PART A

1 Intellectual quality
1.1 Deep knowledge:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Knowledge is deep as the focus is kept within the key ideas and concepts of the lesson.
This is evident when students are engaging on sub-effects, analysing complex environmental issues,
positive/negatives on plastic bags and biodegradable material.
1.2 Deep understanding
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Students are provided with a range of opportunity within the lesson to demonstrate their
deep understanding of the key ideas. This is evident through problem solving and demonstrating
different ways of designing their bags, positive/negative, problem solve/arguments on the plastic
bags.
1.3 Problematic knowledge:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Knowledge on the plastic bags is treated as open to multiple perspectives which allows
5 students to engage and argue different perspectives. Showcased through sub effects of plastic bags
(e.g. advantage to carry around and disadvantage for animals),
1.4 Higher-order thinking
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Students are provided with the opportunity to evaluate, manipulate and transform the
information on at least one major activity. Example of this is seen through developing biodegradable
liners, where students combine ideas of comparing between plastic and biodegradable liners and
understand the difference to the environment and which they think is best suitable.
1.5 Metalanguage
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: The teacher provides low use of scientific, language and explanations during the lesson
in which terminology by either teacher and student are lacking to make judgements and comments
on the language itself. The teacher can use commentary on specific words scientific words to
describe concepts.
1.6 Substantive communication
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Substantive communication occurs over half the lesson with teacher and students
scaffolding the conversation. Example of this is when displaying the positive/negative ideas on
biodegradable/plastic bags to which students apply and share their ideas on each material in pairs
and to the classroom.
Quality learning environment
2.1 Explicit quality criteria
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Only general statements are made regarding the desired quality of work within the
lesson, this is evident through instructions from the bin liner activity. To allow detailed and specific
quality of work, specific requirements can be projected to students before giving the bin liners,
giving initial requirements before starting the activity or showing exemplars to navigate criteria.
2.2 Engagement
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Students display serious engagement throughout the whole lesson and provide deep
involvement within each activity almost all the time. This is evident in the true and false questions,
engagement with the questions from the teacher and the pairing activity with showcasing their
designs.
2.3 High expectations
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Most students participate in challenging work through most of the lesson, as they are
participating in challenging work when creating their own bin liners and are encouraged to take
risks with their work which the teacher recognises and present their work in front of peers.
2.4 Social support
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Throughout the lesson, students are about to use their own strategies and structure to
contribute and collaborate. This is evident through the ‘think-pair-share’ part of the lesson in which
most students share their idea and feel the sense of success and ownership in front of peers.
2.5 Students’ self-regulation
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: The lesson activities are purposeful and interesting that include set goals that students
feel to be worthwhile and provide autonomy. The lesson is not interrupted as students understand
the expectation and responsibilities when participating in the collaborative activities allowing
autonomy and initiative within the lesson.
2.6 Student direction

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1–2–3–4–5 Comments: The classroom activities are mainly set by the teacher with given time, choice and pace
of each activity (true/false, positive/negative, instructions of design). Teacher can promote this by
allowing students to choose or suggest options on activities and allow them to choose the timing of
the activities.
3 Significance
3.1 Background knowledge
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Background knowledge of students is mentioned or elicited several times. Through the
lesson, the teacher assesses student prior background knowledge by brainstorming positive and
negatives about the use of plastic bags and generating ideas about the topic and their environment
knowledge in which students describe what they know.
3.2 Cultural knowledge
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: No explicit/implicit recognition or valuing of other than knowledge of dominant culture
is valued within the lesson. Teacher only discusses issues within Australian/western culture.
Teacher can provide personal culture experiences of teacher/student, research other cultures on the
topic and create a classroom discussion of differences.
3.3 Knowledge integration
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Some minor and trivial connections are made within plastic bags and the environment.
The teacher can improve on this by suggesting other products and factors that can affect the products
that can create meaningful connection of science produced products and the effects of it on the
environment.
3.4 Inclusivity
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Students within majority of the lesson can feel excluded except for minor forms of
inclusion of the two group work instances during the lesson. To make students feel more included,
the teacher can involve answers from both students during questioning or involve their own cultural
and social knowledge to feel included within the activities.
3.5 Connectedness
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: The teacher connects what students learn beyond the classroom and school by
displaying environmental issues and personal meaning of the plastic bag. The teacher displays this
by discussing the plastic bag sub effects to the environment which students recognise and connect
to.
3.6 Narrative
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Comments: Within the lesson, no narrative was used to bring the activities to life. To do this, teacher
can use stories, news articles, resources and own personal experiences to bring substance within the
activities.

