Student

ID
Number/s:

Student Surname/s:

Given names:

S00173166

Fitz-Gerald

Isabella

Course: BT/BA
Unit code: EDFD270

School: Australian Catholic University

Unit title: Teaching and Managing Learning Environments.

Due date: 01/04/2015

Date submitted: 01/03/2015

Lecturer-in-Charge: Joanne Harris

Tutorial Group/Tutor: Sasha Jessop & Stephen Laurence

Assignment Title and/or number: Lesson Plan

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

Class: 8B
Key Learning Area: History (Ancient)

Lesson Plan Format

th
Date: 24 of April 2015

Time: Start : 2:00pm

Finish: 2:50pm
Lesson Topic: Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tomb Structures

Recent Prior Experiences: Students have been researching online and taking notes on their chosen ancient pharaohs tomb structure. They are familiar
with a typical ancient tomb structure for example; Anti-chamber, Annex, Burial Chamber and Treasury.
Syllabus Outcome(s):
One or two only. Please note the syllabus
reference number AND write out in full.
Stage 4:
- HT 4.9: Uses a range of historical terms and
concepts when communicating an
understanding of the past.
- HT 4:10: Selects and uses appropriate oral,
written, visual, and digital forms to communicate
about the past.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

Indicators of Learning for this lesson:

Behaviours that contribute toward achievement
of outcome(s). Quote syllabus numbers. Must be
clear, specific, observable. Curriculum
Content Strands may be used as headings.
By the end of this lesson, the students will:

Assessment:
Strategies which will be used to
assess learners attainment of
learning outcomes. Should be linked to
each learning indicator.

Comprehension, Chronology, terms and

concepts:
- Use historical terms and concepts when
presenting and discussing their Pharaohs tomb.

- Observe Ss on their laptops and see

how well they are navigating the virtual
program

Explanation and Communication:

- Select and use a range of communication forms
(oral, graphic, written and digital) to communicate
effectively about the past. Ss do this through first
writing out and planning their notes on their chosen
Pharaohs tomb followed by turning it into a virtual
world through the use of MineCraft and finally
presenting it to their peers.

- No formal assessment, however towards the

end of the period Ss who have finished at
least two rooms may present to the class and
identify which rooms they have created.

Any safety issues to be

considered:

Resources:
- Board of Studies NSW. HSIE, K-10 Syllabus. Stage 4 Outcomes and Content.
- Ss pens and exercise history books
- Ss laptop
- Interactive Whiteboard
- Downloaded virtual program of MineCraft on Ss laptops and Interactive Whiteboard

N/A

Lesson Sequence
Lesson Content /
Indicators of Learning
(What is Taught):
Note key skills, concepts and
values addressed in each
section. Link to your
Indicators of Learning
Introduction
Ss use historical terms
and concepts while revising
last lessons content
through the uses of a
brainstorm and
discussion.

Timing
(mins)

5 10
minutes

- Q/ T. Who are some of the

Pharaohs you have decided
on creating a tomb for?
Remember that they must
be real and not made up..
- A/ Ss. Akhenaten,
Tutankhmun, Ramesses,
Seti I, Amenhotep III etc.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

Teaching Strategies / Learning Experiences:

(How it is taught)
Write detailed steps showing what the teacher (T)
will do and what students (Ss) will do.

- T asks students to find a seat quietly and

get out their laptops, pencil cases and
exercise books.
- T welcomes Ss and commends them on
their ability to move into the classroom
effectively and efficiently.
- T does the roll
- T starts the lesson off with a brain storm
and revision.
- T asks questions to prompt Ss
- T displays positive feed back and
constructive criticism when calling on
students who are not sure of the answers.

Resources and Organisation:

White board : Write the Brainstorm and revision answers

on the board.

- Q/ T. Who can tell me

what some of the major
rooms within a tomb
are called?
- A/ Ss. Anti-chamber,
Annex, Burial Chamber
and Treasury.
- Q/ T. What were some
items found within your
chosen Pharaohs tomb?
- A/ Ss. Chariot, every day
items, treasure, gold,
sarcophagus, jewelry, food,
pets and servants.
Development
Uses appropriate visual
and digital forms such as
the program MineCraft.

