Year 3 - Science
Exploring the Reef
Year 3 Australian Science Curriculum Focus
Recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and investigating them.
Students investigate and make links between different features of the Great Barrier Reef and the specific needs of living
things.
Students develop an understanding of:
• The Great Barrier Reef – its features and its importance
• Living and non-living things on the Great Barrier Reef
• Survival needs of marine life
• Features of marine animals
• Relationships between animals, plants and living and non-living things
• Threats to the Great Barrier Reef
Inquiry questions for the unit:
• What is the Great Barrier Reef?
• What are living and non-living things?
• What are the survival needs and features of marine life on the Great Barrier Reef?
• What are some of the relationships between animals, plants and living and non-living things on the
Great Barrier Reef?
• Why is the health of marine life on the Great Barrier Reef so important?
• What are threats to the Great Barrier Reef?
• Are there ways the Great Barrier Reef can be protected?
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Year 3 Unit Overview — Exploring the Reef
School name
Unit title
Duration of unit
Exploring the Reef
Approximately five weeks (could be extended out to a termlong unit, approximately eight weeks, by extending out some
activities to explore the concepts more in depth. See notes
in unit.)
Unit outline
Year 3 Australian Science Curriculum Focus – Recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and investigating them.
Students investigate and make links between different features of the Great Barrier Reef and the specific needs of living things.
Students develop an understanding of:
The Great Barrier Reef – its features and its importance
Living and non-living things on the Great Barrier Reef
Survival needs of marine life
Features of marine animals
Relationships between animals, plants and living and non-living things
Threats to the Great Barrier Reef
Inquiry questions for the unit:
What is the Great Barrier Reef?
What are living and non-living things?
What are the survival needs and features of marine life on the Great Barrier Reef?
What are some of the relationships between animals, plants and living and non-living things on the Great Barrier Reef?
Why is the health of marine life on the Great Barrier Reef so important?
What are the current threats to the Great Barrier Reef?
Are there ways the Great Barrier Reef can be protected?
Year 3 Level Description – Between Years 3 to 6, students develop their understanding of a range of systems operating at different time and geographic scales. In Year 3,
students observe heat and its effects on solids and liquids and begin to develop an understanding of energy flows through simple systems. In observing day and night, they
develop an appreciation of regular and predictable cycles. Students order their observations by grouping and classifying. In classifying things as living or non-living they begin
to recognise that classifications are not always easy to define or apply. They begin to quantify their observations to enable comparison, and learn more sophisticated ways of
identifying and representing relationships, including the use of tables and graphs to identify trends. They use their understanding of relationships between components of
simple systems to make predictions.
Year 3 Achievement Standard – By the end of Year 3 students describe how they can use science investigations to respond to questions and identify where people use
science knowledge in their lives. They collect and present data in a way that helps to answer their questions and use their experiences to make predictions. Students
describe features common to living things. They use their knowledge of the movement of the Earth, materials and the behaviour of heat to suggest explanations for everyday
observations.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teacher Notes
Unit overview
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) Exploring the Reef Teaching Unit is a science based Year 3 unit of work. The content descriptors for this unit are
from the 2011 Australian Science Curriculum (www.australiancurriculum.edu.au). Following the inquiry based 5Es approach to teaching science, the unit is based on the
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) expectations of a minimum of one hour per week of science lessons for Year 3 students. Each lesson
is of approximately 45 minutes duration, with some lessons requiring more time to allow further depth of study or time for excursions. The nature of science investigations is
to follow the line of student inquiry to promote and encourage students to think like scientists. Teachers may find that students will need, or want, to complete investigations
other than those suggested in the teaching strategies outlined in this unit. Students are to be encouraged to follow their own line of inquiry, and in the case where students do
this, the teaching strategies and resources outlined in this unit may be used as a guide to supplement the student directed investigations. The overall unit or the individual
lessons could be extended or shortened to cater for individual classes as deemed necessary by the class teacher. Teachers will need to allow time to prepare for the lessons
prior to teaching each lesson.
Aim of the unit
The lessons are structured to build students' knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef to reach the final goal of being able to make links between different features of the Great
Barrier Reef and the specific needs of living things. Students will be able to identify a range of features of living and non-living things found on the Great Barrier Reef and
explain the relationships between those things. Students will also research threats to the Great Barrier Reef and identify ways to care for the Reef. The health of individual
marine life on the Great Barrier Reef is vital to the health of the overall Reef (for more information on the Great Barrier Reef see below in ‘Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Information’ and also www.gbrmpa.gov.au). Teaching students about living and non-living things on the Great Barrier Reef will build their environmental knowledge and
encourage their understanding of sustainability and stewardship. The main premise of this unit is coastal development and climate change, which are two of the Key Focus
Areas of the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009 (see www.gbrmpa.gov.au for more information on the Outlook Report 2009). GBRMPA encourages teachers to follow
the main aim of Reef Guardianship – to be stewards of the environment.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Information
o The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park:
 is the largest coral reef system in the world
 has 2900 reefs
 has 600 continental islands
 has 300 coral cays
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 covers 344 000km
 is approximately 2300km in length
 extends from the northern tip of Queensland south to just north of Bundaberg
 is between 60km and 250km in width
 has an average depth of water of 35m in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon
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 is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world (about 344 000km )
 includes the air above and the earth beneath the sea.
 was created in 1975 under legislation called the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
o Types of habitats in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park:
 Only six percent of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park consists of coral reefs. The rest is made up of seagrass, mangroves, sand, algal and sponge
gardens, inter-reefal communities and other habitats. It is home to:
o 1500 species of fish
o 360 species of hard coral
o one third of the world’s soft corals
o 5000-8000 species of molluscs (e.g. shells)
o 400-500 species of marine algae
o 600 species of echinoderms (e.g. starfish, sea urchins)
o 17 species of sea snakes
o 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds that live and breed on the islands
o 13 000 dugong (Australia’s entire dugong population is about 90 000)
o six species of marine turtles, all listed as threatened (including the endemic flatback marine turtle)
o 30 species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins).
o Importance of a healthy Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009, www.gbrmpa.gov.au)
The Great Barrier Reef is a national and international icon, famous for its beauty and vast scale. It is the largest and best known coral reef ecosystem in the
world. The reefs of the Great Barrier Reef (almost 3000 in total) represent about ten percent of all the coral reef areas in the world. Virtually all groups of
marine plants and animals are abundantly represented in the Great Barrier Reef, with thousands of different species living there.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple use marine park, supporting a wide range of uses including commercial tourism, defence activities, fishing, ports and
shipping, recreation, scientific research and Indigenous traditional use. It brings billions of dollars into Australia’s economy each year and supports more than 50 000
jobs.
