STEM

 

At Freshwater Bay, our specialist STEM program provides an empirical way for students to become agile and flexible problem solvers prepared to engage with a world that demands high level skills and innovative thinking.

 

Our aim is to foster the development of students’ scientific literacy and inquiry. This enables students to ask questions, conduct investigations, collect and interpret data, critique claims, and make informed decisions. The wider benefits of ‘scientific literacy’ is well established, giving students the capability to investigate the natural world and changes made to it through human activity.

 

Freshwater Bay students are provided with a platform, upon which to ask, and answer significant questions about the biological, physical and technological world around them. Students are engaged in scientific thinking and work in ways that build their capacity to think critically and reason creatively.

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IN TERM 2 2023   SCIENCE – Biological Sciences

Students will – delve into the life of plants and what they need to survive; explore how animals and humans use their senses; examine the habitats of small animals and insects to determine their basic needs; find out how flowers rely on animals to germinate and disperse their seeds; study how salinity affects the growth of plants; determine the best conditions for yeast and mould to grow and survive; and more!

Year 1:

Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)
Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211).

e.g. “I can create a flower with all its features (roots, stem, leaves and flower) and explain the role of each.”

Year 2:

Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030)

e.g. “I can research and draw the features of a living thing. I can find identify living things in different habitats and find examples in our garden.”

Year 3:

Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)

e.g. “I can explain the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates and I can list examples.”

Year 4:

Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072). Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)

e.g. “I can explain the difference between a seedling in different conditions: no water, no air, no sunlight etc.”

Year 5:

Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)

e.g. “I can differentiate between structural and behavioural adaptations in animals.”

Year 6:

The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)

e.g. “I can identify beneficial vs harmful microorganisms and explain why they belong to each category.”