Year 4 - Science

Materials

15 materials

Assessment Rationale — Balanced and Unbalanced Forces (Physical sciences) Teacher-facing assessment rationale for the Physical sciences summative 'Balanced and Unbalanced Forces'. Maps each situation and rubric criterion to the SCSA Year 4 Physical sciences content description (forces through direct contact and at a distance) and the achievement standard, addresses the common gravity misconception, and justifies validity and fairness. For teacher/moderation use.
Assessment Rationale — Build an Ecosystem (Biological sciences) Teacher-facing assessment rationale for the Biological sciences summative task 'Build an Ecosystem'. Maps each part of the task and each rubric criterion to the specific WA Curriculum (SCSA) Year 4 Science content descriptions and achievement-standard language it assesses, and explains why the task design is valid and fair. For teacher/moderation use, not given to students.
Assessment Rationale — Egg-Drop Design Challenge (Chemical sciences) Teacher-facing assessment rationale for the Chemical sciences summative 'Egg-Drop Design Challenge'. Maps each part and rubric criterion to the SCSA Year 4 Science content description (chemical sciences: processed/raw materials and physical properties) and achievement standard, explains the Design and Technologies integration, and justifies validity and fairness. For teacher/moderation use.
Assessment Rationale — Waste Rock Stockpile Investigation (Earth and space sciences) Teacher-facing assessment rationale for the Earth and space sciences summative 'Waste Rock Stockpile Investigation'. Maps each part and rubric criterion to the SCSA Year 4 content descriptions (weathering/erosion and the four inquiry sub-strands) and the achievement standard, explains the WA mining context and cross-curriculum links (Sustainability, Ethical Understanding), and justifies validity and fairness. For teacher/moderation use.
Curriculum Coverage and Evidence — Year 4 Science (SCSA) Whole-unit curriculum-evidence and coverage document. Maps every mandated SCSA Year 4 Science content description (the four Science Understanding strands and the six Science Inquiry sub-strands) to the specific lessons and assessments that introduce, develop and assess it, and shows how the unit provides evidence against the Year 4 achievement standard. For teacher planning, reporting and audit.
Marking Guide and Model Answers — Balanced and Unbalanced Forces (A4-PHYS) Teacher marking pack for the Physical sciences summative 'Balanced and Unbalanced Forces'. Contains a full model answer / exemplar response for all five situations, a comprehensive annotated marking guide for the four rubric criteria, a worked on-balance judgement, a note on the gravity misconception, and guidance for marking adjusted (ABLEWA) responses. For teacher and moderation use only.
Marking Guide and Model Answers — Build an Ecosystem (A1-BIO) Teacher marking pack for the Biological sciences summative 'Build an Ecosystem'. Contains a full model answer / exemplar response for every part of the task, a comprehensive annotated marking guide showing how to apply each of the four rubric criteria (with what High, Sound and Limited look like and common evidence to look for), a worked example of an on-balance judgement, and notes on marking adjusted (ABLEWA) responses. For teacher and moderation use only — not given to students.
Marking Guide and Model Answers — Egg-Drop Design Challenge (A2-CHEM) Teacher marking pack for the Chemical sciences summative 'Egg-Drop Design Challenge'. Contains a full model answer / exemplar response for every part, a comprehensive annotated marking guide for the four rubric criteria (High/Sound/Limited evidence + common issues), a worked on-balance judgement, and notes on marking adjusted (ABLEWA) responses. For teacher and moderation use only.
Marking Guide and Model Answers — Waste Rock Stockpile Investigation (A3-EARTH) Teacher marking pack for the Earth and space sciences summative 'Waste Rock Stockpile Investigation'. Contains a full model answer / exemplar response for every part, a comprehensive annotated marking guide for the four (inquiry-weighted) rubric criteria, a worked on-balance judgement, and notes on marking adjusted (ABLEWA) responses. For teacher and moderation use only.
Resource — Fair Test Investigation Template The recurring fair-test investigation scaffold used across the whole unit (modelled on the SCSA Year 4 exemplar 'Fair test investigation template', Appendix A). A reusable, printable planning-and-recording template that walks students through the inquiry cycle: question, prediction, variables (change/measure/keep the same), risks, method, results table, graph, conclusion and evaluation. Belongs to the Working Scientifically inquiry component and is linked from every investigation lesson.
Resource — Indigenous and Introduced Species Cards (WA) Printable card resource for Lesson 3. Picture-and-word cards of Western Australian indigenous (native) species and introduced species for students to sort into a T-chart, with teacher background notes on why introduced species disrupt food webs and on First Peoples' knowledge of native species. Supports the Food Webs and Decomposers worksheet and the cross-curriculum priorities of Sustainability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
Resource — Living or Non-Living? Sorting Cards Printable sorting-card resource for Lesson 1. A set of picture-and-word cards showing living, non-living and once-living things from Australian environments for students to cut out and sort. Includes a teacher answer key and sorting-mat headings. Supports the Ecosystem Explorer worksheet.
Resource — Raw and Processed Material Cards Printable matching-card resource for Lesson 6. Paired cards of raw materials and the processed materials they become (wool/yarn, sand/glass, oil/plastic, ore/metal, tree/paper, wheat/bread), for a matching or memory game, with a teacher answer key and processing notes. Supports the From Raw to Useful worksheet and links to Design and Technologies and Sustainability.
Resource — Weathering and Erosion Match-Up Printable vocabulary match-up resource for Lesson 9. Cut-out cards pairing weathering and erosion terms with child-friendly definitions and an example, for a group matching activity, plus a teacher answer key. Supports the Weathering Detectives worksheet.
Teaching Methodology and Cross-Curriculum Integration — Year 4 Science Whole-unit methodology and integration guide for teachers. Explains the pedagogical approach (explicit teaching via I do/We do/You do, inquiry and fair-testing, 5E-style learning, hands-on modelling), how differentiation is supported (ABLEWA-informed adjustments), and — importantly — how each General Capability and Cross-curriculum Priority (especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Sustainability, Ethical and Intercultural Understanding, Numeracy, Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Digital Literacy) is woven authentically through the unit rather than bolted on.