Science and Technology
Science and Technology develops students’ skills in thinking, investigating and problem-solving. It gives them knowledge and skills in scientific investigation, design and applied technology. This subject builds on the curiosity children have about their natural and built environments.
In Kindergarten
- design and make simple plans to show things such as their house and toys
- show how things move by push and pull actions
- talk about the different needs and wants of animals and sort models or pictures according to needs and wants
- talk about their environment, including features such as clouds, weather and day and night
- talk about how they can look after their environment
- talk about different forms of energy and identify its use in daily life
Some Year 1 and Year 2 examples
- observe patterns and suggest possible explanations, eg observing, recording and classifying vehicles passing the school, and creating a class graph
- observe and record the changes in a living thing such as a deciduous tree over a season or the growth of seeds to sprouts
- explore magnets and their properties
- talk about how living things depend on their environment
- observe animal life, eg ants, silkworms
Some Year 3 and Year 4 examples
- observe and report on a local environment, eg a park, beach or wetland
- design and make models using sticks, timber, cardboard, bark, glue and fabric. Models might include an early settler’s hut, an underwater world or a space world
- describe how plants and animals rely on each other in a ‘mini environment’, eg a park, the playground or a lake area
- research and record phases of the moon over time and propose explanations as to why it changes
Some Year 5 and Year 6 examples
- use simulation software on the computer, eg to create a model city
- study different rock types and crystals using technology
- research the cause and effect of natural disasters, eg an earthquake or cyclone
- learn about energy and energy transfer, eg ice to liquid and liquid to steam
- evaluate proposed building designs for items such as a bridge or a house for the future
- use a water-testing device to test water quality in a local waterway and study the water cycle
- learn how an electrical circuit works
- learn how gears work for machines, eg bicycles and clocks