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VIVA PLANNING FOR SCIENCE LEARNING

TOPIC FOCUS Weather YEAR LEVEL R/1
LEARNING FOCUS:
The topic focus for this unit is on weather, students will be undertaking an investigation in this unit to extend their
learning and develop deeper understandings to weather and the world around them. According to The Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) from foundation to year 2 students explore the world
around them through making observations and investigating to answer questions they have posed about weather,
and how it impacts on them (ACARA 2017). The students will be learning about and partaking in growing plants and
caring for them to investigate how weather can affect plant growing and that each plant has different needs (ACARA
2017). The key scientific concepts that are being developed throughout this unit is making observations to identify
similarities and differences and organising their observations and can describe the behaviour of properties of familiar
phenomena (ACARA 2017).

CONTEXT/PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
The classroom is made up of students in reception and year 1 and with a diverse spread of students. The students
are currently beginning term 2. They are starting to bond well as a class and becoming comfortable with the routine
and expectations of the classroom. The students have been studying weather since the end of last term, where the
learning was concentrated to the patterns in weather and their lives (for prior knowledge task see Appendix 1).
They have taken interest in plants and how they grow since on holidays some children had visited family on
farms/wineries. Some observations can be seen in appendix 2 that supported this unit/investigation.

DIFFERENTIATION
This unit plan will be designed to have many exit and entry points for those students who need to extend and those
who need additional support (Macmillan 2009, p. 204). The inquiry based, student centred approach is designed to
engage the students in learning that interests them and is hands on providing connections to prior and new learning
(Woolfolk & Margetts 2013, p. 322). As this unit will be majority in small groups or whole class, all students will be
able to learn and gain support from peers. By incorporating aural, visual, physical and verbal learning throughout
the investigation children have the opportunity to learn how they do best (Woolfolk & Margetts 2013, p. 173). As
the students are reception and year 1’s the lessons will be kept under an hour with every 20 minutes students
having a break or changing focus, so students can stay on task and attend for longer. This unit plan is also very
flexible and may be done over 2 lessons for each experience instead of 1 which is set out below. The learning will
move from indoors to outdoors quite regularly to feed the students natural motivation and according to Skamps &
Preston 2017 weather needs to be taught outside so students can notice the changes in weather and in the
environment (p. 504). Appendix 5 shows an extract from Skamp & Preston about teaching weather (resource for
teacher’s background knowledge).

UNIT PLAN
ACARA LINKS
STRAND Science Understanding SUB-STRAND Earth and Space Sciences
DESCRIPTOR ELABORATION ACHEIVEMENT STANDARDS
RECEPTION

Daily and seasonal Students investigate Students suggest how the environment affects them
changes in how changes in the and other living things, and students share and reflect
our environment affect weather might affect on observations, and ask and respond to questions
everyday life living things. about familiar objects and events.
(ACSSU004)

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YEAR 1
Observable changes Students explore their Students can describe changes in their local
occur in the sky and local environment to environment and how different places meet the
landscape identify and describe needs of living things. They respond to questions,
(ACSSU019) natural, managed and make predictions, and participate in guided
constructed investigations of everyday phenomena.
environments
GENERAL CAPABILITIES CROSS-CURRICULUM LINKS
Literacy, critical and creative thinking and ICT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and sustainability

OUTCOME 4 Children SUB-OUTCOME 4.2 Children develop a range of skills and processes such as
are confident are problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and
involved learners investigating.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
LEARNER
RECORDING/ASSESSMENT
ORGANISATION & ACTIVITY TIME
STRATEGIES
RESOURCES

