Year 3
The science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour strands are described across a two-year band. In their planning, schools and teachers refer to the expectations outlined in the achievement standard and also to the content of the science understanding strand for the relevant year level to ensure that these two strands are addressed over the two-year period. The three strands of the curriculum are interrelated and their content is taught in an integrated way. The order and detail in which the content descriptions are organised into teaching and learning programs are decisions to be made by the teacher.
Incorporating the key ideas of science
Over Years 3 to 6, students develop their understanding of a range of systems operating at different time and geographic scales.
In Year 3, students observe heat and its effects on solids and liquids and begin to develop an understanding of energy flows through simple systems. In observing day and night, they develop an appreciation of regular and predictable cycles. Students order their observations by grouping and classifying; in classifying things as living or non-living they begin to recognise that classifications are not always easy to define or apply. They begin to quantify their observations to enable comparison, and learn more sophisticated ways of identifying and representing relationships, including the use of tables and graphs to identify trends. They use their understanding of relationships between components of simple systems to make predictions.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 3, students use their understanding of the movement of Earth, materials and the behaviour of heat to suggest explanations for everyday observations. They group living things based on observable features and distinguish them from non-living things. They describe how they can use science investigations to respond to questions.
Students use their experiences to identify questions and make predictions about scientific investigations. They follow procedures to collect and record observations and suggest possible reasons for their findings, based on patterns in their data. They describe how safety and fairness were considered and they use diagrams and other representations to communicate their ideas.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
- Plus Plan
Design a Planet Project
Explore the different planets during this design your own planet project for kids.
- Plus Plan
Classifying Animals Digital Learning Activity
Help students learn how to classify animals based on their characteristics with an engaging ‘Magic Looking Glass’ Interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Heat Insulators Science Experiment (Keeping Out the Heat)
Investigate heat insulators with your students using this engaging science experiment.
- Free Plan
Plant Growth Chart Worksheet
Record the growth and changes in a plant over time with one of our differentiated plant growth charts.
- Plus Plan
Thinking Like a Scientist PowerPoint
A 20 slide teaching presentation to use when introducing your students to the scientific method.
- Plus Plan
What is Pollution? Instructional Slide Deck
Show your students the types of pollution and their effects with an instructional slide deck.
- Plus Plan
How is Plastic Recycled? – Recycling Worksheets
Explore the process of recycling plastic with a printable recycling worksheet.
- Free Plan
Living or Non-living? Colour by Code Worksheet
Practice identifying living and non-living things with this colour-by-code worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Sun, Earth and Moon Task Cards
Review information about the Earth, Sun and moon with this set of task cards.
- Plus Plan
What's the Use? PowerPoint - Developing a Hypothesis to Investigate
A teaching presentation discussing the development of a scientific hypothesis.
- Plus Plan
Heat Transference Worksheet
A worksheet to help students identify examples of heat transference.
- Plus Plan
Movement of the Sun, Earth and Moon Model
Demonstrate the interplay and movements of the sun, Earth and moon with this hands-on model.
- Plus Plan
Classifying Vertebrates Flow Chart Poster
Classify vertebrates using an animal classification flowchart poster.
- Plus Plan
Heat Energy Sources Interactive Activity
Help students identify different sources of heat energy with this engaging, interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Night and Day Word Wall
A set of vocabulary words related to night and day.
- Free Plan
The Relative Distance From the Sun to Earth
Scaled images of the sun and Earth to use when exploring relative size and distance.
- Free Plan
Heat Energy Word Search
Help students remember heat energy vocabulary with this word search.
- Plus Plan
Forms of Energy – Year 4 Science Experiments for Kids
Investigate mechanical, electrical, light, thermal and sound energy with this set of science activities for kids.
- Plus Plan
When Winter Comes - Keeping Warm Worksheet
A poem to activate students' prior knowledge about keeping warm.
- Free Plan
R.E.R.U.N. - Writing a Scientific Conclusion Poster
An educational poster introducing the students to the R.E.R.U.N. method for writing a scientific conclusion.
- Plus Plan
Initiating a Scientific Investigation Worksheet
A worksheet to help the students begin the process of a scientific investigation.
- Plus Plan
Wheel of Heat Transfer Project
Explore the process of heat transfer with this engaging wheel of heat project.
- Plus Plan
Plant Journal Observation Worksheets
Observe and record information about plants with a printable plant journal worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Moon Phases – Cut and Paste Activity
Create a diagram showing the different moon phases and their names with this cut-and-paste activity sheet.
- Plus Plan
Removing Heat – Worksheet
An activity to demonstrate what happens to a variety of liquids when heat is removed.
- Plus Plan
Freedom of Choice PowerPoint - Developing Scientific Lines of Questioning
A teaching presentation discussing the development of scientific lines of questioning.
- Plus Plan
Features of a Graph
A poster showing the main features of a graph.
- Plus Plan
Forms of Energy Poster Pack
Display information about mechanical, electrical, light, thermal and sound energy with this poster pack.
- Plus Plan
Now I Understand PowerPoint - Building a Solid Conclusion for an Experiment
An educational teaching presentation introducing the students to the R.E.R.U.N. method for writing a scientific conclusion.
- Plus Plan
Moving Heat Worksheet
A worksheet to help students understand how heat moves.
- Plus Plan
Heat Transfer Methods Worksheet Pack
Learn about the different ways heat can be transferred using this guided set of heat transfer worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Lab Safety Teaching Slides
Teach the important of science safety before conducting experiments with this 18-slide teaching presentation.