AC9S6U02 Year 6 Science

AC9S6U02 – Year 6 Science: Earth and space sciences

Strand

Science understanding

Substrand

Earth and space sciences

This Content Descriptor from Year 6 Science provides the specific knowledge and skills students should learn. Use it to plan lessons, create learning sequences, and design assessments that align with the Australian Curriculum v9.

Content Descriptor

describe the movement of Earth and other planets relative to the sun and model how Earth’s tilt, rotation on its axis and revolution around the sun relate to cyclic observable phenomena, including variable day and night length

Elaborations

• exploring simulations of the solar system such as a pocket solar system to appreciate the distances and relationships between the sun and planets
• recognising the role of gravity in keeping the planets in orbit around the sun
• using 3-dimensional models or role-play to model how Earth’s rotation on its axis causes day and night
• using virtual simulations or real-time views of Earth from space to explore why different regions on Earth, such as the South Pole, experience long periods of sunlight or darkness over the cycle of one revolution of Earth around the sun
• using 3-dimensional models to explore how the tilt of Earth points one hemisphere towards the sun and the other away at different times of the year, and predicting how this affects the amount of sunlight on the surface of different regions on Earth
• researching First Nations Australians’ understandings of the night sky and its use for timekeeping purposes as evidenced in oral cultural records, rock paintings, paintings and stone arrangements

Achievement Standard This Supports

This Content Descriptor contributes to the following Achievement Standard:

Year 6 ASSCIY6

Year 6 Science Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6 students explain how changes in physical conditions affect living things. They model the relationship between the sun and planets of the solar system and explain how the relative positions of Earth and the sun relate to observed phenomena on Earth. They identify the role of circuit components in the transfer and transformation of electrical energy. They classify and compare reversible and irreversible changes to substances. They explain why science is often collaborative and describe different individuals’ contributions to scientific knowledge. They describe how individuals and communities use scientific knowledge. Students plan safe, repeatable investigations to identify patterns and test relationships and make reasoned predictions. They describe risks associated with investigations and key intercultural considerations when planning field work. They identify variables to be changed, measured and controlled. They use equipment to generate and record data with appropriate precision. They construct representations to organise and process data and information and describe patterns, trends and relationships. They identify possible sources of error in their own and others’ methods and findings, pose questions for further investigation and select evidence to support reasoned conclusions. They select and use language features effectively for their purpose and audience when communicating their ideas and findings.