New Zealand Schools OER Portal/Curriculum/Science Levels 1-4

Science

Achievement Aims

Nature of Science

Students will:

• Understanding about science
  • Learn about science as a knowledge system: the features of scientific knowledge and the processes by which it is developed; and learn about the ways in which the work of scientists interacts with society.
• Investigating in science
  • Carry out science investigations using a variety of approaches: classifying and identifying, pattern seeking, exploring, investigating models, fair testing, making things, or developing systems.
• Communicating in science
  • Develop knowledge of the vocabulary, numeric and symbol systems, and conventions of science and use this knowledge to communicate about their own and others’ ideas.
• Participating and contributing
  • Bring a scientific perspective to decisions and actions as appropriate.

Living World

Students will:

• Life processes
  • Understand the processes of life and appreciate the diversity of living things.
• Ecology
  • Understand how living things interact with each other and with the nonliving environment.
• Evolution
  • Understand the processes that drive change in groups of living things over long periods of time and be able to discuss the implications of these changes.

Planet Earth and Beyond

Students will:

• Earth systems
  • Investigate and understand the spheres of the Earth system: geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (life).
• Interacting systems
  • Investigate and understand that the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere are connected via a complex web of processes.
• Astronomical systems
  • Investigate and understand relationships between the Earth, Moon, Sun, solar system, and other systems in the universe.

Physical World

Students will:

• Physical inquiry and physics concepts
  • Explore and investigate physical phenomena in everyday situations.
• Physical concepts
  • Gain an understanding of the interactions that take place between different parts of the physical world and the ways in which these interactions can be represented.
• Using physics
  • Apply their understanding of physics to various applications.

Material World

Students will:

• Properties and changes of matter
  • Investigate the properties of materials.
• The structure of matter
  • Interpret their observations in terms of the particles (atoms, molecules, ions, and sub-atomic particles), structures, and interactions present.
  • Understand and use fundamental concepts of chemistry.
• Chemistry and society
  • Make connections between the concepts of chemistry and their applications and show an understanding of the role chemistry plays in the world around them.

Level 1

Nature of Science

Students will:

• Understanding about science
  • Appreciate that scientists ask questions about our world that lead to investigations and that open-mindedness is important because there may be more than one explanation.
• Investigating in science
  • Extend their experiences and personal explanations of the natural world through exploration, play, asking questions, and discussing simple models.
• Communicating in science
  • Build their language and develop their understandings of the many ways the natural world can be represented.
• Participating and contributing
  • Explore and act on issues and questions that link their science learning to their daily living.

Living World

Students will:

• Life processes
  • Recognise that all living things have certain requirements so they can stay alive.
• Ecology
  • Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.
• Evolution
  • Recognise that there are lots of different living things in the world and that they can be grouped in different ways.
  • Explain how we know that some living things from the past are now extinct.

Planet Earth and Beyond

Students will:

• Earth systems
  • Explore and describe natural features and resources.
• Interacting systems
  • Describe how natural features are changed and resources affected by natural events and human actions.
• Astronomical systems
  • Share ideas and observations about the Sun and the Moon and their physical effects on the heat and light available to Earth.

Physical World

Students will:

• Physical inquiry and physics concepts
  • Explore everyday examples of physical phenomena, such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism, light, sound, waves, and heat.
  • Seek and describe simple patterns in physical phenomena.

Material World

Students will:

• Properties and changes of matter
  • Observe, describe, and compare physical and chemical properties of common materials and changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated, or cooled.
• Chemistry and society
  • Find out about the uses of common materials and relate these to their observed properties.

Level 2

Nature of Science

Students will:

• Understanding about science
  • Appreciate that scientists ask questions about our world that lead to investigations and that open-mindedness is important because there may be more than one explanation.
• Investigating in science
  • Extend their experiences and personal explanations of the natural world through exploration, play, asking questions, and discussing simple models.
• Communicating in science
  • Build their language and develop their understandings of the many ways the natural world can be represented.
• Participating and contributing
  • Explore and act on issues and questions that link their science learning to their daily living.

Living World

Students will:

• Life processes
  • Recognise that all living things have certain requirements so they can stay alive.
• Ecology
  • Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.
• Evolution
  • Recognise that there are lots of different living things in the world and that they can be grouped in different ways.
  • Explain how we know that some living things from the past are now extinct.

Planet Earth and Beyond

Students will:

• Earth systems
  • Explore and describe natural features and resources.
• Interacting systems
  • Describe how natural features are changed and resources affected by natural events and human actions.
• Astronomical systems
  • Share ideas and observations about the Sun and the Moon and their physical effects on the heat and light available to Earth.

