Science & Nature Study: Our Living World
Materials Needed for the 10-Week Unit
- Nature journal or notebook, pencils, coloured pencils and crayons
- Magnifying glass, ruler, clipboard and optional camera or tablet
- Paper, cardboard, recycled materials, glue, child-safe scissors and sticky tape
- Clear jars or containers for temporary observation only
- Weather chart, calendar and simple thermometer
- Picture books and short, age-appropriate science videos listed in each lesson
- Access to a safe outdoor area such as a garden, park or balcony
- Handwashing supplies and sunscreen
Safety: Observe animals and plants without touching unknown species. Do not eat any plant, disturb nests or remove living creatures from their homes. Check for ticks, ants, spiders and poisonous plants. Return any temporarily observed creature to the same place.
Unit Overview and Australian Curriculum Alignment
This 10-week unit is designed for a Year 1 learner in Queensland and aligns with the Australian Curriculum: Science, including Biological Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, Science Inquiry, and Science as a Human Endeavour.
- Notice and describe external features of living things.
- Identify where plants and animals live and explain how habitats meet their needs.
- Observe life cycles and describe changes over time.
- Observe daily and seasonal changes in the environment.
- Ask questions, make predictions, collect observations, represent information and share explanations.
Ongoing project: The learner creates a “Nature Scientist’s Book” containing drawings, labels, measurements, questions, observations and a final habitat model or presentation.
Week 1: What Is Nature?
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, pencils and coloured pencils
- Magnifying glass and clipboard
- Picture book: We’re Going on a Nature Hunt by Martha E. H. Rustad, or another local nature-hunt book
- Optional short video: a child-friendly “What is nature?” or “Living and non-living things” clip from a trusted science channel
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:
- Sort examples into living, once-living and non-living things.
- Record at least five careful outdoor observations.
- Ask one question about something found in nature.
Introduction: Hook and Objectives
Ask: “If a rock cannot walk, is it alive? What about a seed?” Explain: “Today we will become nature detectives. We will look closely, ask questions and learn how scientists observe.”
Show the learner a leaf, rock, twig and toy animal. Invite a quick prediction about which are living, once-living or non-living.
Body: I Do, We Do, You Do
I Do: Story and Modelling
Read the picture book. Model a nature-journal entry: draw a leaf, write the date and place, and add labels such as “smooth,” “green” and “has lines.” Explain that scientists record what they see, not what they imagine.
We Do: Guided Discussion
Discuss:
- What things grow or change?
- What things need food, water or air?
- Which objects were once part of a living thing?
Take a short nature walk together. Make a shared list of living and non-living things.
You Do: Nature Hunt
The learner finds five safe objects or living things without disturbing them. For each one, they draw, label and classify it. They may choose to write a sentence, dictate it or record it aloud.
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to explain why one object is living and why another is non-living.
Success Criteria
- I made five careful observations.
- I used labels or describing words.
- I sorted objects and explained one choice.
- I asked a nature question.
Conclusion
Complete the sentence: “A nature scientist…” Invite the learner to share their favourite observation and one question for next week.
Differentiation
Support: Provide picture cards and sentence starters such as “I noticed…” Extension: Sort items into living, once-living and never-living, then explain the evidence.
Week 2: Animal Features and Needs
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, magnifying glass and coloured pencils
- Picture book: Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
- Photos or safe observations of local animals such as birds, lizards, insects or possums
- Optional short video about Australian animal features
Learning Objectives
The learner will identify and describe at least four animal features and explain how one feature helps an animal live.
Introduction
Ask: “Why might a bird have feathers, but a lizard have scales?” Explain that animal features are parts we can see, such as beaks, fur, wings, claws, shells or tails.
Body
I Do
Read the story and model looking closely at a bird photograph. Say: “I notice a sharp beak. I think it may help the bird pick up food.” Distinguish an observation from a guess.
We Do
Compare two local animals. Ask: “How are their bodies alike? How are they different? What might each animal need for food, water, shelter and safety?”
You Do
The learner chooses an Australian animal and creates a labelled drawing. They complete: “My animal has ___ . This may help it ___.” If possible, watch an animal outdoors from a distance and record its movement or behaviour.
