102086 Designing Teaching and Learning

17494771 Hannah Taylor

Assignment 2

Lesson Plan Analysis

Contents

Content……………………………………………………………………...….……………1

Original Lesson Plan……………………………………..……………………….…...……2

Adapted Lesson Plan……………………………………………………...……….………..4

APST……………………………..…………………………………..………………………7

QT Model…………………………………………………………….………………..…….9

Modified Lesson Plan…………………………………………………………...…………11

Academic Justification…………………………………………………………………….16

References…………………………………………………..………………………....……18

Learning Portfolio Link………………………………………………...…………………19

1
 Original Lesson Plan

LESSON: CLASS: Yr. 9HIS TOPIC: Prime Minister, Robert Menzies

announces Australia’s involvement in WW II UNIT OF WORK: WW2
SUBJECT: History
LESSON AIM: The aim of this lesson is for students to gain an understanding of Australia’s
involvement in WW2. An analysis of PM Menzies’ announcement and declaration of War.
Students will describe their own feelings and attitudes towards the War.

Student Outcomes Syllabus Outcomes

 explain why Australians enlisted to fight
in both wars
 identifies and evaluates the usefulness of
sources in the historical inquiry process
HT5-5
 selects and uses appropriate oral,
written, visual and digital forms to
communicate effectively about the past
for different audiences HT5-10

Student previous knowledge / skills / Resources

attitudes Prime Minister, Robert Menzies announces
Australia’s involvement in WW II.
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/

Retroactive p.141,142
TIME LESSON CONTENT TEACHING / LEARNING ASSESSMENT
STAGE STRATEGIES / HWK
1:55 Roll call

2:00 Instruct Global map Students are to complete the table

students of outlining the Allies and Axis
lesson information – Retroactive p.141
outcome.
Using the link
2:10 Introduce Source extract http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/
next 7.2.2 p.142 students listen to the
activity announcement of PM Menzies.
2:20 (approx: 4mins duration)

Students are required to write (2)

paragraphs explaining to their
family why they are enlisting in
2:35 the Australian army. (10 minutes)
Close/revise
Class discussion: Teacher to
nominate 2 or 3 students to read
out their explanations.

Teacher guided lesson. Providing

background information.
Emphasis on the ‘Rats of

2

EVALUATION
What worked well ….
What needs improving ….
Tobruk”.
FOLLOW UP – CONTENT FOLLOW UP
The Australian 6th Division. The - STUDENTS
Mediterranean, The Middle East
and North Africa.
Teacher guided lesson. Providing
background information.
Emphasis on the ‘Rats of
Tobruk”.

Source: Australian Curriculum Lessons. (2015, August 1). Yr 9 history lesson - Robert
Menzies announces Australia’s involvement in WW2. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from
Australian Curriculum Lessons,
http://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/2015/08/01/yr-9-history-lesson-robert-
menzies-announces-australias-involvement-in-ww2/

3
 Adapted Lesson Plan

Topic area: Prime Minister, Stage of Learner: Syllabus Pages:

Robert Menzies announces Stage 5
Australia’s involvement in
WW2

Date: Location Booked: N/A Lesson Number: /

Time: 60 minutes Total Number of students Printing/preparation

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about Students learn to

Syllabus outcomes The aim of this lesson  explain why
is for students to gain Australians enlisted
 identifies and evaluates
an understanding of to fight in both
the usefulness of sources
Australia’s wars
in the historical inquiry
involvement in WW2.
process HT5-5
An analysis of PM
 selects and uses
Menzies’
appropriate oral, written, announcement and
visual and digital forms declaration of War.
to communicate
Students will describe
effectively about the past their own feelings and
for different audiences attitudes towards the
HT5-10 War.
Cross Curriculum themes & General capabilities Explicit subject specific concepts and skills

Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) Highlight the appropriate areas

