Science Lesson Plan: Tabinder Akter Group: Kangaroo

PART A: PREPARATION AND STRATEGIES

Stage: 5 Syllabus section: analyses interactions between components and processes within biological
Science systems SC5-14LW

Unit Name: Ecosystem

Aboriginal site: Nurragingy Reserve

Lesson Topic: Post-excursion activities Duration: 60 minutes

Prior knowledge/skills required Resources (Attach classroom-ready

-Students had previous knowledge about the ecosystem. resources/worksheets students will be using,
From the pre-excursion lesson, they had ideas about including relevant pages from textbooks)
what types of the ecosystem they can see and expect
from the site. -Students are providing a learning guide to fill up
during excursion (attached in the resource below).
-The information sheet about the site has given to each
student in the pre-excursion lesson so they can relate the
history of Aboriginal cultural heritage and their
connection to the land.

-Students were required to bring the information sheet

during the field visit.

-A Learning Guide was provided during the excursion

to fill up by each student. Students were in groups
during the excursion. The group members had chosen
by the teacher.

Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) - Highlight relevant items

1. Intellectual Quality 2. Quality Learning 3. Significance
1.1 Deep knowledge Environment 3.1 Background knowledge
1.2 Deep understanding 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 3.2 Cultural knowledge
1.3 Problematic knowledge 2.2 Engagement 3.3 Knowledge integration
1.4 Higher-order thinking 2.3 High Expectations 3.4 Inclusivity
1.5 Metalanguage 2.4 Social Support 3.5 Connectedness
1.6 Substantive communication 2.5 Students’ self-regulation 3.6 Narrative
2.6 Student direction
How are Quality Teaching (QT) elements achieved in the lesson?

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QT element/s in the lesson Indicators of presence in the lesson
1.4 Higher-order thinking Students are required to find out the writing approach they should
apply to answer the worksheet questions.

2.2 Engagement Students are highly engaged in group work and ecosystem drawing.

Students are applying their prior and excursion knowledge to answer

3.3 Knowledge integration the worksheet questions and asking questions to Aboriginal Elder to
know further about Aboriginal cultures and histories.

PART B: SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES IN LESSON

Syllabus outcomes: (number/s and descriptor)

analyses interactions between components and processes within biological systems SC5-14LW (NSW Board
of Studies, 2012)

Content
LW2 Conserving and maintaining the quality and sustainability of the environment requires a scientific
understanding of interactions within, the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecosystems.

Students:
a. recall that ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of
the environment (ACSSU176)
e. assess ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' cultural practices and knowledge of the
environment contribute to the conservation and management of sustainable ecosystems

Time Lesson content Student/teacher activity 8 ways link and resources

Teacher: Teacher asks all students to Resources:

5 Roll call and settle down sit quietly and listen to their name to MacBook/laptop for roll-call
Minutes students call.

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 Students: Students are following the
teacher’s instructions.

Teacher: Teacher will display some

10 Prior knowledge checks
Minutes and site visit recap
photos from site visit on the projector
to help students to remember their
excursion experience. The teacher asks
students to open their learning guide
and discuss the findings with their
group members. The learning guide
has images and symbols drawn by
students during the excursion.
The teacher walks around the
classroom to hear their discussion.
Students: Students are discussing
their findings with their group
members.

15 Aboriginal Elder Talk Teacher: The teacher will introduce Aboriginal 8 ways link:
Minutes an Aboriginal Elder from Blacktown
city council as an aboriginal Connecting learning to local
representative (Blacktown City values, needs and knowledge
Council, 2019). The Elder talks about
the site, people and language related
to the site and its environmental and
cultural significance in the
community. The Elder also tells
Darug people’s story of adaptation,
survival and resilience in this region.
Students can ask any questions they
want to know.

Students: Students are asking

questions to Aboriginal Elders.

