Thinking Creatively About Species Survival

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

• adaptability
• creative thinking
• critical thinking
• communication
• curiosity

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description:

Year 3 and 4, Science

• compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals (AC9S3U01)
• write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate (AC9S3I06, AC9S4I06). 

Relevant parts of Year 3 and 4 achievement standards: Students can classify and compare living and non-living things and different life cycles. Students communicate ideas and findings for an identified audience and purpose, including using scientific vocabulary when appropriate. 

NSW Syllabus outcomes:

• examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things (ST3-4LW-S)

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy 

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability

Level of teacher scaffolding: High - lead students in class discussions and guide students in an outdoor task. Oversee and support students to create their posters.

UN SDG 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.

• Poster-making materials (poster paper, textas, markers and pencils).

This is an original Cool.org lesson.

What Makes Something Threatened?

Quick Summary: This course explores biodiversity and threatened species within Australia with Ecologist Thomas Nixon. The course will help you discover how biodiversity is regulated in Australia, and how you can take action to protect our unique biodiversity.