Intellectual Quality 1.1 Deep knowledge 1.4 Higher-order thinking
This refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, 1.2 Deep understanding 1.5 Metalanguage
substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something 1.3 Problematic 1.6 Substantive
that requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order knowledge communication
thinking and to communicate substantively about what they are learning.
Quality Learning Environment 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 2.4 Social Support
This refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work 2.2 Engagement 2.5 Students’ self regulation
productively in an environment clearly focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and 2.3 High Expectations 2.6 Student direction
explicit expectations and develops positive relationships between teacher and students
and among students.
Significance 3.1 Background 3.4 Inclusivity
This refers to pedagogy that helps make learning more meaningful and important to knowledge 3.5 Connectedness
students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and 3.2 Cultural knowledge 3.6 Narrative
identities, with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing all 3.3 Knowledge
cultural perspective. integration

4
How are the quality teaching elements you have identified achieved within the lesson?

Teaching Indicators of presence in the lesson

element

Time Teaching and learning actions Organisation Centred

T/S
Intro Roll call Teacher:

5 minutes Student:

Resources:

Body Instruct students of lesson outcome: Teacher:

10 Students are to complete the table outlining Student:

minutes the Allies and Axis information – Retroactive
p.141 Resources: Global map, Retroactive
p.141

Introduce next activity: Teacher:

10
minutes Using the link Student:
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/ students
listen to the announcement of PM Menzies. Resources:
(approx: 4mins duration) http://www.ww2australia.go
v.au/

Students are required to write (2) paragraphs Teacher:

15
minutes explaining to their family why they are Student:
enlisting in the Australian army.(10 minutes)
Resources:

Conclusion Close/revise: Teacher:

10 Class discussion: Teacher to nominate 2 or 3 Student:

minutes students to read out their explanations.
Resources:
Teacher guided lesson. Providing background
information. Emphasis on the ‘Rats of Tobruk”.

5
Reflection
What have I learned about the teaching and learning process when preparing this lesson?

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

Other considerations

Complete the table blow by inserting the AISTL graduate standards that you are demonstrating and
indicates the evidence from this lesson that should comply with the standard.

Graduate Evidence within this lesson

Standards

WHS
What are the key risk issues that may appear for and need to be reduced/eliminated in this lesson? Using
your syllabus and support documents as well as other WHS policy- Outline the key WHS considerations
that are to be applied in this lesson?

References (In APA)

You must list all references that you have used for the content and resources of this lesson in this space.

Australian Curriculum Lessons. (2015, August 1). Yr 9 history lesson - Robert Menzies announces
Australia’s involvement in WW2. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Australian Curriculum
Lessons, http://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/2015/08/01/yr-9-history-lesson-robert-
menzies-announces-australias-involvement-in-ww2/

Resources Attached:
Prime Minister, Robert Menzies announces Australia’s involvement in WW II.
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/
Retroactive p.141
6
Assignment 2: APST and QT Analysis Template

Student name: Hannah Taylor

Student ID: 17494771

Section 1: Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Evaluate the adapted lesson plan according to the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Only standards directly addressed in Designing Teaching & Learning that are
relevant to this assignment have a rating scale. You can ignore the other standards for this assignment. However, this does not mean the other standards are irrelevant to lesson planning and
evaluation more generally.

Standard Evaluation score Comments incl. evidence for evaluation score (2 sentences maximum)
1 (poor) – 5 (excellent)
1 Know 1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
students and 1.2 Understand how students learn
how they learn 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and Not mentioned.
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA
socioeconomic backgrounds
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Not mentioned.
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA
Islander students
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning Class discussion and individual work provide limited differentiation, could be
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA
needs of students across the full range of abilities improved with group work.
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students Not mentioned.
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA
with disability
2 Know the 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
content and 2.2 Content selection and organisation 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Content suitable for age group and number of students.
how to teach it 2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Links to curriculum are clear. No mention of assessment.
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Basic use of audio from the provided link.
3 Plan for an 3.1 Establish challenging learning goals 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Learning goal is appropriate for age group, but not challenging.
implement 3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Lesson plan makes structural sense, sequence is easy to follow.
effective 3.3 Use teaching strategies 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Individual work and class discussion, as well as direct instruction. Could be improved
teaching and with group work.
learning 3.4 Select and use resources 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Basic but appropriate resources. Use of ICT could be improved.
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs
3.7 Engage parents/ carers in the educative process
4 Create and 4.1 Support student participation 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Sharing at the end of class promotes a few students to participate fully. Individual
maintain work allows for students to disengage and not participate without encouragement

