Year 6 unit overview — Australian Curriculum: Science · Web view2018. 9. 5. · Throughout the...

EDU318 Assignment 2 : Modified Science UnitName: Ricki Eaton ID: 1061536

PART ONE: Description of student cohort. (150-180 words)This school is a local primary state school based in a provincial area with a total of 407 students. The schools Index of Community Socio-

Educational Advantage (ICSEA) value is sitting at 954, slightly below the national average. 42% of this schools students’ come fall into the

bottom quarter category, with another 33% in the lower middle category. This is equivalent to 75% or a third of students’ being socio-

educationally disadvantaged. In this year 6 cohort there are 26 students with a diverse range of learning abilities. For the modification of this

science unit, the students have been placed into three different groups. These groups have been selected through the analysis of the students

literacy data from a range of different sources. Group A is a low-level literacy group comprising of eight students’, with two of the students’

having English as a Second Language/Dialect (ESLD). Group B is a higher-level literacy group consisting of eleven students. Group C contains

two students, with one of them being labelled gifted and talented (G&T). The other student has been placed in this group as he is at to high of a

literacy level for group B, meaning he will be effectively challenged in group C. There are four students’ within the cohort that have

Individualised Education Programs (IEP). These students’ have already been catered for through their IEPs.

Throughout the cohort there is range of diversity to cater for:

Indigenous (3)

Visual impairment/glasses (3)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (2)

English as a Second Language/Dialect ESLD (2)

Gifted and Talented (G&T) (2)

Queensland Studies Authority January 2012 |1

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (1)

Throughout the following Science unit, adjustments will be made to cater for the diverse range of students’ in this year 6 cohort. Modifications

have been made for the Science units assessment, teaching and learning experiences, ways to monitor learning and assessment and providing

the students with feedback.

2 | Year 6 unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science

Part Two: Year 6 unit overview — Australian Curriculum: ScienceSource: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum v3.0: Science for Foundation–10 <www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10>.

School name Unit title Duration of unit

Our School Our changing world One term

Unit outline

Students develop the view of Earth as a dynamic system, in which changes to one aspect of the system impact on other aspects. They

explore sudden geological changes and extreme weather conditions that can affect the Earth’s surface and investigate ways in which

scientific understanding can assist in early detection of natural disasters and in minimising their impact. They recognise that science can

inform choices about where people live and how they manage natural disasters.

Questions that shape the inquiry include:

What are examples of sudden geological changes? What are examples of extreme weather conditions?

How do extreme weather conditions affect Earth’s surface?

What are the causes and what are the effects of sudden geological changes on Earth’s surface?

What measurement tools help us to draw conclusions about patterns in the data?

How do geological changes and weather conditions affect local and global decisions made by communities?


Unit outline

Modifying the unit: When making adjustments to the unit, use the strike out to omit words. Then write the new information and highlight

it. Write the justification in the sections provided.


Identify curriculum

Content descriptions to be taught General capabilities and

cross-curriculum prioritiesScience Understanding Science as a Human Endeavour Science Inquiry Skills

Earth and space sciences

Sudden geological changes or

extreme weather conditions

can affect Earth’s surface

(ACSSU096)

Nature and development of

science

Science involves testing

predictions by gathering data

and using evidence to develop

explanations of events and

phenomena (ACSHE098)

Important contributions to

the advancement of science

have been made by people

from a range of cultures

(ACSHE099)

Use and influence of science

Scientific understandings,

discoveries and inventions are

used to solve problems that

directly affect peoples’ lives

(ACSHE100)

Scientific knowledge is used

Processing and analysing data

and information

Construct and use a range of

representations, including

tables and graphs, to

represent and describe

observations, patterns or

relationships in data using

digital technologies as

appropriate (ACSIS107)

Communicating

Communicate ideas,

explanations and processes in

a variety of ways, including

multi-modal texts (ACSIS110)

Literacy

Complete science journals and

oral presentations.

Use accurate scientific language.

Numeracy

Create tables, charts and graphs

to display information and find

patterns.

ICT capability

Research using the internet.

Use ICTs as a part of a

multimodal presentation.

Critical and creative

thinking

Analyse, evaluate and summarise

information.

Ethical behaviour


to inform personal and

community decisions

(ACSHE220)

Consider ethical considerations

when investigating geological

changes or weather conditions.

Personal and social

capability

Practise self-management skills

by following procedures, sharing

ideas and collaboratively

planning a multimodal

presentation.

Intercultural understanding

Develop the capacity to respect

and appreciate the beliefs of

other cultures and recognise

traditional understandings of

natural events.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Histories and

Cultures

Develop the capacity to respect

and appreciate the beliefs of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander histories and cultures.6 | Year 6 unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science

Asia and Australia’s

engagement with Asia

Discuss occurrences of geological

changes and weather conditions

in the Asia region.

Achievement standard

By the end of Year 6, students compare and classify different types of observable changes to materials. They analyse requirements for the

transfer of electricity and describe how energy can be transformed from one form to another to generate electricity. They explain how natural

events cause rapid change to the Earth’s surface. They describe and predict the effect of environmental changes on individual living things.

Students explain how scientific knowledge is used in decision making and identify contributions to the development of science by people from a

range of cultures.

Students follow procedures to develop investigable questions and design investigations into simple cause-and-effect relationships. They

identify variables to be changed and measured and describe potential safety risks when planning methods. They collect, organise and interpret

their data, identifying where improvements to their methods or research could improve the data. They describe and analyse relationships in

data using graphic representations and construct multi-modal texts to communicate ideas, methods and findings.

Relevant prior curriculum Curriculum working towards

In the Australian Curriculum: Science at Year 4

Science Understanding



Science Understanding



Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes

and human activity.


Science as a Human Endeavour

The content descriptions for Science as a Human Endeavour are the

same for Year 5 and Year 6.

Science Inquiry Skills

The content descriptions for Science Inquiry Skills are the same for

Year 5 and Year 6.

The theory of plate tectonics explains global patterns of geological

activity and continental movement

(Students next engage with Science Understanding focused on the

concept of sudden geological changes in Year 9.)


Science as a Human Endeavour

Nature and development of science

Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available,

and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people’s

understanding of the world.

Science knowledge can develop through collaboration and

connecting ideas across the disciplines of science.

Use and influence of science

Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of

contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of

society and involve ethical considerations.

Science understanding influences the development of practices in

areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine

and terrestrial resource management.

People use understanding and skills from across the disciplines of

science in their occupations.


Science Inquiry Skills

Processing and analysing data and information

Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs,

keys and models to represent and analyse patterns or relationships,

including using digital technologies as appropriate

Communicating

Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems using

scientific language and representations using digital technologies as

appropriate.


Assessment Make judgments

Describe the assessment Assessment date Teachers gather evidence to make

judgments about the following

characteristics of student work:

Understanding

description and identification of

scientific information and concepts

regarding major geological events

and extreme weather conditions

and how they effect the Earth

use of science knowledge to

generate solutions and explanations

as to why geological events and

extreme weather conditions effect

the Earths surface

description of the impacts of

scientific developments and about

the use of science knowledge to

make decisions

Skills

description of patterns and

Students are given opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge, skills

and understanding through both diagnostic, formative and summative

assessment. The assessment is collated in student folios and allows for

ongoing feedback to students on their learning.

Year 6 teachers make decisions about the length of time required to

complete the tasks and the conditions under which the assessment is to

be conducted.

The teaching and learning experiences throughout the term provide

opportunities for students to develop the understanding and skills

required to complete these assessments. As students engage with these

learning experiences the teacher can provide feedback on specific skills.

Diagnostic Assessment:

Student self-assessments. Students reflect on what they already know

about this Science unit and previous experiences they may have had

relating to it. Can be presented in written or typed form. There is no

structure or word count.

Formative Assessment:

Prior to commencing

the Science unit:

During the ‘Engage’

phase



relationships in data, suggesting

explanations and making

comparisons with predictions

regarding major geological events

and extreme weather conditions

and how they effect the Earth

communication of ideas, methods

and findings in a variety of different

methods including ICTs.

For further advice and guidelines on

constructing guides to making

judgments refer to the Learning area

standard descriptors:

www.qsa.qld.edu.au

Collection of work: Science journal (Written/Typed)

Throughout the unit, students plan and summarise their research.

Students’ science journal entries include:

investigation methods

predictions

graphs and tables

labelled diagrams

written explanations

conclusions, drawn from research

science reports.

Socrative: Variety of online quizzes

This will be used twice throughout the unit, week 4 and week 8.

Teacher can modify the quizzes to cater for the 3 groups.

Ongoing throughout

the unit

Week 4 & week 8

Red Yellow Green: Exit cards

At the completion of each lesson, students are provided with a piece of

paper on which they write red, yellow or green. The colours represent

their level of understanding from the lesson. Red = no understanding.

