and decomposer. Students practise sorting 

living things into these categories using a pyramid and 

an online game, and also sort living things from the 

Daintree Rainforest. 

Students act as biologists and research the life cycle of 

a cassowary and one other animal from the Daintree 

Rainforest. They then compare the life cycles using a 

Venn diagram. 

Students research the life cycle of a cassowary plum 

using the internet. Students present their life cycle by 

either drawing it or using a digital application. They 

then discuss questions about the similarities and 

differences between plant and animal life cycles. 

Students conduct online research to find out how 

human activity impacts the Daintree ecosystem and 

present their findings using a digital application. 

Students complete a written assessment covering what 

a mutually beneficial relationship is; offering examples 

of producers, consumers and decomposers; drawing 

life cycle diagrams of a cassowary and a fruiting plant; 

and describing human activities that have an impact on 


Students work in pairs to design and create a simple 

web page to raise awareness about the endangered 

Daintree Rainforest ecosystem. The web page will 

include a survey to obtain information about which way 

people are willing to offer assistance to this cause. 

Pages 

4–6 

7–9 

10–15 

16–20 

21–24 

25–27 

28–30 



31–39 

2 Science: 


YEAR 

4 




Unit overview 




Living things depend on each other and the environment to 






















(ACSIS068) 



Evaluating 


(ACSIS069) 

Communicating 



Lesson 

1 2 3 4 5 6 Assessment 



STEM 

project 



Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


What is an ecosystem? What is the Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem? 






• Students make predictions about an ecosystem, what it 

consists of and the importance of each component. 

• Students identify various relationships in an ecosystem. 


• exploring satellite images and digital photographs of 

Earth and the Daintree ecosystem 

• recording information using an application such as 

Popplet 

• using a digital concept map creator to organise class 

questions 

• using an online dictionary 


• A habitat is a place where a living thing lives. 

• An ecosystem may consist of many habitats, and 

includes the interaction of living things. See for more information. 

• A set of ecosystems that have similar characteristics 

can be grouped into biomes such as wetland, desert, 

tundra, grassland, forest, rainforest and marine. At this 

stage students can refer to them as ecosystems rather 

than biomes. 

• The Daintree Rainforest is located on the north-east 

coast of Australia. It is a tropical rainforest which 

has existed for over 100 million years. It is unique 

because it reaches right to the coastline of the sea. The 

ecosystem is very complex and contains many diverse 

plant species and native animals such as the cassowary, 

and many other bird species, insects and amphibians 

such as the Northern barred frog. 


• Use the four posters as a diagnostic 

assessment to gauge the level 

of understanding regarding the 

four questions posed about the 

Daintree ecosystem. 

Resources 


• Online video—Ecosystem 

 

• Daintree photographs 

 

• Four pieces of poster paper 

with one question from 

page 6 on each (alternatively, 

computer tablets with the 

Popplet application can be 

used) 

• Digital concept map creator 

 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Go to Google Earth and show students the Daintree Rainforest 

by typing it into the search function. Zoom into various spots of the rainforest such as the river or 

tree canopies. Revise what a habitat is. What habitats can you see? What living things call these 

habitats home? What lives in the river? What lives in the tree canopy? QP 

Note: This is to establish what the students think they know, including any misconceptions, so it is 

important to not correct them at this stage. 

Development: 

2. Zoom out of the rainforest and show its expansive coverage. Describe the rainforest as an 

ecosystem. What is an ecosystem? How is it different to a habitat? What living things would you find 

in a rainforest ecosystem like the Daintree? Why do certain plants and animals live there? QP 

3. Watch a video describing what an ecosystem is at . Write a class 

definition and display it on a word wall. Students may wish to check for a definition using an online 

dictionary. PC 

4. Display an image of the forest growth of the Daintree such as . Place 

a large piece of poster paper at four stations, each labelled with one of the questions from page 6. 

Divide the class into four groups, with one at each station. Students discuss and write one answer 

to the question in five minutes, before passing the paper to the next group in a clockwise motion. 

Students read the previous group’s answer, discuss and then write their own answer. No answers 

can be repeated. At the end of the activity there will be four answers to each question. Each group 

shares their predicted answers for each question. Alternatively, an application such as Popplet may 

be used to record answers in a concept map; just place one iPad ® at each station, with the question 

typed in for students to add their answers. QP PA 


• Less capable students can draw pictures in response and contribute to the discussion. 

• More capable students can write more detailed responses, or take the role of scribe. 

Reflection: 

5. What would you like to find out about the Daintree ecosystem? Students name one thing they want 

to find out. As a class, add the questions to an online concept map such as . Type ‘Daintree Rainforest’ as the starting node, add a child node for the first question, then 

a sibling node for each question added. Print out the file and display on a word wall. QP PA 





Lesson 1 



What do you know about the rainforest? 

What kinds of living things would 

you find in the Daintree Rainforest? 

Why do only certain living things 

exist in the Daintree Rainforest? 

How do the living things exist 

together in the Daintree Rainforest? 



What would happen to the Daintree 

Rainforest if one of the living things 

disappeared from the ecosystem? 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 2 

Teacher notes 


What role does the cassowary play in the Daintree Rainforest? 

What is a mutually-beneficial relationship? 





• Communicating C 


• Students make predictions about the important role of the 

cassowary to the Daintree ecosystem. 

• Students describe the relationship between the existence 

of the cassowary and the existence of plants in the Daintree 

ecosystem. 


• using an internet search engine to find information 

• using a QR code reader to find information 

• writing a plan for the summary of key facts to be presented 

• presenting information using a digital tool such as PowToon 

or PowerPoint ® 


• A cassowary is a large, flightless bird found in Papua New 

Guinea, while the Southern cassowary is found in the 

Daintree Rainforest in Queensland. 

• The cassowary is an important part of the Daintree 

Rainforest ecosystem and is considered a keystone 

species. 

• A keystone species is one which has a large effect on the 

ecosystem it is found in. It has a vital role in maintaining 

the function of the ecosystem and without that species, 

the ecosystem may cease to exist. The cassowary is vital 

in terms of its propagation of the plant species within 

the Daintree. Without the cassowary many plant species 

would die out. The cassowary consumes seeds and fruits 

whole and disperses the seeds through its excretions as it 

moves through the rainforest. Some of these seeds might 

not otherwise be able to reach these varied locations. The 

cassowary has been called the ‘rainforest gardener’. 

• The relationship between the fruit plants and the 

cassowary is considered to be mutually beneficial. They 

depend on each other for survival; the cassowary spreads 

the fruit seeds, after it eats the fruit whole. 


• Use the resource sheet on 

page 9 as a formative 

assessment, to measure the 

student’s ability to conduct 

an investigation and collate 

information. 

• Use the presentation as a 

formative assessment of the 

student’s ability to communicate 

results from the investigation in 

a succinct way. 

Resources 

• Online video—Giant 

cassowaries are modern-day 

dinosaurs at 

• Article—’10 Daintree 

rainforest animals that 

are found nowhere else’ 

at 

• Computer tablet with QR 

code scanner 

• Sufficient copies of page 9 

• PowToon tool 

Note: Teachers will need to 

create an account first and 

then give students the login 

details. Choose the ‘5 facts’ 

template 



Note: PowToon is Flashplayer 

based so will not 

work on an iPad ® , only a 

computer. Alternatively, 

use PowerPoint ® or an oral 

recording application like 

Chatterbox. 



Lesson 2 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Introduce the cassowary by playing a guessing game with students. Give them clues about this 

animal by saying the following. QP 

• I am a flightless bird that lives in the Daintree Rainforest. 

• I am the third-largest bird in the world and can grow up to 1.8 m tall. 

• I am descended from a dinosaur. 

• I am a frugivore which means I mostly eat fruit. 

• I am the most dangerous bird in the world. 

• My name means ‘horned head’. 

• I am considered the guardian of the rainforest. 

Identify the animal as a cassowary and show images from . 

Development: 

2. In pairs, students discuss the following questions: Why do you think the cassowary is considered the 

guardian of the rainforest? What does this role mean? Do all living things have a role to play in their 

ecosystem? QP 

3. Look at the list of animals exclusive to the Daintree at and the 

documentary about the cassowary from BBC Earth at . 

4. In small groups, students discuss the relationships between living things as shown in the Daintree 

video. Focus on the cassowary. What does the cassowary eat? Why is it important to the Daintree 

ecosystem? How does it help plants? C 

5. Students use the template on page 9 to plan and research information about the role of the 

cassowary. They may wish to replay the documentary using the QR code or URL link at the top of 

page 9 and conduct further research. PC 

6. Students compile the information into five facts and create a PowToon using a computer (see Resources). The file should be saved, using their name/group name, for 

later access. PA C 


• Less capable students can write using more simple phrases, or use an alternative application like 

Chatterbox which uses audio recordings instead. 

• More capable students can write more detailed information or conduct further research to 

supplement their five facts. 

Reflection: 



7. Select students to play their PowToon or Chatterbox to the class, summarising the role of the 

cassowary and its importance to other living things in the rainforest. C 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 2 

The guardian of the rainforest 

You may rewatch the video at 

or scan the QR code. Find other websites as well. 

1. Name four living things that can be found in the Daintree Rainforest. 

2. (a) What does it eat? 

Cassowary research 

(b) What are the biggest threats to its survival? 

(c) What job does the cassowary do for the rainforest ecosystem? 

(d) The relationship between the fruit plants and the cassowary 

is termed mutually beneficial. Watch the video and write a 

definition for this. Add three other examples. 

(e) If the cassowary were to become extinct, what would happen to the 

Daintree ecosystem? 

3. Create a video focusing on five facts about the role of the cassowary and its 

mutually beneficial relationship with other living things in the rainforest. Plan 

your five points: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

 

 

 





Lesson 3 



Teacher notes 


What is a producer, consumer and decomposer and why 

are they important to each other? 







• Students describe the relationship between living things 

in an ecosystem. 

• Students discover that humans are living things that may 

have an impact on the delicate balance of relationships 

in an ecosystem. 


• using QR code readers and technology to conduct 

research 

• viewing and sorting data from an online game 


• Decomposers are considered nature’s recyclers; they 

process dead materials and turn them into nutrients. 

For example, earthworms take in dead leaves and soil, 

and churn out nutrient-rich waste which promotes 

soil health, which in turn supports plant growth. 

Decomposers enable producers to live. 

• Producers are living things that make their own 

food. This includes plants, flowers, trees, fruits and 

vegetables. They produce their own food using 

sunlight and the process of photosynthesis. Consumers 

that eat producers are called herbivores. 

• Consumers are living things that eat plants or animals 

to obtain energy and nutrients. Consumers can be 

herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. 

• Decomposers, producers and consumers have an 

interdependent relationship. If one dies out, then the 

whole ecosystem is thrown out of balance and can 

disappear. If there are competing consumers, then the 

less able consumer is also at risk of dying out. 


• Observe students’ verbal responses 

to Step 7 as a formative assessment 

of the understanding of the 

relationship between producers, 

consumers and decomposers. 

• Use page 13 as a formative 

assessment of students’ 

understanding of what a producer, 

consumer and decomposer are. 

Resources 

• Digital copy of pages 12 and 

15 

• Online video—Decomposers 

 


• iPad ® with QR code scanner 

• Copies of page 14 (optional) 

• Website to research 

decomposers, producers and 

consumers (linked to first QR 

code on page 13) 

• Game—Food chain challenge 

(linked to second URL on 

page 13) 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display a digital copy of page 12 on the whiteboard. What is this person eating for lunch? What 

does the cow eat? How does the corn get food? What job does the worm do? There is a flow of 

energy in every ecosystem. Where things get their energy from depends on whether they are a 

producer, consumer or decomposer. QP 

2. Write the terms ‘producer’, ‘consumer’ and ‘decomposer’ on the board. In small groups, students 

discuss what they think these terms mean. Can you guess what the cow is, or what the corn is, or the 

human or the worm? QP 

Development: 

3. As a class, watch the video Decomposers at . C 

4. Individually, students go to or scan the QR code on page 13 to 

research and write a definition for producer, consumer and decomposer. Students can also confirm 

which living things from the image shown in Step 1 are consumers, producers, decomposers, as 

well as list other examples on the resource sheet. PC PA C 

5. Individually, or in pairs as digital equipment allows, students practise sorting producers, consumers 

and decomposers by playing the game at . Note: The URL is written 

at the bottom of page 13. Alternatively, play the game as a class on the whiteboard. PA 


• Less capable students who require more practice identifying producers, consumers and 

decomposers can use page 14 to conduct a card sort. 

• More capable students can conduct further research and write more extensive answers for 

page 13. 

6. As a class, discuss the importance of the components of an ecosystem in terms of producers, 

consumers and decomposers. What would happen if one of these producers, consumers or 

decomposers died out from the ecosystem? Refer back to the Daintree Rainforest by looking at the 

living things on page 15 or searching for these images online. In pairs, students construct a table 

and list the living things that are producers, consumers and decomposers based on the definitions 

and previous research. QP PA 

Reflection: 

7. Select students at random to name a producer, consumer or decomposer. Individually, students 

complete the sentence If all decomposers died out in an ecosystem then … on the back of page 13 

or using digital technologies as appropriate. C 





Lesson 3 



Where do you get your energy? 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Producers, consumers and decomposers 

1. Scan the QR code or go to to read 

information about producers, 

consumers and decomposers. 

2. Add a definition next to each 

word in the pyramid. 

3. Add these items from the 

picture to the pyramid: 

corn, cow, human, apple, 

worm, banana, grass, tree 

4. Write or draw some 

other examples of 

each in the pyramid. 

Decomposers: 

Producers: 

Consumers: 



5. Now test your knowledge by playing a game! 

Using a computer, go to . 



Lesson 3 



Card sort 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Daintree producers, consumers and decomposers 

White mushroom 

Musky rat kangaroo 

Crocodile 

Blue quondong 

Ulysses butterfly 

Wild ginger 



Mangrove 

Auger beetle 



Lesson 4 



Teacher notes 


What is the life cycle of a cassowary? 







• Students describe the pattern of a cassowary’s life 

cycle. 

• Students discuss why it is important for biologists to 

understand the cassowary and its life. 


• conducting internet research using a computer 

• using QR codes to view videos 

• presenting findings using an appropriate digital 

application 


• The life cycle of a cassowary can be viewed at 

, along with other 

information about its characteristics, height, 

population, diet and habitat. 

• There are four stages in a cassowary life cycle: the 

egg, the chick, the subadult, and the adult. The 

cassowary appears different at each stage and 

changes its colouring as it grows. 

• The female lays around four eggs, which the male 

sits on for two months. The chick is then raised by 

the male for up to 18 months, until it is old enough 

to fend for itself. 

• Other animals found in the Daintree include 

crocodiles, golden orb spiders, owls, musky rat 

kangaroos, feral pigs, azure kingfishers, ulysses 

butterflies, spotted cuscus, bandicoots, sugar 

gliders, goannas, giant tree frogs and various 

insects. 


• Use pages 19 and 20 as formative 

assessments of students’ knowledge 

of a cassowary life cycle and how it 

compares to other animal life cycles. 

• Use pages 19 and 20 as formative 

assessments of the student’s ability to 

choose a suitable format to present 

information. 

Resources 

• Introductory video—Biologists! 

Scientists who love life! 

• Online video—Poultry Hub 

Australia—Chicken embryo 

development at 

• Digital copy of page 18 

• Cassowary research website at 

 

• Sufficient copies of pages 19 

and 20 


• Video of chick cassowary linked 

to QR code on page 19 

• Video of subadult cassowary linked 

to QR code on page 19 

• Online video—Butterfly: A life at 

 

• Daintree Rainforest fauna website at 

 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 4 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Explain to students that their role today is to be biologists. Play an introductory video which 

explains what a biologist is, at . QP 

Development: 

2. Watch to learn how an egg forms inside a bird. Do you think baby 

cassowaries look the same as adult cassowaries? How do birds normally have babies? What does a 

bird life cycle normally look like? QP 

3. Display a digital copy of the concept cartoon on page 18. What do you think might be different 

about the way babies of cassowaries are raised, by looking at this cartoon? Students form groups to 

discuss, and report back their best answer. QP 

4. Individually or in pairs, students use a computer to research and construct a report about the 

cassowary life cycle, adding as much detail about each stage as possible. This is based on 

the website . The report must contain diagrams, labels and a 

description based on the research. Students can use page 19 to take notes and then present their 

life cycle report using a digital application of their choice, or use A3 paper to draw and write their 

own report. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can work in pairs or small groups, and fill in the details using page 19. 

• More capable students can work individually, and add more detailed descriptions to their life 

cycle diagrams. Students can research other websites to obtain further information. 

5. As a class, discuss other familiar animal life cycles, such as a butterfly, and how they compare to the 

cassowary; e.g. butterflies also have four stages in their life cycle. Show the video Butterfly: A life at 

. PA 

6. Students use the link on page 20 to choose one other animal from the Daintree Rainforest. 

They research using the internet or books to draw the animal’s life cycle, then write a sentence 

comparing this to the cassowary’s. Alternatively, students may use a Venn diagram or table to 

display the differences and similarities. PC PA C 

Reflection: 

7. Display cassowary reports around the classroom for others to observe and read. Choose students 

at random to share what their chosen animal life cycle had in common with the cassowary, and 

what was different. C 





Lesson 4 



Concept cartoon 

Hello Cassie. 

Nice to see you again. 

Dad, who’s she? 

Errr, hi Wally. 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 4 

Cassowary life cycle report 

1. Report on the cassowary and its life cycle. Add diagrams, labels and a 

description. Use this website to research: 

Scan the QR code to watch a 

video of a cassowary at this 

stage in the life cycle. 

Scan the 

QR code to 

watch a video 

of a cassowary 

at this stage in 

the life cycle. 





Lesson 4 



Comparing life cycles 

1. Choose another animal from the Daintree using the website 

linked to the QR code. Then conduct further research to draw 

and label its life cycle. 

2. How is this animal’s life cycle different to the cassowary’s? How is it the 

same? Choose how you want to present your answer. 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 5 

Teacher notes 


What is the life cycle of the cassowary plum? How does the life 

cycle of a fruiting tree compare to that of an animal? 







• Students describe the pattern of the life cycle of fruiting 

plants. 

• Students describe the relationship between animals and 

plants and how they assist with the life cycle of a plant. 


• using a QR code scanner to access websites and information 

• sorting information into groups 

• choosing an appropriate iPad ® application to present 

information (optional) 


• A fruiting plant has a life cycle that starts as a seed, which 

becomes a seedling, then grows into an adult tree, then 

produces flowers. The flowers become the fruit and finally 

the fruit contains the seeds that start the life cycle again. 

• The cassowary plum is the favourite food of the cassowary 

in the Daintree Rainforest. The animal plays a role in 

dispersing the seed of the cassowary plum around 

the floor of the rainforest by excreting the seed. More 

information about the diet of the cassowary can be found 

at . 

• The life cycle of a plant is similar to that of an animal in 

that it grows bigger, looks different from the beginning 

to the end, they both reproduce and they both die. The 

main difference is that plants often rely on animals for 

pollination and/or seed dispersal. Plants have seeds to 

reproduce, but animals have eggs. There are obvious 

physical characteristics that are different between plants 

and animals as they go through their life cycle. 


• Use pages 23 and 24 as a 


student’s understanding of the 

life cycle of a fruiting plant and 

how it compares to that of an 

animal. 

Resources 

• Different types of seeds 

placed in sandwich bags 

• Information about the 

cassowary plum 

• Life cycle of a tomato 

plant 

• Online video—Why do plants 

make fruit? 

• Cassowary plum tree at 

different stages 








Lesson 5 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Place some different seeds into sandwich bags and pass them around for students to observe. 

What are these? What will they become? What is the process? What will it look like? On a 

whiteboard, draw students’ predictions about the life cycle of a plant. QP 

Development: 

2. Show the image of a cassowary plum, as an example of the favourite food of the cassowary, at 

. How does this fruit grow? What do you think a cassowary plum’s life 

cycle looks like? QP 

3. Display the diagram of the life cycle of a tomato plant at . Discuss 

the different stages, highlighting what happens with the seeds to begin the life cycle and how 

flowers eventually grow and are pollinated by bees. How are the seeds spread? What is pollination? 

What might be different or the same about the cassowary plum’s life cycle? QP PC 

4. Watch the video about fruiting plants and the role of fruit in the life cycle, at . Stop it at 4:05. What role does a cassowary play in the seed dispersal of the plum tree? 