Within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, a number of activities such as mining and oil drilling are strictly prohibited. There is careful management of all other
activities such as fishing, commercial marine tourism and shipping operations. A range of measures are employed to manage the various uses of the Marine Park
and to protect its values. For example, a Zoning Plan defines what activities can occur in which locations, both to protect the marine environment and to separate
potentially conflicting activities.
About 70 Great Barrier Reef Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owner clan groups hold a range of past and present heritage values for their land and
sea country and for surrounding sea countries. These values may be cultural, spiritual, economic, social or physical, and demonstrate continuing connections with the
Great Barrier Reef region and its natural resources.
The Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981, the first coral reef ecosystem in the world to have this distinction and the only such coral reef
region that has ever qualified on all four natural criteria. This recognition continues to highlight the international significance of the Great Barrier Reef. It also carries
an obligation and responsibility to protect and conserve its values for all future generations and to present its values to the world.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Unit Lessons Overview
Engage
Lesson 1: The Great Barrier Reef
Explore
Lesson 2: Traditional Owners
Extension for eight week unit – Traditional Owner Visit
Lesson 3: Aquarium
Extension for eight week unit – 3D Display
Explain
Lesson 4: What is living and non-living?
Lesson 5: Marine Life Investigations
Extension for eight week unit Lesson A – Coral
Extension for eight week unit Lesson B – Fish
Extension for eight week unit Lesson C – Special Relationships
Elaborate
Extension for eight week unit - Excursion
Lesson 6: Pollution Experiment
Lesson 7: Cause-and-Effect
Evaluate
Lesson 8: Project Preparation
Lesson 9: Project Preparation
Lesson 10: Project Preparation
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Identify curriculum
Content descriptions to be taught
Science Understandings
Science as a Human Endeavour
Science Inquiry Skills
Biological Sciences
Living things can be grouped on
the basis of observable features
and can be distinguished from
non-living things
Nature and Development of Science
Science involves making
predictions and describing
patterns and relationships
Questioning and Predicting
With guidance, identify questions in
familiar contexts that can be
investigated scientifically and
predict what might happen based
on prior knowledge
Use and Influence of Science
Science knowledge helps people
to understand the effect of their
actions
Planning and Conducting
Suggest ways to plan and conduct
investigations to find answers to
questions
Safely use appropriate materials,
tools or equipment to make and
record observations, using formal
measurements and digital
technologies as appropriate
Processing and Analysing Data and
Information
Use a range of methods including
tables and simple column graphs to
represent data and to identify
patterns and trends
Compare results with predictions,
suggesting possible reasons for
findings
Evaluating
Reflect on the investigation,
including whether a test was fair or
not
Communicating
Represent and communicate ideas
and findings in a variety of ways
such as diagrams, physical
representations and simple reports
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General capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities
Literacy
Communicate confidently in
listening, reading and viewing,
writing, speaking and creating print
and visual materials
Critical and Creative Thinking
Observe, question, make
predictions and think creatively to
solve problems during
investigations
Ethical Behaviour
Consider human impacts on the
environment and other living
organisms and evaluate their own
and other people’s actions
Personal and Social
Competence
Follow procedures and work both
within a group and independently to
research, share and discuss ideas
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Histories and Cultures
Consider the importance of
Traditional Owners principles in
caring for Country
Sustainability
Investigate human impacts on the
Great Barrier Reef and the role we
all play in maintaining its health.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Relevant prior curriculum
Curriculum working towards
Year 2 of the Australian Science Curriculum outlines that by the end of Year 2 students pose
questions about their experiences, record and represent their observations and communicate
their ideas to others. Students describe changes to objects, materials and living things. They
identify that certain materials have different uses, that resources from the Earth are required
by living things and describe examples of where science is used in people’s daily lives.
In Year 4, students broaden their understanding of classification and form and
function through an exploration of the properties of natural and processed materials.
They learn that forces include non-contact forces and begin to appreciate that some
interactions result from phenomena that can’t be seen with the naked eye. They
begin to appreciate that current systems, such as Earth’s surface, have
characteristics that have resulted from past changes and that living things form part
of the systems. They understand that some systems change in predictable ways,
such as through cycles. They apply their knowledge to make predictions based on
interactions within systems, including those involving the actions of humans.
Links to other learning areas
QSA Year 3 Literacy Indicators (2009)
Reading and Viewing
RV3 ii. Read and view a range of print and electronic text types including narratives, cultural stories, poems, procedures, reports, descriptions, explanations, reviews,
personal emails and electronic news stories.
RV3 vi. Independently read and understand to maintain and monitor fluency and meaning:
an increasing range of high-frequency and function words with automaticity
some technical words and context-specific words associated with familiar subject matter or content
Writing and Designing
WD3 ii. Write text types to describe, recount, instruct, respond, reflect, plan, report, narrate, explain, pose questions and draw conclusions.
WD3 iii. Plan by posing questions, gathering information, brainstorming and recording ideas.
Assessment
Make judgments
Describe the assessment
Assessment date
Summative Assessment
Students will provide:
A detailed annotated drawing or diorama of the Great Barrier Reef. On the drawing/diorama
they will label both the living and the non-living things and describe some of their
characteristics. The drawing/diorama will also include an example of a symbiotic relationship
found on the Great Barrier Reef.
A report on the significant symbiotic relationship identified in the drawing/diorama. The
symbiotic relationship can be between two animals, a plant and an animal, or a living and nonliving thing.
The report will include:
o A detailed explanation of the symbiotic relationship including the importance of the
relationship to the Great Barrier Reef
o An explanation of a direct threat to the marine life identified in the report and how the
threat impacts the marine life
o The cause/s of the threat and how the threat could be fixed.
The summative
assessment piece is
designed to be produced
and presented during the
Evaluate stage of the unit
when students will have
gathered all the knowledge
required to successfully
address the criteria. This
date is to be determined by
the class teacher.
