• Living things have a variety of external features. (ACSSU017)

Students:

1. describe some external features of a variety of living things, including plants and animals
2. use a range of methods, including fieldwork, to identify plants or animals in their local area
3. devise simple classification systems based on the observable external features of plants or animals identified in the local area

• Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves. (ACSSU030)

Students:

1. record the changes in growth of a common plant or animal, using informal units, provided tables and digital technologies as appropriate
2. observe and record some of the changes a common plant or animal shows during its life, using an appropriate digital technology, eg a camera
3. compare the appearance of adult living things with their offspring, eg trees, insects, birds, reptiles, cats or humans

• Living things live in different places where their needs are met. (ACSSU211)

Students:

1. observe the different places in a local land or aquatic environment where living things can be found, eg a schoolyard, pond, beach or bush
2. explore the needs of a plant or an animal in its environment
3. describe how some different places in a local land or aquatic environment provide for the needs of the animals or plants that live there.
4. observe and record ways people use science knowledge and skills in their daily lives to care for living things, such as gardeners, farmers or pet carers (ACSHE022, ACSHE035) CCLEU

K-6 CONTENT ES1 (assumed that students have studied the following before the St1 content above) - Early Stage 1 of the Living World strand focuses on living things, their characteristics, needs, behaviours, and the environment in which they live.

1. Students explore how plants and animals satisfy our needs by providing us with the resources for the production of food and fibre.

Early Stage 1 of this strand introduces students to the biological sciences and how food and fibre are used and are essential to society and its needs.

Working Scientifically

1. Planning and conducting investigations
2. make observations using senses through participation in guided scientific investigations
3. record observations using drawings, simple digital recording methods, oral descriptions and/or simple visual representations (ACSIS011)
4. work cooperatively with others to investigate ideas develop safe skills when using materials and equipment

Inquiry and Focus Questions

1. What do we notice about living things
2. How can living things be used to meet our need

Content Characteristics and basic needs of living things

Inquiry question: What do we notice about living things?

Students:

1. recognise that living things have basic needs including air, food and water (ACSSU002)
2. compare the basic needs of some plants and animals
3. participate in guided investigations to identify living things and the external features of plants and animals in the local environment
4. communicate findings of observations of living things in their environment

Focus question:

• How can living things be used to meet our needs?

Students:

1. recognise that plants and animals can be used as food, or materials (fibres) for clothing and shelter(ACTDEK003)
2. explore a range of foods obtained from plants and animals, for example:
   1. customary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander foods
   2. foods from a range of cultures, eg African, American, German, Indian, Japanese
3. explore everyday items that are designed and produced from fibres sourced from plants and

animals, for example:

1. fabrics and yarns used for clothing
2. wood products used for shelter

• Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things. (ACSSU044)

Students:

1. sort objects according to whether they are living or non-living
2. identify some features of living things that distinguish them from non-living things, eg reproducing, growing and responding to stimuli
3. identify and use patterns in the observable features of living things to group them, by using tables, diagrams or flowcharts LN
4. research ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples classify some plants or animals

AHCCCT

• Living things have life cycles. (ACSSU072)

Students:

1. observe first-hand one animal or plant as it grows and develops, and sequence the stages in its life cycle L
2. identify ways that the environment can affect the life cycle of plants and animals

• Living things, including plants and animals, depend on each other and the environment to survive. (ACSSU073)

Students:

1. identify some factors in the local environment that are needed by plants and animals for survival
2. outline the relationship between plants and animals, including that plants are able to use light to make food, while animals must eat plants or other animals to obtain food L
3. investigate the role of living things in a habitat, eg plants as producers and microbes (micro-organisms) as decomposers CCT
4. gather information about some relationships between living things, eg predator-prey, competitors and mutually beneficial relationships SEL
5. predict the effect of natural changes in the environment on some relationships between plants and animals, eg drought and fire
6. describe some examples of how science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions on the environment and the survival of living things

Most of what you thought you knew about bats is probably wrong.

Many people think bats are blind, but in fact they can see almost as well as humans. However, at night, their ears are more important than their eyes - they use a special sonar system called 'echolocation,' meaning they find things using echoes.

• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141031-bats-myths-vampires-animals-science-halloween/

Again, bats are not blind. Most bats can see as well as humans.

Fruit bats have eyesight that is adapted to low-light, much like cats. Fruit bats also see in colour.

This means that almost all bats have reasonable eyesight. Bats also have excellent night vision. Fruit bats use their eyesight and sense of smell to find fruits and flowers.

Bats that hunt insects, fish, or frogs primarily use a form of sonar to navigate through dark areas and avoid obstacles. They “see” using echolocation.

Bats are not ugly or dirty. Most bats have very cute faces and spend a lot of time grooming.

Check out lost more surprising stuff here: https://batworld.org/myths_facts_page/

Source:

• http://www.onekind.org/news_blog/blog_article/animal_myths_separating_fact_from_fiction