Oz-e-science – Earth and Space – Version 2
Foundation – Year 6
Oz-e-science Earth and Space units align to the Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions.
This Version 2 is the first batch of our new ready-to-teach Earth and Space lessons. The full curriculum will arrive in May 2025.
Starter Lessons
Year Overview
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Foundation Year is the study of Earth and its place in space for Foundation Year students.
It aligns to the Australian Curriculum Science Understanding:
- Describe daily and seasonal changes in the environment and explore how these changes affect everyday life. (AC9S1U02)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Foundation Year Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1: Earth and Space – Space
- Lesson 2: Earth and Space – Solar System
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
Over the 9 lessons, student will learn about the following key ideas:
- Most of the universe is space.
- The Earth is a planet in our Solar System.
- Earth is special because it has water.
- There is freshwater and saltwater on the Earth.
- Earth’s land is different in different places.
- The atmosphere is the air around the Earth.
- Weather is what we see and feel in the atmosphere each day.
- There are four seasons.
- People live on Earth and use the land, water and the sky to stay safe and comfortable.
Success Criteria
- Explain the objects in the universe
- Describe space as the big area between the stars and planets
- Explain the Sun is the center of the solar system
- Describe the eight planets in the solar system
- Describe Earth’s special colours from space.
- Identify what makes Earth a special planet.
- Explain the two types of water found on Earth
- Describe the differences between freshwater and saltwater
- Observe different land features and the animals that live there.
- Sort animals based on the landform habitats they live in.
- Explain that the Earth is surrounded by air
- Describe the purpose of the Earth’s atmosphere
- Identify different types of weather by looking at the sky and pictures
- Describe the weather using words and by talking about what we wear and do.
- Explain the cycle of the four seasons on Earth
- Dompare the weather in each season
- Explain that people live on land, drink water, and breathe air.
- Describe how we can take care of the Earth
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
The End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Year 1 is the study of Earth and its place in space for Year 1 students.
It aligns to the Australian Curriculum Science Understanding:
- Describe daily and seasonal changes in the environment and explore how these changes affect everyday life. (AC9S1U02)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Year 1 Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1A: Day and Night – The Earth’s rotation
- Lesson 1B: Day and Night – Shadows
- Lesson 2A: Role of the Sun
- Lesson 2B: The Sun’s Energy
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
Over the 9 lessons, student will learn about the following key ideas:
- Most of the universe is space.
- The Earth is a planet in our Solar System.
- Earth is special because it has water.
- There is freshwater and saltwater on the Earth.
- Earth’s land is different in different places.
- The atmosphere is the air around the Earth.
- Weather is what we see and feel in the atmosphere each day.
- There are four seasons.
- People live on Earth and use the land, water and the sky to stay safe and comfortable.
Success Criteria
- Explain how the Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
- Describe how the rotation of Earth affects what we do.
- Observe changes in the direction and length of our shadows.
- Explain how the rotation of Earth causes our shadows to change.
- Describe how the Sun’s energy gives Earth light and warmth.
- Compare how the Sun’s energy heats different surfaces.
- Plan an effective shade structure.
- Construct a shade structure that can stop ice melting.
- Identify the phases of the moon.
- Model how animals use the moon phases to hunt and hide.
- Explain the effect of the Moon on the tides.
- Model the effect of the Moon on tide pools.
- Describe different types of weather.
- Identify the weather symbols used in weather forecasts.
- Explain what wind is and what it can do.
- Identify the direction the wind is coming from using a wind vane.
- Describe cyclones.
- Construct a model of a cyclone.
- Explain a flood.
- Design a structure that can protect a house from flood water.
- Explain how the Earth’s tilt causes seasons.
- Model how the Earth’s tilt causes seasons.
- Describe how First Nations people use seasonal signs to guide their lives.
- Classify a sign or event to a season.
- Identify if it is weather or climate.
- Classify weather to be normal or unusual for a climate.
- Explain ways the climate has changed over a long time.
- Classify animals on a timeline by climate for a part of Earth’s history.
- Identify clothes that trap or release body heat.
- Investigate the effectiveness of different materials in trapping heat.
- Explain how different materials can release or trap heat.
- Model a house and heat for a specific climate.
- Classify wind speed.
- Investigate wind speed on different objects.
- Create a concept map to show how everything we learnt is connected.
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
The End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Year 2 is the study of Earth and its place in space for Year 2 students.
