Schools Tree Day - The nature of happiness experiment

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and implement strategies for connecting to natural and built environments to promote the health and well being of their communities (ACPPS078).

Year 7 Science:

• Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124).
• Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS125).
• Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS130).
• Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a problem, including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identify improvements to the method (ACSIS131).
• Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS133).

Year 8 Science:

• Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS139).
• Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS140).
• Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS145).
• Reflect on the method used to investigate a question or solve a problem, including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identify improvements to the method (ACSIS146).
• Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using scientific language and representations using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS148).

Year 9 & 10 Health and Physical Education:

• Plan and evaluate new and creative interventions that promote their own and others’ connection to community and natural and built environments (ACPPS097).

Year 9 Science:

• Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically (ACSIS164).
• Plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including field work and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these methods (ACSIS165).
• Analyse patterns and trends in data, including describing relationships between variables and identifying inconsistencies (ACSIS169).
• Evaluate conclusions, including identifying sources of uncertainty and possible alternative explanations, and describe specific ways to improve the quality of the data (ACSIS171).
• Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS174).

Year 10 Science:

• Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically (ACSIS198).
• Plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including field work and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these methods (ACSIS199).
• Analyse patterns and trends in data, including describing relationships between variables and identifying inconsistencies (ACSIS203).
• Evaluate conclusions, including identifying sources of uncertainty and possible alternative explanations, and describe specific ways to improve the quality of the data (ACSIS205).
• Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS208).

Syllabus Outcomes: SC4-4WS, SC4-5WS, SC4-6WS, SC4-7WS, SC4-9WS, SC5-4WS, SC5-5WS, SC5-6WS, SC5-7WS, SC5-9WS, PDHPE4.9, PDHPE4.14, PDHPE5.9, PDHPE5.14.

Time required: 3 x 60 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – oversee activity and assist with designing and conducting experiment.

• Student Worksheet – one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet
• Other resources may be required for the experiment

Following this lesson is an ideal way for students to participate in Planet Ark’s Schools Tree Day – the largest nature-care event in Australian schools. You and your students will join thousands of amazing teachers in making a difference, fostering a child’s love of nature and creating positive environmental change. So, get growing! It only takes a minute to register for Schools Tree Day.