Differentiated “RAFT”Name and student #: Michelle Bawden – 2072774Unit Topic: Plant Growth and SurvivalRAFT Topic: Plant Growth and SurvivalCurriculum Area: ScienceYear Level: 5

This RAFT Activity will run over a period of 3 lessons, with this lesson being the introductory lesson. The students will have ‘Ketchup and Mustard’ (Catch-up and must-do) time also available for completion. Each group will post their RAFT activity onto the class homepage/blog so that parents can access. We will also have a ‘presentation day’ within the classroom.

Learning Objectives. As a result of completing the RAFT activity, students will:

Understand that (Concepts, principles, “big ideas”)All living things have needs that must be met in order to survive, grow and be healthy. All plant needs can be met in a variety of ways and living things are designed so that their needs can be met through aspects within their Biology.Each plant has a specific job that helps that plant and if it cannot do its job then the whole plant suffers.Students will make connections between the needs of plants, people and animals.Different ways of communicating can express different ideas.

Know (e.g. facts, vocabulary, dates, information)Names and functions of plant parts: leaves, roots, stems, flower, seed, stamen.Plant needs: light, water, air, soil and food.The life cycle of a plant.Use a specific scientific vocabulary and terms.Use English in the appropriate manner, depending on the RAFT activity, to express your ideas.

This RAFT is differentiated by: Readiness Interest Learning Profile(Mark all that apply)

I believe the RAFT task apply to both of these areas but I have concentrated more on the learning profile and included many formats to produce work, which would appeal to my students.When and how this RAFT will be used in the context of the lesson and/or unit:This task will be used as a differentiated assessment piece at the end of a topic on plant growth and survival. This RAFT format is designed around the different interests and learning profiles. Readiness is also involved as students can choose the harder cognitive tasks of thinking as the Earth and using the language that would be appropriate to world leaders.Students have the option of choosing their partner, based on interest, as well as their RAFT activity. Students will have been ‘pre-empted’ with discussions about the correct way to work in pairs and having responsibility and ownership of their learning, especially if they are not given the opportunity, usually, to work with this pair. It is a great opportunity to earn the teachers trust!!How students’ work will be evaluated (i.e., How will you know that students have achieved the objectives through their

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Use ICT in the appropriate manner, depending on the RAFT activity, to express your ideas.

Be able to (do) (Skills, processes)Describe changes in the life cycle of a plant due to the environment.Describe, compare and contrast life cycles of plants within certain environments.Communicate your ideas in the correct manner, depending on your RAFT activity.Explain why changes occur to plants and/or animals and humans within our world.Use ICT correctly and safely to create your RAFT task.Use Information Technology to submit your task.Work effectively in a small group or in pairs.Analyse and use logic to appropriately express ideas.

completion of the RAFT?):Due to the diverse nature of the tasks, but with the underlying theme of Plant Growth and Survival, I have designed a rubric that considers skills, knowledge and understanding as well as the general capabilities. Also included is creativity and group work, where applicable. (Appendix i )As this was a large unit of work (10 lessons) I added a student feedback survey (SA TfEL Review Tools handbook, 2011, Appendix 8) which is a survey the students give the teacher so that they know how to make sure the teacher is providing the best learning opportunities. If this unit is successful, then I will endeavour to teach it through my career. By the students assisting with feedback I will be able to make changes where applicable.

Essential Questions

Plant Growth and Survival (Big idea)

If you were a plant, what would you need to survive?

How can what we do affect the growth and survival of plants, and therefore us?

Curriculum Links:Science - Year 5:

Processing and analysing data and information: Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS090)

Communicating: Communicate ideas, explanations and processes in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS093).

English – Year 5:

Interacting With Others: Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements (ACELY1700)

Creating texts: Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1704)

Use a range of software including word processing programs with fluency to construct, edit and publish written text, and select, edit and place visual, print and audio elements (ACELY1707)

General Capabilities:Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – Level 3:

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Communicating with ICT: Collaborate, share and exchange: Select and use appropriate ICT tools safely to share and exchange information and to safely collaborate with others.

