Australian Curriculum · Year 5 Biology · Primary

Year 5 Biology Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

The biological sciences unit from our Year 5 Australian Curriculum (v9.0) science lesson plan: survival and adaptations. Week-by-week lessons for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, showing when each pace covers this unit; a dash means that pace is on a different science unit that week. For the full year, see the Year 5 Science lesson plan.

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Year 5 Biology learning map

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1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

February · Survival and adaptations

Year 5 Biology — February Lesson Plan

Australian Curriculum v9.0 · Biological sciences

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
February 1st week (Biology)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts) 2. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts) 2. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation) 3. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen Australian animal	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts) 2. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation) 3. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen Australian animal Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments
February 2nd week (Biology)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen Australian animal Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments 3. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments 2. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments
February 3rd week (Biology)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen Australian animal	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments 2. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments 3. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth) 2. Behavioural/functional adaptations in plants (e.g. seed dispersal methods) 3. Practice: explaining how a chosen plant's features help it survive its habitat
February 4th week (Biology)	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments	Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth) 2. Behavioural/functional adaptations in plants (e.g. seed dispersal methods) 3. Practice: explaining how a chosen plant's features help it survive its habitat	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Adaptations that help predators catch prey 2. Adaptations that help prey avoid predators (e.g. camouflage, defence mechanisms) 3. Practice: identifying predator/prey adaptations in a real Australian example Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Using a scientific model to represent an organism's adaptations

March · Survival and adaptations

Year 5 Biology — March Lesson Plan

Australian Curriculum v9.0 · Biological sciences

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
March 1st week (Biology)	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth)	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Adaptations that help predators catch prey 2. Adaptations that help prey avoid predators (e.g. camouflage, defence mechanisms) 3. Practice: identifying predator/prey adaptations in a real Australian example	Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Planning a model of a real or imaginary plant or animal, deciding what adaptations to include and why Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Creating the model (real or imaginary organism) showing its adaptations 2. Sharing and explaining the model, justifying why each adaptation would help survival Investigating an Adaptation 1. Developing an investigable question about how an adaptation helps survival
March 2nd week (Biology)	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold	Plant Adaptations 1. Behavioural/functional adaptations in plants (e.g. seed dispersal methods) 2. Practice: explaining how a chosen plant's features help it survive its habitat	Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Using a scientific model to represent an organism's adaptations 2. Planning a model of a real or imaginary plant or animal, deciding what adaptations to include and why Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Creating the model (real or imaginary organism) showing its adaptations	Investigating an Adaptation 1. Planning a safe investigation, including variables to be changed/measured and risks 2. Using equipment to generate data with appropriate precision Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Constructing a representation of the investigation's data 2. Describing patterns and relationships in the data
March 3rd week (Biology)	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Adaptations that help predators catch prey 2. Adaptations that help prey avoid predators (e.g. camouflage, defence mechanisms)	Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Sharing and explaining the model, justifying why each adaptation would help survival Investigating an Adaptation 1. Developing an investigable question about how an adaptation helps survival 2. Planning a safe investigation, including variables to be changed/measured and risks	Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Comparing findings with others and identifying possible sources of error Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — structural and behavioural adaptations 2. Revision workshop — modelling adaptations and investigation skills 3. Term 1 assessment: survival and adaptations topic test
March 4th week (Biology)	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Practice: identifying predator/prey adaptations in a real Australian example Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Using a scientific model to represent an organism's adaptations	Investigating an Adaptation 1. Using equipment to generate data with appropriate precision Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Constructing a representation of the investigation's data 2. Describing patterns and relationships in the data	Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Feedback session

April · Survival and adaptations

Year 5 Biology — April Lesson Plan

Australian Curriculum v9.0 · Biological sciences

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
April 1st week (Biology)	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats	Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Planning a model of a real or imaginary plant or animal, deciding what adaptations to include and why Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Creating the model (real or imaginary organism) showing its adaptations	Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Comparing findings with others and identifying possible sources of error Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — structural and behavioural adaptations 2. Revision workshop — modelling adaptations and investigation skills	—
April 2nd week (Biology)	Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth)	Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Sharing and explaining the model, justifying why each adaptation would help survival Investigating an Adaptation 1. Developing an investigable question about how an adaptation helps survival	Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Term 1 assessment: survival and adaptations topic test 2. Feedback session	—

The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Wonder and question

Start with an everyday question about the week’s topic that links to what your child already knows.

25 minutes

Explore and investigate

Explain the idea with pictures and simple models, then observe, test or record a small investigation together.

10 minutes

Check for mastery

Finish with a short quiz or explain-it-back task that shows what is secure and what to revisit.

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