LESSON PLAN

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

LESSON ORGANISATION
Year Level: 6 Time: 1pm - 2pm Date: 8/8 Students’ Prior Knowledge: (Second T&E
lesson in sequence)
Learning Area:
Technologies: Investigating and defining:
Design and Technologies, Science, Health,  Brainstorm of background knowledge
Geography needed to design an effective product.
Students suggested testing materials for:
absorbency, washability, strength,
economic and environmental costs of
each material.
 Class researched and developed a list of
materials they would like to test, including:
cotton, bamboo fabric, polyurethane
laminate (PUL), fleece, denim, cardboard,
towel and sponge.
Health:

Strand/Topic from the Australian Curriculum
Design and Technologies
Knowledge and Understanding (Materials
HASS:
Specialisations):
Characteristics, properties and safe practice of a
range of materials, systems, tools and equipment;
and evaluate the suitability of their use
(ACTDEK023)
Process and Production Skills (Investigating and
Defining):
Define a problem, and a set of sequenced steps,
with users making decisions to create a solution for a
given task (WATPPS33).
 The function of menstruation and different
people’s perspectives on and experiences
with menstruation, including available
sanitary products.
 The effects of period poverty, globally.
Students have watched a documentary
explaining how a lack of adequate access to
sanitary products has left thousands of girls
and women unable to attend school. The
students also learnt how some societies
stigmatize periods and are afraid to discuss
them.
 Students made posters describing different
types of waste and methods to promote
recycling.

Science:

Chemical sciences: Changes to materials can be

reversible or irreversible (ACSSU095)
Health:

Personal, Social & Community Health: Changes

associated with puberty (ACPPS052)

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HASS:
Geography: Differences in the economic
characteristics (e.g. per capita income, energy
consumption), demographic characteristics (e.g.
population size, density) and social characteristics
(e.g. life expectancy, education) of a selection of
countries across the world (ACHASSK139)

General Capabilities (that may potentially be covered in the lesson)

Literacy Numeracy ICT Critical and Ethical Personal Intercultural
competence creative behaviour and Social understandi
thinking Explore competence ng
Pose ethical identify Explore and
questions to concepts in preferred compare
expand their context; learning cultural
knowledge Consider styles and knowledge,
about the points of work habits; beliefs and
world; view reflect on practices;
Organise personal Empathise
and process strengths with others.
information; and
Seek achievement
solutions and s, based on
put ideas self-
into action; assessment
Evaluate strategies
procedures and teacher
and feedback;
outcomes. understand
relationships.

Cross-curriculum priorities (may be addressed in the lesson)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Asia and Australia’s Sustainability
Islander histories and cultures engagement with Asia
Proficiencies:(Mathematics only)
Lesson Objectives (i.e. anticipated outcomes of this lesson, in point form beginning with an action verb)

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:

 1. Define the sustainability problem by presenting the Design Brief information in a creative
advertisement.
 2. Test the absorbency of materials by employing fair testing skills.
 3. Rank the suitability of four materials to suit the design purpose (with regards to absorbency) by
numbering 1-4 on the Observation Sheet.

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Teacher’s Prior Preparation/Organisation:
- As with any controversial topic, keep school
administration updated with lesson topics,
curriculum connections and teaching
standards to avoid potential problems or
objections.
- Group students in mixed ability groups.
- Prepare design brief, Cows Moo Softly Poster,
Team roles and Observation sheet.
- Collect Investigation equipment: Material
squares (cotton, bamboo fabric, polyurethane
laminate, fleece, denim, cardboard, towel and
sponge), paper towels, jug of water and
pipettes.
- Pre-load timer and bouncy balls noise level
indicator via https://bouncyballs.org/ on Smart
TV.
LESSON EVALUATION (to be completed AFTER the lesson)
Assessment of Lesson Objective and Suggestions for Improvement:
Teacher self-reflection and self-evaluation:
[OFFICIAL USE ONLY] Comments by classroom teacher, HOPP, supervisor:
Provision for students at educational risk:
- Student with dyslexia is grouped with his
‘reading buddy’ – a friend who is happy to
help read any necessary texts. This
student is given the role of group
‘manager’, which does not require writing,
but which will build his self-esteem and
self-efficacy as he holds a significant role
within his team.
- Differentiation for gifted students involves
open-ended question, such as in the
evaluation of the testing process, which
encourages extended critical thought.
- The openness of the creative
advertisement task allows students to
define and present their understanding of
the problem in a manner which best
reflects their ability.
- The teacher will pre-determine the groups
before the lesson to ensure there are
mixed-abilities within each group. This will
benefit the lower-ability students who will
have the support of high-ability students;
whilst it may also develop proficiency and
explanation skills in the higher-ability
students.
- Enabling prompts: students who have
difficulty writing are given the ‘manager’
role, so that their energy is not focused on
literacy, but on the design and science
processes of this lesson.
- Extension: By giving groups a change to
modify their investigation after evaluation,
this extends students to consider new
testing methods and to begin the creative
design process.
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 LESSON DELIVERY (attach worksheets, examples, marking key, etc, as relevant)
Resources/References
Time Motivation and Introduction:

