Year: 1

Unit Name: Volcanoes in my

world

Duration of Unit:
6 weeks

ACARA - Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 1, students describe objects and events that they encounter in
their everyday lives, and the effects of interacting with materials and objects.
They identify a range of habitats. They describe changes to things in their local
environment and suggest how science helps people care for environments.
Students make predictions, and investigate everyday phenomena. They follow
instructions to record and sort their observations and share their observations
with others.

Content Description
1. Science Understanding
2. Science as a Human
Endeavour:

Earth and Space Sciences

Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape(ACSSU019)
Nature and development of science:
Science involves asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE021)

Questioning and Predicting

Planning and Conducting

Respond to and pose

questions, and make
predictions about familiar
objects and events(ACSIS024)

Participate in different types of

guided investigations to explore
and answer questions, such as
manipulating materials, testing
ideas, and accessing information
sources (ACSIS025)

3. Science Inquiry Skills

Processing and Analysing
Evaluating
Data and Information
Compare observations with those of
Through discussion, compare others (ACSIS213)
observations with
predictions (ACSIS212)

4. Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to
produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004).

Communicating
Represent and
communicate observations
and ideas in a variety of
ways such as oral and
written language, drawing
and role play (ACSIS029).

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Visualise, generate, develop and communicate design ideas
through describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006).
Use materials, components, tools, equipment and
techniques to safely make designed solutions (ACTDEP007).
Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of design
ideas, processes and solutions including their care for
environment (ACTDEP008).

General
Capabilities

Literacy

Numeracy

ICT

Understand learning
area vocabulary.

Demonstrate concepts
of counting using every
day experiences.

Explain how
located data or
information was
used.

Compose texts.

Display information
using real objects or
photographs and
respond to questions
about the information
displayed.

Understanding how
scientific knowledge is
produced (Explore,
analyse and
communicate).
Compose spoken,
written, visual and
multimodal learning
area texts.

Collection,
representation and
interpretation of data
from investigations.

Collect,
represent and
communicate
scientific
understandings.
Multimedia is
used to
represent
student
understandings.

Critical and creative

thinking
Identify and clarify
information and
ideas.
Posing questions,
making predictions,
speculating, solving
problems and
analysing and
evaluating evidence
to formulate
conclusions.
Develop
understandings
through active
inquiry.

Personal and social

capability
Communicate
effectively.
Working effectively in
teams/groups.
Handling challenging
situations
constructively.
Develop skills in
initiative taking, goal
setting, and decision
making and being able
to work individually
and collaboratively.

Ethical
understanding
Identify and
describe the
influence of
factors such as
wants and needs
on peoples
actions.

Intercultural
understanding
Imagine and
descried their
own feeling if
they were put
in someone
elses place.

Share example of
rights and
responsibilities in
given situations.

Use language to
interact with others.
Scientific language
varies according to the
context.
Cross-curriculum Priorities:
Sustainability
Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care,
respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and
understand environments.

Aboriginal and TSI Histories and Culture

Asia and Australias Engagement with Asia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique

belief systems and are spiritually connected to the land,
sea, sky and water ways.

Interrelationships between humans and the

diverse environments in Asia shape the
region and have global implications.

Australia acknowledges the significant contributions of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples locally and
globally.

5 Es

Lesson

Engage

Learning Experience

1. To engage the students begin by asking inquiry questions to

stimulate thinking:
-

Who has heard of the word Volcano?

What do we think it looks like?
What may it feel like?
What may it sound like?

Evaluation

Diagnostic
Assessment

Verbal
discussions

2. After posing questions students are asked to visually represent what

they think a volcano looks like by drawing it in their science books.

Cross-Curriculum
Literacy/Numeracy

Resources and ICT

Literacy

iPads

Use language to
interact with
others.

Computer/projector

YouTube clip
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=bwTkTzdkVS4

3. Ask Students to find a Think, Pair, Share Buddy and discuss their
representations of Volcanoes with each other.
4. Gain students attention with a 1,2,3 eyes on me. Lead a discussion
with students about what they discussed with their peers.
5. The teacher will draw a representation of a volcano, with the
students suggesting elements of a volcano for the teacher to
include.
6. In pairs students will discuss the similarities and differences
between their individual picture and picture drawn by the teacher.
7. Watch YouTube clip on volcanos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwTkTzdkVS4
8. In pairs students will discuss what else they want to know about
volcanos. Then record each other; expressing what else they want to

After gauging
general
knowledge of
volcanoes from
students, the
teacher will
compile the
students videos
of what they
want to know
from the iPads
into a short 3
minute movie.

