Class: Year 5

Date: -

Lesson: Introduction to the unit on Unique Australian Flora and Sequence number: 1
Duration: 1 hour and
Fauna (small group research)
10 minutes
Rationale: In this lesson, the class begins the unit of work on Unique Australian Flora Objectives:
& Fauna. For students to gain an insight into the Australian flora and fauna and why
- Understanding the meaning of fauna and flora
they are an important part of the Australia. Students will begin the unit of work by
- The importance of Australian fauna and flora
discovering the different types of native Australian flora and fauna and how and why
- Extending knowledge on different types of species of Australian and flora and
some species are becoming extinct or endangered. As students learn and gain an
fauna
understanding on the different flora and fauna, they will engage in small group
- Becoming familiar with research using different resources (books, websites etc)
research to find information about one flora and one fauna with their groups and to
share an interesting fact about their findings with the class. This short research will
help students to build a foundation of knowledge on this unit before going on their
excursion to the Blue Mountains National Park.
Key Learning
English

Maths
Sci &

HSIE
PDHPE
Art
Area:
Tech
EN3-1A communicates effectively for a variety of audiences and purposes using increasingly challenging topics, ideas, issues and language forms and features
discuss and experiment with ways to strengthen and refine spoken texts in order to entertain, inform, persuade or inspire the audience
EN3-3A uses an integrated range of skills, strategies and knowledge to read, view and comprehend a wide range of texts in different media and technologies
navigate ad read texts for specific purposes applying appropriate text processing strategies, for example predicting and confirming, monitoring meaning,
skimming and scanning
ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence-based conclusions and develop
explanations
using a variety of ways to honestly and accurately communicate ideas, explanation and processes, including multi-modal texts, labeled diagrams, as well as
written or factual texts as appropriate (ACSIS093, ACSIS110)
Outcomes
& Indicators

S3

Key Scientific Knowledge (KSK):

Ecosystem: The process, which includes the production, nutrient cycling and
decomposition of nature (Smith & Werner, 2009).
Ecological communities: Naturally occurring group of native plants or animals that
interact together within a habitat. The native plants or animals within an ecological
community all have different roles and relationships in contributing the functioning of
the environment (Australian Government Department of the Environment, 2014).
Bioclimate analysis and prediction system: Ways of stimulating the geographical
implications of climate change for alpine and temperate rainforest vegetation and a
rare and a common mammal species (Pearmans, 1988). Greenhouse: Planning for
Climate Change

Resources
IWB with access to the internet
Computers and iPads (if available)
Books on Native Australian Flora and Fauna (from the library)
Butchers paper for group research
Organisation:
Teacher will organise some useful resources and sites on the smart board
Prepare media and book resources before the beginning of the lesson
Grouping students (table groups)

Wendy Lee 43328989

Lesson Outline

Introduction: (10 minutes)

Begin the class with a large group discussion about students prior and current understanding of Australian flora and fauna. Teacher will ask questions about these two
terms to the students. Jotting down students comments and understanding on the smart notebook on the IWB. Introducing the concept of ecological communities and
the impact of people on the Native Australian species.
Experience: (40 minutes)
Students will be given time to research in their small groups one native Australia flora and one fauna and share the information with the class. Research will consist of
students in using both media resources and books to find information (interesting facts, scientific terms, reason for endangerment etc).
Conclusion: (15 minutes)
Students will share their research as a group to other peers and talk about the effects of human impact on these unique species. Other peers will listen to the
information and jot down key points or interesting facts, gathering prior information about the flora and fauna of Australia before commencing the excursion the next
lesson. Students can also share their information on the class blog for this unit of work.

Extension & Simplification:

- Teacher will model an example of a research on one flora or fauna to show the students
- Some students may need assistance from other peers in helping with the research task or written tasks
- Some students can further research on the Blue Mountains National Park (for the next lesson) and gather some information on the flora and fauna found in this area and
share with the class their findings. Also jotting down questions they may want to ask to the guides at the excursion.

Wendy Lee 43328989

S3

Class: Year 5

Date: -

Lesson: Excursion (Blue Mountains, NSW)

Rationale: As students have been learning about the different Australian flora and
faunas, they will be experiencing a hands on lesson on observing the different types
of species found in the Blue Mountain National Park region with the guide of the
rangers at the park. This experience will allow students gain a better understanding of
the native environment and the current changes and impacts on both the flora and
fauna species.

Lesson 2 (Flora, Fauna and the

ecological diversity and culture)

Duration: Whole day

(10:20am - 2:20pm
approx.)

Objectives:
- Students to explore the history behind the use of some plants in the past by
Indigenous people
- Extending knowledge/comparing prior knowledge of flora and fauna from own
research to the excursion
- Learning to respect the native flora and fauna by gaining understanding about
human impact on the Australian environment

HSIE
PDHPE

Art

Key Learning
English

Maths
Sci &
Area:
Tech
ST3-5WT plans and implements a design process, selecting a range of tools, equipment, materials and techniques to produce solutions that address the design
criteria and identified constraints
selecting and using research techniques appropriate to the task

Outcomes
& Indicators

ST3-11LW describes some physical conditions of the environment and how these affect the growth and survival of living things
(ACSSU043) observe and describe the structural features of some native Australian animals and plants
present ideas and explanations about how the structural features and behaviour of some plants and animals help them to survive in their environment
EN3-1A communicates effectively for a variety of audiences and purposes using increasingly challenging topics, ideas, issues and language forms and features
discuss and experiment with ways to strengthen and refine spoken texts in order to entertain, inform, persuade or inspire the audience
EN3-6B uses knowledge of sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary to respond to and compose clear and cohesive texts in different media and
technologies
(ACELA1508) understand how noun groups/phrases and adjective groups/phrases can be expanded in variety of ways to provide a fuller description of the
person, place, thing or idea

VAS3.1 investigates subject matter in an attempt to represent likenesses of things in the world
closely observes details of things in the world and seeks to make artworks about these using various techniques such as proportion, perspective,
composition, foreshortening
Key Scientific Knowledge (KSK):
Resources
Climatic variations:
Pens and pencils
The variations of climate or climate fluctuations, which occurs due the seasonal cycle Journal or exercise book
of a certain region. Climate variation is a change in the climate (Garhrecht & Piechota, First aid kit
2006).
Wendy Lee 43328989

Plateaux: These are extensive upland areas characterised by flat or rough surfaces,
steep walls which rise above the ground (Bharatdwaji, 2006).

Organisation:
- Constantly checking number of students and teachers
- Responsible for times and arrival times
- Students are on task and following, respecting the instructions of the rangers
- Checking schedule times

Lesson Outline

Introduction: (10-15 minutes)

(9:15am) Check attendance of students, mark the roll, line up, tell instructions, rules and information to students, teachers/ parent volunteers.
Get on the bus, check numbers of students and teachers again.
Leave the school grounds.
Experience: (10:20am-2:20pm)
Arrive at Blue Mountains National Park. Check attendance once again when off the bus. Remind the driver of the pick-up time once again.
Greet the rangers and guides for the National Park. Settle students and talk about safety rules, jotting down information and diagrams in their journals. taking
photographs and school rules once again.
Begin the guide by walking down to the National Park to Wentworth Falls.
The guide will consist of students carefully following instructions of the rangers and observing the different types of flora and fauna of this area. Students will gather
information that can be both written or photographed. Students will gain an understanding of the habitats for these unique flora and fauna which can be found in the
NSW region and also begin to learn about the diverse uses of different plants for Indigenous people in the past. Students will also make a comparison or find similarities
between the information they had previously searched in class to the information shared by the guides.
Following the guide once again, stopping for a short break/snack.
Continue on with the
Conclusion: (2:20pm- 3:15-3:20pm)
Back to school.
Check the attendance again when arrived in school grounds.
Ask students to place their Science journals on the teacher's desk for the next lesson.
(If there is time), engage in a quick and brief overview of the day. Sharing/reflecting what the students found interesting or useful for this unit of work.
Extension & Simplification:
- Extend: Critical questioning and analysis of different scientific terms for different species, being able to note specific and important information from the excursion
- Simplify: Assisting students with scientific terms

Wendy Lee 43328989