Year 7: Organising organisms

Organising Organisms is a full-day program in which students adopt the role of Ecologists to investigate interactions of animals and plants in two different ecosystems, St Helena Island and Moreton Bay. On the water, students identify the observable features of different planktonic organisms through a plankton trawl and microscopes. They use their findings to identify and then create a dichotomous key to organise this diverse group of organisms. On St Helena, students identify animals and their diet to create a food web. They use this food web to identify possible imbalances in the island ecosystem and develop and evaluate management strategies.

Curriculum Intent

Science - Biological Science

Science understanding

• Classification helps organise the diverse group of organisms (ACSSU111)

• Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs (ACSSU112)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)

• People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity (ACSHE121)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124)

• Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed (ACSIS125)

• Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions based on evidence (ACSIS130)

General Capabilities

Critical and creative thinking

• Inquiring - identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas

• Generating ideas, possibilities and actions

• Reflecting on thinking and processes element.

Numeracy

• Interpreting statistical information

• Using spatial reasoning

Information and Communication Technology Capability

• Investigating with ICT

Personal and Social Capability

• Social Management

Cross-curriculum Priorities

Sustainability

• All life forms, including human life, are connected through ecosystems on which they depend for their wellbeing and survival

• Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and understand environments

• Sustainable futures result from actions designed to preserve and/or restore the quality and uniqueness of environments

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing

C2C
Science Unit 7 'Organising Organisms'