It aligns to the Australian Curriculum Science Understanding:
- recognise Earth is a planet in the solar system and identify patterns in the changing position of the sun, moon, planets and stars in the sky (AC9S2U01)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Year 2 Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1A: The Sun
- Lesson 1B: Planetary Systems
- Lesson 2A: Earth -How the Earth Moves
- Lesson 2B: Earth – Earth’s Rotation
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
9 key concepts are covered in this unit:
- The Sun is a star at the centre of the Solar System.
- The Earth rotates once a day as it orbits the Sun.
- The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite.
- As the sun shines on the Moon, we see different parts of it light up at different times.
- A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and casts its shadow on Earth.
- Earth is one of eight planets in our solar system.
- The Milky Way is the galaxy that our Solar System is in.
- All early human societies have navigated by the stars.
- Light from the Sun is 8 minutes old by the time it reaches Earth.
Success Criteria
- Explain what a star is.
- Compare the sizes of four stars and their distances from Earth.
- Explain what a planetary system is.
- Identify the star and planets of the Solar System.
- Explain the difference between the rotation of the Earth and the orbit of the Earth.
- Construct a Sun and Earth orbit model.
- Explain how the rotation of the Earth causes cities to experience day and night at different times.
- Model the Earth’s rotation, which causes day and night.
- Describe why the Moon is called a natural satellite.
- Construct a model of the Moon orbiting Earth.
- Analyse artificial satellites and their purposes.
- Model how artificial satellites help us.
- Explain why the Moon seems to change shape.
- Identify the phases of the Moon.
- Explain the phases of the Moon.
- Represent the Moon changing shape.
- Explain what a solar eclipse is.
- Demonstrate what happens during a solar eclipse.
- Model the stages of a solar eclipse.
- Explain how the Moon blocks the Sun’s light during a solar eclipse.
- Explain what a planet is.
- Identify types of planets.
- Create a scaled model of the solar system.
- Explain the importance of the distance of the planets from the Sun.
- Explain what a galaxy is.
- Sort different types of galaxies.
- Create a model of the Milky Way.
- Describe the features of the Milky Way.
- Explain how constellations are used for navigation.
- Create a constellation.
- Create a star map.
- Demonstrate how to use star maps for navigation.
- Explain how long it takes for sunlight to reach Earth.
- Demonstrate how long it takes for sunlight to reach Earth.
- Create a scale model of the solar system.
- Explain the distance between planets.
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
The End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Year 3 is the study of Earth and its place in space for Year 3 students.
It aligns to the Australian Curriculum Science Understanding:
- Compares the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and investigate why they are important Earth resources (AC9S3U02)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Year 3 Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1A: Formation of the Earth
- Lesson 1B: Modelling Accretion
- Lesson 2A: Rocks on Earth
- Lesson 2B: The Rock Cycle
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
9 key concepts are covered in this unit:
- Gravity is a force that pulls things towards each other.
- There are igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks on Earth.
- Minerals are the building blocks of rocks and give rocks their properties.
- Rocks and minerals are found in nature and are also used to build objects and structures for human use.
- Living things need nonliving things in their ecosystem to live.
- Soil is made of minerals, other abiotic factors and biotic factors and has many uses.
- Soil properties determine if a plant will grow.
- Humans can change the environment to help crops grow better.
- The future of farming is changing to meet a growing world population.
Success Criteria
- Explain how the Earth was formed.
- Represent the process of accretion when a planet is forming.
- Explain how the Earth was formed.
- Represent the process of accretion when a planet is forming.
- Describe the three types of rocks found on Earth.
- Classify rocks based on their properties.
- Represent the formation of the three rock types: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock.
- Evaluate our models of the three types of rocks.
- Describe how minerals make up rocks.
- Investigate the property of solubility in minerals.
- Investigate the properties of minerals.
- Explain which mineral is best to solve a problem.
- Identify properties of a rock or mineral that make it suitable for a task.
- Justify choice of rock or mineral to solve a problem.
- Model a mining operation.
- Calculate costs of a mining operation.
- Classify living and nonliving things in an ecosystem.
- Model how nutrients move through an ecosystem.
- Identify abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem.
- Predict what will happen if a factor in an ecosystem is changed.
- Observe a soil sample.
- Represent the soil layers.
- Explain how we can make mudbricks.
- Construct a structure out of mudbricks.
- Explain the soil properties of different types of soil.
- Experiment with how soil type affects plant growth.
- Analyse the results from our experiment.
- Identify signs of lack of nutrients in a plant.
- Explain the importance of crop rotation.
