The scope and sequence of the SILO project seeks to articulate essential STEM knowledge and skills throughout the primary years.
Year |
Name of unit
|
NSW Syllabus
|
Australian Curriculum
|
Learning intention
|
Scope and sequence
|
F.1 |
Investigations
|
"A student observes, questions and
collects data to communicate ideas." (STe-1WS-S)
|
“Participate in guided
investigations and make observations using the senses.” (ACSIS011)
|
Students
share
observations and answer questions about data which they
have collected.
|
|
F.2 |
Changes
|
"A student observes the way objects
move and relates changes in motion to push and pull forces."
(STe-5PW-ST)
|
“Science involves observing, asking
questions about, and describing changes in, objects and
events.” (ACSHE013)
|
Students
use observations and reasoning to collect data and describe
changes.
|
|
F.3 |
Living things
|
"A student explores the
characteristics, needs and uses of living things." (STe-3LW-ST)
|
“Living things have basic needs,
including food and water.” (ACSSU002)
|
Students
explore the characteristics, needs and uses of living things.
|
Life
cycles
|
F.4 |
Materials
|
"A student identifies that objects
are made of materials that have observable properties."
(STe-4MW-ST)
|
“Objects are made of materials that
have observable properties.” ACSSU003)
|
Students
identify observable properties of materials and explore how
these properties affect their use.
|
Properties
of materials
|
1.1 |
Graphs
|
"A student reasons about
representations of data to describe and interpret the results."
(MA1-DATA-02)
|
“Represent data with objects and
drawings where one object or drawing represents one data
value. Describe the displays.” (ACMSP263)
|
Students
reason about representations of data to describe and interpret
the results.
|
Bar graphs
|
1.2 |
Shapes and objects
|
"A student recognises, describes and
represents shapes including quadrilaterals and other common
polygons." (MA1-2DS-01)
"A student recognises, describes and
represents familiar three-dimensional objects." (MA1-3DS-01)
|
“Recognise and classify familiar
two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects using obvious
features.” (ACMMG022)
|
Students
recognise, represent and classify familiar two-dimensional
shapes and three-dimensional objects.
|
|
1.3 |
Light and sound
|
"A student describes common forms of
energy and explores some characteristics of sound energy."
(ST1-8PW-S)
|
“Light and sound are produced by a
range of sources and can be sensed.” (ACSSU020)
|
Students
explore the sources and behaviour of light and sound energy and
plan their own experiments to investigate phenomena.
|
|
1.4 |
Design
|
"A student describes how the
properties of materials determine their use." (ST1-7MW-T)
|
“Generate, develop and record
design ideas through describing, drawing and modelling.”
(ACTDEP006)
|
Students
generate and record design ideas through describing, drawing and
modelling.
|
Affordances
|
2.1 |
Algebra and algorithms
|
"A student describes, follows and
represents algorithms to solve problems." (ST1-3DP-T)
|
"Describe patterns with numbers and
identify missing elements." (ACMNA035)
|
Students
explore number patterns as an introduction to algebra and
algorithms.
|
|
2.2 |
Agriculture
|
"A student describes how
agricultural processes are used to grow plants and raise animals
for food, clothing and shelter." (ST2-5LW-T)
|
"People use science in their daily
lives, including when caring for their environment and living
things." (ACSHE035)
|
Students
explore how agricultural processes are used to grow plants and
raise animals.
|
|
2.3 |
Construction zone
|
"A student uses materials, tools and
equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity."
(ST1-2DP-T)
|
“Use materials, components, tools,
equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.”
(ACTDEP007)
|
Students
use materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a
need or opportunity.
|
Brainstorming
|
2.4 |
Data and variables
|
"A student gathers and organises
data, displays data in lists, tables and picture graphs."
(MA1-DATA-01)
|
“Identify a question of interest
based on one categorical variable. Gather data relevant to
the question.” (ACMSP048)
|
Students
identify questions of interest and define variables to guide
their investigations and presentations of relevant data.
|
|
3.1 |
Satellites
|
"A student investigates regular
changes caused by interactions between the Earth and the Sun, and
changes to the Earth’s surface." (ST2-10ES-S)
|
“Earth’s rotation on its axis causes
regular changes, including night and day.” (ACSSU048)
|
Students
explore night and day and
seasonal changes in relation to orbiting bodies and then apply
this knowledge to global communications and satellites.
|
Heliocentric
model
|
3.2 |
Classification
|
"A student compares features and
characteristics of living and non-living things." (ST2-4LW-S)
|
"Living things can be grouped on the
basis of observable features and can be distinguished from
nonliving things." (ACSSU044)
|
Students
compare features of living and non-living things to explore
classification systems
and devise new ones.
|
Dichotomous
keys
|
3.3 |
Coding
|
"A student defines problems,
describes and follows algorithms to develop solutions."
