Emily Richards S00134486

Topic: Water
Grade/ AusVELS level: 3&4
Duration: 9 lessons (9 hours)
Rationale:
When it comes to sustainability many people think of energy and waste but sometimes the important topic of
water can be forgotten or not heavily valued. A stimulating way to reinforce the importance of water in
sustainability is to incorporate it into the school through AuSSI. Research has found that schools that participate in
AuSSI have students with enhanced attitudes, values, knowledge and understandings in regard to education for
sustainability (Lewis, 2012). Schools not only need to teach about water sustainability but need to put it into
practice so students can really understand the need for sustainable water practices (Lewis, 2012).
The unit includes aspects where students can save water at home as well at school and this can promote staff,
students and parents all working together to become sustainable community (Fraser, 2010). Being sustainable at
home may also present to parents and the community about how important it is to incorporate sustainability as
part of a balanced curriculum (Fraser, 2010). Students also need to take the lead in deciding action points and
carrying out activities when it comes to suitability and students have various opportunities to do this throughout

Emily Richards S00134486

the unit such as when they must educate others and create their own individual action on saving water (Fraser,
2010). Such contextual learning by the students should develop student understanding, enthusiasm and
awareness of the issue of water sustainability (Fraser, 2010).

How the unit addresses the AuSSI (Vic):

AuSSI Vic is Victorias own approach to the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI). The unit created has
addressed the water module of AuSSI Vic by teaching students to mange water usage in the school grounds and
the school yard (ResourceSmart, 2015). For example when students must discover who they speak to in the case
of a water problem or when students need to consider how to cut down their water wastage. It has also addressed
the AuSSI Vic module by teaching students and involving students in curriculum activities about sustainability and
becoming more sustainable users in regard to the use of water. (ResourceSmart, 2015). As the students also
create posters about water sustainability they are working towards embedding sustainability and being water
smart into their school as well as their home (ResourceSmart, 2015). This unit would work well with one of the
1000 plus schools in Victoria, which has signed up with AuSSI Vic since 2003 (ResourceSmart, 2015).

Knowledge and understanding (AusVELS):

Emily Richards S00134486

When it comes to looking at sustainability for years 3and4 and in particular water, this unit fits into more than one
AusVELS domain. It fits into science because science aids people in understanding the effect of their actions, which
in this unit refers to looking at the effect our actions have on water (AusVELS). The curriculum also asks that
students make predictions and describe patterns and relationships which can be seen in this unit when students
look at needs and wants and predict why the earth may have become uninhabitable (AusVELS). The aim of this
unit is to get students to think of their actions which links with an AusVELS understanding of helping people to
understand the effect of their actions (AusVELS).
Its also has cross curricular links with the humanities and economics. It relates to humanities as you understand
and develop knowledge about how people interact with the environment and how our actions on the environment
effect our lives (AusVELS). The link to economics exists due to students make observations and interact with their
world such as when students identify water contamination and look at their water usage and try to reduce it
(AusVELS).

Planned
Learning
Experiences

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Emily Richards S00134486

Learning
Outcome

Students will use

their prior
knowledge to find
out what they
know about being
sustainable with
water.

Students will
explore ways in
which we
contaminate
water at home.

Students will
investigate their
individual water
usage.

Students will
explore ways in
which they can
reduce the amount
of water they use.

Students will
understand the
concept of want
and need.

Introduction

Have a class read

aloud of the text
The Great Big
Green Book. Have
students think,
pair, share ideas
from the text
then have a class
discussion about
these ideas.

Students observe
a simple
demonstration
about water
contamination
performed by the
teacher. The
teacher will add
oil, detergent,
fertilizer and
paint to glasses
of water. Students
are to record
what they see
happening to the
water.

Students are to
brainstorm as a
class water
contaminants
using their houses
from the previous
lesson to aid them.

Have the class

watch the YouTube
clip The Story of
Bottled Water.
Watch the clip
twice. The second
time have students
write down facts
they find
interesting from
the clip.

Students watch a
scene from the film
Wall-E called Give
Me the Plant.
Students will think,
pair, share why
earth may have
become
inhabitable and
unsustainable and
then share ideas
as a class.

Emily Richards S00134486

Body

To investigate
students prior
knowledge
students are to
complete a KWL
chart individually
about being
sustainable with
water. Students
will then share
what they wonder
as a table group.

Students look at a
drawing of a
house and
identify and label
sources of water
contamination.
(Appendix 1)

Students are asked

to estimate how
often they use
water and
calculate the
amount of water
they use per day.
They will enter this
information into a
graph.
(Appendix 2)

Using the table

they created form
the previous
lesson students
are then asked to
think about how
they could reduce
their water
consumption.
Students are to
brainstorm this
individually.