PC QP 

5. Students draw a life cycle of the cassowary plum tree using page 23 if required. Additional images 

of what a cassowary plum looks like at different stages can be viewed at . Students should include details about how the seeds are dispersed by the cassowary 

bird. They can then compare the life cycle with their prediction from Step 1. Alternatively, students 

may wish to present their life cycle using a digital application of their choice. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can use the life cycle diagram outline on page 23 to assist them. 

• More capable students can draw their own life cycle diagram and label it with more detail. 

6. In small groups, students compare the life cycle of animals from the previous lesson, to the life 

cycle of plants. Display page 24 to guide group discussions. PA C 

Reflection: 

7. Groups share what they learnt about the life cycle of a fruiting plant and offer one suggestion about 

how it is similar and different to that of an animal. Discuss the impact that the cassowary has on 

the cassowary plum life cycle. What would happen to the plum tree if cassowaries became extinct? 

C QP 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 5 

Fruit plant life cycle 

Look at the tomato tree life cycle diagram again. 

Go to or scan this QR code: 

Look at images of the cassowary plum at different stages. 

Go to or scan this QR code: 

Draw and label the life cycle for the cassowary plum. Include details 

about how the cassowary has a role to play in the life cycle of the plant. 

Seeds 

Cassowary plum life cycle 





Lesson 5 



Plant versus animal life cycle discussion questions 

Do plants need parents? 

Do plants have offspring? 

How is an egg from an animal similar to a seed from a plant? 

How is an egg from an animal different to a seed from a plant? 

Do plants need the help of animals to continue their life cycle? 

Do animals need the help of plants to continue their life cycle? 

Do animals bear fruit? 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 6 

Teacher notes 


How does human activity impact an ecosystem like the Daintree 

Rainforest? 




• Processing and analysing data and information 

• Evaluating E 



• Students describe the relationships amongst living things in 


• Students explore how human activity has impacted the 

Daintree Rainforest and the habitats and living things that 

belong to the Daintree. 


• using a QR code scanner to access websites and information 

• using a digital application such as Popplet or YAKiT to sort 

and present information 


• Human impact on environments like the Daintree 

Rainforest include activities such as logging, mining, 

development and tourism. Logging is when forest trees 

are cut down to sell for timber. Mining could become a 

problem to the Daintree considering there are several tin 

mine leases in the area. Development is when there are 

commercial interests in the area leading to clearing land to 

make way for housing, roads and fences. Tourism impacts 

the area due to the number of buses and cars that drive 

through the rainforest, bringing pollution and destroying 

living things to make way for driving paths. 

• Scientists such as biologists, botanists and ecologists can 

help people understand the impact of human activity on 

living things and the best ways to protect them. 

PA 


• Observe students’ responses 

in Step 1 as a diagnostic 

assessment to gauge their 

understanding of human impact 

on ecosystems. 

• Use page 27 or the completed 

Popplet/YAKiT product as 

a formative assessment of 

students’ understanding that 

human activity can have a great 

impact on ecosystems such as 

the Daintree. 

Resources 

• Where the forest meets the 

sea by Jeannie Baker or 

the video version 

• Sticky notes 

• Online video and song— 


conservation 

• Research websites 

linked to QR codes on 

page 27: , , 

 

• iPad ® with QR code reader 

and applications such as 

Popplet or YAKiT 

• Alternatively, gather books 

from the library about 

the Daintree Rainforest 

and human impact on 

ecosystems 





Lesson 6 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Remind students about the Daintree ecosystem by reading Where the forest meets the sea by 

Jeannie Baker. Alternatively, show the video version at . In pairs, 

students discuss and write short answers to the following questions on sticky notes: What does 

the last page show? Why might the rainforest not be here? What impact do humans have on an 

ecosystem like the Daintree Rainforest? What can sciencists do to help? QP 

Development: 

2. Play the video and song at . In their pairs, students discuss the 

questions: How do living things depend on the environment for survival? What happens when living 

things have mutually-beneficial relationships? QP 

3. Students research what types of factors impact the Daintree Rainforest, using the websites linked 

to the QR codes on page 27. Students take notes and list bullet points based on the information 

researched. PC 

4. Students compile their research about the impact of human activity on the Daintree and make an 

audio recording or a digital mind map using applications like YAKiT or Popplet. Students should 

include impacts such as logging, mining, development and tourism. PA 


• Less capable students can use more oral-based iPad ® applications such as YAKiT, Chatterbox or 

Green Screen by Do Ink. 

• More capable students can research using other websites or find books from the library to 

support their research. 

Reflection: 

5. Students share their Popplet or YAKiT with the class, and what they think scientists can do to help 

save the Daintree. C 

6. Students compare their initial responses from Step 1 to their research and discuss any differences 

or new information. Which websites were informative? Did you find any other websites? PA E 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 6 

Daintree Rainforest research 

1. Scan the QR codes or go to the URL to research the impact of human activity 

on the Daintree Rainforest. 

https://tinyurl.com/y5f9zpw9 

https://tinyurl.com/r76rjmz 

https://tinyurl.com/rtpp6rj 



2. What can scientists do to help the Daintree and the living things in it? 



Assessment 

Teacher notes 




Living things have life cycles 

(ACSSU072) 

Living things depend on each 

other and the environment to 


Answers 

Pages 29 and 30 

Indicators 

• Defines and identifies a mutually-beneficial relationship in an 

ecosystem. 

• Identifies examples of producers, consumers and decomposers. 

• Chooses an appropriate method to represent data. 

• Draws and labels the life cycle of the cassowary. 

• Draws and labels the life cycle of a fruiting plant. 

• Identifies and describes the impact of human activity on the 

Daintree Rainforest ecosystem. 

1. (a) A mutually-beneficial relationship (or mutualism) is one where both organisms benefit from the 

activities of the other. 

(b) Some examples include: a sea anemone and clown fish, as clown fish live in the tentacles 

of sea anemone for protection, while the clown fish eat algae and clean the anemone; the 

cassowary and the cassowary plum, where the cassowary eats the fruit whole and disperses the 

seeds through excretion; termites and flagalettes, where the flagellates help digest the wood 

that the termite eats and get fed themselves; humans and animals breathe out carbon dioxide, 

while plants absorb the carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for humans to breathe; bees 

and flowers, where the bees are attracted to the nectar of the flowers and carry the pollen to 

other flowers causing pollination; bull-horn acacia and ants, where the ants nest in the plant for 

protection, while protecting the plant from attack by other herbivores; spider crabs and algae, 

where the algae grows on the shell of the crab and this serves to camouflage the crab; the redbilled 

ox-pecker and the impala, where the ox-pecker eats the ticks on the impala’s coat which 

provides food for it, while it grooms the impala and removes harmful parasites; pistol shrimp 

and goby, where the shrimp makes a burrow for protection, while the goby acts as a lookout 

because the shrimp has poor eyesight. 

2. Students may display the 3. Cassowary life cycle: 4. Cassowary plum life cycle 

data as a table, in a pyramid 

(see pages 22 and 23 for 

drawing or another suitable 

other fruit tree life cycles): 

representation. 

Producers: plants, grass, 

Seeds 

fruit, trees, corn, wild ginger, 

Egg 2 months 

mangrove, nuts, orange, 

Seedling 

flowering plant, wheat, 

cactus, grapevine 

Fruit 

Consumers: cassowary, 

other animals such as cows, 

Chick 7 months 

Tree 

humans, musky rat kangaroo, 

Adult 

crocodile, butterfly, blue 

Flower 

quondong, auger beetle, cat, 

duck, grasshopper, snake, 

dingo, horse, hawk, rabbit 

Subadult 15 months 

Decomposers: mushrooms, 

fungi, worms, slug, snail 

5. Answers include logging, tourism, mining and development. 





YEAR 

4 




Assessment 

1. (a) What is a mutually-beneficial relationship? 

(b) List 3 examples. 

2. Give three examples each of producers, consumers and decomposers. 

Choose how you want to display the examples. 





Assessment 




3. Draw and label a life cycle diagram of the cassowary. 

4. Draw and label a life cycle diagram of a fruiting plant. 



5. Describe two human activities that have an impact on the Daintree 

Rainforest ecosystem. 



YEAR 

4 







Students create a web page to help raise awareness about the endangered Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem. 



• Apply knowledge of the relationships that exist between living things that interact in the Daintree 

Rainforest environment. 

• Apply knowledge of life cycles of plants and animals from the Daintree Rainforest. 

• Conduct an investigation of environmental awareness campaigns and why the Daintree needs to 

be saved. 

• Communicate findings in the form of a web page. 

• Understand the impacts people may have on an ecosystem and how science helps explain this. 


• Produce drawings to show features of a web page design. 

• Evaluate design ideas, based on criteria. 

• Sequence steps to produce a web page. 

• Use a digital photography device to upload images to a computer. 

• Recognise that text and images are forms of data when stored using a digital system. 

• Collect information from online sources, and present and organise information in a web page. 

• Explore and incorporate common navigation elements on a web page. 

• Use a web page and online survey to collect data to help meet a community need. 

• Manage a project to publish a web page safely with appropriate privacy settings. 

Mathematics 

• Use survey questions to collect data about the level of awareness of the Daintree Rainforest. 




• Students grow a tomato plant over the course of a term and track its development using a 

camera or video recording, in order to compile a documentary. The documentary can then be 

shared by emailing to friends and family. 

• Students make a stop-motion video based on When the forest meets the sea by Jeannie Baker, to 

raise awareness of the human impact on the ecosystem of the Daintree Rainforest. An example 

can be seen at . Students share the link to their video or upload it 

to a class blog or website. 

• Students apply their knowledge of the cassowary’s life cycle and mutually-beneficial relationships 

with plants, to construct a 3D model of a sanctuary for injured or sick cassowaries. 









• Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072) 

• Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073) 










(ACSIS068) 

Communicating 












• Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008) 



(ACTDIP009) 

• Implement simple digital solutions as visual programs with algorithms involving branching (decisions) and user input 



(ACTDIP011) 

• Explain how student solutions and existing information systems meet common personal, school or community needs 

(ACTDIP012) 




Statistics and Probability 

• Select and trial methods for data collection, including survey questions and recording sheets (ACMSP095) 



YEAR 

4 






Teacher notes 

Create a web page to help raise awareness about the endangered Daintree Rainforest 

ecosystem. 

Estimated duration: 3-4 weeks 

Notes: Prior to commencing it is advised to send 

a note to parents such as the one provided on 

page 38, requesting permission for their child to 

create a website, if permission has not yet been 

given as part of a whole school policy already. 

If some parents do not allow permission then 

students can simply create a design and layout 

of a web page using paper and markers. 

Teachers will also need to set up a teacher 

website account at and add a class and student names. 

Students can then be provided with individual 

login details to enter into in order to create their web page. 

Be sure to set the class settings to private. 



problem, ensuring students understand 

what the challenge is. 

• Display a website that is about saving the 

Daintree Rainforest, such as , in order 

to illustrate what current web pages have 

done to help raise awareness. 


• Students research and explore existing web 

pages to decide what features they like, 

using the links on page 36. 

• Students should also revisit their previous 

science work to ensure they understand 

what life cycles are affected in the Daintree 

and how, as well as how the relationships 

between the living things are affected. 

• Students should also spend some time 

familiarising themselves with weebly and 

the components of a web page, by logging 

in and exploring. 


• Students plan and search for impactful 

images/photographs to use on their web 

page. 

• Students write a catchy title for the web 

page and plan the content for the text, 

including the keywords. Students also write 

three appropriate survey questions to find 

out how people are willing to help save the 

Daintree. Students should be able to come 

up with questions such as ‘Would you be 

willing to take part in a tree planting day?’, 

‘Would you be willing to donate money?’, 

‘Would you be willing to hold a fundraiser 

activity?’, ‘Would you be willing to sponsor 

a cassowary?’. 

• Using an A3 piece of paper students plan 

the layout of their web page, placing the 

location of the headline, text, images and 

survey. 

4. Create 

• Students create their web page based on 

their design. Explain that the web page is 

set to private, and discuss the meaning of 

and the reasons for this. 

• Students will need to upload images and 

enter text and survey questions. Note: The 

answers to the survey questions will be sent 

to the email address linked to the account. 


• Students check that their web page does 

not contain any errors, and that it contains 

sufficient text including the keywords, as 

well as appropriate images to make it eyecatching. 


• Students publish their website and share 

the URL with friends and family, along 

with any passwords required to access the 

private web page. 








The problem 

Project brief 

A WEB PAGE FOR THE DAINTREE 

In the 1970s developers wanted to tear down the Daintree Rainforest. 

Protestors joined together and stopped them, but the threat from all kinds of 

human activity still remains. This has a devastating effect on the animals and 

plants that depend on each other to survive in the Daintree. 

How can you help raise awareness to protect this important ecosystem? 

The task 

You need to design and create a simple web page to explain which living 

things exist in the Daintree, how they are in danger and why they need 

protection. 


• You must work in pairs. 

• The web page must have a catchy title 

and be easy to navigate. 

• The web page must have an engaging 

description of the living things that are 

in danger and how their life cycles and 

relationships are affected by human 

activity. 

• You must include the keywords 

producer, consumer, decomposer, 

mutually beneficial, ecosystem and life 

cycle in your text. 

• The web page must contain at least one image or photograph. 

• You will need to include a survey on your page to collect data about how 

people would be willing to help protect the Daintree. 

• You will need to write three survey questions. 

NEWS 

www.thekidzsite.com 

DAINTREE IN DANGER 

Consequences 

Conservation Photos Other links 



X 

read more... 

read more... 



YEAR 

4 





Investigate 

Revise the life cycles of the living 

things in the Daintree Rainforest 

and the relationships they have 

with each other. 

Make sure you understand which 

living things are in danger in the 

Daintree Rainforest and why. 

Explore how web pages are 

structured and what makes them 

good, bad or interesting. 

Explore how to use the web page 

creator at . 


Plan what kind of images or 

photographs you want to use on 

your web page. 

Think of a catchy title or headline. 


you will include, being sure to 

include the keywords producer, 

consumer, decomposer, mutually 

beneficial, ecosystem and life 

cycle. 

Design your web page including 

placement of the title, text, images 

and survey. Make sure the page is 

easy to navigate. 

Project steps 

Create 

Enter the login details your 

teacher has provided, at . 

Upload any photographs you may 

want to include on your web page 

to the computer, or search and 

save images from the internet. 

Enter the title, text and images 

into weebly. 

Place a survey on the page using 

the ‘Survey’ icon under ‘More’ in 

the left-hand panel. 

Evaluate and refine 

Does the text have any errors? Are 

the images eye-catching? 

Did you include the required 

keywords? 

Did you include a survey? 

Communicate 

Publish your web page and 

present it to the class, or send 

the URL to family and friends 

to view and take part in the 

survey (remember to include any 

password required). 

Compile and interpret the 

data collected from the survey 

questions and include it in your 

presentation to the class. 






Internet research 

Look at these web pages and list what was good, bad and interesting about 

them. 

Web page Plus Minus Interesting 


y7sh2tws 


y85xhzs3 


y8xxdz26 






yafk9dft 



YEAR 

4 






Student name: 

Date: 

STEM project: A web page for the Daintree 







members. 



project. 










Parent letter 



Dear 

During this term the class has been learning about the life cycle of the 

cassowary and plants in the Daintree Rainforest. We have also been learning 

about the relationships that exist in ecosystems and how living things depend 

on each other for survival. 

As part of this, the students are going to raise awareness of the endangered 

Daintree Rainforest ecosystem, and the plants and animals within that 

ecosystem that are threatened due to human activity. 

The students have been assigned a project to create a simple web page 

containing information about this issue, which you will receive a link to once 

complete. 

For your child to be able to create a web page, I require your permission. The 

page will be secure and set to private, for which a password will be required. 

No images of the students will be used and the students will be monitored at 

all times. The web page is created under a teacher educational account, which 

can only be accessed by the assigned students. See for more information. 

Please sign and return this form by . 

Regards 

I, give permission for 

Signed 



to create a secure web page. 

Date 



YEAR 

4 






Group members: 

CRITERIA 

Project task: 

Create a web page to help raise awareness of the endangered ecosystem of the Daintree 

Rainforest. 


Shows an understanding that living things have life cycles and environmental factors can 

affect them. 

Is able to explain how living things depend on each other for survival in an environment 

like the Daintree, and what would happen if mutually-beneficial relationships were 

disturbed. 

Science skills 

Investigates the features of web pages and finds out any further information regarding 

science knowledge. 

Plans the layout of a web page, including a heading, text, images and a survey. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully using text and images in a web page. 

Technology/Engineering skills 

Designs an appealing and informative simple web page to help raise awareness of 

endangered ecosystems. 

Evaluates and revises the information/or images used in a web page. 

Successfully uses digital technology to add text and images to a web page. 

Successfully uses digital technology to add a survey to a web page. 

Successfully and ethically publishes a web page to help meet a community need and 

raise awareness of the endangered Daintree Rainforest. 

Mathematics skills 

Writes three appropriate survey questions to collect data about how people are willing to 

help save the Daintree Rainforest. 

Group skills 

Each group member contributed equally to the project and had a clear role. 

Each group member collaborated and worked well together to solve problems. 

Each group member communicated positively and listened to others. 

1 = Below expectations 

2 = Meeting expectations 

3 = Above expectations 









YEAR 

4 


Chemical sciences 

natural 

processed 

synthetic 

materials 

fibres 

polyester 

MATERIALISTIC 

Keywords 

cotton 

plastic 

biodegradable 

decompose 

landfill 

recyclable 

durability 

waterproof 

gyres 



garbage patch 

bioplastic 

wool 

elasticity 



Unit overview 


MATERIALISTIC 

Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their 

use (ACSSU074) 

Pages 

Lesson 1 

What are natural and 

processed materials? 

Lesson 2 

What are the properties and 

uses of a natural material like 

wool? 

Lesson 3 

What are the properties and 

uses of a synthetic material 

like polyester? How does this 

compare to the properties and 

uses of a natural material like 

cotton? 

Lesson 4 

What are the properties 

and uses of other common 

materials? 

Students explore examples of natural and processed 

materials and take digital photographs of examples in 

the school grounds to classify. 

This focuses on wool—a natural material. Students 

discuss how wool and other natural materials are 

used, then conduct tests to confirm the properties of 

wool, including flexibility, elasticity, water resistance/ 

absorption, keeping warm and keeping cool. 

Students explore a synthetic material like polyester and 

compare it to cotton through testing various properties 

such as elasticity, water resistance/absorption, static and 

strength. Students think of the properties in terms of 

what gym clothes should be made of and read a science 

article about a study in this area. 

Students explore materials used to create designed 

solutions such as metal, PVC, glass, cardboard, ceramic, 

rubber and concrete and note their properties. Students 

then match a material to a specific task based on the 

required properties and the purpose. 

Lesson 5 

This lesson explores waste management and how 

rubbish ends up in landfill where it is left to biodegrade. 

What is biodegradable Students conduct an experiment to test which materials 

material and why is it important biodegrade in soil over a two-week period, and discuss 

to waste management? the implications of the biodegradability of materials. 

Lesson 6 

How does plastic contribute 

to ocean pollution? What 

properties make plastic 

harmful? 



Bioplastics 

The focus is on plastic, a synthetic material, which is 

used to create many products. Students investigate the 

properties of different plastic types and what makes 

them harmful to marine life and oceans. Students are 

introduced to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and 

consider what can be done to manage plastic waste 

better, considering its inability to biodegrade. 

Students complete a written assessment that covers 

the concepts of natural and processed materials, their 

properties and their uses, and how this applies to waste 

management. 

Students create a bioplastic as an alternative to 

synthetic plastic, and design and create a product 

with the bioplastic material. Students then film a TV 

advertisement to persuade others of the benefits of their 

product and bioplastic. 

44–47 

48–52 

53–55 

56–58 

59–61 

62–65 

66–68 



69–76 



YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Unit overview 


Lesson 

1 2 3 4 5 6 Assessment STEM project 


Natural and processed materials have a range of physical 

properties that can influence their use (ACSSU074) 





















(ACSIS068) 



Evaluating 




(ACSIS069) 

Communicating 





Lesson 1 


MATERIALISTIC 

Teacher notes 


What are natural and processed materials? 







• Students make predictions about the meaning of 

natural and processed materials. 

• Students describe the relationship between natural 

and processed materials. 


• using a digital camera to photograph natural and 

processed materials 

• organising ideas using a digital application on an iPad ® , 

like Keynote or ShowMe 


• As stated on ACARA, processed materials are ‘Products 

of physical matter that have been modified from natural 

materials by human intervention or that do not occur at 

all in the natural environment, but have been designed 

and manufactured to fulfil a particular purpose’. Examples 

include bricks, clothing, bread, gumboots, raincoats, 

furniture, jewellery, mobile phones and so on. 