Yellow = some understanding. Green = Full understanding. Students’

have the option to elaborate further.

Ongoing throughout

the unit


http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/


Summative Assessment:

Research: Interview Presentation (Multimodal)

Students in group A and B have the option to work in pairs or

individually to plan, research and develop a multimodal presentation

present an interview about a geological or extreme weather event.

Possible events or conditions could include earthquakes, tsunamis,

volcanic eruptions, floods, cyclones, and droughts.

Students may assume roles within the interview, with one or both

students being experts on the event.

Students must share equal roles within the development and

presentation.

Students can use a range of techniques to present the interview and

use visual images in the presentation such as posters, powerpoints,

videos and other support materials.

Students can choose between speaking orally and/or voice overs.

Suggested conditions:

2–3 minutes 2 minutes group A

2-3 minutes group B

3-4 minutes group C

During the “evaluate”

phase



open/supervised.

Justification of changes made to Assessment and Making

Judgements.

Within the assessment of the Science unit I have added a diagnostic

assessment, a number of formative assessments and modified the

summative assessment to cater for the diversity within the cohort. The

diagnostic assessment has been added to assess students prior

knowledge of sudden geological changes and extreme weather

conditions that can affect the Earth’s surface. Incorporating diagnostic

assessment allows teachers to identify students knowledge and

understanding of key ideas and processes related to the content to assist

future teaching practice (Treagust, 2012). Including self-assessments

allows students to reflect on what they already know about this Science

unit and previous experiences they may have had relating to it. This

provides teachers with valuable information to assist with the

development of future learning sequences.

For the formative assessment, I changed the format of the Science

journals from written to written or typed. This was to cater for students

in group A, as they have low level writing and literacy skills. Formative

assessment is a crucial part of learning and teaching as it identifies



where students currently are in their learning, where they should be and

the most effective ways to get them there (Wiliam, 2014). This is why I

have implemented another two pieces of formative assessment within

the unit. Socrative is a fun engaging way to assess the students learning

in the first four weeks and second four weeks of the unit. The teacher

can modify the online quizzes to cater for the three different groups

learning abilities, as well as interpreting and comparing the results

between students. The more teachers incorporate formative assessment

in their teaching practice, the more knowledge they have about their

students which allows them to reflect on and improve their own

teaching practice (Churchill et al, 2011). This is why I have chosen to use

‘Red Yellow Green’ exit cards. They will be completed at the end of each

lesson and provides the teacher with information about which students

understand the content and which students are not. The teachers can

use this information to reflect on their teaching practice, as well as

discussing it further with the students.

For the summative assessment piece, I changed it from an multimodal

interview to a multimodal presentation. This was to cater for students in

Group A and B as I thought an interview would be quite difficult for their

level of literacy skills. I provided a range of options within the

assessment guidelines to ensure there were significant opportunities for

all levels of students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding



of the topic. Students in group A and B have the option to work in pairs

as it provides them with a higher level of confidence leading to improved

speaking and communication skills (Victoria State Government

Education and Training, 2016). The time requirements have been

modified to cater for the different groups. For students in Group C, it is

mandatory that they present for 3-4 minutes. This requires them to

research and develop their presentations in more depth and

demonstrate their high levels of understanding regarding the topic.

Teaching and learning Supportive learning environment

Teaching strategies and learning experiences Adjustments for needs of

learners

Resources

This unit overview has been developed using the 5E inquiry model

for teaching and learning science. The 5E model follows a sequence

of:

Engage — begin with assessing students’ prior knowledge of the

topic through student self-assessments and a lesson that captures

students’ interest through an activity or question. Students will

Section 6 of the Disability

Standards for Education

(The Standards for

Curriculum Development,

Accreditation and

Delivery) states that

Web

websites for videos of geological and

extreme weather events

free images

websites for factsheets and

interactive worksheets




learners

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also set their own learning targets/goals for the Science unit.

Explore — organise hands-on activities where students explore a

concept or skill.

Explain — guide students to develop explanations for the

experience after they have explored a concept or skill.

Elaborate — encourage students to apply what they have learnt to

a new situation.

Evaluate — provide an opportunity for students to review and

reflect on their learning.

__________________________________________________________

Engage

Assess students prior knowledge of geological changes, extreme

weather and the impact they have on the Earth through student

self-assessments.

Have students set learning targets/goals for the Science unit

(SMART goals).

education providers,

including class teachers,

must take reasonable steps

to ensure a

course/program is

designed to allow any

student to participate and

experience success in

learning.

