1. Content descriptors
The descriptors identify the scientific concepts, inquiry practices and human contexts students encounter in Year 3.
Australian Curriculum v9
Year 3 Science Curriculum: Achievement Standard and Content Descriptors
Use this Year 3 Science map to connect the achievement standard with all 12 linked content descriptors. It supports age appropriate sequences where students build explanations through observation, guided inquiry and communication.
Available combined curriculum hubs
Browse published Science curriculum maps.
All Science achievement standards | All Science content descriptors
How the curriculum elements fit together
2. Learning and assessment
Learning can move between observable phenomena, shared investigations, representations and evidence based explanations.
3. Achievement standard
Collect evidence from discussion, observation, practical work, representations and students’ explanations over time.
ASSCIY3
Open the standalone ASSCIY3 page →
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 3 students classify and compare living and non-living things and different life cycles. They describe the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and describe their importance as resources. They identify sources of heat energy and examples of heat transfer and explain changes in the temperature of objects. They classify solids and liquids based on observable properties and describe how to cause a change of state. They describe how people use data to develop explanations. They identify solutions that use scientific explanations.
Students pose questions to explore patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. They use scaffolds to plan safe investigations and fair tests. They use familiar classroom instruments to make measurements. They organise data and information using provided scaffolds and identify patterns and relationships. They compare their findings with those of others, explain how they kept their investigation fair, identify further questions and draw conclusions. They communicate ideas and findings for an identified purpose, including using scientific vocabulary when appropriate.
The 12 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 3 students classify and compare living and non-living things and different life cycles.
Content descriptorAC9S3U01 Science understanding
compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration classifying a collection of objects as living, once living or non-living and explaining their reasoning
- Elaboration observing and describing differences between metamorphic (such as butterflies, beetles or frogs) and non-metamorphic life cycles of animals, including humans
- Elaboration comparing the physical characteristics of an animal such as a frog or moth with its activity at different stages of its life cycle
- Elaboration representing stages of a plant or animal’s life cycle using drawings, digital photographs, graphic organisers or concrete materials
- Elaboration investigating how First Nations Australians understand and utilise the life cycles of certain species
They describe the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and describe their importance as resources.
Content descriptorAC9S3U02 Science understanding
compare the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and investigate why they are important Earth resources
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration examining different soils from local areas and using magnifying glasses to observe their components, such as pebbles, sand or plant matter as well as living things such as earthworms and insects
- Elaboration exploring the school grounds or a local area and observing or collecting different types of rocks and describing similarities or differences such as texture, colour, grain or crystal size
- Elaboration recognising that minerals are the building blocks of rocks and that the different characteristics of rocks depend on the minerals they are made up of
- Elaboration identifying rocks as key components of the built and natural environment and recognising uses of minerals such as gemstones in jewellery, graphite in pencils, and table salt in food
- Elaboration investigating First Nations Australians’ knowledges of different rock and mineral types, and how they were used such as for stone blades, grindstones and pigments
- Elaboration describing ways in which living things including humans depend on soils, such as for food, growing plants, providing habitat for organisms, and holding and cleaning water
- Elaboration examining information on plant tags and exploring the vocabulary used to describe soils and different plant soil requirements
- Elaboration investigating which rocks or minerals are quarried or mined locally or regionally and how those resources are used
They identify sources of heat energy and examples of heat transfer and explain changes in the temperature of objects.
Content descriptorAC9S3U03 Science understanding
identify sources of heat energy and examine how temperature changes when heat energy is transferred from one object to another
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration exploring how we sense heat and identifying sources of heat such as the sun, fire, electrical devices and geothermal springs
- Elaboration recognising that changes in heat energy can be measured using a thermometer
- Elaboration observing and, with assistance, measuring, what happens when a cold object is placed in direct contact with a warm object and proposing explanations
- Elaboration modelling the movement of heat from one object to another using drawing or role-play
- Elaboration investigating how well heat is transferred by different types of materials such as metals, plastics and ceramics and identifying how materials are used to keep things hot and cold
- Elaboration exploring how First Nations Australians developed clothing from animal skins such as possum furs and kangaroo skin cloaks that trap heat close to the body to stay warm
They classify solids and liquids based on observable properties and describe how to cause a change of state.
