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. Cam
idge 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 ga
age in a classroom
· Establishing a child-friendly garden (plants, vegetables, he
s)
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 cu
iculum link(s)
· The link(s) should be related to the purpose(s) of environmental education.
· Introduction
· How will you introduce the topic to the children?
· How will you implement the topic using planned and unplanned experiences?
· What strategies will be involved and why?
· Be sure to adopt readings and relevant literature to support your justifications.
· Information and resources
· Where will the information for this project be gathered?
· What resources will be required to ca
y out the topic?
· Strategies
· The strategies that you will implement to involve the school community in the environmental education project
· Outcomes
· 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 Ru
ish Removal Sydney, 2020).
· Gardening for children (State of Victoria, 2021).
· Federation University Li
ary 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
1. Project goal(s)
2. Design of the learning experience
3. Justification of the theoretical perspectives and cu
iculum approaches to support student engagement and participation
4. Incorporation of the required resources to engage students and expand learning opportunities
5. Strategies to involve the learning community
6. Dissemination of the project information and outcome to parents and wider community
7. Presentation, including spelling and gramma
8. 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 cu
icular requirements underpin cu
icula 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 child`s/children`s development.
· S4 Be conscious of the role that the adult can play in assisting young children to explore science and their environment while addressing cu
icula 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 cu
icular 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.
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EDECE2018 Assessment 3: Project
student exemplar 1
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
We are excited to announce that our junior school is building their own vegetable patch! This
project will be progressive and ongoing, with the vision of it becoming a permanent and
valuable aspect of our school and wider community. The garden project will incorporate
teacher-led lessons during class times, as well as being available to students during recess if
they wish to continue their time amongst the garden. The big picture we have for our garden
project is that it will be a cornerstone to a multitude of cu
iculum areas, it will provide social
engagement and interaction, and strengthen the student’s overall sense of personal
achievement and school pride. Ideas that have already been put forward to cele
ate the initial
success of this garden project include recipes that students can share at home to showcase the
produce they have been tending to, and a community garden picnic where the whole school,
our students, families, and the wider community can all come together and see what we will
have collectively accomplished.
Louv explains (as cited in Miller, 2007), in these times of ever-increasing technology, our
children are getting less genuine opportunity to connect with the natural world, heavily
impacting on our ability as humans to enjoy a sensory-rich experience expanding the course of
our lifetime (Kim, Jung, Han & Sohn, XXXXXXXXXXDisconnection with the natural environment has
een shown to increase both physical and mental stressors which can be detrimental to the
developing mind (Kim et al, XXXXXXXXXXBecause we want each and every student to enjoy a rich life
experience, we feel a produce garden would be the perfect way to actively involve everyone in
the school community and make this a fulfilling educational project.
Growing a garden has been shown to positively impact:
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• Environmental awareness
• Sustainability practices
• Increase academic performance across multiple cu
iculum areas.
• Self-esteem
• Social and cognitive development.
• Healthy eating and lifestyle habits.
Environmental education for children is a strong platform for promoting environmental
understanding and guiding children to make conscious decisions when it comes to sustainability
practices (Campbell, Jobing & Howitt, XXXXXXXXXXCultivating a garden requires active participation,
and in turn this helps
ing a connectedness to ourselves and the environment (Laaksoharju et
al, 2012 & Jin Kim et al, XXXXXXXXXXThis co-existence between people and the natural world then
ecomes evident to children, promoting eco-friendly behaviours and a respect for the process
of life (Aitkin, Hunt, Roy & Sajfar, 2012; Jin Kim et al, 2020 & Campbell et al, XXXXXXXXXXMilfont &
Duckkit, 2010 (as cited in Jin Kim et al, 2020) explain when children understand that they can
influence their natural environment in such a positive way, this relationship leads to
environmental respect and a drive to engage in sustainable practice, as the students find
meaningful reasons to protect these resources.
A vegetable garden is the perfect hands-on approach to teaching the student’s a variety of
cu
iculum areas effectively, covering science understanding and science inquiry elements,
including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science.
Sustainabiliy practices will have us look deeper into the process of waste minimisation and
conservation, as children will learn ways to compost garden scraps and organic waste, and to
use water efficiently.
Gardens promote learning across a multitude of modalities (Campbell et al, XXXXXXXXXXDeveloping
a strong scientific attitude occurs organically within a natural environment (Campbell et al,
2021) as children learn to observe, hypothesise and experiment as they stimulate their sense of
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wonder and curiosities. As our 5–8-year olds are becoming more adventurous with their
learning, now is the optimal time to nurture their dispositions in problem-solving,
experimentation and making connections between what they have learned to facilitate
personal bias or reasoning (Campbell et al, XXXXXXXXXXGardening will extend students socially as
they share in this experience together. Language skills will be stimulated as students partake in
ownership over the space and offer ideas, suggestions and ways to utilise their time and
esources, and mathematical thinking will be promoted when we weigh, and measure produce
growth. A garden really is the perfect place to help nurture life-long qualities such as a love of
learning, personal responsibility, self-esteem and patience (Jin Kim et al, 2020; Campbell et al,
2021 & Pecaski Mclennan, XXXXXXXXXXWe look forward to all of our student’s becoming confident
and involved learners as they connect with each other and collaborate within the natural world
(Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009).
Extending on this gardening experience will see us likely to achieve much this coming year! We
will be excited to send regular recipes home in the newsletter, so that the students can share
with their families what we have been cooking from our garden. A community picnic event will
e scheduled during seasonal harvests, giving the school a chance to give back and say thank
you to the students and families that made this all possible, and we are very excited to be
planning regular donations of excess produce which will go to crisis and support centres,
enefiting the whole community. Additionally, any families that wish to volunteer their time to
help with the garden project would be appreciated. Further information will be available closer
to the time, however, if you feel you would be able to contribute in any way to enriching our
gardening experience (cooking lessons, gardening or healthy eating information sessions,
flower pressing lessons for students etc), please get in contact as soon as possible with your
class teacher to discuss the possibilities.
Healthy eating will be introduced to the children through books and song, helping build
understanding su
ounding the topic, coupled with advancing student literacy skills (Pecaski
Mclennan, 2010). “Gregory the Te
ible Eater” by Mitchell Sharmat, is a wonderful read that we
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will use initially to explore the concept of making the co
ect food choices. If you can think of
any books your child may have at home regarding healthy food, please feel free to send it along
with them to class (please clearly lable all items with child’s name and classroom number).
Research outlined in Bell and Dyment, 2008 & Koch et al, 2006, found that children who have
een educated on gardening and specifically how to grow their own produce were more likely
to develop healthy eating and lifestyle habits into adulthood (as cited in Pecaski Mclennan,
2010). Building a produce garden allows children to develop an understanding of how a healthy
environment promotes a healthy mind and body (Pecaski Mclennen, 2010, & Miller 2007);
Mo
is notes that children are far more likely to eat something they have produced themselves,
making a wider a
ay of vitamins and minerals available that children would otherwise not