The Disability Standards

for Education 2005 (Cwlth)

is available from:

<www.ag.gov.au> select

Human rights and anti-

discrimination > Disability

standards for education.

Group A will be scaffolded through setting learning

YouTube

Shelterbox Website

National Geographic Videos

http://

www.fizzicseducation.com.au

Print

free images

newspapers

worksheets

word wall and corresponding

pictures


http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/



learners

Resources

Capture students’ interest and find out what they know about the

sudden geological changes and extreme weather conditions, e.g.

earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, cyclones, and

droughts. through an engaging activity or YouTube clip.

Use before-and-after historical images that show changes due to

earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, cyclones, and

droughts. Newspaper/magazine articles, YouTube clips and

documentaries could also be used.

Elicit students’ questions to create a question board.

Use a science journal to begin reflective entries (Note: This could

be an electronic version such as a wiki or forum in a shared online

space).

Develop and investigate subject-specific language using a word

wall and glossary. Add pictures next to words.

Justification:

Within the engage phase, I have added a diagnostic assessment to

assess student prior knowledge regarding the topic (refer to

assessment section above). I also created a section for students to

set learning targets/goals to strive for throughout the Science

targets/goals (SMART goals).

Group C to use newspaper

and/or magazine articles.

Group C to compare and

contrast the effects of

different events.

Teacher will check

historical images are

culturally appropriate to

cater for Indigenous

students.




learners

Resources

unit. Goal setting is one of the most effective psychological

strategies implemented in education to improve student

performance (Baghurst, Tapps & Kensinger, 2015). Without

setting goals students can become unmotivated and lose focus on

what and why they are learning specific concepts (Churchill et al,

2011). This is why I implemented learning targets/goals for

students within the cohort. Group A will be scaffolded through

their development of learning targets/goals. To capture the

students interest and excitement I decided to use a YouTube clip,

as students become more engaged through visually stimulating

videos and presentations. Group C are to use

Newspaper/magazine articles to show changes due to extreme

weather conditions, as this is far more challenging that YouTube

clips or documentaries. I added corresponding photos to the word

wall as they help low literacy students understand the words

more effectively (Cronsberry, 2004). Teachers will ensure all

historical pictures on the Word Wall are culturally appropriate

and respectful to cater for the Indigenous students within the

cohort.




learners

Resources

Explore

Model sudden geological changes and extreme weather using a

range of visual aids.

Investigate and review understanding of sudden geological

changes and extreme weather conditions using factual texts and

Shelterbox videos.

Observe the effects of historical and recent geological changes and

extreme weather on environments and communities.

Complete a 5W (Who, what, when, where, why?) template to

summarise information.

Introduce the summative assessment – Multimodal Presentation,

so students can prepare for their research.

Justification:

Group C will use factual texts to investigate and review their

understanding of sudden geological changes and extreme weather

Group C to use factual texts.

Group B to use both factual texts and Shelterbox videos.

Group A to use Shelterbox videos.

Group A can complete 5W in pairs.




learners

Resources

conditions as it is more challenging than using the Shelterbox videos.

Group B will need to use a combination of both as the videos would

be to simple for their level. Group A will use Shelterbox videos as

many of the factual texts will be to advanced for their reading

abilities. During the 5Ws activity, group A student will be able to

work in pairs. Having students working in pairs begins supportive

peer relationships, which can have a significant impact on students’

academic progress and classroom behaviour (Krause, Bochner,

Duchesne & McMaugh, 2010). In this explore phase, I implemented

the introduction of the summative assessment piece to explain what

is expected from the students and how they will be assessed through

the criteria. If students are unsure about what is expected of them for

the task and how they are going to be assessed, they will often lack

key areas of the overall concept and purpose of the assessment piece

(Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), 2016).

By introducing the assessment piece and criteria students will know

what is expected of them and how they will be assessed.

Explain The data will be provided for Group A.




learners

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Collect numerical and factual information/data about sudden

geological changes and extreme weather conditions.

Investigate, analyse and interpret a model of Earth’s internal

structure or Investigate Earth’s internal structure through a

National Geographic video and analyse and explain findings from

the video.

Introduce concepts and terminology associated with geological

events or weather conditions, e.g. magnitude, intensity, seismic

scales (Richter scale and Modified Mercalli scale), volcanic

plumes, satellite instruments, gas sampling, DART (deep-ocean

assessment and reporting of tsunamis) buoy. Add these concepts

and terminologies to word wall with corresponding pictures.

