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
Features of a Graph
A poster showing the main features of a graph.
- Plus Plan
Winter Animal Adaptations - Peg Cards
Discover which behavioural adaptations animals use to survive the winter with a set of Animals in Winter Clip Cards.
- Plus Plan
Nocturnal vs. Diurnal Animals Interactive Task Cards
Identify nocturnal and diurnal animals with an engaging, interactive task card game.
- 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.
- Plus Plan
Night and Day Word Wall
A set of vocabulary words related to night and day.
- Plus Plan
Moon Phases Tic-Tac-Toe (Small Group)
Identify and remember the different phases of the moon with this small group tic-tac-toe game.
- Plus Plan
Thermometer Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a thermometer.
- Plus Plan
Design a Fair Test Worksheet - Middle Years
A worksheet to use when developing the concept of a fair test.
- Plus Plan
Design Your Own Fair Test Worksheet - Middle Years
A worksheet to use when developing the concept of a fair test.
- Plus Plan
Christmas Science Experiments
Perform Christmas Science Experiments and teach your students about the scientific method with a set of two printable Christmas Science activities.
- Free Plan
Lab Safety Interactive and Printable Cloze Reading Activity
Assess students' understanding of lab safety rules and expectations with this cloze reading activity.
- Plus Plan
Spring Scale Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a spring scale.
- Plus Plan
Balance Scale Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a balance scale.
- Plus Plan
Bunsen Burner Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a Bunsen burner.
- Plus Plan
Triple Beam Balance Scale Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a triple beam balance scale.
- Free Plan
Lab Equipment Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing standard lab equipment.
- Plus Plan
Refracting Telescope Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a refracting telescope.
- Plus Plan
Microscope Poster – Diagram with Labels
A poster containing a diagram with labels showing the key parts of a microscope.
- Plus Plan
R.E.R.U.N. - Writing a Scientific Conclusion Fact Sheet
An educational fact sheet introducing the students to the R.E.R.U.N. method for writing a scientific conclusion.
- Plus Plan
Sun, Earth and Moon Teaching Resource Pack
A collection of teaching resources including posters, worksheets and experiments to use when teaching your class about the interplay of the sun, Earth and moon.
- Plus Plan
Heat Energy Teaching Resource Pack
A comprehensive set of posters, activities and worksheets related to the concept of heat energy.
- Plus Plan
Australian Animals Teaching Resource Pack
A comprehensive resource pack of posters, worksheets and activities for teaching Australian animals.
- Plus Plan
Science Equipment Poster Bundle for the Classroom
A poster resource pack containing a diagrams with labels showing the key parts of various pieces of scientific apparatus.
- Plus Plan
Changing States Unit Plan
This Chemical Sciences unit addresses how changes in state from solid to liquid and liquid to solid can be caused by adding or removing heat.
- Plus Plan
What State?
A 60-minute lesson in which students will establish that matter can be classified as solid, liquid or gas.
- Plus Plan
The Heat is On Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the concept of heat energy, including heat sources, heat transfer, thermal conductors and thermal insulators.
- Plus Plan
Thermal Insulators - Keeping Out the Heat
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate which materials are the best thermal insulators.
- Plus Plan
The Three States of Matter
A 60-minute lesson in which students will explore the properties of solids, liquids and gases.
- Plus Plan
Changing States – Assessment
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how adding and removing heat can cause solids and liquids to change states.
- Plus Plan
Adding Heat
A 60-minute lesson in which students will investigate what happens when heat is applied to a range of solids.
- Plus Plan
Changing States
A 60-minute lesson in which students will observe how a change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat.