Assessment task sheet

After each science lesson you need to write a reflective entry in your journal about the main
activities you did during each lesson.
After each lesson you need to:
1. Pick three activities you did during each lesson that you want to reflect on. When picking
the activities, make sure that you are addressing the assessment criteria below.
2. For each activity choose whether you want to do the traffic light, face picture or make an
artwork task for that activity. Write the name of the activity next to each title.
a. On each sheet you need to answer the questions about that activity and complete
the last task (the traffic lights and draw your face weve done before).
b. Each lesson you will also make an artwork about one of the activities there will be
time for everyone to do that during our weekly art lesson.
3. Once you have done everything except the artwork hand your journal entry in (the tray on
my desk) so that I can have a look and give you some feedback.
4. After our art lesson and Ive given you some feedback, make sure you put all three sheets
into your Science folder.
5. At the end of the unit on the little penguins Ill collect your journals with all of the sheets and
give you an overall mark.

After the end of the unit Ive organised with the office staff that your journals will go up there for
people to see when they visit the school. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (the organisation
the Ranger works for) have offered to display what we agree are the five best journals in their
office.
Assessment criteria
When I am assessing your journal Im looking for whether you have:

Shown what makes the little penguins different from other penguins and from non-living
things.
Described how you are going to act differently, or encourage other people to act differently,
because of what youve learnt.
Designed investigations (in your group research for example) to answer questions.
Suggested explanations and solutions to the problems the penguins face.
Described how well you worked in groups, including difficulties and how you overcame
them.
Described your research and presentations, including problems you faced and solutions
you came up with.
Described how you approached the field work, including whether you needed to change
your approach.
Used digital technology within the unit.

I will also be looking at your spelling and grammar, and how well you organise your writing.
The artwork you make for this unit will also form part of your assessment for creative arts, so I will
be looking at how well you recreate the aspects of what youre representing.
Activities you could write about (three from each lesson)

Lesson one
o Learning circles and stringy bark activity
o How do we know something is a living thing? activity, discussion and brainstorm.
o What do you need in an environment to survive? activity, discussion and
brainstorm.
o Think-pair-share activity about main concepts and terms
Lesson two
o Discussion and brain storm about what we know about penguins
o Group research (I suggest you do this one!)
o Group presentation - planning the presentation and presenting it
o Listening to group presentations and the evaluation
o Presentation from the Ranger
Lesson three
o Planning your group members roles and activities for the day
o Collecting data in the field (I strongly suggest you do this one!)
o Working as a group in the field
o Class discussion about things which were successful and not so successful.
Lesson four
o Analysis of data - entering results online and the discussion
o Pair work to find threats facing the penguins
o Groups of three to work out solutions
o Discussion about conservation strategies
Lesson five
o Revision learning circle
o Information report
o Groups of four to come up with a conservation proposal
o Working as a group to pitch the idea to the Ranger
Lesson six
o Making breeding boxes
o Writing a letter to the local MP
o The unit overall (summarise what we did and what youve learnt)

Student name: __________________________________________________

Realm
Content knowledge

Research

Sustainability of
penguin population

Science knowledge
and anthropogenic
effect on environment

Reflection

Communication and
presentations

Date: ______________

A
Explains differences
between living and nonliving.
Explains
interrelationship
between penguins and
their environment.
Examples given to
support explanation.
Generates and develops
ideas creatively and
using a wide range of
research techniques
Predicts threats from
natural and
anthropogenic sources.
A range of possible
solutions are clearly
articulated.
Provides examples and
describes how science
knowledge helps
understand humans
effect on the penguin
environment
Evaluates process (and
whether it was a fair
test) and predicts
realistic ways to improve
their approach and
science technique.

B
Describes differences
between living and nonliving. Describes
interrelationship
between penguins and
their environment. Some
relevant examples
given.

C
Correctly sorting objects
into living and non-living.
Acknowledges
interrelationship
between penguins and
their environment.
Attempts to provide
examples.

D
Attempts to sort into
living and non-living.
Some reference to the
interrelationship
between penguins and
their environment

E
No discrimination
between living and nonliving.
Penguins are placed in
an environment but no
comment on
interactions.

Generates or develops
ideas creatively and
using a range of
research techniques
Predicts threats from
natural sources. Some
possible solutions are
articulated.

Correctly uses both

creative and research
techniques.

Attempts to use both

creative and research
techniques.

Attempts to use creative

or research techniques.

Some threats from

natural sources are
mentioned. Solutions
are offered.

A threat is mentioned.
Reference is made to
solutions.

No threats are
mentioned or no
reference made to
solutions.

Describes how science

knowledge helps
understand humans
effect on the penguin
environment

Provides examples of
how science knowledge
helps understand
humans effect on the
penguin environment

Provides general
examples of how
humans can affect the
environment.

No reference to humans
effect on environment.

Describes process (and

whether it was a fair
test) and predicts
plausible ways to
improve their approach
and science technique.

Outlines process (and

whether it was a fair
test) and provides
possible ways to
improve their approach
and science technique.

States process and

provides ways to
improve their approach
or science technique.

Acknowledges process
or does not suggest
ways to improve their
approach or science
technique.

Clearly communicates
strengths and limitations

Communicates
strengths and limitations

Communicates
strengths or limitations

Comments on strengths
or limitations of their

Strengths or
weaknesses of their

Group work

Quality of artwork

Spelling, grammar and

organisation of writing

of their method.
Explicitly represents and
communicates ideas
and findings in a wide
variety of ways.
Sophisticated use of
digital technologies to
communicate ideas.
In formal and informal
contexts, successfully
fills a wide range of
roles.
Evidence of successful
contributions to group
decision making and
achievement of goals.
Uses a number of forms
to represent qualities of
experiences through
selectively choosing
interesting subject
matter.
Spelling and grammar is
mostly correct for
unfamiliar and technical
words.
Paragraph construction
effectively
communicates meaning.

of their method.
Represents and
communicates ideas
and findings in a wide
variety of ways.
Perceptive use of digital
technologies to
communicate ideas.
In formal and informal
contexts, successfully
fills a range of roles.
Some evidence of
successful contributions
to group decision
making and
achievement of goals.
Uses forms to represent
qualities of experiences
through choosing
interesting subject
matter.

of their method.
Represents or
communicates ideas
and findings in a variety
of ways.
Competent use of digital
technologies to
communicate ideas.
In formal and informal
contexts, fills a range of
roles.
Evidence of some
contributions to group
decision making and
achievement of goals.

method.
Represents or
communicates ideas
and findings.
Use of digital
technologies to
communicate ideas.

method are not

addressed.
Acknowledges ideas
and findings.
Ineffective use of digital
technologies to
communicate ideas.

In formal or informal
contexts, attempts to fill
a roles.
Limited evidence of
contributions to group
decision making or
achievement of goals.

Does not successfully

fulfil an appropriate role
in group work.
No evidence of
contributions to group
decision making or
achievement of goals.

Uses forms to represent

experiences through
subject matter.

Uses forms to represent

experiences that are
relevant.

Uses forms to represent

experiences.

Spelling and grammar is

correct for familiar and
some technical words.
Paragraph construction
contributes to meaning.

Spelling and grammar is

correct for most familiar
words.
Paragraph construction
aids communication of
meaning.

Attempts to spell familiar

words some
grammatical features
are correct.
Some correct paragraph
construction.

Most simple words are

spelt correctly. Limited
use of grammatical
features.

General comments:

Teachers name: _____________________________________________

Teachers signature: ___________________________________