INQUIRY LEARNING UNIT:

Living Things
Biological Sciences

Year 2 – 26 children

5 E model of learning – Inquiry based

Unit Plan Overview

PHASE Activity At a glance

The purpose of the lesson is to provide

 students with activities to engage
with the topic.
 the educator with children’s prior
ENGAGE Living and non- living
knowledge and understanding.
 Engage with school garden and
surrounds.

:
Look at seeds and sort and predict.
Provides hands on learning experiences
EXPLORE Structure of a seed, what do seeds for students to develop knowledge of
need to grow seeds and their needs
.Plant a seed

Opportunity for students to develop

the understanding of what seeds need
EXPLAIN Fair test investigation to facilitate growth, change and
reproduction.

ELABORATE
Lifecycle
EVALUATE What we know and what we learnt!
Curriculum Links
Australian Curriculum and Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2018, F-10
Curriculum - Science - Year 2
Science Understanding Science as a Human
Endeavour
Biological sciences Nature and development of
Living things grow, change science
and have offspring similar to Science involves observing,
themselves (ACSSU030) asking questions about, and
describing changes in,
Earth and space sciences objects and
Earth’s resources are used in events (ACSHE034)
a variety of
ways (ACSSU032) Use and influence of
science
People use science in their
daily lives, including when
caring for
their environment and living
things (ACSHE035)
To provide students with the opportunity
to extend their understanding of things
changing and growing by introducing
animal lifecycles.
To provide children with opportunities to
demonstrate and evaluate their
understanding and learning and to share
the knowledge with their buddy.
Science Inquiry Skillls
Questioning and predicting
Pose and respond to
questions, and make
predictions
about familiar objects and
events (ACSIS037)
Planning and conducting
Participate in guided
investigations to explore and
answer
questions (ACSIS038)
Use informal measurements
to collect and record
observations, using digital
technologies as
appropriate (ACSIS039)
Processing and analysing
data and information
Use a range of methods to
sort information, including
drawings and provided
tables and through
discussion, compare
 observations with
predictions (ACSIS040)

Evaluating
Compare observations with
those of others (ACSIS041)

Communicating
Represent and communicate
observations and ideas in a
variety of
ways (ACSIS042) 

General Capabilities

Literacy Record observations

Listen and respond to texts and peers
Diagrams and labelling
Present ideas and predictions

Numeracy Interpret Data

Compare
Measurement
Graphs

ICT capabilities Use I pads and digital cameras to record

ideas, information and assist learning.
Use a range of digital resources to support
learning.

Critical and creative thinking Make predictions

Collaborative work
Plan a fair test investigation
Interpret Data
Present Data meaningfully

Ethical behaviour Work respectfully with living things

Respect peer’s ideas
Respect the environment

Personal and social capability
Care for the environment and provide for
the seedlings
Work collaboratively with peers in a manner
that respects and acknowledges their ideas.
Develop science dispositions of
 questioning, problem solving curiosity.

Intercultural understanding Look at how environments are different

around the world and different plants/seeds
thrive in different conditions.

Cross Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Look at how seeds were collected and
histories and cultures used by traditional owners

Sustainability Explore the interconnection of all living

things. Understand what living things
need to survive and how each living
thing impacts another.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 2, students describe changes to objects, materials and living things.
Students pose and respond to questions about their experiences and predict outcomes of
investigations. They use informal measurements to make and compare observations. They
record and represent observations and communicate ideas in a variety of ways

Links to other Learning Areas

English Interacting with others

Listen for specific purposes and
information, including instructions, and
extend students’ own and others' ideas in
discussions (ACELY1666)

Rehearse and deliver short presentations on

familiar and new topics (ACELY1667)

Understand the use of vocabulary about

familiar and new topics and experiment with
and begin to make conscious choices of
vocabulary to suit audience and
purpose (ACELA1470)

Text structure and organisation

Understand that different types of texts have
 identifiable text structures and language
features that help the text serve its
purpose (ACELA1463

Mathematics Data representation and interpretation

Collect, check and classify data (ACMSP049)

Create displays of data using lists, table

and picture graphs and interpret
them (ACMSP050)
,
 Unit Plan Overview
PHASE Activity At a glance

The purpose of the lesson is to provide

 students with activities to engage
with the topic.
 the educator with children’s prior
ENGAGE Living and non- living
knowledge and understanding.
 Engage with school garden and
surrounds.