Content descriptorAC9S3U04 Science understanding
investigate the observable properties of solids and liquids and how adding or removing heat energy leads to a change of state
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration observing the properties of substances and classifying them as solids (that hold their shape) or liquids (that fill the bottom of containers)
- Elaboration investigating ice melting or water freezing in a sealed bag and explaining their observations
- Elaboration using ice cubes, butter or chocolate to explore how changes of state involve the removal of heat or the addition of heat
- Elaboration investigating how changes of state in materials used by First Nations Australians such as beeswax or resins are important for their use
- Elaboration exploring how changes from solid to liquid and liquid to solid can help us recycle materials such as glass or plastics
They describe how people use data to develop explanations.
Content descriptorAC9S3H01 Science as a human endeavour
examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration investigating the stories of people who used multiple observations to develop scientific explanations, such as 17th-century entomologist and naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, who was the first to record the nature of metamorphosis
- Elaboration exploring how farmers use soil tests to monitor and manage the health of farms
- Elaboration investigate how 18th-century physicists such as Jean Ingenhousz and Sir Benjamin Thompson collected data on conduction of heat to determine the best conductors or insulators
- Elaboration exploring age-appropriate science reports and journal articles and identifying where in the text the author has included data, findings or explanations
- Elaboration viewing a documentary or webinar and observing how scientists and researchers share their data and explanations
They identify solutions that use scientific explanations.
Content descriptorAC9S3H02 Science as a human endeavour
consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration recognising how First Nations Australians observe and describe developmental changes in plants and animals to make decisions about when to harvest certain resources
- Elaboration exploring the history of manure and compost use in agriculture and how composting can help improve soil condition and plant growth
- Elaboration investigating how understanding of life cycles of insect pests such as fruit flies led to effective control strategies
- Elaboration investigating why salt, was so important to people’s diets, food preservation and medicine in ancient times that it was known as ‘white gold’
- Elaboration exploring how science knowledge of heat transfer has helped people develop different ways to cook food, such as by boiling, frying or roasting
- Elaboration investigating how engineers test the insulation properties of materials, and how this information is used to design food and beverage packaging, building insulation or clothing
Students pose questions to explore patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations.
Content descriptorAC9S3I01 Science inquiry
pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration acknowledging and using information from First Nations Australians to guide the development of questions regarding life cycles
- Elaboration posing questions about the relationship between soil characteristics and the growth of particular plants, such as: ‘Will beans grow best in sandy, loamy or clay soils?’
- Elaboration comparing simple maps of Australian agriculture and soil types and posing questions about observed patterns, such as: ‘Does wheat grow in particular soils?’
- Elaboration posing questions about substances that are difficult to classify as a solid or liquid, such as toothpaste, slime or hair gel
- Elaboration predicting whether the mass of ice in a sealed container will change when the ice has melted
- Elaboration predicting which material will be the most effective insulator of heat
- Elaboration predicting how quickly ice will melt at different ambient temperatures based on previous observations
They use scaffolds to plan safe investigations and fair tests.
Content descriptorAC9S3I02 Science inquiry
use provided scaffolds to plan and conduct investigations to answer questions or test predictions, including identifying the elements of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration collaboratively identifying and ordering the steps in an investigation
- Elaboration using a provided framework or graphic organiser to plan and identify what to change, what to keep the same and what to measure to make a test fair
- Elaboration examining an example of a soil profile after soil has settled in water and planning an investigation to compare and contrast the components and particle sizes of different soils
- Elaboration planning an investigation to determine which material is the best to keep substances cold
- Elaboration discussing safety rules to follow when conducting investigations, such as following teacher instructions, manipulating equipment and materials with care and wearing appropriate personal safety gear, such as gloves, safety goggles and face masks when handling soils
- Elaboration consulting with First Nations Australians to guide the planning of scientific investigations, including safety considerations for field investigations
They use familiar classroom instruments to make measurements.
