Lesson plan- Session: 3

Name and Surname: Stephanie Todd, S00143925

Section 1
Science overarching idea:

Year Level:

Session:

Teaching approach:

Scale and Measurement

Foundation

Education for
Sustainability

500 words
Learning outcomes:
- Students will discuss what they have learnt about sustainability.
- Students will share and compare their sustainable toys with the class.
- Students will compare their completed toys using scale and
measurement.
- Students will learn how their finished toy will be a part of their school
community.
- Students will learn as a sustainable practice how they can reuse
materials to make something, rather than buying it.
- Students will learn how to address the needs of the local community
through sustainability.
Rationale:
How does this lesson plan take into consideration the local needs of the
community and students who you will teach to?
Bowes, Grace and Hodge (2012) suggest that schools must take into account
the local needs of their community. Therefore, this lesson plan will have to cater
for a vast diversity of students as the local community of Broadmeadows is very
multicultural with half of the population being from different ethnic backgrounds,
in most cases English is the second language to the majority of people living
here.
As there is collectively little understanding of the English language, this lesson
will support students through the use of many visuals. It will value students
diverse cultures, and invite them to consider the needs of their community. This
will be achieved by asking students to think about what they have previously
learnt about sustainability and how they have used this knowledge with reused
materials to create their toy. Students toys should reflect their cultural

500 words
How does this lesson plan connect and is consistent with
the unit of work?
The unit of work aims at allowing students to show their
emerging understanding of sustainability by requiring them to
plan and create the construction of a toy using reusable
materials. This lesson plan being the last of the three, ties
together the whole unit by requiring students to actively discuss
their knowledge of sustainability, and initiates them to ask
supportive questions. The unit of work also expects that
students will use scale and measurement to compare the size
and scale of their toys with each other, as this lesson does
while using measurement tools in a hands on activity. It is
consistent with the unit as it allows students to communicate
the knowledge they have gained from the previous two lessons
about reusing materials as part of a sustainable practice, while
demonstrating their ability to use scale and measurement when
comparing their toys.
How does the sequence of activities in this lesson plan
reflect a learning process rather than a series of tasks?
This is the concluding lesson therefore the sequence of
activities reflects not only a learning process, but encourages
students to reflect on their learning throughout the whole unit,
requiring them to become actively involved. It is clear that this
lesson reflects a learning process rather than a series of tasks,
as the students begin by presenting their toy to the class,
allowing them to explore and compare the sizes. As the
students compare, they will line up their toys so they are able to
discuss whether they agree with the placement, which will allow

background by incorporating an aspect such as a colour, texture, symbol or

idea. This finished product will later become a learning tool for other students to
gain an understanding of sustainability. This lesson plan supports the local
community through teaching the students how they can make their community
become more sustainable through reusing materials to create something rather
than buying it.
How is this lesson plan relevant to the children it will be implemented
with?
The lesson plan is relevant to the children of the Broadmeadows community as
it allows them to bring their toy that they have created using their current
understanding of sustainability that envisions their cultural background and their
interests. Miller, Thomas and Fruechtenicht (2014) explain that students from
diverse backgrounds should be encouraged to bring a wealth of knowledge and
views of the world that come from living abroad to their school environment.
Therefore, this lesson ignites the interests of each student through the use of a
sustainable practice to showcase their diversity, while showing them how their
sustainable toy can be used in their school environment.
How does this lesson plan reflect the teaching approach?
Education for sustainability involves moving from the here and now thinking of
sustainability to different styles of thinking which are able to be used as a long
term strategy (Davis, 2010). This lesson reflects the teaching approach as it
allows students to discuss their understanding of sustainability through sharing
and comparing their sustainable toys with the class. It also broadens students
long term strategies in sustainable practices by reusing materials to create
something for their wider community. In consistency with the lesson, education
for sustainability aims at developing students knowledge and skills towards
sustainability, allowing them to reduce their ecological footprint and improve the
quality of life (Australian Government: Department of Environment, water,
Heritage and the arts, 2010). This lesson ensures that the children gain an
understanding of how to keep their community sustainable in order to create a
brighter, healthier future.

