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INTEGRATED INQUIRY PROGRAM

INTEGRATED INQUIRY PROGRAM
How Times Change

YEAR LEVEL
Year 1

TERM
2

DURATION
Weeks 1 - 6

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM GEOGRAPHY AND SCIENCE

Year 1 Achievement Standard
SCIENCE

By the end of Year 1, students describe objects and events that they encounter in their everyday lives, and the eects of interacting with materials and
objects. They identify a range of habitats. They describe changes to things in their local environment and suggest how science helps people care for environments.

Students make predictions, and investigate everyday phenomena. They follow instructions to record and sort their observations and share their observations with others.

GEOGRAPHY

By the end of Year 1, students identify and describe the natural, managed and constructed features of places at a local scale and recognise that people
describe the features of places dierently. They identify where features of places are located and recognise that spaces can be arranged for dierent purposes. Students identify changes in features and describe how to care for places.

Students respond to questions about familiar and unfamiliar places by collecting, recording and sorting information from sources provided. They represent the location of dierent places and their features on pictorial maps and present findings in a range of texts and use everyday language to describe
direction and location. They reflect on their learning to suggest ways that places can be cared for.

UNIT OUTLINE
Science: Students have been assessed against the Australian Curriculum for Year 1, with a focus on living things and their features; living things and their
environments; physical changes in everyday materials; observing changes in the sky and landscape; and light and sound.

Geography: Students have been assessed against the Australian Curriculum for Year 1, with a focus on places having distinctive features. Activities have
included discussing how people can change the features of places; what it would be like to live in places with very dierent weather than ours; and how
rearranging things can make a space dierent.

Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

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STUDENTS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

EXEMPLAR TEXTS

Read books related to environments.

- The Lorax by Dr Seuss

- What do we think about our environment? by

Malcom Penny

- Topsy and Tim Go Green by Jean and Gareth

Adamson

- 101 ways to save earth before bedtime by Paul

Mason

- Growing greenly Christina Goodings

- Big Rain Coming by Bronwyn Bancroft

- Ernie dances to the Digeridoo by Alison Lester

- Tiddalick the frog

- Where the forest meets the sea by Jeannie

baker

- Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker

Year 1 Students:

Understand that there are dierent types of texts (fiction / non-fiction).

Recognise the use of real photos / pictures or drawings in dierent text forms.

Understand that their texts can reflect their own experiences, imagination and creativity.

Understand the procedures of working in small groups (learning stations).

Demonstrate some knowledge and practice using the iPad for ICT-infused lessons.

Retell events and experiences with peers and class with confidence.

Identify a range of environments

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Students will be provided opportunities through a range of activities to engage with aspects of the following content descriptions, through their elaboration in this unit of work.

Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

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GEOGRAPHY
Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

Geographical Inquiry and Skills

The natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location, how they
change and how they can be cared for (ACHGK005)

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Pose questions about familiar and unfamiliar places (ACHGS007)

The weather and seasons of places and the ways in which different cultural groups,
including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, describe them (ACHGK006)
The ways the activities located in a place create its distinctive features (ACHGK007)
The ways that space within places,such asclassroom or backyard, can be rearranged to suit different activities or purposes (ACHGK008)

Collect and record geographical data and information, for example, by observing, by
interviewing, or from sources such as photographs, plans, satellite images, story
books and films (ACHGS008)

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Represent data and the location of places and their features by constructing tables,
plans and labelled maps (ACHGS009)
Draw conclusions based on the interpretation of geographical information sorted into
categories (ACHGS010)
Present findings in a range of communication forms, for example, written, oral, digital
and visual, and describe the direction and location of places, using terms such as
north, south, opposite, near, far (ACHGS011)

Reflect on their learning and suggest responses to their findings (ACHGS012)

SCIENCE
Science Understanding
Selecting and integrating appropriate science knowledge to
explain and predict phenomena, and applying that knowledge
to new situations (ACSSU)

Science as Human Endeavour

A unique way of knowing and doing (ACSHE)

Science Inquiry Skills

Evaluating claims, investigating ideas, solving problems,
drawing valid conclusions and developing evidencebased arguments (ACSIS)

Living things live in different places where their needs are

met (ACSSU211)

Science involves asking questions about, and

describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE021)

Everyday materials can be physically changed in a variety of

ways (ACSSU018)

People use science in their daily lives, including when

caring for their environment and living things
(ACSHE022)

Represent and communicate observations and ideas

in a variety of ways such as oral and written language, drawing and role play (ACSIS029)

Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape (ACSSU019)

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Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

Page 3 of 8

GENERAL CAPABILITIES

CROSS - CURRICULUM PRIORITIES

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Use ICT as a creative tool to create short texts.

Read and engage with text that reflect social and cultural practices of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Use various ICT resources through the internet to access and explore various environmental issues.

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Children to develop an understanding about Aboriginal language and cultural practices.

Sustainability

Intercultural Understanding
Recognise and identify different cultures and how these can affect various ways in
which people practice sustainability around the world.

Children will develop knowledge and understand the importance and benefits of the
3Rs esp in recycling.
Investigate some recycling practices in sustainability that can be achieved.

UNIT OF INQUIRY
A Window into our Environment

RATIONALE
For the students to become aware of the features within our environment, the impact of
humans and the role they may play in caring for the environment.