How does my garden Students will be read the chosen
grown? By Gerda story book for the topic and
Muller (Appendix 3) discuss what the students know
about;
Students will be on the Plants,
floor facing teacher, How they grow,
when discussing plants Where they come from, and
students will be in a What they need to survive.
large circle on the floor,
while the teacher scribes QUESTIONING: Can anyone tell me
on the white/smart what a plant needs to survive? Can
board. anyone explain what a plant is? Is
there one type of plant or many?
Where do they come from? How
do they grow? Like us they need
certain things to survive, what do
you think they need? If a plant like
lots of sunlight, do you think we
should plant it in winter? Why
should we grow and plant plants
what can they do?
Formative assessment- 25 mins
jottings will be taken of
the students
conversations as they
participate in the
discussion (Brady &
Kennedy 2012, p. 16).
Mind map and ideas of
what the students know
and want to find out will
be recorded and can be
used later as a form of
reflective assessment
(Brady & Kennedy 2012,
p. 55).
Summative Assessment
Checklist will be used to
assess students on the unit
and their understanding,
the formative assessment
strategies will be used to
inform this assessment as
well as interviews with
students.

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INVESTIGATION
Clip board and pencil. Students will go for an exploratory Formative assessment will
Teacher will take the walk around the school to observe, take place through
students outside and notice and compare the plants, in conversations with the 45 mins
observe and question relation to the senses. students, observations
while they explore and To record they can draw, have a and drawings (Brady &
investigate. conversation or write. Kennedy 2012, p. 16).

Exploratory walks will QUESTIONING: Can anyone see any

try and take place once plants around the school? Are they
a day to notice the all the same or are they different?
differences in weather How can we check? Do they
and the plants if look/feel/smell different? Does
possible anyone know what humans and
animals use plants for? Why is it
important that we learn about and
care for plants and our
environment

Set up in the Bring in a nursery worker/gardener 45 mins

classroom, teacher will to talk about how weather can
take not on board of affect how things grow. Why we
the main points of the need plants and how can we help
talk. If someone cannot them and care for them.
come in, and excursion
to nursery cannot be Teacher will take the children to
had. Teacher may use the library to pick some books on
this resource to plants. Appendix 3 shows list of
show/guide children suitable books.
(Appendix 4).
QUESTIONING: what are plants? Do
they only grow in one season? Does
the weather affect them? What does
a plant need to survive? –questions
the children/teacher has recorded
through observation as they have Formative, informal
carried out the investigation. process- orientated

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assessment will take place

Recyclable materials, In small groups children will grow
herbs, soil, watering herbs, and observe how they grow
cans, name tags. and take care of them. Using
recycled containers (ice cream
containers, what the children have
at home). (Appendix 6 for list of
herbs that can be grown).
to ensure students are on 45 mins
track and if any further
time needs to be taken on
the previous sessions or we
can move on (Bready &
Kennedy 2012, p. 16).

If possible, bring in Aboriginal elder

(works at school) to talk about how
their culture uses plants and herbs.

QUESTIONING: How are plants,

nature and the environment
viewed in your culture? Are plants
used for a specific purpose? Does
the weather and season impact on
your culture and traditions?

iPad, printer and paper, In their herb planting group the 45 mins,
pencils, planting students will take photos using the will take
books(to help with iPad of their plant making a photo more
writing words, drawing diary and how it was planted, how than one
pictures and answering they cared for it and why we need lesson to
questions) appendix 3 plants, in pictures, conversations complete.
for a list of suitable and simple sentences or drawings. Summative assessment
books. will take place via
conferences with each
Each groups work will be Students will share their photo student over the day/s as 45 mins
set up around the diary, drawings and discuss with well as referring to the
classroom for students other students the processes of jottings previously done
to view in caring for a plant and how the and through viewing the
parent/teacher weather affects them in a gallery gallery. A checklist will
interview, informal visits type walk around in the classroom. support the teacher to
or taking printed off ensure each student has
versions home the The concept map that was met intended outcomes
students can show their completed at the start of the (Brady & Kennedy 2012,
parents. investigation will be brought out and pp. 55-67).
discussed with students.

What they now know,

What they still want to find out,
Anything that surprised them and
What they enjoyed
(Discussion, drawings and
conversations can be used to inform
the teacher of this).

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

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The summative assessment strategy used in this unit plan, as well as using the formative observations as the children
carry out the lesson plan, is a checklist (Brady & Kennedy 2012, p. 61). This checklist will be used twice in this
investigation once in the beginning of the unit, undertaken through interviews and work samples, and once at the
end of the unit plan to assess the students progression over the unit and that can be used for reporting. Two
checklists have been made specifically for each year level, reception and year 1 as both have separate achievement
standards that they must meet. Carrying out the checklist twice over the unit plan can make the results more valid
(Brady & Kennedy 2012, p. 31). The checklist is assessing the main concepts of the unit plan, specified to their year
level and skill development of the thinking and working scientifically processes (ACARA 2017). The students will be
marked either above satisfactory, satisfactory or below satisfactory the checklists are shown in appendix 7.

WORD COUNT: 1700

REFERENCE LIST

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2018, F-10 Curriculum v8.3, Science, Year Level
Description, The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 26 April 2018,
<https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/?
year=12001&strand=Science+Understanding&strand=Science+as+a+Human+Endeavour&strand=Science+Inquiry+S
kills&elaborations=false&scotterms=false&isFirstPageLoad=false>.

Brady, L & Kennedy, K 2012, Assessment and Reporting; celebrating student achievement, 4th edn, Pearson Australia,
Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Coastal British Columbia 2014, Herb Planting Chart, image, Google Images, October, viewed 1st May 2018,
<https://1rxbfb2hflyo2jt6jd3f6sjr-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Charts_Herb_BC.pdf>

Early Years Learning Framework 2009, Belonging, Being and Becoming, Australian Government Department of
Education, viewed 26 April 2016,
<https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2015/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_
learning_framework_for_australia.pdf>.

Kids Music Channel 2016, The Farmer Plants the Seeds, video, YouTube, 19th March, viewed 1st May 2018,
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRhGOdqWIIo>.

Macmillan, A 2009, Numeracy in Early Childhood: Shared contexts for teaching and learning, Oxford University Press
Australia and New Zealand, South Melbourne, Victoria.

Skamp, K & Preston, C 2015, Teaching Primary Science Constructively, 5 th edn, Cengage Learning Australia, South
Melbourne, Victoria.

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Stories for Kids 2017, We Plant A Seed Story, video, YouTube, 26th July, viewed 1st May 2018,
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxl6Kiy7NPI>.

Woolfolk, A & Margetts, K 2013, Educational Psychology, 3rd edn, Pearson Books Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

APPENDIX

(1) PRIOR KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE

Prior Knowledge Experience
ACARA links
Strand: Science Understanding Sub-strand: Earth and Space Sciences
Descriptor: Daily and seasonal Elaboration: linking the changes in the daily Achievement Standards: They
changes in our environment affect weather to the way we modify our behaviour suggest how
everyday life (ACSSU004 ) and dress for different conditions, including the environment affects them and
examples from different cultures other living things

Students share and reflect

on observations, and ask and
respond to questions
about familiar objects and events

EYLF Links
Outcome: 4 Children are confident Sub-outcome: 4.2 Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem
and involved learners solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating
Learning Experience
Learner organisation & resources Activity Recording Strategies Time

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Initiating the experience
Picture Book: What Will the
Weather Be by Lynda DeWitt
(DeWitt 1993)
Teacher will facilitate the lesson by reading a Observation – jottings of 
picture book. Discussing the book as it children’s misconceptions
progresses. will be taken to later plan 
from (Brady & Kennedy
Students will then be taken outside to notice 2012).
the weather; teacher will prompt using Taking note of the language 15
questions. the students use when mins
referring to weather, and
how they connect the
weather changes to aspects
of our lives.