Identifying Areas for Improvement

QT model
1) Explicit quality criteria 2) Student Direction
3) Cultural knowledge 4) Narrative

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PART B
Lesson Plan – Bin Liners

Syllabus: Science Stage: Stage 4 Topic: Earth and Space

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about Students learn to

SC4-13ES Explains how Informal formative ES3 Scientific knowledge Classify a range of the
advances in scientific assessment. influences the choices Earth’s resources as
understanding of people make in regard to renewable or non-
processes that occur the use and management renewable.
within and on the Earth of the Earth’s resources.
influence the choices Investigate some
people make about strategies used by people
resource use and to conserve and manage
management. non-renewable resources,
e.g. recycling and the
alternative use of natural
and made resources.

Note: Not all activities may be captured by the video. Assume they were covered by the teacher.

Time Teaching and Learning Actions

5 min Lesson Preliminaries/Administration
 Settle students into the classroom.
 Mark the roll.

10 mins Direct Instruction

 Welcome students and remind them of the topic.
 Introduce students to high density polyethylene as a non-renewable resource used to
make plastic bags.
 Key ideas for this lesson are cause and effect with questions being “why do we use so
many plastic bags in Australia?” and “what is the effect on the environment?”
 Another key idea is solutions with questions being “what have governments done to
solve problems caused by plastic bags?” and “what can citizens do to solve problems
caused by plastic bags?”
 Give overview of activity:
 Designing renewable alternatives to plastic bags using newspapers. Teacher will
show students a design and they will improve that design.
 Give overview of thinking tools to be used:
 Think-pair-share
 Cause-effect map
 Pros-Cons-Questions

Narrative discussion:

- Use internet stories/resources and pictures to display the lesson concepts, as

well as personal experiences and stories from students and teachers.

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 - Use news articles, reports or YouTube videos to engage students whilst
showcasing the cause and effect of plastic bags to create a starting point.
10 mins Think-Pair-Share Activity
 Give students true/false statements worksheet with questions like “the average plastic
bag is used for only 5 minutes but can take up to 1,000 years to break down in the
environment.”
 Students have 2 minutes to individually answer the questions (think).
 Students then have 1 minute to discuss their responses with the student sitting next to
them (pair).
 Teacher will then lead class discussion based on worksheets for 5 minutes (share).
Think-Pair (Groups)-Share Activity:
- Students are to form groups.
- Hand out a different written rubric, images and standard true/false
statements on pros/cons of environmental/social effects to each group.
- Students are to link the information to the right concepts/information by
consistently overlooking the rubric and come with individual choices.
- Discuss in group which is the appropriate answers/links
- Once completed, groups are to exchange their work with other groups
and mark their efforts and check their work.
- Each group checks the written rubric to meet appropriate criteria.

10 mins Cause-Effect Mapping Activity

 Give students cause-effect map worksheets.
 Students have 2 minutes to think of as many reasons for why we use so many plastic
bags in Australia.
 Go around the class to check student understanding. Highlight the link between the
causes identified and the production of high-density polyethylene bags.
 Students have 2 minutes to list as many sub-effects of the production and use of plastic
bags. Circulate to assist students.
 Teacher leads brief class discussion to summarise the environmental effects identified by
the students.
- Discuss the impact and use of plastic bags and other alternatives in
other cultures “Do other cultures use plastic bags? Do they have other
solutions, have any countries/states banned them?”.
- Ask students to pair up and discuss plastic bags/alternative uses at
home.
- Discuss Australian culture on plastic bags in comparison to other
cultures (show resources).
5 mins Direct Instruction
 Teacher to show students how to construct a biodegradable bin liner by folding 4 sheets
of newspaper. The bin liner will fit into the teacher’s waste-paper basket.

- Show and keep annotated exemplars from previous year students or

resources that display examples that illustrate high- and low-quality
work in the front of the class
- ask students to clarify what is needed to adjust between the low and
high examples

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 5 mins Pros-Cons Activity
- Teacher invites students to highlight the pros and cons of the biodegradable
bin liners.
15 mins Student-Centred Activity
- Students to identify ways to improve the bin liners using the MAS sheet.
- Students to work in pairs to refine the newspaper bin liners. Circulate around the room to
assist students.
- Students demonstrate their improved designs to the teacher, using the teacher’s waste
paper basket as a test.
- Teacher to encourage peer support during demonstrations.
- Summarise and close the lesson.

- Allow student choice to choose an array of biodegradable materials.

- Students are asked to pick the timing (within 15mins) and pace when designing
their own bin liners.
- Students need to meet certain requirements and need to meet challenging steps
when creating their own liners “When creating own bag, I need to
see…(requirement)” (link to exemplar).
- Ask students if they need extra time.
- Reflect on designs and ask if they need other materials to improve on the liners.

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

SC4-13ES Informal questioning of student understanding as the lesson
progresses.