7
supportive and from the teacher.
safe learning 4.2 Manage classroom activities 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Activities look easy to manage. Might be different in reality.
environments 4.3 Manage challenging behaviour 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Not mentioned.
4.4 Maintain student safety 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Not mentioned.
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Not addressed in the lesson plan. As teacher is the only one using ICT, can be
assumed to be safely, responsibly, and ethically.
5 Assess, 5.1 Assess student learning 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Informal class assessment in the discussion. Informal assessment specifically for
provide individuals who share their paragraphs.
feedback and 5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA General formative feedback is given to all students in the discussion. Specific
report on formative feedback for the students who share with the rest of the class.
student learning 5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements
5.4 Interpret student data
5.5 Report on student achievement
6 Engage in 6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs
professional 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
learning
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
7 Engage 7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
professionally 7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
with colleagues,
7.3 Engage with the parents/carers
parents/carers
and the 7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
community

8
Section 2: NSW Quality Teaching Model

Evaluate the adapted lesson plan according to the following NSW Quality Teaching model elements. If you mark an element as NA (not applicable) please justify in your comments.

Dimension Element Code Comments incl. evidence for code (2 sentences maximum)
(refer to QT model
documentation for
criteria for each
number)
Intellectual Deep knowledge 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Students will engage deeply with the concept of Australian enlistment
quality reasons.
Deep understanding 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Tasks encourage a broad shallow understanding of the topic, with
moments of deeper achievable.
Problematic knowledge 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Tasks ask students for their opinions on reasons for enlistment,
provides opportunities for multiple viewpoints on ideas.
Higher-order thinking 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Students synthesise their own paragraphs with reasons for enlistment.
This encourages higher-order thinking about the war.
Metalanguage 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Metalanguage is not explicitly covered in class. The language expected
to be used by students is not complex and the lesson does not
promote language experimentation.
Substantive communication 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Students are encouraged to construct their own reasons for
enlistment, and to back them up with reasons. Substantive
communication is particularly relevant for the students who present
to the class.
Quality Explicit quality criteria 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA No mention of criteria for presentations or quality of work is given.
learning Engagement 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Tasks promote a mid-level of engagement, opportunities to improve
environment engagement are present within the lesson.
High expectations 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA The presentation allows for high expectations for some students. For
the majority of the class however there is no incentive to achieve
highly. Every student is expected to do well, but there is no way to
monitor their success.
Social support 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Presentation provides a minimal level of social support. All other work
is individual.
Students’ self-regulation 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Writing their individual paragraphs requires students to demonstrate
a high level of self-regulation.
Student direction 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Students can nominate themselves to present in class. No other
aspects of the task are chosen by students.
Significance Background knowledge 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Assumptions can be made that students have some background
9
 knowledge of WW2, but this background knowledge is not addressed
in the lesson plan.
Cultural knowledge 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Students are expected to have some basic knowledge of PM Menzies
and WW2’s existence.
Knowledge integration 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Students are not required to connect their knowledge of History to
any other subject.
Inclusivity 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Lesson and activities are not particularly inclusive.
Connectedness 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA The paragraph writing task in particular encourages students to apply
their theoretical knowledge of war enlistment reasons to the real
world reasons of actual soldiers.
Narrative 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – NA Narrative is highly important in creating the required paragraphs in
this class. Without a narrative this task would be incomplete.

10
 Modified Lesson Plan

Topic area: Stage of Learner: Stage 5 Syllabus Pages:

Prime Minister, Robert
Menzies announces Australia’s
involvement in WW2
Date:
23rd September 2016
Time: 60 minutes
History k-10 syllabus pages
124-125
Location Booked: Lesson Number: 2 / 8
N/A
Total Number of students: 25 Printing/preparation
Transcript of PM Menzies audio. 1
1 handout per student.