- Plan a crop rotation schedule for a garden for three seasons.
- Explain how a greenhouse works.
- Investigate ice melting in greenhouse with wet or dry soil.
- Explain the need for farming innovations.
- Design a simple hydroponics systems using sustainable materials.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of our simple hydroponics design.
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
The End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Year 4 is the study key processes in the water cycle and describe how water cycles through the environment.
It aligns to the Australian Curriculum Science Understanding:
- Identify sources of water and describe key processes in the water cycle, including movement of water through the sky, landscape and ocean; precipitation; evaporation; and condensation (AC9S4U02)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Year 4 Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1A: The Water Cycle – Where the Earth Got its Water
- Lesson 1B: The Water Cycle – Impact Craters and Volcanic Eruptions
- Lesson 2A: The Water Cycle – How Water moves Through a Cycle
- Lesson 2B: The Water Cycle – Drawing the Water Cycle
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
9 key concepts are covered in this unit:
- Three theories for the origin of water on Earth are: comets, asteroids and from within Earth’s rocks.
- The water cycle is the continuous movement of water around the Earth.
- Earth’s water exists in the air, on its surface and in the ground.
- Evaporation occurs when heat energy transforms water into vapour which then rises into the atmosphere.
- Transpiration is the process by which water moves through a plant and into the atmosphere as water vapour.
- Condensation in the water cycle occurs when water vapour rises high into the atmosphere, cools, and turns into a liquid, forming clouds.
- Precipitation occurs when the water droplets in the clouds become too heavy for the air to hold and they fall back down to Earth as rain, snow or hail.
- Because there is less rainfall in Australia, desalination plants are becoming key water sources.
- Some of the water we drink is the same water dinosaurs drank millions of years ago.
Success Criteria
- Identify the two main processes that formed the Earth.
- Explain why humans are able to live on Earth.
- Identify and label Earth’s four main layers.
- Represent a model of the Earth’s layers.
- Identify what tectonic plates are.
- Describe two examples of what happens where tectonic plates meet.
- Outline the tectonic plate boundaries.
- Explain what continental drift theory is.
- Represent Pangaea in an online puzzle.
- Describe the difference between constructive and destructive forces.
- Classify landforms created by constructive and/or destructive processes in a card game.
- Describe the three main types of rocks and how they were formed.
- Classify rocks in the rock cycle.
- Describe the three main types of fossil fuels.
- Plot to represent the main fossil fuel reserves on a map of Australia.
- Complete research and take notes about a geological site.
- Create an information report using your reading research about the geological site.
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
The End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Essentials Year 5 is the study of our solar system as a very small part of one of millions of galaxies in the universe.
It aligns to the Australian Curriculum Science Understanding:
- Describe how weathering, erosion, transportation and deposition cause slow or rapid change to Earth’s surface (AC9S5U02)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Year 5 Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1A: The Centre of the Earth
- Lesson 1B: A Wedge of Earth
- Lesson 2A: Earth’s Interior Structure
- Lesson 2B: Earth’s interior
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
9 key concepts are covered in this unit:
- Seismic waves provide evidence that the Earth is made up of layers.
- The internal structure of the Earth is made up of the crust, mantle, outer and inner core.
- The Earth’s crust is made up of plates which move slowly over millions of years.
- The Earth’s surface is changed by weathering.
- Water, wind, ice and gravity transport surface materials and deposit them in other locations.
- The largest geological changes happen slowly over timeframes of millions of years.
- Some geological changes happen rapidly over shorter timeframes.
- Major geological events happen in this area reshaping the surface of the earth.
- Supercontinents form and break apart as plates move, and GPS helps track this movement.
Success Criteria
- Identify key scientists and how their ideas about Earth’s interior have changed.
- Describe how seismic waves have changed scientific ideas about Earth’s layers.
- Represent Earth’s layers in a model.
- Calculate the depth of each layer inside the Earth.
- Describe the properties of Earth’s layers.
- Classify each layer based on temperature and pressure.
- Represent Earth’s layers through a model.
- Describe the characteristics of each layer.
- Explain how tectonic plates move and shape Earth.
- Identify three types of plate boundaries and what they create.
- Demonstrate how tectonic plates move.
- Describe how different plate movements create landforms.
- Classify examples based on chemical, physical or biological weathering.
- Identify examples such as pictures or statements about weathering.
- Investigate how weathering can shape Earth’s surface.
- Measure the rate at which these changes could happen.
- Observe how natural forces transport and deposit materials.
- analyse scenarios to predict outcomes of transport.
