Living World | Stage 5 |

Summary Context Duration

The Living World strand for stage 5 builds on the knowledge, Mixed ability class who have access to a laptop in the classroom. 5 weeks
understanding and skills outcomes explored in the Living World (60-minute
stage 4 strand. lessons)
Content Focus
The Living World strand is concerned with understanding living things. The key concepts developed within this strand are that the cell is the basic unit of life and that there is a
diverse range of living things that have evolved on Earth. Students will gain an appreciation of the interdependence of living things and how they interact with each other and
the environment. Through this strand students gain an understanding of how the structure of living things relates to the functions that their body systems perform and how
these features aid their survival.

Working Scientifically Focus

In this content strand, students focus on processing, analysing and evaluating data from secondary sources to develop conclusions and present science ideas related to living
things. Students should be provided with opportunities to engage with all Working Scientific skills throughout the course.

Skills Outcomes Knowledge and Understanding Outcomes

A student: A student:
 Develops questions or hypotheses to be investigated scientifically SC5-4WS  Analyses interactions between components and processes within biological
 Processes, analyses and evaluates data from first-hand investigations and systems SC5-14LW
secondary sources to develop evidence-based arguments and conclusions  Explains how biological understanding has advanced through scientific
SC5-7WS discoveries, technological developments and the needs of society SC5-15LW
 Applies scientific understanding and critical thinking skills to suggest possible
solutions to identified problems SC5-8WS
 Presents science ideas and evidence for a particular purpose and to a specific
audience, using appropriate scientific language, conventions and
representations SC5-9WS

Context Statements
 LW2 Conserving and maintaining the quality and sustainability of the environment requires scientific understanding of interactions within, the cycling of matter and
the flow of energy through ecosystems
Assessment overview
Assessment for Learning
 Students prior knowledge is assessed at the
beginning of the unit through the mid map task.
 Class discussions throughout the unit will also assess
students’ knowledge and understanding of learning
outcomes at different stages of the unit.
Assessment as Learning
 Students provide feedback to one another on
symbiotic relationship presentation.
 Students reflect on feedback provided by the teacher
before creating their posters on human impact.
Assessment of Learning
 Students participate in a Kahoot! quiz to assess their
knowledge and understand of ecosystems, biotic,
abiotic, food webs and interactions between
organisms.
 Students hand in research task worksheets
throughout the unit for assessment and feedback.
 Students hand in human impact research task poster
for review and feedback.
 Group task to design an ecosystem, submitted for
assessment and feedback.

Literacy Focus Numeracy Focus ICT Focus

 Students to learn the metalanguage used in Living
World. Students will be asked to spell these words
and develop their own definitions for terms as they
come across them in the unit.
 Students to use metalanguage learnt throughout unit
in presentations, when answering questions (written
and verbal) and completing research tasks.
 Student to focus on literacy when writing written
answers for worksheets, developing presentations
and completing research tasks.
 Students interpret data from Ecology Lab online
simulation to explore the changes in populations
over time.
 Use of Prezi as an alternate for presenting
information.
 Use of computers to access secondary sources of
information for research tasks, worksheets and
presentations.
 Use computers to access interactive simulations.
 Use of computers to access online Weebly page as a
source of information throughout the unit.

K& U Content Extension or

WS Outcome Descriptor Teaching and learning strategies Resources
Descriptor Adjustment
Literary Focus Definition Worksheet:
 Students add definitions for the following  Definitions worksheet
words throughout the unit.
Ecosystem Heterotroph Mutualism
Abiotic Producer Commensalism  Provide students with the “Living
Biotic Consumer Habitat World” Weebly page – they will
Organism Decomposer Conservation use this to access information
Autotroph Parasitism Sustainability
 K& U Content Extension or
WS Outcome Descriptor Teaching and learning strategies Resources
Descriptor Adjustment
and activities throughout the
unit.
https://ryan-livingworld.weebly.com
LW2 Mind Map Group Task:
a. recall that  Students form groups of 4 and brainstorm
ecosystems consist their prior knowledge of ecosystems.
of communities of  Students share their answers in whole class
interdependent discussion.
organisms and
abiotic components Ecosystem Prezi Presentation:
of the environment  Explore different ecosystems.  Ecosystem Presentation
(ACSSU176)  Identify interdependent organism, abiotic and
biotic components.

LW2 WS7.1 Food Webs Prezi Presentation:  Food Web Presentation

c. describe how c. accessing data and  Discuss with student “How do you get your
energy flows information by using a food?”
through range of appropriate  Explain autotroph and heterotroph.
ecosystems, digital technologies  Explore relationships between producers,
including input and consumers and decomposers and the
output through WS9 interactions between species.
food webs b. selecting and  Discuss interactions between organisms
(ACSSU176) constructing an (predator/prey, competitors, pollinators,
appropriate table, type parasitism, mutualism and commensalism).
of diagram, table or
graph (histogram or Relationships Research Task/Presentation: Scaffold: Students can  Computers
 Students identify different types of symbiotic record themselves  Relationships Research Task
sector, column or line
relationships, describe and identify examples. speaking over the slides Worksheet
graph) to present
 Students pick one of the symbiotic and play the recorded
information and show
relationships researched and present a 2- presentation to the class.
relationships clearly minute summary of the relationship including
and succinctly using interaction, species involved and benefit or
digital technologies as harm by the association.
appropriate  Relevant information should be present using
Power Point, Prezi or other presentation
matrix of their choosing.
 K& U Content Extension or
WS Outcome Descriptor Teaching and learning strategies Resources
Descriptor Adjustment
 Student provide feedback to one another.

