Lesson

Plan 5
Week 3
Date: Monday 13th of April 2015 Duration:
6 0
m
inutes

Lesson: 5 of 10

Unit: Dynamic earth

Level: Year level 6 Name:

Explaining stages of a tsunami. (formative
assessment)

Curriculum

Science understanding
Earth and space sciences
Sudden geological changes or extreme weather conditions can affect Earths surface (ACSSU096).
o Investigating major geological events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis in
Australia, the Asia region and throughout the world.
o Recognising that earthquakes can cause tsunamis.
o Exploring ways that scientific understanding can assist in natural disaster management to
minimise both long- and short-term effects.

Science as a human endeavour
Nature and development of science
Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of
events and phenomena (ACSHE098).
o Describing how understanding of the causes and effects of major natural events has changed as
new evidence has become available.


Science inquiry skills
Planning and conducting
With guidance, plan appropriate investigation methods to answer questions or solve
problems (ACSIS103).
o Following a procedure to design an experimental or field investigation.
o Discussing methods chosen with other students, and refining methods accordingly.
o Considering which investigation methods are most suited to answer a particular question or
solve a problem.

Communicating
Communicate ideas, explanations and processes in a variety of ways, including multi-modal
texts (ACSIS110).
o Discussing the best way to communicate science ideas and what should be considered when
planning a text.
o Using a variety of communication modes, such as reports, explanations, arguments, debates
and procedural accounts, to communicate science ideas
o Using labelled diagrams, including cross-sectional representations, to communicate ideas and
processes within multi-modal texts.

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General capabilities and cross curriculum

Cross curriculum
Sustainability
o In this lesson students will be learning about the importance of sustainability whilst explain the
stages of a tsunami. They will link the two together to explain how to make sustainable choices.
General capabilities
Literacy
o Throughout this lesson the students will be representing the stages of a tsunami and explaining
them through a text. The students will verbally explain the stages of a tsunami and interact with
questions on their impacts. Students will also demonstrate their knowledge of the stages by
drawing labelled diagram of each stage.
ICT
o Students will be using ICT via the form of an educational video explaining the scientific stages of
a tsunami.

Lesson Overview

5Es teaching and learning model: Explaining

This lesson has been designed to allow the students to explain the scientific stages of a tsunami
individually. This lesson will serve as a formative assessment for the teacher to understand the
students knowledge individually and as a class. The students may be asked questions during their
verbal explanation to the class to further explain certain phenomena. These questions will be open to
the individual student explaining and the whole class.

Lesson Objectives

Students will have the ability to:

Knowledge
o Recall the stages of a tsunami
Comprehension
o Explain what happens in certain stages of a tsunami
Application
o Construct a flow chart explaining the stages of a tsunami
Analysis
o Point out which stage of a tsunami certain events may happen.
Synthesis
o Visualise each stage of a tsunami whilst explaining them.
Evaluation
o Signify the importance of each stage of a tsunami and how they link.

Students Prior Knowledge

Students have prior knowledge in:

o Students know each stage of a tsunami.
o Students know what occurs in each stage of a tsunami.
o Students have the ability to draw and label diagrams.

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Assessment

Assessment for learning:

o Students flow chart of how a tsunami occurs will be collected to view in better detail the
information the students have included. Students will be assessed on the stages, their correct
order and the level of information included.
o Observation of students verbal explanations will be noted to determine the student needs
more work on this topic or understands at a sound level.

Inquiry question

Key inquiry question:

o Explain the stages of a tsunami?

Lesson Structure
Time



20 mins

Introduction & Motivation

Orientation Phase
20 minutes

Re -watch youtube video from last lesson to refresh childrens
memory on the stages of a tsunami. Ask students throughout
the video questions:
o What stage of a tsunami is this section displaying?
o What is going to happen next?
o How would you react to seeing this stage happen?
o Do tsunamis contribute to the sustainability of the
earth?

Explain to students that they will be making a flow chart
explaining the stages of a tsunami. It must include label
diagrams.

Time



30 mins

Main Content
Enhancing Phase
30 minutes

As students to come up with different ways they could set out
a flow chart to explain the stages of a tsunami.

Dynamic earth unit plan

Teaching
Resources



Resources

o https://www.you

tube.com/watch?
v=Wx9vPv-
T51I&t=193

Teaching
Resources

Resources
o A 4 plank page,

Page 3

Time



10 mins

Allow students to draw an example of it on the white board

for the rest of the class to use as a reference whilst choosing
the way they want to represent their flow chart.
Particular students who may struggle with this task are given a
flow chart option by the teacher or must approve their own
with the teacher before commencing.

When students have finished their flow chart they are to
individually explain the stages of a tsunami using their flow
chart. This task will take 30seconds to 1 minute for each child.
When individuals are explain ask them thought provoking
questions which the class may also raise their hands to
answer.
e.g.
o How do certain stages link together?
o Why is it important for this event to occur?
o Where would you have to be to see this stage
occurring?
o What do you see when visualising this stage?


Conclusion
Summarising Phase
10 minutes

At table groups students participate in a quiz on tsunamis. The
students write down their answer to the quiz on a piece of
paper with one designated scribe.

Correct quiz and winning groups get to go to lunch first as a
reward

pencils, ruler and

coloured pencils

Teaching
Resources



http://news.nationalge
ographic.com.au/news/
2010/02/100227/tsuna
mi-quiz/

Differentiation of learning

Blooms Taxonomy
Throughout this lesson students are asked questions and complete tasks where they have the
opportunity to respond in a level suited to them using the theory of Blooms Taxonomy. Differentiating
questions and tasks allows the teacher to understand what level the individual student is currently at
and allows scaffolding for further lessons.

Evaluation
o
o
o
o
o
o

Did the students understand the task?

Will they need more work on this scientific knowledge?
Were all learning abilities catered for?
Were all learning abilities assessed equally?
Was the inquiry question answered?
Did this work well as an individual task or would more be gained by completing it in pairs or
groups?

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Resources

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). Science, year 6. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#level6

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