Curriculum into the classroom EECScienceSurvival on North Keppel Island

Year 5 Unit 1

Lesson 10 Adaptations in Focus — Relating Adaptations to the Environment

Lesson concepts Example learning sequence

Discuss how environments relate to adaptations• Revise living and non-living.• Describe examples of different living and non-living features of

environments.

Establish connections between environment and adaptations (Cultural Cabin exhibits)• Consider the terms environment and habitat.• Develop an explanation of the difference between environments

and habitats.• Recognise that the adaptations of a living thing is linked to the

environment in which it lives.

Apply knowledge of relationships between adaptations and environments (Kitchen – Butchers paper)• Create a representation of a creature considering the relationship

between adaptations and the creature’s environment.• Explain the creature they have created.• Recognise that science develops explanations by gathering

information about the relationships between adaptations of living things and their environment.

Example resourcesPowerpoint and sheet — Features of environments

Australian Curriculum references for this lessonYear 5 Science — Content descriptionsScience UnderstandingBiological SciencesLiving things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment.

Science as a Human EndeavourNature and Development of ScienceScience involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena.

Science Inquiry SkillsProcessing and analysing data and informationConstruct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as appropriate.

Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment.

Science involves using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena.

Representations can be constructed to describe patterns or relationships in data.

Ideas and explanations can be communicated.

View unit mapping of concepts

View year level mapping of concepts

Learning area specific language:

habitat, survival, environment

Lesson objectivesStudents will:identify features of environments and animal adaptations.

Evidence of learningCan the student:link adaptations to environmental features?

Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)1 of 2

Ideas for monitoringMonitor students’ ability to:

Describe an environment based on an animal’s adaptations.

Learning alertsBe aware of:Students thinking that changes to environments won’t affect animals.

Suggested next steps for learningProvide examples of environmental change that could affect animals when they don’t have the adaptations to cope with the change.

Ideas for differentiationSupportEncourage students to focus on and justify one adaptation in their creature rather than several.

ExtensionEncourage students to justify all adaptation choices for their creature.

New

Ongoing

New & building for assessment

Ongoing & building for assessment

New & building for monitoring

Ongoing & building for monitoring

CommunicatingCommunicate ideas, explanations and processes in a variety of ways, including multi-model texts.

View a mapping of the Science Content descriptions for this unit

View a mapping of the Science Content descriptions for this year level

Australian Curriculum: Science for Prep(F)-10 Version 3.0http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10

[accessed on 23 January 2012]

General capabilitiesLiteracy

• Comprehending texts through listening, viewing and reading

• Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating

• Text knowledge

• Grammar knowledge

• Word knowledge

• Visual knowledge

ICT capability

Queensland Student ICT Expectations:

• Creating with ICT

• Operating with ICTStudent ICT Expectations — by the end of Year 5

http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/enabling-learners/ict-expectations/index.html

[accessed on 16 August 2012]

Australian Curriculum ICT learning continuum:

• Creating with ICT

• Managing and operating ICT

Creative and critical thinking• Generating innovative ideas and possibilities

• Analysing, synthesising and evaluating information

Personal and social capability• Self-awareness

• Self-management

View a mapping of the General capabilities learning continua for this unit

Andrew Gill (NKIEEC)2 of 2