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Student task sheet, links to QSA Literacy
Indicators (2009) and guide to making
judgements can be found in the resource
section of the unit.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Useful Websites
Useful Books
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
www.gbrmpa.gov.au
I’m the biggest thing in the Ocean, Kevin Sherry (also see YouTube clip)
Canisius College Ambassadors for Conservation – excellent information about animal
and plant relationships on the Great Barrier Reef
www.conservenature.org
One Less Fish, Kim Michelle Toft and Allan Sheather
National Geographic – quality images of marine life and of images of polluted waters
that could be used for discussion
www.nationalgeographic.com
PBS – a good interactive activity to show symbiotic relationships
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/survival/coral/
The Great Barrier Reef Book Solar Powered, Mark Norman
The World That we Want, Kim Michelle Toft
Big Picture Book of the Great Barrier Reef, Steve Parish
YouTube link – filmed on the Great Barrier Reef. Good images of coral spawning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRZczb96uDo&feature=related
Dhyum the Dugong, Mariana Fuentes
YouTube link – filmed on Ningaloo Reef
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYm_WV8-CbU&feature=related
YouTube link – good National Geographic clip showing many aspects of the reef
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbNeIn3vVKM&feature=fvwrel
Queensland Wetlands Program
www.wetlandinfo.derm.qld.gov.au
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
ENGAGE - To capture interest and discover what we think we know
Lesson 1
Diagnostic assessment
opportunities:
- students' drawing and/or
written work of their
knowledge of the Great
Barrier Reef.
- observations and records
of student contributions to
discussion about the Great
Barrier Reef.
Lesson 1 – The Great Barrier Reef
Suggested Time – 45 min
Introduction – Book Reading
Read a book to the students about the Great Barrier Reef such as the Big
Picture Book of the Great Barrier Reef by Steve Parish.
Ask students to share what they know of the Great Barrier Reef, record
student comments on a wall chart or a TWHL chart. Add to the TWHL chart
throughout the unit and use it as a reflection tool during the Elaborate and
Evaluate phase of the unit.
T
W
L
H
What we think
we know about
the Great Barrier
Reef
What we want to
learn about the
Great Barrier
Reef
What we learned
about the Great
Barrier Reef
How we know
(scientific
understandings)
Ask students to draw or write (or both) about what they know about the
Great Barrier Reef. This may be simply about an animal they know that lives
on the Great Barrier Reef or an experience they have had visiting the Great
Barrier Reef. Students should label their pictures to show their knowledge of
language associated with the Great Barrier Reef.
Use these drawings to start a class Reef display. Encourage students to
add to this display throughout the unit, but ensure students understand the
Great Barrier Reef is a multiple use area and rules apply to what you can
take from it. The display might include photos, pictures, books, or items
students may have found washed up on the beach e.g. shells, fish bones,
crab cases.
As a part of the display, also start a word wall to continuously add to
throughout the unit. This should be displayed in a place where students can
add to it each lesson. It may be done in alphabetical order or on moveable
cards so that students can interact with the words and sort them into
categories as they progress throughout the unit.
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Adjustments for needs of
learners
Section 6 of the Disability
Standards for Education
(The Standards for
Curriculum Development,
Accreditation and Delivery)
state that education
providers, including class
teachers, must take
reasonable steps to ensure
a course/program is
designed to allow any
student to participate and
experience success in
learning.
The Disability Standards for
Education 2005 (Cwlth) is
available from:
www.ag.gov.au select
Human rights and antidiscrimination > Disability
standards for education.
Resources
Lesson 1
Book about the Great
Barrier Reef to read with
students (with pictures of
the Reef in it).
Sheets of paper for wall
chart.
Paper and pencils for
students to draw.
Map to show the location of
the Great Barrier Reef
www.gbrmpa.gov.au
ESL Considerations
Teachers should refer to
the Learning Place
www.learningplace.com.au,
‘ESL in the Classroom’ for
‘Break it Down, Build it Up’
resources to help
restructure the unit
according to the ESL needs
of the class.
Risk Management
Refer to Department of
Education and Training
www.education.qld.gov.au
for advice and forms
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Investigation – Is the Great Barrier Reef an environment?
Introduce the term ‘environment’. Ask the students what this word means to
them and record their answers on a wall chart.
Pose the question – is the Great Barrier Reef an environment?
Discuss:
o Where is the Great Barrier Reef? (Have a map ready for students to
point out where it is or show them if they do not know.)
o What do animals do on the Great Barrier Reef?
o Do they eat there and what do they eat?
o Are there predators on the Great Barrier Reef?
o Are there different types of animals living on the Great Barrier Reef
and what sort of animals are they?
o Are there living and non-living things on the Great Barrier Reef?
o Do any sea animals use any living or non-living things to help them
survive on the reef?
o How do the animals help each other?
Record student responses on the wall chart.
Start a science journal for students to record their learning and reflection as
they progress through the unit. The science journal could be done in a
simple ruled exercise book or a scrap book, or done on a computer in a
format suitable to the class. How much time students are given to write in
their science journal each lesson will need to be determined by the teacher
according to the needs of the students. A science journal is a record of
observations, experiences and reflections. It contains a series of dated,
chronological entries. It may include written text, drawings, labelled
diagrams, photographs, tables and graphs.
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resources
relating to risk management
during curriculum activities
and excursions.
EXPLORE – To have shared hands-on experiences
Lesson 2 – Traditional Owners
Suggested Time – 45 minutes
Introduction – Traditional Story
Read a Traditional Indigenous story about the Great Barrier Reef. Use a
local story if possible or find a story in the library or on the Internet to read to
the students.
Discuss with students the significance of the story for Traditional Owners.
Investigation – Reef Beat Poster Facts – Traditional Owners
Chose 1 - 2 Reef Beat ‘Sea Country Connections’ posters to read together
as a class.
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Lesson 2
Diagnostic assessment
opportunities:
- record of students' ability
to find facts
- record of student
participation in discussions
Lesson 2
GBRMPA Reef Beat Poster
2010 – Sea Country
Connections
www.gbrmpa.gov.au
Book: Dhyum the Dugong,
Mariana Fuentes
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Discuss the main themes of the posters – What does it mean to be a
Traditional Owner? What can we learn from Traditional Owners? Why do
Traditional Owners tell stories?
Ask students to share an interesting fact that they have learnt from the
posters.
Record student responses on a chart for display in the classroom.
Add new words to the word wall.
Students add their learning and reflections to their science journal.
Resources
Post it notes and coloured
pens to write facts.
Suggested websites to find
Traditional stories:
www.gbrmpa.gov.au (go to
Story Place)
EXTENSION FOR EIGHT WEEK UNIT OR AN ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITY TO
LESSON 2:
Invite an Indigenous Community Elder into the classroom to share with the students
what it means to be a Traditional Owner and why the land and sea needs to be
cared for in a sustainable way. Students can then reflect on what the Traditional
Owner tells them. Create this into a display of pictures and narrative reflections from
the students.
Lesson 3 – Aquarium
Suggested time – 45 minutes
Introduction – What is a habitat?
Discuss with students ‘what is a habitat?’ Explore through the discussion
what the needs of fish are and how those needs are met in an aquarium.