10 Teacher: Teacher will deliver the Resource:

Minutes Group work worksheet questions to answer.
Students will be working in groups
(same group members who were in the
excursion). The worksheet has the
explanation of the approach of each
question to answer. It will help less
capable students to understand better.
Worksheet
Colour pencils and paper
An example of drawing an
ecosystem and Aboriginal
traditional icons are provided
in the resource section.

The teacher will provide some colour

pencils and papers to draw their chosen
ecosystem. Students need to draw their
chosen ecosystem by focusing on
Aboriginal traditional icons or symbols
in their drawing. Students previously
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15 Group work to answer
Minutes worksheet questions
5 Wrap up
Minutes
PART C: ANALYSIS AND SELF-REFLECTION
How have outcomes been achieved?
Learning outcome Method of measuring and recording
Understand the ecosystem and its Draw the chosen ecosystem by focusing on traditional Aboriginal icons
significance in the environment. and answering worksheet questions.
Protect the ecosystem from human
activities and other damages.
Links to the next lesson
Finalise the answers and drawing.
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learned Aboriginal traditional-icons Aboriginal 8 ways link:
from the site’s artwork. An example of
the drawing will have provided by the Learning through images,
teacher. symbols and metaphors.
The teacher will provide time to
students to discuss their approach with
their group members to answer each
question. Each group need to write and
discuss their approach first.
Students: Students are participating in
drawing and discussing with their
group members.
Teacher: After discussing their Resource:
approach with their group members, Worksheet
students need to write a draft copy of MacBook/laptop
each answer. They will get more class Pen and Paper
time to finalise their answers in the
following lessons.
The teacher will walk around the
classroom to see if any group needs
any instructional or other help.
Students: Students are discussing and
writing a draft copy of their answers.
Teacher: Teacher will wrap up the
whole ideas with students by
conducting a class discussion about
answering the questions.
The teacher will ask the students to
prepare for the next lesson.
Students: Students participate in class
discussion and prepare for next lesson.
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Upload the documents in the google classroom submission folder.

AISTL graduate standards and evidence that this lesson achieves this standard.
AITSL Standard Evidence within this lesson
1.4 Students are encouraged to explore the Aboriginal culture through site
visit and Elder talk.

2.4 The teacher promotes Aboriginal cultural values during site visit
discussion, ecosystem drawing by emphasising to use Aboriginal
traditional icons and by providing the information sheet before the
excursion. The information sheet contains Aboriginal histories and
their connections to the land.

WHS considerations
Create a positive and safe learning environment in the classroom.
Develop safe collaborative learning through group discussion.
Take reasonable care for the health and safety of students under teacher supervision (NSW department of
education, 2018).

Differentiation:
The teacher provides a detail explanation for answering worksheet questions. The learning guide is a great
resource to connect and explain their findings related to the site. Group work helps less capable students to
understand better. They can discuss their understanding with group members.

Formative feedback:
The teacher is asking strategic questions to link students’ findings in their drawing and answering worksheet
questions. The teacher is providing feedback and directions to the students’ responses.

Assessment:
Students need to submit their drawing and worksheet questions’ answers in the google classroom’s
submission folder. Students are working towards their assessment in this lesson.

References
Blacktown City Council. (2019). Aboriginal Connections - Blacktown City. Retrieved from
https://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/About-Council/Our-city/Blacktown-Memories/Our-history-and-
heritage/Aboriginal-heritage/Aboriginal-Connections
Board of Studies New South Wales. (2008). Working with Aboriginal Communities: A Guide to Community
Consultation and Protocols. Retrieved from https://ab-ed.nesa.nsw.edu.au/files/working-with-
aboriginal-communities.pdf
NSW Board of Studies. (2012). NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum, Science K-10. Retrieved from
http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/sciencek10/downloads/sciencek10_s5.pdf
NSW department of education. (2018). NSW education: Excursions Policy. Retrieved from
https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/excursions-policy?refid=285847

Casual teacher Notes:

Please help students to finalise their worksheet questions. You can use their drawing and learning guide to
support their ideas and approaches. They also need to upload the final drawing and document in the google-

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classroom submission folder. They already know where the folder is. An email has sent with submission link
to them.

