Units, Stage 2 – Science and Technology
Stage 2 sample units to support implementation of the Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus (2024).
Syllabus
Syllabus outcomes and content descriptors from Science and Technology K−6 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.
Science and Technology K–6 sample units align with the department’s scope and sequence. The structure follows NESA’s sample whole school curriculum plan and is organised on an 8-term-per-stage basis. Eight sample units for Stage 2 will be released in a phased approach across 2025 and 2026.
This unit teaches students to understand how living things depend on each other, Earth’s systems, and energy to survive. They investigate the relationship between habitats, ecosystems, and environments. Students learn to conduct fair tests by examining how soil, water, and light affect plant growth and represent their results digitally.
Unit 1 – Science and Technology, Stage 2 (staff only) (DOCX 39.9 MB)
This unit teaches students to explore how designers draw inspiration from nature’s solutions to create structures, products, and systems that meet human needs. Students generate design ideas for a space within the school, experimenting with materials and construction methods to develop and evaluate models that mirror nature’s efficiency. They also use digital systems to design algorithms and represent data in various forms.
This unit teaches students how forces from wind, water, and living things shape Earth’s surface. Students use models to describe how moving water causes erosion. Learning includes exploration of Torres Strait Islander Legends and Aboriginal Dreaming Stories about landscapes and landforms. Students model the internal structure of Earth and research the changes to the landscape caused by earthquakes and volcanoes.
Unit 3 – Science and Technology, Stage 2 (staff only) (DOCX 23.7 MB)
This unit teaches students about the dynamics of Earth's revolution around the Sun, the role of solar energy, and the gravitational forces that govern the positions of planets in our solar system. Students investigate the features of the solar system and examine cultural references associated with these celestial bodies. Students use the core features of common digital tools and explore how data can be represented.
Unit 5 – Science and Technology, Stage 2 (staff only) (DOCX 24 MB)
In this unit, students learn that design is a process of creating and innovating by exploring how humans survive in space. They explore the design of structures, products and places that address astronaut needs, and they generate, develop and communicate design ideas for living beyond Earth. Students test construction methods and materials to understand how properties influence performance, then build, test and evaluate a designed model using iterative improvements. They also research processes used to provide food and clothing in space, connecting design decisions to real survival challenges in extreme environments.
This unit teaches students to observe properties of matter and explore the relationship between heat energy and particles when matter is changing state. They undertake activities that demonstrate water changing state from solid to liquid to gas and back again. Students design algorithms that use branching and iteration.
Unit 7 – Science and Technology, Stage 2 (staff only) (DOCX 9.9 MB)
Feedback
We value your insights to inform the ongoing refinement of these units. After teaching, we invite you to provide feedback on the unit's effectiveness, what worked well and what could be improved.
To access the survey, scan the QR code or go to Science and Technology K–6 units survey.
