Assignment

Lesson plan ……………………………………pg2

Quality teaching marking criteria …..pg4

Revised lesson plan…………………………pg6

Justification. ………………………………….pg9

References…………………………………..pg10
Lesson Plan

Topic area: Ancient Egypt Stage of Learner: 4 Syllabus Pages: 60

Date: 14/03/2016 Location Booked: Lesson Number: 1 / 14

Time: 60 minutes Total Number of students Printing/preparation

24 Glossary worksheet x 24
 Outcomes Assessment Students learn about Students learn to
Lesson assessment The physical features of the  describe the geographical
Syllabus outcomes
Concept map – ancient society and how they setting and natural

HT4-2 describes major periods of understand what influenced the civilisation features of the ancient

historical time and sequences events, students already know that developed there society

people and societies from the past on the topic

HT4-9 uses a range of historical terms

and concepts when communicating an
understanding of the past
HT4-10

Teaching and learning actions

Time
0- 5 Students are to come in and settle in to class.
Teacher is to call out the Roll.

5-10 Introduce the topic of Ancient Egypt.

Ask students to leave a page in their workbooks for a title page titled “Ancient Egypt” tell students that
they need to have at least three pictures that relate to the topic. Set the task for homework – ensure
students write task in their diaries. Tell students homework will be checked during the next lesson.

10-20 Concept Map: Teacher is to get students into pairs and in their workbooks (after the title page) ask every
student to write “Ancient Egypt” in the middle of the page. Instruct students to write as many words they
know that relate to the topic around the page, they are to collaborate with their partner. They may use a
dictionary if they are unsure of spelling.

20-25 Concept Map Classroom activity:

Teacher is to have the words “Ancient Egypt” on the white board. Teacher is to go around the room and
ask each pair if they had any words to contribute to the class concept map. Teacher is to explain what
those words mean. Students are to include words they didn’t have in their concept map.

Words that should be included:

Mummification, Desert, Hieroglyphics, Domesticate, Egypt, Delta, Scribe, Embalming, Inundation,
Irrigation, Famine, After Life, Dynasty, Sarcophagus, Oasis, Deities, Papyrus, Pyramid, Ploughing,
Pharaohs, The Nile River, Canopic jars, Shadoof.
25-45 Glossary Activity 1:
Students are given a glossary worksheet to complete (resource attached below). They need to use words
from the concept map to fill it in.
Differentiation (resource attached below): Word bank and the first letter of the word to be included.
Students are to glue in worksheet once completed.
45-55 YouTube Clip
Show students an introduction of Ancient Egypt and discuss.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO1tzmi1V5g
55-60 Pack up, remind students of homework and dismiss the class.

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

HT4-2 Through understanding student background knowledge
students can list what they already know about the topic and
I will be adding new terms into their vocabulary to
encourage interest.
HT4-9 Students gain an understanding of new concepts and
vocabulary through concept map activity.

1 Intellectual quality
1.1 Deep knowledge
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: there is a focus on identifying environmental factors that led to the set up of Egyptian
society however it was a very limited look at society, mostly word recognition. But the teacher did
find what prior knowledge the students have which is recommended in the NSW QTM.

1.2 Deep understanding

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Little understanding of the connection between different Egyptian societal elements.
Only shown in video. E.g., Papyrus equals paper.

1.3 Problematic knowledge

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Knowledge is treated as fact but teacher can help discussion. The connection to society
is briefly explained in video. E.g. Pharaoh is a modern Judeo-Christian term.
1.4 Higher-order thinking
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Lower order thinking is the only thinking displayed. Lower order activities are repeated
throughout lesion.

1.5 Metalanguage
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Lots of meta language

1.6 Substantive communication

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: lots of communication between students and between teacher and students.

Quality learning environment

2.1 Explicit quality criteria
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: only general statements are made about quality of work.

2.2 Engagement
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Most students are engaged in the unit throughout the lesion, provided teacher ensures
they stay on tract.

2.3 High expectations

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: No significant higher order challenge.

2.4 Social support

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Teacher does encourage students to give ideas.