Some discussion questions could include:
What is a habitat?
What is an example of a habitat for a fish?
Do all fish need the same habitat?
Do all fish need the same things in their habitat?
What are some of the different requirements for different
fish/different reef animals?
Students might also share experiences they have had with keeping fish in
aquariums at home or places they have visited that have had fish in
aquariums.
Investigation – Fish Aquarium
Set up a fish aquarium for students to observe and care for a fish. Discuss
with students the needs of the animals and make them aware of the
guidelines they must stick to when caring for the animals. As a class draw
an annotated diagram of the aquarium, equipment needed and instructions
on how to set it up.
Year 3 Science – Exploring the Reef - Version 0.2
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Australian Museum
www.australianmuseum.net
.au/stories-of-the-dreaming
Lesson 3
Formative assessment
opportunities:
- record of students’
answers during discussion
about habitats
- students’ annotated
diagrams of aquarium set
up
- if adopting an animal,
students’ research and
reporting skills could be
used for assessment
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Lesson 3
Aquarium, pump, PH kit,
gravel, fish food (for fish).
Containers and salt (for
keeping hermit crabs).
If adopting an animal –
www.reefhq.com.au
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resources
If possible set up more than one aquarium with more than one different
animal – e.g. native fish in one and a hermit crab in the other. Ensure to
follow The Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 and The Australian Code of
Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, 2004, 7th
Edition in accordance with Education Queensland Guidelines when setting
up the aquarium.
Draw up a roster to care for the animals in the aquarium. Make daily
observations and record the animals' behaviour and eating habits in a
special diary/journal. Throughout the unit, use this information to reflect on
and find patterns in the animal/s behaviour.
ALTERNATIVE – if resources are not available to set up an aquarium,
students could adopt a Reef Creature at Reef HQ. More information is
available at www.reefhq.com.au. There is a $60 cost involved, however
students could organise a small fundraising event to raise this money. If
adopting an animal, students could research the animal’s habitat to find out
its survival needs. This information could be written into a mini report and
then printed into a booklet or a newsletter to share with other school
students and parents.
Add new words to the word wall.
Students add their learning and reflections to their science journal.
EXTENSION FOR EIGHT WEEK UNIT OR AN ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITY TO
LESSON 3:
Create a 3D classroom display of the reef. Use YouTube clips, books, posters,
GBRMPA images to stimulate student discussion about what should go into the
display and how to create the display. Students could be divided up into groups to
each be responsible for a certain aspect of the reef or students could each choose
an animal or plant to create for the display.
EXPLAIN – To demonstrate what we have learned by exploring
Lesson 4 – What is living and non-living?
Suggested Time – 45 minutes
Introduction – Hot Potato
Set up a Hot Potato Activity. Place students into groups. Write each question
onto a large piece of paper and rotate from group to group. Each group
responds to the question with their own ideas and answers. A time limit
needs to be set so that all questions are rotated at the same time using
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Lesson 4
Formative assessment
opportunities:
- students' oral reports on
how they classified their
animals
Lesson 4
Large sheets of paper and
pens for Hot Potato.
Models, toys and images of
marine life for classifying
activity.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resources
questions such as:
o What animals eat seagrass or seaweed?
o Is coral an animal, a plant or a rock? How do you know?
o Name some predators that live on the Great Barrier Reef.
o What are some non-living things found on the Reef?
o What are some examples of how animals make homes on the Great
Barrier Reef?
o Name some native animals that live on the Reef.
Display and discuss the answers, work out what are true facts (this may
need to be researched) and add them to a fact chart and/or word wall.
Investigation – Classifying marine life
Have a range of pictures, toys and models of marine life available for
students to observe. Break students up into pairs or groups. Each
pair/group receives a range of pictures, toys and models they need to
observe and classify.
Ask students to classify their animals into those that belong to the same
group. Explain to students they will need to give reasons why they classified
animals in a certain way, just like a scientist. Give examples of how
students might do this according to the characteristics of animals. If there
are some animals they are not sure of, these could be left aside to classify
later during class discussion.
Each group reports to the class how they classified their animals.
Discuss as a class and record for display how each group classified their
animals. Find similarities and differences.
Add new words to the word wall.
Students add their learning and reflections to their science journal.
Lesson 5 – Marine life investigations
Suggested time – 45 minutes
Introduction – Setting the scene
Explain to students that they are going to research and learn about different
marine animals from the Great Barrier Reef – coral, fish and animals with
special relationships.
Establish with students, using scientific terminology, the information they are
going to research about the different animals. This could be set up as a
table fact chart (retrieval chart) and filled in for each animal as information is
found, creating a retrieval chart. Extra columns could be added as
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Lesson 5
Formative assessment
opportunities:
- use research activities to
assess students’
knowledge development
Lesson 5
Access to websites and
information books for
research.
Large sheets of paper for
retrieval chart.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
necessary. The information could then be used for a variety of activities if
time allows – reports, posters, information booklets, parade presentations,
newsletters, power points.
Examples of information collected for the animals could include – life cycle,
herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, predator or prey, what it eats, habitat,
external features, survival skills and adaptations, interesting facts,
endangered, vulnerable etc. Some of these terms may need clarification but
could be taught along the way as the students do research.
Investigation – Research
Divide the class into small groups of 3 or 4. Some students may work better
independently or in pairs.
Each group is assigned to investigate one of the marine life concepts –
coral, fish or special relationships. Teachers could add other topics or have
two or three groups researching the same topic. This will depend on the
needs of the class.
Use the fact sheets (Resources 1, 2 and 3), Internet and library books to
help students with their research.
At the end of the research activity, each group shares their findings with the
class.
Record the information into a retrieval chart.
Add new words to the word wall.
Students add their learning and reflections to their science journal.
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resources
Resource 1 – Coral Fact
Sheet,
Resource 2 - Fish Fact
Sheet
Resource 3 – Special
Relationships Fact Sheet.
Resources for teacher
determined activities during
investigation.
EXTENSION FOR EIGHT WEEK UNIT
Separate each of the three marine life investigation areas (coral, fish and special
relationships) into three separate lessons. Use the fact sheets (Resources 1, 2 and
3) to construct research activities to suit your class. Current websites, YouTube
clips, school library and video resources could also be used.
Activities could include:
o Cloze activities
o Find a fact (as in Lesson 2, but with paragraphs from the fact sheet
used)
o Role play
o Create a treasure hunt where students have to answer questions
using the fact sheets to get the treasure.
