Outline – Down to Earth
Total notional hours: 25
Middle Childhood Integrated – Year 4
The universe and us
Section duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Earth and Beyond
Investigation
Reading/Writing
Assessable task
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
 meet characters Trip and Burp who will
guide students through the sections
 brainstorm current knowledge of Earth
and beyond
 understand the features and purpose
of a labelled diagram
 create a labelled diagram representing
day and night
 describe the Earth’s place in the
universe
 pose questions about the natural world
 create a labelled diagram representing
day and night.
 represent local water and landforms
using photographs or illustrations
 explain the rotation of the Earth, and
night and day
 identify land and water forms in their
local area.
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 collect information about land and
water features in their local area and
represent these features using
photographs or illustrations.
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 reflect on what would happen if the
Earth did not spin on its axis.
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Outline – Down to Earth
Total notional hours: 25
Middle Childhood Integrated – Year 4
Inside story
Section duration: 5 hours
Earth and Beyond
Investigation
Reading/Writing
Assessable task
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
 view an animation ‘Centre of the Earth’
 brainstorm ideas about what students
know about the ‘inside workings of the
Earth’
 read and follow a procedure to create a
3D model of tectonic plate activity
 create a 3D model of the Earth and
record this with photographs
 read, analyse and follow a procedure
to create an edible model of the Earth
 reflect on successes and difficulties of
the model Earth activity
 research facts about the Earth’s
interior using ICT.
 perform a research activity
 understand the Earth’s layers:
o crust
o mantle
o core (outer and inner core)
 understand the crust is thin but has
layers and features of its own
 understand the Earth’s surface is
broken into tectonic plates and these
plates move.
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 use ICT for researching interior
structure of the Earth and tectonic
plates
 record information about the inside
workings of Earth in portfolio
 complete a final quiz and reflect on the
topic.
 model tectonic plates using plasticine
simulation.
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Outline – Down to Earth
Total notional hours: 25
Middle Childhood Integrated – Year 4
Skimming the surface
Section duration: 5 hours
Earth and Beyond
Investigation
Reading/Writing
Assessable task
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
 explain how forces inside the Earth
shape some of Earth’s features, such
as tectonic plates, volcanoes
 conduct three investigations using
sand and rocks to observe the natural
processes of erosion and weathering
 use ICT to research facts and present
a written report on a volcano
 conduct science investigations
 write findings from investigations
 explore natural processes that can
change the Earth:
 use the following scaffold for
conducting an investigation:
 write a volcano report
 read paragraphs about the processes
that shape the Earth
 take photographs of natural and
man-made features
 complete a multiple choice quiz.
 reflect on their choice of photos with
detailed captions.
o
wind can erode rocks
o
water wears down rocks
o
ice can crumble rocks
o
living things can break down rocks
o
the heat from the sun affects
rocks.
o
plan (hypothesis, equipment,
variables, fair testing, data needed
and safety)
o
conduct (method, collecting data)
o
process (putting data into tables,
graphs or diagram form and
summarising)
o
evaluate (conclude, comment on
hypothesis, problems and
improvements)
 complete portfolio entries
 use ICT for investigating:
o photograph local land features
o research volcano facts.
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Outline – Down to Earth
Total notional hours: 25
Middle Childhood Integrated – Year 4
Natural events
Section duration: 5 hours
Earth and Beyond
Investigation
Reading/Writing
Assessable task
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
 identify natural processes that can
change the Earth:
 investigate two types of natural events
 write reports of science investigations
 conduct modelling activities:
 reflect on the scientific process.
 complete a cloze activity on wind,
water and ice
o
earthquake
o
cyclone maker
 model a cyclone
o
volcanic eruption
o
crater investigation
 investigate crater formation
o
tsunami
o
wind
o
water
o
ice
o
sun
o
meteor
 identify difficulties and successes
experienced in the crater investigation
 apply the concept of fair testing:
o
crater investigation.
 reflect on their learning.
 focus on how the dynamic changes in
the Earth’s interior cause events
termed as natural disasters.
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Outline – Down to Earth
Total notional hours: 25
Middle Childhood Integrated – Year 4
Things happen!
Section duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
Earth and Beyond
Investigation
Reading/Writing
Assessable task
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
 read about the formation of fossil fuels
 investigate the effect of oil on water
 understand some effects of oil
exploration and drilling on the Earth
 understand the importance of
collecting data and recording accurate
observations
 read a fictional and factual account
about the creation of fossil fuels
 record their findings from water and oil
experiments
 follow a procedure to plan a solution to
an oil spill
 present an oil spill mop-up plan.
 explore what happens when oil spills
into oceans and rivers.
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 problem solve:
o
how to prevent or deal with oil
spills
o
come up with a hypothesis based
on what they learnt in the
investigation.
 present a procedure for an oil spill
mop-up design.
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Page 5 of 6
Outline – Down to Earth
Total notional hours: 25
Middle Childhood Integrated – Year 4
Wrapping up!
Section duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Earth and Beyond
Investigation
Reading/Writing
Assessable task
Students:
Students:
Students:
Students:
 investigate a patch of Earth in their
local area
 conduct a mini investigation on soil
 review their learning
 complete portfolio entries
 communicate findings on unit of work
 apply their learning in a questionnaire:
 create an individual project or write
about a new behaviour that has value
for the Earth’s natural resources
(optional):
 make a graph
 expand on knowledge of the Earth’s
crust by using an apple as a model
 create a graph using information from
the apple model
 review previous sections
o
suggest solutions to environmental
problems caused by natural and
human changes to the Earth
o
consider ways in which they can
make a difference
- what they have learnt
o
- how they feel about their new
learning
ask themselves what they are
concerned about and why
o
choose a concern and say what
needs to be done and who will do
it
o
establish how they will know
whether their action has been
effective.
 think about:
- how their ideas have changed
- why their ideas have changed
- where they go from here.
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o
create an advertisement to
promote behaviour that will change
the planet
o
design a vehicle to go to the centre
of the Earth
o
write a letter to the newspaper and
people with the power to make
change
o
develop an action plan to
implement and maintain changes
in the way we do things
o
exhibit work to inform others about
their new learning.
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 review their learning
 complete an individual project
(optional).
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