Content descriptorAC9S3I03 Science inquiry
follow procedures to make and record observations, including making formal measurements using familiar scaled instruments and using digital tools as appropriate
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration using appropriate equipment to make and record observations, such as digital cameras, video, voice recorders and scaled instruments with appropriate increments
- Elaboration exploring how to use equipment such as thermometers or measuring cylinders and making readings with guidance
- Elaboration collaboratively designing a table to collect observations in the form of numerical data, written descriptions, drawings or photos
- Elaboration identifying and taking on roles in group work, such as setting up the equipment, making observations, recording observations and ensuring safe behaviours
They organise data and information using provided scaffolds and identify patterns and relationships.
Content descriptorAC9S3I04 Science inquiry
construct and use representations, including tables, simple column graphs and visual or physical models, to organise data and information, show simple relationships and identify patterns
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration representing observed life stages by constructing models using recycled or craft materials
- Elaboration constructing pictorial maps to show the location of different soil and rock types in the local environment
- Elaboration constructing and using tables to explore the relationship between ambient temperature and time taken to melt
- Elaboration using graphic organisers to compare properties of solids and liquids
- Elaboration using column graphs to show melting time for ice in containers with different insulating layers
They compare their findings with those of others, explain how they kept their investigation fair, identify further questions and draw conclusions.
Content descriptorAC9S3I05 Science inquiry
compare findings with those of others, consider if investigations were fair, identify questions for further investigation and draw conclusions
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration comparing findings, such as about best insulators, with those of others and identifying further questions based on differences in findings
- Elaboration discussing the factors that make investigations fair and evaluating the fairness of their own and others’ investigations
- Elaboration drawing conclusions based on consideration of their own and others’ findings
- Elaboration identifying further questions for investigation based on observations, differences in findings or new ideas
They communicate ideas and findings for an identified purpose, including using scientific vocabulary when appropriate.
Content descriptorAC9S3I06 Science inquiry
write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration discussing how to construct simple reports of their investigations to share their predictions, methods, results and conclusions with their peers
- Elaboration consulting First Nations Australians’ representations of living things as evidenced and communicated through formal and informal sharing of information
- Elaboration writing a life-cycle story from the perspective of a living thing, including appropriate scientific terms for life stages
- Elaboration creating posters to display around school on the importance of placing compostable lunchtime food scraps such as apple cores in compost bins for use in kitchen gardens
- Elaboration collaborating to create a pictorial map of the school grounds showing where different rocks or soils can be found as part of the built or natural environment and creating a class display of rocks and soils collected
- Elaboration creating an advertisement to promote a new insulated container design to parents of primary-school-aged children
- Elaboration representing heat transfer using diagrams, digital drawings, arrows or labels using scientific vocabulary
About the strands
The 12 content descriptors linked to ASSCIY3 sit under these strands.
Science understanding
The concepts students learn and use to explain living things, Earth, matter, energy and physical phenomena.
Science as a human endeavour
How scientific knowledge develops through collaboration and informs decisions made by individuals and communities.
Science inquiry
The practices students use to question, investigate, represent data, evaluate evidence and communicate findings.
A practical planning sequence
- Choose the curriculum focus. Choose an observable scientific idea that students can investigate and explain.
- Select a meaningful context. Connect learning to familiar environments, materials, living things or everyday change.
- Plan connected learning. Use the linked descriptors together where that creates a coherent sequence.
- Map the evidence. Use multiple opportunities for students to observe, record, compare and communicate.
Turn this curriculum map into a teaching sequence
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