Name: Pinki Gupta

Student Number: 17637679

102086 Designing Teaching & Learning

Session: 2H 2019

Assignment 2: Lesson Plan Analysis, Revision and Justification

Title: “Waste Management by using biodegradable bin liners”- lesson plan analysis,

revision and justification by itc publications.

Date: 27/09/2019

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 102086 Designing Teaching & Learning
Assignment 2: QT Analysis Template

1 Intellectual quality

1.1 Deep knowledge

5 Deep knowledge was demonstrated throughout the lesson as students were engaged in

discussions on threshold concepts such as the causes and effects of the widespread use of

plastics, the relationship between them and the improvement of the given design of

recyclable bin liners.

1.2 Deep understanding

5 Almost all students showed in-depth understanding throughout the lesson by actively

listening to the teacher’s instructions, making inquiries, participating in the teacher-

designed classroom activities and improving upon the given design of a bin-liner.

1.3 Problematic knowledge

4 Most students were able to challenge their underpinning assumptions and openly listen

to multiple perspectives of their teacher and peers before they made a judgement of the

appropriateness of the knowledge they acquired.

1.4 Higher-order thinking

4 Most pupils showed critical thinking skills as they were highly engaged in the single

major activity of designing their bin liners for most of the lesson, and some students

even created creative and multipurpose products such as bin liners or supermarket bags

with handles.

1.5 Metalanguage
2 There was a low emphasis on the use of metalanguage as only the teacher mentioned few

terms such as non-renewable, non-biodegradable and high-density polythene, but

without any elaborate explanation. Metalanguage can be improved by using cross-word

puzzles and inviting students to demonstrate their designs using the specific vocabulary.

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1.6 Substantive communication
5 Sustained and two-way communication occurred throughout the lesson because students

were able to follow a line of reasoning through their teacher’s support. The teacher

clarified their doubts and helped them to implement their ideas to improvise the design.

Quality learning environment

2.1 Explicit quality criteria

5 While beginning the lesson, the teacher elaborated the high-quality work criteria on the

whiteboard, which students consistently used to assess their practical work.

2.2 Engagement
5 Serious engagement was evident throughout the lesson because all students were

completely engrossed in the experimental activity, and learners endeavoured to complete

the task. The teacher facilitated structured learning by scaffolding for students who needed

more assistance.

2.3 High expectations

4 The teacher encouraged most students to try hard, take risks to experiment with their ideas

and come up with new designs by moving around the class throughout the lesson. As a

result, most pupils were able to complete all the challenging tasks.

2.4 Social support

5 The teacher provided strong social support by facilitating teamwork through the think-

pair-share-activity and providing extra resources such as papers, staples to students. In

the end, he also applauded their work so that all students could value each other’s

contributions.

2.5 Students’ self-regulation

5 The whole lesson proceeded without any interruptions as the teacher provided adequate

and relevant resources with clearly specified goals. Consequently, all students were self-

disciplined and autonomous.

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2.6 Student direction
3 The lesson was mainly teacher-directed, and low student direction was observed with a

limited choice of tasks and resources given to students, and some students could not even

follow teachers’ instructions at the same pace as other students. It can be improved by

including ICT and giving students more control over the significant aspects of the lesson.

3 Significance

3.1 Background knowledge

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The teacher consistently incorporated students’ knowledge into the lesson by asking

questions, which students enthusiastically answered. For example, students were able to

relate how plastics could be harmful to animals’ lives.

3.2 Cultural knowledge

1 Throughout the lesson, the teacher only discussed the main concepts within the context of

the dominant Australian Culture, and he did not explicitly recognise or valued other

cultural contexts. So, cultural knowledge can be integrated by dividing students into

heterogeneous groups and by encouraging them to share their cultural experiences in

relation to the topic.

3.3 Knowledge integration

5 Both teacher and students were able to interrelate the various concepts such as the causes

and effects of the predominating use of plastic bags. They were also able to connect the

concepts to their daily lives and environmental science.

3.4 Inclusivity
5 The teacher moved around the students to elicit equal and high-level participation in all

aspects of the lesson, and he provided equivalent assistance to them irrespective of their

differences.

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3.5 Connectedness
5 All students were able to relate the knowledge to their daily lives as they were able to

understand how they could manage the waste and minimise the use of plastic bags to

protect the environment.

3.6 Narrative
2 The teacher only used narrative to introduce the topic to students. For improving this

element, the teacher will explain all the concepts in the form of a story, and students can

demonstrate their designs through stories using metalanguage, including any related

cultural experience.

