Science / Year 1 / Science Understanding / Biological sciences

View on Australian Curriculum website Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
Curriculum content descriptions

Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)

  • identifying common features of plants such as leaves and roots
  • describing the use of plant parts for particular purposes such as making food and obtaining water
ScOT terms

Plant structure and function,  Animal structure and function


Flowers: living factories for making seeds



A poem about taste

Imagine what life would be like if you couldn't taste anything. This rhyming poem will help you think about the importance of our sense of taste.


Observing a platypus

Meet one of the world's most amazing creatures. Listen as Don Spencer describes the features of a platypus. Watch a platypus clean itself and then swim under water to search for food. See what type of animal the platypus catches and feeds on by the water's edge.


Observing a wombat

Take a close look at two different types of wombats in this short clip. Don Spencer introduces a Common Wombat called Winifred, then shows us a Hairy-nosed Wombat foraging in the desert.


Observing an echidna

Join Don Spencer as he looks closely at an echidna. Observe the body parts and covering of this unique Australian mammal. Find out what the echidna eats. Watch it move around in its natural habitat.


Observing a kangaroo

Take a look at Australia's most famous animal, the kangaroo. Don Spencer feeds a female kangaroo that has a young joey in her pouch. Observe (look carefully at) how kangaroos stay alert in case of danger.


Breathing under the water

What would it be like to breathe under water? See the equipment humans use to help them swim under water. Find out about the special features fish have that help them 'breathe' under water.


Meet the creatures of the coral reef

Dive into the busy and colourful world of the coral reef. Explore some of the many animals that live in the shallow waters of the reef. See how they catch food and make their homes there.


Skin and scales, feathers and fur

This collection of media resources focuses on the features of a variety of animals and how these features help the animals meet their needs for food, shelter and safety from predators.


Observing an emu



Hand-milking cows



Everybody's doing the loco-MOTION!

See lots of things moving in many different ways. Watch vehicles and animals that go fast and slow. See how the size and shape of something affects the way it moves.


Why do cows make milk?



Fish - from ocean to table

Have you ever eaten fish for dinner? This clip tells the story of how fish come from the sea to your plate. See how fish are caught, bought and sold. Watch a fish being cut into fillets and find out what happens to the bits we don't eat.


Guinea pig superstar

Meet Larissa and her guinea pig called 'Superstar'. Learn how Larissa cares for her guinea pig pets and what her dream is. Find out what makes Superstar a superstar pet.


Can you train a blue-tongue lizard to do tricks?

Meet Coco and Yoshi, two blue-tongue lizards. Isabel says they make great pets. Find out what Isabel likes about them and how she cares for them. Discover how she gets Yoshi to complete a daring trick! See how a snail helps!


A pig in high heels?

Meet Trotsky the pet pig. Look at him carefully and find out more about pigs as pets. See how Trotsky is looked after and why he is a much-loved family pet.


Observing a goanna



Observing a shark

Don Spencer shows us one of the world's most fearsome creatures, the white pointer shark. Take a close look at the shark's teeth and jaws. Discover how the shark moves so quickly underwater.


Observing a swan

Join Don Spencer as he observes (looks carefully at) a black swan. Discover a surprise under this bird's black outer feathers. Watch how differently the swan moves on land and in water.