Formative Assessment
Point to a feature and ask the learner to describe it and suggest a possible use.
Success Criteria
- I labelled four animal features.
- I described one feature using evidence.
- I explained one need of the animal.
Conclusion
Play “Feature Detective”: describe a feature without naming the animal and let the learner guess. Add one new animal question to the journal.
Differentiation
Support: Use a word bank: fur, feathers, scales, beak, claws, wings, tail. Extension: Compare how two animals use different features to meet the same need.
Week 3: Plant Parts and What Plants Need
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, a plant or herb, hand lens and ruler
- Picture book: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
- Two bean seeds, cotton wool or soil, two clear cups and water
- Optional short video about how plants grow
Learning Objectives
The learner will identify roots, stems, leaves, flowers or fruit and describe what plants need to grow.
Introduction
Show a seed and ask: “How can something so small become a plant?” Explain that plants are living things with parts that help them survive.
Body
I Do
Read the story. Model examining a plant and drawing its parts. Explain simply: “Roots usually take in water and hold the plant. Stems support the plant. Leaves help the plant use light.”
We Do
Touch or point to each plant part. Discuss what plants need: light, water, air, space and suitable soil. Make a prediction about which seed will grow best: one with light or one in a dark cupboard.
You Do
Set up two labelled seed cups. Place one in light and one in darkness, giving each the same amount of water. Draw the seeds and write a prediction. Observe them every two days.
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to point to a plant part and explain one job it does.
Success Criteria
- I labelled at least three plant parts.
- I named three things plants need.
- I made a fair prediction for the seed investigation.
Conclusion
Retell the seed’s journey in three steps: seed, young plant, mature plant. Add the first seed observation to the journal.
Differentiation
Support: Use a labelled plant diagram and oral answers. Extension: Measure each seedling and make a simple bar graph after one week.
Week 4: Habitats Are Homes
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, paper, recycled boxes, leaves, sticks, blocks and tape
- Picture book: Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
- Photos of an Australian habitat such as a rainforest, beach, creek, woodland or backyard
- Optional short video showing an Australian habitat
Learning Objectives
The learner will describe a habitat and identify how it provides food, water, shelter and space for living things.
Introduction
Ask: “Where would a frog live? Would it be happy in a dry pencil case?” Explain that a habitat is a place where a living thing gets what it needs.
Body
I Do
Read the story and model a habitat drawing. Add water, plants, shelter and an animal. Think aloud: “The frog needs water and plants. The plants give it food or a place to hide.”
We Do
Examine a local habitat photograph. Find living things and non-living features. Discuss how each feature helps an animal or plant.
You Do
The learner chooses a habitat and builds a small model or creates a detailed drawing. They add at least two living things and four habitat features. They explain where each living thing finds food, water or shelter.
Formative Assessment
Remove one feature from the model and ask: “What might happen if this disappeared?”
Success Criteria
- I named my habitat.
- I included living and non-living features.
- I explained how the habitat meets one animal’s needs.
Conclusion
Use the sentence: “A habitat is important because…” Photograph or save the model for the final project.
Differentiation
Support: Offer a habitat template with labelled spaces. Extension: Explain how changing weather or human activity could change the habitat.
Week 5: Life Cycles—From Egg to Animal
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, paper plates or cards, pencils and scissors
- Picture book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Life-cycle photographs of a butterfly, frog or chicken
- Optional short time-lapse video of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly
Learning Objectives
The learner will put four stages of an animal life cycle in order and describe one change between stages.
Introduction
Ask: “Is a caterpillar a baby butterfly, or is it a different animal?” Explain that a life cycle shows how a living thing changes and grows.
Body
I Do
Read the story and model arranging butterfly stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult butterfly. Use arrows to show the order.
We Do
Mix up life-cycle cards. Work together to put them in order. Discuss what changes and what stays the same.
You Do
The learner chooses a butterfly, frog or chicken. They create a four-part life-cycle wheel or comic strip with drawings, arrows and one sentence for each stage.
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to explain the life cycle without looking at the cards.
Success Criteria
- I put four stages in the correct order.
- I used arrows to show change over time.
- I described at least one change.
Conclusion
Ask: “What comes first? What comes next? What happens at the end?” Add a question about another animal’s life cycle.
Differentiation
Support: Begin with three stages and use picture cards. Extension: Compare two life cycles and identify one similarity and one difference.
Week 6: Life Cycles—From Seed to Plant
Materials Needed
- Growing seed cups from Week 3
- Nature journal, ruler and coloured pencils
- Picture book: From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
- Optional short video showing seed germination
Learning Objectives
The learner will sequence the main stages of a plant life cycle and record changes using drawings, words or measurements.
Introduction
Look at the seed cups. Ask: “What changed since we last looked?” Explain that plants have life cycles too.
Body
I Do
Read the story and model a simple sequence: seed, sprout, young plant, flowering or seed-making plant. Demonstrate measuring a seedling from the soil to its tallest leaf.
We Do
Compare the light-grown and dark-grown plants. Discuss colour, strength and height. Explain that a test should be described honestly, even when results are unexpected.
You Do
The learner measures and draws both plants. They make a four-stage plant life-cycle strip and write or dictate: “I noticed…” and “I wonder…”
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to explain why the plant changed and what it may need next.
Success Criteria
- I recorded at least two observations.
- I sequenced four plant stages.
- I used a measurement or comparison.
Conclusion
Review the idea that living things grow and change. Decide whether to continue caring for the seedlings or safely add them to a garden.
Differentiation
Support: Use prepared stage pictures and verbal recording. Extension: Explain how a flowering plant makes new seeds.
Week 7: Weather Watchers
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, calendar and weather symbols
- Outdoor thermometer, optional rain gauge and wind streamer
- Picture book: Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld
- Optional short video explaining clouds, rain, wind and sunshine
Learning Objectives
The learner will observe and record daily weather and use weather words to describe conditions.
Introduction
Ask: “What should we wear if the sky is dark and rain is falling?” Explain that weather describes what the air and sky are like today.
Body
I Do
Read the story. Model a weather record with the date, temperature, cloud cover, wind and rain. Explain that the thermometer tells us temperature, while our senses help us notice other conditions.
We Do
Go outside together. Feel the wind, look at clouds and check the thermometer. Choose matching symbols and discuss suitable clothing or activities.
You Do
The learner begins a five-day weather chart. They may draw symbols, write words, take photos or record an audio report. At the end, they identify the most common weather condition.
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to give a weather report using at least three details.
Success Criteria
- I recorded weather for five days or made five observations.
- I used at least three weather words.
- I connected weather to clothing or activities.
Conclusion
Present a one-minute “today’s weather” report. Discuss how weather can affect plants, animals and people.
Differentiation
Support: Use picture symbols and a choice of two words. Extension: Create a simple tally or graph of sunny, cloudy and rainy days.
Week 8: Seasons in Queensland
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, calendar and four sheets of paper
- Picture book: Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, revisited for seasonal discussion, or a local book about Australian seasons
- Photos of the local area in different seasons
- Optional short video about seasons in Australia
Learning Objectives
The learner will describe changes in the local environment across seasons and explain one way seasonal changes affect living things or people.
Introduction
Ask: “Does every place in Australia have snowy winter holidays?” Explain that seasons can look different in different parts of Australia. Queensland may have warm weather for much of the year, but rainfall, temperature, plants and animal activity still change.
Body
I Do
Model a four-season page using local examples: warmer or cooler days, wet or dry periods, flowering plants, migrating birds or changing clothing.
We Do
Compare local photos. Discuss:
- What changed in the sky, plants or ground?
- What might animals do differently?
- How might people change their activities?
You Do
The learner creates a four-part seasonal wheel. They draw one environmental change and one effect on people, plants or animals for each season. They may use a local First Nations seasonal calendar as a respectful comparison, using information from a reliable local source or community resource.
Formative Assessment
Ask: “How is summer different from winter where we live?” Listen for an environmental observation and an effect.
Success Criteria
- I described changes in at least three seasons.
- I explained one effect of seasonal change.
- I used local examples.
Conclusion
Complete: “The season I notice most is ___ because…” Add a seasonal observation to the journal.
