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Pushes & Pulls
Forces & Motion
Understand that pushes and pulls are forces that can change the speed or direction of an object's motion, and compare the effects of different strengths and directions
Rain & Puddles
Weather & Climate
Know that rain falls from clouds in the sky, that puddles disappear because water goes back into the air, and that this is part of how water moves around — up into the sky and back down again
Rainforest Animals
Rainforests
Name and recognise iconic rainforest animals — jaguars, toucans, sloths, poison dart frogs, howler monkeys, macaws, and butterflies — and know which layer of the rainforest each lives in
Rainforest Insects
Rainforests
Know that rainforests are home to millions of insects — leaf-cutter ants that farm fungus, giant beetles, jewel-coloured butterflies, enormous spiders, and stick insects — and that insects are the most numerous animals in the rainforest
Rainforest Layers
Rainforests
Know that a rainforest has four layers from ground to sky — the forest floor (dark, damp, full of decomposing leaves), the understory (small trees and shrubs in the shade), the canopy (a thick roof of treetops where most animals live), and the emergent layer (the tallest trees poking above the canopy into bright sunlight)
Rainforest Plants
Rainforests
Know that rainforests contain an enormous variety of plants — towering kapok and Brazil nut trees, climbing vines called lianas, colourful orchids that grow on tree branches, giant water lilies, and huge leaves that funnel rainwater
Real Dinosaurs vs Fiction
Dinosaurs & Paleontology
Distinguish real dinosaurs from fictional or commonly confused creatures — pterosaurs (flying reptiles) and plesiosaurs (marine reptiles) were not dinosaurs, and movie dinosaurs are not always accurate
Recording Data
Scientific Inquiry
Gather and record data using simple methods such as tables, tally charts, and drawings to help answer questions
Reducing Human Impact
Ecosystems & Habitats
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and other living things in the local environment
Rock Pool Habitats
Ocean Life
Explore rock pools (tide pools) as small ocean habitats where crabs, anemones, starfish, and small fish can be found, and understand that these creatures are adapted to survive crashing waves and changing water levels
Seasonal changes
Earth's Systems
Observe changes across the four seasons and describe weather associated with each season, including how day length varies
Seasons & Weather Patterns
Weather & Climate
Know that weather changes with the seasons — spring brings rain and new growth, summer is warmest with long days, autumn brings cooling and falling leaves, winter is coldest with short days — and that this pattern repeats every year
Simple tests and experiments
Scientific Inquiry
Perform simple tests and use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
Spotting Constellations
Space Exploration
Recognise a few star patterns (constellations) in the night sky, starting with the Big Dipper (the Plough), and understand that the North Star (Polaris) can be found using the Big Dipper
States of Matter Vocabulary
Matter & Materials
Name and distinguish the three states of matter — solid, liquid, and gas — using properties vocabulary: hard, rigid, runny, flows, keeps its shape, fills its container; use 'change of state' to describe what happens when materials are heated or cooled
Storm Safety
Weather & Climate
Know basic storm safety: during thunder and lightning, go indoors or into a car, stay away from trees and water; understand that storms can be frightening but there are ways to stay safe
Sun, Moon & Stars
Space Exploration
Identify the Sun, Moon, and stars as objects in the sky and describe basic differences: the Sun gives light and heat during the day, stars are tiny points of light at night, and the Moon can appear in both the day and night sky
Sunlight warms things up
Energy
Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface, noticing that sunlight warms the ground, water, and objects
Temperature & Thermometers
Weather & Climate
Understand temperature as how hot or cold something is, that a thermometer measures temperature, and use words like hot, warm, cool, and cold to describe how the air feels on different days
Testing Push & Pull Designs
Forces & Motion
Analyse data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or pull
The Brain Controls the Body
The Human Body
Understand that the brain is the body’s control centre: it receives messages from the senses, thinks and makes decisions, and sends messages through nerves to tell muscles what to do
The Five Senses
The Human Body
Explore the five senses in detail: sight uses eyes to detect light, hearing uses ears to detect sound, touch uses skin to feel pressure and temperature, taste uses the tongue to detect flavours, and smell uses the nose to detect odours
The Heart & Blood
The Human Body
Understand that the heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body through tubes called blood vessels, and that we can feel our heartbeat by placing a hand on our chest or fingers on our wrist
Types of Weather
Weather & Climate
Identify and describe different types of weather — sunny, rainy, windy, snowy, cloudy, foggy, stormy — and describe what the weather is like today using simple vocabulary