The information researched by the students could then be used for a variety of
activities if time allows e.g. reports, posters, information booklets, parade
presentations, newsletters, power points.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resources
ELABORATE – To build understanding through an investigation
EXTENSIONFOR EIGHT WEEK UNIT
Excursion: Teachers will need to investigate local opportunities for excursions. It
could be a trip to the Reef, or Reef HQ, a walk along the beach, video conferencing
with Reef HQ (www.reefhq.com.au), visit a turtle hospital or a local aquarium. There
are also excellent DVD resources available that showcase the reef if excursion
opportunities are not possible. The aim of the excursion is for students to gain real
life experience observing and gaining an appreciation of marine life in the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park. This will encourage students to make links about the
importance of caring for marine life to help protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Activities completed on and after the excursion will depend on the place visited,
resources available, student expectations and teacher expectations. Some
suggestions of activities for the excursion include:
o Survey of animals and plants seen (identify those we know)
o Photograph living and non-living things to use for a report or book about
the excursion
o Interview a local community member that may know about or be
involved in working in an industry involved with the Great Barrier Reef
o Write recounts about the experience to publish in a book or a newsletter
o Identify and discuss issues seen - pollution, bleaching, damage to the
reef, erosion on the beach.
Lesson 6 – Pollution Experiment
Suggested time – 45 minutes
Introduction – View Pictures
Use Resource 6 – Pollution Photos to generate a discussion about pollution
on the Great Barrier Reef. The photos could be printed out for students to
look at or displayed on an interactive whiteboard. The following questions
could be used to start a discussion:
o What can you see in the photos?
o What sort of pollution can you see?
o What do you think will happen to the animals on the Reef because of
the pollution?
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Lesson 6
Summative assessment
opportunities:
- use students’
investigation planners to
assess their science inquiry
skills
Lesson 6
Resource 6 – Pollution
Photos.
More photos available from
Marine Photobank
www.marinephotobank.org
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Year 3 Science – Exploring the Reef - Version 0.2
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Resources
Resource 5 – Predict
Observe Explain Poster.
o Who or what do you think caused the pollution?
o Have you seen pollution like this before? Where? When?
Investigation – Pollution Experiment
Explain to the students they are going to conduct an experiment about oil
pollution. Discuss how oil might get onto the Great Barrier Reef.
As a class, read Resource 6 – Procedural Text Pollution Experiment.
Discuss what the experiment is about. Use Resource 5 – Predict Observe
Explain, to generate discussion about how the experiment will be conducted.
As a class, fill in the investigation planner (Resource 4).
In groups, conduct the pollution experiment outlined in Resource 6. Record
results in the investigation planner.
Add new words to the word wall.
Students add their learning and reflections to their science journal.
Lesson 7 – Cause-and-Effect
Suggested time – 45 minutes
Introduction – Games
Explain to students they are going to play a number of games. These
games will encourage students to think about how animals survive on the
Great Barrier Reef. Students will need to recall information they have learnt
throughout the unit to participate in the games.
Use Resource 7 – Games to play with the students.
Investigation – Cause-and-effect charts
After students have played the games, create a list of dangers to animals on
the Great Barrier Reef. This might be done under the headings, ‘natural’
and ‘human’ threats. The list might be for one specific animal or for all
animals in general depending on how the class responds.
Discuss with students that these threats cause certain things to happen, and
then more things happen because of those effects. It does not just stop at
one effect but flows on causing other effects. Using one of the threats the
students mentioned, provide an example of a Cause-and-Effect chart. See
Resource 8 – Cause-and-Effect chart. Two examples of charts are provided
to expose students to a range of texts. Teachers may choose to use just
one, or discuss how both examples can be used to represent causes and
effects.
Create a Cause-and-Effect chart with the class.
Ask students to do their own Cause-and-Effect chart.
Share and discuss the students’ Cause-and-Effect charts.
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resource 6 – Procedural
Text – Pollution Experiment.
Resource 4 – Investigation
Planner.
Lesson 7
Summative assessment
opportunities:
- use students’ cause-andeffect charts to assess
students’ understanding of
the impact of nature and
humans on living things
Lesson 7
Resource 7 – Games (also
resources to play the
games, see list in Resource
7).
Resource 8 – Cause-andeffect charts.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Teaching and learning
Supportive learning environment
Teaching strategies and learning experiences
Assessment
opportunities
Adjustments for needs of
learners
Resources
Add new words to the word wall.
Students add their learning and reflections to their science journal.
EVALUATE – To review and reflect on learning
Lesson 8 – Project preparation
Suggested time – 45 minutes
Introduction – Reflection and begin task
As a class, reflect and record what has been learned in the TWLH chart.
Explain to the students that they are going to begin their final assessment
project. Present them with a task sheet (Resource 9).
Read through the task sheet together and identify all the requirements of the
task.
Discuss available resources (identify all the work done throughout the unit that
will help the students complete the task).
Set out a plan for time management and resource management.
Investigation – Start preparing projects
Allow students time to research and prepare their projects.
Students may need scaffolding for different parts of the project; this will depend
on the needs of the class.
Lesson 9 and Lesson 10 – Continue presentation preparation
Suggested time – how much time students are able to spend preparing their
presentations will depend on the needs of the class and the length of time available in the
school term.
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Lesson 8 – 10
Summative assessment
opportunities:
- student projects can be
used to assess students’
knowledge and
understanding of science
understandings, science as a
human endeavour and
science inquiry skills
Lesson 8
Resource 9 – Task Sheet.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Use feedback (these are some suggestions, teachers will need to vary this according to the needs of their class)
Ways to monitor learning and
assessment
Year 3 teacher:
Initially plan the teaching, learning and assessment needs of all learners and make adjustments to the unit plan as necessary
Use diagnostic, formative and summative assessment opportunities throughout the unit to plan for students learning and assess
student knowledge development
Mark presentations and moderate with colleagues to achieve consensus and consistency of teacher judgment
Feedback to students
Teachers:
Plan opportunities for conversations to provide ongoing feedback (spoken and written) and encouragement to students on their
strengths and areas for improvement
Reflect on and review learning opportunities to individualise learning experiences required
Provide multiple opportunities for students to experience, practise and improve knowledge, processes and skills
Students:
Identify what they can do well and what they need to improve
Provide feedback to a peer on interaction skills and suggest some strategies for improvement (written and spoken feedback)
Reflection on the unit plan
Year 3 Science – Exploring the Reef - Version 0.2
At the conclusion of the unit, teachers can reflect on the unit for future planning by answering the following questions:
What worked well in this unit?
What was a stumbling block?
How would you refine it?
What trends and gaps in learning have you identified?
How will you build on these learning experiences next term and beyond?