:
Look at seeds and sort and predict.
Provides hands on learning experiences
EXPLORE Structure of a seed, what do seeds for students to develop knowledge of
need to grow seeds and their needs
.Plant a seed

Opportunity for students to develop

the understanding of what seeds need
EXPLAIN Fair test investigation to facilitate growth, change and
reproduction.

To provide students with the opportunity

to extend their understanding of things
ELABORATE
Lifecycle changing and growing by introducing
animal lifecycles.

To provide children with opportunities to

demonstrate and evaluate their
understanding and learning and to share
EVALUATE What we know and what we learnt!
the knowledge with their buddy.
 Activity 1
Engage
Learning intentions Target outcomes

 Sort and classify living and non-living.

 Begin to understand basic needs of living things. Students classified and

 Engage with local environment. identified living and non-

 Share ideas with peers and class. living things

 Introduce and start a class science journal and word

Class journal has relevant
wall.
entries
Success Criteria
- work collaboratively
- Identify and explain living and non
living.

Learning sequence

1. Resources List

Engage students with a picture story book. Read ‘Do you know A3 size class journal
which ones will grow? By Susan A Shea Markers
I Pads
Engage in discussion about living and non-living. What do we Living and non – living
know? pictures x 15 sets
Book- ‘Do you know which
Focus questions ones will grow? By Susan A
 What can you tell me about living things? Shea
 What can you tell me about non-living things?
 Can you tell me something that is living / non-living in
our class?
 What do you know about living / non – living things?
  What makes living things different from non- living
things? Target teaching approach
Clarify and record that living things have certain characteristics
 Growth Elicit prior knowledge
 Require nutrients Collaborative work

 Reproduce Think – pair- share

technique

2. Engage in familiar
environment

In pairs students are given a series of 10 pictures and they Open ended questioning to

need to discuss and sort what they believe to be living or non- engage high order thinking

living. and involvement

As a class we will discuss the results and answer, create and

record any questions about discrepancies in student Differentiation

understanding. Pairs and groups are

This will be recorded in the class journal on a living and non- determined by teacher to

living page. Pictures will be glued in and questions and create supportive peer

reasonings of student voice will be recorded. cooperation.

3.
Take students on a walk to the school garden and throughout
the school grounds.

In small groups students are to use the I pad to take 5 photos

of living things and 5 photos of non-living things.

Back in the classroom each group will look at their pictures and
choose one picture from each category to describe the
reasoning as to which group it belongs to and why.
This will be reported to the class.

4.
Conclude the lesson by drawing together relevant information
covered in the lesson. Elicit responses from students through
targeted questioning.
 What are differences?
 How do you know it is living?
 What do living things need?

5.
(To be done at an alternative spare moment e.g., just before
home time, lunch etc.)
Teacher to print the I pad photos of living and non-living things
and each group needs to stick under the appropriate heading
on the biological sciences display corner.

6.
Record and display word wall vocabulary.

Assessment strategies Safety considerations

Diagnostic Do not touch/ eat anything

Prior knowledge and student understanding about living and from the school garden or

non-living. surrounds.

Gathered through discussions, sorting results and recordings,

and oral presentations related to the I pad photos.
 Activity 2
Explore

Learning intentions Target outcomes

 Explore seeds
 Make predictions Students can identify what a
seed is and what it needs to
Success Criteria grow.
- work collaboratively That different seeds grow
- make predictions into different things.
- active listening

Learning sequence

1. Resources List

Introduce seeds Book ‘The Tiny Seed’ By Eric

Carle
Each group has a bag of various seeds. Students need to sort
the seeds however they decide and record their sorting and Bags of seeds that include:
explain reasoning for the way in which they were sorted. - Corn
- Carrot
(Record groups sorting methods by taking an I Pad photo - Apple
which will be displayed in the journal) - Radish
- Gumnut
Student groups need to discuss and predict what they think - Spring Onion
each seed will grow in to, record. - Beans
 - Tomato
In the science journal have 3 columns. - Pea

Picture of Prediction What it is Class journal

seed (Record each
group)

Target teaching approach

As a class work through the seeds and record responses.