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Part C

Explicit quality criteria

Within the group activity, students are given a written rubric of each standard of quality related
the key idea of the lesson, the students then need to match images and information according to
each standard of quality. Students are given detailed rubric/criteria to follow and modify their
work accordingly. Students are also provided with exemplars of previous year students,
pictures/sources of examples where students can interact with as they develop and check their
own work. When designing their own liners, “I need to see…(requirement)” improves this element
as it states frequent detail and specific in regards to quality. To add, the designing activity includes
them highlighting the pros/cons of exemplars shown within the lesson, this allows students to re-
state in their own words of what the criteria is by highlighting and identifying key steps through
the exemplars and their own work. Department of Education and Training (2017) suggest that
work samples are a positive practical best practice technique that provides students at different
levels to prompt discussion and can compare individual abilities to what is expected in regards to
quality, this allows students to review and self-assess that leads to a detailed quality and improve
expected quality criteria.

Student direction

Classroom with high student direction allow students to exercise control over various aspects of a
lesson. Doyle (2008) suggests that to improve student direction, teachers need to allow students
to take control over some aspects of a lesson through giving a range of options within a activity.
As the lesson lacks student direction, the revised activities improve on this element by allowing
students to be negotiate time spent on each activity, have the ability to choose from a variety of
materials of their own designs and choice of activity. The revised activities within the lesson
provide students to have control over various factors of their learning rather than a set of given
instructions that have no adjustable factors thus allowing students to take on new learning roles
and responsibilities. The activities improve student direction by allowing choice and control over
activities as that allows students to cognitively process information and construct new knowledge

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through increasing active learning options within a learning environment. Example of this is
evident within the group activity as students have the option to exercise their choices in what
they aligned within the written rubric and the images that align with that they think is the
appropriate link. As they have been giving the range of options as a group, this allows students to
exercise their ability to control their information within the group and class rather then a set of
true/false questions.

Cultural Knowledge

According to Milner and Tenore (2010), best practice of building cultural knowledge within the
classroom is through teachers building acknowledgement of student and diverse cultures and
experiences, this can be performed by creating perspectives from student discussion of their own
family values and cultural knowledge. Kyles and Olafson (2008) also suggest that teaching
providing and creating personal experiences/stories illustrate awareness and acknowledgement of
cultures. Mainly through the ‘Pair & Research Activity’ students are to be encouraged to discuss
and respect other cultural backgrounds and analyse diversity within the classroom that links to
the main concept of the lesson. By enabling meaningful intercultural dialogue and engagement
discussing and researching on different cultures and personal cultural background creates
opportunities for students to learn and practise intercultural communication skills and build on
cultural knowledge (Leask & Carroll, 2013). Throughout this activity substantial cultural knowledge
is recognised and valued throughout the lesson and is accepted to the dominant culture which
overall improved the cultural knowledge element within the lesson.

Narrative

Using internet stories/resources, pictures and personal experiences from both teacher and
students to showcase the effect/cause of plastic bags on the environment rather than just asking
direct information/questions improves the narrative quality teaching element using multiple
sources that is either written, listened and read within the classroom to bring to life knowledge
that students can engage, connect and address within the lesson. By allowing students to bring

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their own personal experiences and stories on the topic enhances the significance of the
substance of the lesson as Jonassen and Hernandez-Serrano (2002) state, stories can function as a
substitute for direct instruction to illustrate key concept by linking their own experiences within
the key ideas. Jonassen and Hernandez-Serrano (2002) also state that to use best practice of
implementing narrative within a lesson is that it requires to be course oriented through linking
these narratives to course concepts which is evident within the lesson activity by providing
resources that links with the cause/effect. To add, using personal experiences from both teacher
and students is another effective way of improving on the narrative element which includes vivid,
imagine and links to own mind by making it easier to understand and more memorable (Sadoksi &
Paivio, 2013).

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References:

Department of Education and Training. (2017). High Impact Teaching Strategies (pp. 13-16).
Melbourne: Department of Education and Training.

Doyle, T. (2008). Helping Students Learn in a Learner-Centered Environment: A Guide to

Facilitating Learning in Higher Education. Teaching Theology & Religion, 13(4), 388-390.
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9647.2010.00659.x

Jonassen, D., & Hernandez-Serrano, J. (2002). Case-based reasoning and instructional design:
Using stories to support problem solving. Educational Technology Research And
Development, 50(2), 65-77. doi: 10.1007/bf02504994

Kyles, C., & Olafson, L. (2008). Uncovering Preservice Teachers' Beliefs About Diversity Through
Reflective Writing. Urban Education, 43(5), 500-518. doi: 10.1177/0042085907304963

Leask, B., & Carroll, J. (2013). Learning and Teaching Across Cultures. Good Practice Principles and
Quick Guides. (pp. 7-9). Melbourne: International Education Association of Australia.

Milner, H., & Tenore, F. (2010). Classroom Management in Diverse Classrooms. Urban
Education, 45(5), 560-603. doi: 10.1177/0042085910377290

Sadoksi, M., & Paivio, A. (2002). Imagery and Text. A Dual Coding of Reading and Writing. Journal
Of Pragmatics, 34(6), 807-809. doi: 10.1016/s0378-2166(02)00036-x

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