A class discussion
will take place on
need vs want.
Students will think
of in pairs one
want people have
that is
unnecessary and
would be good for
the environment to
get rid of.

Conclusion

Students can
watch the Going
Green Song and
then watch it a
second time to
try to sing along.

Students are to
split into groups
of around 4
students and
share their house
and where they
have labelled
water
contamination.
Students need to
explain why/why
not it is a
contaminated
area which they
have labelled.

The class will

make a bar chart
together on water
usage and reflect
about the average
water usage and
what we should
actually be using.

As a class students
are to play
charades to share
water saving ideas
they have come up
with.

Students will share

their unnecessary
want with the class
and the class will
decide which we
could do without
the most

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Assessment

Teacher will carry

out a diagnostic
assessment on
the KWL chart in
order to see what
students Know
and are
interested in
learning about.

Teacher is to
carry out
formative
assessment on
the students
labelled house.

Teacher will carry

out formative
assessment
identifying if
students could
calculate their
water use.

Teacher will
formatively assess
students
brainstorm.

Teacher will assess

by observation,
looking at
participation in
discussion.

Planned Learning
Experiences
Learning Outcome

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Students will
investigate who can
help them with water
problems

Students will help

educate other about
water and
sustainability,

Students will
communicate using
bottles about how to
avoid creating water
waste.

Students will create

an action on one way
they can save water.

Introduction

Students in table
groups will list
various uses for
water bottles and the
aim is to have the
longer list.

Have a think pair

share about what
attracts us to
advertisements.
Then construct a
class brainstorm
about what draws us
to advertisements.

Read aloud with the

class the text The
Adventures of a
Plastic Bottle.
Students will design
a character using a
water bottle.

Students as a class
will watch and take
notes on the YouTube
clip How to Save
Water in 6 Easy
Ways. As a class they
will list key ways to
save water.

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Body

Students research
and create a list of
who they can go to
get water problems
fixed.

Students design
water education
posters and present
them to younger
students at their
school. Share what
they know/have
learnt.

Water bottle puppet

show. In their puppet
show they need to
explain the
importance of
healthy habits when
drinking water,
drinking enough
water and how they
can avoid creating
waste.

Students are to
create an individual
action plan, which
involves one way in
which they will save
water at home.
Students are also to
decide how they will
monitor this action.

Conclusion

Table groups are to

share their lists and
add people they
think are important
that they didnt have
previously.

Students are to
choose locations
around the school to
put their posters e.g.
students bathrooms,
drink taps.

Students are to
reflect on the
messages presented
in each of the groups
show.

Students will share

their action plan with
3 peers and each
peer is to give cool
and warm feedback
on the plan.

Assessment

Teacher will
formatively assess
the list, checking
that the students has
listed the appropriate
people to contact.

Teacher will perform

summative
assessment seeing
how well students
communicate water
saving to others.

Teacher will perform

summative
assessment to see if
the appropriate
messages are
communicated
through the show.

Teacher will perform

summative
assessment to see if
the student learnt
the true meaning of
water saving which
will be displayed in
their choice of how to
save water.

Emily Richards S00134486

LESSON PLAN
Lesson Number: 8
Lesson Topic: Water Bottle Puppet Show
Year Level(s): 3/4
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
Learning Outcome(s)/Standard(s):
Students will communicate, through a puppet show using plastic
bottles, about how to avoid creating water waste.
How your lesson will achieve the stated outcomes
The outcome was that Students will communicate, through a puppet
show using plastic bottles, about how to avoid creating water waste.
This outcome will be achieved as students are required to think of a
message before writing their script. This emphasises the importance
of the message in the puppet show. The students are also being
asked to proof read to make sure that their message is clear. Once
again the importance of the message is shown.
At the conclusion of this lesson, the students will
know/understand that: There are a variety of ways to
communicate and inform others about how to reduce water waste.
At the conclusion of this lesson, the students will
demonstrate the skills/strategies of:
Writing a script
Making sure the show is informative
Communicating messages through a puppet show
Assessment criteria:

A.
B.

The show contains facts/information relevant to saving water

Information/lesson is communicated clearly
Ability to design a creative show

Background to the learning:

Teacher needs to have read The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle.
Students have previously learnt about water, sustainability, ways to
save water, and how humans contaminate water. Students have
also made posters to present information about saving water.