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 1 – Coral Fact Sheet
Information and images sourced from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority – www.gbrmpa.gov.au
Coral
Corals are magnificent creatures. They are responsible for the formation of the
Great Barrier Reef. About 400 different kinds of coral are found on the Great
Barrier Reef. They come in many different colours, shapes and sizes. Corals
can be hard or soft. Corals are an animal that remain in one place throughout
their lifetime. Like most creatures, corals need food, water, shelter and
sunlight to survive.
Life Cycle
Corals reproduce by spawning eggs.These eggs float through the water until
they find a good place to settle on the ocean floor or on top of other corals.
Once the egg has settled, it starts to grow into a large colony of coral. Coral
grows slowly and can take many years to develop into the large coral colonies
you can see on the reef. Some of the really big corals are hundreds of years
old.
Year 3 Science — Exploring the Reef - Version 0.2
Feeding
Corals eat tiny animals which drift around in the water. These tiny animals are called
zooplankton. Corals also eat very small fish. These animals are caught by the coral’s
tentacles that are full of specialised stinging cells. The coral lets out its tentacles at night
to catch zooplankton and small fish. Corals get most of their food from the tiny plants
called zooxanthellae that live inside the coral’s cells. Like plants, zooxanthellae use the
sun to make food for themselves and the coral. This is why it is very important for coral
to live in clear, clean shallow waters where they can get lots of sunlight.
Colouring
Corals can be a variety of beautiful colours. Some corals have orange, yellow, green,
blue, red or purple colouring (pigment) in their tissue (their body). They also get
their colour from the plants, zooxanthellae, which live inside the coral’s cells. The
zooxanthellae give many corals their brownish colour. The zooxanthellae only live inside
healthy coral.
Threats to Coral
Pollution –Oil and chemicals used at home can be washed down drains and out onto
the Great Barrier Reef. Litter from people camping on the beach or thrown out of their
boat at sea can be swept up by the waves and washed out to the Great Barrier Reef.
Pollution, including pesticides and chemicals are washed out onto the Great Barrier Reef
after rainfall, where they can cause huge problems to many animals and plants on the
Reef.
Anchor Damage – When people anchor their boats on the Great Barrier Reef they
need to make sure they use the right anchor and do not damage the coral. Careless
anchoring can damage the coral. Chains and anchors can drag along the coral and
easily break the coral. It may take years for the coral to grow back.
Climate Change – Changes in weather patterns around the world mean that the
temperature in the ocean is rising. Coral is very sensitive to changes in the water
temperature. If the water temperature on the Great Barrier Reef increases too much,
the coral will stress and the zooxanthellae will leave the coral. This is called coral
bleaching. If the water stays warm for too long, the zooxanthellae will not come back to
the bleached coral. Without the zooxanthellae, the coral will starve and die.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 2 – Fish Fact Sheet
Information and images sourced from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – www.gbrmpa.gov.au
Fish
Life Cycle
The Great Barrier Reef is home to approximately 1500 different types of
fish. The fish on the Great Barrier Reef come in all sorts of shapes, sizes
and colours. They are a very important source of food for reef predators
and for humans as well. Fish also keep reefs healthy by eating algae and
other organisms that can overgrow corals.
The majority of fish species on the Great Barrier Reef produce
a mass of tiny eggs which float away, and never have any
further contact with their parents. Most species release large
quantities of eggs into the water each year. The eggs float in
the water until they are ready to hatch. When the eggs hatch,
most baby fish are on their own and they know instinctively
how to swim and find food.
Types of Fish
The coral reef contains more species of fish than any other marine habitat.
They can be divided into six broad categories:
• Colourful coral associates like clown anemone fish and butterfly
fish
• Cryptic fish like blennies, gobies and seahorses that are hard to
see because of their camouflage or where they live
• Grazing fish like blue tangs, parrotfish and wrasse
• Pelagic reef associates like batfish and fusiliers
• Reef predators like snapper, emperors, cod, grouper and sharks
• Nocturnal and cave dwellers such as eels, scorpion fish,
squirrelfish and soldier fish.
Feeding
Fish feed on almost all available food on the reef ranging from
algae to other fish.
Protection
Reef animals use their shapes, body parts and behaviour in
many different ways to help them survive. Many fish have
protective spines. The surgeon fish have very sharp 'blades'
at the base of their tails. Members of the scorpion fish family
have poisonous spines on their dorsal fins that give powerful
stings. The well camouflaged stonefish have strong dorsal
spines and potent venom.
Fish Characteristics
The characteristics of a fish include a skeleton made of bone or cartilage,
gill openings on each side of the head and a swim bladder. Fish vary
widely in size, shape, colour and behaviour. Most fish are covered in
scales. A fish's skin or scales protect it from the salty environment in which
it lives, and help it to move more efficiently through the water. Reef fish are
able to see colour. Their bright colours are important for fish to recognise
each other and be protected from each other. Colour patterns can act as
a warning to other animals that some fish are poisonous, for example, fire
fish. The use of colour as camouflage helps fish to hunt prey and hide from
predators. Flatfish, such as rabbit fish, are able to change their colour
patterns to suit the colour of the surface they are resting on. Lizardfish are
so well camouflaged that smaller fish don’t see them until it’s too late and
they become a meal.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 3 – Special Symbiotic Relationships Fact Sheet
Information and images sourced from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – www.gbrmpa.gov.au
Goby Fish and Alpheid Shrimp
Goby fish have very good eyesight and are very alert. The alpheid shrimp have very poor eyesight.
The alpheid shrimp stay in contact with the goby fish by using their long antennae to touch the
goby fish and feel what it is doing. Should danger threaten, the goby fish quickly swims back into
the burrow where it lives. This quick movement alerts the alpheid shrimp and they retreat into the
burrow together. In return for its protection, the shrimp has the role of making the burrow and
keeping it clean.
Coral and Zooxanthellae
Zooxanthellae are a type of algae (very small plant) that live inside
the tissue of the coral. The zooxanthellae need a place to live and
they also need carbon dioxide to breath. The coral provides the
zooxanthellae with both a place to live and the carbon dioxide the
zooxanthellae need when they breathe. In return, the zooxanthellae
use the sunlight to create sugar for the coral to eat. The
zooxanthellae also give the coral its vibrant colour.
Remoras and Large Marine Animals
Remoras, sometimes called suckerfish, are a type of fish that have a sucking disk on top of their
head. They use this disk to suck onto sharks, rays, whales and turtles to get a free ride around the
reef. In return for the free ride, the sucker fish keeps its host clean by eating parasites and bacteria
off their bodies.