5 minutes

Q/T Please raise your hand

if you know how to use
MineCraft?
Ss Raise hands
T. Those of you who dont
know please come to the
front and for those of you
who do, please start your
work.
- Small group of Ss gather at
the front of the room while the
teacher demonstrates a quick
tutorial on how to use the
program.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

- T asks class to raise their hand whether they

are confident in using MineCraft.
- Ss majority of the class raises hands
- T shows the class how to download the
program on their laptops through the interactive
whiteboard
- T then shows those Ss who are unsure of
how to use the program how to navigate and
use the icons. (quick tutorial)

Interactive white board to display to the class how

to download and use the program.
MineCraft download
link:https://minecraft.net/download

Closure
Ss independently complete
their work using a visual and
digitial form, MineCraft. In the
last 10 minutes some Ss will
present their creation to the
class demonstrating the oral
perspective from the syllabus.
Q/T. Please raise your hand
8B if you have completed at
least two rooms of your
Pharaohs tomb?
Ss raise hands
T those of you who have
please bring your laptop to
the front to just give the class
a little preview of what you
have done.

30- 35
minutes

Last 10
minutes of
the lesson.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

- T asks for those students who have finished at

least 2 rooms within their tombs on MineCraft to
come forward and give the class a virtual tour of
their progress on the interactive whiteboard.
If need be the T uses eye contact and names to
select students at random.
- Ss talk about what Pharaoh they chose and
present their tomb layout to their peers.
- T opportunity to provide feed back to the student
Ss pack away their laptops and books
T dismisses class when she deems appropriate.

Interactive whiteboard and the program Minecraft.

Student Teachers Evaluation

Assessment of Learning Outcomes
To what extent did the learners achieve the intended learning outcomes?
Majority of the students achieved both learning outcomes 4.9 and 4.10 to a tremendous extent. Those students who did not achieve the outcomes were
usually the ones that were not using their laptop or MineCraft for the correct purposes.
However those who did achieve the outcomes displayed this through their motivation and positive work ethic.
Describe the evidence you have for this.
It was clear that most students achieved the learning outcomes, because not only were they actively engaged and motivated throughout
the class but they produced an end product to prove this.
Students showed their interest for the task during the discussion and brainstorm activities. Majority of the students communicated effectively
and efficiently with the teacher using appropriate historical terms and concepts when contributing their ideas.
When it came to using the program, many students were confident, however those who werent showed initiative
and motivation to learn how to navigate it.
As the lesson comes to an end, a handful of students are selected to present their progress to the class. This displayed students ability
to present their appropriate visual and digital presentation about their chosen ancient Pharaohs tomb.
Outline the follow-up to this lesson for the learners.
The follow up lesson for this class includes the students continuing to work and finalize their virtual tombs for the first half of the lesson.
The second half of the follow up lesson includes students presenting their finished Pharaohs tomb to the class.

Evaluation of Teaching
Identify the teaching strategies / learning experiences that were most effective. Explain why.
A teaching strategy that I found was most effective in the lesson was the use of discussion and brainstorming, which was used
to help students revise on last lessons content. Another strategy was the use of questioning. The teacher questioned the students knowledge
on previous lessons to create a discussion. This helped the revision process. A final strategy used that was effective in the classroom was the use of technology
and the game MineCraft. This was effective because it was a program that many students used in their spare time for enjoyment, yet it was being used
in the classroom for appropriate educational reasons. It was because of this that students were intrigued and willing to learn.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

