Science

Science Curriculum

In Science at STPS we focus on developing strong Science Inquiry Skills in our students. These skills include:- planning, questioning, prediction, conducting investigations, safety, data collection, observation of results, reviewing predictions, fair testing, reliability and communication. These are skills that are built on each year and developed throughout primary school as they are essential skills for Science in High School. These skills are taught within different topics each term. The same topic is covered in each year level with a focus on a different aspect for each. All of the material being covered is taken directly from the WA Curriculum.

In Term 1 we look at Biology. Below is the focus for each year level:

Pre-primary - Living things have basic needs, including food and water

Year 1 - Living things have a variety of external features and live in different places where their needs are met
Year 2 - Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves
Year 3 - Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things
Year 4 - Living things have life cycles and depend on each other and the environment to survive
Year 5 - Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment 
Year 6 - The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment

In Term 2 we look at Physics. Below is the focus for each year level:

Year 1 - Light and sound are produced by a range of sources and can be sensed
Year 2 - A push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape
Year 3 - Heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one object to another
Year 4 - Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct contact or from a distance 
Year 5 - Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted 
Year 6 - Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources

In Term 3 we look at Chemistry. Below is the focus for each year level:

Pre-primary - Objects are made of materials that have observable properties
Year 1 - Everyday materials can be physically changed in a variety of ways
Year 2 - Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose
Year 3 - A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat
Year 4 - Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use  
Year 5 - Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties and behave in different ways
Year 6 – Changes to materials can be reversible or irreversible

In Term 4 we look at Earth and Space. Below is the focus for each year level:

Pre-primary - Daily and seasonal changes in our environment affect everyday life
Year 1 - Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape
Year 2 - Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways
Year 3 - How we get day, night, years, seasons
Year 4 - Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity
Year 5 - The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun)

Year 6 – Sudden geological changes and extreme weather events can affect Earth’s surface

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