Clown Fish and Sea Anemone
The sea anemone is a predator that attaches itself to rocks or coral. It uses its poisonous tentacles
to attack fish as they swim by. The only fish that can survive the deadly sting of the sea anemone
is the clown fish. The clown fish will gently touch their body against the sea anemone’s poisonous
tentacles until the sting no longer affects them. A layer of mucus will then form over the clown fish’s
body to prevent it from getting stung again. By living in the sea anemone’s poisonous tentacles, the
clown fish is safe from predators. The clown fish helps the sea anemone by eating dead tentacles
and keeping the area around the sea anemone clean.
Hermit Crab and Shells
Hermit crabs are different from other crabs as they have a soft
abdomen. To protect their abdomen, they use the discarded shells
they find lying around on the sea floor. These shells are from sea
snails and other types of marine molluscs that have died and left
their shell behind. The hermit crab’s soft abdomen curls around the
inside of the shell, gripping very hard. This allows the hermit crab to
walk and run with the shell still attached. As the hermit crab grows
bigger it needs to find bigger and bigger shells that it will fit into.
Without its shell, the hermit crab does not have protection and there is
a big risk that it will be eaten by hungry predators.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 4 – Investigation Planner
Investigation Planner
Name: ........................................................................................................................
Title of our Investigation Date: ..........................................................................
Hypothesis. What do we think will happen?
To make the test fair what are you going to:
Change?
Measure?
Keep the Same?
Diagram and Equipment
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 4 – Investigation Planner (cont.)
Procedure – What are we going to do?
Results – What happened?
Was your hypothesis correct?
Teacher Comments: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 5 – Predict Observe Explain Poster
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 6 – Procedural Text - Pollution Experiment
Aim
To find out how oil can affect animals on the Great Barrier Reef
Equipment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ne large bowl
O
One measuring cup
Water
Cooking oil
Old toys – variety of small plastic and small cloth toys
Tray
Dishwashing detergent
Paper towels or a piece of cloth
Sponges
String
Procedure
1. Fill half of the bowl with water.
2. Measure 1/4 cup of oil and pour into the bowl of water.
3. Gently shake the bowl to create ‘waves’. Did the oil and the water mix?
4. Put a plastic toy into the water. Gently shake the bowl to make the toy ‘swim’. What happens to the plastic toy?
5. Put a cloth toy into the water. Gently shake the bowl to make the toy ‘swim’. What happens to the cloth toy?
6. Take out the toys and put them onto a tray.
7. Try to use the paper towels or cloths to clean the toys. Can you get them clean again?
8. Now try to clean up the oil in the bowl using the paper towels or cloths. Could you pick up much of the oil?
9. Use string to make a border around the oil and try to drag the oil to one side of the bowl.
10.Use the sponge to try to soak up the oil. How well does the sponge work?
11.Try to clean the toys with detergent. Does the detergent help get the oil off the toys?
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 6 – Procedural Text - Pollution Experiment (cont.)
Write your observations below as you do the experiment:
1.
Does the oil and water mix when you create ‘waves’ in the bowl?
2.
What happens to the plastic toy when you put it into the bowl?
3.
What happens to the cloth toy when you put it into the bowl?
4.
Do the paper towels or cloths work to clean the toys?
5.
Do the paper towels or cloths work to clean up the oil out of the bowl?
6.
How well does the sponge work to clean up the oil?
7.
Does the detergent work to get the oil off the toys?
8.
How would animals on the Reef clean the oil off themselves? What would happen to them if they could not clean the oil off?
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 7 – Games
Turtle Danger Game – the aim of the game is to assist students in learning that marine turtles face many pressures to survive.
You will need: •
•
•
A large area to run around
Markers to identify the beach, the sea, a safety strip on the beach side and a safety strip on the sea side (see diagram below)
A whistle
How to play:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Discuss with students what dangers marine turtles face as they hatch from their eggs and try to get to the sea. Identify five different dangers e.g. wild pigs, people, birds, crabs, cars.
Choose five students to be one of the dangers. The rest of the students are hatchlings.
The hatchlings start on the safety strip on the beach side. When the whistle blows they have to get to the safety strip on the other side of the ocean without getting caught by a danger. If tagged, the hatchling has to sit down out of the game.
Have a second discussion with the students to identify dangers the marine turtles face in the ocean as they are growing up. Identify five different dangers e.g. sharks, fishing nets, boat propellers, crocodiles, oil pollution.
Now that the marine turtles are mature they need to get back to the beach safely to lay eggs and start the cycle again. When the whistle blows the mature marine turtles need to get back to the safety strip on the beach without getting tagged by one of the dangers. If tagged, the mature turtle has to sit down out of the game.
Discuss how many marine turtles survived out of how many were originally hatchlings.
The activity could be adapted by allowing more dangers to see if this affects how many hatchlings or mature marine turtles are caught. This could lead into a discussion about turtle populations on the Great Barrier Reef.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 7 – Games (cont.)
Safe Habitat Toss – the aim of the game is to assist students in learning about how hard it can be for some marine animals to find a safe place to live.
You will need:
•
•
Items to toss e.g. seeds, erasers, stones or model animals to represent the marine animal finding a habitat.
A game board (see examples below) made out of cardboard or paper, or the game could be drawn onto cement (this is also a good option for a big group of kids as multiple groups could play at one time).
How to play:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Discuss with students what marine animal everyone is going to be that is trying to find a safe habitat.
Once decided, identify a number of threats that particular marine animal will face trying to find a safe habitat.
On the game board, write the name of the threats in the boxes. Write ‘safe habitat’ in one or more boxes depending on the game board size.
Each student receives a number of items, according to how many turns each student will get.
Each student then takes a turn tossing their item to try and get it in the habitat.
If the item lands in the habitat box, they get to keep it. If the item lands in a threat box, they lose their item.
The person with the most items left at the end of the game wins.
At the end, discuss with students if it is ok for the marine animal to be killed by native marine animals (one of the chosen threats) e.g. if students had decided on their marine animal to be a small reef fish, is it ok for a big fish or shark to eat that animal? Why or why not? Also discuss if it is ok for the marine animal to be killed by a man made threat (one of the students chosen threats) e.g. if the students chose for their marine animal to be a small reef fish, is it ok for the small reef fish to be killed by eating some plastic rubbish it thought was food? Why or why not?
This game could be made easier or harder depending on the needs of the class.
Examples of how game boards could be set up.
Option 1
Option 2
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 8 – Cause-and-Effect Chart
CAUSE
What was the event? Who or what caused it?
EFFECT
What might happen because of the event? What could be the immediate effect?