Emily Richards S00134486

Lesson Resources:

The text: The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle

Plastic bottles bought in by students
Markers
Felt

Content of Lesson:
A. Introduction- 10mins
The teacher will read aloud with the class the text The Adventures of
a Plastic Bottle. As the text is read students are to make predictions
of what may happen to the bottle. After having read the text
students will design a character using a water bottle. They will be
provided with felt for clothes and markers to draw the face.

B. Development-

20mins

Step 1: Students are to form groups of 3-4 placed by the teacher as

they are to be mixed ability groups.
Step 2: Students are to choose a message(s) they wish to
communicate.
Step 3: Students need to develop character names for their bottles.
Step 4: As a group students need to create a script that
communicates the message(s) they chose. The script needs to go
for no more than 2 minutes.
Step 5: Students need to proof read their script for any mistakes or
errors and to make sure the message is clearly communicated.
Step 6: Students then need to rehearse their puppet show.

C. Consolidation and Practice

25mins

Step 1: Students need to perform their puppet show to the class.

Step 2: As groups are performing students should write down the
main message(s) of the show.

Emily Richards S00134486

Conclusion 5mins
Students are to reflect on the messages presented in each of the
groups show. They will do this through a think, pair, share. What was
strongly communicated? What did you like?

Teaching strategies- Rationale for use

Some teaching strategies I have used throughout this lesson has
been a read aloud, mixed ability grouping and think, pair, share. I
used instructional strategy of a read aloud to explore text The
Adventures of a Plastic Bottle. Read aloud not only helps students to
become better readers through modelling but allows for shared
knowledge among all the students in the class as well as a gateway
for thought-provoking discussions (Kieff, 2003). As I am going to be
asking questions which will aid my students in making predictions I
felt read aloud was the perfect strategy and Hahn (2002) states that
working with read aloud allows students to use prior knowledge,
make predictions and then make connections between the text and
childrens experiences. Im also using the instructional strategy
think pair share. This will allow them to share their ideas with one
person before others and allows them to further their thinking and
help encourage each other to find deep ideas. When the teacher
asks a question, students just pause to think of their answer, turn to
pair with someone next to them, and then finally share their answer
to the question with their partner (Goldsmith, 2013). Finally mixed
ability groupings were put in place so that students can lean on one
another for support when stuck and most learning is carried out
through instructing others (Kelly, 1978).

Emily Richards S00134486

References
Fraser, C. (2010). Working towards sustainability at Marshside
Primary School.

Environmental Education, 95, 21

Going Green Song Video (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). (n.d.). Retrieved

May 4, 2015,

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Y3LdvTgFV00
Goldsmith, W. (2013). Enhancing classroom conversation for all
students: strategies that foster discussion among ELL students can
help them learn language while teaching critical skills. Phi Delta
Kappan, 94(7)

Hahn, M. L. (2002). Reconsidering read-aloud. Portland, Me.:

Stenhouse Publishers.
Hoffman, M., & Asquith, R. (n.d.). The great big green book. Frances
Lincoln

Children's Bks

How to Save Water in Six Easy Ways. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2015,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ21EMkLRFo
Inches, A., & Whitehead, P. (2009). The Adventures of a Plastic
Bottle: A story about recycling. New York: Little Simon.
Kelly, A. (1978). Mixed-ability grouping: Theory and practice.
London: Harper & Row.

Emily Richards S00134486

Kieff, J. (2003). Classroom Idea-Sparkers: Revisiting the Read-Aloud.

Childhood Education, 80(1), 28-42.
Lewis, E. (2012). Education for sustainability at a Montessori primary
school: from

silos to systems thinking. Australian Journal of

Environmental Education,

28(2), 162.

ResourceSmart (2015). ResourceSmart Schools | Embedding

sustainability in

Victorian Schools. Retrieved 1 May 2015, from

http://www.resourcesmartschools.vic.gov.au/
The Australian Curriculum in Victoria (AusVELS) (n.d.) Retrieved May
1, 2015, from

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au

The Story of Bottled Water (2010). (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2015,

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0
WALL-E - Give Me the Plant. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNsCDspCOk4

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Appendices:
Appendix 1

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Appendix 2

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Appendix3

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Problem
Litterinthe
schoolground

Whocanfixit? Whatwillyoudo?

Tapleftdripping

Hometoiletwon't

stopflushing
Schooltoilet
won'tstop
flushing

Can'tstopschool

tapdripping
Can'tstophome
tapdripping

Gardenwatering
systemhasbeen
forgottenandleft
on
Can'tstopshower

dripping
Waterleaking
fromapipealong
theroad

Emily Richards S00134486

Yourdogneedto
doadropping
whileyouare
takingitfora
walk
Thereisabird
caughtinlitter
alongthecreek