YEAR 3: CURRICULUM LINK TO STEM ACTIVITIES AND CHALLENGE

Science
Achievement standard: By the end of Year 3, students use their understanding of the
movement of the Earth, materials and the behaviour of heat to suggest explanations for
everyday observations. They describe features common to living things. They describe how
they can use science investigations to respond to questions and identify where people use
science knowledge in their lives. Students use their experiences to pose questions and predict
the outcomes of investigations. They make formal measurements and follow procedures to
collect and present observations in a way that helps to answer the investigation questions.
Students suggest possible reasons for their findings. They describe how safety and fairness
were considered in their investigations. They use diagrams and other representations to
communicate their ideas.

Science Strand Content descriptors

Science Understanding:
Physical Sciences
Heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one
object to another (ACSSU049)
 describing how heat can be produced such as through
friction or motion, electricity or chemically (burning)
 recognising that we can feel heat and measure its effects
using a thermometer
 exploring how heat can be transferred through
conduction
Chemical Sciences
A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by
adding or removing heat (ACSSU046)
 predicting the effect of heat on different materials

Science as a Human Nature and development of science

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

Science Inquiry Skills Questioning and predicting

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be
investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based
on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)

Planning and conducting

Suggest ways to plan and conduct investigations to find answers
to questions (ACSIS065)
Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to make and
record observations, using formal measurements and digital
technologies as appropriate (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)

Communicating
Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of
ways such as diagrams, physical representations and simple
reports (ACSIS071)
Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, 2018a).

Design and Technologies

Achievement standard year 3 and 4: By the end of Year 4, students create designed solutions
for each of the prescribed technologies contexts. They explain needs or opportunities and
evaluate ideas and designed solutions against identified criteria for success, including
environmental sustainability considerations. They develop and expand design ideas and
communicate these using models and drawings including annotations and symbols. Students
plan and sequence major steps in design and production. They identify appropriate
technologies and techniques and demonstrate safe work practices when producing designed
solutions.

Design and Content descriptors

Technologies strand
Design and Critique needs or opportunities for designing and explore and test a
technologies variety of materials, components, tools and equipment and the
processes and techniques needed to produce designed solutions .
production skills
Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions
using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation
techniques (ACTDEP015).

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).

Plan a sequence of production steps when making designed

solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP018)

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, 2018b).

 Mathematics
Math Strand Content descriptors
Statistics and Data representation and interpretation
probability Collect data, organise into categories and create displays using lists, tables, picture
graphs and simple column graphs, with and without the use of digital technologies
(ACMSP069)

Identify questions or issues for categorical variables. Identify data sources and plan
methods of data collection and recording (ACMSP068)
Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, 2018e).

Creative and ‘‘In the science learning area, critical and creative thinking are embedded in the skills of
Critical thinking posing questions, making predictions, speculating, solving problems through
investigation, making evidence-based decisions, and analysing and evaluating evidence.
Students develop understandings of concepts through active inquiry that involves
planning and selecting appropriate information, evaluating sources of information to
formulate conclusions and to critically reflect on their own and the collective process’’
(ACARA, 2018c).

Personal and When working in groups to complete the experiment, students learn social
social capability management by: negotiating and communicating effectively with others; working in
teams, positively contributing to groups; resolve conflict and reach positive outcomes.
They develop the ability to initiate and manage successful personal relationships and
participate in a range of social and communal activities.

‘‘Students develop personal and social capability as they engage in science inquiry,
learn how scientific knowledge informs and is applied in their daily lives, and explore
how scientific debate provides a means of contributing to their communities. This
includes developing skills in communication, initiative taking, goal setting, interacting
with others and decision-making, and the capacity to work independently and
collaboratively’’ (ACARA, 2018d).

Engineering Engineering education is the crucial role of hands-on activities that attempt to solve
real-life problems. Students are more likely to see science as a subject that is not only
interesting but also relevant to their own lives and important to improving society at
large through completing these real word experiments (American Society for
Engineering Education, 2013). The STEM challenge allows students to realise that
engineering ideas are used in everyday life, as they investigate how to design a solution
to keep food warm for 1 hour.