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about Students learn to

Syllabus outcomes Lesson The aim of this lesson  Explain why
 identifies and evaluates assessment is for students to gain Australians
the usefulness of sources Formative. No an understanding of enlisted to fight
in the historical inquiry quizzes or Australia’s in both wars.
process HT5-5 assignments in involvement in WW2.  Consider the
 selects and uses the lesson. An analysis of PM attitudes to
appropriate oral, written, Menzies’ conscription.
visual and digital forms announcement and
to communicate declaration of War.
effectively about the past Students will describe
for different audiences their own feelings and
HT5-10 attitudes towards the
War.
Cross Curriculum themes & General capabilities Explicit subject specific concepts and skills
Cross Curriculum themes explored in this lesson  identifies and evaluates the usefulness of
are: Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia. sources in the historical inquiry process
Students will examine the tensions present during HT5-5
WW2 between Asia and Australia.
General capabilities explored in the lesson are:
Critical and creative thinking and Ethical
understanding. Students examine sources and
engage with the perspectives of historical
personalities and groups.

Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) Highlight the appropriate areas

11
 Intellectual Quality 1.1 Deep knowledge 1.4 Higher-order thinking
This refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, 1.2 Deep understanding 1.5 Metalanguage
substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something 1.3 Problematic 1.6 Substantive
that requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order knowledge communication
thinking and to communicate substantively about what they are learning.
Quality Learning Environment 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 2.4 Social Support
This refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work 2.2 Engagement 2.5 Students’ self regulation
productively in an environment clearly focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and 2.3 High Expectations 2.6 Student direction
explicit expectations and develops positive relationships between teacher and students
and among students.
Significance 3.1 Background 3.4 Inclusivity
This refers to pedagogy that helps make learning more meaningful and important to knowledge 3.5 Connectedness
students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and 3.2 Cultural knowledge 3.6 Narrative
identities, with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing all 3.3 Knowledge
cultural perspective. integration

How are the quality teaching elements you have identified achieved within the lesson?

Teaching Indicators of presence in the lesson

element

12
 Time Teaching and learning actions Organisation Centred
T/S
Intro Roll call, introduce myself to students, tell Teacher: Mark roll, organise students Teacher
students to get their books and pens out.
5 minutes Student: Take out pens and books or
laptops

Resources: Roll
Body Instruct students of lesson outcome: Teacher: Instruct students Teacher
Students are to complete the table outlining
10 the Allies and Axis information – Retroactive Student: Complete table
minutes p.141.
Resources: Global Map, Retroactive p.
141

Introduce next activity: Teacher: Hand out transcript, play Teacher

10 Using the link
minutes http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/ students
listen to the announcement of PM Menzies
and can read along on the handout transcript.
(approx: 4mins duration) Then a quick
question/answer session of what the
announcement meant.
Students are required to write (2) paragraphs
explaining to their family why they are
enlisting in the Australian army using their
10 notes and the transcript of the audio.
minutes Students who finish early should consider
reasons why they would not enlist.
10 Think pair share: Students share their
minutes paragraphs with someone next to them, and
consider how everyone has different reasons
for enlisting or not enlisting. Teacher walks
through the classroom and comments on
student’s reasons/prompts discussions and
continues the question/answer session.
audio, encourage students to take notes.
Discuss the announcement with students.
Student: listen and take notes on audio.
Participate in discussion.
Resources:
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/ audio
and transcript of the audio
Teacher: Explain task to students, Student
encourage them to work independently
and quietly.
Student: Write two paragraphs, if
finished early, consider why they
shouldn’t enlist
Resources: Transcript
Teacher: Maintain organised classroom, Student
keep students focused on task, talk to
pairs of students about their work.
Student: Share reasons with nearby
classmate, consider different reasons for
enlisting.

Resources:
10 Class discussion: Individual students Teacher: Facilitate class discussion. Student
minutes nominate themselves to read their reasons to
the class. Student: Individuals share their reasons
for enlisting. Students not speaking listen
quietly.

Resources:
Conclusion Close/revise: Teacher: Brief students on content of the Teacher
Teacher quickly describes the next lessons next lesson.
5 minutes content.
Student: listen
Teacher guided lesson. Providing background
information. Emphasis on the ‘Rats of Resources:
Tobruk”.

