EDUC9127 Assessment 3 – Inquiry Plan
Part A: Scientific workbook and inquiry learning unit plan.
INQUIRY LEARNING UNIT
Biological sciences
TITLE
HOW PLANTS GROW
OVERVIEW CONTEXT
The target age for this unit of HOW PLANTS GROW is six years old in the Foundation year
of school. This unit is written to align to the Foundation Year level of the Australian Curriculum
Science. Every living thing on the planet has basic needs that must be fulfilled for it to live.
children explore how science is used in their everyday lives, such as caring for their world and
living things. This unit is an excellent way to link science and literacy in the classroom.
Students investigate how plants meet their survival needs through hands-on activities. They
make assumptions about the basic needs of plants by studying plant growth under various
conditions. Students learn that plants with direct exposure to sunlight and water have a better
chance of surviving if they are put in the right environment. This lesson plan focuses on
‘awareness of self and the local environment' at the foundation year level (ACARA, 2014). This
is accomplished by a set of lessons through which students can learn about the essential needs
of plants to help them develop and flourish in the local environment.
This unit relates to the following curriculum focuses, key ideas and content strands from the
Australian Curriculum: Science (ACARA 2015) as well as other curriculum learning areas.
Patterns, order, and Students observe plant growth under different conditions to
organization identify patterns in their collected data.
Form and function Students identify parts of plants and the function they play in the
plant’s survival.
Stability and change Students observe how the needs of plants change depending on
the conditions they are in
Scale and measurement Students measure and record growth of plants over time.
Matter and energy Students directly observe changes to seedling growth (matter)
determined by available light energy
Systems Students observe and describe how conditions of the 1
environment (ecosystem) affect the features, behavior, and
survival of plants
, Workbook entries:
According to Skamp & Preston (2014), Science-specific literacies include inquiry report
writing, data observation (illustrations, maps, tables, and graphs), diagram and model creation
and interpretation, and so on. Every learning is based on representation, that is how we think
and then express our thoughts. Students can reflect their meaning-making in a variety of
expressive methods (e.g., drawing, movement), and this can happen in numerous and
multimodal ways. (Skamp & Preston, 2014). Children who keep a science workbook are more
likely to record and focus on inquiry-based observations, activities, findings, and projects.
Science workbooks are also an ideal medium for students to express their understanding of
science topics, for instructors to provide feedback to students, and for students to be
assessed. In these science workbooks, children will have diagrams, maps, charts, notes,
predictions, and inquiries. I used science journals as a valuable self-assessment method
because they enabled me to focus on my learning and how my ideas evolved and progressed
during a unit. It allows me to schedule activities and document predictions, as well as the
explanations for predictions, prior to an activity.
The theme for my unit, "HOW PLANTS
GROW," is connected to Module 9, where I
used the workbook to record observations
while conducting seed germination activity
and later reflect, including contrasting
ideas and conclusions to original
hypotheses and explanations.
Drawing the stages of seed development
aided my deep observation and reflection
on the investigation.
2
Part A: Scientific workbook and inquiry learning unit plan.
INQUIRY LEARNING UNIT
Biological sciences
TITLE
HOW PLANTS GROW
OVERVIEW CONTEXT
The target age for this unit of HOW PLANTS GROW is six years old in the Foundation year
of school. This unit is written to align to the Foundation Year level of the Australian Curriculum
Science. Every living thing on the planet has basic needs that must be fulfilled for it to live.
children explore how science is used in their everyday lives, such as caring for their world and
living things. This unit is an excellent way to link science and literacy in the classroom.
Students investigate how plants meet their survival needs through hands-on activities. They
make assumptions about the basic needs of plants by studying plant growth under various
conditions. Students learn that plants with direct exposure to sunlight and water have a better
chance of surviving if they are put in the right environment. This lesson plan focuses on
‘awareness of self and the local environment' at the foundation year level (ACARA, 2014). This
is accomplished by a set of lessons through which students can learn about the essential needs
of plants to help them develop and flourish in the local environment.
This unit relates to the following curriculum focuses, key ideas and content strands from the
Australian Curriculum: Science (ACARA 2015) as well as other curriculum learning areas.
Patterns, order, and Students observe plant growth under different conditions to
organization identify patterns in their collected data.
Form and function Students identify parts of plants and the function they play in the
plant’s survival.
Stability and change Students observe how the needs of plants change depending on
the conditions they are in
Scale and measurement Students measure and record growth of plants over time.
Matter and energy Students directly observe changes to seedling growth (matter)
determined by available light energy
Systems Students observe and describe how conditions of the 1
environment (ecosystem) affect the features, behavior, and
survival of plants
, Workbook entries:
According to Skamp & Preston (2014), Science-specific literacies include inquiry report
writing, data observation (illustrations, maps, tables, and graphs), diagram and model creation
and interpretation, and so on. Every learning is based on representation, that is how we think
and then express our thoughts. Students can reflect their meaning-making in a variety of
expressive methods (e.g., drawing, movement), and this can happen in numerous and
multimodal ways. (Skamp & Preston, 2014). Children who keep a science workbook are more
likely to record and focus on inquiry-based observations, activities, findings, and projects.
Science workbooks are also an ideal medium for students to express their understanding of
science topics, for instructors to provide feedback to students, and for students to be
assessed. In these science workbooks, children will have diagrams, maps, charts, notes,
predictions, and inquiries. I used science journals as a valuable self-assessment method
because they enabled me to focus on my learning and how my ideas evolved and progressed
during a unit. It allows me to schedule activities and document predictions, as well as the
explanations for predictions, prior to an activity.
The theme for my unit, "HOW PLANTS
GROW," is connected to Module 9, where I
used the workbook to record observations
while conducting seed germination activity
and later reflect, including contrasting
ideas and conclusions to original
hypotheses and explanations.
Drawing the stages of seed development
aided my deep observation and reflection
on the investigation.
2