(ST2-3DP-T)
|
“Define simple problems and describe
and follow a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed
to solve them.” (ACTDIP010)
|
Students
engage in coding to interact with virtual and tangible objects.
|
Coding
|
3.4 |
Questioning and predicting
|
"A student questions, plans and
conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data
and communicates using scientific representations." (ST2-1WS-S)
|
“With guidance, identify questions
in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and
make predictions based on prior knowledge.” (ACSIS053)
|
Students
plan and conduct scientific
investigations to answer questions using representations
of data.
|
Hypotheses
|
4.1 |
Simple machines
|
"A student describes how contact and
non-contact forces affect an object’s motion." (ST2-9PW-ST)
|
“Forces can be exerted by one object
on another through direct contact or from a distance.” (ACSSU076)
|
Students
can identify, explain and demonstrate a variety of contact and
non-contact forces.
|
|
4.2 |
Transportation
|
"A student investigates the
suitability of natural and processed materials for a range of
purposes." (ST2-7MW-T)
|
“Investigate how forces and the
properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or
system.” (ACTDEK011)
|
Students
explore common modes of transportation to develop an integrated
understanding of forces,
materials, energy and design factors.
|
|
4.3 |
Ideation
|
"A student selects and uses
materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or
opportunity." (ST2-2DP-T)
|
“Plan, create and communicate ideas
and information independently and with others, applying agreed
ethical and social protocols.” (ACTDIP013)
|
Students
select and use materials, tools and equipment to develop
ethical solutions for societal needs and opportunities.
|
Protocols
|
4.4 |
Logistics
|
"A student collects discrete data
(categorical and numerical) to construct and interpret displays,
including tables, dot plots and column graphs." (Draft NSW
Syllabus 2022, currently no code number available)
|
“Recognise different types of data
and explore how the same data can be represented in different
ways.” (ACTDIK008)
|
Students
design their own enterprises and explore how the associated
logistics and data can be represented in different ways.
|
|
5.1 |
Food and fibre
|
"A student explains how food and
fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for health
and nutrition." (ST3-5LW-T)
|
“Investigate how and why food and
fibre are produced in managed environments and prepared to enable
people to grow and be healthy.” (ACTDEK021)
|
Students
explain how food and fibre are produced sustainably in managed
environments for health and nutrition.
|
Sustainability
|
5.2 |
Manufacturing
|
"A student plans and uses materials,
tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or
opportunity." (ST3-2DP-T)
|
“Select appropriate materials,
components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe
procedures to make designed solutions.” (ACTDEP026)
|
Students
can solve problems through the safe and creative use of
materials, tools and equipment.
|
Project
management
|
5.3 |
Flowcharts
|
"A student plans and conducts
scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and
collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions."
(ST3-1WS-S)
|
“Decide variables to be changed and
measured in fair tests and observe measure and record data with
accuracy using digital technologies as appropriate.” (ACSIS087)
|
Students
choose relevant variables to plan and conduct fair tests and
communicate results using flowcharts.
|
Flowcharts
|
5.4 |
Innovation
|
"A student defines problems, and
designs, modifies and follows algorithms to develop solutions."
(ST3-3DP-T)
|
“Generate, develop and communicate
design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate
technical terms and graphical representation techniques.”
(ACTDEP025)
|
Students
use the design cycle to develop prototypes for inventions
using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation
techniques.
|
Prototypes
|
6.1 |
Energy
|
"A student explains how energy is
transformed from one form to another." (ST3-8PW-ST)
|
“Electrical energy can be
transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be
generated from a range of sources.” (ACSSU097)
|
Students
explore the various sources and applications of energy.
|
|
6.2 |
Cartesian geometry
|
"Students recognise that the
grid-map reference system gives the area of a location and the
number plane (Cartesian plane) identifies a specific point" (Draft
NSW Syllabus 2022, currently no code number available)
|
“Introduce the Cartesian coordinate
system using all four quadrants.” (ACMMG143)
|
Students
explore the Cartesian coordinate system linking geometry with
algebra.
|
Coordinates
|
6.3 |
Robotics
|
"A student explains how digital
systems represent data, connect together to form networks and
transmit data." (ST3-11DI-T)
|
“Investigate how electrical energy
can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or
system.” (ACTDEK020)
|
Students
use coding
and electric sensors to interact with electronic
devices.
|
|
6.4 |
Nanotechnology |
"Students solve problems involving
different units of mass." (Draft NSW Syllabus 2022, currently no
code number available)
|
“Convert between common metric units
of length, mass and capacity.” (ACMMG136)
|
Students
convert between metric units of length, mass and capacity and
make relevant connections to the properties of water.
|
|