Students read about sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, identify an asexual plant by budding characteristics and answer two questions on the advantages of asexual reproduction.
Task: Identify from an experiment the preferred living conditions of slaters, and use a fact file to suggest reasons why. Assessment focus: interpreting results of an investigation.
Task: Answer a multiple choice questions about what would be seen on earth if a meteor hit the moon, and explain why that answer is correct. Assessment focus: how sound and light travel.
Task: Identify how the kererū's adaptations contribute to its interactions with its ecosystem, and how knowing about kererū's' adaptations can benefit both it and people. Assessment focus: using understandings about adaptations to consider actions affecting the kererū.
Task: Decide the advantages for survival of both introduced and native frogs' life cycles, explain how climate change could impact on native frogs, and identify level of interest in survival of native frogs. Assessment focus: using information about adaptations.
Task: Answer questions about frog's skin adaptations, and use this information to think about consequences of chytrid fungus for Archey's frogs. Assessment focus: using information to think about management of native endangered species.
Task: Demonstrate understanding of the pupil reflex of the eye, and apply this to answering questions about sunglasses safety. Extension questions probe understanding of who decides on and applies safety standards. Assessment focus: effect of UV light on the eyes and how it can be mediated by simple sunglasses technology.
Task: Use understandings about heat energy and insulation to describe how adaptations help Emperor penguins survive in Antarctica. Assessment focus: adaptations for keeping warm in cold conditions.
Task: Identify how features/adaptations of a starfish help it survive, and decide whether the amount of evidence from scientists' observations supports or does not support their theory/inference. Assessment focus: using observations as evidence to inform theories.
Students formulate questions about glaciers and climate change to show awareness that informed opinions are based on inter-related aspects of evidence rather than individual instances.