Beeing Observant

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• communication
• problem solving
• collaboration
• critical thinking
• creativity

Australian curriculum content descriptions:

Year 5 Science:

• Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)
• With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations (ACSIS231)
• Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations (ACSIS218)
• Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS093)

Year 6 Science:

• The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)
• With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations (ACSIS232)
• Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations (ACSIS221)
• Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS110)

General capabilities: Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability

Relevant parts of Year 5 Science achievement standards: Analyse how the form of living things enables them to function in their environments.

Relevant parts of Year 6 Science achievement standards: Describe and predict the effect of environmental changes on individual living things.

Unit of work: Love Food? Love Bees!

Time required: 120 mins. However, the observation sessions will continue to run over a set period of time (week/month/season/term).

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion.

Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

• Double-sided printed copies of Beeing Observant Record Sheet for each student at the commencement of each observation session, pen/pencil
• Printed copies of the Bee Poster Template for each student
• Optional: Bee safe! Factsheet, Honey Bees and European Wasps Factsheet, Some Interesting Facts About Bees

This lesson has been created in partnership with ACT for Bees. ACT for Bees is a not-for-profit organisation taking action to preserve these essential pollinators, ensuring a food-secure future.

How To Teach Sustainability With Hope

Quick summary: This course is for both primary and secondary teachers of all subjects, but especially for English, Science, Humanities and Geography teachers who are covering climate change and the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability.