English Stage 4 & 5 Unit Overview

Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks

Focus: The Needs of Living Things

Concept: Interconnectedness

Key Question: What do living things need to survive?

Key Learning Ideas: What are the things I need to stay alive? How do living things obtain their needs of life from the environment? What can we do to help living things in their environment?

Assessment Opportunities: Environmental Education Objectives Outcomes: Students will develop: HSIE SSES1 Identifies ways in which their own Activity 9 – Review needs for bush camping drawing. Knowledge and understandings about… needs and the needs of others are met, individually The drawing must include shelter, air, water, food for the nature and function of ecosystems and how and cooperatively. both human and teddy. they are interrelated (K1) the impact of people on environments (K2). HSIE ENES1 Gathers information about natural and built environments and communicates some of the Cross curricular content: Skills in: ways in which they interact with, and can care, for adopting behaviours and practices that protect the these environments. Literacy: environment (S2). Writing of descriptions, procedures and information Sci Tec LTES1.3 Identifies ways in which living reports. Values and attitudes relating to: things are different and have different needs. Numeracy: a respect for life on Earth (V1) a commitment to act for the environment (V3). Foundation Statement: Students explore their immediate environment by using the senses, questioning, sharing ideas and identifying simple cause-and-effect relationships. Students identify and group living and non-living things and recognise the different needs of living things.

Rationale

All living things need certain things to survive, these include air, water, shelter and food. To understand the needs of plants and animals, and to engender a sense of care for these things, it is important that students first have a deep understanding of their own needs. To help make the connection between humans’ needs and the needs of plants and animals, a teddy bear is used. The teddy bear provides a focus for an excursion to a natural area looking at the needs of teddies and other living things. The unit culminates in students designing a bush camp or picnic for themselves and their teddy.

Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks

Outcomes Content / Ideas Teaching Learning Strategies Resources Quality Teaching Activity 1 - KWL IWB or butchers Background paper or worksheet Knowledge Use a KWL to pre-test student knowledge. A KWL organiser provides students with a framework to explore their prior knowledge on a topic and consider what Smart Notebook – they would like to know and learn. KWL chart – K – stands for helping students recall what they KNOW about the subject. http://www.fieldofm W – stands for helping the students determine what they WANT to learn. ar- L – stands for helping student identify and reflect upon what they have LEARNT e.schools.nsw.edu. at the end of the unit. au/page7/page7.ht ml What do living things need to survive/stay alive/live? - K What do we want to find out? - W What did we learn about the needs of living things? - L (ask at the conclusion of the unit)

KWL What do living things What do we want to What did we learn need to stay alive? find out? about the needs of living things?

LTES1.3 Living vs non Activity 2 - What is a living thing? Digital photos of Background living living and non living knowledge Before the activity, take photos of living and non-living things in your school. things in your Print two copies of each photo (separate into two sets) to sort with the class later school Metalanguage or file for use on the IWB. Smart Notebook – Substantive Explore and discuss what students know about living things and how they are Living and Non- communication different to non-living things. A living thing is often defined as something that Living – can grow, move and reproduce. http://www.fieldofm ar- Take the students for a walk around the school and identify living and non-living e.schools.nsw.edu. things. Return to the classroom and show the students the previously taken au/page7/page7.ht photos of living and non-living things in your school. The students sort these ml photos into the living and non-living thing categories.

Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks Memory game. Mix both sets of photos and place upside down onto the carpet in a grid. Taking turns students turn two photos at a time trying to find a matching pair.

LTES1.3 Living things have Activity 3 - All living things have needs Picture book - The Connectedness needs Very Hungry Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the students. Use this picture book to Caterpillar by Eric Background stimulate a class discussion to establish that all living things have needs. The Carle knowledge students could open their lunch box to look at what they have for morning tea/lunch. Ask questions such as: Why do you have morning tea/lunch? What Photo or puppet of would happen if you did not have morning tea or lunch? a pet

The discussion could then be expanded to other living things, eg, pets. Ask Let’s Get a Pup by questions such as: Where does your pet live? What does your pet like to eat? Bob Graham What would happen if your pet did not get enough food and water? etc. This OR activity could conclude with the reading of the picture book Let’s Get a Pup by Baby Bilby, Where Bob Graham or Baby Bilby, Where do You Sleep? By Narelle Oliver do You Sleep? By Narelle Oliver All living things need to have air, shelter, water and food to survive.