Creating with ICT: Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks: Create and modify simple digital solutions, creative outputs or data representation/transformation for particular purposes

Critical and Creative Thinking – Level 3:

Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures: Apply logic and reasoning: identify and apply appropriate reasoning and thinking strategies for particular outcomes.

RAFT Activities Resources and EquipmentThe Garden Laptop, Powerpoint, Prezi or Glogster, Web access, Digital Camera and

software– depending on idea.

Gardening Magazine Laptop, http://www.risermedia.com/kids/magazine-maker/ (National Geographic Website for student to make magazines) or publisher or word processing, web access, digital camera and software-depending on idea.

Earth Laptop, Word processing document, Web access.

Film Maker iPads, imovie for apple – flik camera + software for Word, web access.

Preassessment for determining Student InterestDirections: I assessed Student Interest in the previous lesson with an exit card. I observed what the children were interested in; how they wanted to produce their understandings of the unit in Science we had been working on. The RAFT lesson is structured form this exit card.

Exit Card from the previous lesson with the following:

We are finishing our Plant Growth and Survival Unit with a project that will explain all you have learnt.Please circle below the format you would like to use to explain your understandings…..

Movie Narrative Magazine Article Newspaper ArticlePoem Dance Oral Performance DiagramPoster Debate Other:_______________________________________

Please leave your exit card in the post box at the door when completed. Thank You, Mrs Bawden.

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RAFT Title: Plant Growth and Survival ROLE AUDIENCE FORMAT TOPIC

The garden Seed Oral talk with ICT.

How you will grow to be part of our world.

Gardening Magazine

Public Magazine column (ICT)

How to grow the perfect tomato….do’s and don’t’s.

Earth World leaders

Narrative – submitted on class website (ICT)

Help! Plants and animals are dying….we need to work together for our survival!

Film Maker National Geographic Children’s Channel

Short Documentary (ICT)

Plant growth and survival…a how-to guide!

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RAFT: Differentiation ExplanationI chose a RAFT activity as the concept is exciting and will grab students’ attention. In a RAFT students take on a particular role, develop a product for a specific audience in a certain format and on a topic that is in the core of what the students are learning, or in this case, have learnt. The focus on learning style will give all the students in my class the tools, and enthusiasm, to successfully complete this task. Hattie (2009, pp., 195) talks of matching strong student learning styles with a task generally promotes greater academic gains.

I incorporated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the RAFT program as the children are generally excited to be using technology. It also incorporates many aspects of the General Capabilities and students will need to post their product onto the class website as part of their assessment. This also allows for parents to view what the children have been learning in Science and hopefully generate some extra conversations at home!

RAFT STRIP ONE: The Garden / Seed / Oral talk / How you will grow to be part of our world.

I chose the garden talking to a seed that is about to be planted as this should spark some wonderful questioning. This strip is mainly for children who enjoy talking in front of the class, who are dramatic and extroverted. They will use powerpoint or glogster to create an ICT presentation that they will use while giving the oral presentation. I will encourage students to use any diagrams, pictures, art techniques (i.e. colour and patterns), music and/or a short movie clip, if desired, to make their presentation interesting and relevant to the topic. I will have a time minimum of 3 minutes of talking time to 10 minutes, maximum, so that the children can have range, and time, to portray their message to the seed. The challenge within this RAFT activity is to gather all the information and place in the correct order in a concise and entertaining manner. The added element of being as creative as one desires due to the format of the exercise should extend the learning of the Science topic; Plant Growth and Survival, for the visual students within my classroom.

RAFT STRIP TWO: Gardening Magazine / Public / Magazine Column / How to grow the perfect plant… do’s and don’ts.

