Educational Resource:

Living Things Grow and Change

Year 2 Science

Links to the Australian Curriculum Year 2 Content Descriptions

Science Understanding:

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

Science Inquiry Skills:

EvaluatingCompare observations with those of others (ACSIS041)

CommunicatingRepresent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways (ACSIC042)

Page 1

Information for Teachers

Introduction

This educational resource will assist teachers to maximise learning opportunities for their students whilst visiting the Territory Wildlife Park. The resource consists of activities linked to the Australian Curriculum under the learning area of science. The curriculum content descriptions for this resource are listed below.

Make a special home for invertebrates in the school yard to allow the students to observe changes to the animal and it’s environment over time.

1. Have your class create a sheltered home for invertebrates by collecting rocks and leaves. Have the students check this spot in a week to see if any invertebrates are living there. Ask students to record what they see and have a class discussion about the observations that were made.

2. As a class, set up some flowering plants in the garden and see which butterflies come to visit. Take photos to document the butterflies and use wildlife apps to help the students identify which butterflies they have seen.

3. Make a worm farm! Follow the links below for instructions on making your very own worm farm. As a group the class can collect leftover food scraps from the canteen to help feed the worms. Have the students observe and record the worms as they care for them. Ask the students to make predictions about what the worms need to stay alive.

Get the link!

Page 2

Information for Teachers Classroom Activities

Curriculum reference: ACSSU030 ACSIS042

~ How to build your own worm

farmhttp://www.planetkids.biz/documents/How_to_

Build_Your_Own_Worm_Farm.pdf

~Making wildlife habitat at home

http://www.nwf.org/how-to-help/garden-for-wild-

life/create-a-habitat.aspx

~Set up bugs in your classroom:Bugs Alive - A guide to Keeping Australian InvertebratesCSIRO Publishinghttp://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/5871.

htm

Get the link!

Page 3

Information for Teachers Useful Links

~QuestaGameThis app allows kids to join real outdoor quests and experience and record the excitement of wildlife.

http//portal.questagame.com

~ABC Bugs Developed by Peapod

Labs LLC, this app teaches

children with a fun journey

into the extraordinary world of bugs.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/

abc-bugs/id660789586?mt=8

~ABC Wildlife

Developed by Peapod

Labs LLC, this app teaches

children new words through

sight sound and touch.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/

abc-wildlife/id379192277?mt=8

Have a class discussion about how living things change during their life...

~Can you name some living things that have a life cycle? Write them down in the space below.

1........................................................................................................................

2........................................................................................................................

3.........................................................................................................................

Page 4

Curriculum reference: ACSSU030

Fun Fact!

Butterfly

Does the Saltwater

Crocodile change during

it’s life? How?

Thinking Cap:

Before Your Excursion

Living Things Grow and Change(year 2)

A LIFE CYCLE describes the stages that a living thing goes through during it’s life. An animal may look different when it is at different stages of its life cycle.

As a class go out into the school yard and look for a living thing...

~Draw what it looks like in the box below.

Before Your Excursion

Living Things Grow and Change(year 2)

Page 5

Curriculum reference: ACSIS041 ACSIC042

Fun Fact!When we use our senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste) to notice something, this

is called an OBSERVATION - this is what science is all about!

Have a look at your

classmates’ drawings...

~How are they the same?

~How are they different?

Thinking Cap:

Living things grow and change throughout their lives...

~Try to find a butterfly at the Wildlife Park and think about it’s life cycle. Did it always look the way it looks now?

~Have a look at the butterfly life cycle below and try to put it in order. One has been done for you.

Egg

Pupae

Caterpillar

Butterfly

2

1

3

4

At the Wildlife Park

Living Things Grow and Change(year 2)

Page 6

Curriculum reference: ACSSU030

How does a bird start it’s life?

How does it change?

Thinking Cap:

Go to the Aquarium and observe the Saltwater Crocodile...

~How do you think the crocodile changes throughout it’s life?

~Below is the life cycle of a crocodile but it is jumbled up. See if you can draw lines to link the words, numbers and pictures in the correct order.

At the Wildlife Park

Living Things Grow and Change(year 2)

Page 7

Curriculum reference: ACSSU030

1

Juvenile AdultEgg

2 3

Curriculum reference: ACSSU030 At the Wildlife Park

Living Things Grow and Change(year 2)

Page 8

Curriculum reference: ACSSU030

Have a look for the animals in the pictures that live at the Wildlife Park. Some of these animals began life as an egg and some did not... ~See if you can sort the animals below into the two categories by drawing a line to link the picture with the correct category.

Started

life as

an EGG

DID NOT

start life as

an EGG

Page 9

Nature Notes!

Use the space below to record your observations while visiting the Wildlife Park.

Curriculum reference: ACSIS042

Page 10

Nature Notes!

Use the space below to record your observations while visiting the Wildlife Park. Curriculum reference: ACSIS042

Page 11

Drawing Corner!

Use the space below to record your observations through drawing while visiting the Wildlife Park.

Curriculum reference: ACSIS042

Black Flying Fox

(Pteropus

aleco)

Colour Corner!

INOUT

Whiprays

The Oolloo Sandbar

Picnic Area

Walking pathRoad

Legend

Open only during show times

In the event of an emergencyPlease muster at the nearest train stationAnd await assistance from Park staff.

CAMP WOOLLYBUTT

Park Map