Primary Connections resources are some of the most popular teacher resources available on Scootle, providing primary science teaching sequences aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9, including Finding features (Foundation), Scorching swings and slides (Year 3), and Communication matters (Year 5).
Alongside Primary Connections, Scootle offers curated a range of resources to help you engage your students in the chemical and physical sciences. With National Science Week coming up early in Term Three, now is a great time to check out the following comprehensive lesson sequences, modules, investigations, design challenges and interactive simulations, to help you with your planning!
The scientific journey
Explore engaging lesson plans and resources to bring the chemical and physical sciences alive in your classroom. Guide your students through the stages of discovery:
Explore F-2
Chemical
- The chairs for bears module for Foundation students investigates the common design features of chairs, and explores how different types of chairs fit different sized people, and have a range of purposes. (WA Department of Education)
- Year 2–4 students can explore the physical properties of natural materials and how they can be changed or combined in this transportation innovation design challenge. (Queensland Museum)
Physical
- Introduce the concept of push / pull forces with your Year 1 and 2 students using the Indigenous spinning tops investigation, or explore how magnetism and electrostatic electricity can move objects without directly touching them. (Connected Learning Experience)
Investigate 3-6
Chemical
- Use this DIY lava lamp lesson plan to enable students from Year 3–10 to observe chemical reactions and learn about the density of fluids. (NSW Department of Education)
- Students in Year 6–7 can create a solar still to investigate how coloured salty water transforms into clear unsalted water, in this solar still activity. (Waterwise Queensland)
Physical
- Engage Year 5–6 students in the interactive simulation circuit construction kit: DC, where students build a DC circuit with wires, batteries and various components, and experiment with conductors and insulators. (University of Colorado Boulder)
Build 7-10
Chemical
- Explore the connections between chemistry and food with your Year 7–8 students in this food innovation and molecular gastronomy lesson, experimenting with molecular gastronomy techniques and designing innovative food solutions. (The GiST)
- Build a molecule is an interactive simulation challenge in which Year 8 and 9 students need to build molecules from atoms, construct molecules from the chemical formula and experiment with combining atoms to build larger molecules. (University of Colorado Boulder)
- Year 10 students can learn about how genetics and DNA are inherited from parents in fertilisation, as well as how DNA replicates itself, through a sequence of 15 lessons in the atomic structures unit. (AERO and Ochre).
Physical
- Perhaps challenge Year 7 students to make kinetic sculptures that animate a character or scene, using a simple crank slider mechanism, with cranky contraptions. (Exploratorium)
- FLEET Schools: Forces and energy contains a terrific collection of learning activities for Year 8–10 students to explore the concept of energy and why it is crucial to our understanding of how everything in the universe works – from sub-atomic particles to the sun, mobile phones and the universe itself. (Fleet)
- In the falling for gravity activity, Year 10 students can calculate the acceleration of gravity using simple materials, a cell phone, and a computer to record, watch, and analyse the motion of a dropped object. (Exploratorium)
These resources can also be found in the Chemical Science Learning Path or the Physical Science Learning Path.
New resources are regularly being added to the Scootle collection. Log in to see the latest free, curriculum-aligned resources for Australian educators.