• A natural material is one that exists in nature and has not 

been changed. Most natural materials come from plants 

or animals. Examples include wood, cotton, wool, stones, 

clay, feathers, shells and so on. 


• Use students’ work from Step 5 

as a diagnostic assessment of 

their understanding of the terms 

natural and processed. 

• Observe the Reflection 

discussion to gauge the 

student’s ability to identify 

examples of natural and 

processed materials. 

Resources 

• Digital copy of pages 46 

and 47 

• Access to an iPad ® with 

applications such as 

Popplet, Keynote ® and 

ShowMe 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display a digital copy of page 46 on a whiteboard. In pairs, students discuss why they think the 

items are grouped as they are. Allow five minutes for discussion then write students’ suggestions 

on the board. QP 

Development: 

2. Reveal that the items in the ‘yes’ group are natural materials and those in the ‘no’ group are not 

natural materials; they are processed. 

3. In the same pairs, students brainstorm a definition for both natural material and processed material 

and list five examples of each, using a digital application like Popplet. Students share their ideas 

with the class so the teacher can write a class definition that everyone agrees with, to add to a word 

wall. QP C 

4. As a class, go through the items shown on page 47. Students suggest what item is missing from 

the natural column for the jumper (wool), and from the processed column for the gold (earrings, 

necklace etc). PA 

5. In pairs, students search the classroom or go outside to take photographs of 10 items and classify 

them as natural or processed. They then write or draw an example of what the corresponding 

natural or processed material would be, as shown on page 47. Students may wish to use a digital 

application like Keynote ® or ShowMe to present their information. Pairs can test each other 

by showing each other their photographs to classify as natural or processed, and suggest a 

corresponding natural or processed material. PC PA C 

Differentiation: 

• Less capable students can work together and find five items to photograph. 

• More capable students can work individually to complete the task and research online to find 

other examples of natural and processed materials. 

Reflection: 

6. Students share one item they photographed and explain if it is natural or processed. Students 

also explain what natural material the item is derived from or what the item can be processed into. 

Clarify any misconceptions. C 





Lesson 1 


MATERIALISTIC 

Concept attainment chart 

YES 

NO 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 1 

Natural to processed table 

Natural 

Processed 

cotton 

wood 

T-shirt 

table 

? jumper 



gold ? 



Lesson 2 


MATERIALISTIC 

Teacher notes 


What are the properties and uses of a natural material like 

wool? 








• Students make predictions about the properties of wool. 

• Students describe the relationship between the properties 

of a natural material and the product it is processed into. 


• investigating how the properties of wool affect the 

behaviour of a product 

• investigating fibre production of wool 

• scanning a QR code linked to a video 

• measuring length in centimetres and millimetres 

• measuring temperature in degrees 

• using a stopwatch to track time in minutes 


• A material’s properties are those characteristics that 

determine its suitability for a specific application. This 

knowledge helps in recognising what needs to be 

considered when a material is chosen for a particular use. 

• Wool itself is a natural fibre, however, when it is modified 

by humans, such as being made into a jumper, it becomes 

a processed material. The properties of the natural 

material still apply, but may also be modified if the jumper 

is mixed with other materials like leather or cotton. 

• Wool has properties including being soft, elastic, 

breathable, odour resistant, warm and cool, anti-static, 

stain resistant, anti-wrinkle, fire resistant and sun safe. This 

makes it ideal for purposes such as clothing and bedding. 

See for more information. 


• Use page 51 and digital graphs/ 

results to assess the student’s 

ability to record data from an 

investigation. 

Resources 

• Cartoon image at , 

which shows an outfit made 

from grass 

• Wool video at 

• Sufficient copies of pages 

50–52 (optional) 

• iPads ® or computers with a 

digital graphing tool, such 

as 

• PDF showing properties of 

wool 

• Stopwatch, thermometer, 

cups, water, pieces of wool 

yarn or combed wool, water 

droppers 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display the cartoon at to discuss. What if your clothes were made 

from grass? Why would this be a good idea? Why would it be a bad idea? Is grass a natural or 

processed material? QP 

Development: 

2. What other natural materials do we use to make clothes? Discuss natural material examples. What 

are some properties of these materials? What properties do clothes need to have? In pairs, students 

list examples and their properties in a table. QP 

3. As a whole class or in pairs, students watch a video about wool (a common natural material) at 

or scan the QR code on page 50. They then list the properties they 

think wool has and how this makes it useful. Alternatively, students can add wool to their table from 

Step 2 and list its properties. QP PA 

4. Students conduct tests to confirm the actual properties of wool, using page 51. Provide the class 

with equal-length pieces of 100% wool yarn or combed wool, easily obtained from craft shops such 

as Spotlight . Place pieces of wool at stations, for small groups to test five properties: flexibility, 

elasticity, water resistance/absorption ability to keep warm/cool. Students use a digital application 

or website to graph results of temperature, such as the graphing website at . PC PA 


• Less capable students can use the graph template on page 52. 

• More capable students can test alternative methods of wrapping the cup with wool to see if 

adjusting this variable has any effect on results. 

Reflection: 

5. As a class, students share the properties of wool they investigated and compare it to the properties 

listed at . Discuss how they could test all of the properties listed. E 

C 

6. Students differentiate between natural and processed wool products. Ensure they understand 

that even though wool is a natural fibre and possesses these properties, it becomes a processed 

product when it is altered from its raw state. Is a wool jumper totally natural? What makes it 

processed? QP C 





Lesson 2 


MATERIALISTIC 

Properties of wool 

Watch the video at 

or scan this QR code. 

Predicted properties of wool 

Purpose 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 2 

Testing wool 

Properties to test 

Describe the result 

Flexibility 

Bend, twist, squash the wool. 

Elasticity 

Tie a 50-g weight to a piece of wool 

and measure the length of the wool 

before dangling the weight and while 

dangling the weight. Measure the 

string again after removing the weight 

to see if it returned to its original size. 

Record the measurements in a table. 

Water resistance/absorption 

Use a dropper to place several water 

drops onto a pile of wool. 

Keeping warm 

Wrap a cup of warm water in wool 

and measure the temperature every 

5 minutes for 20 minutes. Record and 

graph the measurements. 



Keeping cool 

Wrap a cup of cold water in wool and 

measure the temperature every five 

minutes for 20 minutes. Record and 

graph the measurements. 



Lesson 2 


MATERIALISTIC 

Graphing templates 

What happens to the temperature of 

a cup of warm water wrapped in wool 

Time elapsed (minutes) 

What happens to the temperature of 

a cup of cold water wrapped in wool 

Time elapsed (minutes) 

Temperature ( o C) 

Temperature ( o C) 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 3 

Teacher notes 


What are the properties and uses of a synthetic material like polyester? 

How does this compare to the properties and uses of a natural material 

like cotton? 







• Students make predictions about the properties and uses of cotton 

and polyester. 

• Students describe the relationship between material properties and 

their uses for everyday clothing. 

• Students discuss why clothing designers select appropriate materials. 


• scanning a QR code to link to an online article 

• measuring length in centimetres and millimetres 

• investigating how the properties of cotton and polyester affect the 

behaviour of clothing 

• investigating fibre production of polyester 


• A material’s properties are those characteristics that determine 

its suitability for a specific application. This knowledge helps in 

recognising what needs to be considered when a material is 

chosen for a particular use. 

• As stated on ACARA, processed materials are ‘Products of physical 

matter that have been modified from natural materials by human 

intervention or that do not occur at all in the natural environment, 

but have been designed and manufactured to fulfil a particular 

purpose’. A natural material is one that exists in nature, unchanged. 

• Polyester is made from petroleum; it is basically a plastic fabric. It is 

used in clothing because it is very strong and durable, lightweight, 

wrinkle resistant, stretchable, quick drying, retains its shape and 

is easily washed and dried. The disadvantages are that it is nonbreathable, 

sticks to skin and can melt easily. It also harbours 

bacteria, causing odours. 

• Cotton is a natural fibre and is used in clothing due to its ability 

to breathe and keep skin cool. It also inhibits the growth of 

odour-causing bacteria. It holds moisture and is not as durable as 

polyester as it may shrink and wear out faster. It is also generally 

heavier than polyester fabric. 


• Use the experiment 

worksheet on 


assessment of the 

student’s ability to 

process information, 

conduct testing and 

record results. 

• Use the Reflection 

summaries as a 

formative assessment 

of the student’s ability 

to communicate 

findings through a reallife 

situation. 

Resources 

• Pieces of polyester 

fabric and cotton 

fabric 

• Cartoon of 

polyester candy 

at 

• Balloons, water 

droppers, weights, 

strips of fabric, 

ruler 

• Copies of page 55 

• Science article— 

Cotton vs 

polyester: Which 

gym clothes trap 

the most body 

odor? at 

• iPads ® with QR 

scanners 





Lesson 3 


MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Pass around an item of clothing or piece of fabric made from polyester for students to feel and 

guess what it might be made from. Do the same for a piece of cotton fabric. Is it made from natural 

or processed material? List students’ predictions. QP 

2. Explain that the material is polyester and it is a synthetic material made from petroleum, and that 

the other piece of fabric is made from cotton. What does synthetic mean? QP 

Development: 

3. Display the cartoon from . In pairs, students discuss its meaning 

using the guiding questions on page 55. QP 

4. In pairs, students use page 55 to discuss cotton and polyester, and predict which type of gym 

clothes would trap the most odour. They then scan the QR code or go to the URL to read the article 

and summarise the findings. QP PC 

5. Students conduct their own tests using cotton and polyester, to assess the properties of elasticity, 

water resistance/absorption, static and strength. Students use page 55 to record results, as well as 

drawing their own table within the columns, to record measurements for elasticity. PC PA 


• Less capable students can create audio recordings to describe their observations from the 

experiments instead of writing a description. 

• More capable students may test an additional property of their choice, and decide how to 

conduct the test. 

Reflection: 

6. Based on the science article and their test results, students individually summarise which type of 

fabric they would prefer to wear to the gym and why. Would you combine both materials? What 

are the advantages of each fabric? What are the disadvantages? Which is better? Do we need both 

types of fabric? C 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 3 

Cotton vs polyester 

1. Questions to think about and discuss. 

What is cotton? What is polyester? 

Are these natural or processed fibres? 

Why is polyester the next level? Why would it be better than cotton? 

Why do we use fabrics made from natural fibres and from synthetic fibres? 

2. Which gym clothes do you think would trap the most body odour— 

polyester or cotton? 

I predict 

3. Read the science article by scanning the QR code 

or going to . 

4. What do the results from the experiment in the 

article say—is cotton or polyester better? Why? 

5. Conduct your own fabric experiments. 

Elasticity 

Attach a 100-g weight to 

a strip of cotton fabric and 

an equal length strip of 

polyester fabric. Measure 

the length. Remove the 

weight and measure the 

length of the fabric now. 

Water resistance/absorption 

Drop water onto a piece of 

fabric. 

Static 

Rub an inflated balloon 

onto the fabric. 

Strength 

Conduct a tug of war with a 

strip of each fabric. 

Cotton fabric 

Record the measurements in a table: 

Results: 

Results: 

Results: 

Polyester fabric 

Record the measurements in a table: 

Results: 



Results: 

Results: 



Lesson 4 


MATERIALISTIC 

Teacher notes 


What are the properties and uses of other common materials? 





• Communicating 


C 

• Students make predictions about the properties of materials 

and their purpose. 

• Students describe the relationship between a material’s 

properties and its uses. 

• Students explore how to use science to select appropriate 

materials for everyday tasks and objects. 


• A material’s properties are those characteristics that 

determine its suitability for a specific application. This 

knowledge helps in recognising what needs to be 

considered when a material is chosen for a particular use. 

• Properties of metal: shiny, hard, heavy, heat resistant, 

conductor of electricity and heat. Properties of glass: 

hard, fragile, conducts heat, insulates electricity, 

transparent. Properties of PVC: hard, strong, durable, 

possibly toxic when burnt. Properties of cardboard: 

lightweight, hard, absorbs water. Properties of ceramic: 

hard, resists wear, brittle, insulator. Properties of rubber: 

tough, hard, elastic, water resistant, shrinks when heated. 

Properties of concrete: strong, hard, prone to crack, may 

hold water. Properties of wood: hard, absorbs water, 

strong, lighter than metal, durable, heat insulator, poor 

conductor of electricity. 

• Page 58 suggested answers include: Transport cold 

water from a well to a tap. Strong, hard, waterproof, 

durable. PVC, metal, bamboo; Create a funnel to pour 

hot water into a cup. Heat resistant, waterproof. Metal, 

ceramic; Construct light poles for the street. Strong, 

weather resistant. Metal; Transport mail and documents. 

Tough, lightweight. Cardboard; Construct football 

goal posts. Strong, weather resistant. Metal; Construct 

a playground slide. Durable, heat resistant, weather 

resistant. PVC; Construct a house frame. Strong, last a 

long time. Wood, metal; Make a garden fence. Weather 

proof, strong, hard. PVC, metal, wood. 

Technology/Engineering/Mathematics 

links: 

• participating in an online 

interactive game 

• organising information and digital 

photographs using a digital 

application like Popplet 

• exploring materials needed to 

produce designed solutions 

• exploring how materials affect the 

behaviour of a product 


• Use students’ notes from 

Steps 2–4 as a formative 

assessment of their ability to 

identify properties of materials 

and appropriate uses. 

• Observe students’ responses 

for Steps 5 and 6 and note any 

variations in responses that need 

further clarification. 

Resources 

• Video—Properties of materials 

 

• Tubes or pipes made from 

different familiar materials, such 

as metal, glass, PVC, cardboard, 

ceramic, bamboo, rubber, 

concrete 

• iPads ® with a digital application 

like Popplet 

• Sufficient copies of the task 

cards on page 58 

• Online video—Material World: 

Crash Course Kids #40.1 at 

 

• See the following for more 

information on the properties 

of wood, metal, ceramic and 

plastic: , < https://tinyurl. 

com/8jugxgc>, , 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 4 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. As a class, watch the video at , about materials and their properties 

to revise what students know already. Students should predict the answers along with the video. 

QP PC 

Development: 

2. Display a collection of tubes or pipes made from different familiar materials, such as metal, glass, 

PVC, cardboard, ceramic, rubber, concrete. Using an application like Popplet, students add a 

photograph of each tube/pipe and then add popples to make notes about each of the materials. 

Students may wish to research the materials for additional information, or conduct small tests. 

PC PA 

3. Cut out copies of the task cards on page 58 and distribute them amongst small groups. Students 

look at the task cards and list the properties that a material would need to possess to perform that 

task. PC PA 

4. Students then compare the notes made in Step 2 about the properties of materials, and select a 

suitable tube or pipe material for the task, justifying their choice. Students can write the suggested 

pipe material on the task card. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can focus on the displayed materials and explore the properties of 

each. They should then list objects that could be made out of those materials, explaining which 

properties make it appropriate. 

• More capable students can list other tasks that the materials would be suitable for, or design 

their own structure considering the properties of materials and their purpose. 

Reflection: 

5. Students share one task that their group discussed, the properties it requires and the material they 

suggest is suitable. C 

6. As a class, watch the video Material world at and discuss the 

importance of choosing materials based on their properties and their purpose. Discuss why this 

would be important for people like engineers. C 





Lesson 4 


MATERIALISTIC 

Which material is best for the task? 

Transport cold water from 

a well to a tap. 

Create a funnel to pour 

hot water into a cup. 

Construct light poles for the street. 

Construct football goal posts. 

Construct a 

playground slide. 

Construct a house frame. 



Transport mail and documents. 

Make a garden fence. 



YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 5 

Teacher notes 


What is biodegradable material and why is it important to 

waste management? 








• Students make predictions about the ability of materials to 

decompose in soil over time. 

• Students describe the relationship between biodegradable 

materials and their uses. 

• Students help people understand how waste management 

can affect the environment. 


• exploring materials used to produce designed solutions 

• exploring how different materials affect the behaviour of a 

product 

• participating in an online interactive game 

• taking digital photographs of results 


• Australia’s waste management consists of a recycling bin, a 

green bin and a general rubbish bin. The general rubbish 

ends up at a landfill site where it is buried between layers 

of soil, to decompose over time; however, not all materials 

thrown in general waste decompose. Plastic shopping 

bags are the worst culprit, along with takeaway coffee 

cups, cigarette butts, clothing and so on. 

• Biodegradable means that a material can decompose 

through bacteria or living organisms. Generally, more 

natural materials will be able to biodegrade. 

• A similar experiment to the one on page 61 is shown at 

. 


• Use page 61 or alternative 

recording methods, as a 


student’s ability to conduct 

an investigation and observe 

results. 

Resources 

• Online video—Drowning in 

garbage at 

• Image of rubbish bins 

 

• Interactive game 

• BTN video—Landfill 

• Plastic shopping bags, 

fabric from old clothes 

or tea towels, egg shells, 

cardboard, food scraps 

like apple cores or banana 

skins, tissues, plastic lids, 

nappies, plastic wrapping, 

polystyrene 

• Online video—What 

materials biodegrade? 

 






Lesson 5 


MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson plan 

Note: This lesson will conclude after a two-week experiment so time should be allocated accordingly. 

Introduction: 

1. Play the video about rubbish at as a provocation. In pairs or small 

groups, students discuss the following questions: What does this picture show? What kinds of 

materials can you see in the rubbish? Where does your rubbish go when it gets collected? Does the 

type of material affect what happens to your rubbish? QP 

Development: 

2. Display the image of three bins at . Students suggest materials that 

can go in each. How does the property of each material affect which bin you put the material in? 

What materials are recyclable? QP 

3. As a class, play the interactive game at , which 

involves sorting rubbish into the correct bin. Emphasise the type of material of each item. Is it 

natural or processed? What are the properties of glass, aluminium etc? QP PA 

4. What happens to the rubbish we throw into the general waste bin? Where do these materials go? 

Watch a BTN video about landfill at . This video explains that landfill 

is where our non-recyclable rubbish goes. Students summarise what they learnt from the video 

about how a landfill works. PC C 

5. How can knowing the properties of materials help us solve the problem of landfill rubbish? Do all 

materials decompose in the landfill? What does biodegradable mean? In small groups, students 

conduct an investigation into the ability of materials to break down in soil, following the experiment 

on page 61. You may wish to show the beginning of the video at , 

as a demonstration of how to conduct the experiment. Stop the video at 2:23, so the results aren’t 

revealed. Provide students with an assortment of materials to test, including plastic shopping bags, 

fabric from old clothes or tea towels, egg shells, cardboard, food scraps such as apple cores or 

banana skins, tissues, plastic lids, aluminium cans and anything else that may end up in the rubbish. 

Students will then need to find an area in the soil to bury their items. Note: It may be useful to place 

a stake or identifier in the ground so students remember where their items are when it comes to 

digging them up. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can draw diagrams or orally describe their experiment results, using a 

voice recorder. 

• More capable students can create their own results table and display their experiment findings 

using a digital application. 

Reflection: 



6. After a two-week period, discuss the test results and how knowing the property of materials 

can help determine what to do with the waste. Which materials were not biodegradable? Which 

materials did decompose? How does this knowledge help you when it comes to throwing out your 

rubbish? E C 

7. Play the remainder of the experiment video from 2:23 onwards, for students to compare the results 

to their own. PA 



YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 5 

Decomposing experiment 

Do all materials decompose in landfill? 

1. Choose five materials to test, and predict whether you think they will 

decompose when buried in a patch of soil. Take a photograph of the 

material before it is buried. 

2. After two weeks, dig up the material and describe any changes. 

Take a photograph of the material. 

What material is it? 

Describe its properties. 

Is it natural or processed? 

Prediction 

Results 





Lesson 6 


MATERIALISTIC 

Teacher notes 


How does plastic contribute to ocean pollution? What properties 

make plastic harmful? 







• Students describe the properties of plastic and how it is linked 

to ocean pollution. 

• Students consider methods of waste management and how 

they can affect the environment. 


• exploring how plastic is used to produce designed solutions 

• exploring how using plastic affects the behaviour of a product 

• using an iPad ® to scan a QR code to link to a video and 

infographic 

• using a digital application to sort information 


• Plastic is a useful synthetic material made from petroleum. 

It is used in a variety of ways and has many purposes and 

properties. It can be flexible, like food packaging, or rigid 

like a PVC pipe. It is waterproof, durable, light, able to float 

and is relatively cheap to produce. 

• Plastic does not easily break down as it is made to be 

durable and long-lasting. Therefore, it should be recycled 

whenever possible to avoid ending up in landfill where 

it will not biodegrade, and avoid being washed into 

waterways where it will float around for years and break 

down into smaller plastic pieces which are harmful to 

marine life. 

• The Great Pacific garbage patch (also known as a gyre), is 

one of five in the oceans. It is a collection of broken down 

plastic pieces that collect in certain spots due to currents. 

See this video for more information on gyres: . 

• Bioplastics are another option to reduce plastic pollution. 

The properties of bioplastic make it biodegradable as it is 

made from plant-based products such as corn starch. 




student’s ability to categorise 

plastics, describe the properties 

of plastic and explain how 

this makes it harmful to the 

environment. 

Resources 

• Great Pacific garbage patch 

images and information 

at 

• A collection of plastic items 

such as toothbrushes, 

spatulas, water bottles, 

polystyrene, shampoo 

containers, fishing nets, 

plastic ropes, pipes, 

shopping bags, fishing 

line, cling wrap, plastic 

packaging and wrappers 

• iPad ® with Popplet 

application, QR scanner and 

digital camera (optional) 


64 and 65 

• BTN story about ocean 

rubbish at 

• Plastic infographic at 

 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Lesson 6 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Have you heard of the Great Pacific garbage patch? What do you think it might be? After a brief 

discussion display the images of the Great Pacific garbage patch from . Click on images 2, 4 and 5 showing marine debris and plastic debris, then show image 

1 which is a map of the location of the garbage patches. What materials can you see? QP 

Development: 

2. Recall from the previous lesson how plastic materials may not decompose or biodegrade. What 

did you predict would happen when you buried plastic materials in the soil? What are some other 

properties of plastic? Is plastic natural or synthetic? Discuss other properties that plastic may 

have and make a class list. This can include words such as hard, transparent, flexible, durable, 

waterproof, lightweight, able to float, colourful, not biodegradable, recyclable. QP 

3. Display a collection of plastic items around the classroom for small groups to investigate, such as 

toothbrushes, spatulas, water bottles, polystyrene, shampoo containers, fishing nets, plastic ropes 

or fishing line, plastic packaging and wrappers. Alternatively, allow students to collect a variety of 

plastic rubbish from the school grounds or recycling bins. Students investigate, test, record and 

classify the items into types of plastics and describe their properties. Use page 64 to record their 

observations, or use a digital application like Popplet to photograph the plastic items, sort the 

images and write the properties. PC PA 

4. What properties make plastic harmful to the environment? How does plastic pollute our world? 

Using page 65, students view the BTN story about ocean rubbish at , 

which details what happens when plastics are washed out into the ocean and collect at the 

Great Pacific garbage patch. Students then explore what plastic is made from and what makes it 

dangerous by looking at the infographic at . PC PA C 


• Less capable students can write keywords and record audio responses to the questions on 

page 65. 

• More capable students can create their own infographic using a digital application, after 

answering the questions on page 65. 

Reflection: 

5. In small groups or pairs, students discuss the best solution to rid the ocean of pollution from 

plastic, considering how it is made and its properties, and report their ideas to the class. What 

properties of plastic make it useful? What properties make it harmful? What could be an alternative 

to plastic in the future? C QP 





Lesson 6 


MATERIALISTIC 

Plastic collection 

Objects Plastic category Description of properties 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Plastic in the ocean 

Lesson 6 

1. Watch the video about ocean rubbish at 


Write three points you learned from the video. 

2. Look at the infographic about plastic in the ocean 

at or scan this QR code. 

(a) What is plastic made from? 

(b) What properties of plastic make it dangerous? 

(c) Who/What is in danger? 

(d) What can be done to help? 





Assessment 

Teacher notes 


MATERIALISTIC 


Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use 

(ACSSU074) 

Indicators 

• Identifies examples of natural and processed materials. 

• Describes properties of natural fibres like wool and cotton, and of a processed fibre like polyester. 

• Identifies and describes which materials are suitable for a particular purpose. 

• Describes what biodegradable means and how this property is beneficial to waste management. 

• Identifies materials that are not biodegradable. 

• Identifies products made from plastic and the properties that make plastic a useful material. 

• Describes why plastic is harmful to the ocean and why this should influence the use of bioplastic or 

other environmentally-friendly materials to make products. 

Answers 


1. Natural: wool, cotton, wood, silk, shells, feathers, bamboo, rocks, gold 

Processed: bricks, table, rug, jumper, gumboots, T-shirt, jewellery 

2. Suggested answers include: soft, elastic, warm and cool, flexible, water-resistant. Useful for 

clothing, bedding. 

3. Polyester is durable, stretchable, wrinkle-resistant and quick-drying, while cotton is breathable and 

keeps skin cool, is heavy and absorbs moisture. Polyester harbours bacteria, while cotton does not. 

4. Wrap a sandwich: plastic cling wrap or ziplock bag, because it is waterproof and flexible. 

Make a basketball stand: metal or wood, because it is strong and durable. 

Make a bungee jump cord: rubber, because it is elastic and stretchable. 

Pack a present to send by post: cardboard, because it is tough but lightweight. 

5. (a) Biodegradable means a material is able to be broken down by bacteria or living organisms 

over time. 

(b) Biodegradable materials are better for waste because objects in landfill could break down and 

not pollute the surrounding areas. If objects made from biodegradable material found their 

way into the waterways and oceans then this would be less harmful to marine life and they 

would break down and not contribute to garbage patches in the ocean. 

(c) plastic, metal, synthetic fabrics, coffee cups, cigarette butts, shopping bags 

6. (a) Plastic is durable, lightweight, cheap, water resistant, flexible or rigid (depending on type of 

plastic), floats easily. Products include pipes, bags, food packaging, storage containers. 



(b) Plastic is toxic because it is a synthetic material, and it does not biodegrade easily as it is made 

to be durable. In the ocean, plastic breaks down into smaller plastic pieces but never fully 

biodegrades. Marine life eat the plastic and humans eat the marine life. 



YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 

Assessment 

1. List three natural and three processed materials. 

Natural 

Processed 

2. Describe one property of wool and what purpose this property makes it 

useful for. 

3. Explain why you would wear polyester or cotton clothes to exercise in, 

based on the properties of each material. 

4. Which material would you use for the following purposes and why? 

Wrap a sandwich in 

Make a bungee jump cord 

Make a basketball stand 

Pack a present to send by post 





Assessment 



MATERIALISTIC 

5. (a) What does biodegradable mean? 

(b) Describe how a material that is biodegradable is better for waste 

management. 

(c) Name two materials that do not biodegrade easily. 

6. (a) What properties of plastic make it useful in our everyday lives? Give two 

examples of products made from plastic. 

(b) What properties of plastic make it harmful to the ocean? 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 


Bioplastics 


Students make their own bioplastic and create a suitable product from it. 



• Apply knowledge of properties of materials and plastics and suitable uses. 

• Plan and conduct an experiment to create bioplastic, including writing a hypothesis, listing 

materials and the procedure, and using materials and equipment safely. 

• Draw/write about results and compare results to predictions. 

• Communicate the observations of the resulting bioplastic. 


• Plan production steps collaboratively. 

• Test the appropriateness of bioplastic for a product. 

• Investigate the properties of bioplastic. 

• Use bioplastic to create a designed solution. 

• Evaluate design ideas. 

• Collect data from online sources. 

• Use a digital application to record a video. 

Mathematics 

• Use scaled instruments to measure ingredients to make bioplastic. 


• How would you solve the trash problem? Students watch the video about trash in the future 

at and create a waste management system for a new town, 

that sorts materials according to their properties. They then draw a design and create a digital 

presentation of the waste management system plan. 

• Students create a model outfit for a fireman or for another special purpose, made from natural 

fibres or other appropriate materials. Students can use a selection of materials with assigned 

prices so they can work within a budget and calculate what they can afford. 

• Students create a compost bin that will break down materials and label it with the types of 

acceptable materials. They then create an infomerical to be shown to the school or uploaded to 

the school website, explaining then bin and how it works. 









• Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use (ACSSU074) 




MATERIALISTIC 



• With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on 

prior knowledge (ACSIS064) 






(ACSIS068) 

• Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings (ACSIS216) 

Communicating 



Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding 

• Recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore factors, including sustainability that impact 

on the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs (ACTDEK010) 

• Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes (ACTDEK013) 


• Critique needs or opportunities for designing and explore and test a variety of materials, components, tools and equipment 

and the techniques needed to produce designed solutions (ACTDEP014) 



• Select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and use safe work practices to make designed 

solutions (ACTDEP016) 

• Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for 

the environment (ACTDEP017) 



• Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of 

data (ACTDIK007) 



(ACTDIP009) 






Measurement and Geometry 

• Use scaled instruments to measure and compare lengths, masses, capacities and temperatures (ACMMG084) 



YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 



Teacher notes 

Students create bioplastic as an alternative to plastic, and design and create a product with the 

bioplastic material. They then persuade others of its benefits by filming a TV advertisement. 

Estimated duration: 4 weeks 


• Display page 72 and read as a class. 

• Watch a video to introduce the topic of bioplastic and the task ahead . What is bioplastic? 


• Students revise the properties and uses of plastic. 

• In their groups, students watch a video about how to make bioplastic at , and an example of a created product , following 

the project steps on page 73. 


• Students write and develop an experiment plan, based on the video viewed previously. 

Display page 74 on the whiteboard as a guide, or less capable students may use a copy of 

it as their plan. The video outlines the materials: 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, 4 tablespoons 

water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon glycerin, some foil, a saucepan, tray and a spatula. A 

stovetop will be required for this experiment so groups should be organised and monitored 

accordingly. 

• Students compile a list of plastic products, or create a collage using a digital application like 

Popplet. 

• Students then choose a product they want to create with bioplastic and write a list of the 

properties that the product needs to have in order to fulfill its purpose. 

• Once the type of product is decided, students then sketch a design and label the parts and 

materials. They will need to consider whether to combine another material, like fabric as shown 

in the video, to add an extra property to the product. 

• Students manage their group and allocate tasks to team members, then collect the required 

materials. 

4. Create 

• Students create their bioplastic according to their experiment plan. 

• Students then mold it into the desired product shape. 


• Students review and amend their bioplastic ingredients if they need to make more or less. 

• Students may need to amend how they create a mold, or how they shape their bioplastic into 

the correct shape required. 

• Students must ensure that the plastic does what it is intended for; e.g. waterproof if used as a 

bottle, or flexible if used as a bag. 


• Students film a TV advertisement to persuade others that their product is a better alternative to 

plastic. They will need to mention the properties of their bioplastic product and its use. 







MATERIALISTIC 

The problem 

Project brief 

BIOPLASTICS 

You are part of a team of materials scientists who are looking at a new type 

of ‘plastic’ that is biodegradable—called bioplastic. How can you make it as 

durable and useful as synthetic plastic? What product can you make with it? 

The task 

Create a biodegradable material, similar to plastic, that can be used for a 

product. You will then create a TV advertisement to sell your product based on 

its properties. 


• You must work in groups of 2–3 students. 

• You must follow the experiment to create the bioplastic. You may add other 

materials to the bioplastic to enhance its properties. 

• You must describe its properties and its use. 

• You must use the bioplastic to create a product that is normally made with 

plastic. You will need to consider the purpose of the product and what 

properties it needs to have. 

• You must create a TV advertisement that persuades people to buy your 

bioplastic product rather than synthetic plastic. 





YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 


Investigate 

Revise the properties of plastic. 

Project steps 

Revise which products are made from plastic and 

what their purpose is. 

Watch a video about how to make bioplastic at 


Watch a video about how to make a bioplastic 

bowl by adding an extra material, at 



Write an experiment template, including hypothesis, materials, method, 

results and conclusion to carry out your bioplastic experiment. 

Write a list or create a digital collage of plastic products and select one that 

you will replace with bioplastic. 

Write a list of properties that the bioplastic will need to have for your 

product. 

Sketch and label a design of your new product. 

Collect materials and equipment. 

Create 

Create the bioplastic, following your experiment template. 

Create your product from the bioplastic. 


Review and make changes to your materials, equipment or method to make 

the bioplastic work better. 

Review and make changes to your product design to make it work better. 



Communicate 

Write some notes and film your TV advertisement for your new product, 

detailing its properties and uses. What makes your product so good? Share 

it with the class or email it to your family. 




Experiment plan—How to make bioplastic 

Hypothesis: 

What do you predict the properties of bioplastic will be? 

Materials: 

Results: 

Describe/Draw the bioplastic properties. 

Procedure: 


MATERIALISTIC 



Conclusion: 

Is the bioplastic similar to plastic? What properties/products would it suit? 



YEAR 

4 



MATERIALISTIC 



Student name: 

Date: 

STEM project: How to make bioplastic 







members. 



project. 












MATERIALISTIC 


CRITERIA 

Project task: 

Create bioplastic, and design and create a product using bioplastic. 


Applies knowledge of materials, their properties and uses. 


Plans an experiment clearly and includes details such as a hypothesis, materials, method, 

results and conclusion. 

Conducts an experiment considering the safe use of appropriate equipment and 

materials. 

Draws or writes about results of making bioplastic, and compares predicted properties to 

actual properties. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully using a digital video that incorporates 

information about the properties and use of bioplastic. 


Applies knowledge of how sustainability and pollution affects the design of products and 

the materials used. 

Designs and creates an appropriate product using bioplastic and another appropriate 

material if required. 

Evaluates and revises the bioplastic ingredients and method if required. 

Evaluates and tests the success of the product design and revises if required. 

Successfully uses digital technology to film the TV advertisement. 


Accurately measures and records quantities required for the creation of bioplastic. 

Group skills 











YEAR 

4 


Earth and space 

sciences 

glacier 

erosion 

weathering 

chemical weathering 

physical weathering 

freeze-thaw process 

SURFACE CHANGES 

Keywords 

sand 

silt 

clay 

soil 

rocks 

fossils 

landforms 

extreme weather 

deforestation 



construction 

mining 

agricultural practices 

biological weathering 

geology 



Unit overview 

Earth and space sciences 


Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity 

(ACSSU075) 

Pages 

Lesson 1 

How does a geologist 

use rocks and fossils 

to understand how 

the Earth’s surface has 

changed over time? 

Lesson 2 

What is in soil? Is soil 

the same everywhere? 

Lesson 3 

What is weathering? 

How does weathering 

make soil? 

Lesson 4 

What is erosion? 

How is it different to 

weathering? 

Lesson 5 

How does extreme 

weather change Earth’s 

coastlines? How can 

storm erosion be 

slowed down? 

Lesson 6 

How does human 

activity contribute 

to erosion? How can 

humans help reduce 

erosion? 



Form the landforms 

Students explore what a geologist is and how they examine 

rocks to understand what changes Earth’s surface has gone 

through. Students conduct their own dig in the school yard, and 

photograph and examine rocks, in an attempt to classify them. 

Students explore what soil is made up of and the three types— 

sand, silt and clay. Students investigate actual soil samples to 

record information about colour, texture, grain size and ability to 

absorb water, as well as conduct an experiment to separate soil 

into its components. 

Students conduct online research to determine what weathering 

is and represent the information in a graphic organiser of their 

choice. Students then demonstrate the weathering process of 

freeze-thaw by creating a rock from modelling clay, filling the 

inside with water, freezing and photographing the results. 

Students look at examples of landforms and predict how these 

were formed. Students then conduct online research by watching 

a video that explains the difference between weathering and 

erosion. Students then demonstrate erosion by wind, water and 

ice (glaciers) and compare their demonstrations to videos online. 

Students explore the effects of extreme weather, such as 

floods and storms, on coastlines or areas surrounding natural 

waterways. Students conduct an experiment to test the effects of 

erosion when only sand is present, when there are plants in the 

sand, and one other variable of their choice that is added to the 

sand. Students recreate storm waves and film the results, in order 

to offer the best solution to protect the coastline from erosion. 

Students use internet research to understand how humans 

contribute to erosion through deforestation, mining, construction 

and agricultural practices. After watching a video of school 

students investigating a local area subject to erosion, students 

explore their own local area and create a short documentary 

about the way humans have contributed to erosion and how they 

may be able to help. 

Students answer questions relating to what rocks and fossils can 

reveal about Earth’s past, the components of soil and how sand 

is created, what weathering and erosion are, and the effects of 

extreme weather and humans on erosion. 

Students use their knowledge of how landforms are created and 

change over time, to demonstrate the process using gelatin/ 

sand landforms and warm water. A video is then created by 

adding sound effects, music and a voice over, as well a table of 

measurements taken of the various landforms. 

80–83 

84–87 

88–91 

92–96 

97–99 

100–101 



102–104 

105–112 



YEAR 

4 




Unit overview 


Lesson 



Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes 

and human activity (ACSSU075) 





















(ACSIS068) 



Evaluating 




(ACSIS069) 

Communicating 





Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


How does a geologist use rocks and fossils to understand how 

Earth’s surface has changed over time? 








• Students make predictions about what rocks are and what 

they can tell us. 

• Students describe how geologists gather evidence and use 

this information to explain changes to Earth’s surface. 


• observing online research to find out what a rock is and 

what its markings might indicate 

• using an iPad ® to take digital photographs 

• scanning a QR code or typing a URL into a web browser to 

link to a website 

• drawing locations using a grid map 


• Geologists examine the structure of our planet and the 

components of the earth, including rocks, soil and fossils. 

• Rocks make up Earth’s crust. Over time, particles of 

minerals are compressed together. The crust contains 

many layers of rock, with numerous shapes, colours, 

sizes and textures. There are three groups of rock, based 

on how they are formed—sedimentary, igneous and 

metamorphic. This is covered in more detail in the Year 8 

Science curriculum. 

• Fossils are the remains of an organism preserved in 

rock. A collection of fossils can be viewed at . 


• Observe student comments 

in Step 6 and note any 

misconceptions about how rocks 

are used to indicate what Earth’s 

surface looked like millions of 

years ago. 


assessment of ability to conduct 

an investigation and record 

results. 

Resources 

• Image of a geologist 

 

• Online video—Secrets 

of the Earth are hidden 

in rock 

• Britannica Kids – Rock 

website 


• Images of rocks from 

different landforms 

 

• A selection of items to 

represent geologist tools 

including a soft paintbrush, 

magnifying glass, a 

notebook, ziplock bags, 

garden trowels, forks or 

spoons 






YEAR 

4 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display either the image at or a similar image of a geologist. In 

pairs, students discuss questions including: What do you think geology is? What does a geologist 

do? What is a rock? How can rocks be used to show the changes in Earth’s surface? QP 

Development: 

2. Watch the short video Secrets of the Earth are hidden in rock at to 

introduce geology. 

3. Students are again presented with the question. What is a geologist? Use their suggestions to write 

a class definition. Read through an explanation of rocks at and write 

a class definition. C 

4. Display the images on page 82 on the whiteboard. In pairs, students discuss and predict how 

geologists use rocks and fossils to see changes in Earth’s surface. What comes next in image A? Are 

the bottom layers older or younger rock? What are the animals bones you can see preserved in the 

rock in image B? (Fossils). Look at the bottom layer in image C. What fossils can you see? What was 

on Earth millions of years ago by looking at the bottom layer? How else do the layers of rock look 

different? Show students images of the appearance of rock layers from different landforms such as 

ocean, lake, desert, river at . Note: Click on each image to enlarge it. 

QP PC 

5. In pairs, students collect a selection of tools from the classroom that can do a similar job to a 

geologist’s tools. This could include a soft paintbrush, magnifying glass, a notebook, ziplock bags, 

garden trowels, forks, spoons and so on. Students head outside to collect a sample of rocks. 

Alternatively, you may provide a tray of sand and hide a selection of rocks, shells and mineral 

stones. Students take a photograph of the rocks and use page 83 to record their observations. 

They then compare their investigation to the rocks shown on the website from Step 4. Students also 

indicate on a map where the items were found. If using a tray instead, students record where the 

item was found in the sand tray. Ensure students complete Question 1 on page 83 before starting 

their investigation. QP PC PA C 


• Less capable students can work together in a small group with an adult helper to guide their 

investigation. 

• More capable students can conduct further research into rock classification and what kinds of 

rocks exist. (This topic is explored in depth in the Year 8 Science curriculum). 

Reflection: 

6. Students share any observations about the rocks they found and what clues they offer about what 

Earth used to be like. What can a rock tell you about Earth? Did you find the kinds of rocks you 

predicted you would find? What did the rocks you found tell you? What would you change about the 

investigation? What might you find if you dug deeper? PA E C 





Lesson 1 



A 

Layers of Earth 

B 

C 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 1 

Rock dig 

1. What kind of rocks or fossils do you expect to find? 

2. Draw a map of the area and place a cross where you dug up your rocks. 

3. Take a digital photograph and write what you observe about each rock. 



4. Compare your rocks to those from different landform areas by 

scanning the QR code or visiting . 

Are your rocks similar? 



