Mollie Wood: S00153633


Assignment 2A Proposal 



Purpose 



This teaching resource is designed for level four students. It allows an investigation into how
waves cause erosion and would be included as part of a unit that explores the science theme
within the Australian Curriculum of ‘how natural and human processes cause changes to Earth’s
surface’. The activity would be ideal for a school community that is situated close to a coastal line
in order for them to understand how their local environment is formed. 



This resource is designed in conjunction with The Australian Curriculum; Science understanding
and Science inquiry skills, Level Four: 



Science understanding



Earth and space sciences:

Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity
(ACSSU075)



Science Inquiry Skills

Questioning and predicting:

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and
predict what might happen based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)



Planning and conducting:

Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to make and record observations, using
formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS066)



Processing and analysing data and information:

Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings (ACSIS216)



Communicating:

Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, physical
representations and simple reports (ACSIS071)
Design and procedure

Materials



- A paint roller tray 

- 6 cups of sand 

- 1 cup of gravel or stones

- 1.5 Litres of water 

- An empty 500ml plastic bottle 

- Camera/IPad to take pictures

- Stopwatch


Each group of a maximum of four students should have access to their own set of materials. 



Budget



- Paint roller trays can be borrowed from the schools art resources or alternatively can be purchased
for less than $10 per tray (They can be reused for future lessons) 

-Students can be asked to collect 500ml bottles from home one week prior to commencing this
lesson.

- Water used from the tap can be recycled after the lesson to water the schools garden 

- Gravel or stones can be collected from the school grounds or alternatively a local park and can be
returned after the lesson

- IPad/ camera and stopwatch can be borrowed and returned from the schools resources and can be
shared amongst groups if required




Lesson structure



1. Introduce the topic of erosion including any specific terminology, ensuring you activate any prior
knowledge the students may already hold, or recap past lessons in the unit of work.



2. Inform the students of what they will be doing today, including the learning intentions and
learning goals they are aiming to achieve. Include a step by step briefing on how to set up there
experiment, to ensure they have a clear idea of what is required of them in order for them to be able
to make informed predictions prior to commencing.



3. Once the students have a clear understanding of the learning goals and what is required of them,
have them write up the experiment in there science books, including the following table to
document their predictions, observations and comparisons:


Prediction Diagram of Observation Image Was my

prediction prediction
correct? Why/
Why not?
After the sand, gravel and
the water have settled in the
paint tray and remain
undisturbed for two
minutes I predict
_______________

After pushing down on the

bottle once every ten
seconds for two minutes I
predict ____________

After pushing down on the

bottle once every five
seconds for two minutes I
predict____________

After pushing down on the

bottle once every single
second for two minutes I
predict__________

4. Once the students have made their predictions and have drawn a rough diagram of what they
expect the outcomes to look like they can begin the experiment:



Step one: Fill the shallow end of the paint tray with 5/6 of sand to create the beach.

Step two: Dig out an area towards the front of the shoreline and fill with the gravel 

Step three: Cover the gravel with the remaining cup of sand 

Step four: Pour the water into the deep end of the paint tray and begin timing for two minutes,
observing what is occurring. After two minutes complete the observation in the table and take a
photo.

Step five: Place the bottle in the water and push down once every ten seconds for two minutes.
Record observation in the table and take a photo. 

Step six: Place the bottle in the water and push down once every five seconds for two minutes.
Record observation in the table and take a photo

Step seven: Place the bottle in the water and push down once every second for two minutes. Record
observation in the table and take a photo

Step eight: Compare your predictions and your results. Explain the similarities and differences. 







5. Once the students have conducted the experiment and completed their table, form new groups
made up of individuals from the original groups. Have them compare their findings and discuss
why or why not their results vary. They should come up with answers such as; ‘we pushed on our
bottle harder’, ‘we let our water settle down in between trials’ etc.. 



6. Come back together as a class and have a short class discussion to consolidate what was
discovered and how it replicates real life, ensuring you prompt the students to compare the gravel as
the rocky cliff points that remain standing after the waves erode the shore line.









Criteria for evaluation 




Below Standard At Standard Above Standard

1. The student has Comment: Comment: Comment:

clearly articulated and
illustrated what they
predict will happen at
each stage of the
experiment

2. The student has Comment: Comment: Comment:

documented a clear
description of what
they observed at each
stage of the
experiment

3. The student has Comment: Comment: Comment:

made informed and
insightful comparisons
between their
predictions and results
and considered
possible reasonings
for these findings

4. The student formed Comment: Comment: Comment:

insightful connections
between the
experiment and how
waves cause changes
to shorelines in a real-
life context.
References



Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2016). AusVELS- Level 4. [online]
Available at: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level4?layout=1&d=S [Accessed 15 Aug.
2016].