ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

Year level: Year 4

Diversity:

Resources:

The hypothetical year four class developed for the purposes of this unit
plan consists of approximately twenty-one students in a public school
situated in a moderate socio economic area in Launceston, made up of

Photos and videos of Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Excursion
Venn Diagram template
Computers
Gloves
Laminator

twelve girls and nine boys. There is much diversity among the students in
the class, inclusive of: one student with Attention Deficit Hyperactive http://olliesworld.com/recycle/index.html
Disorder (ADHD), one student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/recycling.html
five students with diverse cultural and ethnical backgrounds, two students http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/explore/reduce/index.htm
with distinct religious backgrounds and a range of students varying from http://www.wwf.org.au/get_involved/change_the_way_y
low to high academic levels of achievement. The students listed is an ou_live/recycle_reuse_reduce/
example of some diversities that can be presented in a classroom, however http://recyclingweek.planetark.org
other diversities include physical and intellectual disabilities, learning
difficulties, behavioural difficulties and gender.
Curriculum links:

Learning Outcomes:
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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

Science Understanding:

At the end of this unit of work students will be able to:

(ACSSU074)

1. Identify the physical properties and different uses

Science as a Human Endeavour:

of plastic.

(ACSHE062)

2. Explain the effects that plastic waste and the

Science Inquiry:

management of plastic waste have on the

(ACSIS065)

environment based on its properties.

(ACSIS216)

3. Recognise the positive environmental effects that

(ACSIS071)

plastic has when it is reduced, reused and

General Capabilities:

recycled.

Literacy

Information and Communication Technology

Critical and Creative Thinking

4. Examine possible solutions for the local school

community to lessen the amount of plastic waste
produced by reducing, reusing and recycling.
5. Inform the local school community of the positive

Cross Curriculum Priorities:

effects of lessening plastic waste through various

Sustainability

means of persuasive communication.

(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA],
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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

2015).
Lesson phase:
All

phases

Learning Experiences: 8 x 1hr lessons

Assessment strategies

are

informed by the 5
Es

Framework

(Skamp, 2012).
Lesson 1:

Engage phase

With students on the mat with their lunchboxes, discuss the amount Diagnostic Assessment:
of plastic in their lunchboxes and work out the total of plastic for the

Students will be diagnostically

class. Ask students to predict the amount of plastic contained in assessed based on their individual
lunchboxes throughout the school and then work this out as a class.

concepts

Discuss how much plastic in general would be used in the school.

plastic waste to determine prior

Discuss what happens to plastic when it becomes rubbish: what do

you do with your plastic wrappers when you have finished with
them? Does it always goes in the bin? What happens after the plastic
goes in the bin? What happens to plastic after it goes to the tip?

maps

regarding

the

knowledge and any alternative

conceptions.

Teacher

will

categorise and collate strands of

knowledge/alternative conceptions
surrounding plastic waste to gain

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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

Ask students to write a prediction of what happens to plastic when it an

becomes rubbish and collect these at the end.

Lesson 2:

overall

scope

of

student

understanding.

Ask students to individually create a concept map on plastic and

share when finished.

Recap on previous lesson with a discussion about the predictions Diagnostic/Formative assessment:

Explore phase

made about what happens to plastic waste while reading them out Students will be assessed through
anecdotal

the class.

records

based

on

Prompting questions: Together we worked out how much plastic observations made on discussions,
waste in made just from wrappers in lunchboxes in the school, so brainstorming and conversations
how much plastic waste would there be in Launceston? How about between students throughout the
in the world? Do you think there would be enough plastic waste to unit of work. There will be focus
on a small group of students per

create a whole island?

Explore the Great Pacific Garbage Patch through online photos and lesson to determine the progression
videos with explanation as to why this occurs.

Students in partners are to research about the Great Pacific Garbage

Patch and then report these back to the rest of the class, providing
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of understanding.
- Learning Outcome 1 & 2

ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

the class with one interesting fact about the patch.