Lesson 2 



Teacher notes 


What is in soil? Is soil the same everywhere? 





• Evaluating 

E 



C 

• Students make predictions about what soil is and how it is 

made and describe different soil types. 

• Students understand how scientists can help people by 

identifying soil types and composition. 


• observing a digital map of Australia showing soil type data 

• creating a digital concept map using an iPad ® application 

such as Popplet 

• researching information on the internet 

• interpreting a pie chart of soil composition 

• translating layers of soil into fractions 


• Soil can be classified into one of three types: clay, silt or 

sand. It also contains organic matter (humus), water and 

air. Different amounts of these components results in 

different soil types and characteristics. 

• Information about soil can be found at . 

• An average sample of soil is about 45% minerals, 25% 

water, 25% air and 5% organic matter. 


• Use the data collected from 



understanding that soil is made 

up of different components that 

can be observed. 

Resources 

• Soil map at 

• Soil composition pie chart 

at 

• Four soil stations labelled: 

white sand, black potting 

soil, compost and clay soil. 

Ensure there is a variety of 

soils, not just four similar 

soils. Supply some water, 

droppers and plastic cups 

as well, for students to test 

water absorption 

• Video about the three soil 

types 

• Soil sample collection: 

shovel, large glass jar or 

plastic bottle, water, funnel 

• Copies of pages 86–87 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Go to the Soils of Australia map at and display it to the class. Focus 

on your local area or state. Ask students what they are looking at. Why are there different colours all 

over the land? What might it mean? What is this a map of? What do the numbers refer to? QP 

Development: 

2. Reveal to students that this is a soil map. What is in soil? Is soil the same all over Australia? Why 

would there be different soils? Students use a digital application such as Popplet to create a 

concept map of ideas about what they think soil is and its components. Students share one idea 

from their concept map. QP PA 

3. Display the pie chart at which shows the components of soil— 

minerals (sand, silt and clay), organic matter, air and water. Students compare their ideas of what is 

in soil to the information in the pie chart. PC PA 

4. Display a selection of different soil types at stations around the classroom. In pairs, students 

observe using a magnifying glass and record information about each soil type using page 86. 

Students look at characteristics such as size, texture, colour and absorption. Limit students to five 

minutes at each station. What does the soil feel like? What is different about each type of soil? 

PC PA 

5. Watch a video about the three soil types at to see if students 

recognise any similar characteristics to the soils they observed during Step 4. 

6. Students act as soil scientists by collecting a soil sample from the schoolyard and analysing it to 

see if they can identify whether it is made up of sand, silt or clay. Instruct students to dig a narrow 

but relatively deep hole and place the sample into a jar or plastic bottle (use a funnel if necessary). 

Alternatively, lengths of PVC pipe can be placed in the soil and removed to collect soil samples. 

Students add water to the soil sample in the bottle, shake it and then leave it to settle, observing 

the changes regulary. This may take a couple of hours, so you may wish to conduct the rest of the 

lesson in the afternoon or even the next day. Students should be able to see layers form, with larger 

particles at the bottom and finer particles at the top. Results can be recorded using page 87. Can 

you tell if your soil sample has more sand, silt or clay? PC PA 

7. Students work out a rough fraction for each of the different layers of soil (if any), and add it to their 

diagram on page 87. PA 


• Less capable students can pair up and work with the teacher to conduct the soil sample 

collection and analysis. 

• More capable students can obtain another sample from a different location to analyse, or obtain 

a sample from deeper below the surface. Students may also wish to collect samples from home 

and use them for comparison. 



Reflection: 

8. As a class, discuss the resulting layer formations and any differences between groups/pairs or any 

problems encountered with the soil collection. If you dug deeper, would the soil be different? What 

would you change about the investigation? Did everyone collect a soil sample from the same place? 

Why did the layers form? E C 

9. Refer back to the map from Step 1, showing different soils around Australia. How does knowing 

what type of soil is on the land help farmers? QP 



Lesson 2 



Soil recording sheet 

Soil station name 

Colour 

Size of grains or 

particles 

Texture 

(Does it feel rough 

or slippery?) 

Moisture 

(Does it absorb 

water? Add some 

drops to test. ) 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 2 

Soil sample layers 

1. What do you think you will find in the soil sample from your schoolyard? 

2. Draw and label 

what your bottle/jar 

looks like. 



3. Label the fraction 

of the whole that 

each layer makes up. 



Lesson 3 



Teacher notes 


What is weathering? How does weathering make soil? 







C 

• Students make predictions about how soil is created 

and what breaks down rocks on Earth’s surface. 

• Students describe the relationship between weathering 

and the changing surface of Earth. 


• The rock soil comes from is often referred to as parent 

rock. Parent rock is the main factor in determining 

the texture of soil, whether it is acidic or basic and 

whether it is rich in nutrients. Climate is another 

important factor. 

• Natural processes can take more than 500 years to 

break down two centimetres of topsoil. 

• Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and soil on 

Earth’s surface. There are three forms of weathering— 

physical, chemical and biological. See pages 6, 7 and 

8 of the BBC Bitesize website at . 

• Physical weathering occurs when the temperature of 

the rocks constantly changes, such as a freeze-thaw 

process, or by repeated exposure to sun, wind or rain 

which has an exfoliation effect on the rock. 

• Chemical weathering is caused by rainwater which 

becomes slightly acidic as it dissolves the carbon 

dioxide in the air as it falls. 

• Physical weathering is caused by living organisms 

such as the roots from a tree cracking the surface, an 

animal that burrows into a rock, or algae that attaches 

itself to a rock and produces a chemical that wears 

away the surface. 

Technology/Engineering/Mathematics 

links: 

• researching a definition online 

• scanning a QR code or typing a URL 

into a web broswer that links to a 

website to research information 

• using a digital application like 

Popplet or Book Creator to create 

a graphic organiser and sort 

information 

• taking digital photographs and 

printing them or using them in a 

digital application for comparison 


• Use page 90 or the digital option 

as a formative assessment of the 

student’s ability to collect, represent 

and analyse information. 

Resources 

• Images of red sand beach 

 

and black sand beach 

• Mortar and pestle, rock salt for 

demonstration 

• Geological society website 

for definition of weathering 

 

• BBC Bitesize website at 

 

• Copies of pages 90–91, or an 

iPad ® with digital applications 

such as Popplet, Book Creator 

or other graphic organisation 

tool 

• Modelling clay, water and a 

digital camera for freeze-thaw 

experiment 

• Online video—How mountains 

turn to dust at 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Show a selection of images of different-coloured sandy beaches to engage students; red sand 

beach , black sand beach . How 

were these beaches made? What do you notice about the nearby rocks? Do you think the beaches 

always looked like this? In pairs, students discuss possible answers. QP 

Development: 

2. Pass a mortar and pestle, with rock salt in it, around the classroom for students to have a go at 

breaking down the rock salt. Discuss questions including: What do you think will happen to this 

rock salt if you grind it with the pestle? What will it look like? How might this be similar to how rocks 

become sand or soil? What acts as the 'pestle' in nature? QP 

3. Introduce the term weathering. Students research a definition online or go to , and write an agreed definition to place on a word wall. PC 

4. In pairs, students conduct their own research to explore how rocks undergo weathering by reading 

pages 6, 7 and 8 on the BBC Bitesize website at . Note: A QR code 

link to this website is provided on page 90 for students to scan as well as the URL. Students then 

create a graphic organiser or concept map using page 90, drawing their own graphic organiser, or 

using a digital application like Popplet or Book Creator. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can draw pictures to explain the weathering process, or retell it orally 

using the audio recording function on an application such as Book Creator. 

• More capable students can research other websites, such as to 

compare information on weathering, and add any more information. 

5. Students recreate the physical weathering process, freeze-thaw, to demonstrate how it works. 

Students use modelling clay to form a rock and then create a well in the middle which is filled 

with water. Seal the hole with clay and place in the freezer overnight. In the morning, students 

photograph the ‘rock’ which should have cracked to allow for the expanded frozen ice. Students 

should predict how the rock will look by drawing a diagram, and then compare the predicted 

diagram to the photograph taken after being in the freezer overnight. They may use page 91 to 

draw/paste their images, or use a digital application like Popplet or Seesaw instead. PC PA 

Reflection: 

6. Watch the video How mountains turn to dust at , which summarises 

the process of weathering rock and how it changes Earth’s surface. Did you know that it took so 

many years to break down rock? What do you think this means for the future? What will Earth look 

like? What do you think is the most powerful weathering tool? C QP 





Lesson 3 



Weathering concept map 

Scan the QR code or go to . 

Read through pages 6, 7 and 8. 

Physical Chemical 

WEATHERING 



Biological 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Freeze-thaw weathering 

Prediction of how ‘rock’ will look after freezing 

Actual photograph of ‘rock’ after freezing 





Lesson 4 



Teacher notes 


What is erosion? How is it different to weathering? 






E 



C 

• Students describe how scientists have gathered evidence 

of the changes to Earth’s surface caused by erosion. 


• observing 3D maps and digital photographs using Google 

Earth 

• scanning a QR code or typing a URL into a web browser to 

link to a video 

• taking digital photographs using an iPad ® or camera 

• using a digital application like YAKiT or Chatterbox to 

record a response 

• creating angles of slopes with sand and understanding the 

difference between a slight sand dune slope and a steep 

mountain slope 


• Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and soil on 

Earth’s surface. There are three forms of weathering— 

physical, chemical and biological. 

• Erosion is the taking away of the broken-down rocks and 

sand. Wind, water and glaciers are the carriers of the 

particles. Gravity is also involved in the process. 

• Weathering and erosion work together to shape 

landforms and alter their appearance over time. 

• Watch these videos for further information: and . 



formative assessment of 

students’ understanding of the 

difference between weathering 

and erosion, and their ability to 

compare results. 

Resources 


• Online video—Weathering, 

erosion and deposition 

 


• Materials for experiments: 

large trays, white sand, 

rocks, black soil, water, 

paper cups, large ice 

blocks prepared ahead of 

time using small takeaway 

containers 

• Water erosion experiment 

video linked to QR code on 

page 96 

• Wind erosion experiment 


page 96 (watch from 

2:00 – 3:35 only) 

• Glacier demonstration 


page 96 

• Interactive game—Walter’s 

travels – Weathering and 

erosion at 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 4 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Review weathering from the previous lesson, including what weathering is and the different types. 

What are some examples? C 

2. What are some common landforms? Use Google Earth to zoom 

in on landforms such as the Grand Canyon in Nevada, Santa Elena Canyon and Rio Grande River 

on the border of Mexico and USA, and Uluru in the Northern Territory. Click on any photographs of 

the landforms to get another perspective. Students use a think-pair-share to answer the following 

questions: Do you think these landforms are the result of weathering? What else could it be? Have 

you heard of erosion? What do you think it might mean? QP 

Development: 

3. Individually or in pairs, students use an iPad ® to scan the QR code on page 94 and watch a video 

about weathering and erosion. Students then answer the questions on page 94. This may also be 

done as a whole class activity. PC C 

4. In small groups, students conduct three experiments to demonstrate erosion by wind, water and 

ice, using page 95. Each group collects the materials they will need to conduct each experiment 

and follows the procedure. Ensure groups take photographs before and after each experiment and 

discuss the questions listed for each experiment. Students record their group’s response using an 

application like YAKiT or Chatterbox. Note: The ‘glacier’ will need to be prepared the night before 

by freezing water in a small takeaway container. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can work together in a group, with teacher assistance. 

• More capable students can change some variables and conduct additional tests, such as altering 

the amount of water flow in the water erosion experiment, or adding rocks to the sand in the 

glacier erosion experiment. 

5. Individually, students watch a video of each type of erosion by typing the URL into a web browser 

or scanning the QR codes on page 96. Students compare their results to the information in the 

videos, writing about any differences or similarities. Alternatively, they may wish to draw a Venn 

diagram to represent the differences and similarities. PC PA E C 

Reflection: 

6. Individual students write on a mini whiteboard the difference between weathering and erosion. 

C 

7. As a class, play the interactive game Walter’s travels at , to solidify 

concepts of erosion and weathering and how they create landforms over long periods of time. C 





Lesson 4 

Weathering and erosion 



Watch a video about weathering and erosion by scanning 

the QR code, or go to . 

Answer the following questions, based on the information in the video. 

1. What are two examples of weathering? 

2. (a) Define erosion. 

(b) How is it different to weathering? 

3. List four forms of erosion. 

4. Describe how you think the Santa Elena Canyon was formed by weathering 

and erosion. 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 4 

Materials: 

• large plastic 

container 

• white sand 

• various rocks 

Materials: 


container 

• black soil 

• water 

• cup with hole cut 

in the bottom 

Materials: 


container 

• large ice block 

• moist white 

sand (reuse the 

sand from the 

wind erosion 

experiment and 

just add a little 

water to make it 

moist) 

Wind, water and ice erosion experiments 

Wind erosion experiment 

Procedure: 

1. Set up a container with dry white 

sand on one side, slightly 

angled like a sand dune. 

2. Add some different-sized rocks. 

3. Take a photograph of the scene, 

showing ‘before’. 

4. Blow with a straw to recreate wind. 

5. Take another photograph showing ‘after’ and describe the 

results using an audio recorder. 

How does the sand move? Do the rocks move? 

Water erosion experiment 

Procedure: 

1. Set up a container with black soil. 

Create a slope on one half of the 

tray and add different landforms; 

e.g. mountains, islands, cliffs. 

2. Take a photgraph of the scene, 


3. Trickle water down from the 

highest peak using a cup with 

a small hole in the bottom. 

4. Take another photograph showing ‘after’ 

and describe the results using an audio recorder. 

How does the soil move? What does the water look like at the end? 

Glacier erosion experiment 

Procedure: 

1. Set up a container with white sand, 

on an angle like a mountain. 

2. Take a photograph of the scene, 


3. Place the ice block on top and 

let it move down the slope. 

You can encourage it down the 

slope to begin with and then allow 

it to melt and move naturally. 

4. Take another photograph showing ‘after’ 

and describe the results using an audio recorder. 

How does the sand move? What happens when the ice melts? 





Lesson 4 



Wind, water and ice erosion experiments 

Wind erosion experiment 

Go to or scan the QR code to watch 

a video about wind erosion. Start the video at 2:00 and stop at 3:35. 

Compare the results to yours and describe the similarities and 

differences below. 

Water erosion experiment 


a video about water erosion. 



Glacier erosion experiment 


a video about glacier erosion. 







YEAR 

4 




Lesson 5 

Teacher notes 


How does extreme weather change Earth’s coastlines? How can 

storm erosion be slowed down? 







• Students make predictions and observations about the best 

way to decrease the impact of erosion on the coastline. 


• researching and discussing an online video 

• using a digital video recorder to document and play back 

results 

• creating an investigation plan using a digital application 

such as Book Creator 


• Extreme weather is weather that is different from the usual 

pattern. This includes floods, storms, drought, a heat wave 

or a cold snap. These all have an impact on the Australian 

landscape. 

• Floods occur when there has been heavy rainfall, often 

associated with cyclones and storms, which overflows on 

normally dry land. The water can overflow from rivers, lakes, 

creeks and other natural waterways. 

• Erosion is the taking away of the broken-down rocks and 

sand. In the instance of the 2016 storms across the eastern 

coast of Australia, the king tide caused the waves and ocean 

water to be even more intense so the erosion was more 

severe. Major changes to the appearance of the coastline 

occurred. 


• As a formative assessment 

use the experiment plan to 

check students’ understanding 

of how to plan, conduct and 

record results. 

• Observe the responses during 

the reflection to ascertain 

whether students understand 

how extreme weather such 

as a storm can change Earth’s 

surface by eroding the 

coastline, and what can be 

done to reduce the impact. 

Resources 

• Images of flooding in 

Australia at 

• Online video—Storm 

erosion at 

• Sand, water, large plastic 

containers, plastic 

paddle, folding hand fan, 

seedlings/small plants, 

gravel, rocks, sticks, shells, 

grass or other materials 


(optional) 

• iPad ® with video recorder 

and an application such as 

Book Creator 





Lesson 5 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Click on several images showing flooding in Australia at and 

discuss as a class. What kind of erosion is happening in these pictures? What do you notice about 

the colour of the water? Why is it that colour? What other extreme weather might cause erosion 

through water? QP 

Development: 

2. As a class, watch the video Storm erosion at , about the effects of the 

2016 storm on Australia’s eastern coastline. In small groups, students discuss how wind and water 

erosion worked to destroy the coastline, and then report an explanation back to the class. PC C 

3. Students conduct an experiment based on the work the children were doing in the video, by 

comparing the effects of erosion using three variables: Variable 1 is sand only; Variable 2 is sand 

with plants; and Variable 3 is white sand and something of the students’ own choosing that they 

think may act as a preventative to erosion. It could include options such as shells, gravel, grass, 

wood posts and so on. See page 99 for experiment details. PC C 

4. Students write their experiment plan including a hypothesis, variables, procedure and results. 

While conducting the experiments, students film the effects of the ‘storm’ on the three types of 

‘coastline’. They can then review the footage and write their final conclusion. PC PA C 


• Less capable students can use page 99 to plan their investigation and record results. 

• More capable students can create their own experiment plan as long as it includes a hypothesis, 

materials, method, results and conclusion. 

• All students may prefer to write a digital version of the investigation instead, using an 

application such as Book Creator. 

Reflection: 

5. Groups share their final conclusion about the best recommended practice to protect coastlines 

from storm erosion. Is it what you predicted? Students may also compare different options tested 

for Variable 3 and review the footage of the results to determine the overall best option. PA C 





YEAR 

4 




Erosion experiment plan 

Hypothesis: 

Coastlines can be best protected from storm erosion by ... 

Lesson 5 

Materials: 

Variable 1: 

sand 

• sand 


container 

• water 

• plastic paddle 

• folding hand fan 

Procedure: 

Materials: 

Variable 2: 

sand with plants 

Materials: 

Variable 3: 

1. Place sand in container on one side to recreate a beach coastline. 

Place sand with plants in Variable 2, and sand with one other material in 

Variable 3. 

2. Use the paddle to create waves and water erosion. At the same time use 

the hand fan to create wind erosion. This represents a storm. 

3. Film what happens in each scenario. 

Results: 

Variable 1: 

sand 

Conclusion: 

Results: 

Variable 2: sand with 

plants 

Coastlines can be best protected from storm erosion by ... 

Results: 

Variable 3: 





Lesson 6 



Teacher notes 


How does human activity contribute to erosion? How can 

humans help reduce erosion? 







• Students investigate how science helps people understand 

the impact of human activity on erosion. 

Technology/Engineering/Mathematics link: 

• using a digital application like Popplet to organise 

information 

• conducting internet research and representing information 

and images in a PowerPoint ® or Keynote ® presentation slide. 

• creating a short documentary using a digital application such 

as iMovie ® and sharing it via email or uploading to a website 


• Research has shown that humans make a significant 

contribution to erosion, and may be as much as 15 times 

more powerful than the impact of natural erosion. 

• Humans mostly increase erosion because of agriculture 

and poor farming practices which strip the soil quicker 

than Mother Nature can create new soil. Other factors are 

deforestation, mining and development or construction. 

These all mean that sand and rocks are manually removed 

from Earth’s surface. 

• Humans also have the power to help reduce the impact 

of their erosion of Earth’s surface. This can be done by 

revegetating areas so that plant roots can act as a barrier to 

erosion. 


• Use the slide show in Step 3 

or the documentary to assess 

students’ understanding of 

the ways humans contribute 

to erosion as well as ways they 

can assist to reduce the impact 

of erosion. 

Resources 

• iPad ® with digital 

applications like Popplet, 

iMovie ® , PowerPoint ® or 

Keynote ® 

• Website about the ways 

humans contribute to 

erosion 

• Online video—Hillside 

erosion: how to stop it 

at 

• Access to a school website 

or email to upload the 

documentary to 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 6 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. As a class, recall what erosion is (the taking away/movement of broken-down sand and rock by 

wind, water and glaciers). How might humans be another force of erosion? In pairs, students 

brainstorm examples of human activities they think may contribute to erosion, and compile words 

and pictures using a digital application such as Popplet. QP 

Development: 

2. Students investigate the ways that humans contribute to erosion by conducting internet research. 

Students can begin their search at . PC 

3. In pairs, students create a digital presentation or slide show using an application such as 

PowerPoint ® or Keynote ® . Students should include a title/introduction page, a definition of 

erosion, a photograph demonstrating four types of human erosion as mentioned in the website 

(deforestation, mining, development and construction, and agriculture), and a sentence explaining 

how humans move or take away the sand and broken-down rocks in each photograph. PA C 


• Less capable students can use one website and write keywords and less complicated sentences 

instead. 