Community Consultation or Protocols to be considered

For establishing a learning partnership with Aboriginal communities, school and teachers need to follow
community consultation protocols provided by the NSW Board of Studies (Board of Studies New South
Wales, 2008).

Resources to support this Lesson

LEARNING GUIDE

Field trip to Nurragingy Reserve

Group’s name: _______________________________ Student’s name: ______________

Date: __________ Other group members: ___________
Instructions:
Students will be working in group-wise. 2 to 3 students in each group. They need to discuss their
findings during the site visit with their group members. They also need to record their observations.
They can take photos, draw symbols or keywords to remember the items or things related to their topic.
Students should be very careful about the property and not to damage anything or remove objects from
their environment.

observe sounds number of kinds of types smells signs of

pollution or identified growth
damage
Sounds

Insects

Animals or
tracks

Water

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 Trees and plants

Birds

Rocks and
stones

Artwork and Not

artefacts applicable

Symbols/Images
(drawn by you)

INFORMATION SHEET

Nurragingy Reserve

The land is much more than a place for Aboriginal people. They think land is for caring and loving. They love
rock, tree, human, animals, sky and everything connected to the land. They believed all of these have formed
from the same substance by their ancestor who continues to live in its soil and sky. Aboriginal people lived in
harmony and peacefully with the land and animals before non-Aboriginal people came to Australia. They
respect the land and understand its value.

Aboriginal people hunted, camped and gathered food at different times of the year in various types of lands.
They built houses out of sticks, bark and grasses where they camped when they moved around to find foods.
They had a kinship between the members in their tribe.

Aboriginal people had good nutritious knowledge. They knew about the plants and their safety. They knew
how to cure when they get unwell by using different plants and herbs.

Western Sydney Nurragingy Reserve is a part of the country of the inland Darug people. The Darug territory
extended from the Blue Mountains to the coast. ‘Darug’ comes from the native word ‘yam’. Western Sydney
Nurragingy Reserve and other parklands show and tell us how Aboriginal people survived by utilising and
cultivating natural resources and caring for the land. They collected a range of plants, fruits and other bush

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foods. Stones, artefacts and artwork are evidence of Aboriginal people presence over many thousands of years
and demonstrate its importance.

The story of Darug people in this region is one of survival, adaptation and resilience. Non-Aboriginal people’s
invasion and colonisation had a devastating impact on Darug people’s existence as well as cultural and
demographic upheaval.

One of the Aboriginal men named Colebee was captured and held at Government House in Sidney in 1789
until he escaped. He was well-known in the colony. In return for working with the colonial government in
1816, he and another man named Nurragingy received one of the first-ever land grants to Aboriginal people.

Nurragingy Reserve has seen as a symbolic Aboriginal resilience and the enduring connection to Country. It
is an important part of Country for Darug people to this day and falls within the interests of the Deerubbin and
Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Questions to answer

Worksheet questions

Questions How to attempt

How can you preserve the ecosystems that Students need to select one or more identified
remain in your site area? ecosystems, summarise their information in a table
that lists specific threats related to their chosen
ecosystem.

Students need to discuss similarities and differences

in threats and approaches to the conservation of
ecosystems.

What actions are required to protect this
ecosystem from damage caused by human or
other activities?
Students need to identify management strategies.
Students discuss the immediate and broader impacts
of the listed management strategies. students use
holistic thinking to analyse the impacts of
management strategies on relationships within the
ecosystem.

There is a lack of conservation of the historical

Give some suggestions to improve the Aboriginal significance of this land site and therefore, is
connections to the land. contestable in eradicating its Aboriginal values.

Identify some gaps that can bring better Aboriginal

connections to the land such as artwork, artefacts
and others.

An example of drawing an Ecosystem and traditional icons

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Few traditional icons

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