SSES1 My needs Activity 4 - My needs Digital photos or Deep magazine pictures understanding Using an IWB, on the board, or by role-play, demonstrate to the students the of the things needs of life of the classroom teacher, ie, clothes, food, water, clothing/shelter. needed for survival Connectedness Download or draw the outline of a male or female. Complete the outline by adding clothing, food eaten, shelter, air and water. Use digital photos, drawings Smart Notebook – or magazine cut outs of the things the teacher would need to survive in a day. My Needs – http://www.fieldofm Students identify their needs through questions such as: What are you ar- wearing? What do you live in? What have you eaten today? What do you e.schools.nsw.edu. drink? What do you breathe? Why do you think you need those things? What au/page7/page7.ht do you think would happen if you did not have those things? ml

Using the provided outlines, students complete the line drawings by drawing the Worksheet - My things they need to survive: food, water, shelter and clothing. Needs (below)

Extension Activities Discuss and research where our food actually comes from, eg, farms, orchards. TaLe Learning Object: Island Life Download the Island life Needs and Wants learning object from TaLe. Students Needs and Wants need to choose items that they need to survive on an island. In this learning L1008 object, these items are education, wood, medicine, food, water and a garbage bin.

Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks SSES1 Connectedness Activity 5 - Teddy Bears’ Picnic excursion with Field of Mars EEC or Teddy or any soft Engagement Gibberagong EEC toy animal. ENES1 Interrelationships Deep Prior to the excursion read the letter from Edward, Chief Teddy, to the students. Earth Walk props – understanding LTES1.3 The Chief Teddy hints that the students will learn a special secret: the secret of magnifying glasses, P.A.W.S. That is: P – Plants for food; A – Air; W – Water; S – Shelter colour chips, bird Connectedness callers. The activity has as its ‘centrepiece’ the students’ own teddy bears that they bring Narrative on the excursion. If the students do not have a teddy, any soft toy animal can be Teddy bear tag and brought along. musical trees – teddy bear ears, The excursion aims to: teddy bear picnic  nurture respect for the natural world through first hand contact song and sound  connect prior learning about human needs to the general needs of all living system, tree bibs. things in the bush  provide some understanding of how living things obtain their needs of life Create a forest – from the environment and what those needs are small plastic models  encourage young people to make a positive contribution to caring for the of food, animals, environment at a level appropriate to their age. shelter and water.

The following describes the activities that occur on the excursion.

Welcome and Big Book Introductory Story The Big Book story introduces the students to the basic needs of life, the activities for the day and the letters, P.A.W.S.

Earth Walk This walk is designed to develop sensory awareness of a bushland environment, with links to the teddy bear and needs of life theme. The Earth Walk contains a variety of sensory activities. Activities could include viewing through tube-a-scopes (made with hands), touching a variety of textures, listening to sounds, matching colour chips, smelling ‘whiff tea’, and mini magic spots.

Teddy Bear Tag and Musical Trees This activity focuses on the needs of life: P.A.W.S.: Plants for food; Air; Water; Shelter.

The Teddy Bear Tag game reinforces P.A.W.S. Badges and teddy bear ears are handed out to the students. Each ‘bear’ or pair of ‘bear brothers/sisters’ have to collect four students wearing badges: one of each P.A.W.S. and take them back to their ‘den’ one at a time until they have all the needs of life.

Musical trees reinforces the importance of trees in providing the needs of life.

Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks The game is introduced by explaining how teddy bears can get all their needs of life from a forest. When the music plays the ‘bears’ dance around the cleared area and when the music stops, every bear must hold onto a ‘tree’. The ‘bears’ then pretend to shelter under the ‘tree’, breathe the fresh air it has made or feed on its leaves. Before the music starts again, ‘Chainsaw Charlie’ cuts down one or more ‘trees’. The game continues leaving one ‘tree’ standing which the ‘bears’ surround and protect. The ‘trees’ are then re-planted.

Lost Teddy Bear Hunt On their return to the place where the students left their lunches and teddies, they find that they have gone missing. They will notice Edward and a note addressed to the students. The students, in their small groups and led by an adult,, follow the red or yellow P.A.W.S. boards hanging nearby. Each has a picture of a teddy either drinking water, eating part of a plant, breathing air or sheltering. These give the clues as to where the teddies have gone. The groups follow the clues, discussing each need of life as they proceed. The trail will lead the students to a lunch spot where the teddies are sitting around tablecloths with their owners’ lunch boxes.

