Assessment 3: Project
Word/time limit: 2000 (+/- 10%)
Due date: 13th June
Study resources:
Throughout this unit, the eTexts we use each week are:
Aitken, J., Hunt, J., Roy, E., & Sajfar, B. (2012). A sense of wonder: Science in early childhood education. Teaching Solutions.
Campbell, C., Jobling, W., & Howitt, C. (2021). Science in early childhood. Cambridge University Press.
Assessment overview
This assessment requires you to develop an environmental project based on a sustainability topic for a group of young children. You will design and present information about the project and the anticipated outcomes to be shared with parents or carers and the wider community in order to stimulate their interest in the children’s learning and involvement in this project.
This assessment supports unit learning outcomes K3, K4, K6, K8, S1, S2, S4, S5, S6, S7, A4 and A5. (See below)
Assessment details
This assessment is designed to enable you, as a pre-service teacher (PST), to demonstrate your understanding of pedagogical approaches and resources required to effectively implement environmental education with a kindergarten class. While you do not have to implement this assessment, you must consider what may evolve when planning and implementing a project with a kindergarten class. You will develop strategies to involve the education community in your environmental education project and disseminate project information and outcomes to parents, carers and the wider community.
Instructions and structure
Select the following headings to learn more about how to complete this assessment and what should be included in your project overview.
Instructions:
To complete this assessment, work through the following steps:
Step 1: Choose ONE of the following topics to research and develop an overview of to be implemented in an educational setting:
• Litter-free lunch boxes
• Composting food scraps
• Conservation of water and energy
• Attracting native animals to the environment
• Reducing the amount of garbage in a classroom
• Establishing a child-friendly garden (plants, vegetables, herbs)
You will receive more information on these topics later on this page.
Step 2: Research your chosen topic and develop an overview that demonstrates your understanding of the topic, the teaching strategies involved and the practices required to develop skills in planning for learning and teaching.
Step 3: Write an overview of this project, identifying the considerations to plan and implement the environmental education project with the active involvement of children, teachers, families and the community. You should also identify how you would inform parents and carers of the project information and outcomes.
Structure:
Your written overview of the project needs to include the following sections:
• The topic of your project
• Project curriculum link(s)
o The link(s) should be related to the purpose(s) of environmental education.
• Introduction
o How will you introduce the topic to the children?
o How will you implement the topic using planned and unplanned experiences?
o What strategies will be involved and why?
o Be sure to adopt readings and relevant literature to support your justifications.
• Information and resources
o Where will the information for this project be gathered?
o What resources will be required to carry out the topic?
• Strategies
o The strategies that you will implement to involve the school community in the environmental education project
• Outcomes
o How the project information and outcomes will be disseminated to the parents, carers and wider community.
Please note: The structure of your written overview can take any form as long as you include each of the listed sections. Take a look at the provided student exemplars for examples of ways to present your information.
Research topics
Select each of the following headings to learn more about the topics you can research for this assessment as well as for a starting resource to plan your project.
• Litter-free lunches (Queensland Sustainable Schools, 2022).
• Composting (Do Something!, 2022).
• Teaching conservation with the water footprint calculator (GRACE Communications Foundation, 2017).
• How to attract native birds to your backyard (Scott, 2021).
• Waste: A ‘how to’ guide (Sustainability Victoria, 2016).
• Littering in schools statistics (Paul’s Rubbish Removal Sydney, 2020).
• Gardening for children (State of Victoria, 2021).
• Federation University Library has helpful information about referencing in APA on their FedCite page.
Submission details overview
This assessment will be submitted through Turnitin as a .DOC or .DOCX file only.
Assessment criteria
- Project goal(s)
- Design of the learning experience
- Justification of the theoretical perspectives and curriculum approaches to support student engagement and participation
- Incorporation of the required resources to engage students and expand learning opportunities
- Strategies to involve the learning community
- Dissemination of the project information and outcome to parents and wider community
- Presentation, including spelling and grammar
- Referencing
Unit learning outcomes
• K3 Select teaching methods and strategies appropriate for teaching science in ways that are inclusive of all young children.
• K4 Demonstrate an understanding of how developmental theory, child health, wellbeing and safety and curricular requirements underpin curricula decision making.
• K6 Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary issues around science and environmental education and their impact on teaching.
• K8 Demonstrate an awareness of the role of community partnerships and culturally diverse perspectives in developing culturally inclusive science and environmental education programs.
• S1 Explain why science and environmental education should be taught to young children.
• S2 Describe the various ways in which science experiences and environmental education can contribute to a childs/childrens development.
• S4 Be conscious of the role that the adult can play in assisting young children to explore science and their environment while addressing curricula requirements.
• S5 Use intentional teaching and inquiry stances to develop environmental education projects with young learners and communities.
• S6 Develop working relationships with parent/carers and the wider community..
• S7 Use critical reflection as an impetus for professional learning.
• A4 Using their knowledge of child development, science and environment education content and curricular requirements to develop and implement and environmental education project.
• A5 Use strategies to include parents/carers and the wider community in planning and implementing environmental education projects.