Backward Design - UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE

Title: The basic needs of pets and plants and how they are affected by the environment .
Year Level: Early Stage 1 (NSW Kindergarten)

Teacher: Blair Egarr

Focus Curriculum Area: Science

Duration: 6 lessons over 3 weeks

STAGE 1: Curriculum Links

Australian Curriculum (AC) Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), (2016).
Literacy
Numeracy
ICT
General
Capabilities (GP)
Cross-curriculum
Priorities (CCP)

Year Level
Content
Descriptors

Ethical Behaviour

Personal and Social

Intercultural Understanding

Aboriginal and TSI

Histories and Culture

Asia and Australias

Engagement with Asia

Sustainability

Foundation Year conteent descriptions: ACSSU002,

ACSIS012, (ACARA, 2016a) and ACELY1784, (ACARA,
2016b).

Year Level Achievement

Standards.
1) Students describe the
properties and behaviour of
familiar objects (ACARA,
2016a).
2) Students suggest how the
environment affects them and
other living things (ACARA,
2016a).
3) Students share and reflect
on observations, and ask and
respond to questions about
familiar objects and events

Critical and Creative Thinking

High-light elements of the

standards being assessed

(ACARA, 2016a).
4) They use appropriate
interaction skills to listen and
respond to others in a familiar
environment (ACARA,
2016b).

Knowledge (What are students expected to learn?)

Recognise the needs of pets at home and plants in the

garden.

Recognise how the environment affects pets and plants.

Skills (What are students expected to be able to do?)

Know that Living things have basic needs, including food and
water (ACSSU002) (ACARA, 2016a).

Recognise specific environmental changes that affect pets.

Share observations and ideas (ACSIS012) (ACARA, 2016a).

Recognise specific environmental changes that affect plants.

Use interaction skills including listening while others speak, using

appropriate voice levels, articulation and body language, gestures
and eye contact (ACELY1784) (ACARA, 2016b).

LEARNING OUTCOMES: What relevant goals will this unit of work address? Draw these out of the content descriptors and the achievement standards.
At the end of the unit students will be able to:

Demonstrate the basic needs of pets using role play or making artefacts.

Demonstrate the basic needs of plants using role play in the school vegetable garden by growing seedlings.

Sketch or make models to demonstrate healthy environments for of pets.

Sketch or make models to demonstrate healthy environments for plants.

Predict the impact on pets for certain negative environmental changes.

Predict the impact on plants for certain negative environmental changes.

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Task description: (Summative task that cater for students across the full range of abilities) Evidence of student learning (summative assessment) for
the unit of work will come from anecdotal observations, student questioning, a test and evaluation of individual student learning portfolios. Lessons have
various performance tasks or products that will be assessed. Students will have choices in performance tasks and products to demonstrate their
knowledge. A portfolio rubric will be used to grade portfolios.
Through what authentic performance tasks will students demonstrate the desired understandings?

Dialogue with Guest speakers.

One on one and group discussions.
Role play.
Sketches/drawings/models.
Growing plants form seeds or cuttings.

Concise statement about

Students are expected to recognise the basic requirements and healthy environments for pets and plants.
Students are expected to predict the affect to pets and plants when certain environmental changes occur.
Product options (sharing opinions, role play, sketches, drawings and models.

Grouping options (individual, pair and groups)

Assessments will be ongoing and will include assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning.

Assessment Criteria: (Derived from Achievement Standard or Content Descriptions and Skills or Scope and Sequence)

Demonstrate using role play or models to show the basic needs of pets.

Demonstrate using role play the basic needs of plants in the school vegetable garden.

Sketch or make models to demonstrate healthy environments for of pets.

Sketch or make models to demonstrate healthy environments for plants.

Predict the impact on pets for certain negative environmental changes.

Predict the impact on plants for certain negative environmental changes.

Assessment recording template: (what will be recorded and in what format?)

All student observations and final portfolio mark will be recorded in a tabbed notebook.
Feedback: (What sort of feedback will students receive?)
Feedback will be ongoing throughout the unit of work. Students will be provided with supportive and constructive feedback with the primary aim of
furthering student learning.
Self-assessment: (How will students reect upon and self-assess their learning?)
Although the students will not be asked to self-assess the lesson structure, such as learning together will foster self-assessment.

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN STAGE 3: PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION

What events will help students:

The first lesson will gauge students prior knowledge so the teacher will know how best to group students to maximise learning
outcomes.
The lessons will be constructivist in nature and students can learn at their own paces.
The learning experiences are divergent and they can be simple or complex so suit diverse learners.
Guided inquiry, essential inquiry questions and scaffolded will direct learning.
The learning content will be authentic and therefore more engaging for students.
The lessons will give students some choices as to how they demonstrate their knowledge.
Learning Experiences

Assessment For/As Learning

(Formative Assessment)

Lesson #1. (50 minutes) Learning about the basic needs of plants and
pets.

1) Use diagnostic and formative

assessment (assessment as learning)
to direct the discussion to ensure the
inquiry questions will help to answer
the units learning goals.

1) The teacher and students sit in a large circle on the floor. Ask students
what they know about the basic needs of pets and plants. Guide the
discussion but dont give them the answers with key questions such as:

Are both pets and plants alive?

Do both pets and plants think?
Do pets and plants have the same needs to live?
Do pets or their needs ever change during a year?
If so, what are some changes?
Do plants or their needs ever change during a year?
If so what are some changes?

2) Tell the students that they will be doing a guided inquiry about the basic

2) Use formative assessment

(assessment for learning) to direct
and support student learning.
3) Take anecdotal student learning
observations (assessment of learning)
and record observations in tabbed
notebook.
4) Use the unit rubric to grade the
students contribution to the lesson

Resources

Whiteboard.
PC.

needs of pets and plants and how their environment affects them.

(hyperlink in lesson #6).

3) Ask students to think of good questions that they want to know to guide
their learning. Help the students choose the most important questions for
the inquiry and add extras if needed. Copy the questions on pets and
plants to A4 sheets of paper and stick to a question wall to help direct
students inquiry learning in subsequent lessons.
4) Tell the children that they will start to grow some plants next week.
2

Lesson #2. (50 minutes) Growing plants from seeds.

1) Explain to the students that they will be visiting the school garden where
they will use role play (be gardeners) and plant some vegetable seeds in
the soil of their choices.
2) Take the students to the vegetable garden and give each student a small
plastic plant pots that already have their names marked on them.
3) Ask the students what kind of soil would be best for the plants. Direct
discussion. Show them two different soils (potting mix or plain ground soil)
and have a whole group discussion on which one will be best to use but
dont give your opinion. Each student to choose the soil they want.
Students fill their pots with soil and get 3 bean seeds to plant in their pots.

1) Use formative assessment

(assessment for learning) to direct
and support student learning.
2) Take anecdotal student learning
observations (assessment of learning)
and record observations in tabbed
notebook.

Plastic pots.
Permanent markers
(white).
Gardening gloves.
Gardening tools.
Potting mix.
Bean seeds.

Blank A4 sheets of

3) Use the unit rubric to grade the

seed plating activity (hyperlink in
lesson #6).

4) Have a group discussion about how much water and sunlight the plants
will need but do not give your opinion and let the students decide. Give
them the option of a sunny position or a shady position. Discuss how plants
breath like people.
5) Note: there are 4 possible end choices and ensure that each of these
possibilities are included.
6) Tell students that in the next lesson they will learn how the environment
can affect plants.
3

Lesson #3. (50 minutes) How the environment can affect plants.

1) Use formative assessment

1) This lesson will take place in the school grounds where the following
grasses/plants/trees will be examined and their current look and health will
be discussed: grass, evergreen trees, deciduous trees, vegetables,
(discuss how they are now and how they were in the opposite season).
2) For each of the above subjects have a whole class discussion to elicit
students current knowledge and further it. Students to record their findings
(show opposites using drawings or words to describe what they saw now
and what it was like in opposite month to now. For example; if the walk is in
winter, what it looked like in summer).

(assessment for learning) to direct

and support student learning.

paper.
Pens and pencils.

2) Take anecdotal student learning

observations (assessment of learning)
and record observations in tabbed
notebook.
3) Use the unit rubric to grade the
students drawings and words
(hyperlink in lesson #6).

3) Tell children that someone is bringing their pet in for the next lesson.
4

Lesson #4. (50 minutes) Guest speaker bringing in their puppy to

answer the students questions on pets.
1) Using the questions from week #1 about pets ask students if they would
like to choose one to ask the guest speaker.
2) The guest speaker arrives with their puppy. Invite all of the children to
give the puppy a quick pat.
3) The guest speaker will then take a seat and the students can ask their
questions.
4) The students can pair off, share ideas and do some dog and dog owner
role play to do everything needed to keep a dog healthy. Or they can do
some sketches/drawings/models (models could be by using plasticine) of a
dog showing everything a dog needs to be healthy.

1) Use formative assessment

(assessment for learning) to direct
and support student learning.
2) Take anecdotal student learning
observations (assessment of learning)
and record observations in tabbed
notebook.

1) Guest speaker with

puppy.
2) Drawing paper.
3) Felt pens/pens/pencils
and plasticine.

3) Use the unit rubric to grade the role

play or artefact (hyperlink in lesson
#6).

5) Tell the student that next week they will learn how the environment can
affect pets.
5

Lesson #5. (50 minutes) How the environment affects pets.

1) Using the IWB show the following YouTube video on animal adaptions.

1) Use formative assessment

(assessment for learning) to direct
and support student learning.

1) IWB
2) Link to video.

http://www.marthastewart.com/924384/how-changing-seasons-affectanimals
2) Have a whole class discussion on the adaptions seen in the video and
ask the students if they knew about any of them and if they know any that
some pets may use.
3) Students create an artefact to show 1 way pets can adapt to different
environments (they can show in opposites). Have the following 5 choices
on pieces of paper.

2) Take anecdotal student learning

observations (assessment of learning)
and record observations in tabbed
notebook.

3) A4 sheets of paper.
4) Felt pens/pens/pencils
and plasticine.

3) Use the unit rubric to grade the

lessons artefacts (hyperlink in lesson
#6).

Cats or dogs getting thicker fur during winter, the colour of dogs noses
changing colour, cats and dogs losing fur, cats and dogs putting on weight,
birds losing feathers.
4) Each student will pick out one choice randomly from a container. They
will then make an artefact to show this situation using
sketches/drawing/models (plasticine for models).
5) Each group (students whose artefacts demonstrate the same change)
shows their artefacts to the rest of the class and the teacher questions
students about what their artefact describes.
6) Tell the students that in next weeks lesson they will be going back to the
garden to inspect their bean seedlings.
6

Lesson #6. (50 minutes) The similarities between plants and pets.
(lesson includes examination of the bean seedlings).
1) Bring all of the seedlings into the classroom, keeping them in their
correct grouping (choices from planting lesson) and names turned so
students cant identify their seedling.
2) Ask the students what seedlings look the healthiest. Label each group as
A (for best) down to D (for worst).
3) Tell the students what students plated each group of seedlings. Ask them

1) Use formative assessment

(assessment for learning) to direct
and support student learning.
2) Take anecdotal student learning
observations (assessment of learning)
and record observations in tabbed
notebook.
3) Use a grid in the tabbed notebook

1) Seedlings.
2) A4 blank sheets of paper.
3) Paper test.

to reflect on the outcome.

4) Ask each group to predict what might happen if they had made some
specific different choices.
5) With all the students sitting in a circle ask students 10 set statements
and get students to show thumbs up if they agree or thumbs down if they
dont agree.
6) Use the hyperlink below to find the set statements test.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6iYIiNz8Pkrb2c2T1JlbjE0Y3c/view?
usp=sharing
7) Provide students with a merit certificate as soon as is practical and
include some constructive comments. Use the hyperlink for a copy of the
blank merit certificate.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6iYIiNz8Pkrby1DUmk3ZzRhS0k/view?
usp=sharing

to record student responses to set

statements.
4) Use the hyperlink below to find a
rubric to assess total student learning
for the entire unit of work.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6iYIi
Nz8PkrNHpHekhJdmxhM2s/view?
usp=sharing