Whiteboard/whiteboard
markers

Science Journal and coloured

pencils

know about volcanoes using the iPads and the video camera
function.
Justification for the Engage lesson:
The purpose of the Engage lesson is to begin to stimulate student interest
and curiosity in regards to volcanoes. Open ended questions, drawing and
class discussion is used to reveal students existing knowledge and
understanding of the concept volcanos. By doing this, the teacher is able to
plan and challenge for appropriate inquiry. Using a YouTube clip also helps
students stimulate curiosity and interest.
Explore

1. Gauge Students attention by showing the Short Movie

compilation that the students created in the engage lesson.
2. Gather students onto the group mat and explain the Erupting
volcano experiment.
To do this experiment we need to:

Formative
Assessment

Literacy

Understanding how Resources for experiment:

scientific
- Clear 1L water bottle
knowledge is
- Vinegar
produced (Explore,
- Red food colouring
analyse and
- Detergent
communicate).
- Baking soda
- Sandpit

Dig a small hole in the sand to fit the bottom of the bottle.

Build up sand around the volcano to cover the bottle to look like
a volcano.

Fill of the bottle with vinegar.

Add 5 drops of red dye.

Numeracy

Add 4 drops of detergent.

Then add 2 tablespoons of baking soda which will make the

volcano erupt.

Collection,
representation and
interpretation of
data from
investigations.

3. Ask students to collect their hats and line up at the door. Walk
students down to the sandpit in two straight lines. Ask students

Erupting volcano experiment

Science journal/pencil

to sit on the edge of the sand pit and in a position where they
can all see where the experiment will take place.
4. Ask questions while setting up the experiment.
- What does the bottle in the sand represent?
- What are we going to put in our volcano first?
(Add of the bottle with vinegar)
- What else to we need to add?
(add 4 drops of detergent and 5 drops of red dye)
- Why are we using red dye? What does it represent?
5. Before we continue the experiment, ask students to form pairs
and predict what they think might happen when the baking soda
is added into the bottle (volcano).
6. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the bottle and wait for it
to explode.
What came out of the volcano when it erupted?
7. Ask students to stand up quietly into 2 straight lines and return
to the classroom.
8. Once students are back in the classroom they will take out their
science books and write down the process of the experiment and
some observations of what happened at different times during
the experiment. Students can also draw a representation of the
experiment. Remind students to use terms such as Erupting,
lava, volcano, etc).

Justification for the Explore lesson

The purpose of the Explore lesson is for students to be able to participate
in open investigations to explore the phenomenon of volcanoes.

Exploring and inquiring questions that students may have is done

through the Erupting Volcano investigation. Students are given the
opportunity to predict what may happen and have their predictions
either confirmed or denied through their observation of the experiment.
Explain

1. Gauge Students attention by showing the Short Movie

compilation that the students created in the engage lesson.

Formative
Assessment

2. Referring back to the explore lesson, students will take out their
science books and open up to where they wrote down the
process and their observations of the erupting volcano
experiment.
3. Teacher will put students into groups or 3-4, where they will
create a short 1-2 minute video using the iPads. Key questions
will be written on the whiteboard for students to explain in their
video. Some examples of questions will be:
- What are the different elements of a volcano?
- What happens when a volcano erupts?
- Describe the landscape of an area before and after a volcano
erupts
- Explain the effect an erupting volcano has on the community
4. Ask students to get into their groups to discuss what they can
include in their video. (Use the questions on the whiteboard to
generate discussion).
5. Teacher will provide books, images, descriptions and key words
for students to use throughout the video.
6. Once students have a couple of ideas they will write them down
and decide what each group member will be saying and who will
be talking first, second, third and/or forth. (Each group member
needs to speak/be seen throughout the video).

Literacy
Speaking, writing
and creating oral
and digital texts.
Analyse and
communicate
scientific
information
through a video.

Feedback will be
provided after
watching each
of the groups
videos which
will focus on
students
development,
investigation
skills and their
conceptual
understandings.

Numeracy
Display information
using real objects
or photographs
and respond to
questions about
the information
displayed.

iPads
Science journal/pencil

Volcano books such as:

Into the Volcano by Donna
OMeare.
Volcano wakes up by Lisa
Westberg Peters.
My mouth is a volcano by
Julia Cook.
Volcano Rising by Elisabeth
Rusch.
Harry and the hot lava by
Chris Robertson.
Volcanoes for kids by Simon
Webster.

7. Students will then collect any additional resources they want to

include in their video including books, images, key words, etc, as
well as 1 iPad per group.

Images from the internet of

volcanos.
Key words on a flashcard e.g.
Lava, Erupting, Volcano,
Magma, etc.

8. Using the video camera app already installed on the iPads,

students will then begin filming their video. (Cameraman will
change each time there is a new speaker).
9. Once the videos have been recorded, the students will be
instructed on how to publish it onto the class website, for
parents and their peers to view.
Justification for the Explain lesson
The purpose of the explain lesson in this unit, is to allow students to use
their newly learnt concepts and scientific terms to interpret and explain
information about volcanos in the form of a multimedia video. This
lesson also focuses on working in small groups and having conversations
that stimulate each others thinking at a deeper level. Students are also
using ICT and other resources to present their understanding of
volcanoes at this point in time. Formative assessment will focus on
providing feedback from the videos which will include the students
development, as well as their investigation and conceptual
understandings.
Elaborate

4
1. Gauge Students attention by showing the Short Movie
compilation that the students created in the engage lesson.
2. Have a five minute discussion using the following questions:
a. Describe the landscape of an area before and after a
volcano erupts
b. Explain the effect a volcano has on a community

Summative
Assessment
Students will be
assessed
through their
understanding
of the layout of
their

Digital Camera/iPad
Literacy
Compose spoken,
written, visual and
multimodal
learning area texts.

