Biodiversity Study - Year 6 CLE

Biodiversity Study - Year 6 CLE
Publication Date: February, 2016
Type of Resource: Practical activity/investigation

This CLE covers the concepts of environmental adaptation.

This online resource is an ASSIST Connected Learning Experience (CLE) designed to help teach Year 6 students the concepts of environmental adaptation.

Description:This investigation looks at how the physical conditions of an environment affect the growth and survival of living things as well as the biodiversity of the environment within the context of a comparative study of two local sites at a school.

Learning Intentions:

Students will be able to:

  • identify a range of habitats;
  • make predictions about the biodiversity of habitats in their local area/school grounds;
  • measure the physical factors of a habitat;
  • collect and record data from a habitat;
  • construct representations of a habitat;
  • analyse findings from data collection;
  • infer how the physical factors of a habitat affect the survival of the living things within that habitat (cause-and-effect relationships);
  • make conclusions about the health of a habitat;
  • communicate their ideas and findings using scientific language and representations.

The SVG-based diagram that the external link takes you to is best viewed with a browser other than Internet Explorer.

Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S5U01 (Year 5), AC9S6U01 (Year 6)

Additional Information

The Connect Learning Experience Resource

A Connected Learning Experience (CLE) is a resource package designed to support the use of inquiry investigations in the classroom.

Each CLE may not encompass all the concepts and skills addressed in the specific content descriptions outlined by the Australian Curriculum: Science for that year level. The Learning Intentions clearly define the aims and objectives of the CLE.

Year 6 Achievement standard

By the end of Year 6, students compare and classify different types of observable changes to materials. They analyse requirements for the transfer of electricity and describe how energy can be transformed from one form to another to generate electricity. They explain how natural events cause rapid change to the Earth’s surface. They describe and predict the effect of environmental changes on individual living things. Students explain how scientific knowledge is used in decision making and identify contributions to the development of science by people from a range of cultures.

Students follow procedures to develop investigable questions and design investigations into simple cause-and-effect relationships. They identify variables to be changed and measured and describe potential safety risks when planning methods. They collect, organise and interpret their data, identifying where improvements to their methods or research could improve the data. They describe and analyse relationships in data using graphic representations and construct multi-modal texts to communicate ideas, methods and findings.

Relevant prior curriculum knowledge

Science / Year 5 / Science Understanding / Physical Sciences

Content description

Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)

Australian Curriculum:
  • Year 6 > Science Inquiry Skills > Communicating > Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations... > ACSIS110
  • Year 6 > Science Inquiry Skills > Planning and conducting > Decide which variable should be changed and measured in fair tests and... > ACSIS104
  • Year 6 > Science Inquiry Skills > Planning and conducting > Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer... > ACSIS103
  • Year 6 > Science Inquiry Skills > Processing and analysing data and information > Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations > ACSIS221
  • Year 6 > Science Inquiry Skills > Processing and analysing data and information > Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to... > ACSIS107
  • Year 6 > Science Inquiry Skills > Questioning and Predicting > With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific... > ACSIS232
  • Year 6 > Science Understanding > Biological Sciences > The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical... > ACSSU094
  • Year 6 > Science as a Human Endeavour > Nature and development of science > Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to... > ACSHE098
  • Year 6 > Science as a Human Endeavour > Use and influence of science > Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and... > ACSHE100