Science Life and Living Progress Map
KGP3
Outcome
Audience:
general public
Published on
posters wider
community
Critical
Indicators
3-5 dot points
Essences / must
haves/ non
negotiables/
flavour
Audience:
general public
Generalised
statements from
looking across
number samples
Published on
posters – ladder
format
Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
Band 5
Band 5+
The students
recognises their
personal features
and communicates
their basic needs
The student
understands that
people are living
things that have
features and
changes over time
The student
understands that
needs features and
functions of living
things are related
and change over
time.
The student
understands that
living things have
features that form
systems which
determine their
interaction with the
environment
The student
understands that
systems can
interact and that
these interactions
can lead to
change.
The student
understands the
models and
concepts that are
used to explain the
processes that
connect systems
and lead to change
The student
understands the
concepts and
principles used to
explain the effects
of change on
systems of living
things.
Students recognise
their own features
and can
communicate their
own basic needs
The student uses
their personal
experience of
things they are
familiar with. They
recognise living
things and know
some of their
features. They are
also aware that
living thing grow
and change over
time
The student can
make connections
between the
features of living
things and the
changes that occur
as things grow and
age or if their
needs are not met,
at a concrete level
Students explore
similarities and
differences
between living
things and can
group them
according to their
observable
features. They are
able to make
predictions about
familiar situations
in an unfamiliar
context, eg they
can predict what
will happen if an
unfamiliar animal
does not have food
or shelter.
Students begin to
get a scientific
understanding of
living things and
can now
understand more
abstract concepts,
such as cells which
are too small to
see with the naked
eye. They can also
use models and
diagram to
describe
interactions
between different
living things,
between parts of
living things in
systems and to
describe changes
over geological
time that are not
able to be
observed in a
concrete way
Students use
abstract concepts,
biological models
and simple
microscopic
structure to explain
relationships,
process and
change. They are
able to relate
abstract ideas and
begin to see how
theories, such as
that of evolution by
natural selection,
are generated.
Students extend
their understanding
of how scientific
models and
theories are
constructed and
modified and make
predictions. They
recognise that
biological systems
are dynamic and
change over time.
KGP3
Interdependence
of living things
and their
environment
Living things
respond to and
interact with
each other and
their
environment
and are part of a
dynamic and
interdependent
system
Identify their basic
needs
Band 1
Students
recognise
themselves as
living things.
Students
recognise other
living things
such as cats,
dogs, trees
Students are
aware of their own
needs and the
similarity between
their needs and
those of other
living things eg
food, shelter, water
Band 2
Students identify
some ways that
living things
depend on the
environment and
each other (3)
Students
understand that
living things have
different needs, eg
can compare the
food sources and
shelters of different
animals
Recognize that
plant need light
and water and the
different places
where you find
certain plants, eg
water plants,
plants that like
shade, full sun,
rocky places.
Band 3
Students describe
some interactions
between living
things and
between living
things and their
environment (5)
Know that while
animals eat food,
plants make their
own food using
light from the sun
Animals can be
grouped according
to what they eat,
eg herbivore,
carnivore,
omnivore,
detritivore
Students begin to
make connections
between living
things and their
environments, eg
air to breathe,
water to drink,
shelter from logs
and caves.
Students
understand how
animals and plants
respond to their
environment and
change their
behaviour based
Band 4
Students can
identify biotic and a
biotic factors in a n
ecosystem.
Students
understand
the processes that
connect living
things in an
ecosystem, eg
construct food
webs and describe
the different roles
of the components
using terms like
producers,
consumers,
decomposers
Students use
models such as
food webs to
explain how
changing one
aspect can impact
on the other
organisms in the
food web (7)
Students can
describe the effect
of environmental
change in an
ecosystem, eg
cyclones, droughts
and floods and on
food and habitat
availability
Band 5
Students use
scientific concepts
and models to
explain the
interdependence of
populations of
organisms and the
environment. They
predict the
consequences of
changes to an
ecosystem. (9)
Students use
concepts and
models and
simulations to
explain how
balance can be
maintained in an
ecosystem, eg the
cycling of matter
and the transfer of
energy
Students can
explain host –
parasite
relationships such
as ticks living on
animals, using life
cycle diagrams
Students can use a
range of concepts,
models and data to
predict or explain
events such as
insect plagues or
Band 5+
Students can
describe the
effects of
environmental
change on living
things and
ecosystems.
