Term 3 Unit Sustainable Living Energy, Water,

Waste
Major Assessment Task Sustainability project
During the previous two weeks we have explored the topics of
Energy, Water and Waste. As a class we have begun identifying,
analysing and discussing the implications of a variety of sustainable
and non-sustainable practices happening in our homes, school and
community.
To achieve a satisfactory result in this sustainability unit you are
required to complete a major assessment task that encompasses
three distinct components. The assessment gives you the
opportunity to identify an area of interest in your home
environment, school environment or wider community that could
benefit from a new, innovative, sustainable solution. Over the
upcoming weeks, you are required to research and select a current
issue of your chosen environment, devise an innovative solution
including the formulation of a feasible action plan, and undertake
the required processes to implement your solution.
This task has been designed to encourage students to think beyond
the classroom and their impact as individuals, focusing on the big
picture and exploring the potential effects of the current state of
their community, home and school environments. Students will be
assessed not only on their ability to identify and analyse local
environmental problems, but on their capacity to find and
implement solutions. The sustainability project offers students the
opportunity to see the impact they can have on an environment of
their choice, implementing a sustainable solution and experiencing
the positive outcomes first hand.

The sustainability project focuses on three key AusVELS domains;

communication, civics and citizenship and personal learning,
incorporating the following five dimensions; the individual learner,
managing personal learning, community engagement, listening
viewing and responding and communication. The assessed AusVELS
standards are outlined below under components of assessment
tasks.

Sustainability project steps

Step one:
Research and identify a variety of environmental issues in your
home, school and/or community, considering potential solutions.
Select an issue of interest to focus on for your sustainability project.
Step two:
Through thorough research of your chosen issue, devise an
innovative, practical solution that you can implement in your chosen
environment- home, school or the community (Consider the
technical and financial feasibility of your solution remembering
that implementation is the final component of this task).
Step three:
Create a single page proposal document aimed at the target
audience of your action plan. For example, if you decide to devise
and implement a recycling system for the school canteen, your
proposal must be addressed to the canteen manager.
Step four:
When your proposal has been approved, you may then take the
necessary steps to implement your plan/project.
Example ideas/inspiration for sustainability project
-

Vegetable patch
Worm farm
Composting
Waste reduction
Food waste reduction
Recycling

Water conservation
Green building design principles

Be creative! Dont limit yourself to these ideas investigate and

explore many possibilities. Find something that interests you.

Components of assessment tasks

Task 1a Proposal
Instructions:
You are to formulate a written proposal to the
recipient/manager/business/company and/or intended person who
will benefit from the implementation of your sustainability plan.
The proposal must:
-

Be addressed to the affected/intended people/persons who

will benefit from the implementation of your plan

Outline the current issue that you intend to address, and the

reasons as to why it is an issue

Inform the reader of your sustainability plan, including:
The intention of your plan
How you will implement your plan
The desired outcome/benefit of your plan
Any expected results from implementation of your plan

The proposal should be written in a coherent, professional way and

be an informative document that will enthuse the reader to take
part in your sustainability plan.
The proposal is to be submitted to the teacher for approval and
feedback, but will not be formally assessed, however, the proposal
must be approved before further project planning can continue.

Informal assessment of the following AusVELS standards

will occur:
Students allocate appropriate time and identify and utilize
appropriate resources to manage competing priorities and complete
tasks, including learner-directed projects, within set timeframes.
They develop an action plan which demonstrates their knowledge of
a social or environmental issue and suggest strategies to raise
community awareness of it.
Students initiate personal short-term and long-term learning goals
and negotiate appropriate courses of action to achieve them
The intended objectives of this task are:
Students investigate areas of interest and begin to formulate ideas
for upcoming sustainability project.
Students will analyse a variety of strategies employed to sustain
healthy outdoor environments, evaluate their effectiveness and
reflect on their potential for consideration in their future community
project.
Students plan for a practical sustainable solution that they will be
implementing in their home, school or community and begin to
analyse relevant information that was collected on the field trip.
Students collect and interpret data on the state of their chosen issue
in their home, school or community and formulate a plan and
proposal to implement changes.

Task 1b - Presentation
Instructions:
You are to create an engaging and informative presentation to
deliver to the class, informing us of the issue behind your chosen
area of concern, your solution, planned implementation strategies
and resulting outcomes.
The presentation must:
-

Include all relevant aspects of your sustainability plan

including:
The
The
The
The

issue
solution
implementation strategy
intended outcomes

Be engaging and informative

Be creative. Many forms of media can be used for this task,
examples include; PowerPoint presentation, oral presentation,

images, videos, digital 3D representation, model, illustrations

Be presented clearly and be easy to hear, follow and

understand for the audience

Be between five and ten minutes in length

Assessment for this task:

The presentation will be both teacher and peer assessed. Everyone
is expected to grade and provide constructive feedback for each
individual presentation. You will be assessed on not only the quality

of your presentation, but on the quality of the feedback you provide

to peers. The marking/feedback form will be provided by the
teacher.
AusVELS being assessed:
Students seek and respond to feedback from peers, teachers and
other adults to develop and refine their content knowledge and
understanding, identifying areas for further investigation.
Students select suitable resources and technologies to effectively
communicate.
Students identify the ways in which complex messages are
effectively conveyed and apply this knowledge to their
communication.
When listening, viewing and responding, they consider alternate
views, recognise multiple possible interpretations and respond with
insight.
They use complex verbal and non-verbal cues, subject-specific
language and a wide range of communication forms.
They use subject specific language and conventions in accordance
with the purpose of their presentation to communicate complex
information.
They provide constructive feedback to others and use feedback and
reflection in order to inform their future presentations.
Objectives being met:

Students present their issue and solution to the rest of the class
through an engaging and informative presentation.
Students listen and respond to peer presentations, completing a
peer feedback form, which will be used for assessment.
Students provide constructive feedback and reflect on received
feedback to inform further planning of their project and future
presentations.

Task 1c Implementation and reflection

Instructions:
On completion of planning and implementing your sustainable
solution you are required to reflect upon the process and outcomes
of the project. You are to submit a written reflection that outlines the
process of implementation and the results.
The reflection must:
-

Briefly state the issue you chose to target

Outline the approach taken to implement your sustainable
solution
Discuss your answers to the following questions
Did you implement your plan as you intended?
Was your idea an effective solution to the identified
issue?
Will your solution be long lasting or temporary?
What would you do differently next time?
Highlight the successes and downfalls of your solution,
including the planning phases.

You will be assessed on your participation and engagement with the

task throughout planning and implementation phases, and graded
on your ability to analyse and reflect on completion of the project.
AusVELS being assessed:
Students allocate appropriate time and identify and utilize
appropriate resources to manage competing priorities and complete
tasks, including learner-directed projects, within set timeframes.
Students work independently to implement a range of strategies, as
appropriate, to maximize their learning.
They identify their interests, strengths and weaknesses and use
these to determine future learning needs, especially in relation to
the post-compulsory pathways.
They use feedback and reflection in order to inform their future
presentations.
Objectives being met:
Students use their time to implement and/or construct their project
in an effective and appropriate way to achieve desired result of
planning and design phases.