Identifying Areas for Improvement

Identify the four NSW QT model elements you are targeting for improvement.

QT model
1) Metalanguage 2) Student direction
3) cultural knowledge 4) Narrative

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 Lesson Plan – Bin Liners

Syllabus: Science Stage: Stage 4 Topic: Earth and Space

Outcomes Assessment Students learn Students learn to

about
SC4-13ES Explains how Informal ES3 Scientific Classify a range of the Earth’s

advances in scientific formative knowledge resources as renewable or non-

understanding of assessment. influences the renewable.

processes that occur choices people make Investigate some strategies

within and on Earth in regard to the use which people use to conserve

influence the choices and management of and manage non-renewable

people make about the Earth’s resources. E.g. recycling and the

resource use and resources. alternative use of natural and

management. made resources.

Time Teaching and Learning Actions

5 min Lesson Preliminaries/Administration
 Settle students into the classroom.

 Mark the roll.

10 mins Direct Instruction

 Welcome students and remind them of the topic.

 Introduce students to high-density polyethylene as a non-renewable resource

used to make plastic bags. Briefly tell students a story interwoven around the

concepts such as the invention of high-density polythene, reasons for its increasing

use and its implications in the future.

 Key ideas for this lesson are cause and effect through questions being “why

do we use so many plastic bags in Australia and do other countries such as China,

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 India, England and America use as many plastic bags as Australia?” and “what is

the effect on the environment?”

 Another key idea is solutions with questions being “what have governments

done to solve problems caused by plastic bags in various countries?” and “what

can citizens including the poor people do to solve problems caused by plastic

bags?”

 Give overview of activity:

 Design renewable alternatives to plastic bags using newspapers or discarded

cardboard boxes. The teacher will show students a design through videos in their

groups based on the choice of materials and students will improve that design,

adding their ideas.

 Give overview of thinking tools to be used:

 Think-pair-share

 One cause-effect map worksheet and one cross-word worksheet on

metalanguage with hints to complete

 Pros-Cons-Questions

10 mins Think-Pair-Share Activity

 Give students true/false statements worksheet with questions like “the average

plastic bag is used for only 5 minutes but can take up to 1,000 years to break down

in the environment”.

 Students have 2 minutes to individually answer the questions (think).

 Students then have 1 minute to discuss their responses with the student sitting

next to them (pair). The teacher will then lead the class discussion through a

narrative based on worksheets for 5 minutes (share).

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10 mins Cause-Effect Mapping Activity with cross-word sheet

 Give students cause-effect map worksheets.

 Students have 2 minutes to think of as many reasons for why we use so many

plastic bags are being used in different countries including Australia, and for

what reason do some people rely more on plastic bags than others? These

questions will assist students to contemplate on how the difference in living

standards such as low socioeconomic status contribute to the predominant use

of plastics.

 Go around the class to check student understanding. Highlight the link

between the causes identified and the production of high-density polyethylene

bags.

 Students have 2 minutes to list as many some sub-effects of the production

and use of plastic bags and to complete one crossword worksheet to introduce

high vocabulary words such as synthetic, biodegradable, environment-

friendly, natural decomposers such as bacteria. Circulate to assist students.

 The teacher leads a brief class discussion to summarise the environmental

effects identified by the students and invites students to highlight the

metalanguage words they came across while completing the crossword.

5 mins Direct Instruction Student-directed instruction through ICT with the teacher as

a facilitator

 Teacher to show students how to construct a biodegradable bin liner by

folding 4 sheets of newspaper. Students will be provided links to watch videos

on a shared i-pad in their groups based on their choice of materials to be used

for the construction of bin liners. For example, how to construct a

biodegradable bin liner by folding four sheets of newspaper or by using cereal

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 boxes. The teacher will move around to check if students are on the task and

to clarify their doubts and provide assistance. The bin liner will fit into the

teacher’s waste-paper baskets of various sizes.

5 mins Pros and Cons Activity

 The teacher invites students to highlight the pros and cons of the

biodegradable bin liners.

15 mins Student-Centred Activity

 Students to identify ways to improve the bin liners using the MAS sheet.

Students to work in pairs to refine the newspaper bin liners or to create

innovative designs by using one material or the combination of them.

Circulate around the room to assist students.

 Students demonstrate their improved designs to the teacher, using the

teacher’s waste paper basket as a test.

 Students demonstrate their improvised designs to the whole class through a

short narrative using their teacher’s waste paper basket as a test.

 Teacher to encourage peer support during demonstrations.

 Summarise and close the lesson.

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome The method of measurement or recording

SC4-13ES Informal questioning of student understanding as the lesson

progresses.