them to finish with a conversation about what they have learnt

through the process of making a toy out of reusable materials.
Therefore, this lesson provides a sequence of learning
processes that follow on from each other to allow students to
discuss the bigger picture and contribute their understanding.
Providing students with an active role through this lesson,
reflects a learning process, as they are given opportunities to
strengthen their knowledge by exploring and discussing their
ideas surrounding sustainability. This follows the constructivist
theory, as students are actively constructing their knowledge
through experiences (Koch, 2010).
How are the activities appropriate for the age group and
diversity of learners?
These children are not only young but they are from culturally
diverse backgrounds, this has been well considered for the
activities so they can cater for the foundation level and the
diversity of learners. Each activity is very hands on and
incorporates many different learning experiences so that
everyone is actively engaged in the lesson. The activities are
age appropriate as they allow children to share something that
they have made themselves, making it more personal. They
allow children to interact with each other to share and compare
their toys. Visual supports will be used to allow students to
communicate their opinions by using coloured cards when
comparing the size of the different toys. Pictures of other
objects made from reusable materials will also be used to
support students in seeing the bigger picture of how they can
incorporate reusable materials into their own environment.
These points show that it is clear that each activity provides
different opportunities to ensure the lesson caters for the
diversity of each learner while being age appropriate.

References:
Australian Government: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. (2010). Sustainability curriculum framework: A guide for
curriculum developers and policy makers. http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/education/publications/sustainability-curriculumframework-guide.
Bowes J., Grace, R., & Hodge, K. (2012). Children, families and communities (4th ed). South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Davis, J. M. (2010). Young children and the environment : Early education for sustainability. Retrieved from http://reader.eblib. com. ezproxy1
.acu.edu.au
Koch, J. (2010). Science Stories: Science Methods for Elementary and Middle School Teachers. Boston: Houghton Miffler Co.
Miller, G., Thomas, C., & Fruechtenicht, S. (2014). Engaging refugee families as partners in their children's
Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au

education. Communique, 43(4), 1-6.

Lesson plan- Session: 3

Session 3: For students to develop an understanding of scale and measurement through comparing and contrasting their toys made in the previous session.
Students will also be able to discuss the sustainability of their toy and the materials they used to create it.

Name and Surname: Stephanie Todd

Section 2
Specific and detailed activities (600 words)

Introduction/Activity 1: 15mins
Students will share their sustainable toys with the class, discussing what they have learnt about sustainable practices. Each individual
student will be given time to explain the materials they used to construct their toy and why they decided to choose that particular reused
material, while discussing the design process.
During this stage the teacher will be asking directed questions to support students discussions, e.g.
- Why did you select that particular reusable material?
- Why might we reuse materials to make something, rather than buying it?
- Is it sustainable practice to reuse materials?

Body/Activity 2: 20mins
After sharing and discussing the sustainable elements of their toys with the class, students will create a size and scale line, by lining their
toys up from smallest to largest. They will be actively exploring scale and measurement, as they compare and contrast the toys to line them
up from smallest to largest.
The teacher will allow students to have this time to explore each others toys considering the reused materials, while comparing the sizes of
the toys, and allow them to try and determine where they believe they should be placed along the line. The teacher will encourage them to
think about what they had discussed in the previous lesson about the scale and measurement of their toys. They will be encouraged to use
measuring tools, such as their hands or blocks to determine the different sizes of the toys if they are unsure.
Teachers will further strengthen students discussions while they line up the toys asking directed questions, e.g.
- How can you prove this toy is bigger than the other?
- Why did you put this toy here and not over there?
- What are some reused materials that you did not use but others did to make their toy?
These questions will allow the teacher to develop an idea of the students reasoning and understanding related to scale and measurement.

Consolidation/Activity 3: 10mins
Once students are finished with lining up the toys, they will respond and discuss whether they agree with the placement of the toys from
smallest to largest.
The teacher will ask the students to sit in a circle around the line of toys and go through the placement of each toy, asking the students
whether they agree or not.
Students will be given a green and red card to use to show if they agree or disagree with the placement, allowing all students to become
involved in the discussion. The green card will be used to show they agree and red card to show they disagree. They will be asked to hold
up the cards as they go through the placement of each toy. If students disagree with the placement they will be encouraged to use
measuring tools here such as blocks or hands, as this will solve any disagreement which students may have about the placement of the
toys, while allowing them to prove their decisions of the placement.

Closure/ Activity 4: 15mins

Students will be taken to the library to find an appropriate place to keep their reusable toy. Students will see how their toys will be used
within their school community, witnessing how items can be reused to make something useful.
Students will discuss what they have learnt about reusing materials and how it can be used within their school community rather than
buying something new, discussing how it is a sustainable practice.
The teacher will help direct the discussion allowing students to consider what they may do in the future to be sustainable.
- What might you do in the future if you needed to buy something new?
- Do you think you could reuse an object rather than buying something new?
The teacher will finish the lesson by passing around some pictures of objects that have been reused to make something useful. This will
further strengthen students ideas and understandings of being able to reuse materials to make something as a sustainable practice, while
allowing them to consider reusing materials in their home, school and community environments.