EFFECT
What might happen next? What could be the gradual effect?
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 8 – Cause-and-Effect Chart (cont.)
CAUSE
What was the event?
Who or what caused it?
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
What might happen because of the event?
What could be the immediate effect?
GRADUAL EFFECTS
What might happen next?
What could be the short and/or long-term effects?
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Resource 9 – Exploring the Reef Task Sheet - Year 3 Science Report
Your Task:
Create a diorama or a drawing of a Great Barrier Reef habitat. You will also write a report on a symbiotic relationship found on the Great Barrier Reef.
Your diorama or drawing will need to include:
1. Living and non-living things found on the Great Barrier Reef
2. Living and non-living things in your diorama or drawing will need to be labelled with a name and some characteristics (e.g. colour, where it lives, what it eats, what
are some of its uses)
3. An example of a symbiotic relationship.
Your report will need to include:
1. An explanation of the symbiotic relationship
2. An explanation of why the symbiotic relationship is important to the Great Barrier Reef
3. An explanation of a threat to the animals in your diorama or drawing. Who or what causes the threat? How does the threat impact the animals?
4. Give ideas about how the threat could be fixed.
What is a diorama?
A diorama is a 3D model that represents the chosen topic. If you do a diorama of the Great Barrier Reef, you will need to make images of living and non-living things
found on the Great Barrier Reef to build a 3D model.
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Year 3 Exploring the Reef – Science Report
Name: ___________________________________
Purpose of assessment: Students will provide a reef diorama or drawing. Students will also provide a report based on the diorama or drawing, including reference to the symbiotic
relationship, explanation of the cause and effects of a chosen threat to the animals represented and solutions to these threats.
Knowledge and Understanding
Science Understanding
Biological Sciences
- Identify the features, characteristics and
behaviours of living and non-living things on the
Great Barrier Reef.
Skills
Science as a Human Endeavour
Science Inquiry Skills
Nature and Development of Science
- Describes a specific symbiotic relationship found
on the Great Barrier Reef and makes predictions
on why the relationship is important to the Great
Barrier Reef.
Use and Influence of Science
- Using scientific knowledge the student
considers and explains how peoples’ actions
affect the animals of the Great Barrier Reef and
how threats may be mitigated.
Questioning and Predicting
- Identifies and explains a specific threat to
marine life on the Great Barrier Reef.
Planning and Conducting
- Plans and conducts investigations on the Great
Barrier Reef and a symbiotic relationship found
there.
Processing and Analysing Data and
Information
- Uses information gathered to predict
scientifically plausible solutions to threats.
Evaluating
- Reflects upon learning to identify the
importance of a symbiotic relationship to the
Great Barrier Reef.
Communicating
- Constructs a diorama or drawing of living and
non-living things found on the Great Barrier Reef.
- Creates a report explaining the symbiotic
relationship and the cause, effect and solutions to
threats to animals displayed in the diorama or
drawing.
The student comprehensively describes
and displays detailed features,
characteristics and behaviours of a wide
range of living and non-living things
found on the Great Barrier Reef through
a diorama or drawing.
The student provides a detailed and accurate
description and display of a symbiotic
relationship found on the Great Barrier Reef
on the drawing/diorama. They provide a
reasoned explanation why this relationship is
important to the Reef. They describe the
cause of a threat to a Reef animal
represented in the diorama or drawing, its
effects on them and propose at least three
scientifically accepted solutions.
The student provides detailed, concise and
appropriate scientific information gathered
and recorded during investigations on a
symbiotic relationship and a specific threat
to the Great Barrier Reef. Questioning is
coherent and predictions relating to
solutions are reasoned and well explained.
Displays a very high ability to draw scientific
conclusions and predict solutions to one
relevant threat relating to the animal in its
habitat.
The student identifies and provides
reasoned explanations as to why
symbiotic relationships are important to
the Great Barrier Reef.
The diorama or drawing and report are
scientifically communicated in a clear and
concise manner with ideas, methods,
observations and findings displayed in a
variety of ways.
The student describes and displays
most external features, characteristics
and behaviours of a range of living and
non-living things found on the Great
Barrier Reef through a diorama or
drawing.
The student provides a description and
display of a symbiotic relationship found on
the Great Barrier Reef on the
drawing/diorama. They provide an
explanation why this relationship is important
to the Reef. They describe the cause of a
threat to a Reef animal represented in the
diorama or drawing, its effect on them and
propose at least two scientifically accepted
solutions.
The student identifies explanations
as to why symbiotic relationships are
important on the Great Barrier Reef.
The diorama or drawing and report is
communicated with ideas, methods,
observations and findings displayed
in a variety of ways.
The student describes or displays, with
teacher prompting, some external
features, characteristics and behaviours
of some living and non-living things found
on the Great Barrier Reef through a
diorama or drawing.
The student states a symbiotic relationship
found on the Great Barrier Reef and
provides a partial explanation why this
relationship is important to the Reef. They
state a cause of a threat a Reef animal and
its effect on them and propose a scientifically
accepted solutions.
The student provides appropriate scientific
information gathered and recorded during
investigations on a symbiotic relationship
and a specific threat to the Great Barrier
Reef. Questions are identified effectively
and predictions relating to solutions are
plausible. Displays an ability to draw
scientific conclusions and predict solutions
to one relevant threat relating to the animal
in its habitat.
The student provides some scientific
information partially gathered and recorded
during investigations on a symbiotic
relationship and a specific threat to the
Great Barrier Reef. They display an ability to
state a partially scientific conclusion and
predict solutions to one relevant threat
relating to the animal in its habitat. A
solution is stated that has some scientific
basis.
Year 3 Science – Exploring the Reef - Version 0.2
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The student identifies why symbiotic
relationships are important on the
Great Barrier Reef.
Ideas, methods and findings are
communicated narrowly using
everyday language. .
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Year 3 Exploring the Reef – Science Report
Name: ________________________

QSA Literacy indicators (2009)
Reading and Viewing
RV3 ii.
Read and view a range of print and electronic text types including narratives, cultural stories, poems,
procedures, reports, descriptions , explanations, reviews personal e-mails and electronic news stories
RV3 vi
Independently read and understand to maintain and monitor fluency and meaning:
An increasing range of high frequency and function words with atomicity.
Some technical words and context-specific words associated with familiar subject matter or content
Writing and Designing
WD3 ii.
Write text types to describe, recount, instruct, respond, reflect, plan, report, narrate, explain, pose questions
and draw conclusions.
WD3 iii.
Plan by posing questions, gathering information, brainstorming and recording ideas.
Feedback
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority