Assignment 1 – 102087 Secondary Curriculum 1A

Creativity in the Chemical World,18 August 2018

Catherine Lock 19199102

Introduction

This assignment presents three sequenced lesson plans, based on the NSW Education Standards

Authority (NESA, 2012) Year K- 10 Science syllabus, suitable for secondary students in Stage

4. Each original lesson plan is based on CW3 (Chemical World Module 3) – “Mixtures,

including solutions, contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range

of techniques”. Each lesson plan is 60 minutes in duration and is designed to link learning to the

syllabus, incorporate relevant educational theories and professional evidence-based pedagogical

models of practice, as well as incorporating visual creative elements and the Universal Design

Principals of multiple means of representation, expression and engagement.

Connection to the Syllabus

In each of the lesson plans both cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities have been

highlighted. The former assists learners’ understanding of potential current problems they may

encounter, to help them to develop as creative and confident individuals. The latter addresses

attitudes, behaviour, knowledge and skills, in the form of Objectives, that students may need to

attain to become “active and informed citizens” (Melbourne Declaration, 2018). In each lesson

plan, Content Statements and Outcomes have clearly been identified, these act to formulate

lesson plan structure and explicitly link the lesson plan content to the syllabus.
Pedagogical Theories and Models

According to Mayes & de Freitas (2004, p. 7), “There are distinct traditions in educational

theory that derive from different perspectives about the nature of learning itself”. These

perspectives have been clustered into three categories: The empiricist/associationist perspective,

the cognitive perspective and the situative perspective. Table 1 outlines examples of how

elements of these perspectives have been assimilated into the CW3 lesson plans.

Table 1: Examples of Associative, Cognitive and Situative Learning perspectives are

incorporated into the design of the three CW3 Lesson Plans presented.
 In addition to learning perspective theories Cochran (1997) argues that good science

teaching and consequently student understanding, is dependant on both teachers' subject matter

knowledge and pedagogical knowledge … “This is pedagogical content knowledge; and many

teachers don't think about this knowledge as important. It is important, though, because it

determines what a teacher does from minute to minute in the classroom, as well as influencing

long term planning” Cochran (1997 p.4).

Moreover, in respect to lesson planning and good teaching, Gore (2007), describes

eighteen elements pertinent to the Quality Teaching Initiative or QTM (Quality Teaching

Model). The QTM includes: Intellectual Quality - Deep knowledge, deep understanding,
problematic knowledge, higher-order thinking, metalanguage and substantive communication;

Quality Learning Environment – explicit quality criteria, engagement, high expectations, social

support, student self-regulation and student direction; and Significance – background

knowledge, cultural knowledge, knowledge integration, inclusivity, connectedness and narrative.

Furthermore, the State of Victoria Department of Education (2017), encourages explicit

lesson planning as a vehicle to: stimulate unit connection and engagement, reinforce routine and

scaffold staged learning, facilitate smooth activity transitions and effectively utilise time spent

on tasks and exemplifies ten high impact teaching strategies (setting goals, structuring lessons,

explicit teaching, worked examples, collaborative learning, multiple exposures, questioning,

feedback, metacognitive strategies and differentiated teaching).

Likewise, Kyriakides et al (2013), describes effective evidence-based teaching strategies

specifically as: beginning the class with a concept overview, highlighting and reviewing the

strategic points, connecting the previous and following lessons, increasing complexity gradually,

communicating activity transitions, integrating experiments and clearly linking theory to

practicals.

According to a summary provided by University of Western Sydney Curriculum 1A

Lecture notes (2018), other examples of pedagogical methods include Direct Instruction (State

of Victoria Department of Education, 2017), Inquiry based learning (Center for Inquiry-Based

Learning, 2017), Problem-based learning (Savery, 2006) and Project based learning (Savery,

2006), consequently pre-services teachers may consider using a blended approach of learning,

rather than concentrating on only one method of instruction. For example, the lesson may start
with direct instruction, followed by a problem-based activity or project based learning

assignment, bearing in mind the both the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD, 2009) and other researchers Kirschner et al, (2006) concur that direct

instruction is a more effective mechanism for the delivery of curriculum. However other

dynamics involved in classrooms need to be considered for example student engagement and

designing teaching activities to meet the needs of a diverse range of learners.

“According to the University of Westerns Sydney Inclusive Education lecture notes

(2018), designs in curriculum are to be based on the individual needs of diverse classrooms, to

reduce stigma and enhance participation. Choice and control are to be given to the student to

access information. Additionally, teachers need to know their students and how they learn

(Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2017). This includes learning content

or the “what” to learn, the process or the “how” to learn and the interest, effort and motivation or

the “why” to engage in learning. In summary, the three principals of UDL address multiple

means of representation, action and expression and thirdly engagement. (National Centre on

Universal Design for Learning, 2012)” (Lock, 2018).

Other factors to include when designing lesson plans are described by Hattie (2009), who

examined over 800 factors that influence student learning and achievement in his studies

involving visual learning, while Abrahams (2009) notes that practical work is effective for

creating short-term student engagement but suggests that it is ineffective to motivate further

long-term study in the field of science.

Conclusion: Reflection

On completion of the lesson plans and rationale as separate entities, I became aware of

the need to cross reference the lesson plans with evidence based pedagogical knowledge content

references. At the beginning of this assignment, I did not understand the significance of this

concept and presented Table 1: (Examples of Associative, Cognitive and Situative Learning

perspectives) outside the lesson plans. However, as I reach the end of this rational, I understand

the need to include referenced evidence pedagogical citations within the lesson plans under

“References”. So before completing this assessment, I will revisit the three lesson plans and add

pedagogical knowledge references and include citation note markers within the lesson plans to

demonstrate knowledge of this concept. (Please refer to Tables labelled Lesson Overview in

lesson plans).
 REFERENCES

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Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, (14 August 2017). Animation - The

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