At Banyan Fields, Science is as practical and “hands on” as possible, which provides students with the understanding of how the world works and links it to everyday life.​ The primary aim in Science is for children to be able to ask questions about the world around them and understand the inquiry strategies to answer their questions. These strategies include research and investigation skills and how to formulate their own experiments or investigations using the inquiry investigation model. Across the school, children follow the content of the Victorian Curriculum.

 

Science at Banyan Fields Primary School

 

Juniors - Foundation to Year 2

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Chemical science

Students learn about why objects are made of different materials and how they are suited to particular jobs. They learn why it is important to distinguish between an object and the material of which it is made.

Students predict and compare how objects made from different materials can be physically changed through different actions, for example, bending, stretching and twisting. They learn why the parts of everyday objects such as toys and clothes are made from different materials

 

Biological sciences

Students learn that living things have basic needs, including food, water and shelter, and that these needs must be met in order to survive. They learn that living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves. They explore the different characteristics of the life stages in animals, insects and plants.

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Physical sciences 

Students study that the way an object moves depends upon a variety of factors including their size and shape. They also look at how ‘push’ or ‘pull’ affects how an object moves or changes shape. Students learn about light and sound and how they are produced by a range of sources and can be sensed.

 

Earth and Space sciences

Students study the short and longer term patterns of events that occur on Earth and in the sky, for example, the appearance of the moon and stars at night, the weather and the seasons. They investigate how changes in the weather might affect animals such as pets, animals that hibernate or migrate. They identify Earth’s resources, including water, soil and minerals, and describe how they are used at school and in the home, as well as discover ways that can conserve resources.

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Middle Years - Year 3 and 4

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Earth and Space science

Students learn about the Sun, Earth and Moon and find out more information about the other planets within our Solar System.  They will understand that Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day. They also learn that the Earth’s surface can change as a result of natural processes such as flooding.

 

Physical sciences

Students learn about heat and the many ways it can be produced as well as temperature gain and loss. They also learn about forces and how they are exerted.

 

Chemical sciences

Students learn that a change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat. They also learn that natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties; these properties can influence their use.

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Biological sciences

Students learn that we group living things on the basis of observable features and identify variations in the features of animals, so that we can distinguish them from nonliving things. Students identify that different organisms have different life cycles and depend on each other and the environment to survive.

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Seniors - Year 5 and 6

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Physical sciences

Students learn about the various forms of energy and how it can come from a variety of sources. Students understand that energy can be used to generate electricity. Students also discover more about light and how it can form shadows, be absorbed, reflected and refracted.

 

Chemical sciences

Students learn how the states of solids, liquids and gases differ. They also look at how scientists classify or categorise each state of matter based upon their observable properties. Students look at how changes to materials can be reversible or irreversible.

 

Biological sciences

Students learn that living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment. They discover that the physical conditions of the environment will affect the growth and survival of living things in the area.

 

Earth and space sciences

Students learn that the Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star which we know as the Sun. They also look at how sudden geological changes or extreme weather conditions can affect Earth’s surface.