2.5 Students’ self-regulation

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: students are largely autonomous in the regulation of behaviour however this depends
on teacher’s classroom management. Group work ensures shared self-evaluation.

2.6 Student direction

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: Teacher has created explicit instructions and there is little chance for variation. No
Choice, Time, Pace and criteria negotiation in teaching process.

3 Significance
3.1 Background knowledge
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: there is a high connection to background knowledge although this knowledge is shallow
knowledge.

3.2 Cultural knowledge

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: some critical knowledge is transmitted but not much

3.3 Knowledge integration

1–2–3–4–5 Comments: No connection to other cultures. Subject knowledge is restrictive in nature.

3.4 Inclusivity
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: students are not excluded but there is no great effort to include minorities.

3.5 Connectedness
 1–2–3–4–5 Comments: no connection to the modern world except in video showing origin of writing and the
365 day calendar.

3.6 Narrative
1–2–3–4–5 Comments: no true narrative.

Identifying Areas for Improvement

Identify the four NSW QT model elements you are targeting for improvement.

QT model
1) student direction. 2)higher order thinking
3)narrative 4)metalanguage

Lesson Plan

Topic area: Ancient Egypt Stage of Learner: 4 Syllabus Pages: 60

Date: 14/03/2016 Location Booked: Lesson Number: 1 / 14

 Time: 60 minutes Total Number of students Printing/preparation
24 Glossary worksheet x 24

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about Students learn to

Lesson assessment The geographical, cultural  describe the geographical
Syllabus outcomes
Concept map – and religious features of the religious and cultural

HT4-2 describes major periods of understand what ancient society and how they setting and natural

historical time and sequences events, students already know influenced the civilisation features of the ancient

people and societies from the past on the topic that developed there society

HT4-4 describes and explains the cause  Identify how geographical

and effects of events and cultural and religious

developments of past societies over aspects of culture affect

time each other.

HT4-9 uses a range of historical terms

and concepts when communicating an
understanding of the past
HT4-10 selects and uses appropriate
oral written and visual and digital
forms to communicate about the past

Teaching and learning actions

Time
0- 5 Students are to come in and settle in to class.
Teacher is to call out the Roll.

Set up camera to record teaching session.

5-10 Introduce the topic of Ancient Egypt. Teacher is to write ancient Egypt on the board and ask students to
give words they know relate to Ancient Egypt the teacher must group given words into categories,

Environment, should include Culture, should include Dynasty, Papyrus, Pyramid ,

Desert, Famine, Domesticate, Inundation Chariot, Rameses thesecond,
Egypt, Delta, Ploughing, The Nile River, Irrigation Pharaohs Hieroglyphics,

Religion should include

Mummification, Scribe, Embalming,
After Life, Sarcophagus, Deities, Canopic jars,

10-20 YouTube Clip

Show students an introduction of Ancient Egypt and discuss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO1tzmi1V5g

20-40 Group work

Allow class to get into groups and using information gained from the video and class discussion allow
 them to pick either environment, culture or religion. The students are to then discuss what the words in
their categories mean and how they relate to each other.

They are to use the glossary worksheet to assist them identify word meaning
35-55 Class Discussion
The groups should tell the teacher their words meanings then the teacher should lead a discussion of
how the three categories are interrelated. E.g. Nile inundation allows for culture to develop.

For homework tell the students to gather more information on Ancient Egypt through books, movies,
video games or YouTube. They are to bring in a brief account of what they found.
55-60 Pack up, remind students of homework and dismiss the class.

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

HT4-2 Through understanding student background knowledge
students can list what they already know about the topic and
I will be adding new terms into their vocabulary to
encourage interest.
HT4-2 Shows how Egyptian people was able to expand culture due
to food supplies being plentiful after the Niles Inundation.

HT4-9
Students gain an understanding of new concepts and
vocabulary through concept map activity.

HT4-10 Use of multiple sources including YouTube, worksheets and

oral talk.
Justification

Examining the student plan for stage four Ancient Egypt one can identified four areas where the lesson plan could be

improved. The four areas are, student direction, narrative, higher order thinking and metalanguage.