Review Design Brief by reading through it and answering students’ Design Brief
10
mins
questions. iPad – camera
Students form groups of four. Ask students to make up a thirty second application and Airdrop
advertisement (jingle, drama, dance, rap etc.) which defines the
sustainability problem posed in the Brief and how the class is taking
steps to address the problem. Students should record their
advertisement on the iPads and AirDrop these to the teacher (for
formative assessment).

Lesson Steps
1. Set Learning Intentions with students:
We Are Learning To: test the absorbency of materials to find the
material most suited for your design.

2. Question class: Appendix A Poster:

- How can we test the absorbency of materials? Guide students’ “Cows Moo Softly”.
ideas to reflect scientific inquiry skills and the outline the
10 following investigation method: Lay a 5cm x 5cm square of
mins materials over a paper towel. Drip water onto the material and Appendix B: Team
record how many millilitres (mL) it can absorb without spilling Roles poster
onto the paper towel.
- How can we ensure we conduct a fair test? (Refer to “Cows Moo
Softly” poster. Measure: the amount of water the material holds; Appendix C: Table of
change: type of material and control: the material size, teaspoon Observations Recording
size etc.) Worksheet
3. Establish each team member’s role (refer to Appendix B). State
behavioural expectations during testing and question students
about any safety precautions that they should adhere to.
4. Ask students to explain to a partner how to conduct this
investigation. One student shares with the class. Teacher uses this
as a tool to ensure students understand the task and to set success
criteria as:
What I’m Looking For: using the fair testing method and teamwork to
rank each material’s suitability. Investigation
equipment:
15 5. Investigation: - Material squares
mins - Explain time allocation (timer is on board) and noise level will be (cotton, bamboo
monitored by the Bouncy Balls noise level indicator on Smart TV fabric,
which highlights an acceptable classroom noise level. polyurethane
- The ‘director’ of each team facilitates a team discussion about laminate, fleece,
which four materials their group will test. denim,
- The ‘manager’ collects testing materials and sets up a station cardboard, towel
around the room with: four pieces of material, paper towels, and sponge)
water jug and a pipette. - Paper towels
- The speaker collects the observation recording sheet. - Jug of water
- Pipette

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 - Students make careful observations as they conduct testing.
The director records findings on the Observation sheet, including Timer and bouncy balls
5 any additional information, such as rate of absorption. noise level indicator via
mins 6. Evaluation: https://bouncyballs.org/
- Exemplify how to rank the absorbency of each material on the displayed on Smart
Observation sheet. TV.
- Scaffold students’ evaluation of the suitability of each material
for the design purpose based on absorption with questions such
as, how much liquid did that material hold without leaking? Is
5 that more or less absorbent than the 5 mL of liquid (which the
mins average pad holds)?
7. Class discussion of findings and evaluation of investigation. Where
possible, the teacher should call on the group’s ‘speaker’ to talk on
behalf of their group.
5 8. Modify Investigation Methods:
mins Challenge students to improve their experimental methods and
develop their testing further:
- How can we make this investigation more relevant to generating
our product design? For example, students could experiment
with layering fabric to improve their results.
9. Groups adjust their investigation and test another material whilst
finalising the Observation sheet.

Lesson Closure:

Inside-outside circle pair discussion (see Kagan Cooperative Learning Appendix D:

10 Strategy) about the following questions to finish: Kagan Cooperative
mins - “How well did your group follow the fair testing method? Rate out Learning Strategy
of five.”
- “How could you improve your testing process?”
- “Why do you believe it is important for children to be discussing
big world problems, like period poverty and wastage?”
- “Why were you a valuable member of your group today?”
- “What ideas do you have to start designing a product?”
- “What is one question that you have about this project?”

Transition:

Manager packs away all materials. Director returns worksheet to

teacher marking tray. Speaker tidies the room. Students prepare for
lunch by sitting at their table.

Assessment:

1. Formative assessment: checklist of students. See Appendix E.

2. Student self-assessment and rating in conclusion activity.
3. Formative assessment: checklist. See Appendix E.