The Old Forest Story Using a large story board, the students will be told a story about a forest with many animals that is cleared for a house and then farmland. The students are asked what they could do to get the animals to return, i.e., how to provide the needs of life. The story is immediately followed by ‘Create a Forest’ where the students ‘plant’ trees and create the needs of life for Australian animals.

Create a Forest This culminating activity is designed to consolidate the day’s learning. The students will work in their group of 6 and use plastic plants, pond and animals and collected small rocks, logs, bark, to create a pretend habitat for Australian animals. When their habitats have been created, providing the needs of life, the animals are placed into them. Each group will ‘tour’ the other groups’ habitats.

SSES1 Animal needs Activity 6 - The needs of animals DET Animals in Deep Schools Guidelines understanding ENES1 Introduce a class pet to the class. Invertebrates make great class pets as they http://www.schools. can be low maintenance and easy to look after. Check the DET Animals in nsw.edu.au/animals Substantive LTES1.3 Schools Guidelines (link provided) for requirements for all vertebrate animals, inschools/resources communication some will require a licence. /guidelines/index.ht m Knowledge Ask students to describe the things that need to be done to look after the animal. integration Ask questions like: My Pet and I T Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks What will the animal live in? -chart Students self What will the animal need while it’s in our classroom? regulation What kind of food will the animal need? Class pet eg spider, How can we care for the animal over the weekend? bird, stick insect, Why do you think the animal needs those things? bush cockroach, What do you think would happen if the animal didn’t have those things? guinea pig, fish, tadpoles, mice, Introduce the My Pet and I T-chart. Discuss the purpose of the chart. rabbits, hermit Students complete the chart by drawing the needs of the class pet compared to crabs, silk worms, their needs. hatching chickens (http://www.chicksru Develop a class roster for care of the class pet. s.com.au/main.asp) etc Using a science journal, students record observations of the class pet including descriptions of food eaten, water and shelter required. These journal entries Pet habitat and food could be in the form of photos, labelled drawings, written descriptions, procedures and information reports. Class roster

Labels appropriate to the animal

Science journal

Creature features video clips http://www.abc.net. au/creaturefeatures/

LTES1.3 Plant needs Activity 7 - The needs of plants. Vegetable or herb Engagement seedlings, eg, Plants convert sunlight into food and energy. They also get their food and lettuce, beans and Deep nutrients from the soil. alfalfa. understanding

Students discuss what plants need in order to grow (air, water, sunlight, soil). Plastic Cups Knowledge Ask students to predict what would happen if one of these needs was changed integration or removed. Soil

List the students’ predictions eg ”If we put a plant in the dark it won’t grow”, “If we don’t water a plant it wont grow”, “Plants need water and light to grow”. Primary Connections Students will be working in cooperative learning teams of two. One student acts http://www.science. as the speaker, the other as a manager. The manager is responsible for org.au/primaryconn collecting and returning the team’s equipment. The speaker is responsible for ections/index.htm asking the teacher or another team’s speaker for help, they are the only person who may leave the team and seek help. Additional information on cooperative Smart Notebook – Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks teams can be found in the Primary Connections science and literacy units. Plant investigation graph – Explain that the students are going to use seedlings to investigate what will http://www.fieldofm happen and to see if their predictions are correct. Quick growing leafy herbs or ar- vegetables are suitable for this activity. e.schools.nsw.edu. au/page7/page7.ht One plant will be placed in a part of the room that provides all its needs : water, ml sunlight and soil (food). Refer to this plant as the ‘control’ for all the science investigations. This means this is the plant that remains the same for all the experiments. Personal or class science journal The three investigations, sunlight, water and soil, are allocated to the cooperative learning teams. These plant investigations are referred to as the ‘variables’. ‘Variables’ are the changes to these plants’ needs that affect the Big book: Garden plants. Mystery: A Science Journal by Sunlight Investigation - Place a seedling into a dark area like a cupboard or Josephine Crosier storeroom. Ensure it is watered when the control plant is watered.

Water investigation - Place a seedling near the control plant but do not provide it with water.