Key questions that may be asked in the introduction to engage learners or to challenge their ideas:
What do you notice about the weather today? What do you notice about the sky? Do you feel cold or hot? Do
you think that the close you are wearing is making you more comfortable in this weather? If the weather was
hotter/colder would we still be wearing the same clothes? If the weather was colder/hotter would be doing the
same activities during recess/lunch time? Would your parents have packed the same lunch?

Extending the experience The teacher will bring the children back 20
Bag of clothes – hats, clothes and inside and sort them into groups of no more Document the mins
footwear. than 5. conversations the children 
are having – note any
The children are each given a bag of clothing misconceptions or 
which they must sort into ‘clothes to wear conceptual understandings
when it is cold’ and ‘clothes to wear when it
is hot’.

The teacher will repeat this task using the 4

seasons, asking them to place the clothes
you would wear in each season.
Key questions that may be asked to engage learners or to challenge their ideas: Does anyone know what the 4
seasons are? Which seasons have hot weather and which ones have cold? What do you do in
summer/winter/autumn/spring? Does anyone know what order the seasons are in? How many months each
season has? How does the weather change? Do we do different things when its cold/hot?

Closing the experience.

Butcher paper Teacher will bring the students to the floor Use the mind map as a 10
textas and together they will discuss and record of what the children mins
brainstorm everything they know about know
weather and seasons. Ali is making connections
between the weather, plants,
Key questions that may be asked engage learners or to challenge their ideas: what doand we know about
how the the affects
weather 
weather and the seasons? Write down what you know and what you want to find out?plants. Do other creatures do
different activities in different weather? Like you, do some animals have a favourite season? 
Michael is making connections
between plants and what they
are used for and that they can
make and used for different
(2) STUDENT
thingsOBSERVATIONS
(vegetables and herbs).

Macke is using her sense to

make inferences about the
plants outside and is attending
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(3) SUITABLE BOOKS TO USE IN UNIT PLAN

 How Plants Grow by Teacher Create Materials

 Seed to Plant by National Geographic Readers (Kristin Baird Rattini)
 The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
 From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
 Wild Herbs for Little Foragers by Janice Marsh-Prelesnik

(4) VIDEO/SONG ABOUT PLANTS

We Plant A Seed Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxl6Kiy7NPI.

The Farmer Plants the Seeds Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRhGOdqWIIo

(5) EXTRACT FROM SKAMP & PRESTON 2017 WEATHER: WHERE IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT

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Skamp & Preston 2017, pp. 508-509

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(6) HERBS PLANTING INFORMATION

Coastal British Columbia, 2014.

(7) SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST; Reception and Year 1

Year Level: RECEPTION Date: Name:

Check
Concept/Skill Above Below Comment
Satisfactory
Satisfactory Satisfactory
Main Students can discuss how
Concepts the environment affects
living things
Can observe and notice
phenomena (weather)
and discuss their findings
with others
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Can ask and respond to

questions about familiar
phenomena (weather)
and how it affects living
things
How to care for plants,
what they need to survive
Noticing and observing
patterns in the
environment
Can organise their
Thinking observations using
and Working drawings, photos,
Scientifically sentences/conversations.
processes Compare similarities and
differences of familiar
phenomena through
conversations and using
recording strategies

Year Level: YEAR 1 Date: Name:

Check
Concept/Skill Above Below Comment
Satisfactory
Satisfactory Satisfactory
Students can describe
changes in their
environment due to
weather and how
different places/weather
meet the needs of living
things
Can observe and notice
and make predictions
Main about phenomena
Concepts (weather) and discuss
their findings with others
Can ask and respond to
questions about familiar
phenomena (weather)
and how it affects living
things
How to care for plants,
what they need to survive
Thinking Noticing and observing
and Working patterns in the
environment

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Can organise their

observations using
drawings, photos,
sentences/conversations.
Scientifically
Compare similarities and
processes
differences of familiar
phenomena through
conversations and using
recording strategies

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