• More capable students can conduct further research and use another website to gain more indepth 

information. 

4. As a class, view and discuss the video Hillside erosion: how to stop it at , which shows how a Natural Resources Management board in Willunga Hills, 

South Australia is helping reduce the impact of erosion caused by poor farming practices, by 

encouraging farmers to look after their land and revegetate areas near creeks. How did humans 

cause erosion in Willunga Hills? How are they trying to help stop erosion? PC 

5. In small groups, students locate and document a local example of how humans have caused 

erosion but also how humans can help reduce erosion. Students create a short documentary similar 

to the Hillside erosion video, incorporating a question-and-answer format. An application such as 

iMovie ® can be used. QP PA PC C 

Reflection: 

6. Students play their short documentary to the class, upload it to a school website or email it to 

classmates or family. As a class, discuss the different examples shown. Write a list of the different 

areas and the ways that humans have impacted each, and how people can help prevent future 

erosion. C 





Assessment 



Teacher notes 


Earth’s surface changes over 

time as a result of natural 

processes and human 

activity (ACSSU075) 

Indicators 

• Identifies that rocks and 

fossils show evidence of 

past landforms on Earth’s 

surface. 

• Identifies soil 

composition and that 

soil types vary across 

Australia. 

• Identifies that rocks break 

down over long periods 

of time to create mineral 

particles that make up 

soil. 

• Describes examples of 

physical, chemical and 

biological weathering. 

• Understands the 

difference between 

weathering and erosion. 

• Describes erosion due to 

wind, water and glaciers. 

• Describes how extreme 

weather can contribute to 

erosion of the coastline. 

• Identifies and describes 

how humans contribute 

to soil erosion and how 

they can also help slow 

down the erosion process 

by re-vegetating. 

Answers 


1. Teacher check. Possible answers include: the marking on a rock 

could indicate that water used to run over it like in a river, or a 

fossil of a fish may indicate that the land was once ocean. 

2. (b) 

3. False 

4. (c) 

5. Physical: changing temperature of rocks which cause cracks; 

wind, rain and waves act as an exfoliant over time, as the wind 

blows sand particles and the rain and waves run over the surface 

of rock and wear it away over time; freeze-thaw process where 

cracks in rocks fill with water and freeze overnight which expands 

the crack and breaks the rock 

Chemical: rainwater which absorbs carbon dioxide in the air 

making it slightly acidic on rock, or actual acid rain that is formed 

when fossil fuels are burned and carbon dioxide and sulphur 

dioxide are released in the air and absorbed by rain on the way 

down 

Biological: any animals and plants that wear away rock such as a 

rabbit that burrows in a crack, a plant root growing in a crack, or 

humans repeatedly walking over a rock surface 

6. Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and erosion is the 

taking away of the broken-down particles by wind, water or 

glaciers. 

7. Teacher check drawings. 

Wind: winds blow and carry loose sand and soil away, which is 

how sand dunes are formed 

Water: rivers, oceans, streams and other natural waterways flow 

and take soil and broken down rocks with them 

Glaciers: ice moves down a mountain side and gathers soil and 

small rocks underneath it as it moves down. The glacier melts 

along the way as well, forming a flow of water which also collects 

soil and rocks off the mountain and deposits them at the bottom. 

8. Storms cause heavy rain and strong winds which lead to waves 

crashing into the coastline and carrying away more sand. Other 

examples of extreme weather students may provide include 

floods, droughts, heatwaves or cold snaps. 

9. Humans contribute to erosion of the soil through agricultural 

practices, deforestation, construction/demolition and mining. 

10. Humans can help stop erosion by ensuring plants and trees are 

planted in the soil so the roots act as an anchor, holding the soil 

together and making it less likely to be carried away. 





YEAR 

4 




Assessment 

1. Give one example of a clue that rocks or fossils provide about how Earth has 

changed. 

2. What is soil made up of? Circle the correct answer. 

(a) rocks and dirt 

(b) minerals like sand, silt or clay, water, air and organic matter 

(c) dead insects and trees 

3. Soil is the same everywhere in Australia. True False 

4. Only one of the following statements is true. Circle the true statement. 

(a) Rocks break down into liquid. 

(b) Soil is only made from rock. 

(c) It takes hundreds, thousands and sometimes millions of years for rock 

to weather and break down into soil particles. 

5. Fill in the table to show examples of the different types of weathering. 

Physical Chemical Biological 





Assessment 




6. What is the difference between weathering and erosion? 

7. Describe or draw the three ways that erosion can happen. 

wind 

water 

glaciers 

8. Describe an example of how extreme weather, like a storm, can cause 

erosion. 



9. Describe one way that humans contribute to erosion. 

10. Name one way that humans can help stop erosion from occurring. 



YEAR 

4 





Form the landforms 


Students create a landform scene and film a video showing how the landforms weather away and 

erode with water. 



• Plan and conduct a demonstration of weathering and erosion on landforms. 

• Observe and record changes in the height and shape of the landforms. 

• Represent and communicate scientific information in the form of a video. 


• Plan a scene including different types of landforms. 

• Create molds or select appropriate mold shapes, and create landforms using a gelatine/sand 

mixture. 

• Use a video recording device or application to film how water weathers and erodes landforms. 

• Add music, sound effects and a table of data to a video using iMovie ® or a similar application. 

• Evaluate and revise the landform scene and video. 

Mathematics 

• Measure the height and width of landforms before and after ‘weathering’ and ‘erosion’, and 

record information in a table using a computer. 


• Create a short movie from the point of view of a rock. How does it start its life? What journey does 

it go on? How does it change? Students may do this as a claymation video or a stop-motion video 

using real rocks and sand. 

• View a story about the Philippines floods at . Students then design 

a way to help minimise the effects of flooding on the landscape and design a kind of barrier or 

protector. 

• Students act as reporters and interview a famous geologist, also played by a student. They need 

to write questions and answers about what the geologist has discovered about the changes to 

Earth’s surface and how they collect their evidence. 











• Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity (ACSSU075) 







• Consider the elements of fair tests and use formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate, to make and 

record observations accurately (ACSIS066) 



(ACSIS068) 

Communicating 


















(ACTDIP009) 








YEAR 

4 






Teacher notes 

Students create a landform scene and film a video showing how the landforms weather away and 


Estimated duration: 3–4 weeks 


4. Create 

• Play the video at to engage students and imagine materials. These could include a large 

they are junior geologists. 

plastic container or large aluminium tray, 

• Display page 108 and read through, 

gelatine, sand or soil, bowls, a whisk, 

clarifying anything that students don’t 

measuring cups, various molds or differentshaped 

containers or materials to make 

understand. 

molds with, and access to warm water. 


• Once students create their molds or select 

• Students revise what weathering and 

the molds they want to use to represent 

erosion are and how they work to change their four landforms, students create 

landforms. 

the gelatine/sand mixture, pour it into 

• Students view a video at or scan the QR code on 

overnight. 

page 109, showing erosion in action in a • Once set, students flip the molds and create 

time-lapse video. This will give them the their landscape scene, adding any other 

idea of how their gelatine/sand molds will features to their landscape such as trees. 

look when warm water is poured on them to 

dissolve away and ‘weather’ and ‘erode’. 

• Ensure students measure their various 

landforms and compile the data in a table 

• Allow students time to explore iMovie ® 

using Excel ® , PowerPoint ® or a similar 

or another video recorder, to familiarise computer program. 

themselves with how it works and to 

understand how to add voice overs, sound 

• Students pour warm water over their 

effects, music or insert a file like a data table. 

landforms, to act as rain, and film what 

happens. They may want to create a pouring 


instrument such as a polystyrene cup with 

• Students draw a plan of their scene and several holes in the bottom to act as rain. 

the four landforms they will include. They 5. Evaluate and refine 

should also consider what molds or shapes 

they will need to create their landforms. 

• Students may wish to change their 

landforms or add more features to their 

• Students plan out what they will say during scene before pouring the water. 

their video to describe the effects of 

weathering and erosion. 

• Students may also find that the pouring may 

not work well so can amend how they pour 

• Students consider and write a list of what the warm water and re-shoot the video. 

materials they will use to create their scene. 

Ensure students use an appropriate tray or 6. Communicate 

clear container that can hold the water that • Once students have created their final 

is poured onto the gelatine/sand landforms. video, they add their voice over explaining 

how weathering and erosion change 

landforms over time. They also add sound 

effects or music, and insert the table of 

measurements once they have remeasured 

the ‘weathered’ and ‘eroded’ landforms. 








The problem 

Project brief 

FORM THE LANDFORMS 

You are a junior geologist who needs to create a video for schoolchildren that 

demonstrates how erosion and weathering changes and shapes landforms and 

rocks. 

The task 

Create a scene with landforms made from 

sand and gelatin, and film what happens 

to the landforms and landscape as water 

weathers away at it and erodes the sand. 



• You must include at least four landforms in your scene. 

• The landforms must be made from a gelatine/sand mixture, using the recipe 

provided. You can choose or create your own molds depending on the 

shape or landform you are trying to achieve. You can add other features like 

trees or plants made from other materials. 

• You need to film a video and add a voice over explaining what happens 

when water weathers and erodes rock. The keywords erosion, weathering 

and landforms must be used. 

• Add music or sound effects to your video. 

• You will need to measure the height and width of your landforms before and 

after weathering and erosion and record the information in a table using a 

computer. You will then add the 

table to your video and explain 

what the data represents. 



• The video should 

be 3–4 minutes long. 



YEAR 

4 





Investigate 

Revise weathering and erosion 

and the difference between them. 

Watch a video 

which shows them in 

action by scanning this 

QR code or typing 

into 

a web browser. 

Revise how different landforms are 

formed over time, and the kind of 

shapes you will need to recreate. 

Explore iMovie ® or a similar 

application, and look at sound 

effect features and how to add 

voice overs. 


Draw a plan of how your scene will 

look and the four landforms you 

will include. 


you will include in your voice 

over for the video, being sure to 

include the keywords erosion, 

weathering and landforms. 

Write a list of materials and 

equipment you will need and 

gather them together. 

Create 

Make the gelatine/soil mixture, 

following the recipe. 

Make or find the molds you want 

to use. 

Project steps 

Pour the gelatine/soil mixture into 

the molds and leave in the fridge 

to set. 

Create your scene, by placing your 

landforms and other features into 

a large tray or container that has 

sides on it. 

Measure the height and width 

of each landform and record the 

information in a table. 

Pour warm water on your 

landforms, as if it were raining, 

and film the video showing what 

happens. 


Do your landforms look like the 

right shape and size? 

Do you need to add anything else 

to make the scene look better? 

Did the water weather/erode the 

landforms enough or do you need 

to use warmer water or a different 

tray? 

Communicate 

Add your voice over to the video, 

explaining how you demonstrated 

weathering and erosion, and add 

sound effects or music. 

Remeasure the height and width 

of each landform and add a 

digital version of the table of 

measurements, from before and 

after, to the end of your video. 

Explain what the results represent. 








Materials: 

• 2 cups of warm water 

1 

• 3 cup room 

temperature water 

Gelatine recipe 

• 1 tablespoon of 

gelatine powder 

• Bowls 

Method: 

1. Sprinkle the powdered gelatine evenly 

over 1 3 cup of cold water in a small bowl. 

Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. 

2. Add the gelatine paste to a bowl with 

2 cups of warm water, and whisk to 

dissolve. Hint: If it doesn’t dissolve 

properly, microwave it a little to heat it. 

3. Place sand or rocks in your molds. If 

using sand, fill about 3 4 of the mold; if 

using rocks, fill to the top. 

4. Slowly, pour the gelatine mixture into 

each mold until they are completely 

filled. Gently stir the sand mix, but not 

the rock mix. 

5. Pour as many as needed. You may need 

to make more gelatine mixture if you 

have large molds. 

6. Place in the refrigerator to set 

overnight. 

7. To remove the gelatine/sand landforms 

from the mold, run a butter knife 

around the edges to loosen them and 

flip the bowls in the correct place in 

your scene as designed. 

• Sand/soil 

• Molds 

• Whisk 





YEAR 

4 






Student name: 

Date: 

STEM project: Form the landforms 







members. 



project. 












CRITERIA 

Project task: 

Create a landform scene and film a video showing how the landforms weather away and 



Applies knowledge of the effects of erosion and weathering on rocks and soil to shape 

Earth’s surface and landforms. 


Plans and conducts the demonstration of the effect of weathering and erosion on various 

landforms on Earth. 

Uses formal measurement to record data about the height/width/length of landform 

models. 

Represents recorded data in an appropriate table, using a computer. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully via a video with voice overs. 


Plans and designs an appropriate scene with landforms. 

Follows instructions to make a gelatine/sand mixture. 

Creates or selects appropriate molds to represent landforms, using appropriate materials. 

Evaluates and revises the landforms/scene, and the recreation of weathering and erosion. 

Successfully uses digital technology to create a video including voice over, sound effects/ 

music and a table of measurement data. 


Accurately measures various landforms, before and after ‘weathering’ and ‘erosion’, and 

records data in a table. 

Group skills 











YEAR 

4 


Physical sciences 

FORCES NEAR AND FAR 

direct force 

contact force 

non-contact force 

Keywords 

attraction 

repulsion 

static electricity 

friction 



speed 

air resistance 

distant force 

gravity 

opposing forces 

magnetic field 

gravitational pull 

motion 



Unit overview 



Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance 

(ACSSU076) 

Pages 

Lesson 1 

What is a push and a 

pull force? How does the 

amount of direct force 

applied to an object 

affect its movement? 

Lesson 2 

What kind of force is 

friction? Which direction 

does the force of friction 

act on an object? 

Lesson 3 

What kind of force is 

gravity? 

Lesson 4 

Is there more than 

one force acting on 

an object? What is air 

resistance? 

Lesson 5 

What is magnetic force? 

How can it move objects? 

Lesson 6 

What is static electricity? 

How does it move 

objects? 



Alien forces 

Students define and revise what a push and pull force is 

before conducting an investigation into how the amount of 

force affects the motion of an object based on an Angry birds 

concept and using a catapult. 

Students explore the direct force of friction and conduct an 

experiment using shoes with different types of surfaces and 

how these affect the performance in a tug-of-war game. 

This lesson focuses on gravity—one of the forces that acts 

from a distance. Students conduct four short experiments by 

rotating stations, including how different ramp heights affect 

how a ball rolls, how the distance at which a marble is dropped 

affects the force with which it drops, how a cup of water with a 

hole in it drops and how two equal-sized objects with different 

weights drop. 

This lesson focuses on two opposing forces of gravity and air 

resistance, which is a type of friction, by exploring how to make 

a parachute that will allow an egg to drop to the ground safely 

from a height. 

This lesson focuses on magnets—another force that acts from 

a distance. Students rotate through four magnetic challenges 

that demonstrate how magnets can act as a force that either 

repels or attracts objects. 

This lesson focuses on static electricity—the final force students 

will explore that acts from a distance. Students rotate through 

six stations that demonstrate the force in action, either as a 

force that repels or a force that attracts. 

Students answer questions, write information in a table and 

draw force diagrams to communicate what they have learnt. 

Students use their knowledge of how forces work from a 

distance to build a UFO, a hover base for it to move across, 

and a skyscape, to serve as a scene for a short movie. 

116–119 

120–124 

125–129 

130–132 

133–136 

137–141 



142–144 

145–151 



YEAR 

4 




Unit overview 


Lesson 



Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct 

contact or from a distance (ACSSU076) 





















(ACSIS068) 



Evaluating 




(ACSIS069) 

Communicating 





Lesson 1 



Teacher notes 


What is a push and a pull force? How does the amount of direct 

force applied to an object affect its movement? 







• Students make predictions about push and pull forces and 

what contact forces are. 

Technology/Engineering/Mathematics link: 

• using a digital camera to photograph actions that use push 

and pull forces 

• scanning a QR code linked to a video 

• making 3D cubes from paper (optional, or pre-made during 

a mathematics lesson) 

• observing speed and the distance an object travels, without 

formal measurement 


• Forces cause objects to speed up, slow down or change 

direction. The greater the mass of an object the more force 

is needed to start or stop it moving. 

• Forces move in a particular direction and are usually shown 

on a diagram with arrows, which show the direction in 

which the force is acting. 

• Direct or contact forces such as pushes, pulls and collisions 

are applied directly and transfer energy to an object. When 

a ball is kicked, energy from the foot is transferred to the 

ball, sending it in the direction and at the speed the player 

wants. When you throw a ball a similar transfer of energy 

occurs from your arm to the ball. 

• When a ball is bounced, a push force is applied and then 

when it hits the ground, the material of the ball enables 

it to be squashed as it hits the floor and then spring back 

into shape and release the stored energy to bounce back 

up. 


• Use page 119 and observe the 

Reflection discussion to gauge 

the student’s ability to identify 

contact forces and how they 

change motion. 

• Use Step 6 to identify what 

students know about forces and 

how they can be represented 

using arrows to show direction 

and strength of the force. 

Resources 

• Digital copy of concept 

attainment chart from 

page 118 to display on the 

whiteboard 

• Digital T-chart such as 

 

• iPad ® with digital camera 

• Angry birds game at 

 

• Online video—How to 

make a simple catapult 

at 

• Sufficient copies of 

page 119 

• Craft sticks 

• Elastic bands 

• Item to represent a bird, 

such as a craft chick or a 

counter 

• iPad ® with video recorder 

and an application such as 

ShowMe 

• Simple interactive game 

for further revision of push 

and pull forces at 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 1 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Display the concept attainment chart from page 118 on a whiteboard. In pairs, students discuss 

why they think the items are grouped as they are, and suggest three more examples of each (they 

are push and pull forces). Allow five minutes for discussion. The teacher can compile a list in a 

digital T-chart such as , or simply add them to the chart displayed 

on the whiteboard. QP PA 

Development: 

2. Discuss the examples listed and the concept of direct forces. Why do you think these forces are 

called direct forces? What is making contact in each example listed? What would make the force 

stronger? Also discuss which direction the force is going and draw arrows on the examples in the T 

chart. Which direction is the force acting? Is there more than one force? QP 

3. As a class, view the Angry birds game at . Students suggest what 

kind of force is applied to the slingshot, what force is at work on the bird and whether it is a contact 

force. What happens when you increase the force on the slingshot? How can you make the bird go 

faster or further? What happens to the bird when it hits the boxes? Why? Are all the forces contact 

forces? QP 

4. In pairs, students use page 119 to explore forces at work and how they affect speed (and therefore 

distance) of an object. Students conduct trials using a simple catapult system to replicate a version 

of Angry birds. They construct the catapult after watching a simple video at . Students use cubes made from paper (pre-made in a mathematics lesson) or whatever 

lightweight items are available such as pieces of foam, and place them in front of the catapult at 

different distances at which to aim the ‘bird’. By doing so, students learn to adjust the force of the 

push applied to the catapult, which determines the speed as well as the distance that the ‘bird’ 

travels. PC 

5. Students use an iPad ® to record the ‘bird’ in motion, and label it with arrows using an application 

such as ShowMe. The arrows should show the direction in which the forces are moving. PA PC 

6. Students can view each others’ labelled videos and compare the arrows to their own. Did you draw 

one arrow or more than one? PA 


• Less capable students can work together with teacher support, and use various objects as 

targets rather than making their own cubes. They may also require further revision of push and 

pull forces by watching a video at and taking the assessment 

quiz at the end. 

• More capable students can write further examples of everyday activities that involve forces, and 

label them with directional arrows indicating the direction and strength of the forces involved. 

Reflection: 



7. As a class, students discuss what the arrows represent and demonstrate using their labelled video. 

C 

8. Students relate the concept to other everyday activities. What other objects in everyday life do you 

apply a force to? Is it a push or a pull force? How do you make it move faster? Does it travel further 

as well? How do you make the object come to a stop? Is it a direct force? C 



Lesson 1 



Concept attainment chart 

? ? 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 1 

Forces activities 

Prediction: 

I can make the ‘bird’ go faster and further with a catapult by ... 

Go to or scan the QR code 

to watch a video about how to make a simple catapult. 

Materials: 

• Craft sticks 

• Elastic bands 

• Paper cubes made from paper 

nets, or other items from the 

classroom to act as obstacles 

Results: 

Method: 

1. Create the catapult. 

2. Set up some cubes, closer, further 

away, in stacks or just singular. 

3. Place the catapult in one position 

and try to aim the ‘bird’ at the 

various cubes or obstacles. 

Take a photograph or video of what happens when you launch the bird. 

Label it with the forces, and which way they are moving. 

How can you show how strong the force is? 



Conclusion: 

The ‘bird’ moved faster and further with a catapult when ... 