These changes
may be natural or
man made.
They can explain
how the use of
natural resources
can affect the
balance within
ecosystems in
terms of changes
to food webs,
populations and
distributions of
species.
Students
understand the
effect of change on
dependency
relationships
between
organisms or
between
organisms and
their environments,
eg animals with
only one food
source would
become extinct of
the food source
became
KGP3
Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
on the weather,
season, food
supply etc.
Students start to
make connections
between living
things by
describing animals
that eat other
animals or plants
in simple food
chains (7)
Students can
predict the likely
consequences of
changing an
aspect of the
environment - such
as habitat, climate,
food supply, land
use - on animals
and plants
Band 4
Students consider
the effect of human
activities and
population growth
on the ecosystems
Band 5
population sizes in
response to
weather events
such as prolonged
wet seasons or
frost.
Students
understand that the
sun as the energy
source that drives
all familiar
ecosystems
beginning with the
process of
photosynthesis.
Students can use
their understanding
of flow of energy
and matter through
ecosystems to
explain why
producers have the
largest biomass in
the food pyramid,
and non
biodegradable
chemicals such as
DDT can
accumulate
Band 5+
unavailable, or
plants that rely on
a single pollinator
may become
extinct, or the
sudden increase of
a food species
may cause
numbers of its
consumer to rise
Understand that
some plants have
parasitic and
saprophytic
relationships with
other species and
can get energy
from means other
that
photosynthesis
KGP3
Structure and
function
A relationship
exists between
the structure
and function of
organisms and
this helps them
to survive in
their
environment
Identify some basic
features of living
things (3) eg,
arms, legs, wings,
feet eyes, leaves
Band 1
Band 2
Can label and
describe common
features in
themselves and
other animals (3)
eg legs arms,
eyes, ears etc.
Distinguish
between living and
non living things
using criterion
such as movement
growth/feeding or
nutrition (3).
Students observe
things about
themselves
including changes
that occur, e.g.
chest going up and
down when
breathe
Distinguish
between dead and
non-living eg a
brick is not dead
Matches living
things’ body parts
with groups of
living things eg fish
and fins, birds and
wings, leaves and
trees
Living things differ
from non living
things in a range of
ways eg living
things grow
Can describe how
the features of
living things help
them to survive, eg
a bird has wings to
fly through the air,
a fish has fins to
swim through the
water
Can begin to see
cause and effect
relationships such
as breathing
heavier or heart
thumping after they
have been running
Can identify
different parts of a
plant (3) and it’s
functions, eg a
trunk or stem for
strength and for
water to move up
(can demonstrate
Band 3
Students begin to
understand the
idea of body
systems being
made up of
different parts and
performing specific
functions, such as
the respiratory
(breathing) system,
the circulatory
system and the
digestive system
Students recognise
that different
organisms have
different features
to live in different
environments eg
fish has gills rather
than lungs
because it lives in
water, lilies have
big leaves to float
on water, desert
trees have small
leaves to save
water, nocturnal
animals have big
ears to help them
hear
Students can
classify animals
and plants
according to their
basic features
such as feathers
Band 4
Students
understand that all
living things are
made up of cells
(7).
Knows that some
living things are
single celled and
some are
multicellular
Knows the basic
structure of plant
and animal cells
and the differences
between them and
can relate these
differences to their
functions eg plant
cells have
chloroplasts for
photosynthesis.
Know that cells
form tissues,
tissues form
organs, organs
form systems and
systems form
organisms
Know the 7
characteristics of
living things (MRS
GREN) and the
similarities and
differences of how
these
Band 5
Students
understand the
interactions and
relationships
between a number
of body systems
and can explain
how they work
together to satisfy
the needs of the
organism (9). eg
how the digestive
system, respiratory
system and
circulatory system
work together to
transport oxygen,
nutrients and
carbon dioxide to
and from cells in
the body.
Students
understand how
the systems help
animals and plants
to cope with and
interact with their
environment and to
maintain
homeostasis, for
example how
humans sweat to
cool down when
they are too hot, or
shiver when they
are too cold. They
may compare this
Band 5+
KGP3
Band 1
Band 2
using food dye), a
flower to attract
insects.