KEY UNDERSTANDINGS
Changes occur in the environment; some are natural and some are the result of
human impact. Each of us have the responsibility to do our part in caring for the
environment

GUIDING QUESTIONS
What changes occur in the environment (land and sky)?
What is the impact of development on the environment?
What impact are humans having on the environment?
What can we do to help make a difference in the environment?

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Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

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OVERVIEW OF TEACHING AND LEARNING TASKS

Unit Outline (Weekly, these are not lesson plans, BUT what you plan to cover throughout the week taken from your Unit Overview)
KEY: Whole Class Small Group Individual
Week

Teaching and Learning Activities

Structure

Resources

TUNING IN

1. Window by Jeannie Baker

Read the book and discuss the changes in the environments evident in the book.
What has changed? What have you noticed? Are these changes good or bad? What are some of
your opinions? What are our preferences? Are these changes reversible?
After viewing the book, students are asked of what they are expected to see if they look out a window. Students are told to focus on the environments that they may be able to see in a school context. Write students responses on the board in the categories natural, managed and
constructed.
Pictures from the book will be printed and laminated, then arranged in a timeline on the wall. Students will add text to the images from the book to record prior knowledge and initial reactions.

Window by
Jeannie
Baker

What variety of
experiences will
be used to engage children, to
find out prior
knowledge and to
stimulate childrens curiosity?

Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

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Assessment
Questions to
check for understanding

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FINDING OUT

Experiences to
assist students to
gather new information about
the topic.

1. Spotto / Scavenger hunt Features in the school

Students set out on a mission to identify and draw/photograph natural/managed/constructed features in the school environment.
Student will set out with their clipboards/ipads to draw/photograph the features that they have spotted.

iPads
clipboards
pencils

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2. Observations: Changes in the sky and land

What changes can we observe in our school environment? e.g.. sky, trees (seasonal leaves), construction, demolition, changes in the weather.
Students will use iPads to photograph features at the same location over a period of time. Eg, deciduous tree, sun, clouds, construction site, rubbish bins. Photos will be printed and displayed within
the window frames and students will observe and describe the changes over time.

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3. The Lorax
Read The Lorax by Dr Seuss and then watch the movie.
Explore the message of the story.
How do natural/managed things change over time? - Students will plant a bean seed.

Questions to
check for understanding

The Lorax
book and
movie dvd

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4. What is the problem with rubbish?

Explore the amount of rubbish that we make as Year 1s in a day/a week/month/year. How much
rubbish will the school make?
Take a look at the rubbish produced i our classrooms or school. make an audit of the type of rubbish
and the volume of rubbish generated.
Collect class rubbish in the morning recess/lunch, sort and record.
Explore rubbish that are found all over the world, in rivers, oceans and the landscapes. How is rubbish impacting our world? How does it make you feel? What do you think can be done? What will
happen in the long run if we do not do anything about these?

rubbish
rubbish bins

5. What happens to our rubbish? Where does it go?

Bury a variety of rubbish in the ground in the school garden (glap wrap, plastics, fruit, banana peel,
bread, tin, glass, tissues etc) Observe what happens to these objects over a period of time.
Students to dig, observe and record the decomposition and make conclusions.

6. Tamala Park / Redhill Waste Management Facility (Rubbish Tip Excursion)

Excursion trip to the waste management facility

Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

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GOING
FURTHER

Personal and
small group investigations
which personalises and takes
learning further

1. Features in the school (Google Earth and mapping activity)

Students will use Google Earth to locate and view a satellite images/map of the school and the local
community.
Students will be guided into identifying the natural, managed and constructed features in the area.
On a printout map, the students will label features of the area (satellite images) and also identify the
route path between school and Tamala Park/Redhill for excursion purposes.

worksheets
map printout

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2. Noongar Seasonal Calendar (links with English)

Students will be introduced to the European seasons and create a seasons wheel.
Students will be introduced to the Kakadu seasons and compare these seasons with that of the European seasons.
Read Ernie dances to the didgeridoo and look at the times/seasons in Arnhem land.
Students will complete a chart/calendar. (See Literacy programme for other Aboriginal stories that
illustrate changes occurring in the environment).

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seasons
wheel paper
plate

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seasons
worksheet

3. What happens to our rubbish? Where does it go?

Bury a variety of rubbish in the ground in the school garden (glap wrap, plastics, fruit, banana peel,
bread, tin, glass, tissues etc) Observe what happens to these objects over a period of time.
Students to dig, observe and record the decomposition and make conclusions.

Ernie
dances to
the didgeridoo book

4. Information Reports
Write a guided report about Trees.
Write a report about the environment and/or rubbish.
Write a report about Tamala Park
REFLECTION

worksheets
for guided
reports

1. Reflection worksheet
Students will answer reflection questions on their excursion trip tot Tamala Park/Redhill Waste.

Activities to review earlier thinking, identify what

has been learnt,
to draw conclusions and make
connections between ideas

Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

Task cards

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Questions to
check for understanding

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work samples
assessments

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work samples
assessments

Questions to
check for understanding

work samples
assessments

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ACTION

Activities to share
new learning with
others by creating/constructing/
doing, to make a
dierence or act
on what has been
learnt.

1. Worm Farming
Prediction (cover page)

2. 4 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse

Students explore ways in which they can reduce the amount of rubbish that they bring to school in
their lunch boxes.
Waste free lunch days
Making brochures to spread the word
Recycling ideas

Submitted by Melissa Chng C S (10480727) UWA MTeach!

worm farm

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Questions to
check for understanding

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