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 Justification for changes in the lesson plan

Teachers must be competent in designing the curriculum and planning effective lessons

to support educational equity and excellence (John, 2006; NESA, 2014). To support teachers

in accomplishing these goals, Ladwig and Gore (2009) developed the NSW model of

pedagogy with three dimensions consisting of a total of 18 elements and coding scales. Using

the Quality Teaching Analysis Template of this model, the given lesson plan of bin liners was

analysed, coded and modified. This essay will justify the changes made in four elements:

metalanguage, student direction, cultural knowledge and narrative.

Metalanguage is specific terminology in a subject area, and it is also the first most

significant element which must be used frequently throughout the lesson (Ladwig & Gore,

2009). However, the given lesson plan has a low emphasis on metalanguage with a coding

scale of 2, and it can, therefore, be added through a crossword sheet as crosswords result in

the metacognitive and automatic learning processes which solvers require along with the

"cueing systems" and imagination to find words (Coffey, 1998; Geoghegan, O'Neill, &

Petersen, 2013, p.125).

Besides this, metalanguage tends to have a significant impact on linguistic and

disciplinary proficiencies of students as they can critically analyse, assess and apply the new

knowledge across various contexts such as English grammar and science lessons (Hu, 2011).

Learners can also create large world banks which can eventually enhance their basic literacy

skills. Thus, metalanguage is needed to be competent in almost every discipline (Daffern,

2017).

The second element to consider is student direction, and high student direction is

demonstrated when students are given freedom to choose one or more aspects of a lesson

either independently or with teacher's permission (Ladwig & Gore, 2009). However, the

given lesson plan has low student-direction, and this is improved by including information

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communication technology (ICT), along with a range of materials as ICT develops "skills of

collaboration, problem-solving" and creativity among students (Hunter, 2017, p. 568).

Further, when students are given the freedom to make decisions about their learning and

expressing their views, pupils demonstrate thorough knowledge, "motivation for learning"

and the ability to build meaningful relationships with their teachers which extend beyond

classrooms and schools (Geoghegan, O'Neill, & Petersen, 2013, p. 127; Bodsworth &

Goodyear 2017; Osmanoglu Dincer, 2018). This kind of positive development is limited in

teacher-directed classrooms since teacher-directed learning promotes "mechanistic and

superficial learning" (Hume & Coll, 2008, p.24).

Metalanguage and student-direction work only if classrooms are culturally responsive as

the learning is significant to students if the third element, "substantial cultural knowledge" is

recognised and valued equally to "the dominant culture" (Ladwig & Gore, 2009, p. 42).

However, this element is missing in the given lesson plan, so students sit in groups in a way

to support cultural diversity because "heterogeneity of students' experience and cultural

backgrounds is a valuable resource" for learning in science classrooms (Richard & Michaels,

2005, p. 62).

Furthermore, in culturally responsive classrooms, teachers can help students in reaching

their fullest intellectual potential because when traditional knowledge is paired with scientific

concepts, pupils learn to be more tolerant and receptive to others' ideas regardless of

individual differences (McMillan, 2013; Whitaker, 2019). They develop high self-esteem and

"strong self-efficacy" to participate in classroom discussions and achieve overall academic

success (Martins-Shannon & White 2012, p. 4-5).

Finally, "significance" of lessons can be enhanced through the consistent use of a

narrative in the lesson (Ladwig & Gore, 2009, p. 39). In the given lesson plan, there is

insufficient use of narrative, therefore, the teacher and students should use stories to

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interconnect various concepts and demonstrate their designs as fictions empower people to

"see, speak and reason in new and powerful ways, helping them to understand the world and

their place in it" (Richard & Michaels, 2005, p. 58).

Also, stories promote holistic knowledge because stories communicate ideas in much

simpler ways and transform the facts into a compelling picture to which people can relate

(D'Abate & Alpert 2017; Parry, 2010). They also promote student engagement, collaborative

learning and self-expression as students come up with original ideas by combining reality,

fantasy and disciplinary knowledge (Elshafie & Sumida, 2018; Tiba et al., 2015; Lisenbee &

Ford, 2018).

In conclusion, it is recommended that all the elements mentioned in the NSW model are

included in a lesson to make teaching and learning productive (Ladwig & Gore, 2009).

However, the given lesson plan is not culturally responsive and has a limited narrative,

student direction and metalanguage. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the lesson plan to

promote holistic learning among students.

URL link to the learning portfolio

https://pinkigupta.weebly.com

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 References

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doi: 10.1017/S0266078400000663

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