At a glance
One-hour lessons
In 35 topics across Materials & chemistry, Living things, Earth & space, and Forces & energy.
Curriculum areas covered
Every Years 3–6 Science Understanding area in the Australian Curriculum v9 has at least one topic.
Lessons need no materials
Pairs investigate with on-screen simulations. Hands-on lessons use cheap household items, and say so up front.
Built for small and regional schools
⏱ Short on time
Switch every lesson to a 30- or 45-minute version in one tap.
📦 Science shoebox
One printable list of the cheap and free materials the hands-on lessons use. Buy once, use for years.
🗓 Composite classes
A two-year plan for Years 3/4 or 5/6 classes that covers both years' curriculum.
💾 Works offline
Save the whole app on each iPad for days without internet.
🚀 Challenge topics
For students ready to go further: puzzles and real data that preview Year 7–8 science.
🖥 One screen is enough
Every lesson can be run from a projector with printed records.
Open the Small schools toolkit →
What's in every lesson
📋 A full plan
Learning intention, success criteria, background, misconceptions, equipment and safety, all in one place.
▶ Slides to present
A mystery hook, warm-up, key idea, investigation, a class vote and timers for every stage.
🖨 Printables
Investigation records and exit tickets, ready to print.
📱 Student view on iPad
Students follow steps, open the matching simulation and record evidence, with help cards and reading supports.
✅ Assessment that's honest
Exit tasks and rubrics for understanding and inquiry skills. Finishing work is never counted as understanding it.
📊 Progress against the curriculum
Teachers see each student against curriculum codes, using only their own review judgements, and can download it as a spreadsheet.
Getting started
- Try it now, no sign-in. Open the lesson library, pick an area, a topic and a lesson, and press Present. Students can practise any lesson free on their iPads.
- Want to save student work? Request access with your school email (it's free). Once approved, create your account under Teachers › My classes.
- Make a class. Students scan the class QR code, type their name and choose a 4-digit PIN. The class list builds itself.
- Assign, teach and review. Assign a lesson, run it with the slides, then read students' work and give feedback.
Privacy and student data
Minimal data
Students use a first name and last initial (or a nickname) and a PIN. No student emails, dates of birth, photos or location.
Stored in Australia
Class data is held in a Supabase database in the AWS Sydney region. The app is served by Vercel.
No ads, no trackers, no AI
No advertising or analytics trackers, and students' answers are never sent to AI services.
Teacher-only access
Only a class's teacher can see its students' work, and each student sees only their own. The database enforces this, not just the screen.
Export and delete
Teachers can export a class at any time, and deleting a class removes its work from the live database straight away.
Be informed
Wattle Science has not been reviewed or approved by an education department or the Safer Technologies 4 Schools (ST4S) program yet. Check your school's requirements before entering real student information.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. Lessons, slides, printables, Explore and practice mode are free and need no account. My classes (saved student work) is also free for teachers and schools.
What devices does it need?
Any modern web browser. It's designed for shared iPads (one per pair) and a projector or big screen. No app install.
We don't have much science equipment.
Use the No materials only filter in the lesson library. Every lesson is labelled "No materials needed" or "Materials needed", and hands-on lessons use cheap items such as cups, ice, torches and soil from the school yard.
Do students need accounts or emails?
No. Students can practise without signing in. In a class, they sign in with their name and a PIN, or a printed QR card.
Which curriculum does it follow?
The Australian Curriculum v9 (Science, Years 3–6). Please confirm codes on the ACARA website before formal reporting.