- Investigate how agents of transport shape Earth’s surface.
- Observe the role of different agents like water, wind, ice, and waves.
- Explain geological processes that causes slow changes.
- Sequence events in the correct order to show how processes occur over time.
- Analyse evidence supporting the theory of continental drift.
- Model Pangea by arranging continents based on geological and fossil evidence.
- Classify rapid geological processes using known facts.
- Analyse geological events and predict future outcomes of land around it.
- Interpret seismic data based on plotting coordinates.
- Infer global and regional seismic patterns.
- Analyse how tectonic plate movement is connected to geological activity.
- Represent concepts visually in a detailed diagram to show connections.
- Identify evidence of geological activity in the Pacific Ocean.
- Analyse data from mapped earthquakes and volcanoes.
- Predict future continental movements to create a new supercontinent.
- Construct a new supercontinent based on data.
- Construct a large-scale concept map.
- Explain connections between concepts.
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
The End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.
Unit Overview
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions
Earth and Space Year 6 is the study of 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.
This unit aligns with Australian Curriculum outcome:
- Students 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. (AC9S6U02)
Version 2 Content
The following lessons are included in Earth and Space Year 6 Version 2 alongside a new Teaching Guide and Student Workbook:
- Lesson 1A: Lifecycle of the Sun
- Lesson 1B: Fusion in Stars
- Lesson 2A: Earth’s Movement around the Sun
- Lesson 2B: Seasons and Day length
In May 2025, the remaining lessons and accompanying Student Workbooks and teaching guides will be released.
Learning Objectives
The 9 concepts covered in this unit include:
- Hydrogen is fusing into helium in the Sun which is currently in the main sequence phase of its life cycle.
- Earth’s rotation creates day and night, while its revolution and tilt around the Sun causes the seasons.
- The Moon’s phases are a result of its orbit around Earth, while its gravitational pull creates tides.
- The Solar System includes planets, moons, asteroids and the Kuiper Belt, held together by gravity.
- There are galaxies beyond the Milky Way, shown by the Deep Field.
- The Big Bang marked the beginning of the Universe, which continues to expand.
- A supernova is the explosion from the death of a big star, releasing immense energy.
- Black holes have intense gravity, allowing nothing to escape.
- Exoplanets exist outside our solar system and some may be habitable.
Success Criteria
- Sequence the stages of a medium sized star’s life cycle.
- Classify stars according to their stage in the life cycle.
- Describe fusion in stars.
- Explain how the first few elements of the periodic table are created in stars.
- Analyse rotation and revolution of Earth and other planets in the Solar System.
- Model the planets in the Solar System.
- Describe how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons.
- Analyse data on a line graph to show how the Sun’s angle due to the Earth’s tilt affects daylight hours.
- Describe the moon’s orbit, rotation and phases.
- Model the movement of the moon around the Earth to create the phases that we see.
- Explain how the Moon’s orbit affects ocean tides.
- Analyse line graphs to draw conclusions about Moon phases from the data.
- Classify the different components of the Solar System.
- Represent the distances between components of the Solar System.
- Describe how the Solar System was formed and sequence the process of formation.
- Model the formation of the Solar System.
- Discuss the history of telescopes and the discovery of the deep field.
- Represent images as binary code.
- Explain the term ‘Light Year’.
- Describe and classify galaxies based on their shape.
- Explain the theory of The Big Bang and where our universe began.
- Represent the expansion of the Universe.
- Explain Cosmic Microwave Background.
- Describe the expansion of the universe based on Hubble’s observations and redshift.
- Sequence the stages of the life cycle of big stars.
- Infer the final outcome of a supernova explosion.
- Describe supernova events and how they recycle elements.
- Analyse supernova explosions to determine the gases and metals present.
- Describe how black holes were predicted.
- Represent the action of a black hole.
- Describe the structure and features of a black hole.
- Calculate the density of a black hole.
- Describe what is an exoplanet.
- Analyse exoplanet habitability.
- Construct a large scale concept map.
- Explain connections between concepts.
Assessment
Exit Tickets
Exit ticket questions are provided at the end of each lesson to revise learning objective.
Each lesson begins with a recall slide revisiting the exit ticket from the previous lesson.
End-of-Unit Assessment
Final assessment is made up of exit ticket questions to assess knowledge and understanding of concepts and lesson objectives covered throughout the unit.
End-of-Unit Assessment is in the Teaching Guide. Teachers copy the assessment and distribute to students at testing time.