Students are asked to work in pairs to apply one of the following models of human origins – the Out of Africa model, Multiregional or the Assimilation model – to describe the origin of Homo floresiensis. They will create a video news piece to present their ideas.

During this lesson students explore how to survey school ecosystems through quadrat and transect sampling. Students begin by walking around the school identifying biotic features of the school yard. They then work in groups to construct quadrats and transects, and survey organisms identified during the walk in these quadrats and transects. Students then use the data they have collected to create a food web of the school yard ecosystem, and to speculate about the health of school yard ecosystems and how they could improve the health and sustainability of these ecosystems. This lesson is designed to be taught outside. By spending time outdoors and connecting to nature, students are more likely to care for and conserve nature as adults.

During this lesson students investigate the structure of ecosystems, including trophic levels and biotic and abiotic elements. Students begin by refreshing their understanding of key ecosystem terms, and then observe and record the biotic and abiotic features of their school yard ecosystem. They then participate in a group activity around a wetland ecosystem, looking at how this ecosystem responds to various scenarios. This lesson is designed to be taught outside. By spending time outdoors and connecting to nature, students are more likely to care for and conserve nature as adults.

During this lesson students explore dichotomous keys as a means for identifying and classifying living things. They begin by observing living things in the school yard. Following an introduction to dichotomous keys, students will create a key for living things found in the school yard. Finally, students will use an invertebrates key to identify invertebrates in the school yard and then create a poster/booklet about school mini-beasts. This lesson is designed to be taught outside. By spending time outdoors and connecting to nature, students are more likely to care for and conserve nature as adults.

During this lesson, students investigate the role of knowledge of our environment in jobs both now and in the future. Students begin by exploring the need for green jobs (why we need people to have green jobs) and what some current green jobs might be. Students are then asked to imagine some green jobs of the future, what the job descriptions of these jobs would be and how these jobs would help to protect, conserve and care for our environment. This lesson is designed to be taught outside. By spending time outdoors and connecting to nature, students are more likely to care for and conserve nature as adults.

Students tour the school grounds investigating how living things are classified based on similarities and differences in observable features. They learn how scientists use a hierarchical system of classification, and how living things can be classified into Kingdoms based on their features. Students use creative thinking to invent an organism and give it a scientific name. They then classify their organism based on its physical features. Finally, students are asked to speculate on the conservation status of their organism and to make recommendations about how this organism can be conserved and protected. This lesson is designed to be taught outside. By spending time outdoors and connecting to nature, students are more likely to care for and conserve nature as adults.

In this activity, students are asked to research an animal species that lives in their area. They are to construct a mini Muir web that explains the integration between their chosen animal and other aspects of the natural and human influenced environment. Their diagram will show how this animal fits into its ecosystem, the impacts on the ecosystem, and what might cause it to become extinct.

In this lesson students collaborate to develop a class mural representing a local area such as a forest or wetlands.

This lesson is designed for a flipped classroom, where students learn new content by watching a video in their own time. This strategy provides the opportunity for students to build their knowledge, attitudes and values by themselves, thereby freeing up class time for hands-on work. Students watch a clip that helps them to understand the various events can lead to extinction of species.

This lesson is designed for a flipped classroom, where students learn new content by watching a video in their own time. This strategy provides the opportunity for students to build their knowledge, attitudes and values by themselves, thereby freeing up class time for hands-on work. Students watch a clip that helps them to understand the value of soil.

This lesson is designed for a flipped classroom, where students learn new content by watching a video in their own time. This strategy provides the opportunity for students to build their knowledge, attitudes and values by themselves, thereby freeing up class time for hands-on work. Students watch a clip that helps them to understand ecosystem ecology.

This lesson is designed for a flipped classroom, where students learn new content by watching a video in their own time. This strategy provides the opportunity for students to build their knowledge, attitudes and values by themselves, thereby freeing up class time for hands-on work. Students watch a clip that helps them to understand the impact of climate change on wildlife.

In this lesson, students examine how water is used in the school. They identify how it is used, ways it might be wasted and their tip or tips for reducing the waste of water. They will conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed.Students will summarise data from their own investigations and secondary sources. Students will be able to identify a range of water users in the school, collect and interpret data from a school water use audit and can identify solutions to reduce water use in their school.

Students conduct an investigation into the important resources of fresh water. They examine some of the current issues and compare different views about managing water resources. Students then critically analyse what they have discovered by responding to a set of questions. Students understand that some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but others are non-renewable and that water is an important resource that cycles through the environment. They identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge. Students will be able to research an issue using reliable sources, iidentify a range of resource management issues around water and articulate the complexities of a single water issue, giving at least two opposing perspectives.

In this lesson, students investigate the concept of a species. They will work in small groups and access information from the internet, library and/or textbooks in order to define a species, investigate how species are scientifically named and why is it important and provide examples of plants and animals living in your area that are indigenous, domesticated and introduced. Students understand that there are differences within and between groups of organisms; classification helps organise this diversity. They’ll summarise data, from their own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions. Students will be able to define what a species is, in their own words. Students can accurately write the scientific names of a variety of species and identify and categorise a variety of species as Indigenous, domestic or pests.

The ‘Stand on the Line’ activity can be used as a barometer to test students’ prior knowledge - the focus of this lesson is the the human impact on ecosystems. Read a set of statements to students then use the additional notes provided to engage students in further conversation around each point.