Student direction refers to the ability for teachers to allow students to gain some agency over their own studies. In the

revised lesson plan students are able to choose from three categories of Egyptian society, religion culture and geography.

The student’s ability to self-regulate their own learning should lead to a more engaged student as they have some say to

choose a subject they are interested in and will try harder to fulfil the task (Mozgalina, 2015). Some evidence suggests that

this will make students more fearful of not completing the activity correctly but the group discussion should give students

reassurance they are on track. Through paring students together, the teacher is giving students a chance to help each other

so stronger students can help weaker ones (Mozgalina, 2015). To discourage stronger students from becoming bored when

grouped with less advanced students they are encouraged to take part in the group discussion (Eddy, 2015).

Narrative and meta language are being addressed by showing students how the metalanguage they have collected is inter-

connected, for example the inundation of the Nile river led to plentiful food surplus which allowed for the Egyptian culture

to develop a more complex system of buildings and beliefs. The relation of geography, culture and religion will give students

a deeper understanding of the meta-language they are using and allows them to explore cause and effect in the society they

are covering which is covered under the learning criteria HT4-4.

Higher order thinking is encouraged through the students being asked to connect the inter-related categories of culture

language and religion. The YouTube video also proved to be a good source as it shows how terms like pharaoh are modern

constructs rather than ancient words. The way modern society has affected views of ancient society shows students the

interconnected nature of human relations and culture and this can create debate within the class. The YouTube video was

initially the activity last however it was moved up the lesson plan because after the teacher found what previous knowledge

the individual student had it was important to expand upon this prior to the group work. The video also helped achieve HT4-

10 which called for a variety of learning sources including oral written and multimedia.

The lesion plan ended with homework being given. Homework was given at the end of the class as the teacher wanted the

students to expand on what they had learnt throughout the lesion. The homework was open ended and allowed the students

to draw from, a number of sources from books to videogames. The open nature of the homework is to encourage as many

new ideas about Ancient Egypt to be raised as possible, the various sources of media the students are allowed to use in
homework also considers the growing use of tools such as google earth and virtual reality and continues to achieve HT4-

10(Department of Education and Training, 2006). Homework should also encourage flexibility as not all students will have

access to the same level of technology or human resources or even space to work at home (McCormick, 2014), also as this

is the first lesson in the teaching of Ancient Egypt the core of learning should be guided by the teacher in class rather than

students trying to decipher what is real from what is rumour. If some students come in with material that is not correct the

teacher can address this in class.

To improve best practices in pedagogy the teacher is assigned with setting up a camera to record themselves as they are

teaching the lesion this is important as the footage can be used to analyse the teacher strengths and weaknesses (Lefstein

& Snell, 2014), this is especially important as this is the first class.

In conclusion the changes to the lesson plan are designed to heighten the connection to narrative, student direction, higher

order thinking and metalanguage as well as to address learning areas HT4-4 and HT4-10.
References

A classroom Practice Guide (2006) Department of Education and training. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/Chris/Downloads/Gore,%20J._Improving%20pedagogy%20(Chap_.pdf

Hartzler-Miller, C., (2001) Making Sense of “Best Practice” in Teaching History, Theory & Research in Social
Education, 29(4), 672-695, doi: 10.1080/00933104.2001.10505961

Eddy, M., (2015) Motivation for participation or non-participation in group tasks: A dynamic systems model
of task-situated willingness to communicate. Systems. 50 43-55. doi: 10.1016/2015.03.005.

McCormick, A., (2014) The influence of homework on the educational experiences of students from low
socio- economic backgrounds: A Phenomenological study (PhD Thesis). Retrieved from https://search-
proquestcom.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1608998622/fulltextPDF/B2898ACF8D684848PQ/1?accountid=
36155

Mozgalina, A., (2015). More or less choice? The influence of choice on task motivation and task engagement.
System. 49. 120-133. doi. 10.1016.2015.01.004

Lefstein, A., Snell, J,. (2014). Better than best practice: Developing teaching and learning through dialogue.
Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/Chris/Downloads/9781134653829_googlepreview.pdf