Discuss reasons and ideas. Collaborative work
Questioning
2. Reasoning
Hands on
In the science journal create a SEEDS ‘what we know’ and a Recording and labelling
‘what we want to know’ page.
Using the think, pair, share technique record student voice Differentiation
and questions. (Educator gathers interest and prior
knowledge of students and knowledge gaps) Ask students (B, M) a
specific question to focus
their thinking, allow time for
3. them to think about it- come
back to them later in the
discussion to allow their
Read “The Tiny Seed’ By Eric Carle sharing.
Have B help hold the book to
Questions limit distractions.

- What did you like?

- What did you notice?
- What is something you would like to share about the
story?
 - What questions do you have?
Assessment strategies Safety considerations
Formative

Questioning Students should not eat the

Recording seeds.

Discussions
Photos
One to one conferencing during activities

Activity 3
Explore
Learning intentions Target outcomes

 Discuss what seeds need to grow That students will draw

 Investigate the internal structure of a broad bean. and label a whole and

 Plant broad beans dissected broad bean

 Begin the time lapse video of seed germination. seed.

Success Criteria That students will be able

- work collaboratively to understand and create

- annotated drawing and observations of a time lapse video of

a broad bean seed their planted seed.

- a planted broad bean seed (first photo

for time lapse video)
- journal entry

Learning sequence

1. Resources List

15 soaked and split

Re-read ‘The Tiny Seed’ to engage and tune students into the broad bean
lesson and to what seeds need to grow.
15 whole broad beans
 clear plastic cups x30
2.
Paper towel x2 rolls
In the class journal record what seeds need to germinate and
Wooden pegs x30
grow.
Broad beans x60
- Think - pair – share ideas
- Educator to elicit responses through targeted Video of planting process
(educator made using
questioning.
exact materials)
3.
I Pads x30

In pairs students collect a whole broad bean, a soaked and split

Target teaching
broad bean and a magnifying glass. (Soaking seeds swells the
approach
internal structure making it easier to observe)
Hands on inquiry
learning
Students will need to create an annotated drawing of their
Investigative
observations. (Students supported during the activity with
scientific language and spelling- word wall additions)
Differentiation
What do you notice? Size, colour, texture, smell, size, structure.
Students will be given 2x A7 size pieces of paper for their
annotated observations. Support children (B, T, V)
to engage in the task by
These will be added to the class journal.
checking in with each of
them at the beginning so
the task can be managed
into smaller chunks for
4. them.

Show students the short step-by-step video clip of the planting

process. (Educator made so it shows exact process and the
materials that students have) talk through the steps and ask
students if that have any questions.

Keep the video playing on loop for the duration of the planting
process so that students can refer to it as needed. (ICT)

Each student to collect materials

 - Clear cup
- Paper towel x3
- Broad beans x2
- Wooden peg for name
Then follow the planting procedure.
Students will the need to collect an I Pad and take the first photo
of their time lapse video. (Students have prior knowledge of this
process due to ICT lessons and practice in creating time lapse/
stop motion videos)
These photos will be taken 3 times a day
- As they enter the class in the morning
- Just before lunch play
- Before home time

Students will also have a seed journal (APPENDIX 3) which will

be filled out 2 times a week this will be an ongoing record of:
- Colour
- Measurement of root and shoot
- Number of leaves
- Diagram
- Anything else of interest

5.

‘Why did we place them on the window?’

Look at the class journal and reaffirm that by planting and
watering the seed and placing it in sunlight we are giving the seed
a chance to grow, breathe, change and produce more seeds, just
like the flower in ‘The Tiny Seed’ book.

Introduce the word LIFECYCLE

Can anyone think of any other lifecycles?