I chose a magazine article as this will appeal to many of the children who enjoy doing projects as there is a written and visual aspect. Some children are great organisers and are able to explain things explicitly; this task will be perfect for those kids. I also envisioned some of the girls opting for this option due to the communication style and the visual aids that are available on the National Geographic website. The challenge is researching the plant and relating the survival and growth techniques with all that they have learnt in the unit. They will need to communicate this information to the Public in a concise and well written manner. There is also the element of having the information in the correct order, while including what to do and what not to do. RAFT STRIP THREE: Earth / World Leaders / Narrative / Help! Plants and animals are dying….we need to work together for our survival!

This RAFT activity is for the deep thinkers in our classroom; the children that enjoy writing and solving problems. They are imagining they are the Earth and is communicating to the world leaders on how we need to work together for our survival and for the future. Students can have the opportunity to work independently or in a pair to write this narrative. If students do work collaboratively I will observe the amount of work each student does and how they work together. This task has the scope to investigate an environmental problem/s and what needs to be done to rectify the situation. Or students could delve into one of the innovative environmental energy streams (solar, wind, etc.) to research this task. Another option is looking at palm oil or deforestation. Students will need to talk about, within their narrative, about why, how, where and what plants are dying or how their growth is affected. The challenge in this task is students beginning to make the connections between plant growth and survival and Earth’s survival. These are big concepts and ideas but I do believe they would appeal to some members of a classroom.

RAFT STRIP FOUR: Film Maker / National Geographic Channel / Short Documentary / Plant Growth and Survival, a how to guide!

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This RAFT activity is for learners that are active and creative, that wish to experiment with sound and film. Students have the opportunity to represent what they know about Plant Growth and Survival through a documentary with a how to guide (perhaps a Bear Grylls style of documentary). Students have the opportunity to work collaboratively with this project. The learning style is address with the visual component, however an interest component is used with the possibility of a ‘how to guide’ for survival and growth. This should reinforce the learning the children have done in this topic, whilst making connections to our own growth and survival.

Lesson Plan:Lesson Sequence Time

FrameExplanatory Notes Teacher Style

Floor time – Introduction

Choosing groups

Task Time : Design and Research

15 mins

5 mins

20 mins

Students sit on the mat in front of the white board. I give a brief summary of the unit and what we have been learning. I then move onto the RAFT task. I explain that the students are going to create a piece of work about Plant Growth and Survival in a manner that interests them (Learning Style) on a task of interest (Topic). I will discuss here that they can work independently or collaboratively (no more than three) on their task. It is an opportunity to work with a group of choice, that they might not get the opportunity to – due to behaviour. I will reinforce that it is an assessment task and that everyone needs to contribute. It will also be a way to prove to me (as the teacher) that you can work effectively with your friends or peers. I will put the RAFT on the whiteboard. I will talk about each strip, explaining (as per the differentiation explanation I have given above) as to what I expect from each strip. I will explain the time frame that students have and how they will ‘hand-up’ their product (on class website).As we are using ICT we will touch on the class rules regarding the safe and ethical use of ICT and on-line work (these expectations are discussed in other subjects so the students have prior understanding on this – they just need to be reminded before the task)

As our class climate is holistic, all the children work well together and we will do a grouping exercise on what students are interested in re. RAFT. Students will then form smaller groups, or choose to work independently, from this task.

Explicit teaching – thorough in expectations and guidelines that the students can follow.

I will guide students into four areas within the classroom that I have already created (with task notes) on each table. The students will move quietly and quickly to their task table as these are skills we have practiced.

I will walk around the groups, assisting where needed with grouping.

I will help students re. coloured cups where needed, but will also be questioning each group regarding their task. I will used open-ended questioning to aid discovery and to make sure the learning objectives are being covered by each

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Lesson Closure

10 minutes

I will gain students attention (bell) and explain what they will be doing next. I will tell each group that we will be using the coloured cups for group management (Jarvis, Lecture, FLO, 2012) and that I will assist where needed. Students, in their groups, will receive the hand-out (Appendix ii) regarding their task and a large sheet of butcher paper to brainstorm their ideas. They will use coloured textas and be sitting at desks; floor or the group tables to mind-map their project.

