Living things we can notice | Foundation · T1 · Week 05 Living…

Foundation / Prep · five school days · development draft
Question: What can we see about plants and animals, and how might we group them?
Status: human educator, local-syllabus, species/safety and accessibility review pending. Use alongside the separate English and mathematics Weeks 5–6 daily packs. This guide provides the integrated investigation, a child notebook page and an observation record; it does not replace the daily subjects or the school's outdoor safety plan.

National ACARA v9 links, partial practice: Science AC9SFU01 (external features of plants and animals, grouping), AC9SFH01 (using observations and questions), AC9SFI01, AC9SFI02, AC9SFI03, AC9SFI04 and AC9SFI05 (question, investigate, record, compare, share). A child who notices one leaf has practised observation, but has not yet demonstrated grouping both plants and animals. Confirm the current local syllabus before making an achievement judgement.

Prepare once

Walk the proposed observation route before children use it. Choose two safe plants with visibly different leaves or stems and one animal viewing opportunity from a safe distance, such as a bird outside a window. Do not name a species unless someone with appropriate knowledge has checked it. If no live animal can be observed, use a school-approved local photograph and record its source and licence; then schedule a real observation later. Do not invent an animal observation or call a toy a living animal.
Check school rules for sun, allergies, garden treatments, weather, mobility access and supervision. No child touches an unknown plant, fungus, insect or animal. No picking, feeding, chasing, collecting or tasting. Fallen leaves are handled only if the adult has checked that this is safe and permitted. An indoor route uses an approved live classroom plant or a view through a window.
Prepare the copy-ready observation card, thick pencils, paper strips for a tactile outline, and a board for a class feature list. A learner can point to a real feature, describe it, sign, use AAC, place a tactile marker or direct an adult scribe. Do not require a particular sense or fine-motor action to show a scientific idea.
Put a picture-only sorting mat with two blank group spaces beside the observation table. Children will choose the rule; the teacher does not pre-label one group as “good” or “better.” A plant/animal group is one possible rule, while “has a long narrow visible part” is another. Record exactly what source was observed.
Keep the daily English and maths 25-minute blocks. Run one 30–40 minute integrated block below each day; retain outdoor/indoor movement, child-led play, food/rest and closing reflection from the opening teacher route.

Day 1 — How do we look closely? (35 minutes)

Goal: ask a question and name a feature actually visible on one plant. Links: AC9SFU01, AC9SFH01, AC9SFI01, AC9SFI02, AC9SFI05.

Start, 5 min. At the safe viewing spot, say: “A feature is a part or detail we can notice. What could we look for on this plant without pulling it apart?” Accept questions such as “Are all the leaves the same size?”
Model, 8 min. Point to one visible part. Say: “I can see a long stem and leaves. I cannot see roots from here, so I will not draw roots as an observation.” Trace an outline in the air. Describe the feature without requiring an exact botanical label.
Choose and notice, 15 min. Children pick one of two adult-approved viewing positions, then draw, build, point to or describe two visible features. Ask, “What part of the real plant helped you say that?” An adult describes the same object live for a child who cannot see it; the child can choose a tactile model for form, while the teacher records that the model was the access route.
Close, 7 min. Ask what a child still wonders. Put the question in the notebook. “I do not know” is a valid scientific answer.

Evidence: a visible feature with a traceable source; one genuine question. The teacher notes if the feature came from a live plant, photograph, verbal description or model. Do not score artistic neatness.

Day 2 — Two plants, one chosen rule (35 minutes)

Goal: compare two plants using observable features, then propose a group rule. Links: AC9SFU01, AC9SFI02, AC9SFI03, AC9SFI05.

Return, 5 min. Revisit yesterday's feature list. Ask, “Which detail could we check on another plant?”
Look at plant B, 10 min. Adult leads to the second approved plant or a safe indoor view. Children use the same two prompts as Day 1: “I can see…” and “I cannot tell yet…” Record words like long, short, broad, narrow, smooth-looking or branching only when actually visible.
Side-by-side comparison, 13 min. Put each plant's two observed feature cards on the mat. Ask, “What looks the same? What looks different? How could we group our cards?” A child chooses a rule, such as long narrow leaves / other leaves, and places the cards. If the rule cannot be checked from the view, say so and choose a testable rule.
Close, 7 min. Change the rule once. Ask, “Did the plants change, or did our grouping rule change?” Accept pointing or moving a marker as an explanation.

Evidence: a rule supported by the observed features. “This one looks nicer” expresses a preference, not a feature-based classification; invite the child to point to what they noticed without dismissing the preference.

Day 3 — An animal at a safe distance (35 minutes)

Goal: observe and describe at least two external features of one animal without disturbing it. Links: AC9SFU01, AC9SFH01, AC9SFI02, AC9SFI03, AC9SFI05.

