Science Foundation Living Things Homeschool Unit PDF

Foundation Living Things Science Homeschool Unit

Help your child explore plants and animals through careful observation and hands-on investigation with this practical Science unit designed especially for homeschooling families.

Created for children in their first year of school, this unit includes 10 flexible lessons exploring the external features of familiar plants and animals, similarities and differences between living things, and ways plants and animals can be grouped using observable features. Children learn through backyard observations, sorting, comparing, drawing, photographing and simple investigations.

The unit also introduces early science inquiry skills, helping children pose questions, make predictions, use their senses safely, record observations, identify simple patterns and communicate what they discover.

Topics include:

• Looking closely at living things
• Common animal features such as legs, wings, fins, fur, feathers and scales
• Completing a backyard safari
• Plant features including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds
• Comparing familiar animals
• Conducting a simple plant investigation
• Grouping animals using observable features
• Australian plants and animals
• Recording careful observations
• Planning and completing a living things investigation

Designed for homeschooling

Each lesson is designed to take approximately 30–45 minutes and can be shortened, extended or completed over several sessions.

Activities include observing plants and animals, sorting picture cards, comparing external features, completing a backyard safari, recording changes, creating feature groups and conducting a final guided investigation.

Written work can be replaced with verbal explanations, drawings, photographs, matching, demonstrations or parent-scribed responses, making the unit flexible for different learning styles and abilities.

What is included:

• 10 complete lesson plans
• Clear learning intentions
• Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Foundation Science alignment
• Hands-on biological science investigations
• Discussion questions and observation activities
• Support and extension ideas for every lesson
• Simple assessment opportunities
• Final living things investigation and assessment criteria
• Suggested books, videos and learning resources

This unit provides families with a clear and manageable way to teach biological science at home while encouraging curiosity, careful observation and an appreciation of living things.