Students can begin to research their task if needed in this session, once their design template/idea is completed.

Get students attention (bell) Get students to pack up. Explain that I have provided baskets for each group to post their template (far wall), where they can keep paper, designs and USBs. They will need to Log-off from any computers/iPads and put back into the mobile computer storage unit. I will place a timer on the whiteboard (2 minutes) and will expect all students on the floor, packed up within that time. This has been practiced and the class know how to do this efficiently and effectively.

We will then re-group and discuss what we have been doing. I will keep this exciting, as the task is, and involve the whole group and mention ideas if the flow of conversation slows. It is a show-and-tell of ideas and designs. Students will be able to hear/tell what they are going to do.

group.

Students have access to lap-tops and iPads during this session for when their design has been completed.

As this lesson is predominately research/design the students will remain in the classroom. For the filming students, I will arrange designated areas within the school they can use – for the following lessons, with an SSO/myself to supervise. Obviously I trust my students but with OHS I need to provide supervision. The remaining groups will be in the classroom unless they need to photograph the environment.

Explicit InstructionsWhiteboard Timer

Class DiscussionAct as a mediator to keep the flow of conversation/ideas flowing.

There will be no exit card as the students will just be moving onto their project in the next lesson.

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References:

Hattie, J., Visible Learning, A Synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement, 2009, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, New York.

Jarvis, J., On-line Powerpoint, 2013, Flinders Learning Online, Flinders University.

Rubistar Rubric maker, www.rubistar.4teachers.org

SA TfEL: South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook, 2011, Government of South Australia, Department of Education and Children’s Services. Lane Print & Post, South Australia.

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Raft Strip OneThe Garden talking to the Seed………………………….

Directions: Imagine you are a garden and you are talking to the new kid on the block; a tiny little seed. You will need to explain to the little seed –How you will grow to be part of our world.You will create an ICT product and give an oral presentation to the class – you can make out they are all seeds!You can use – Microsoft Powerpoint, Glogster Poster or Prezi to create your presentation. You may also create or use:

Diagrams,Use web images or take your own using the digital

cameraYou tube or other web based videos (check with

teacher),Music plus any creative art techniques (think colour, patterns and fun!!)

Assessment: You will need to talk for a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes. When you have completed your presentation please post on the class website in the on-line box provided. Don’t forget your names. I will also be assessing you on your oral talk. Have fun…….and happy creating!

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Plant Growth And Survival : RAFT Task

Date posted on-line: _____________________________________________________________

Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Presentation Smooth delivery that

holds audience attention.

Fairly smooth delivery that holds audience attention most of the time.

Delivery not smooth, but able to maintain interest of the audience most of the time.

Delivery not smooth and audience attention often lost.

Content Covers topic in-depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent.

Includes essential knowledge about the topic. Subject knowledge appears to be good.

Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors.

Content is minimal OR there are several factual errors.

Originality Product shows a large amount of original thought. Ideas are creative and inventive.

Product shows some original thought. Work shows new ideas and insights.

Uses other people\'s ideas (giving them credit), but there is little evidence of original thinking.

Uses other people\'s ideas, but does not give them credit.

Attractiveness Makes excellent use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance the presentation. NA for Narrative

Makes good use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance to presentation.

Makes use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. but occasionally these detract from the presentation content.

Use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. but these often distract from the presentaion content.

Organization Content is well organised

The overall organisation of topics appears flawed.

Content is logically organised for the most part.

There was no clear or logical organisational structure, just lots of facts.

Workload The workload is divided and shared equally by all team members.

The workload is divided and shared fairly by all team members, though workloads may vary from person to person.

The workload was divided, but one person in the group is viewed as not doing his/her fair share of the work.

The workload was not divided OR several people in the group are viewed as not doing their fair share of the work.

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Requirements All requirements are met and exceeded.

All requirements are met.

One requirement was not completely met.

More than one requirement was not completely met.

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