Educator elicits prior knowledge relevant to the next lesson.

Assessment strategies Safety considerations

Formative
Students should not eat
Discussions
Questioning any of the seeds
Opportunity for students to share their developing understanding
and knowledge through discussions and questioning, Educator to
have a small writing pad to jot down specific student information.

Activity 4
Explain
Learning intentions Target outcomes

 As a class students will create a fair test investigation. That seeds are planted and
 Students will make predictions. placed under varying

 Understanding of lifecycles and seed development is conditions to monitor

extended through videos, sort and labelling activity response.

and discussions.
That students can draw a seed
Success Criteria lifecycle and begin to use
- work collaboratively to devise a scientific terminology.
fair test investigation.
- Order the lifecycle stages of a Students will understand,
broad bean in book. make and record predictions.

Learning sequence

Resources List
1.
Six glass jars

12x broad bean seeds

The concept of a fair test will be discuss with students. Each
Paper towel
group will be required to develop a different fair test. i.e., 3
fair test investigations for the class. Life cycle pictures App.1

Class journal
Students will be divided into groups of 10. Each group with
educator support will develop a fair test investigation.
(This will be done in stages so that the educator is able to Target teaching approach
engage in discussion to develop a fair test, other groups will
Small groups
quietly be filling in their seed journals.)
Hands on inquiry investigation

Examples of variables Fair Test investigation

- Sunlight
- Water
Differentiation
- Growing medium
- Adding extra nutrients Develop groups of varying
abilities and strengths to
-
support children to work
The fair test will be set up ensuring that only one variable is cooperatively and learn from
each other.
altered.

2.

In groups students will be scaffolded and educator

supported to write a prediction on what they think will
happen to the beans that they planted in their fair test
investigation group. Working with small groups of 10 allows
the educator to gauge understanding, interest and
involvement of all students. These observations should be
recorded for formative assessment.

3.

The fair test and prediction will be recorded in the class

journal, each group will have its own page.
Continue investigation
Students will need to gather in groups once a day for 10
minutes to monitor and record observations and data.
- Size
- Colour
- Stage
- Changes
- General observations

Finish investigation:
Students will create graphs (working on in maths) to display
the data that they collected; this will depend on the focus of
the fair test investigation.
Educator and student groups will draw conclusions from the
data. Each group will report to the class.
- What was the fair test?
- What data did you collect?
- What did this data tell you?
- Anything else that you observed?
This will be recorded in the class journal.

4.
LIFECYCLE OF A BROAD BEAN
Students need to cut out, sort and match names to each
stage of the broad bean lifecycle. APPENDIX 1

Discuss as a class and record in the class journal.

RECORD any questions and things of interest.
Assessment strategies Safety considerations
Formative
Do not eat the beans.
Students sorting of the broad bean lifecycle and labelling
each stage in order learning experience. Careful with the glass jars

Activity 5
Elaborate
Learning intentions Target outcomes

 That students will be introduced to animal Students can compare and

lifecycles, and the concept that all living things grow produce a seed and animal life
and change under certain, type specific conditions. cycle.
 Present a lifecycle of their choice.
Success Criteria
- Independently construct a
lifecycle of a living thing

Learning sequence

Resources List
1.
Read ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ By Eric Carle The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ By
Eric Carle
 Lifecycle templates
Introduce the idea that all living things have a lifecycle. And Lifecycle posters with all but
one picture covered up with
reiterate that living things need air, water, food, sun and paper and blutak
time to grow.

 Sometimes the living thing starts out as a smaller

version of the adult form
 Sometimes it starts out as something that looks very
Target teaching approach
different.
Demonstration

2. Think – Pair – Share

Look at life cycles – what comes next?

