Samoa Year 6 Science Curriculum

This curriculum is organized around five strands: Nature of Science, The World of Life, The World and Beyond, The World of Materials, and The World of Physical Phenomena. Each strand has specific achievement objectives and learning outcomes for Year 6 students.

Strand 1: Nature of Science (NS)

This strand focuses on developing scientific thinking and inquiry skills.

Understanding about Science: Students recognize that scientific knowledge offers one way of explaining the world and can evolve. They compare different cultural explanations for natural phenomena, understand that background knowledge influences investigations, and recognize alternative explanations for events.

Investigating in Science: Students conduct guided investigations, formulating questions, interpreting observations, developing models, and drawing conclusions. They identify variables, evaluate experiments, and use evidence to support explanations.

Communicating in Science: Students communicate scientific ideas using appropriate vocabulary, symbols, drawings, and simple statements. They access information from various sources, including computer resources.

Participating and Contributing: Students connect science learning to their lives, discussing the impact of medicine, synthetic fabrics, and technology on their community. They explore different cooking methods and their underlying scientific principles.

Strand 2: The World of Life (WL)

This strand explores plant life cycles, adaptations, and ecological relationships.

Plant Life Cycle and Reproduction: Students describe the stages of a flowering plant's life cycle, identify flower parts and their roles in reproduction, and understand seed germination.

Plant Adaptations: Students differentiate between wind- and animal-pollinated plants and explain seed dispersal adaptations.

Ecological Relationships: Students draw and interpret food chains, describe interdependent relationships between plants and animals, and discuss the consequences of disrupting these relationships.

Strand 3: The World and Beyond (WB)

This strand investigates the solar system, celestial movements, and Earth's history.

Solar System and Universe: Students describe the solar system, Earth's place within it, and differentiate between the Sun and planets. They use telescopes and star charts to locate celestial objects and explain the difference between comets and meteors.

Patterns of Movement: Students observe constellation movements, explain variations in star charts based on location, and describe constellations from different viewpoints.

Earth's History: Students locate fossil sites, explain fossil formation, and understand how fossils provide information about past life on Earth.

Strand 4: The World of Materials (WM)

This strand examines the properties, uses, and issues associated with different materials, particularly plastics.

Properties of Materials: Students investigate and compare the properties of various plastics, including strength, appearance, reaction with water, and the effects of heating and burning.

Solubility: Students observe the solubility of different compounds in water and other liquids, classify substances as soluble or insoluble, and compare the dissolving abilities of various liquids.

Plastics and Their Impact: Students identify different types of plastics, relate their properties to their uses, and explore recycling methods and disposal issues. They also find new uses for plastic items to reduce waste.

Strand 5: The World of Physical Phenomena (WP)

This strand explores simple machines, magnetism, and heat transfer.

Simple Machines: Students describe how simple machines make work easier, identify different types of machines and their mechanisms, and select appropriate machines for specific tasks. They also investigate how changing a lever's pivot point affects its lifting ability.

Magnetism: Students describe magnetic force and field patterns, predict the effect of distance on magnetic attraction, and compare the strength of temporary magnets.

Heat Transfer: Students measure temperature, describe heat transfer methods, compare materials' ability to retain or transfer heat, and choose appropriate materials for insulation.