Identify the teaching strategies / learning experiences that were least effective. Explain why.
There were not any teaching strategies that were particularly ineffective. Although a negative aspect of using technology and MineCraft within the classroom
is that it can also influence some students to do the wrong thing and become distracted from their work. Because it is a virtual game it also makes
it challenging to supervise.
How appropriate was the timing throughout the various sections of the lesson? Why?
The timing throughout the lesson was well scheduled as it gave students an appropriate amount of time to prepare and complete their ancient Pharaohs tomb.
Students had a suitable 5-10 block of revision at the beginning of the lesson. This was then followed by a quick 5 minute tutorial for a small
group of students who were unsure of how to use MineCraft. While this was occurring at the front of the room, students towards the back were working
on their virtual tombs. This gave some students an extra 5 minutes on top of the already 30-35 minutes in place allowing students to work
on their project. The last 10-15 minutes of the lesson (depending on class progress) was designed for those students who were ahead to showcase
their progress to their peers. This also allowed for informal feedback on behalf of the teacher.
Describe how the selection and use of resources supported learning in the lesson.
The selection of resources used throughout the lesson were interesting and innovative. The use of the program, MineCraft to create a virtual tomb was
fascinating and encouraged the learners to get hands on with their chosen Pharaohs history and tomb structure. Another resource which supported
learning was the use of the interactive whiteboard. It gave students the opportunity to present their progress to their classmates and gave the teacher
the opportunity to provide constructive feedback.

Identify what motivated the students. Explain why.

The biggest motivation for the year 8 class was that they were able to use MineCraft which is a computer based program that allows students to build their
own online world.
Surprisingly, It is a very popular program within this age group and many of the students play this outside of school hours. How do I know this you might
wonder?
Well, after talking to a few of the students while observing their work, many of them informed me that it was a great game and that it was cool that teachers
were allowing them to use it during school. (Also might help that I have a younger brother in year 7 who frequently plays with MineCraft).
Therefore, the fact that these students were allowed to use a program in the classroom that they usually use during their leisure time, made learning
enjoyable and interesting.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

Identify the classroom management strategies that were most effective. Explain why.
One of the classroom management strategies I thought was most effective was the teachers lesson plan.
The teacher had an engaging and well thought out class structure that resulted in majority of the lesson running smoothly and under control.
Another classroom management strategy that was used effectively to control the class was the use of hand signals and verbal communication.
Whenever the teacher wanted the classes attention she would say 3,2,1..waterfall and the students would immediately be quiet. As strange as it sounds
this method was effective in gaining students attention and controlling the class.

What was most satisfying about the lesson?

I believe the most satisfying aspect about the lesson was watching the students engage and interact enthusiastically with their work. It was exciting that the
teacher had implemented a program that allowed students to get hands on and creative while exploring and understanding the ancient history content.
Based on these reflections, outline the steps you should now take to improve your teaching in future lessons.
Step One: As a teacher, I should always have some idea of what I am going to teach. A well thought out and structured lesson plan helps a class
run smoothly with less chances of disruptions.
Step Two: Implement something different into some of my lessons. It doesnt always have to be textbook work or even just the usual computer work.
Changing it up a bit by exploring and encouraging students to use different programs and web 2.0 tools for educational purposes will create a positive
and interesting atmosphere in the class room
Step Three: However, as a teacher make sure I am aware of the consequences that come with using technology. Laptops, Ipads and desktop computers
make it very difficult for teachers to monitor a students progress. Remember to patrol the classroom and check up on students progress. Sometimes sitting
at the back of the room is a much easier way to view students laptop screens.
Step Four: Always have a few classroom management strategies remembered.

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166

References

AB, M. (2015). Minecraft. Minecraft.net. Retrieved 28 April 2015, from https://minecraft.net/

J, Harris. (2015). Sample Lesson Plan. Catch My Disease. Retrieved 28 April 2015, from
http://leo.acu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/1172547/mod_resource/content/1/Sample_Lesson_Plan_2015.pdf

NSW, B. (2015). History K10 :: Outcomes. Syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 28 April 2015, from
http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/hsie/history-k10/outcomes/

NSW, B. (2015). History K10 :: Stage 4 :: Content for Stage 4. Syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 28 April 2015, from
http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/hsie/history-k10/content/1088/

Isabella Fitz-Gerald S00173166