To stop the ‘bird’, the 

acts as a force. 

The force of the catapult is direct from a distance . 



Lesson 2 



Teacher notes 


What kind of force is friction? Which direction does the force 

of friction act on an object? 








• Students describe the relationship between the force of 

friction and the movement of an object. 

• Students understand how knowledge about friction is 

used in everyday life. 


• exploring how friction forces and properties of materials 

affect motion 

• using an application on an iPad ® to draw a force diagram 

with arrows 

• using a scale to weigh various shoes and adding weights 

to make them equal 

• measuring length of a rubber band before and after it is 

stretched 


• Friction is a direct contact force that opposes motion, 

making it more difficult for objects to move across a 

surface. Speed is inversely proportional to friction. 

• The type of surfaces, together with the force pressing 

them together, determines the amount of friction. 

Examples include: rough carpet or smooth tiles; an 

empty trailer or one filled with sand; rubber-soled 

sports shoes or leather-soled dance shoes. 

• Friction is beneficial in everyday life, such as making 

walking possible due to the friction between a shoe 

and the ground, but it can be a nuisance by limiting 

movement, such as when trying to push heavy furniture 

across carpet. 

• For more information on friction watch . 




student’s ability to conduct an 

investigation, record results in a 

table and understand variables in 

an experiment. 

• Use the force diagram drawn 

from page 124 as a formative 


understanding of how friction is a 

force that affects movement of an 

object. 

Resources 

• Two sticky notepads 

interleaved, or two books 

• Online video—Forces: Pushes, 

pulls and friction at 

• iPad ® with a drawing 

application or a mini 

whiteboard 

• Experiment materials: 

rubber bands, rulers, sports 

sneakers, dress shoe, thongs 

(student’s own if possible and 

requested the day before) 


• Sufficient copies of pages 123 

and 124 

• Online video—Slipping, 

sliding science! at 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 2 

Lesson plan 

Note: Instruct students in their groups to bring in a sports sneaker, thong and dress shoe for this 

experiment. Alternatively the teacher may supply one or two of each and use station rotations instead. 

Introduction: 

1. Display pre-prepared books or sticky notes to 

the class, with interleaved pages as shown in 

the diagram. 

Students think-pair-share the following questions: What do you think will happen when I turn this on 

its side and hold onto one end only? Why do you think that? What kind force is in action? QP 

Development: 

2. Introduce the term friction and show students a video of a tug of war at . Start the video at 7:19, and pause it at 8:57. Using a show of hands, students predict 

the winner and then explain why. Continue watching the video, then stop it at 9:20. What forces are 

being applied to the rope? What forces are being applied to the ground? What direction are the 

forces acting? Is it a push or a pull? What is friction? Note: If time allows, students could play a quick 

game in order to feel the forces for themselves. QP 

3. In pairs, students use a whiteboard or an application on an iPad ® to draw a diagram indicating 

the directions the forces are moving in the tug-of-war activity. Display the top half of page 122 for 

students to compare their own diagrams to. PA 

4. Students hypothesise about which shoe would be the best, and use a show of hands to vote. 

Record the results as a tally on the whiteboard. In pairs or small groups, students conduct the 

experiment on page 123 to determine how different types of shoes move on a surface like in the 

tug-of-war game. QP PC 

5. Students individually complete page 124, and use an iPad ® to take a 

photograph of one shoe friction test and label it with arrows to indicate the 

direction of forces, using an application such as ShowMe or the edit feature 

in the Photos application. The labels should look something like this, with the 

pull on the band moving in one direction and the friction or resistance from 

the test surface (desk) moving in the opposite direction. PC PA 


• Less capable students can work together in a small group with teacher assistance to ensure they 

are able to measure and record results correctly on page 123. Students may also provide oral 

responses to the questions on page 124. 

• More capable students may test other shoe sole types and consider what kinds of materials, as 

well as patterns, are used on the soles of shoes. 



Reflection: 

6. As a class, discuss how well the experiment showed the force of friction. What is friction? What did 

you learn from the experiment about friction? What would happen if you tested different surfaces as 

well? What types of surfaces increase the force of friction? Add a definition of friction to a word wall. 

E C 

7. Watch the short video about friction at . Each student suggests an 

example of friction in their everyday life. C 



Lesson 2 



Tug of war forces 

pulling the rope with hands and arms 

pushing on the ground with feet 

What will happen if the following types of shoes are worn? 

Take a tally of which is the best shoe to wear in a tug of war. 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 2 

Materials: 

• 3 types of shoe—sports sneaker, 

dress shoe and a thong 

• 3 rubber bands 

Procedure: 

Shoe friction experiment – 1 

• ruler 

• weights 

1. Weigh each shoe and add the right amount of weight 

to the lighter shoes so they are all equal. 

2. Cut the rubber bands so they are just a length of 

rubber. 

3. Attach a rubber band to each shoe with sticky tape. 

4. Place the shoe on a desk. Align a ruler next to the shoe 

and ensure each rubber band is the same length. 

5. Pull the rubber band slowly in a straight line, and look 

at the ruler to see the length it stretches to just as the 

shoe starts to move. Record the length of the stretched 

band using the results table. 

6. Repeat for each shoe type. 

Results: 

Length of rubber band 

before pulling (cm) 

Length of rubber band 

when shoe starts to 

move (cm) 

• sticky tape 

• scale 

Difference (cm) 



Hint: This should be the same for all three shoes. 



Lesson 2 



Shoe friction experiment – 2 

1. Which variables did you keep the same? 

shoe sole elastic band testing surface shoe weight speed and strength of pull on elastic band 

2. Why is it important to keep these things the same for each test? 

3. Which variables did you change? 

shoe sole elastic band testing surface shoe weight speed and strength of pull on elastic band 

Conclusion: 

4. Which shoe’s elastic band stretched the most? 

5. Which shoe had the most friction? 

6. Is friction a direct force? 

7. Create a force diagram by taking a photograph of a shoe and then editing 

the photograph and labelling it with arrows to show which way the friction 

forces are moving. 

8. Was the test fair? Why or why not? 



9. What would you change about the experiment? 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Teacher notes 


What kind of force is gravity? 








• Students describe the relationship between the force 

of gravity and the movement of an object. 

• Students understand how gravity applies to everyday 

life. 


• using an iPad ® to record observations 

• measuring height and width and recording time in 

seconds in a table 

• creating a ramp structure 


• Gravity is an invisible force that is applied at a 

distance, pulling any two objects together, causing 

them to accelerate at 9.8 m/sec 2 . This explains 

why the mass of an object doesn’t affect the rate 

at which it accelerates towards Earth. However, its 

speed can be affected by its surface area because 

of increased or decreased air resistance. 

• The force of attraction between two objects 

depends on the size of the objects and the distance 

between them. As Earth is by far the biggest object, 

gravity is observable when objects are being pulled 

down towards its centre, and are seen to be falling. 

• Watch this video for more information: . 


• Use the experiment worksheets 

on pages 128–129 as a formative 

assessment of students’ understanding 

that gravity is an invisible force that 

pulls objects to the ground at the 

same rate (Object drop and Water 

drop), but can be affected by the 

height it drops from (Marble drop) and 

the speed it travels down a steep ramp 

(Rolling on different planes). 

• Observe students’ discussions during 

the Reflection to ascertain whether 

they have grasped the concept of 

gravity as an invisible pulling force. 

Resources 

• Online video—Best idea ever! at 

 

• Online video—Defining gravity at 

 

• Experiment materials: tennis 

ball, plywood or simlar, books, 

timers, marbles, flour, trays, 

tape measures or metre rulers, 

newspaper, chairs, coloured 

tape or sticky notes, polystyrene 

cups, jugs of water, skewers, two 

medium-sized balls with different 

weights like a volleyball and a 

medicine ball, two small objects 

or balls with different weights 

like a rock or golf ball and a ping 

pong ball 


127–129 





Lesson 3 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Engage students by watching a short animation at , without 

explaining it first. It is a re-telling of the story of Isaac Newton’s theory about gravity. With a partner, 

students discuss the force that was shown. In which direction was it moving? Was it a direct force? 

QP 

Development: 

2. Introduce the term gravitational force. Students suggest other examples of gravity at work. Watch 

the video at and then write a definition for gravity or gravitational force 

and add it to a word wall. PC C 

3. Students conduct a series of short experiments to understand the effects of gravity on different 

objects in different situations. Set up different stations as shown on page 127 and place a copy of 

each experiment card, detailing the materials and procedure, at each station for students to follow. 

Depending on class size, two of each station may be required. PC 

4. Students use pages 128 and 129 to predict and then record results, as well as using an iPad ® to 

record video footage of the experiment results. PA 

The expected results and explanations of the activities are as follows: 

Rolling on different planes 

The ball will roll fastest on the higher, and therefore steepest ramp. This is because the ball 

accelerates more on a steeper ramp as it is being pulled towards Earth. 

Marble drop 

A marble dropped at a shorter height will leave a smaller crater in the flour tray, while a marble 

dropped at a greater height will leave a larger crater. This is because the force of the marble 

being pulled towards Earth is stronger at a greater distance and therefore has a greater impact. 

Water drop 

The water will no longer spill out from the hole in the cup when it is dropped. This is because the 

gravity is pulling on the water and cup equally so they fall at the same speed and no water spills 

out. 

Object drop 

The two balls of the same size but different weight will hit the ground at the same time. This is 

because gravity is pulling them at the same speed and affects the objects the same way, even if 

one is heavier. 


• Less capable students can work together with the teacher to guide the experiments and scaffold 

their learning and observations. 

• More capable students can draw their own table of results rather than using pages 128 and 129. 

Reflection: 



5. Discuss the results from each station and whether there were any discrepancies. Use a show of 

hands to see if the results matched what the students predicted. E PA C 

6. Students share with a partner whether the experiments showed that gravity is a direct contact force 

or if it is an invisible force that acts from a distance. How strong do you think the force is? C 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Gravity stations 


Materials: 

• tennis ball 

• piece of plywood or other 

ramp 

• stacks of books 

• timer 

Procedure: 

1. Create three different height 

ramps using plywood and 

stacks of books. You may 

want to re-use the books 

and wood so make one 

ramp at a time and conduct 

the ball roll. 

2. Place the ball at the top of 

the ramp and let it go. 

3. Time how long it takes to 

reach the end of the ramp 

and hit the ground. 

4. Compile your results in a 

table. 

Marble drop 

Materials: 

• marbles 

• tape measure or metre ruler 

• tray with flour in it, 2.5 cm 

deep 

• newspaper 

• chair 

• coloured tape or sticky 

notes 

Procedure: 

1. Find a clear, flat spot near a 

wall and place newspaper 

on the ground. 

2. Place a tray with flour in it 

on top of the newspaper. 

3. Use a tape measure or 

metre ruler to measure 

three different heights to 

test, and mark the heights 

on the wall using coloured 

tape or sticky notes. 

4. Drop a marble from each 

height and observe the 

mark left behind in the 

flour after each drop. Take 

a photograph and measure 

the width of each crater. 

Water drop 

Materials: 

• polystyrene cup 

• jug of water 

• skewer or something to 

pierce a hole in the cup 

• outside area 

Procedure: 

1. Head outside quietly with 

a cup, a jug of water and 

a skewer, and find a spot 

where you can safely spill 

water. 

2. Pierce a hole in the side 

of your cup towards the 

bottom of it. 

3. Place your finger over the 

hole and fill the cup with 

water. 

4. Remove your finger and 

observe the water flowing 

from the cup. 

5. Place your finger over the 

hole and refill the cup. 

6. Let go of the cup and 

remove your finger at the 

same time. 

7. Use an iPad ® to record the 

drop. 

Object drop 

Materials: 

• two medium-sized balls 

with different weights like a 

volleyball and a medicine ball 

• two small objects or balls with 

different weights like a rock or 

golf ball and a ping pong ball 

• chair 

Procedure: 

1. Find a clear, safe spot to 

conduct the drops. 

2. Hold one of the mediumsized 

objects in one hand and 

the other in the other hand, at 

the same height. 

3. Drop both at the same time. 


drop. 

5. Hold one of the small-sized 

objects in one hand and the 

other in the other hand and 

drop them again from the 

same height. Record a video 

of what happens. 

6. Test pairs of objects again, 

from a different height, by 

standing on a chair and 

dropping them at the same 

time from the new height. 


drop. 





Lesson 3 



Gravity experiment results – 1 


Prediction: 

Which ball will roll the fastest on different-sloped ramps? 

Results: 

Ramp 1 

Ramp 2 

Ramp 3 

Prediction: 

Ramp height 

(cm) 

Time taken to roll 

down (seconds) 

Marble drop 

Conclusion: 

What effect will dropping a marble from different heights have on the tray of flour below? 

Results: 

Test 1 

Test 2 

Test 3 

Height 

(cm) 

Width of crater 

(cm) 

Conclusion: 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 3 

Prediction: 

Gravity experiment results – 2 

Water drop 

What will happen to the water spilling from a cup with holes, when it is dropped? 

Results: 

Describe or draw what happened in the video. 

Prediction: 

Object drop 

Conclusion: 

Which medium-sized object will hit the ground first when dropped from the same height? Why? 

Which small-sized object will hit the ground first when dropped from the same height? Why? 



Results: 

Describe what happened in the videos. 

Conclusion: 

Gravity pulled the balls to the ground at the same different speed/s. 



Lesson 4 



Teacher notes 


Is there more than one force acting on an object? What is air 

resistance? 








• Students make predictions and describe the relationship 

between the motion of a parachute and the surface area of 

the parachute. 

• Students understand why parachutes are designed as 

they are and how they use the forces of gravity and air 

resistance. 


• viewing an online video to research information 

• designing a parachute to safely drop an egg, using forces 

and the properties of materials 

• using an iPad ® to record a video of the egg drop 

• calculating the area of plastic used for each trial parachute 


• Gravity is a force that acts between any two objects 

and pulls them together causing them to accelerate 

at 9.8 m/sec 2 . This explains why the mass of an object 

doesn’t affect the rate at which it accelerates towards 

Earth. However, its speed can be affected by its surface 

area because of increased or decreased air resistance. 

• The force of attraction between two objects depends 

on the size of the objects and the distance between 

them. As Earth is by far the biggest object, gravity 

is observable when objects are being pulled down 

towards its centre, and are seen to be falling. 

• The surface area of an object determines the amount of 

force being pushed onto it from air resistance. A larger 

surface area will be subjected to a greater force. 

• Air resistance is a type of friction. It acts in an opposite 

motion to the motion of the object. It is also referred to 

as drag. 




understanding of the two forces at 

work on a parachute. 

Resources 

• Scrunched up paper and a 

flat piece of paper 

• Online video—How to 

demonstrate air resistance 

at 

• Online video—Air resistance 

at 

• iPad ® with a video recorder 

• Materials for experiment: 

eggs, plastic sheets, string, 

tape, small plastic shot cups, 

markers 






YEAR 

4 




Lesson 4 

Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Recall the experiment from the previous lesson, where two balls of the same size but with different 

weights were dropped. What was the result? What would happen if you dropped a scrunched up 

piece of paper and a flat piece of paper at the same time from the same height? What would be 

different about this experiment compared to the ball drop? Get a quick show of hands predicting 

which paper will hit the ground first and then conduct a simple demonstration. QP 

Development: 

2. Discuss the result as a class. Did you predict correctly? Why did the scrunched up paper hit the 

ground first? Is gravity the only force affecting the paper? What other kind of force could there be? 

PA QP 

3. Watch an explanation of the experiment at and discuss the term air 

resistance. In which direction does the force of air resistance act on the sheet of paper? What kind of 

force do you think air resistance is similar to? (Remind students about friction.) What about the force 

of gravity? In which direction is the force of gravity moving the piece of paper? Which is a push and 

which is a pull? PC C 

4. In pairs, students draw a force diagram to show 

how air resistance and gravity forces are moving 

the paper as shown in the diagram. Students 

Gravity 

don’t have to use a larger arrow to show that 

pull 

gravity is the greater force as the paper does 

eventually fall to the ground, but if they are 

capable then include this in discussions. PA 

Air resistance 

push 

C 

5. Students use this knowledge of air resistance to investigate how to safely drop an egg using 

a parachute. Play an introductory video of the experiment at , 

stopping it at 2:15. In small groups, students plan and create a design to test, using page 132. 

Remind students that the objective is to make the pushing force of air resistance strong enough to 

slow down the pulling force of gravity. Students record their egg drop using a digital camera or an 

iPad ® . PC PA 


• Less capable students can work together and try one design that has a large enough surface 

area, with the help of a teacher. 

• More capable students can work together to create more options and calculate more surface 

areas, and the minimum surface area which will protect the egg. 

Reflection: 



6. Play the remainder of the video from Step 5. As a class, discuss whether students used similar 

designs both to the one shown and to others in the class. Did your egg parachute investigation go 

smoothly? E C 

7. Relate this to a person jumping out of a plane with a parachute. Students turn to the person sitting 

next to them and answer the questions: What force is moving the person when they first jump out 

of the plane? What happens when they pull the parachute cord? What forces are moving the person 

now? Is gravity a direct contact force? Is air resistance a direct contact force? C 



Lesson 4 



Egg drop experiment 

Hypothesis: 

The parachute will work best if the surface area is large small because the 

pushing force of air resistance will slow down speed up the pulling force of 

gravity. 

Materials and procedure: 

1. Design a parachute to test out, using a square or rectangular piece of 

plastic. 

2. Use an iPad ® to draw and label your design. 

3. Calculate the area of the plastic being used in the parachute and write it 

on the plastic with a permanent marker. 

4. The eggs will be placed in a small plastic cup with the parachute 

attached to it, similar to the video just viewed. 

5. Consider what you learnt about surface area affecting air resistance. 

6. If your first design doesn’t work, then refine the area and cut a new piece 

of plastic to try again. 

Observations and results: 

Drop the egg parachutes one at a time from the same height by standing 

safely on a chair or bench. 

Record the results using a video application on an iPad ® . 

Conclusion: 

The parachute worked best when it had a 

larger smaller surface area. 



Label the diagram to show how the forces 

of gravity and air resistance affected the 

movement of the parachute. Use a bigger 

arrow to show the stronger force. 

Gravity is a contact distant force. 

Air resistance is contact distant force. 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 5 

Teacher notes 


What is magnetic force? How can it move objects? 






E 



C 

• Students describe the relationship between the force of a 

magnet and the movement of objects. 


• exploring how magnetic forces and properties of metals 

can affect motion 

• using a timer to measure time in seconds 

• using a ruler to measure distance 

• creating a table to display data 

• using an iPad ® to complete an online quiz or compile 

information (optional) 


• A magnet exerts an invisible force which can either 

make an object move away from or towards it. If contact 

between two magnets is established, it is maintained 

by the magnetic field. Attaching a metal object to a 

magnet enables the metal object to act as a magnet. 

• When the same poles on two magnets are held close 

together the magnets will repel each other. When 

different poles of two magnets are held close together, 

the magnets will attract each other. 

• Magnetic materials include iron, nickel, cobalt and steel. 

Metals which repel magnets include brass, zinc, copper 

and aluminium. 


• Use the student’s table of 

results and written conclusion 

to assess their ability to record 

observations accurately and 

conduct an investigation, as well 

as a formative assessment of their 

understanding of the non-contact 

force of magnets. 

Resources 

• Paperclip, magnet and piece 

of cardboard for Introduction 

• Magnets and various metal 

objects 

• Experiment materials: 

magnets, metal container 

like a coffee tin (must be 

magnetic), small bolts (nickel 

or steel), paper cups, tape, 

rulers, pegs, string, pencil, 

Blu-Tack ® , rolls of aluminium 

foil or aluminium pipe lengths 

(1 m if possible), PVC pipe 

lengths (1 m if possible), 

stopwatch 


• Online video – SciShow Kids – 

Fun with magnets! at 

• iPad ® (optional) 





Lesson 5 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Set up a simple magic trick to show the students, which involves a magnet underneath a piece 

of card and a metal object like a paperclip on top. Ask students if they think you can move the 

paperclip from one side of the cardboard to the other, without touching it or blowing on it. Without 

showing the magnet, move it slowly underneath the cardboard and drag the paperclip to the other 

side of the card. Students hypothesise how you did it, and make a class list of ideas. QP 

Development: 

2. Show students the magnet and allow small groups to explore magnets and various metal objects 

in order to familiarise themselves with how it works, and what kinds of metal they are attracted to 

(anything made from iron, nickel, steel, other magnets) and not attracted to (anything made from 

copper, gold, aluminium, zinc or brass). PC 

3. Students then move around different stations placed around the classroom, to conduct magnetic 

challenges as shown on pages 135 and 136. Place a copy of the materials and procedure at each 

station. Students will need to bring either a science journal, a piece of paper or an iPad ® to draw 

tables where appropriate and record their results, or answer the questions listed. PC 

Note: See this video for a more complicated version of the Magnetic field experiment, should you 

require further explanation . 

