Central Queensland University

Rachael-Lyn Anderson

12143136
Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

Professional Placement 1 Introduction into Teaching: EDFE11038

Term: Term 3 2020

Written Assessment 1: Observation, Application, and Reflection.

Susan McKee

24 December 2020
th
Part A – Observation; Secondary English;-Dramatising Macbeth

1. What interactions did you observe take place between the teacher and the
learner/s?

The interactions observed between the teacher and the learners were friendly, opened,
highly respectful, and relatable. She demonstrates expressiveness, genuine warmth,
care, and sensitivity to the students (State of Queensland, 2020). She developed
appropriate formal and informal relationships with her students by addressing their
names and cohorts. She also moved between the students, stopping at individuals
who required assistance by placing herself at eye level.

2. What were the purposes of the interactions?

The purpose of the interactions was to have positive teacher- student relationships and build
strong relationships that would endure over time. These relationships helped create a positive
classroom environment that supported students learning and engagement (AITSL, 2018,
Standard 4.1). The teacher demonstrated the use of active supervision through moving,
scanning and, positively and frequently interacting with her students. Thus, allowing for
feedback and the provision of immediate learning assistance (State Of Queensland, 2020).

3. What teaching did you observe?

The teaching observed is a student-focused, performance-based approach to teaching, that

connects a literary text; Macbeth, to the students' personal experiences and knowledge. The
teacher used a well-structured lesson which included an introduction, lesson objectives, body,
and conclusion. The introduction of a warm-up activity about star signs combined students'
personal knowledge with ideas, beliefs, and values in Macbeth. The teacher organises,
designs, adapts and uses various learning activities (Fetherston, 2006). She presented the
content in the same way to all students with tasks that allowed for the practices of skills and
understanding. The teacher used high and low-order questioning (Fetherston,2006) to
encourage students to participate in exciting discussions about the main ideas and concept.
The teacher was clear and concise in her instructions and questioning when seeking success
or a response from her learners. She used an oral presentation that involved costumes, props,
and bolded key lines from the text.
4. What was the teacher trying to achieve in the lesson?

Throughout the lesson, the teacher was trying to achieve high levels of student engagement,
participation, motivation, and student success regarding the literary text's complexity. The
teacher used a variety of learning activities and locations in order to create a learning
environment where students' are motivated, involved, and engaged with learning experiences
are at a satisfactory level (Fetherston, 2006), and the needs of her students are met.
Challenging students' existing beliefs and connecting this to new learning (Killen, 2015),
generates relevant content that students can connect with, encourages them to be more
engaged and confident in the Shakespearian language (AITSL, n.d).

5. How did the teacher ensure that learning was occurring for all learners?

Learning was occurring for all learners through a variety of teaching and learning strategies.
The teacher participated in professional readings on engaging boys in a classroom
environment and connected this to the curriculum content. She then planned, adapted, and
adjusted her teaching programs to meet her learners' learning needs using the new knowledge
learnt (AITSL, 2018, Standard 1.2). She used oral and kinetic activities to the text that
catered to her students' interest and abilities(Churchill et al.,2019). Worksheets were adjusted
for learners to become motivated in English, develop (Utami, 2018) and show their
understandings of the content without producing large amounts of written work (Hyde, 2017).
Part B - Lesson Plan (unlimited word count) Standard 2.3 and 3.3.

Lesson Focus Learning Area (Curriculum) Year Implementation Date

Level 11th February 2021
The Black History:
Death 8
The Black Death in Asia, Europe
symptoms in
and Africa (14th century plague)
the 14th Lesson duration
century. 45 minutes

Prior knowledge of learners (What do they already know about this concept/topic/skill?)

· · Know what a disease and a plague is.

Know how to write a simplistic PEEEL paragraph with referenced sources.

Links to Curriculum (identify relevant Strands and Content Descriptors – these may be
provided by the class teacher)

Year 8 Content Descriptions

Historical Knowledge and Understanding

Overview of the ancient to modern world

The following content is taught as part of an overview for the historical period. It is not
intended to be taught in depth. Overview content identifies important features of the period,
c.650 AD (CE) – 1750, as part of an expansive chronology that helps students understand
broad patterns of historical change. As such, the overview provides the broader context for
the teaching of depth study content and can be built into various parts of a teaching and
learning program. This means that overview content can be used to give students an
introduction to the historical period; to make the links to and between the depth studies;
and to consolidate understanding through a review of the period.

key features of the medieval world (feudalism, trade routes, voyages of discovery, contact
and conflict) (ACOKFH009 - Scootle )

Depth Studies

Expanding contacts

Students investigate ONE of the following historical developments in depth to explore the
interaction of societies in this period: the Mongol expansion or the Black Death in Africa,
Asia and Europe or the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and Incas.

The Black Death in Asia, Europe and Africa (14th century plague)

Causes and symptoms of the Black Death and the responses of different groups in society
to the spread of the disease, such as the flagellants and monasteries (ACDSEH070 -
Scootle )

Elaborations

explaining reactions to the Black Death (for example, the emergence of flagellants – those
who would whip themselves to be free of sin – and the persecution of Jewish people)

Historistical Skills

Explanation and communication

Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations that use evidence from a range of
sources that are acknowledged (ACHHS156 - Scootle )

Elaboration

using scaffolds illustrating the structural and language features of particular text types (for
example, descriptions and explanations) to create a text that communicates specific
findings about the past

Learning objectives (Declarative - Learning objectives (Procedural – skills)

knowledge)
At the end of this lesson the At the end of this lesson the learners will be able to:
learners will know:
 Identify, explain and understand the
symptoms of the Black Death in the 14th
century.
· The symptoms of the
‘Black Death’ in the 14th century.  Historically write a PEEL paragraph with
evidence supporting a source.
· How to write historically
with a PEEL paragraph and
reference sources.

Key Resources

· Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)

· Worksheets

· Notebooks

· YouTube

1. Lesson Introduction (introduce the topic and engage the learners)

Timing What you will do (your teaching steps)

10 Minutes 1. Enter the classroom with a Plague · What are your

beaked mask. expectations for the lesson?

2. Gain the students attention. Hocus · What is your hook

pocus, everybody focus. to engage the learners?

3. Set expectations by revising the · What are your key

 class rules (behaviour, responsible prompts?
actions, quiet and respectful voices,
· What questions will
on task, consequences).
you ask?
4. Show the learners the learning
· How will you check
goals on the centre of the IWB:
for understanding/learning?
· Today you are learning ……

Explore the symptoms of the

Black Death and begin to explore how to
write a PEEL Paragraph

What am I looking for?

That you can answer our lessons key focus

question “What are the symptoms of the
Black Death”.

· You will be successful when

You can identify and explain the

symptoms of Black death and begin to
write a PEEL paragraph using historical
events.

5. On the new slide and in the centre

of the IWB, display a mind-map
with Plagues in the centre.

6. Ask, What do you currently know

about plagues?”

7. Invite the learners with their hands up to

write their answers on the board.

2. Lesson Body (Teaching the content through specific strategies)

Timing What you will do (your teaching steps)

25 Minutes Focus Questions: How do we write a · What strategies are

PEEEL paragraph? What are the you using to teach the
symptoms of the Black Death? content?

8. Whole class activity. On the IWB, · What are your key

display the Horrible Histories The Plague prompts?
song (seen in Appendix A). Learners are to
· What questions will
watch the video 3 times with pauses during
you ask?
the second and third viewing so students
can write in dot-point form in their · How will you check

notebooks the symptoms of the Black for understanding/learning?

Death.

9. After the video, engage the learners in a

verbal discussion about:

What is the song about?

What did you observe?

What were the symptoms listed?

10. Ask: Now,who can tell me what a

paragraph is? What should it have in it?
How many lines to a paragraph?

11. Give an example of answers you are

looking for here (Appendix B).

12. Explain: A paragraph is composed of a

number of sentences that presents a single,
central point, focus or theme that is
explained and supported by evidence. A
topic is developed and an inquiry question
is answered.

Inquiry question: What are the symptoms

of the Black Death?

13. On the IWB display a paragraph

structure (Appendix C) and explain each
step

 Point/Topic sentence (P): states

the topic of the paragraph and is
related to the inquiry question.

 Explain (E):Explain in more detail

and information about the topic
sentence with Evidence.

 Evidence (E): Includes examples,

statistics, quotations, and evidence
from sources to support and or
prove the topic sentence and/or
each point.

 Elaborate (E): Clarify and expand

on all parts of the topic sentence.
Evaluate how the evidence
supports the point/argument.

 Linking sentence/Link (L): Links

back to the point of the paragraph
and answers the key question.

14. Students have 10 minutes to complete

an chronological order activity with a
prepared PEEEL paragraph (APPENDIX
D), and glue it into their books. Learners
are to cut up the sentences (Right hand
side of Appendix D) and match it to the
relevant sections (Left hand side of
Appendix D).

Learners can check their answers with

their elbow partner and the teacher.
Students have the choice whether they
would like to do the activity independently
or with a partner.

Early finishers can write the finished

chronological order activity PEEEL
paragraph into their notebooks.

15. Once all students have completed the

chronological order activity, regain the
attention of the fast finishers and have
them finish on the last sentence they were
on.

16. Discuss the chronological order

activity and reveal the answer.
3. Lesson Conclusion (concluding activities, review, check for learning)

Timing What you will do (your teaching steps)

10 minutes 17. Review the lesson. Ask:Why is the · How will you
disease called the Black Death? What summarise the key
symptoms are there? What is the paragraph learnings?
structure? (Different translations and the
· How do you wrap
appearances of the symptoms. Fever,
up the lesson?
sneezing, pain, fatigue, swollen glands,
black blotches on the skin, red rash in · How will you check

shape of a ring. Point/Topic Sentence, for understanding/learning?

Explain, Evidence, Elaborate, Linking

sentence).

18. Hand out the Symptoms of the Plague

worksheet (Appendix E) to the students.

19. On the IWB display the person and the

procedure (Appendix E):

1. Write name on the top of the person

sheet.

2. Choose THREE of the symptoms on

the left to draw on your person (Pick
ones that you can draw easily!)

3. Draw them onto your person.

4. Label them fully and add colour.

5. Glue the finished person into your

book.

20. After the Symptoms of the Plague

activity, students sits in a 2 circles, and
responds to the statement written on the
centre of the IWB: List either 3 symptoms
of the Black Death or 3 things they have
learnt today in general. The teacher and
leader begins the discussion with their first
symptom/fact and proceeds around the
circle in a clockwise motion. No one can
speak twice until it arrives back to the
leaders/teachers. This is repeated until
everyone has announced their 3
symptoms/facts.

21. Transition to the next lesson by asking

them to sit back at their desk.
Part C - Reflection

1. What was your specific purpose in the lesson other than introducing the topic?

Standard 6.1 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers [APST] (AITSL,2018) is
evident throughout this section. The specific purposes in this lesson other than introducing
the topic are paragraph writing, and getting students engaged in History. Paragraph writing is
used to develop students' ability to write cohesively, familiarise students with PEEEL
paragraph writing and what constitutes a quality paragraph. History is a rich content subject;
due to this, students' may not initially be interested in the subject. By providing students
interesting "asides'' related to the content presented (see Appendix A), this might pique their
interest and increase engagement (Marzano, et al., 2009). An essential skill in History is to
make connections between the past and present. One of the Australian Curriculum [AC] aims
are to ensure that students develop knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the past and
the forces that shape societies, including Australia's (AC, n.d).

2. Why are your decisions appropriate for the curriculum and age group of
learners?

The 'Horrible Histories Plague Song' is targeted towards thirteen-year-olds and is appropriate
for the learners' curriculum and age group as it is an interesting "aside" related to the Black
Death; in this case, the content (Marzano, et. al., 2009). The song introduces some of the
Black Death symptoms in a way that is relatable and engaging to the students. The process of
historical inquiry allows students to develop transferable skills, such as the ability to ask
relevant questions, critically analyse, and select information from sources and use evidence
found in sources to communicate their findings effectively. Incorporating English skills into
the lesson is appropriate for the curriculum as a historical inquiry in History requires them to
write paragraphs historically (AC, n.d). Standard 6.4 of APST (AITSL,2018) is evident
throughout the Informal Assessment approach. This approach uses age-appropriate
collaborative activities, class discussion and group interaction, that provides an accurate
assessment of the ability and knowledge the students have learnt (Churchill, et.al., 2019).

3. Drawing on your observation from part A, why your teaching choices will be
effective in introducing the topic to the learners?

The teaching choices made are an effective way of introducing the topic to learners, as every
student has a different learning style. By viewing a video, labelling and drawing using
chronological order, class and small group discussions, these effective teaching strategies are
used to gain attention and engagement in the content, so they become active learners.
Teacher-facilitated group work allows the activation of prior knowledge about the topic, and
through peer, discussions help all learners understand and clarify aspects lost during teaching
(Churchill, et.al., 2019).

4. As you reflect on the process of writing your lesson plan what understandings
will you apply to your teaching placement?