Differentiation
Support: Compare only two seasons first. Extension: Research a local animal and explain how its behaviour changes with seasons.
Week 9: Nature Changes and Human Care
Materials Needed
- Nature journal, gloves, tongs and a rubbish bag for a supervised clean-up
- Picture book: Somebody Swallowed Stanley by Sarah Roberts
- Two photos showing a cared-for and damaged habitat
- Optional short video about protecting Australian habitats
Learning Objectives
The learner will identify a change that can help or harm a habitat and propose one practical action to care for nature.
Introduction
Ask: “What might happen if rubbish blows into a creek?” Explain that people can change habitats. Some changes help living things, while others can cause harm.
Body
I Do
Read the story and model comparing two habitat photos. Use the language “I notice…” and “I think this could affect…”
We Do
Discuss local examples: planting native plants, leaving animals undisturbed, saving water, keeping cats away from wildlife, staying on paths and taking rubbish home.
You Do
Choose one action:
- Complete a supervised litter check.
- Design a wildlife-friendly garden plan.
- Create a “Care for Our Habitat” poster.
- Write or record a short message encouraging others to protect nature.
Record what was done and how it may help.
Formative Assessment
Ask the learner to connect one action with one possible result for a plant or animal.
Success Criteria
- I identified a habitat change.
- I explained whether it may help or harm living things.
- I suggested and completed or planned one caring action.
Conclusion
Share the sentence: “I can care for nature by…” Add the action to a family nature-care pledge.
Differentiation
Support: Offer three ready-made action choices. Extension: Explain two possible effects of one human action and suggest a better alternative.
Week 10: Nature Scientist Showcase
Materials Needed
- Completed nature journal and previous models, charts and drawings
- Cardboard, paper, recycled materials, glue, coloured pencils and labels
- Optional camera, tablet or audio recorder
- Picture book: Revisit the learner’s favourite book from the unit
- Optional short video: a child-friendly clip showing scientists observing nature
Learning Objectives
The learner will use observations to explain one habitat, life cycle or seasonal change and communicate their learning creatively.
Introduction
Ask: “What would you teach a younger child about nature?” Explain that today the learner will become the teacher and share evidence from the Nature Scientist’s Book.
Body
I Do
Model a short presentation: “This is a backyard habitat. A bird needs food, water, shelter and space. I observed feathers and a beak. The weather was cloudy on the day I looked.” Show how to use drawings and observations as evidence.
We Do
Review the unit vocabulary: living, non-living, feature, habitat, life cycle, weather, season, observe and predict. Sort the journal pages into these categories.
You Do: Final Choice Project
The learner chooses one project:
- Build and explain a local habitat model.
- Create a life-cycle book about a plant or animal.
- Make a seasonal nature calendar.
- Present a “Nature News” video or audio report.
- Create a museum-style display using journal entries and labelled drawings.
The learner presents the project to a family member, friend, class or small group. The audience asks one question, and the learner answers using an observation or example.
Summative Assessment
Use the following simple rubric. Give one point for each statement achieved:
- Science knowledge: I correctly explained a habitat, life cycle or seasonal change.
- Observations: I used at least two real observations from my journal.
- Communication: I used drawings, labels, words, speech or technology to share my ideas.
- Scientific thinking: I answered a question or explained evidence.
- Care for nature: I described one way people can protect living things.
Reflection
Ask the learner to complete:
- “At the beginning, I thought…”
- “Now I know…”
- “My best observation was…”
- “I still wonder…”
Conclusion
Celebrate the learner as a nature scientist. Recap: living things have features and needs, habitats are homes, living things change through life cycles, and weather and seasons affect the world around us. Choose one ongoing weekly observation to continue after the unit.
Differentiation
Support: Allow an oral presentation, shared writing, a shorter project or adult scribing. Extension: Include measurements, a labelled diagram, a comparison between two habitats or a new question for further investigation.
Ongoing Weekly Nature Journal Routine
- Write or say the date and location.
- Draw one living thing and one non-living feature.
- Add three describing words.
- Record the weather.
- Write or dictate “I noticed…”
- Write or dictate “I wonder…”
- Choose one respectful action to care for the place observed.