Differentiation
Have posters of lifecycles with all but one covered up, ask
students to reason what comes next, go through the
different lifecycles. Support children (B, T, V) to
engage in the task by checking
Relate the animal lifecycles to the broad bean lifecycle as in with each of them at the
beginning so the task can be
this is the most familiar to the children. E.g., The chicken
managed into smaller chunks
eggs are like the seed, the hatched chicks are similar to for them.
Provide individual support for B,
the seedling etc.
T to discuss their lifecycle and
what stages there are, so they
Fill out a template with the class. have a clear success criterion.
APPENDIX 2 Extension- what lifecycles can
you think of that have a
3. completely different starting
point (egg to chicken etc)
Children create their own lifecycle of choice and write down
their understanding of what each stage is.
Engaging the technique Think – Pair – Share students
need to determine what the lifecycle will be and discuss it
with their partner. Students need to share with the educator
what they have decided to do and then they can begin
work on the lifecycle. This ensures students are engaged
as soon they return to the desks.
Assessment strategies Safety considerations
Formative

The independently constructed lifecycle will provide

students with feedback and educators with student
understanding.

Activity 9
Evaluate
Learning intentions Target outcomes

 Summarise seed journal

Students communicate the
 Create A4 poster with seed information and needs
needs of a seed and the
 Plant seedlings in school garden
changes that it undertakes.
Success Criteria
- Summarise seed observations in the
seed journal
- Communicate understanding
through poster and verbally to
buddy
- Plant seed in school garden
Learning sequence

Resources List
1.
A4 card x30
Gardening gloves
Students will look at their seed journal and summarise the
Small shovels
growth, change and any other observations of their broad bean Buddy class time
seed that they planted.

This will be shared with a partner.

Target teaching approach

Collaborative
2.

Differentiation
Students will then need to prepare an A4 poster for their school
buddy. This poster needs to contain the following:

- The lifecycle of a broad bean

- Information about what a broad bean needs to
grow, thrive, and reproduce

This information poster will be presented to the students’ buddy

along with 2 broad bean seeds for them to sow.

With the buddy class the students’ seedlings will be planted in

the school garden plot as they need to draw nutrients from the
soil to continue growing.

3.

‘Celebration of seeds’
Make popcorn using an air popper and watch students time
lapse videos of the growing broad bean seeds.

4.

Review the class science journal with the students.

Focus on:
- Initial student questions and wonderings and see
if they have been answered.
- Record ‘what we have learnt, enjoyed, found
interesting, still want to know’

Each student to fill in a slip of paper titled

‘What I know about lifecycle’s’
This is an opportunity for them to share and show what they
have learnt and understand.

Assessment strategies Safety considerations

Summative Students need to wash

hand thoroughly after
Poster that will be presented to their buddy will be assessed for planting seedlings.
the level of information and detail.
Ensure that there are no
Responses to ‘What I know about lifecycle’s’ allergies.
 PROFESSIONAL ENGAGMENT

To improve my scientific knowledge and skills in biological sciences there are a

number of professional development opportunities that are offered.

Botanic Garden offers professional development, resources and school support

Teacher Professional Development - Botanic Gardens of South Australia - Department for

Environment and Water

'Starting a Kitchen Garden in Schools' Educator Professional Development Tickets, Mon

05/07/2021 at 9:30 am | Eventbrite

The Marion Council offers support and nature education for teachers and schools
through the ‘Green Adelaide Education’ initiative.

Green Adelaide Education | Environment | City of Marion

Government documents created to provide support, information and ideas can also
support educators and settings.

let-nature-be-your-teacher-bro.pdf

It is vital as an educator to undertake professional development as it improves

knowledge, skills and provides current information and best practices. Which support
best outcomes and learning for students.
Appendix 1
Seed Flowering Plant
Germinated Seed
Seed with first root Flowering Plant
Fruiting Plant Adult Plant
Seedling (Beans)

Appendix 2
Appendix 3

My Seed Observation Journal

Date________________________________________

How many days have your seeds been growing?________________

Observation Description
Draw what you see

Number of leaves_____________________
Root length ___________________________
Plant height_________________________
REFERENCES

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018). Australian

Curriculum, version 8.4. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Campbell, C., Jobling, W., Howitt, C. (2021). Science in the Early Childhood, 4th Edition.
Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press.

Fellowes, J. & Oakley, G. (2020). Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education (3rd ed.).
Docklands, Victoria: Oxford University Press.es