13
Reflection
What have I learned about the teaching and learning process when preparing this lesson?
I learnt that the reality of a lesson plan is much harder than I originally thought it would be. I became more
aware of how timing and spacing affects the flow of a lesson. While I intend for student’s individual work to
take ten minutes of the lesson time, I’m not sure how my expectation will transfer into the reality of a
classroom. Similarly I had not given much thought to classroom management before now, and I see that this
lesson requires a lot of effort to keep students on track in the individual and group work elements of the
lesson.
I also learnt that ICT is not always easy to incorporate in lessons. While I consider myself technologically
competent, I see very few ways of increasing the level of ICT in this lesson. A PowerPoint could be
included, but is not necessary. The original lesson had one element of ICT, and I could not find a way to
improve the lesson with further ICT.
I also realised the importance of differentiating for gifted and talented or otherwise fast working students.
The original lesson provides moments for students to finish their work and become distracted or distracting.
I tried to include further work for faster students in the adapted lesson plan. Before now I did not really
consider the possibly distracting influence of fast working students on the rest of the class group.

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

HT5-5 Formative assessment made by questioning students
and student’s presentations. No marks are formally
recorded, this is a learning not assessment lesson.
HT5-10 Formative assessment made by questioning students
and student’s presentations. No marks are formally
recorded, this is a learning not assessment lesson.

Other considerations

Complete the table blow by inserting the AISTL graduate standards that you are demonstrating and
indicates the evidence from this lesson that should comply with the standard.

Graduate Evidence within this lesson

Standards

14
WHS
What are the key risk issues that may appear for and need to be reduced/eliminated in this lesson? Using
your syllabus and support documents as well as other WHS policy- Outline the key WHS considerations
that are to be applied in this lesson?

The lesson provides minimal opportunities for health and safety risks to present
themselves. Students may be using and charging their laptops, and these charging
cords may present a trip hazard in this case. To reduce the trip hazard, students
charging their laptops will be asked to sit along the walls of the room near the power
points. This will prevent cables from being in walkways and removes the likelihood
of a trip.
Similarly, students will be asked to put their bags under their desks or chairs, to
reduce the trip hazard of bags in walkways.

References (In APA)

You must list all references that you have used for the content and resources of this lesson in this space.

Australian Curriculum Lessons. (2015, August 1). Yr 9 history lesson - Robert Menzies announces
Australia’s involvement in WW2. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Australian Curriculum Lessons,
http://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/2015/08/01/yr-9-history-lesson-robert-
menzies-announces-australias-involvement-in-ww2/

Resources Attached:
 Year 9 History Lesson Plan – Robert Menzies and Australia’s Involvement in WW2 (DOCX)
 Prime Minister, Robert Menzies announces Australia’s involvement in WW II.http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/

15
Academic Justification

One of my main improvements on the original lesson plan was the inclusion of think/pair/share
(TPS) and small group work within the lesson. The inclusion of group work allows for students to
communicate their ideas with their peers in a less threatening way than in the end of lesson presentation, and
encourages students to consider other people’s perspectives on the issue. The quality teaching model
encourages social support (Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate, 2008, standard
2.4), essentially students helping each other achieve through collaborative learning. Siburian (2013) found
students’ scores increased when given opportunities to TPS, with some students achieving 30 more marks
out of 100 after the TPS activities. When given the opportunity to share their thoughts with a peer before
sharing with the wider class, students are given the chance to familiarise themselves further with the content
from all angles, improving their learning and retention of the subject. I think this is an important change
from the original lesson plan, as it will allow students a greater degree of social support in their learning.