Lego, volcano models, animal

figurines
Science journal
Butchers paper

c. What would a community need to do to prepare for a

volcano eruption?
d. What senses would be affected by a volcano eruption
3. Put students into their science groups groups of three or four
using their science journals, students are to discuss in their group
what their community would look like and draw it on a piece of
butchers paper. Students are to use the manager, speaker and
director roles within their groups (5 minutes).
4. Students are then to come back to the floor and the speakers
from each group are to explain the layout of their community to
the rest of the groups. (2 minutes)

5. Students will be told the next part of the activity after their
attention is gained by the teacher using the clapping strategy
once the discussions have ceased.

6. The teacher will tell students what the next part of their lesson
will be constructing a Lego community by a volcano, keeping in
mind what happens to a community including animals and
people during a volcano and to keep in mind the senses that are
affected. (2 minutes)

7. Students will then go back into their groups and collect the
corresponding container to their group number. Inside are Lego
pieces, a Lego mat, and animal figures and a volcano model.

community and
their
understandings
of the after
effects of a
volcano and the
impact it will
have on their
Lego
community.
Students will be
assessed on
their use of
relevant science
vocabulary in
class and group
discussions.

Understand
learning area
vocabulary.
Numeracy
Display information
using real objects
or photographs
and respond to
questions about
the information
displayed.

Pens

8. Students are given fifteen minutes to construct their community

from the drawing they presented to the class with their given
Lego keeping in mind where they will place the volcano. (15
minutes)
9. At the conclusion of the fifteen minutes, students are to take a
photograph of their community for the next lesson and write a
short entry in their science journal explaining what their group
came up with for the community.
Justification for the Elaborate lesson
The justification for this Elaborate lesson is a practical one. Students will
have viewed what different communities that live around volcanos look
like so to see if students understand they are to construct a Lego
community and describe why they positioned certain things in certain
places within that community. This lesson also incorporates group work
and whole class interaction to enable students to make sure they
understand the concepts and also demonstrate their understandings. The
construction element of this lesson also incorporates the Design and
Technology facet of the Australian Curriculum.
Evaluate

1. Gauge Students attention by showing the Short Movie

compilation that the students created in the engage lesson.

Summative
Assessment

2. Ask Students to place themselves in their Groups on the Mat and

to bring their science journals with them. Explain to students that
later in the lesson we will be re constructing our lego
communities after a volcano eruption has occurred and showing
the teacher all the knowledge we have learnt

During this
lesson the
students will be
recorded via
and Ipad for the
Teacher to later
asses in case
anything was

Literacy
Compose spoken,
written, visual and
multimodal
learning area texts.

3. One by one, A few examples will be selected to be read to the

students ( a number of science journals entries from the past
weeks will be read) One from each lesson. The Students will be
reminded that during this lesson Miss cannot help, but that if
they need help they can look on the white board or in their
science journals.
4.
5. The Teacher will now ask the manager to collect a cardboard cut
out, pencil, and safe scissors for students to use as a way of
expressing items needed in their escape plan. Students will be
instructed to not touch them just yet.
6. Ask students to discuss in their groups what they may need for
an Escape plan.
Students in groups should discuss:
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit and manual
Emergency food and water
can opener
Essential medicines
Sturdy shoes
Respiratory (breathing) protection
Eye protection (goggles)
Battery-powered radio

missed while
walking around

Numeracy
Display information
using real objects
or photographs
and respond to
questions about
the information
displayed.

7. The Teacher will now give out a cardboard cut out, pencil, and
safe scissors for students to use as a way of expressing items
needed in their escape plan. Students will be instructed to not
touch them just yet.
8. The Teacher will write up the following for students on the white
board as a checklist for students while they undergo their
assessment
1. Create a Lego community escaping from the Eruption
2. Create Escape items with Card board cut outs

9. One by one, Each group will present their Lego community to the
class as an oral presentation. Each person in the group is to
speak:
Explanations may include:
-

Positioning of the volcano

Positioning of the animals and humans
Why certain items were included in the Escape kit
Where are the people heading to

11. During this lesson the teacher will be recording responses via an iPad
which will later be viewed to assess the students knowledge and the
criteria will be marked. Explain to Students that they have created
wonderful Lego communities and that they have been recorded on the
IPad so we can view them next week.

Justification for the Evaluate lesson

The purpose of the Evaluate Lesson is to assess all students
understanding of the Unit. Through the use of a hands on activity,
students will express their findings. As the Teacher wonders around
Direct questioning will be asked to assess individual students knowledge
on what is needed in an Escape plan. This lesson also incorporated
technology as the iPad as used to record students findings. This is
beneficial for the Teacher when finalising assessment in case anything
was missed while walking around. And also beneficial as it can be used
for parents to view at the end of the semester