Year 3 Discovery Units

MIGHTY CIVILISATIONS

Have you ever wondered how people lived thousands of years ago? Have you questioned how people without modern machinery were able to build pyramids, roads and other amazing structures?

In this unit, the students explore ancient civilisations and use different forms of evidence to find out about the civilisations’ locations, inventions, communication systems and political structures, and to identify the influence they still have on the world today. Come with us and travel through the tunnel of time!

CONCEPTUAL LENS & KEY CONCEPTS

DEVELOPMENT

Civilisation, Location, Structure, Hierarchy, Society, Roles, Power, Beliefs, Values, Innovation, Progress, Influence

SUBJECT DRIVERS

History, Geography, Art, Design & Technology

LIGHT & SOUND

How do performers design? How can light and sound be used to create mood and atmosphere?

In this unit, the students explore the concepts of light and sound. Their creative and scientific minds need to gel harmoniously to learn about the science of light and sound before manipulating this to create a circus performance, puppet show or storytelling of their own design.

CONCEPTUAL LENS & KEY CONCEPTS

DESIGN

Production, Components, Experimentation, Light, Sound, Mood, Effect, Reflection, Audience

SUBJECT DRIVERS

Science, Music, Drama, English

HOW ACTIVE IS OUR PLANET?

Have you ever wondered about the planet we live on? How do mountains form? Why do natural disasters occur? How do people and communities cope and adapt to the ever-changing world we live in?

In this unit, the students inquire into the Earth’s processes and how those processes affect global communities. They explore case studies to see how the communities manage and adapt to those processes, and they debate whether we have become too reliant on technological innovations to mitigate the effects of the ever-present danger posed by natural disasters.

CONCEPTUAL LENS & KEY CONCEPTS

CHANGE/CAUSE & EFFECT

Landforms, Change, Forces of Nature, Processes, Communities, Technological Innovation, Impact, Change, Materials, Shape, Pattern, Tone, Colour

SUBJECT DRIVERS

Science – Rocks, States of Matter, Geography, History, Art