Another key area I have improved upon from the original lesson plan is the amount of feedback
given to students throughout the lesson. The APST requirement 5.2 ‘Provide feedback to students on their
learning’ (AITSL, 2014) was met in the original lesson plan, but its scope was limited. The adapted lesson
plan allows for more feedback to be given by the teacher to more students than previously possible. Clark,
Marsh and Pittaway (2014, p. 173-174, 177) encourage teachers to question students during the lesson to
assess their understanding of the content, and to answer the students questions in a way that promotes more
learning. Kagan (1989) also encourages question and answer sessions between teachers and students, and I
have incorporated this into the feedback the teacher gives students. This question/answer session also allows
teachers to guide discussion towards salient points in the topic being covered. I think consistent feedback
throughout the lesson is important, and the adapted lesson plan provides more instances for this continual
feedback to occur. This should help the teacher understand where their students are with comprehension,
and should help direct students towards a deeper understanding of the content.

When assessing the lesson plan further I found it did not adequately promote high expectations
according to the QT model (Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate, 2008, standard
2.3) for all students. Standard 2.3 when coded at level 5 “presents serious challenges to all students, and
encourages them to take risks in demonstrating their learning” (Professional Learning and Leadership
Development Directorate, 2006, p.30), but I found the original lesson plan did not meet this. To rectify this I
adapted the lesson plan to include more moments for students to step out of their comfort zone and present
their work to the class, and allocated more time to the presentation activity in the lesson plan. When students
are in their think/pair/share groups they are driven to produce higher quality work individually, as Topping
says to reduce ‘social embarrassment (particularly with respect to identifying weaknesses)” (1998, p.253)
and to promote deepening of the knowledge (1998, p. 254). Students who have shared their work with a peer
may go on to share their work with the rest of the class after they have already received praise for it. The
inclusion of group work raises student’s expectations of themselves and their peers, and helps increase the
coding for standard 2.3 in this lesson plan.

I was surprised at the lack of differentiation in the original lesson plan, it seemed to have no
flexibility for students across the learning ability spectrum. APST requirement 1.5 “Differentiate teaching to
meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities” (AITSL, 2014) means that
teachers need to make their lessons more accessible for all students. The adapted lesson plan provides a
handout with a transcript of PM Menzies speech, so students who have difficulty listening can follow along.
The lesson plan also provides something else for students who finish their work early to do. The inclusion of
group work also differentiates the lesson, giving students the ability to learn from each other. Finally there is
a question/answer session within the lesson so students can question elements of the lesson they do not

16
understand, which would not be as possible with a direct lecture style of content delivery. The variety of
learning and teaching methods encourages all students to learn to the best of their ability, and provides
support for students who are slower to learn or faster to learn than their peers.

17
References:

Australian Curriculum Lessons. (2015, August 1). Yr 9 history lesson - Robert Menzies announces
Australia’s involvement in WW2. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Australian Curriculum
Lessons, http://www.australiancurriculumlessons.com.au/2015/08/01/yr-9-history-lesson-robert-
menzies-announces-australias-involvement-in-ww2/

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). Australian Professional Standards for
Teachers. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from AITSL, http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-
professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Board of Studies NSW. (2012, October). History k-10 Syllabus. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from
Syllabus Bostes NSW, https://syllabus.bostes.nsw.edu.au/assets/historyk10/downloads/
historyk10_full.pdf

Clarke, Marsh, C., M.,& Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Australia: Pearson
Education Australia.

Kagan, S. (1989). The structural approach to cooperative learning. Educational leadership, 47(4), 12-15.

Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate. (2006). Quality teaching in NSW public
schools: An assessment practice guide. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Department of
Education and Training, http://lrr.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/LRRView/14250/documents/qt_asspracg.pdf

Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate. (2008). Quality Teaching to support the
NSW Professional Teaching Standards. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Department of
Education and Training Quality Teaching, http://dei.eduone.net.au/ashford/DEPASCS
CURRICULUM /HSIE%20UNIT/Quality%20Teaching%20Framework.pdf

Siburian, T. A. (2013). Improving students’ achievement on writing descriptive text through think pair
share. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World, 3(3), 30–43.
Retrieved from http://digilib.unimed.ac.id/779/1/Improving%20students%20achievement
%20on%20writing%20descriptive%20text%20through%20think%20pair%20share.pdf

Topping, K. (1998). Peer Assessment between Students in Colleges and Universities. Review of Educational
Research, 68(3), 249-276. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/stable/1170598

18
Learning portfolio link:

http://hannahltaylor.weebly.com/

19