Band 3
Band 4
fur and fins.
Animals may be
classified into
vertebrates and
invertebrates, or
mammals, reptiles,
amphibians, birds
and reptiles, and
plants into
flowering and nonflowering (7).
characteristics are
demonstrated in
plants and animals
Students identify
structures of living
things and
describe the
relationship
between structure
and function and
they use
observable
characteristics to
sort living things
into groups (5), eg
relate the shape of
birds beaks to the
food they eat
Can use
classification keys
to group things
based on their
observable
features and to
identify different
specimens within a
group, eg to
classify insects
using an insect
classification key
(7)
Can describe the
functions different
body systems in
relation to their role
in the 7
characteristics of
living things
Band 5
to reptiles.
Students are also
aware of how
plants maintain
their internal
balance such as
the closing of
stomata on their
leaves.
Can describe how
some features and
behaviours of
animals and plants
are adaptations
which enable them
to survive in their
environment, eg
Compare the leaf
structure of desert
and tropical plants
and the ear size of
the arctic and
desert fox
Can construct their
own classification
keys
Band 5+
KGP3
Reproduction
and Change
All living things
grow and
change over
time.
Diversity of life
is ensured
through
inheritance and
evolution
Recognise that
people grow and
as they grow they
change (3) eg now
I’ve got new shoes
that are bigger.
Band 1
Students
recognise that
there are different
stages of human
development and
can recognise
those stages,
(babies, toddlers,
children,
teenagers, grown
ups) and the
different features
and needs of
people in those
stages (3)
They recognise
that they have
similarities with
their parents and
siblings (3)
Band 2
Students know that
other living things
go through stages
and change over
time eg puppies
grow into dogs,
kittens grow into
cats, tadpoles
grow into frogs,
seeds grow into
plants (3)
Students know that
all living things
have parents and
that some parents
take care of their
young eg humans,
and dogs, where
others such as
frogs and fish do
not care for their
young (3).
Students describe
some of the
changes that take
place as living
things grow while
realising that
offspring are
similar to their
parents (3)
Band 3
Students
understand that
when plants and
animals reproduce
their offspring
resemble their
parents
Students examine
the life cycles of
different groups of
living things, and
look at similarities
and differences eg
reptiles and birds
lay eggs where as
mammals give
birth to live young,
some plants grow
from seeds and
others from
suckers (5).
Band 4
Students examine
why some living
things are better
suited to their
environment than
others (7)
Students
understand that
there is variety
within a particular
species eg people
vary in height, hair
colour etc. tigers
may vary in how
fast they can run, a
plant species may
vary in the number
of seed it
produces, and that
this variety can
give some
individuals a better
chance of surviving
that others
Students
understand that
some animals and
plants that lived in
the past have
become extinct as
there feature that
help them to
survive are no
longer as useful in
a changing world
Band 5
Band 5+
Students
understand the
process by which
genes are inherited
during sexual
reproduction using
Mendelian genetics
looking at
dominant and
recessive alleles in
monohybrid
crosses.
Students compare
the characteristics
and diversity of
organisms
produced through
asexual and sexual
reproductive
processes.
Students have a
basic knowledge of
DNA structure and
function
They can relate
genotype to
phenotype
Students consider
the science and
the application of
genetic
engineering and its
potential benefits
and consequences
Students examine
the theory of
evolution by
natural selection to
explain the
diversity of living
things. They also
examine how
inherited
Students
understand role of
mutation in
producing variety
in both sexually
and asexually
reproducing
organisms.
Students
understand how
structural,
functional and
behavioural
adaptations have
helped organisms
to survive over
geological time.
Different
ecosystems exist
in different
environments eg
desert ecosystems
and tropical
ecosystems, and in
each ecosystem
the whole
community is
interrelated and
KGP3
Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
Students
understand that
offspring look like
their parents due
to the inheritance
of DNA from their
parents through
reproductive
processes and that
this DNA
determines
observable
features.
Students
understand that
sexual
reproduction is the
fusion of gametes
(eggs and sperm in
animals and pollen
and ovary in
plants)
Students
understand that
some organisms,
such as bacteria,
reproduce by a
process of asexual
reproduction
Band 5
characteristics are
passed from parent
to offspring (9)
Band 5+
adapted to the
conditions.