All lessons › Changing Habitats › Lesson 2
Australian primary science · Years 3–6 · differentiated · Lesson 2 of 2
Changing Habitats · Years 5–6
Inquiry question: How do human activities influence ecosystems, and how can we measure improvements?
Marked no materials needed
Analysing secondary data
What students learn
Use human impact and scientific evidence to compare possible responses to a real-world question.
Success criteria
- I can distinguish observations, simulated evidence and future assumptions.
- I can compare two solutions using evidence, trade-offs and uncertainty.
- I can design a repeatable check and revise a recommendation.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students have met the linked core science idea; model data-reading first if needed.
See the interactive lesson for preparation and material requirements.
Teacher setup
- Open the supplied simulated data; choose the year-band task.
- Plan two 30-minute sessions, or one 60-minute lesson. Optional local investigations require additional equipment and a school safety check.
Safety and adaptations
- Use supplied data indoors. Outdoor work requires teacher supervision and school approval. Never enter floodwater, light fires, touch hot surfaces or disturb wildlife.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Notice: How do human activities influence ecosystems, and how can we measure improvements?
- Understand: read the science and compare the simulated data. Calculate changes at planted and comparison sites. Consider season, weather and search effort. Propose repeated sampling and explain why this small dataset supports a possibility, not proof of cause.
- Imagine: describe two possible futures, one with a change and one without. Say what you are assuming.
- Design: compare two solutions, including who benefits, resources needed and a disadvantage.
- Test: Plan observation without collecting or feeding wildlife. Use the same duration and method; ask whether another site or season might change the result.
- Reflect: explain your recommendation, what is uncertain, and how your thinking changed.
Teacher modelling prompt
Think aloud: “The example table suggests a pattern. It is simulated, so it is not evidence about our school. I need further observations before making a local claim.” Model one comparison from the table.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: How do human activities influence ecosystems, and how can we measure improvements?
| Option / trial | Evidence or measurement | Benefit and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Compare these claims and justify your answer.
Provided example or reference data
SIMULATED DATA — invented for practising reasoning; not measured at a real school
| Site | Animals counted before | After habitat planting |
|---|---|---|
| Planted site | 6 | 11 |
| Comparison site | 7 | 9 |
| Second planted site | 5 | 8 |
Check the data source in the teacher lesson. Illustrative or fictional data are not measurements collected by your class.
Check understanding
What should pupils know? Explain one science connection behind your proposal.
Explain with evidence: Which evidence influenced you, and what is one limitation?
Apply the idea: What would you investigate before a real decision?
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.