Australian Catholic University

EDFD548: EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Assessment Task 1: A sequence of

learning activities

Tyler-Shaye Miller

School Context
The lessons outlined are to be delivered in a class of 25 students attending a co-educational

state public school in the western suburbs of Brisbane. The school is sufficiently resourced,

and all students have access to a personal laptop computer or tablet. However, if there are

any ICT issues, the school has 30 computers within the library that the students can access

at all times. The students come from a wide range of socio-economic and cultural

backgrounds within the school, although the students within this particular year 8 classroom

are predominantly Australian-born, all however are completely fluent in English.

Students Prior Learning

The lesson plans reside within the commencement of the depth study of ‘Medieval Europe
(c.500-c.1500)’ (ACARA, n.d.) where students particularly focus upon the “social, cultural,
economic and political features and the roles and relationships of different groups in society
(ACDSEH008) (ACARA, n.d.) within Medieval Europe. It is necessary for students to have a
brief prior knowledge of the ancient world and an understanding of historical skills to ensure
student’s capability to excel within the unit of learning. Particularly, it is necessary for
students to have the prior knowledge of the transformation and collapse of the Roman
empire, as its demise preceded the Middle Ages. Within Year 7 students may have briefly
studied the Roman empire within these content descriptors:
The range of sources that can be used in an historical investigation, including
archaeological and written sources (ACDSEH029) (ACARA), n.d.).
Contacts and conflicts within and/or with other societies, resulting in developments such
as the expansion of trade, the rise of the Roman empire (including its material remains),
and the spread of religious beliefs (ACDSEH040) (ACARA), n.d.).

This source of knowledge would then be expanded within the Year 8 overview content of
ACOKFH008 as it relates to the progression between the “ancient and modern world which
includes the following; the transformation of the Roman world and the spread of
Christianity and Islam” (ACARA (n.d.) The content also mentions Byzantine, Anglo-Saxon and
Viking cultures which would greatly assist students in their understanding of the
circumstances and cultures that Medieval Europe arose from.

There is also an array of historical skills that the teacher can assume is prior knowledge and
was covered effectively within their year 7 history classes. The most prevalent skills in
effectively completing this unit of study are;
Sequence historical events, developments and periods (ACHHS205) (ACARA), n.d.).
Is the understanding of Use historical terms and concepts (ACHHS206) (ACARA), n.d.).
Identify the origin and purpose of primary and secondary sources (ACHHS209) (ACARA),
n.d.).
Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital
technologies (ACHHS214) (ACARA), n.d.).

Since these three lessons address the period of Medieval Europe, it is essential that students
have a basic understanding of how timelines work and a grasp of the difference between
A.D and B.C. Students should also have a basic understanding of what a source is and how to
differentiate between a primary and secondary source. Nevertheless, there is likely to be
differences between students understanding and prior knowledge and an inclusion of basic
revision of these concepts may also be necessary within the first lesson plan. It is also
expected that students have the capacity for utilising their laptops and understand
appropriate and effective use of their ICT’s.

Particular Student strengths and needs

Jessica – This student is polite and is capable of high achievement, however at times she can

become idle and distracted and therefore in some lessons additional work is necessary in

order to keep the student focused and effective.

Rachel – This student has been formally diagnosed with attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder, she is known to be easily distracted and occasionally needs assistance with harder

tasks. Rachel nevertheless sis a diligent and hard-working student and often only needs

positive reinforcement and assistance to complete and understand tasks at the same level

as her peers.
Max- This student has been formally diagnosed with the mental illness of anxiety. Therefore,

Max rarely volunteers to answer questions and can become irate when pressured

extensively. Max’s particular needs can be met effectively by the teacher choosing not to

ask direct questions to Max and evaluate his learning through one-on-one questioning,

without the pressure of his peers.

Lesson Plan One

Date: 1st May 2019 Time: 10:30-11:30 Room: No. of
11 Students:25
Lesson Topic: Introduction to Medieval Europe Lesson No: 1 of 3
Content Strand: (ACDSEH008) Year Level: 8
Main Resources:
Oxford Big Ideas Australian Curriculum History Year 8
Video discussing Feudalism

Lesson Objectives:
-By the end if the lesson students will be able to:
-Explain what the Medieval Period was and have a brief understanding of how it is situated
within history and the modern and ancient world
-Define Feudalism and its social structure and be able to interpret the layers of the society
-Explain why these relationships between social groups exist in feudalism, mainly from the
significance of land ownership
-Define how Europe’s political borders have changed over time
-Use and understand historical terms and concepts such as peasants, abbey, chivalry, vassal,
historical sources, evidence
-Students have practiced note-making skills when recording information and have effectively
analysed key points
-Identify the relationships between the social classes in Medieval Europe

Student’s Prior Knowledge:

-Understanding of what a primary and secondary source is and how to analyse it
-Understand there is a difference between the Modern and Ancient world
-Have a brief understanding of the fall of the Roman Empire
-Understand that a timeline is linear

Resources: Students need individual laptops/tablet preferably, however this lessons ICT use
is in group work; therefore, a shared laptop/tablet will suffice. Teacher will also need access
to a projector for PowerPoint presentation.

Time Lesson Content Pedagogy Guiding Questions Resources

(Activities/Tasks) (Teaching See Appendix
Strategies/
Learning
Experiences)
1. Introduction
10:30 1.1 Welcome students -What do you already PowerPoint
and mark role as know about Medieval Slides 1-3
students sit down Europe?
and organise their Source 1.
resources (pens, Initiating Class -What do you believe the ‘Oxford
pencils, book, Engagement peoples everyday lives Textbook
laptop) were like? introduction of
1.2 Present Learning -What is the difference Medieval
Objective on Teacher centred between a Primary and Society’
PowerPoint on learning and Secondary Source?
classroom’s teacher-initiated
projector questions -Do you think the
1.3 Class discussion collapse of the Roman
on what they empire has a connection
think Medieval Student to Medieval society?
Europe was based Reflection
on Wordle source -What do you remember
1.4 Teacher reads about the Roman
Source 1. to Empire?
students and
expands upon the
subject
didactically
1.5 Teacher questions
and reviews
expected Prior
knowledge
1.6 Classroom
discussion of
Primary Sources
based off
PowerPoint Slide

10:40
1.7 Hook – Students -What are the social PowerPoint.
watch a video that Comprehension classes that you noticed Slide 5 to
explains the from the video? access video on
concept of ‘What is
Feudalism. Teacher-centred -Is this system similar or Feudalism’
Teacher to stop learning and dissimilar to modern day
 and annotate as group life? Source 2. Mind
the video discussion map
progresses -Are there connections
1.8 Mind map Use of ICT to between the social
worksheet given support classes?
to students to start learning
and complete over
the lesson
sequence

2. Main Content
10:55 2.1 Extending on the -What are some Source 3.
Feudalism video. Think-Pair- interesting points in the ‘Oxford
Students will form Share – engage worksheet that were not Textbook the
pairs and make notes students and in the video? Influence of
on what they have revise what Feudalism’
learnt and will create they have just -Does everyone
a concept map of the learnt understand how to plot a Source 4.
class system of timeline Glossary
Feudalism which they Co-operative
will add to in Lesson learning in pairs Source 5.
2 of the unit Medieval
Europe Basic
2.2 Students are to read Timeline
Source 3 Individual
individually. Source 3 Activity
is a more in-depth
analysis of Feudalism Reading and
and are to add to comprehension
concept map
Peer-learning
2.3 Students to read
Glossary and
highlight words that Provide
they had never heard feedback and
before support as
needed
2.3 Students will be
given a timeline Literacy
worksheet are given Capability
the option to work on
by themselves or in
pairs
2. Conclusion
11:25 3.1 Students will Individual Source 6: True
receive a True or activity or False
False Activity which Activity
they will individually Evaluative tool
fill out and then swap – activity and
 with their paired discussion
partner and mark. determine
Teacher will collect student
the worksheet and understanding
analyse student of lesson
understanding of content
content
3.2 Teacher concludes
the lesson by revising
key concepts and
evaluates overall how
the class feels about
their knowledge and
the pace of the
activities

Teaching Strategies

A wide variety of teaching strategies is utilised throughout these Lesson Plans. These

include:

Teacher demonstration

Teacher centred learning and teacher-initiated questions

Think-Pair-Share

Guided inquiry through small groupings

Whole class discussion and line of questioning

Rapid fire questioning

Concept maps, KWL and directive questioning as an evaluative tool

Co-operative learning in pairs

Peer learning

Student self-directed evaluation

Diverse Learners

High Achiever – Jessica

The lesson plans cater for her extension requirements and resources are always available to

utilise within the lesson or at the end if she has completed the work early. All work however

must be self- directed and will mostly include worksheets or reding activities.

ADHD - Rachel

For this student, maintaining vigilance upon her behaviour and assessing possible mood

swings or signs of boredom is necessary. To assist xx in her learning, a study partner is

another helpful tool in assuring Rachel focus within the classroom. At times however, if

Rachel is becoming more a distraction to her peers, teacher assisted learning or self-

directed study may be the better approach in assisting Rachel.

Anxiety – Max

This student’s mental illness can be taken into account when the teacher is directly

questioning the class, especially within the rapid fire activity. The teacher should also be

mindful of group working involving this student and can intervene and approach student

when necessary in order to encourage the student to continually participate within smaller

group discussion as well as a broader class discussion.