Prepare, 6 min. Remind children: “We watch; we do not chase, touch or feed.” Show the selected safe viewing point. If there is no live animal today, show the preapproved photograph, name it as a photograph, and keep the direct-observation opportunity open for another day.
Watch in small groups, 12 min. Ask only about what can be seen from here: body covering, limbs, wings, beak, antennae or visible markings if clear. Do not infer diet, home, age, sex, feelings or danger from a glance. The adult makes a live, neutral description for children who need it.
Make a feature card, 10 min. Child records two external features by drawing, objects, AAC, speech, gesture or adult scribe. Mark live view or photograph on the card. The educator may add a species name only after verification; the lesson works with “the bird we saw.”
Compare, 7 min. Ask, “Which features on our plant cards are different from this animal card? Which details are hard to see?” Do not turn “plants do not move” into a rule: plants grow and change even when movement is not easily seen.

Evidence: what the child actually observed and the source. If an animal is absent or only seen in a photograph, do not report direct live-animal observation.

Day 4 — Make, test and change a group (40 minutes)

Goal: group the observed plant and animal cards by a stated visible feature, then test a different rule. Links: AC9SFU01, AC9SFI03, AC9SFI04, AC9SFI05.

Rebuild the evidence set, 7 min. Lay out the class's two plant cards and one animal card with their source notes. Ask the children to verify a feature against the view or photograph. Correct an earlier card when new evidence warrants it.
Model a rule, 7 min. Say, “I can group cards by whether I can see a stem. This rule uses something on the card; it does not say one group is better.” Place the cards. If a feature is not visible, put that card in cannot tell from this source rather than guessing.
Children choose, 16 min. In pairs, children choose a different rule and show the groups with cards or objects. Ask, “What evidence puts this one here?” Offer a tabletop, floor, digital-free, tactile or partner-directed route. A child's rule may be plant / animal if they can explain a visible reason; avoid “because it is” as the only evidence.
Try a change, 10 min. Partners exchange one card or choose a new rule. Ask, “What changed: the living thing, the source, or our rule?” Record one explanation from 4–6 focus learners; return to unobserved learners at a later station.

Evidence: stated rule, correct placement from visible evidence and willingness to mark uncertainty. Do not use an inaccessible picture-only card as the sole assessment route.

Goal: answer a simple question using two observations, say what is uncertain and choose a next look. Links: AC9SFU01, AC9SFH01, AC9SFI01–05.

Choose a question, 6 min. Offer: “How did our two plants look alike or different?” or “Which features helped us sort a plant and an animal?” A child can pose their own answerable question.
Model an evidence sentence, 7 min. “I put these together because I can see ___ on both. I cannot tell ___ from this picture. Next I would look for ___.” Point to real class cards. Do not present a generic illustration as a local observation.
Make or tell, 17 min. Children choose a paper page, tactile arrangement, recorded-at-school voice with school consent, live explanation, signed/AAC response or adult scribe. Pair a feature with its source. The teacher samples 4–6 focus learners, then plans the rest at the next arrival station.
Care and close, 10 min. Ask, “How can we leave this place safe for the living things and for other people?” Choose a real low-impact action approved by the school, such as staying on the path or putting a classroom tool away. Do not direct children to handle wildlife or remove plants. Let children share a next question or pass.

Next teaching move: if a learner guesses features from memory, compare their card with the real source and rehearse “I can see / I cannot tell”; if they sort by an unsupported rule, model one feature-based rule with two cards; if they justify a rule and its exception, invite a new source and ask whether the rule still works. Repeat live-animal observation when the safe opportunity arises.

Copy-ready observation card

CHILD-CHOSEN QUESTION: ________________________________________
SOURCE: [live plant] [live animal] [photograph] [adult description]
WHEN AND WHERE (broad, no private location): __________________
THING OBSERVED: _______________________________________________
VISIBLE FEATURE 1: ____________________________________________
VISIBLE FEATURE 2: ____________________________________________
SHOW IT: [draw] [point] [make a model] [tell/sign/AAC] [scribe]
I CANNOT TELL FROM THIS SOURCE: _______________________________
MY GROUP RULE: ________________________________________________
THE CARDS IN THIS GROUP ARE HERE BECAUSE: _____________________
ANOTHER QUESTION: _____________________________________________

Teacher note: record the child's exact claim, where the evidence came from, the access/support used and the next teaching move. Keep child work under school policy. Do not upload identifiable child observations. The card is a tool for learning, not a scored milestone checklist.

Source and reuse

The codes and level above were checked against ACARA Australian Curriculum v9 official downloads, Foundation Year, source workbook retrieved 29 September 2026, SHA-256 db446882d2c00cf7c085a03e250e2442fda6c44011fc114680c46c1dc7a822c3. ACARA's terms govern curriculum wording and do not imply endorsement. AERO's monitor progress guide informs the observation and next-teaching-step loop; this guide has not been classroom tested. A local educator must check the current syllabus, outdoor safety and any photographed animal's provenance.

© NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026, “SubjectNest Living Things We Can Notice, Foundation Week 5”, version 0.1.0-draft. Original scripts, templates and instructions are CC BY 4.0: credit SubjectNest by NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd, link the source and licence, and note changes. ACARA text and any school-selected photograph retain their own terms. No third-party picture, animal recording or worksheet is embedded in this pack.