The understandings that will be applied to the teaching placement based on the lesson plan's
process are time management and the learning objectives. Time management needs to
consider the instructional time, the amount of content presented, run time for activities, wait
time for students thinking/processing/responding, and on-task behaviour (Archer & Hughes,
2010). Planning took into consideration the application of the lesson's delivery pace to
enhance engagement of the learners generating successful learners. Other considerations
taken into the planning process were the learning intentions/objectives. Lesson objectives
constructed with detail and specificity can lead to an impossibly long list of objectives for a
teaching unit, and lower-order thinking experienced by the students (Moore, 2012, as cited in
Marsh, et. al., 2014, p.153). For the teaching placement, the lesson objectives need to be
clear, concise, simple and easy for students to understand what is required of them.
REFERENCES

Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2010). Explicit instruction : Effective and efficient teaching.
ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com.

Australian Curriculum [AC]. (n.d) F-10 Curriculum; Humanities and Social Sciences;
History. Retrieved from
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/
history/rationale/

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]. (n.d) Illustration of
Practice: Dramatising Macbeth. Retrieved from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/dramatising-macbeth-illustration-of-
practice

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]. (2018) Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Churchill, R., Godinho, S., Johnson, N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., … Vick, M. (Eds.).
(2019). Teaching: Making a Difference (3rd ed.). Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons
Australia, Ltd.

Decameron Web (n.d). First Day: Introduction [010-012]. Brown University.

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/texts/DecShowText.php?
myID=d01intro&expand=empty&lang=eng

Fetherston, Tony. Becoming an Effective Teacher, Cengage, 2006. ProQuest Ebook Central,
pg.257-280 http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=5215440.

Horrible Histories (2019, September 17). Measly Middle Ages; The Plague Song
[Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHmdH-PkTRI&feature=emb_logo

Hyde, Marvyn, et al. Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement 3e, Oxford University Press, 2017.
ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?
docID=5199514.
Killen, Roy. Effective Teaching Strategies : Lessons from Research and Practice, Cengage,
2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, pg.315-316
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=5215440.

Marsh, C.J. (2010) Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills and Issues (5th ed) Frenchs
Forest, NSW” Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-
courses, EDFE11038 PP1-Introduction to Teaching
https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/1074267/mod_resource/content/1/Marsh%

Marzano, Robert J.. Dimensions of Learning Teacher's Manual, (2nd Ed), Association for
Supervision & Curriculum Development, 2009. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=698905.

School History UK (n.d). Symptoms of the Great Plague [Worksheet].

https://schoolhistory.co.uk/early-modern/great-plague/symptoms-of-the-great-plague/

State of Queensland Department of Education (2020). Positive Behaviour Learning

Classroom Management. Retrieved from
https://behaviour.education.qld.gov.au/supportingStudentBehaviour/
PositiveBehaviourforLearning/Documents/info-sheet-classroom-management.pdf

Smith, D & Anderson, J. (2010). Communicating with

Adolescents: Through the Middle Years of Schooling. In R. Ewing, T. Lowrie, & J. Higgs (Eds.),
Teaching & Communicating: Rethinking Professional Experiences (Chpt. 13&18, pp. 137–206).
Oxford University Press. https://cqu-a.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/readinglist/citation/
7692657720003441?institute=61CQU_INST&auth=SAML

Utami, Fatamawati & Pabbajah, Mustaqim & Juhansar, Juhansar. (2018). The
Implementation of Jumbled-sentences toward students skill in writing report text. [English
review]. Journal of English Education. 7.115.10.25134/erjee.v7i1.1501.
APPENDICES

Appendix A

Horrible Histories Plague Song-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHmdH-

PkTRI&feature=emb_logo

Appendix B

There are 4 symptoms of the Black Death described and portrayed in the source. The first
symptom victims of the plague experienced was feeling poorly or ill. This could be described
as feeling fatigue, weak, giddy and dazed. The second symptom was the swelling, referring to
the swelling of the glands in the groin and armpits. Another symptom was the spitting of
blood, this is because the disease in the pneumonic form affected the lungs, thus the victim
coughing up or spitting out blood. There are 2 unclarified symptoms of the Black Death
described in the song; the smell and the spots. The smell and the spots are two unclarified
symptoms with combinations of a number of contributes. The smell can either refer to the
deceased victims, or bad breath followed after the spitting of blood, while the spots can either
refer to spots on the skin due to the swollen glands or black spots on the skin due to bleeding
under the skin. Therefore, the 4 symptoms of the Black Death described in the Horrible
Histories song are feelings tumours/Gavoccioli the size of apples in the groin and armpits,
and the black spots on arms and thighs.

Point/Topic sentence

Explanation

Evidence

Elaborate

Linking sentence
Appendix C

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

Topic A topic sentence clearly states the topic of the paragraph and is
sentence/Point (P) related to the inquiry question.

Explain (E) Explain in more detail and information about the topic sentence
with Evidence.

Evidence (E) Includes examples, statistics, quotations, and evidence from

sources to support and or prove the topic sentence and/or each
point.

Elaborate (E) Clarify and expand on all parts of the topic sentence. Evaluate
how the evidence supports the point/argument.

Linking sentence Links back to the point of the paragraph and answers the
(L) inquiry question.

Appendix D

Below is a collection of sentences that make up a paragraph on symptoms of the Black Death.
The sentences are not in the correct order.The paragraph addresses the question: What are the
symptoms of the Black Death?
Cut the Right-hand side sentences below to its corresponding sections(Left hand side) to
indicate the logical order of the sentences to form a well-structured paragraph. To complete
this activity you need to understand the component parts of a paragraph in History and the
particular function that each part fulfils.

Symptoms of the Black Death during the 14th century by Boccaccio.

Point/P Another major and gruesome symptom of the Plague is black livid
spots on the skin.

Explain/E1 Therefore, the 2 major and gruesome symptoms of the plague

described in Boccaccio’s source are the tumours/Gavoccioli the size of
apples in the groin and armpits, and the black spots on arms and
thighs.

Evidence/E2 Men and women victim to the plague experienced certain tumours in
the groin and/or armpits region growing as large as a common apple,
or an egg. Common folk called these gavoccioli (ga-vo-cho-lee). This
deadly gavoccioli propagate and spread within a short period of time
in different directions, thus a definite sign that the victim would die.

Elaborate/E3 There are 2 major and gruesome symptoms of the plague portrayed in
the source, which affected both men and women during this time.

Link Black livid spots appeared on victims arms and thighs in different
quantity; few, large, and now minute and numerous. Like the
Gavvoccioli, the black spots was an infallible token of approaching
death, thus the plague receiving the name, the Black Death.

ANSWERS-TEACHER COPIES

Point/P There are 2 major and gruesome symptoms of the plague portrayed in
 the source, which affected both men and women during this time.

Explain/E1 Men and women victim to the plague experienced certain tumours in
the groin and/or armpits region growing as large as a common apple,
or an egg. Common folk called these gavoccioli (ga-vo-cho-lee). This
deadly gavoccioli propagate and spread within a short period of time
in different directions, thus a definite sign that the victim would die.

Evidence/ Another major and gruesome symptom of the Plague is black livid
E2 spots on the skin.

Evidence/E2 Black livid spots appeared on victims arms and thighs in different
quantity; few, large, and now minute and numerous. Like the
Gavvoccioli, the black spots was an infallible token of approaching
death, thus the plague receiving the name, the Black Death.

Link Therefore, the 2 major and gruesome symptoms of the plague

described in Boccaccio’s source are the tumours/Gavoccioli the size of
apples in the groin and armpits, and the black spots on arms and
thighs.

A description of the appearance of a plague victim by Boccaccio, The Decameron 14th

century

…but in men and women alike it first betrayed itself by the emergence of certain tumours in
the groin or the armpits, some of which grew as large as a common apple, others as an egg,
some more, some less, which the common folk called gavoccioli. From the two said parts of
the body this deadly gavocciolo soon began to propagate and spread itself in all directions
indifferently; after which the form of the malady began to change, black spots or livid making
their appearance in many cases on the arm or the thigh or elsewhere, now few and large, now
minute and numerous. And as the gavocciolo had been and still was an infallible token of
approaching death, such also were these spots on whomsoever they shewed themselves.

Decameron Web. First Day: Introduction [Passages 010-012] (Brown University)

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/texts/DecShowText.php?
myID=d01intro&expand=empty&lang=eng

Appendix E

SYMPTOMS OF THE PLAGUE WORKSHEET-SCHOOL HISTORY UK.

To the left you can see all the symptoms of

the plague.

1. Plague-infected flea bites the victim.

2. Victim feels tired and weak, but finds it difficult to sleep

3. Victim develops fever and pains

4. Body temperature increases.

5. Victim feels giddy, appears dazed and begins to talk wildly.

6. Swollen glands appear in groin, armpit or neck – called Buboes

7. Bleeding under the skin causes blue-black or purple blotches.

8. Red rash with small red spots appears on Buboes

9. D E A T H !

Glossary

Symptoms – the signs of having an illness

Dazed – not being able to think properly

Buboes – swollen lumps in the groin, neck

or armpit.

Tasks:

Write name on the top of the person sheet (Person is A4).

Choose THREE of the symptoms on

the left to draw on your person (Pick

ones that you can draw easily!)

· Draw them onto your person.

Label them fully and add colour).

Glue the finished person into your book.