Explain/identify in the form of a poster that scientists such as

seismologists, hydrologists, meteorologists and volcanologists use

scientific instruments to observe, measure and record activity.

Share information using scientific language. Students may use

models and descriptions to represent their understanding of such

changes to the Earth’s surface.

Group B will be scaffolded through their data collection.

Group C will collect it individually.

Group A identify scientists and the instruments they use.

Group B and C need to explain and identify.

Group A will create poster using ICTs.




learners

Resources

Use online resources to provide examples of scientists as experts.

Justification:

For group A the data will be provided for the students as it may be

too difficult for them to find the appropriate resources and interpret

the data. Group B will be scaffolded through their data collection and

group C will collect it individually. Students will have the option of

using a model or the National Geographic video for their

investigation, analysis and interpretation of the Earth’s structure.

This caters for visual and kinaesthetic learners as they can either

watch the National Geographic video or learn through the physical

model of the Earth’s structure. I have added the new concepts and

terminology associated with geological events or weather conditions

to the word wall with corresponding pictures. This will help the

lower literacy level students understand the concepts and

terminology more in depth. Explaining and identifying different

scientists and the scientific instruments they use to observe, measure

and record activity is too difficult for Group A. Therefore they will

only identify different scientists and their instruments and present it

in a form using ICTs. This will cater for their low level writing skills

and still allow them to complete the task and further their 22 | Year 6 unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science



learners

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knowledge and understanding of different scientists and the

instruments they use.

Elaborate

Investigate and compare geological changes and extreme weather

conditions in Australia and neighbouring countries.

Suggest reasons for the higher rate of earthquake activity in some

of Australia’s neighbouring countries.

Research the scientific research and work being conducted in

various centres around the world to advance global disaster alerts

and communications.

Fizzics Education Science Workshop (incursion) which will

discuss advance global disaster alerts and communications.

Discuss (in allocated groups i.e. group A, B and C) how the

scientific information gathered from geological and weather

events is used to inform future decisions of communities and

record in Science journals.

Group A will be provided with the geological changes but will still need to compare.

Group B will work in pairs.

Group A will be provided with information gathered from geological and weather events.

Group B will be scaffolded through the gathering of




learners

Resources

Justification:

Students in group A will be provided with the geological changes but

will still need to compare them. This means they do not have to

struggle investigating and finding them, yet they still get to compare

and contrast. Group B will work collaboratively in pairs to ensure

they complete the task. Instead of students researching, I have

included an incursion from Fizzics Education. Incursions promote

high-quality interactions, innovative learning techniques, high levels

of student engagement, hands on learning and collaboration (QCAA,

2016). By including this incursion into the Science unit all students

within the cohort will benefit. It also demonstrates standard 3.4 of

the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, which is ‘select

and use resources’ (Australian Institute for Teacher and School

Leadership (AITSL), 2014). I have selected a very appropriate and

relevant resource to benefit the students through an actively

engaging learning session.

Evaluate

Work on the assessment task where students plan, research and

information.




learners

Resources

present an interview develop a multimodal presentation about a

geological or extreme weather event.

Reflect on their investigations and learning during the unit.

Review learning targets/goals to see if they have been achieved

and if they have not, students reflect on why they were not

achieved.

Set new learning goals.

Justification:

Students are developing their multimodal presentation instead of

presenting an interview. An interview was to complex for the lower

level literacy students, so I modified the task to make it broader in

order to cater for all students learning abilities (see assessment

section above). Students will be reviewing their learning

targets/goals that they developed at the beginning of the unit.

When setting goals it is crucial to not only assess if the goals have

been achieved or not, but to also reflect on why they have or why

they have not (Baghurst, Tapps & Kensinger, 2015). Students will

also be setting new learning goals or modifying the ones they had

already set but had not yet achieved. It is an important practice




learners

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when learning to continually set new goals so that there is always

something to strive for and a reason to improve (Krause, Bochner,

Duchesne & McMaugh, 2010). For the students who did not meet

their goals, the teacher will scaffold them through modifying them

to create new goals. Students who did reach their goals can extend

on them or begin to create new ones.


Use feedback

Ways to monitor

learning and

assessment

Teachers collaboratively plan the teaching, learning and assessment to meet the needs of all learners. Teachers

will incorporate diagnostic, formative and summative assessment to monitor students’ learning. Diagnostic

assessment will be implemented at the beginning of the unit to assess students prior knowledge of the topic.