Read aloud some facts about use of plastic in Australia from:

http://www.sita.com.au/media/fact_sheets/PL_Facts_24.2.12.pdf

Watch

recycling

video

(http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3507210.htm) and put students

into groups to brainstorm other ways to adhere to the 3 Rs (reduce,
reuse, recycle) and share these with the class. Compile all these
Lesson 3:

Explore phase

ideas at the end to make a classroom display.

Take students on an excursion to the Launceston Waste Centre to Formative assessment:
explore the ways in which plastic is managed, recycled and reused.

Students

will

be

formatively

While at the tip using resources they have there (people, assessed on their individual Venn
information) explain to students what plastic is made of and why it Diagrams.
does not breakdown like other materials.

Ask students to complete a Venn Diagram determining is and is not

effective about the Launceston Waste Centre and what they are
unsure about, share, explain and discuss at end of lesson.
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- Learning Outcome 1 & 2

ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Lesson 4:

Explain phase

Assessment #2

Recap and reiterate information learnt on the field tip by discussing Formative assessment:
the plastic identification codes (a triangle with a number from one to Students

will

be

formatively

seven inside stamped on a plastic bottle or container) e.g. 1- assessed against a checklist based
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE), 2- High density on their small presentations on
Polyethylene (HDPE), 3- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), 4- Low-density plastic symbols.
Polyethylene (LDPE), 5- Polypropylene (PP), 6- Polystyrene (PS) - Learning Outcome 1 & 2
and 7- Other Types.

Watch video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGlFYIvffLM

Put students into groups and allocate a plastic identification code

where they are to collect different plastics from around the school
with that code, research the type of plastic and present this to the

Lesson 5:
Explain phase

class.
Discuss and brainstorm what could be done/changed in the school to Formative assessment:
ensure recycling takes place, refer back to lesson two. Watch video See lesson 2.
clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch? - Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 & 4

v=oROsbaxWH0M&autoplay=1&app=desktop
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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

As a class create a survey to take around to all the classrooms in the

school to find information on the schools recycling system or their
ideas with regards to what they would use in the classroom that
contributes to reducing, reusing and recycling.

Students who finish early can participate in a recycling online game:

http://cleanup.noco2.com.au or http://climatekids.nasa.gov/recyclethis/

Collate and discuss the results of the survey with students.

Present and allocate students with a persuasive writing project where

students will either create a letter to the principal, a newspaper
article or a poster all to encourage the school community to use the

Lesson 6:
Elaborate phase

three Rs.
Recap on the allocated groups for the persuasive writing task and Formative assessment:
discuss what persuasive writing is. Discuss with students the See lesson 2.
requirements/purpose for each persuasive writing task and discuss - Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
information and resources to be included.
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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

Show the class an example of a letter, newspaper article and poster

to assist them.

Watch video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cso_CUk4CD4

Allow students to begin working on their persuasive writing pieces

by firstly planning them.

Remind students of the resources that have been previously used

throughout the unit of work that may help them.

Students must show their planning to the teacher before they can
continue. Students will publish their work on computers when

Lesson 7:

Elaborate phase

Lesson 8:

finished.
Watch video for engagement and further recycling ideas Formative assessment:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/nature/plasticbottlerecycling.ht

See lesson 2.

ml

- Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

Allow students to continue working on their persuasive writing

pieces with assistance as needed.

Introduce students to the Planet Ark Recycling Week, beginning on Summative Assessment:
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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

Assessment #2

this lesson (Monday 9th November-Sunday 15th November 2015) by Students

Evaluate phase

will

be

summatively

exploring how our persuasive writing pieces will contribute to this assessed against a rubric based on
cause.

their persuasive writing pieces.

Allow students to finish their persuasive writing pieces and print - Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
them out when completed. Prepare all the students work e.g. letters
to go to the Principal, newspaper articles to be published in the
school newsletter and posters to be laminated and placed around the
school community.

Allow students to share their work at the end of lesson.

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ESH350 Planning and Assessing in Primary and Early Childhood Science

Laine Paulsen

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Assessment #2