Task Card 2 -Teacher Information – Year 2
Australian Curriculum -Science
Watch it Grow – Explore Phase
Science Aims
An understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry and the
ability to use a range of scientific inquiry methods, including
questioning; planning and conducting experiments and
investigations based on ethical principles; collecting and
analysing data; evaluating results; and drawing critical
evidence based conclusions
This lesson provides the foundation blocks to build on these
aims, as students understand fair testing and ethical treatment
of animals when conducting investigations. They are
beginning to formulate questions and engage in planning and
analysing the data collected.
Prior Knowledge – This is the second lesson in a unit about living things and how they grow and change. Students will go on to
learn that living things and how their needs are met. Students have explored mealworms and posed questions about
mealworms. They completed what they think they know about living things and the way they grow and change on a TKWL
chart (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 55). They have wondered about the life stages of living things.
Suggested classroom use of task card 2
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Link to Prezi task card for this lesson :
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Teacher - (T) will use Prezi link on Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) watch the video about life stages of mealworms (this goes
http://prezi.com/zkzqh9w_wdjh/watch-it-grow/
for approx. 6 min). Click through the Prezi and explain the investigation to the students. This lesson provides a hands-on
Robyn Legaspi and Lisa Watkins
EDCU 11020
Assessment task 2
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shared experience for the children to explore life stages of a mealworm. They will use investigative skills to explore the
growth of a mealworm under different temperature conditions. Students will discuss how varied conditions could affect the
growth of mealworms and work collaboratively to plan and conduct an investigation. This includes collecting data; accurately
recording data and analysing it.
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Resource list – is provided below. Prior to class set up word wall chart, Individual science journals, A3 Mealworm calendar
for class science journal, mealworms, containers, carrot or potato for food, digital cameras (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p.
262).
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Science pairs: T has previously placed the class into suitable working pairs (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 20). Students
will work in these pairs for the remainder of the unit to discuss their predictions of what will happen to the mealworm at
various stages of the class.
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T introduces the ‘Code of Caring’ place poster on word wall (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 24).
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Discuss with the group the meaning of temperature and how that relates to the environmental conditions.
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Students should gain an understanding of fair testing and its importance in real life (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 30).
Students will discuss how they will conduct a fair test and what the variables will be. In this case there are two sets of
mealworms one kept in the refrigerator and the other in a warm dark cupboard.
Review the use of line drawings and annotated drawings.
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Offer suggestions of ways to collect accurate data for their investigation such as date, time, size, measurements, life stage
(Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 262).

Ask students how they could collect and record information on their mealworm calendars
New words: exoskeleton; temperature; pupae, Larvae, metamorphosis
Robyn Legaspi and Lisa Watkins
EDCU 11020
Assessment task 2
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Future lessons- Students will continue to take observations and collect data until lesson six. In this lesson, the elaborate phase,
students will:
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share their observations of the growth of mealworms
create group timelines or graphs to present patterns of mealworm growth
discuss and interpret their observations.
Assessment Opportunities
Diagnostic
Students record prior knowledge of living things and how they grow and change over
time – individual science journal entries
Formative
Ongoing recording of collected data on the mealworm calendar.
Summative
Presentation of timeline or graph to discuss findings of how environment can affect
growth of living things. Presented orally to the class.
Resources
For the class
 Class science journal
 Word wall
 Team skills chart
 Team roles chart
 1 enlarged copy of ‘mealworm calendar’ resource sheet
 Equipment and materials to house and feed the
mealworms
 Marker pen for labelling containers
For each team
 Each team members science journal
 Role wristbands or badges for manager and speaker
 2 plastic cups
 2 large mealworms
 ¼ cup bran or crushed oats
 Fresh pieces of carrot or potato
 Self-adhesive notes
 2 enlarged copies of mealworm calendar
Robyn Legaspi and Lisa Watkins
EDCU 11020
 Magnifying glass
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 Optional- digital camera
Declarative Knowledge
Living things grow and change over time
There are key features in the life stages of mealworms and how
the stage influences what it can do and how it behaves.
Environmental conditions can affect the growth and wellbeing of
living things.
Procedural Knowledge
Work collaboratively in teams to plan and conduct an
investigation
make meaning from annotated drawings
Handle animals carefully
Create a fair test by changing only one variable when
conducting a science investigation
Links to Australian Curriculum - Science
Strand
Sub-strand
Content and Descriptors
General Capabilities
Biological
Science
Understanding Science
Living things grow and change
Science journal entries
Literacy
Science as
Human
Endeavour
Science Inquiry
Skills
Science involves making predictions
and describing patterns
Class discussions
Critical thinking
Nature and
development of
science
Questioning
and predicting
Planning and
conducting
Processing and
analysing data
Robyn Legaspi and Lisa Watkins
Respond to and pose questions and
Mealworm Calendar
make predictions about familiar
objects
Participate in a guided investigation
Teamwork
about the growth of mealworms under
different temperature conditions
Use a range of methods to sort
information including drawings
EDCU 11020
Assessment task 2
Numeracy
Literacy
Personal and social
competence
ICT
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and
information
DOL Focus
Dol 1
Dol 2
Dol 5
Structure opportunities to work with
peers
Help students understand how specific
knowledge is valuable
Establish and communicate classroom
rules and procedures
Construct meaning – TKWL, inquiry
learning
Organize – identifying patterns
Critical thinking - Be accurate and seek
accuracy
Self- regulated thinking – Identify and
use necessary resources
References
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (1997). Dimensions of learning teacher's manual. Denver, Colorado: McREL.
northwestwormfarm01 . (2010, January 27). Raising Mealworms. Retrieved from You tube:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DehgyCq6NUes&h=OAQHH7xrz
Sialis. (2012, May 3). Raising mealworms. Retrieved from Sialis: http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm
Robyn Legaspi and Lisa Watkins
EDCU 11020
Assessment task 2
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