Australian Curriculum–Aligned Science Videos & Teaching Resources
Welcome to the Year 3 Science hub for Critter Quest Education — a growing collection of Australian Curriculum–aligned science videos, classroom resources, and learning materials designed to support Australian primary classrooms.
This Year 3 Science hub focuses on Australian Curriculum (ACARA) Biological Sciences and Earth and Space Sciences content descriptions, with a strong emphasis on living things, life cycles, soils, rocks, and minerals. Resources are designed to support inquiry learning, classroom discussion, and engaging science exploration in Australian primary classrooms.
Each section is aligned to specific Australian Curriculum (ACARA) content descriptions to support structured Year 3 science teaching.
All resources are designed to be:
✅ Curriculum-linked
✅ Student-safe
✅ Classroom-friendly
✅ Short and engaging
✅ Easy to use for busy teachers
Browse Year 3 Science by Content Description
Resources are organised by Australian Curriculum (ACARA) content descriptions to help teachers quickly find curriculum-linked science materials for Year 3 classrooms.
Biological Sciences (AC9S3U01)
Living & Non-Living Things | Life Cycles of Plants & Animals
Content Descriptor: 🔗 AC9S3U01
Compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals.
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 3, students classify and compare living and non-living things and different life cycles.
🎥 Videos
🌱 AC9S3U01: Living vs Non-Living Things & Life Cycles
Students explore the characteristics of living things while comparing living, non-living, and once-living objects and examining the life cycles of plants and animals.
Topics explored include:
- living, non-living, and once-living things
- the 7 characteristics of living things (MRS GREN mnemonic)
- nutrition, respiration, growth, and reproduction
- frog life cycles and metamorphosis
- sunflower plant life cycles
- comparing plant and animal life cycles
- scientific classification using observable features
Designed to support:
- understanding characteristics of living things
- comparing living and non-living objects
- exploring plant and animal life cycles
- scientific vocabulary development
- observation and classification skills
- whole-class discussion and inquiry learning
🌱 AC9S3U01 EXTENSION – Butterfly Life Cycle Explained | Metamorphosis for Kids
Students explore the fascinating life cycle of a butterfly while learning how living things grow and change through metamorphosis.
Topics explored include:
- butterfly eggs
- hungry caterpillars
- the chrysalis (pupa) stage
- butterfly metamorphosis
- adult butterflies and pollination
- how butterflies support healthy ecosystems
Designed to support:
- understanding animal life cycles
- introducing metamorphosis
- observation and sequencing skills
- scientific vocabulary development
- whole-class discussion and inquiry learning
📚 Classroom Resources
Curriculum-aligned Year 3 reading resources exploring living, non-living, and once-living things, alongside life cycles.
Earth and Space Sciences (AC9S3U02)
Soils, Rocks & Minerals | Earth Resources
Content Descriptor: 🔗 AC9S3U02
Compare the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and investigate why they are important Earth resources.
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 3, students describe the observable properties of soils, rocks and minerals and describe their importance as resources.
🎥📚 Coming Soon (Earth and Space Sciences)
Year 3 Earth and Space Sciences videos & classroom resources aligned with AC9S3U02 are currently in development.
Why Teachers Use Critter Quest Education
✅ Australian Curriculum–aligned science videos
✅ Organised by ACARA content descriptions
✅ Engaging Biological Sciences and Earth and Space Sciences content
✅ Short, classroom-friendly explainer videos
✅ Student-safe educational resources for Australian classrooms
✅ Designed to support busy teachers with curriculum-linked learning
✅ Ideal for lesson introductions, revision, inquiry learning, and science discussions
✅ Suitable for whole-class teaching, science rotations, revision activities, and inquiry-based learning.
More Year 3 Science Resources Coming Soon
Future resources will include printable worksheets, inquiry activities, lesson ideas, vocabulary supports, and Biological Sciences and Earth and Space Sciences learning materials.
New curriculum-linked resources are added regularly as Critter Quest Education continues to grow.
Explore the Mr. Greenly Science Blog
Discover articles on biodiversity, climate science, science education, curriculum planning, ecology, and nature-based learning for educators, students, and curious minds.
About Mr. Greenly
W. A. Greenly is an environmental science graduate and science communicator creating Australian Curriculum–aligned educational resources for Australian primary classrooms. His work focuses on biodiversity, ecology, Earth and Space Sciences, and engaging science communication for children and educators.