Antarctic Food Web Game (Online Simulation):  Computers

 Students are presented with information on  Antarctic Food Web Simulation
an Antarctic ecosystem and construct their http://d3tt741pwxqwm0.cloudfront.
own food webs with the information net/WGBH/conv16/conv16-int-
provided. oceanfoodweb/index.html
 Students upload screen shot of their finished
food web to google classroom for review and
feedback.
LW2 WS7.1 Think-Pair-Share:
b. outline using c. accessing data and  Students individually think of examples cycles
examples how information by using a in ecosystems (draw on previous knowledge
matter is cycled range of appropriate of the water cycle and carbon cycle) and
through ecosystems digital technologies present their information in a mind map.
such as nitrogen  Students then pair up with the student next to
(ACSSU176) WS8 them to share their ideas and add these to
e. using models to explain their own mind map using a different colour.
phenomena and make  Students contribute all ideas to a class
predictions discussion with new ideas written in another
colour on their mind map.

The Nitrogen Cycle Online Simulation: Extension: When  Computers

 Students explore the nitrogen cycle through students have finished  The Nitrogen Cycle online
the online simulation and use this information exploring the Nitrogen simulation
to construct their own nitrogen cycle in their cycle ask them to find https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
workbooks. and describe other cycles asset/lsps07_int_nitrogen/
in nature.
Kahoot! Quiz:  Kahoot! Quiz
 Assess students’ knowledge and https://play.kahoot.it/#/?quizId=580
understanding of ecosystems, biotic, abiotic, 045af-50e7-4cbb-b163-
food webs and interactions between 5f618a684df5&user=MissRyan29&to
organisms. ken=2d14d0fd-c098-42b0-8b29-
9cd16129e974
 K& U Content Extension or
WS Outcome Descriptor Teaching and learning strategies Resources
Descriptor Adjustment
LW2 WS4 Ecology Lab Online Simulation/Class Discussion: Scaffold: Provide  Computers
d. analyse how b. predicting outcomes  Students work through both “The Producers students with instructions
changes in some based on observations Challenge” and the “Food Web Challenge”. with images on how to  Ecosystem online simulation
biotic and abiotic and scientific  Students use simulation to model competition complete this task. https://www.learner.org/courses/en
components of an knowledge within an ecosystem and explore the changes Provide students with vsci/interactives/ecology/producers.
ecosystem affect in populations and the ecosystem over time. extra assistance. php
populations and/or WS7.1  Students record their predictions and
communities c. accessing data and observations during the challenges and share Extension: After students
information by using a these in a class discussion at the end of the have completed the
range of appropriate activity. challenges ask them to
digital technologies design their own
Group Task: ecosystems and predict
 Computers
 Students form groups of 3-4 and design their what will happen to the
WS8
f. using models to explain own biosphere. different populations of
 Including at least 3 different ecosystems, the organisms.
phenomena and make
animals of these habitats, food webs
predictions
representing the relationships between
animals and describe the biotic and abiotic
components in each ecosystem.
 Individually students should describe some
changes to the biotic and abiotic components
and how these impact on the ecosystem.
 Students will be given 3 lessons to work on this
in class with their groups. If more time is
needed groups will need to arrange this.
 Students can use any form of presentation to
share their design and the final form should be
uploaded to Google classroom for assessment
and feedback.
LW2 WS7.1 Weebly Worksheet Task:  Computers
e. assess ways that c. accessing data and  Provide students with a Weebly page that  Weebly
Aboriginal and information by using a explores Indigenous perspectives on https://ryan-livingworld.weebly.com
Torres Strait range of appropriate conservation and management.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples’ digital technologies  Students use this information to complete a Islander peoples’ perspectives –
cultural practices worksheet answering questions and research task worksheet
and knowledge of discussing ideas developed in the Weebly.
 K& U Content Extension or
WS Outcome Descriptor Teaching and learning strategies Resources
Descriptor Adjustment
the environment  Students to hand in task for review and
contribute to the feedback.
conservation and
management of
sustainable
ecosystems
LW2 WS7.1 Human Impact Individual Research Task: Scaffold: Provide  Computers
f. evaluate some c. accessing data and  Students will research ecosystems and explore students with websites as  Conservation and Sustainability
examples in information by using a the conservation measures in place to protect starters for information. – Human Impact Research Task
ecosystems, of range of appropriate and sustain the environment. Also suggest some
strategies used to digital technologies  Students will be provided with a worksheet ecosystems students
balance conserving, with questions to research including assessing could research.
protecting and WS8 strategies of conservation and exploring
maintain the quality c. applying the processes ethical concerns.
and sustainability of of Working  Students will hand in task for review and
the environment Scientifically in feedback.
with human developing creative  Students will reflect on feedback and use this
activities and needs solutions to problems and researched information as a scaffold to
create a poster promoting the conservation of
a chosen environment.
WS9  Students should also propose other strategies
e. presenting scientific that could be implemented to maintain the
ideas and information quality and sustainability of the environment.
for a particular  The final poster can be made by hand or on

purpose, including the computer and will be handed in for review.

constructing evidence-
based arguments and
using appropriate
scientific language,
conventions and
representations for
specific audiences
(ACSIS174, ACSIS208)
Reflection
Ask myself:
 Did I give my students enough information/time to complete each task I set them?
 Did I prepare my students with the skills they needed to complete tasks that were being assessed?
 Did I cover all the content thoroughly enough for them to be successful?

Ask students:
 Did you enjoy the tasks that were prepared for you?
 Did you find them engaging and challenging?
 What was your favourite part of the unit?
 What was your least favourite part of the unit?
 Is there anything you would like to change or think could be done differently?