Soil investigation - Wash the soil from the roots of the seeding. Place the seedling into a plastic cup located near the control plant. Ensure it is watered when the control plant is watered.

In their science journal, or class science journal, students record their observations of the control and variable seedlings at the beginning of the experiment and then on a weekly basis. Cooperative learning teams report to the class on their observations. Construct a graph of the results, on the IWB, or for display.

ENES1 Interrelationships Activity 8 - Caring for animals and plants in our school Teacher – Problematic investigate potential knowledge LTES1.3 Habitats Take students on an investigation of the school grounds looking for animals, animals and animal animal evidence and habitats. During the walk discuss why we need to care for habitats in school Student direction animals and plants in our school. Look for evidence of things people have left grounds behind that may be harmful to animals, eg rubbish, trampling of gardens/plants, Higher order etc. Ask the students to identity places that provide good homes for animals thinking and places that could be improved. Plants or other items for improving During the walk use some activities from the Earth Walk done on the Teddy habitats Bears’ Picnic to explore your school grounds. Eg , listening, touching, feeling, Tube-o-scopes, Sky in a Pond, Presents from the Garden, Special Places for Tiny Teddies, Touch Bags (see Appendix) Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks

Lead the students in a brainstorm of ways the school could be improved to care for animals and plants. These could include piles of sticks/logs/rocks for lizards, native plants for food (grasses, shrubs, trees), flowering native plants, a pond for water, nest boxes, or removal of rubbish.

SSES1 Needs of living Activity 9 – A camping adventure Kidpix Explicit quality things criteria ENES1 Individually, the students use Kidpix or paper to create and plan a bush camping Teddy adventure for themselves and their teddy. They must Include the needs of life in Student direction LTES1.3 the plan: air, water, food, clothing and shelter. Assessment opportunity. Diorama materials OR Deep In small groups, students construct a model of their planned campsite as a Camping materials understanding diorama using natural materials. Alternatively, hold a ‘day camp’ or picnic in the such as tents, school grounds with the students creating shelters using boxes, sheets and/or sheets, ropes, camping gear. Students can tell their teddies all the things they learned about tarps, boxes, bark human, animal and plant needs over the term. etc.

Assessment – Review the needs for bush camping drawings. The drawing must include air, water, food, clothing and shelter for both humans and teddies.

Review Activity 1 KWL and complete the ‘L’: What did we learn about the needs of living things?

Appendix: Earth Walk Activities

Quality Teaching

Intellectual Quality Quality Learning Environment Significance

DK Deep knowledge EQC Explicit quality criteria BK Background knowledge

DU Deep understanding E Engagement CK Cultural knowledge

PK Problematic knowledge HE High expectations KI Knowledge integration

H-OT Higher-order thinking SS Social support I Inclusively

M Metalanguage SSR Students’ self-regulation C Connectedness

SC Substantive communication SD Student direction N Narrative

KWL chart – Knowledge, Want to find out, Have learnt What do living things need to What do we want to find out? What did we learn about the stay alive? needs of living things?

My Needs Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks

Image source: http://churchbabies.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-am-thankful-for-food-clothing.html Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field ofhttp://bp1.blogger.com/_7rAPcLs2lIE/RuXluvUwDhI/AAAAAAAAARc/upYpiwZlAuc/s1600-h/paper+dolls+(girl+ Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009 %26+boy).jpghttp://churchbabies.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-am-thankful-for-food-clothing.html Stage: Early Stage 1 KLA: HSIE & SciTech Focus: The Needs of Living Things Duration: 10 weeks 17 Bear Cottage Bear Forest Teddyland

Dear Students ,

You are invited to become a Teddy Bear Guardian. We know that you all look after your Teddy Bears very well. What many people do not know is that Teddy Bears once looked after themselves. They lived wild in the forest.

To learn how to be a Teddy Bear Guardian you can come to our forest. In the forest they can find all they need to live.

You should bring your Teddy with you. If you haven’t got a Teddy bring another animal. Invite your Teddy to come on a picnic. When you come on the picnic, you will learn the secret of PAWS.

We look forward to seeing you.

Yours sincerely,

Edward

Edward Chief Teddy

My Pet and I T- Chart My pet’s needs are: My needs are:

Developed by Steve Papp, Gaye Braiding (Field of Mars EEC) Stephen Wright (Gibberagong EEC), Luba Dempsy, Angela Reynolds (Wideview PS) August 2009