Planning

Document
University of
Notre Dame
 FORWARD PLANNING DOCUMENT
TERM/WEEKS: YEAR LEVEL: 8 LEARNING AREA/TOPIC: Landscapes and
T2/W3 Landforms
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM HISTORY
General Capabilities:
Literacy Numeracy ICT Critical and creative Ethical Behaviour Personal and social Intercultural
thinking Competence Understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia Sustainability
Cultures

W AUSTRALIAN SPECIFIC LESSON ASSESSMENT TEACHING & LEARNING KEY RESOURCES

EE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVE (what & how) EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS
K/ LINKS
LE
SS
O
N
1 (ACHGK048) -In groups, students will be -Diagnostic Introduction -Students require
identifying able to identify at least 2 key assessment. Silent -Inform students that we will be learning about a new topic today. their devices.
different aspects of the landscapes ball, to see what -Ask them to form a circle ready to play silent ball. -Lesson website,
types of they have been allocated in they already know -Students are to tell the class something they know about landscapes. -What it means? with links ready to
landscapes the google doc. about landscapes. Body -What is in them? be used.
(for example, -Students are to be told the next 3 lessons and the learning content will all be taken from garrettmaths.weebly.com, -Where they -Students will
coastal, -Students will be able to -Formative asking students to open up this website on their devices. know the word require their “Oxford
riverine, arid, provide one real world assessment. -Tell students that they can have a couple of minutes to have a look around the website. from. Big Ideas” year 8
mountain and example for each of the Monitoring students -Students are now to be asked to go into lesson one page of the website and open their oxford eBook to page 42. eBook
karst) and landscapes from the work on the google -Ask students to read the “What is a Landscape” paragraph, then asking them to give key points from it. Placing these -Google doc
describing information their peers have doc, making sure into the google doc that students will be asked to use later. -what is it? prepared for
examples provided on the google doc. they are putting the -Get students to click the google doc link on the website to open the document. -Categories? students to work on.
from around correct explanations -Number students 1 to 6, asking them to form groups. Then get students in their groups to find the landscape with their
the world, -Students will acknowledge on the document. groups number on pages 43-45.
including and appreciate the different -Now ask students to put important points from their paragraph into their designated box on the google doc. Including:
Antarctica landscapes that make up the -Summative How they are formed and how they are distinguishable. Informing that every student should have input.
Antarctic continent. assessment. Student -Once students have done this, tell each group to look at everyone else’s explanations and discuss them as a group to
examples of each of ensure they understand.
the Landscape -Ask each student to do some research to find examples of each of these landscapes from around the world and put
types, plus their them into the google doc. Each student should find some examples.
answers to the -Go through some of the examples to ensure that students are aware of different types of landscapes and what they are
questions at the end in the real world. -Mountain.
of the lesson. -Then ask students if they know what sort of landscape Antarctica is? Explaining that the same place could be -Coastal
represented by different landscapes. -Arid
Plenary.
-Inform students that they should look over the document they created today, as in the next lesson we will play a game,
where they need to know all about landscapes. -Perth City?
-Ask students to pack away their things. Whilst they do so ask students questions about what type of landscape some -Scarborough?
examples are. -Kalgoorlie?
-Students to be dismissed.

2 (ACHGK048) -On a poster, students will be
Identifying able to identify the aspects
some iconic that make the landscape
landscapes in they have been given, iconic.
Australia and
the world, -On their poster students will
and be able to explain any
describing Aboriginal cultural meaning
what makes of the landscape they have
them iconic been given.
-On padlet, students will be
able to identify 3 iconic
Australian landscapes,
including what makes them
iconic.
3 (ACHGK048) -In groups, students will be
describing able to identify 5 key
some of the identifiers of landforms.
different
types of -As pairs, on their mind map,
landforms students will be able to
within a group types of landforms
landscape into the landscape they are
commonly found in.
-Students, when prompted,
will be able to give a real-
world example of a landform
that is commonly found in
the landscape they have
been asked about.
Introduction
-Diagnostic -Ask students to open the website to lesson 2. -Students require
assessment. Kahoot. -Students are to click the link to the Kahoot, which will involve questions from previous lesson. their devices.
To see what Body -Kings Canyon -Lesson website,
students retained -Students to be asked what some examples of different landscapes (ensuring they are reminded what a landscape is if -Wormi with links ready to
from previous they name a landform). Prompted where they are needed to get to a few landscapes covered last lesson. conservation be used.
lesson. -Ask students if they can think of any famous Australian landscapes (prompting them towards at least 6). Then asking lands -Kahoot to be
what type of landscape they are. -The 12 Apostles prepared
-Formative -Number students 1-6. Inform students they will be making posters on the landscape that is represented by their number -The Pinnacles -Padlet Pages to be
assessment. on the next page of the website. Their research should be done by clicking through their number (students to work -Uluru-Kata Tjuta ready.
Students should be individually) National Park
monitored -Ask students to follow the link from the website that goes to Canva. -Great Barrier
throughout the -Inform students their poster must include: What and where the landscape is; what type of landscape it is; pictures; what Reef
poster making makes the landscape iconic; any Aboriginal cultural significants.
period, to ensure -Students to work away at posters. Using supplied sites for research, plus others, as long as they get it ticked off with the
they are on the right teacher. Teacher to monitor and help where required. -Ask if students
track. -When student time is up (~20mins), ask students to save their poster and follow the link on the website to upload their have any
poster to Padlet. questions.
-Summative Plenary
assessment. -Students should now take some time to have a look at other posters. -Explaining
Students posters -Ask students to follow the next link to the new Padlet. “iconic” if
and their comments -Students are asked to write down 3 different iconic landscapes and one thing that makes them iconic, on a sticky note necessary.
on the sticky notes. on the Padlet.
-Students to be dismissed.
-Diagnostic. Introduction.
Asking students to -Students are asked to open the website to Lesson 3. -Students require
explain the -Students should pick a partner and sit next to them. their devices.
difference between -Inform students that they will be working with this partner during today’s lesson, but for now they should find two other -Lesson website,
landforms and pairs (groups of 6) to do the next activity. with links ready to
landscapes, shows Body be used.
student knowledge -Ask students to open their Oxford eBook to page 46, ask students to read the paragraph and discuss key points with -Video on landforms
of meaning of their group. ready for lesson.
landscapes. -once discussion has lulled, ask each group to give a key point they discussed from the paragraph. Write the key points on -Padlet Pages to be
-Formative. the board. Ensuring all students understand what is being discussed through further explanation. ready.
assessment. -Ask students if they listed anything they think could be a landform in their poster they made last lesson.
Students should be -Ask students to return to their pairs and to open the mindmeister tab in the website.
monitored -Inform students that they are to create a mind map each and should do their own research, yet should ask their partner
throughout the any questions they have before asking the teacher.
mind map making - Students’ mind maps should include landscapes types, then breaking them into the landforms that are commonly found -Informing
period, to ensure in those landscapes. Telling students, they should use pg. 47 to help create their mind map. students, they
they are on the right -Tell students they should include pictures in their mind map of some different land forms, whilst also including different should be doing
track. examples of different landforms from Australia and around the world, indicating where they are in the world. some extra
-Summative. -Teacher to monitor students whilst they work on their mind maps. research.
Students mind maps -Once students have completed their mind map, students should be asked if they found any interesting examples of any
+ their answers at landforms. Asking them to tell the class.
the end of class will -Other students should be asked to add the example to their mind map.
show if students -Students to be asked to save their mind map and follow the links on the website to upload to padlet
know what real -Students to be asked to put their devices away and get ready to be dismissed. -get some
world features are Plenary. examples
represented by each -Ask students some questions about what type of landforms are found in each of the landscapes (Mountainous, Coastal,
landform as well as Riverine, Arid), asking students for real-world examples of these landforms, if they can think of any.
which landforms are -tell students that before next lesson they are to do some research and list some landforms that could be seen in an
part of landscapes. urban landscape.
-Dismiss students from the class.
Learning Theory Statement.

Throughout the planning of the lessons, the teaching strategies utilised have been

deliberately chosen to ensure that the students get the best out of the lesson. It is widely

regarded that students learn best in their own zone of proximal development, as asserted by

Vygotsky (1978). The zone of proximal development, represents the difference between what

a student can achieve on their own and what a student can achieve with guidance (Hassan,

2011). Hence, it is fundamentally important that students are given the opportunity to work in

their individual zone. This learning theory, is the reason why students, in each lesson, are

given the opportunity to work individually on a task, without major time pressure, but always

have the opportunity to ask for assistance. As a result of this, students of all abilities are able

to work at their own rate and produce work at their own level.

Further to the use of the zone of proximal development, cognitivist theory is

implemented. A theory that states that individuals attain knowledge and understanding by

discovering things on their own (Hassan, 2011). As such, the lessons are largely inquiry based

with students investigating and researching to discover what they are intended to learn.

Expanding on this, students share to the class and create pieces of work with their new

knowledge and understandings, enabling other students to learn different ways of thinking

from them. Cognitivist theory asserts that individual’s prior knowledge develops when new

information is presented (Marsh, 2010). This knowledge can come to students from a range

of sources, one being the content they are presented with by the teacher, while another, the

thoughts of their peers. Through this, students can be presented with a process of thinking

different to their own and from this incorporate it into their knowledge. Hence, students have

been given the opportunity to work in groups during the lessons, to allow them time to

collaborate with their peers and develop their knowledge.

Rational for ICT Used.

The ICT chosen has been deliberately selected to ensure that students learning is enhanced

and students’ engagement in maximised. During the first lesson students are asked to enter

their groups information into a google document. Through the use of such a document,

students are able to only take the time to read their part of the eBook, but get the important

information from the other parts of the document. In a way creating a jigsaw lesson, where

students gain information from their peers regarding topics they themselves are not highly

knowledgeable about.

During the second and third lessons, learning is very students led and inquiry based.

Students are given the tools they require to complete the lesson, but are only guided towards

the end goal more passively than in a more teacher directed lesson. Through the second

lesson students are given sites to conduct their research from, essentially creating a webquest

(Killen, 2016), yet in the third lesson students are given the opportunity to discover through

their own research. It could be argued, as Killen (2016) does, that this could enable students

to be taken off task, but they are given a wider range of opportunities to learn about the

diversity of elements that make up their research topic. For me, this is extremely important

for the lesson as students should realise that the same type of landform can appear differently.

The use of Padlet enables this realisation for students. As the work of students is

uploaded to a forum where all students can see it, thus prompting students to become

inquisitive about others work, in turn creating questions. From this, students can enter a

meaningful group discussion, where they have the important element required to have a

successful discussion; prior knowledge and questions to ask (Killen, 2016). As a result,

students will learn from the research of one another and inherit knowledge they may

otherwise have missed out on.

References.

Hassan, O. A. B. (2011). Learning theories and assessment methodologies ­ an engineering 

educational perspective. European Journal of Engineering Education, 36(4), 327­339.

doi: 10.1080/03043797.2011.591486

Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (7th ed.). 

South Melbourne, Vic: Thomson Social Science Press.

Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills and issues (5th ed.). Frenchs 

Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological 

Processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge.