Template for Assignment 1: Tiered Lesson

Name & Student Number: Rachel Kielow – ID:2151789 Curriculum (Learning) Area of Lesson: Science – Chemical Sciences Specific Topic of Lesson: Chemical Reactions - Photosynthesis Year Level/s: 9

Lesson Context (1 paragraph) This lesson has been planned for the year 9 class at Keith Area School in rural South Australia. There are 29 students, 20 boys, 9 girls. This lesson fits into a broader unit called Chemical Reactions in the Year 9 Science. The unit has the aim of answering the following essential questions: What happens to the ‘stuff’ in chemical reactions? What kinds of chemical reactions are important? What is needed for chemical reactions to occur? What is energy and how is it transferred? Throughout this unit, students have developed understandings that all chemical reactions require starting materials called reactants and finish with final materials of rearranged atoms called products. They have learned the differences between a chemical change and a physical change as well as the difference between an endothermic and exothermic reaction. Students have learned and are able to contrast the two different energy diagrams describing exothermic and endothermic reactions. This particular tiered lesson emanates in the beginning of the fourth week in a five-week unit, with the remainder of the fourth week spent on cellular respiration and then comparing and contrasting the two biological processes. The final week of the unit will be focusing on simple chemical reactions of acids and bases, preparing students adequately for an entire unit focused on acid and base chemistry. Summative assessment for this unit of work is a practical report on an experiment about endothermic and exothermic reactions as well as a final topic test on the entire unit. Formative assessment will be incorporated into every lesson and preassessment used when appropriate. Therefore, high quality curriculum and what students know, understand and are able to do (KUDs) are vitally important for each lesson and learning task (Wiggins & McTighe, 2011).

Learning Objectives

Achievement Standard: By the end of Year 9, students explain chemical processes and natural radioactivity in terms of atoms and energy transfers and describe examples of important chemical reactions. They describe models of energy transfer and apply these to explain phenomena (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2016). Content Descriptor: Chemical reactions, including combustion and the reactions of acids, are important in both non-living and living systems and involve energy transfer (ACARA, 2016). Elaboration: Comparing respiration and photosynthesis and their role in biological processes (ACARA, 2016). As a result of engaging with the lesson, students will: understand that (Concepts, principles, “big ideas”. No more than 1 or 2 for a single lesson. Make sure your objectives are statements that work in the form, Students will understand that…) Students will understand that energy is transferred.

know (e.g. facts, vocabulary, dates, information) Students will know that photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform

be able to (do) (Skills, processes) Students will be able to read and write the chemical equation for photosynthesis.

light energy into chemical energy (Bassham & Lambers, 2018). Students will know that the chemical equation of photosynthesis is

Students will know that photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts in a cell.

Students will be able to explain the energy transfers in the chemical reaction of photosynthesis including energy inputs and outputs. Students will be able to differentiate between reactants (inputs) and products (outputs) of chemical reactions.

Essential Questions (1-3 only; these should help students engage with the “big ideas” or understandings) Where is energy around us? How do plants get energy? How do humans and animals get energy?

Preassessment of Individual Student Readiness

The preassessment task for this lesson is a short quiz of two parts; chemical reactions and photosynthesis. This was completed at the end of the previous lesson and forms part of the formative assessment for that lesson. Preassessment and ongoing formative assessment are critical for informing planning and teaching and therefore must be thoughtfully considered and applied (Jarvis, 2016). In this preassessment, students review the previous lesson by answering questions about chemical reactions in general before moving on to diagnostic questions about the concepts of energy and photosynthesis. By using diagnostic assessment, a clearer picture of what students know, understand and can do is formed (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016). By year 9, students may have been exposed to the term photosynthesis during previous science topics but there is no specified achievement standard regarding the biological process. From the pre-assessment, students will be flexibly grouped based on understanding of both chemical reactions and photosynthesis. The names of these groups will be of photosynthetic organisms with no reference to level of understanding or readiness. This was done to reduce stigma associated with allocated grouping, working towards promoting a positive learning environment which is part of the principles for effective differentiation (Doubet & Hocket, 2017; Jarvis, 2015; Teaching for Effective Learning Team, 2010).

Lesson Plan

Lesson Sequence Bell Question: How do plants survive without eating? Welcome greeting to students as arriving in the classroom. Students are seated at desks and are considering the bell question. The bell question is then discussed as a whole class with selection of students to share. This is followed by an outline of Today’s Lesson on a PowerPoint slide.

Explanatory notes (Why have you made the decisions you have in your planning? How are aspects of your lesson designed to cater for readiness differences? You can include brief notes here and then a fuller explanation in a paragraph at the end of your assignment.) Students will have been exposed to warm up activities or bell questions in previous lessons so will need little reminding of what is required during the first few minutes of class. Establishing routines and procedures in classroom environments is beneficial for students as they begin to not only understand what is required of them in any given situation, but with clear instruction and careful explanation, access of the curriculum is increased (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016). This links to the welcoming of students into the classroom. Creating a positive classroom environment is one of the important principles of

Whole class instruction with use of a prepared PowerPoint presentation on Photosynthesis (Appendix B). - Ask students if they have seen,

heard or learned about Photosynthesis before. Get students to show thumbs up, sideways or down for their level of exposure.

- Share with students the slide of “What is Photosynthesis?”

- Ask students to think about what types of organisms undergo photosynthesis? What do these organisms have in common? Encourage students to use their science inquiry skills and observation skills for those images. The common theme is that the organisms are green/have green components!

- Have students think about what each of these organisms need to survive. How does photosynthesis help them?

- Discuss items on next slide. Highlight to students that chloroplasts and chlorophyll are the green components that we see on photosynthetic organisms. Link back to previous unit on Light and the Eye.

- Show students the photosynthesis equation. Highlight that it may look involved, but these are things we have seen before (except glucose which is just sugar). Have students think, pair and share answers to questions on slides.

Tiered Activity Students are placed into groups based on readiness level as determined by the preassessment results. Group Activity – Create a poster of the process of photosynthesis. Students are in groups named after examples of photosynthetic organisms. Assignment sheets for each tier/type of organism are specific to the learning needs and readiness of each level (Appendix C).

differentiation and leads the way for an inclusive, differentiated classroom environment (Jarvis, 2015). It should be part of the classroom routine to welcome students and outline the day’s tasks. This allows students to be privy to what is coming up in the sequence of learning tasks, reducing anxieties or uncertainties about the lesson. By selecting students at random using named popsticks, students can feel as if questioning is fair and that they could be selected at any time. This tends to increase motivation for participating in the task as students tend to avoid work unless they have something to hold them accountable! The explicit teaching section of this lesson was planned to address different misconceptions or ideas about the concept of photosynthesis. Students commonly think that plants get energy through ‘sucking up’ food through their roots. This will be delivered using a PowerPoint. The use of the ‘Thumbs Up’ formative assessment allows the teacher to judge how deep explanation must be for each slide. Naturally, if all students have been exposed to photosynthesis, the slide show can be used as more of a refresher tool rather than a content-rich chalk and talk session. Students will undertake the Think Pair Share activity to discuss the chemical equation slide. This is to encourage students to support each other in their learning which is critical in creating positive learning environment, (one of the essential components of the pillars for differentiation) as well as encouraging dialogue as a means of learning (Jarvis, 2015; Teaching for Effective Learning Team, 2010). The tiered activity was selected to address the different readiness levels of students regarding the process of photosynthesis. Students will not know that they are tiered based on type of organism, that is for teacher reference only. For example, students in tier 1 are photosynthetic bacteria, tier 2 are algae and tier 3 are plants. These names have been selected as neutral labels with no reference to tiering so as to reduce the opportunity for students to assume levels of ‘smartness’ or ‘dumb/smart group’ ideologies(Doubet & Hocket, 2017). Students will create a poster of the process of photosynthesis in groups of 3-4 students as assigned by readiness. Each group will receive a task sheet with different complexity of instructions and varied amounts of scaffolding. For example, the task sheet for students in tier 3 will consist of clearly outlined instructions with all components that the poster must have listed on the sheet (Appendix C(i)). Students need to decide which order and where to place these items on their poster. This is to provide aid for those students with lower readiness levels. The task sheet for the middle tier has guiding questions to prompt students to include details of the process of photosynthesis on their poster (Appendix C(ii)). These students will have some scaffolding but will need to work out the actual elements to include on the poster as well as where to place them. Tier 1 students will need to use their prior knowledge that was present during the preassessment task to create a poster with all of the elements of photosynthesis. The task sheet will consist of reminders and expectations of what to include but no detail regarding the photosynthetic process (Appendix C(iii)). This will provide appropriate challenge for those with higher readiness for this task. Support materials for each group, including the task sheets for the other groups will also be available if required. Additionally, the gallery walk part of the lesson will allow students to consolidate their learning and promotes the

Students will undertake a Gallery Walk after about 20 minutes of working on poster. This will allow students to see what additions or reductions they could make to improve their group’s poster. Lesson Closure and Check for Understanding Students will complete a Freyer diagram about photosynthesis (Appendix D). Students will also hand up their poster for formative assessment. Back up activity: http://bit.do/photosynthesisbuilder

extremely important use of dialogue with others as a means of effective learning (Teaching for Effective Learning Team, 2010). To close the lesson and check for understanding, a Freyer Diagram will be used. Such diagrams can be useful tools for formative and preassessment and can be adapted for different purposes and topics (College of Education Psychology and Social Work, 2018). In this case, the Freyer diagram has been adapted from traditional diagrams to include instructions for including the equation for photosynthesis and the energy transfers that are occurring during the process. This check for understanding will be collated and used by the teacher to proactively plan for the next lesson. In addition to the exit card, the posters created by each group will be collected. Timely feedback will be given to students about each poster created. Meaningful feedback on formative assessment is critically important for student learning and must be acted upon by the teacher (Bransford et al. (2000), Hattie (2012) & Wiliam (2011) as cited in Doubet & Hocket, 2017). In the case of this lesson, students’ posters will be peer-assessed in the following lesson using a rubric and then students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their learning after assessment is ‘moderated’ by the teacher (Appendix E). The rubric has been created using emojis to reflect student interests and increase accessibility for those who are not as comfortable with literacy. As teachers, it is important to be organised and prepared for early finishers as well as for students who may need extra support. In this case, a back-up activity is included for those who require extra challenge upon finishing the required task. The link is to an interactive website where students can create an online simulation of photosynthesis and consider the next part of the unit, cellular respiration. This is for back up only and will not be utilised by students unless all other work is completed. The lesson closure will occur as a whole class due to the importance of bringing everyone back to the common learning objectives despite the variance in learning tasks. This is highlighted by Doubet and Hocket (2017) as an important part of differentiation.

Lesson Closure/ Check for Understanding

How will you know whether students have achieved your lesson objectives? Students will complete an exit card in the form of the Freyer Diagram for the lesson (Appendix D). Each part of this Freyer diagram links directly to the KUDs through questioning and therefore will provide a sufficient check for understanding (College of Education Psychology and Social Work, 2018). Posters and exit cards will be collected and collated to check progress from preassessment to current time. This exit card provides a snapshot of the students understanding at that particular time, not for the whole unit and therefore needs to be considered as part of ongoing forms of formative assessment.

Explanation:

Students have been assessed on readiness for this lesson using a preassessment quiz (appendix A) and subsequently allocated into groups accordingly. It is important to maintain flexibility in these groups, to facilitate development of growth mindsets for students and to prevent any assumptions building of the different ‘intelligences’ in the classroom (Doubet & Hocket, 2017). The grouping of the students for this lesson is based on the level of complexity of answers in the preassessment quiz. If students answered the first part, (formative assessment from previous lesson) with some understanding and exhibited a limited level of knowledge of energy use and photosynthesis, they were placed in the tier 3 and received more scaffolding for the learning activity. If

the student answered all questions on the preassessment to an in-depth level and showed prior understanding of the process of photosynthesis, they would be placed in tier 1. For students who were able to show some understanding of photosynthesis but were comfortable with the questions about chemical reactions, they would be placed in tier 2. These tiers are flexible throughout the lesson, that is, students may move due to the appropriateness of the challenge level. Materials for supporting students in each tier are also available alongside teacher assistance. Designing tiered lessons to address differences in student readiness is an important part of differentiation. According to Tomlinson (2014), tiering is used “when a teacher wants to ensure that students with different degrees of learning proficiency work with the same essential ideas and use the same key knowledge and skills” (p. 133). In the case of this lesson, the tasks have been designed to reflect the same learning objectives and promote development of the same key understandings, knowledge and skills but in slightly different ways based on the readiness levels of the students. This has been done by altering the process of the task, with varied instructions given to achieve a common goal. These instructions are varied based on complexity of language and scaffolding of what needs to be included on the poster of the process of photosynthesis. Regarding personal placement, knowledge and skills brought to the classroom is extremely varied across all 29 students, therefore there may be varied numbers of groups in each tier to accommodate the levels of readiness. For more explanation regarding the reasoning for planning, lesson outline and associated tasks, see the Explanatory Notes section of the lesson plan above.

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2016). Science. F-10

Curriculum. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/ Bassham, J. A., & Lambers, H. (2018, 18th January 2018). Photosynthesis. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/photosynthesis College of Education Psychology and Social Work. (2018). Workshop Materials. In J. Jarvis (Ed.),

EDUC4720 Differentiation for Diverse Learners (Middle & Secondary Schooling) EDUC4721 Differentiation for Diverse Learners (Primary R-7) EDUC9406 Differentiation & Inclusive Educational Practices Flinders University. Doubet, K. J., & Hocket, J. A. (2017). Differentiating According to Student ReadinessDifferentiation in

Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners. ProQuest Ebook Central: ASCD. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.flinders.edu.au/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=a99584a3-cc86-4d1d-ba97-d62c9eedb27b%40sessionmgr101&ppid=pp_173&vid=0&format=EB.

Duchesne, S., & McMaugh, A. (2016). Managing Classrooms for Effectively Working with Students. In P. Smitz (Ed.), Educational Psychlogy for Learning and Teaching (5th ed., pp. 538-581). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.

Jarvis, J. M. (2015). Inclusive classrooms and differentiation. In N. Weatherby-Fell (Ed.), Learning to teach in the secondary school (pp. 154-172). Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press.

Jarvis, J. M. (2016). EDUC420 - Module 3: Ongoing assessment to inform differentiation. Bedford Park, South Australia: Flinders University.

Teaching for Effective Learning Team. (2010). Appendix A - South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Detailed Framework.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of all Learners (Second ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2011). Essential questions and understandingsThe Understanding by Design guide to creating high-quality units (pp. 70-88). Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD.

Appendix A: Preassessment Quiz

Appendix C(i):

Appendix C(ii):

Appendix C(iii):

Appendix D: Exit Card

DEFINITION & EQUATION CHARACTERISTICS and ENERGY TRANSFER

EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATION

Photosynthesis

Appendix E: Peer Assessment

Poster Elements Peer-Assessment

Title (Large and Clear)

Photosynthesis represented in word equation and chemical equation form

Reactants and Products Included

Entry points of reactants and exit points of the products clearly shown

Energy transfers are present and clearly described

Location of photosynthesis: chloroplasts

Poster Presentation - Neatness - Handwriting - Illustrations

Overall Score Out of 10: _______________

Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________

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