Lesson Plan
Lesson 9: And Further On – Research Into the Environmental Impact of Certain Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will be introduced to a research task for them to undertake about a material of their choosing.
Preparation
This lesson contains an independent task that may require additional lessons to complete.Lesson Plan
Tuning In
- Students watch and listen to the Plastic in the Environment video on YouTube. After the clip, discuss with the students:
- whether the video presented an unbiased view of plastics
- how the video made them feel
- whether this video could solely be used for a research project or whether other sources would need to be found.
- Explain to the students that, in this lesson, they will learn how to undertake a research activity to gather information about the environmental impact of a particular material.
Teacher Instruction
- Display the Genius Hour Research Flowchart Poster on the board. Explain the six research steps for the students:
- Brainstorm
- What Sources Can I Use?
- Note-Taking
- Summarising and Paraphrasing
- Synthesise the Information
- Present Findings.
- Display the three source type posters on the board: Primary Sources, Secondary Sources and Tertiary Sources. Explain the following to the students:
- Primary sources are original materials that have not been changed or altered. They are created at a specific time in history.
- Secondary sources are accounts that have been written about an event later on by someone who was not present at the time.
- Tertiary sources consist of information which is a collection of primary and secondary sources.
- Discuss the accuracy of each source type with the students and the validity of the information they contain.
Guided/Independent Learning
- Distribute the Research Notes Template to individual students. Explain that this sheet is for one source only and that the students will need to use a new sheet for each new source in their research task.
- Allow sufficient time for the students to compile information about their chosen material from a variety of sources. As the students begin to amass their research notes, hand out the Research Summary Template and explain how it can be used to collate:
- source details
- key words
- key points
- overall findings.
- Allow sufficient time for the students to organise their data for a presentation. Display the Genius Hour Presentation Ideas Poster as a visual aid to help the students make a decision about the best way to present their findings with the class.
Wrapping Up
- Set aside some time to hear and view the reports on the materials the students have researched.
Differentiation
Extending Students
- Encourage students who require extension to develop a possible solution to the environmental impact caused by the production and use of their chosen material.
Supporting Students
- Direct less confident students towards more common materials to research e.g. wood, plastic, glass.
Assessment Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
- used strategic whole class or individual questioning
- observed student participation during learning activities
- recorded student progress on a checklist
- annotated student work samples
- collected and reviewed student work samples
- facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
- encouraged student self-reflection
- administered formal assessment tasks.
Resources
NSW Curriculum alignment
- ST2-1WS-S
Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations
- ST2-7MW-T
Investigates the suitability of natural and processed materials for a range of purposes
- ST2-11DI-T
Describes how digital systems represent and transmit data
- ST2-1WS-S
Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations
- ST2-7MW-T
Investigates the suitability of natural and processed materials for a range of purposes
- ST2-11DI-T
Describes how digital systems represent and transmit data
Victorian Curriculum alignment
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACSSU074
Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use
- ACSHE061
Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships
- ACSHE062
Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions
- ACSIS071
Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations
- ACSIS216
Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings
- ACSIS064
With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge
- ACSIS068
Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends
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