There will be a range of formative assessments utilised throughout the unit to inform teachers of students

ongoing understanding of the Science unit content. A summative assessment will be implemented at the end of

the unit to assess students overall understanding. Before the multimodal presentation, teachers discuss task-

specific descriptors of the quality of student performance and create an appropriate and specific criteria for

students to follow. Teachers individually mark all student responses, applying the shared understanding

achieved through this calibration process. Year 6 teachers will moderate students assessment pieces to ensure

consistent and comparable marking.

Justification:

Monitoring students learning and assessment is a crucial element of being a teacher. It informs teaching practice,

improves learning outcomes and assists with creating an effective learning environment (Churchill et al, 2011).

Throughout this unit a range of assessment strategies have been implemented to monitor students

understanding and progress of the content. A diagnostic assessment provides the teachers with valuable insights

into students’ knowledge and experiences regarding the content in the unit (Treagust, 2012). Implementing

these students’ self-assessments will inform teachers of key areas to focus on or just touch on. There is a variety

of formative assessment strategies incorporated within the Science unit, with each one contributing to informing

student progress and teaching practice (Wiliam, 2014). The students will add to their science journals each week

for the teachers to read and monitor their understanding of each lesson. The two Socrative online quizzes for

week 4 and week 8 will allow teachers to create key questions regarding the covered content. There will be three


Use feedback

separate quizzes, each modified to cater for the different groups of students (group A, B and C). The Red Yellow

Green exit cards are a great way for students to notify the teacher there lack of understanding for a particular

area without all students knowing. It allows the teacher to see which students understand and which students do

not and how to cater for this by modifying future teaching activities. For the summative assessment task,

teachers will collaborate and develop an effective and appropriate criteria sheet for the students to follow. As

accurate and dependable judgements require common understandings and agreements between teachers

(QCAA, 2016) the summative assessment task will be moderated between teachers. This will ensure students are

receiving consistent and comparable marking.

Feedback to students Teachers plan opportunities through the teaching strategies and learning experiences of the unit. Teachers

provide ongoing feedback and encouragement to students by continually assessing what is being documented in

their Science journals. on their strengths and areas for improvement. Teachers will use a mix of written and oral

feedback to improve student learning outcomes. Students Science journals will be assessed by the teachers after

each journal entry, with positive and effective written feedback. Throughout the unit teachers will be providing

oral feedback on learning activities in lessons. The feedback will be in relation to the learning targets/goals

students set in the ‘engage’ phase. Through particular learning experiences students can reflect on and discuss

with their teachers and peers what they are able to do well and what they need to do to improve. Students will

be provided with written and oral feedback after their completion of the summative assessment task. Written

feedback will be in the form of the criteria sheet with corresponding comments. The verbal feedback will be

based on the criteria and how the students presented their summative assessment tasks.

Justification:

Providing students with feedback is one of the most significant contributors to effectively impacting student

learning (Churchill et al, 2011). Throughout the unit I have incorporated a variety of different forms of feedback 28 | Year 6 unit overview Australian Curriculum: Science

Use feedback

that will occur on a regular basis. Students will receive verbal and written feedback from the teachers after each

journal entry has been completed. This will ensure students are on the right path throughout the unit and it will

also highlight to teachers which students are struggling or excelling. Teachers will continually provide oral

feedback after lessons in relation to students individual learning goals/targets. The feedback will neither be

praise or criticism, it will be a structured analysis of student work. After the completeion of the summative

assessment task, students will receive their marked criteria with written feedback. The teachers will also

welcome one on one meeting with students if they are unclear about what has been said on the criteria sheet. All

students from group A will receive a one on one meeting after their summative task. This is because these

students are at a very low level of literacy and may not be able to interpret what has been written on the criteria

sheet. That way teachers will be able to run through the criteria sheet with the students verbally to ensure they

thoroughly understand.

Reflection on the unit

plan

At the conclusion of the unit, all teachers who have been involved in planning, teaching, learning and assessment

come together to reflect on the successes and challenges of the unit. They come with their personal reflections

through answers to the following questions:

What worked well in this unit?

What was a stumbling block?

How would you refine it?

What trends and gaps in learning have you identified?

How will you build on these learning experiences next term and beyond?


References:

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2014). Australian professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from

http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Baghurst, T., Tapps, T., & Kensinger, W. (2015). Setting Goals for Achievment in Physical Education Settings. A Journal for Physical and Sport

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