The Levitator experiment works by using like poles to repel the pencil and make it appear to 

levitate. 

The Pipe time experiment is based on the repelling force of the magnet and aluminium/copper, 

which causes the magnet to slow down when passed through an aluminium or copper pipe. 

Students may wish to repeat this experiment and watch the magnet as it travels through the 

repelling pipe. 


• Less capable students should have more free practice playing and experimenting if they do not 

grasp the concept of magnets acting as a force. 

• More capable students can test their knowledge of magnetic force by completing the quiz at 

on an iPad ® . 

Reflection: 

4. As a class, watch the video about magnets and magnetic fields at . 

Discuss what the results from the magnetic field experiment showed. (Even though the magnet is 

not in direct contact it still attracts the paperclip. The distance at which the paperclip is no longer 

directly attached to the magnet but is still attracted to it shows the magnetic field.) Discuss the Pipe 

time results and why they occurred. PA E 

5. In their science journals, or using an iPad ® students answer the following questions: Which 

experiments used magnetic attraction as a force? Which experiments used magnetic repelling as a 

force? Do magnets need to be in direct contact with an object for it to work? C 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 5 

Materials: 

• two magnets 

• empty metal 

container with 

metal lid (like a 

coffee tin or similar) 

• small bolts (nickel 

or steel) 

Materials: 

• paper cup 

• tape 

• ruler 

• peg 

• string 

• paperclip 

• magnet 

16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 18 19 20 

Attraction experiments 

Magnetic sculpture 

Procedure: 

1. Place the magnets on the underside of the lid 

and place the lid on the container. 

2. Start placing bolts onto the lid and see what 

you can create. 

• What happened when you started connecting 

the bolts? 

• Were the bolts attracted to the magnet? 

• Was the magnet in direct contact with the bolts? 

Magnetic field 

Procedure: 

1. Secure a cup upside down to a desk, with a 

peg taped on top. 

2. Hang a piece of string from the peg with a 

paperclip threaded on the end of it, just long 

enough to touch the desk. 

3. Tape down or Blu-Tack ® a ruler from the edge 

of the cup underneath where the paperclip 

is hanging. Make sure the ruler starts at 0 cm 

where the paperclip hangs. 

4. Attach a magnet to the paperclip, and pull it 

away slowly along the ruler. 

5. Create a table and write the measurement at 

which the paperclip is no longer attached to 

the magnet but is still attracted to it. 



6. Keep pulling slowly and record the 

measurement at which the paperclip is no 

longer attracted to the magnet and falls back. 

• How does this experiment demonstrate a 

magnetic field? 



Lesson 5 



Repulsion experiments 

Levitator 

Materials: 

Procedure: 

• 4 magnets 

• a pencil 

• tape or Blu-Tack ® 

Materials: 

• 2 rolls of aluminium 

foil joined together to 

make one long roll, or 

an aluminium or copper 

pipe at least 1 m long. It 

should be wide enough 

to drop a magnet inside 

it. 

• a PVC pipe the same 

length as the metal pipe, 

also wide enough to 

drop a magnet inside 

• a magnet 

• stopwatch 

1. Secure two magnets to a flat surface (like 

a desk). 

2. Secure two magnets to the side of a 

pencil. 

3. Work out a way to make the pencil levitate 

when you place it on top of the two 

magnets secured to the desk. 

• What happened when you used different 

ends of the magnets? 

Pipe time 

Procedure: 

1. Drop the magnet through the PVC pipe 

and time how long it takes to make its way 

through. 

2. Record the time in a table. 

3. Drop the magnet through the aluminium/ 

copper pipe and time how long it takes to 

make it’s way through. 



4. Record the time in a table. 

• Which magnet took longer? Why? 



YEAR 

4 




Lesson 6 

Teacher notes 


What is static electricity? How does it move objects? 




• Processing and analysing data and 

information PA 




• Students describe the relationship between the 

force of static and the movement of objects. 

• Students describe how static is part of our everyday 

lives. 


• exploring how static forces and materials that can 

be charged, can be used to move an object 


• Static works as a force to move objects from a 

distance when an object is charged and either 

attracts or repels another object. Two positively 

charged objects will repel each other, as will two 

negatively charged objects, while a positively 

charged and a negatively object are attracted to 

each other. 

• A charge occurs when materials that are good 

electrical insulators are rubbed together, such as 

a cloth and a PVC pipe. The charge from the cloth 

is transferred to the pipe. The pipe can then attract 

uncharged objects or repel other charged objects. 

• The charge does not last forever, so objects that 

were once attracted or repelled will not always be. 

• Even though static causes attraction and repulsion, 

it is not the same as a magnetic force. 

• Further detailed information about static can be 

found at . 

• A series of static experiments similar to those on 

page 141 can be viewed at . 


• Use the responses for pages 140–141 

as a formative assessment of the 

student’s ability to make a prediction 

and observe results, and record 

the information in a table. Use their 

answers to ascertain whether they 

understand the concept that static is 

a force that can repel or attract from 

a distance. It is not necessary at this 

level for students to understand the 

intricacies behind how static force 

works and the positively and negatively 

charged ions. 

Resources 

• Balloons 

• Experiment materials: Long 

PVC pipes or 40-cm plastic 

rulers, cloths or towels, empty 

aluminium cans, plastic grocery 

bags, tape, bubble solution, 

straws, plastic chopping board or 

polycarbonate sheet, polystyrene 

cups, polystyrene plates (optional), 

magnets 

• A copy of page 139, cut into cards 

and placed at Stations 1–6. 






Lesson 6 



Lesson plan 

Introduction: 

1. Hold a balloon at the front of the class. What will happen if I rub this balloon on my hair and then 

move the balloon away slowly? Is this a force? What kind of force? Does it need to be in direct 

contact for it to move my hair? QP 

2. Allow students a few minutes to try it out with a partner, and see how far away the balloon can be 

so that it still moves the hair. PC 

Development: 

3. Introduce the term static electricity. Ask students 

to recall any other times that they may have 

experienced static. Have you ever taken the 

plastic wrapping off something and had it stick 

to your hand? QP C 

4. Students explore other examples of static 

electricity and how it acts as a type of force. 

Small groups rotate around six stations, labelled 

with the experiment cards from page 139. Each 

station explores how static can move objects, 

either by repelling or attracting them. Allow five 

minutes for each station and set a timer for each 

round. Students use pages 140–141 to record 

predictions and observations. The teacher 

should set up Station 3. Note: A 40-cm plastic 

ruler is suggested as a shorter ruler is too close 

to the hand, which attracts charged objects and 

will affect the experiment results. QP PC PA 


• Less capable students can use diagrams 

instead to draw their predictions and to 

explain their observations. 

• More capable students can attempt 

to explain the reasons behind their 

observations if they understand the concept 

of charged objects. 

Reflection: 

Each station should yield these suggested 

results: 

Station 1– Move the can: The charged pipe/ruler 

should attract the can and pull it towards the pipe/ 

ruler. The wooden ruler will not do anything as 

wood is not a good electrical insulator. 

Station 2 – Move the plastic: The charged balloon 

and the charged plastic will repel each other and 

the plastic strip should appear to levitate. The 

wooden ruler will not repel the plastic bag. 

Station 3 – Move the balloons: The charged pipe/ 

ruler will repel the balloons as it is moved vertically 

between them. Once the balloons are also rubbed 

with the cloth, they will then repel each other and 

not hang in a straight line. A hand placed near 

the charged balloons will attract them. After a few 

hours the balloons will lose their charge. 

Station 4 – Move the bubbles: The charged pipe/ 

ruler will attract the bubbles. 

Station 5 – Move the water: The charged pipe/ 

ruler will cause the water to appear to bend as it is 

attracted to the pipe/ruler. 

Station 6 – Move the polystyrene: The charged cups 

or plates will repel each other and students will not 

be able to place them on top of each other. Using 

the magnet will show that static is not a magnetic 

force and has no effect on the movement of the 

charged polystyrene items. 

5. As a class, discuss each station, including which material was better at creating static force—wood 

or plastic. Is static a contact force or a distant force? What kinds of materials were affected by static? 

Read a list of common materials at , and scroll down to read the Easy 

reading explanation. E C 

6. As a class, create a Venn diagram for magnetic and static electricity forces. Is static the same as a 

magnetic force? How do you know? How are magnetic forces similar to static? How are magnetic 

forces different to static? C PA 





YEAR 

4 




Lesson 6 

Station 1 – Move the can 

Materials: 

• PVC pipe/40-cm plastic ruler 

• wooden ruler 

• cloth or towel 

• empty aluminium can 

Procedure: 

• Place an empty can on its side on a desk. 

• Rub the towel on the pipe/ruler. 

• Place the pipe/ruler over the can and move it slowly 

left or right. 

• Rub the towel on the wooden ruler, place it over the 

can and move it slowly left or right. 

Station 2 – Move the plastic 

Materials: 

• balloon 


• circular strip cut from the open 

end of a plastic shopping bag 

• wooden ruler 

Procedure: 

• Rub the towel on the inflated balloon. 

• Rub the towel on the plastic strip. 

• Try to balance the plastic strip on the balloon. 

• Try it with a wooden ruler instead of a balloon 

Station 3 – Move the balloons 

(Teacher to set this up, prior to lesson) 

Materials: 



• 2 balloons, taped to the ceiling (20 cm apart 

at the tape) hanging at the same height 

Procedure: 


• Move the ruler vertically down the middle of the 

balloons. 

• Rub the balloons with the cloth. 

• Place your hand near (without touching) a balloon 

and slowly move it away. 

Static experiment cards 

Station 4 – Move the bubbles 

Materials: 

• bubble solution 

• a straw 


• plastic chopping board or other flat plastic surface 


Procedure: 

• Pour some bubble liquid on the plastic board and 

spread it around. 

• Use a straw to create some bubbles on the board. 


• Place the pipe/ruler near the bubbles. 

Station 5 – Move the water 

(outside station) 

Materials: 



• polystyrene cup with hole in the bottom 

• water 

Procedure: 


• Hold the cup and pour water in it. 

• Move the pipe/ruler near the water flow. 

Station 6 – Move the polystyrene 

Materials: 

• polystyrene cups or plates 


• magnet 

Procedure: 

• Rub the towel on the polystyrene products. 

• Attempt to stack or balance one on top 

of the other. 

• Place a magnet near the polystyrene 

products to see if it affects them. 





Lesson 6 

Static experiments – 1 



Prediction—How will the force of static move the objects? Observation—What happened? What attracts or repels? 

What will happen when you rub the plastic ruler/pipe with the 

cloth and then place it near the can? 

What will happen when you rub the wooden ruler with the cloth 

and then wave it near the can? 

What will happen when you rub the plastic bag and the balloon 

with the cloth and then try to balance the bag on the balloon? 

What will happen when you rub the plastic bag and the wooden 

ruler with the cloth and then try to balance the bag on the ruler? 

What will happen to how the balloons hang when you rub the 

balloons? 

What will happen when you rub plastic ruler/pipe and move the 

ruler/pipe vertically in between the two balloons? 

What will happen when you place your hand near the balloons? 

What will happen if the balloons are left for a few hours? Will they 

act the same way? 



Station 1 

Move the can 



YEAR 

4 

Station 2 

Move the plastic 

Station 3 

Move the balloons 




Lesson 6 

Static experiments – 2 

Prediction—How will the force of static move the objects? Observation—What happened? What attracts or repels? 

What will happen when you rub the plastic ruler/pipe and move it 

near the bubbles? 

What will happen when you rub the plastic ruler/pipe and place it 

near a flowing stream of water? 

What will happen when you rub the cups or plates and try to place 

them on top of each other? 



What will happen when you place a magnet near the cups? 

Station 4 

Move the bubbles 

Station 5 

Move the water 

Station 6 

Move the polystyrene 



Assessment 



Teacher notes 


Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance (ACSSU076) 

Indicators 

• Identifies examples of push and pull forces and classifies them as either contact or non-contact 

forces. 

• Interprets and labels a diagram to show the direction of forces and understands that a larger force 

will affect the distance and speed an object travels. 

• Describes how friction can be increased through the use of different materials for surfaces. 

• Draws a force diagram to show the opposing forces of friction. 

• Identifies gravity, magnets and static electricity as forces that can move an object from a distance 

without direct contact. 

• Identifies the opposing forces of gravity and air resistance at work with a parachute. 

• Explains that gravity is a pulling force that affects similar-sized objects equally, regardless of their 

weight. 

• Identifies an example of magnetic force and static electricity. 

Answers 


1. Teacher check 

2. (a) Slingshot 2 

(b) Slingshot 1 

(c) 

3. (a) The surface of shoes can be rougher or made from a material that grips the floor, like rubber, 

or the surface of the floor can be a rougher material like carpet. 

(b) Teacher check. 

Pushing Pushing force force 

4. Gravity, static electricity and magnetic attraction or repulsion. 

5. (a) Air resistance pushing up against the parachute and gravity which is pulling the parachutist 

down to Earth. 

(b) Both objects hit the ground at the same time because gravity pulls both similar-sized objects 

with equal force, regardless of weight. 

6. Teacher check 

Push 

Pull 

Push 

Pull 

Friction Friction 

Motion Motion 





YEAR 

4 




Assessment 

1. List four actions that are a pushing force and four that are a pulling force. 

State whether they require contact or act from a distance. 

Push 

Contact or non-contact force? 

2. Look at these pictures. 

Pull 

Contact or non-contact force? 

Slingshot 1 Slingshot 2 



(a) Which ball will travel further? Slingshot 1 Slingshot 2 

(b) Which ball will move slower? Slingshot 1 Slingshot 2 

(c) Label one of the slingshot images with the types of forces in action, and 

draw arrows to show the direction of the forces. 



Assessment 




3. (a) Name one way to increase friction. 

(b) Draw a force diagram to show your answer for (a). 

4. Name three forces that can move an object without directly touching it. 

5. (a) Describe the two forces faced by a parachutist jumping 

out of a plane. 

(b) Will a golf ball or a ping pong ball hit the ground first if dropped from 

the same height? Why? 



6. Draw one example of magnetic force and one example of static electricity. 

Use arrows to show the direction of the force. 



YEAR 

4 





Alien forces 


Students use their knowledge of contact and non-contact forces to design a UFO that hovers and 

moves a length of one metre across a hover base. 



• Apply knowledge of forces exerted by one object on another, either directly or indirectly. 

• Conduct an investigation into how to make a UFO appear to hover, with the use of the repelling 

force of magnets. 

• Communicate findings by sharing the video of the UFO in action. 

Technology/engineering 

• Plan steps collaboratively. 

• Design and create a UFO, hover base and skyscape using a variety of materials. 

• Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of the UFO and hover 

base. 

• Evaluate and revise the UFO, hover base and skyscape. 

• Present information using a digital application to record a video and add sound effects. 

• Upload a video to a computer or website. 

Mathematics 

• Use measurements to create a hover base that is 1 m in length. 

• Use measurements to create a UFO that will fit inside the hover base. 


• Use a series of tricks based on the non-contact forces of magnets and static electricity to create a 

magic show. Students create props and outfits and record a video of the magic performance. 

• Students are faced with a problem of how to move a large piano from one end of a room to the 

other. The floor has carpet and the piano weighs 400 kg! Design a device or product that can 

assist the students to move the piano more easily. 











• Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance (ACSSU076) 







Communicating 



Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding 

• Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or system (ACTDEK011) 












Digital and Technologies Processes and Production Skills 


(ACTDIP009) 










YEAR 

4 






Teacher notes 

Students use their knowledge of contact and non-contact forces to design a UFO that hovers and 

moves a length of one metre across a hover base. 

Estimated duration: 4 weeks 


• Watch an old movie scene showing the 

special effects used for a UFO travelling 

across a skyscape at . Discuss or demonstrate how 

they used to make these scenes using a 

model UFO dangling on a piece of string. 


project, clarifying any details the students 

are unsure of. 


• Students revise contact forces (pushes and 

pulls that require direct contact, such as 

friction or air resistance) and non-contact 

forces (magnets, gravity and static). From 

there they should be able to determine that 

magnets can be used to make something 

appear to levitate. Students may wish to 

explore videos of levitating objects with 

magnets. 

• In order to be able to scaffold students’ 

learning, watch the clip at , which demonstrates 

exactly how to make a hovering UFO. It will 

give teachers the knowledge to be able to 

help students with their designs, without 

giving away too much to the students if 

they were to watch the video themselves. 

The video is a resource on Scootle so a 

Government school login is required. 

• Students research different skyscapes and 

UFO designs on which to base their own. 

They will need to consider which materials 

are suitable, especially to keep the weight 

of the UFO to a minimum in order for 

the repelling magnet force to be able to 

support it. 


• Students draw diagrams of their UFO 

design, the hover base (which must be 

1 m long and contained within a cardboard 

box), and sketch a plan of their skyscape. 

They then label the materials they plan on 

using to make their items. 

• For smooth running of the project, students 

should allocate roles to team members. 

4. Create 

• Students create their UFO, hover base and 

skyscape based on their plans. 


• Students test their UFO and hover base 

and see if the repelling magnets keep the 

UFO up. Otherwise they may need to revise 

the UFO or hover base design. 

• Students should ensure they have 

considered all of the criteria listed on 

page 148. 


• Students film a short video of the UFO in 

action, moving left or right across the hover 

base with the skyscape in the background. 

• The footage can then be edited using 

an application like iMovie ® to add sound 

effects. 

• Students share the video with the class or 

upload it to a school website. 








The problem 

Project brief 

ALIEN FORCES 

Movie special effects have come a long way since black and white movies! 

UFOs no longer need to be dangled from a wire and moved across a camera. 

How can you use what you have learnt about invisible forces and contact forces 

to make a short video of a UFO? 

The task 

• You need to create a scene for a movie that shows a UFO moving across a 

skyscape. You will need to make a UFO, and a hover base for the UFO to 

move across. You will also design and create a skyscape background to add 

to the hover base. You will then need to film the moving UFO and create a 

short movie scene. 



• You must make a simple UFO with a weight that can be supported by a noncontact 

force. 

• The UFO must move left or right across a hover base contained within a 

cardboard box. 

• The UFO must travel a distance of at least one metre so your hover base 

should be at least that long. 

• You need to create a skyscape prop to add along one side of the hover base. 

• You need to film a video of the UFO flying across the skyscape and add 

some sound effects. 

• The video should be approximately one minute. 





YEAR 

4 





Investigate 

Project steps 

Revise contact and non-contact forces. Which force can make an object 

appear to hover? Which force can move a hovering object left or right? 

Look at videos of how to make objects that appear to levitate, with the use 

of a force. 

Research different skyscapes and how to make them into a prop. 

Research different UFO designs and which materials are best to make a 

UFO of a suitable weight. 


Draw a diagram of your UFO design and label the materials, including those 

required to make it hover. 

Draw a diagram of the hover base design and label the materials and 

measurements. 

Select a skyscape and draw a sketch of how it will look. 

Allocate roles to your team members and collect materials required. 

Create 

Create your UFO, hover base and skyscape prop. 


Test your UFO to see if it hovers and can be moved left or right across the 

hover base. 

Check that your design meets all of the criteria. 

Change the UFO, hover base or skyscape if needed. 

Communicate 



Film a video of the UFO in action and add sound effects using an 

application like iMovie ® . 

Share the video with your class or upload it to your school website. 







Student name: 

Date: 

STEM project: Alien forces 




members’ ideas and encouraged 



members. 



project. 









YEAR 

4 







CRITERIA 

Project task: 

Using knowledge of contact and non-contact forces, design a UFO that hovers and moves 

a length of one metre across a hover base. 


Understands the repulsion force of magnets and incorporates this in the UFO and hover 

base design. 


Conducts an investigation into how a magnetic force can make an object appear to hover, 

and understand the span of a magnetic field. 

Communicates science knowledge successfully using a digital video. 


Designs an appropriate UFO, with a weight able to be supported by the repelling force of 

magnets. 

Designs a suitable hover base that can contain a UFO and allow it to move left or right 

across a magnetic track. 

Designs a suitable skyscape background for a movie scene. 

Evaluates and revises the UFO, hover base or skyscape to work better. 

Successfully uses digital technology to create, edit and share a video. 


Accurately measures lengths to create a hover base, a suitably-sized UFO and a suitably 

sized skyscape to attach to one side of the hover base. 

Group skills 















YEAR 

4

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