Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Year 1 Science
A comprehensive foundation in scientific inquiry where students observe patterns in nature, explore the properties of materials, and investigate how living things grow and change. Students build critical thinking skills through hands-on experimentation and outdoor observations aligned with Australian curriculum standards.
Living Wonders: Needs and Growth
Students investigate the basic needs of plants and animals and how their external features help them survive in different environments.
Students will observe and classify objects as living or non-living based on key characteristics like growth, movement, and reproduction.
Students will explore and identify the fundamental requirements for plant survival and growth through observation and simple experiments.
Students will investigate the basic needs of different animals, including food, water, and shelter, and how these are met in their environment.
Students will identify and describe the external features of various animals and their specific functions for movement, feeding, and protection.
Students will explore the different parts of a plant (roots, stem, leaves, flower) and their roles in growth and survival through hands-on observation.
Students will observe and sequence the stages of growth in common animals, such as butterflies or frogs, using diagrams and videos.
Material World: Properties and Purpose
An exploration of the physical properties of everyday materials and how these properties determine their use in the built environment.
Students will use visual and tactile observations to describe and categorize various materials based on properties like color, texture, and hardness.
Students will use sound and smell to identify and describe the properties of different materials, exploring how these senses provide information.
Students will test materials to determine if they are absorbent or waterproof, understanding the practical applications of these properties.
Students will conduct simple tests to compare the strength and durability of various materials, observing how they resist breaking or tearing.
Students will investigate how different materials bend, stretch, or break, categorizing them as flexible or rigid.
Students will connect the properties of materials to their suitability for specific uses, explaining why certain materials are chosen for particular objects.
Sky and Landscape: Earthly Changes
Students observe the short and long term changes in their local environment, focusing on the sky and landscape features.
Students will observe and record the apparent movement of the sun across the sky throughout the day, noting changes in shadow length and direction.
Students will explore the concept of day and night and what causes these cycles through simple models and demonstrations of Earth's rotation.
Students will observe and identify different phases of the moon over a period and recognize common visible star patterns in the night sky.
Students will observe and record daily weather conditions using simple tools like thermometers and rain gauges, noting patterns.
Students will explore how weather influences clothing choices and daily routines, understanding the importance of dressing appropriately.
Students will be introduced to the basic concept of the water cycle, focusing on evaporation and condensation through simple demonstrations.
Push and Pull: Forces in Action
An introduction to the way objects move and how forces can change their speed and direction.
Students will observe and describe various ways objects and living things move, including sliding, rolling, spinning, and swinging.
Students will explore the concept of speed by comparing how fast different objects move over a set distance.
Students will investigate how pushes and pulls can change the direction of moving objects, observing straight, curved, and zigzag paths.
Students will identify examples of pushes and pulls in everyday activities, understanding that forces cause movement.
Students will experiment with different pushes and pulls to make objects start moving and then stop, observing the effect of force.
Students will investigate how friction acts as a force that slows down or stops moving objects, experimenting with different surfaces.
Habitat Heroes: Local Ecosystems
A study of how living things depend on each other and the environment to survive in local habitats.
Students will investigate small habitats within the school grounds, observing the living things found there and their adaptations.
Students will examine the organisms living in leaf litter and soil, discussing their roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Students will observe the plants and animals in a garden patch and discuss their interactions, including pollination and pest control.
Students will explore examples of mutualistic relationships between plants and animals, such as pollination and seed dispersal.
Students will be introduced to the concept of food chains and how energy flows through an ecosystem from producers to consumers.
Students will discuss the effects of habitat destruction (e.g., deforestation, urbanization) on living things and biodiversity.
The Junior Scientist: Inquiry Skills
A capstone unit focusing on the processes of questioning, predicting, and communicating scientific findings.
Students will practice turning their observations and curiosities into testable scientific questions, distinguishing them from general wonderings.
Students will learn to make informed predictions (hypotheses) before conducting an experiment, justifying their reasoning based on prior knowledge.
Students will practice planning basic steps for a scientific investigation, identifying materials and procedures needed.
Students will understand why it's crucial to change only one variable at a time in an experiment to ensure fair and reliable results.
Students will practice observing carefully and recording their findings using drawings, simple notes, and tally marks.
Students will learn to organize their data into simple tables and charts (e.g., pictographs, bar charts) to make it easier to understand and interpret.
Sound and Light: Sensing Our World
Students explore the basic properties of sound and light, investigating how they travel and how we use our senses to perceive them.
Students will identify and describe various sounds, categorizing them by properties like loud/soft, high/low pitch.
Students will investigate how sounds are produced by vibrations, using simple instruments and objects.
Students will explore how sound travels through different materials and over distances, observing how sound can be blocked or amplified.
Students will identify various sources of light, distinguishing between natural sources (sun, stars) and artificial sources (lamps, candles).
Students will investigate how shadows are formed when light is blocked by an object, exploring shadow size and shape.
Students will classify materials based on how much light passes through them: transparent, translucent, or opaque.
Our Amazing Bodies: Health and Growth
An introduction to the human body, its basic parts, how it grows, and simple ways to keep it healthy.
Students will identify and name major external body parts, understanding their location and basic function.
Students will explore their five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) and how they use them to gather information about their surroundings.
Students will learn about the basic roles of bones and muscles in helping their bodies move, bend, and stand upright.
Students will observe and discuss the stages of human growth and development from infancy to childhood, noting physical changes.
Students will learn about the importance of healthy eating and identify different types of foods that provide energy and help them grow.
Students will explore why exercise and active play are important for keeping their bodies strong and healthy.