Physical World

Students will:

• Physical inquiry and physics concepts
  • Explore everyday examples of physical phenomena, such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism, light, sound, waves, and heat.
  • Seek and describe simple patterns in physical phenomena.

Material World

Students will:

• Properties and changes of matter
  • Observe, describe, and compare physical and chemical properties of common materials and changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated, or cooled.
• Chemistry and society
  • Find out about the uses of common materials and relate these to their observed properties.

Level 3

Nature of Science

Students will:

• Understanding about science
  • Appreciate that science is a way of explaining the world and that science knowledge changes over time.
  • Identify ways in which scientists work together and provide evidence to support their ideas.
• Investigating in science
  • Build on prior experiences, working together to share and examine their own and others’ knowledge.
  • Ask questions, find evidence, explore simple models, and carry out appropriate investigations to develop simple explanations.
• Communicating in science
  • Begin to use a range of scientific symbols, conventions, and vocabulary.
  • Engage with a range of science texts and begin to question the purposes for which these texts are constructed.
• Participating and contributing
  • Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them.
  • Explore various aspects of an issue and make decisions about possible actions.

Living World

Students will:

• Life processes
  • Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.
• Ecology
  • Explain how living things are suited to their particular habitat and how they respond to environmental changes, both natural and human-induced.
• Evolution
  • Begin to group plants, animals, and other living things into science-based classifications.
  • Explore how the groups of living things we have in the world have changed over long periods of time and appreciate that some living things in New Zealand are quite different from living things in other areas of the world.

Planet Earth and Beyond

Students will:

• Earth systems
  • Appreciate that water, air, rocks and soil, and life forms make up our planet and recognise that these are also Earth’s resources.
• Interacting systems
  • Investigate the water cycle and its effect on climate, landforms, and life.
• Astronomical systems
  • Investigate the components of the solar system, developing an appreciation of the distances between them.

Physical World

Students will:

• Physical inquiry and physics concepts
  • Explore, describe, and represent patterns and trends for everyday examples of physical phenomena, such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism, light, sound, waves, and heat.
  • For example, identify and describe the effect of forces (contact and non-contact) on the motion of objects; identify and describe everyday examples of sources of energy, forms of energy, and energy transformations.

Material World

Students will:

• Properties and changes of matter
  • Group materials in different ways, based on the observations and measurements of the characteristic chemical and physical properties of a range of different materials.
  • Compare chemical and physical changes.
• Chemistry and society
  • Relate the observed, characteristic chemical and physical properties of a range of different materials to technological uses and natural processes.

Level 4

Nature of Science

Students will:

• Understanding about science
  • Appreciate that science is a way of explaining the world and that science knowledge changes over time.
  • Identify ways in which scientists work together and provide evidence to support their ideas.
• Investigating in science
  • Build on prior experiences, working together to share and examine their own and others’ knowledge.
  • Ask questions, find evidence, explore simple models, and carry out appropriate investigations to develop simple explanations.
• Communicating in science
  • Begin to use a range of scientific symbols, conventions, and vocabulary.
  • Engage with a range of science texts and begin to question the purposes for which these texts are constructed.
• Participating and contributing
  • Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them.
  • Explore various aspects of an issue and make decisions about possible actions.

Living World

Students will:

• Life processes
  • Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.
• Ecology
  • Explain how living things are suited to their particular habitat and how they respond to environmental changes, both natural and human-induced.
• Evolution
  • Begin to group plants, animals, and other living things into science-based classifications.
  • Explore how the groups of living things we have in the world have changed over long periods of time and appreciate that some living things in New Zealand are quite different from living things in other areas of the world.

Planet Earth and Beyond

Students will:

• Earth systems
  • Develop an understanding that water, air, rocks and soil, and life forms make up our planet and recognise that these are also Earth’s resources.
• Interacting systems
  • Investigate the water cycle and its effect on climate, landforms, and life.
• Astronomical systems
  • Investigate the components of the solar system, developing an appreciation of the distances between them.

Physical World

Students will:

• Physical inquiry and physics concepts
  • Explore, describe, and represent patterns and trends for everyday examples of physical phenomena, such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism, light, sound, waves, and heat.
  • For example, identify and describe the effect of forces (contact and non-contact) on the motion of objects; identify and describe everyday examples of sources of energy, forms of energy, and energy transformations.

Material World

Students will:

• Properties and changes of matter
  • Group materials in different ways, based on the observations and measurements of the characteristic chemical and physical properties of a range of different materials.
  • Compare chemical and physical changes.
• The structure of matter
  • Begin to develop an understanding of the particle nature of matter and use this to explain observed changes.
• Chemistry and society
  • Relate the observed, characteristic chemical and physical properties of a range of different materials to technological uses and natural processes.