Activity 1

Activity 2

Activity 3

Activity 4

Activity 5

Activity 6

Introducing renewable
energy

Researching wind energy

and developing questions

Excursion to Woolnorth
wind farm

Constructing an argument

Class debate about wind

energy

Persuasive writing about

wind farms (final
assessment task)

Strand: Critical and

Creative thinking.
Sub-strand: Reflecting on
thinking and processes.

Level 4 (end of year 6):

Reflect on processesidentify and justify the
thinking behind the choices
they have made.

Curriculum Content
Codes and Descriptions

Strand: Science
Sub-Strand: Physical
sciences
Descriptor :Energy from a
variety of sources can be
used to generate electricity
Code: (ACSSU219)

Elaborations:

Evidence of
Understanding
[List the products that
students make or processes
performed that will show
students understanding of
the targeted outcomes from
doing the activities]

-whole class brainstorm on

renewable energy types.
- think, pair, share after the
video clip focusing on the
following questions:
-What makes wind energy
renewable?
-Why do some people hate
wind farms?
-What do you think of them
so far?

- Posters in pairs about

information they have
found out about wind
energy.
- 3 questions about wind
energy to ask expert at
Woolnorth wind farm.
-Students will provide
feedback to another pair
about their posters and
questions using 2 stars and
a wish (see appendix a).

- Discussion about Woolnorth

-A PMI (positive, minus
interesting) chart about wind
farms/ energy- using sources
for evidence.

- Students will work in 2

teams to construct a debate
argument- one for wind
farms and the other
against.
-Students must state where
they sourced their
information in the debateie. Personal opinion,
website.
-Students will be provided
with a worksheet to collate
their ideas about the
arguments.

Focus Questions

What is wind energy?

Essential Question

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using wind energy to create electricity?

Overarching
Understanding

-Gain understanding as to why wind energy is renewable.

-Use evidence to back up and argument
-Consider alternative opinions about wind farms.
- Develop inquiry questions.

Activity
[Insert title of activity]
General Capability
Strand, sub strand and
level descriptions

-investigating how moving

air and water can turn
turbines to generate
electricity
-considering whether an
energy source is
sustainable.
-photographs/ sketches of
wind farm.
- asking the previously
formed questions and gaining
answers.

What questions can be asked to further our understanding of

wind energy?

-An open book written

piece responding to the
following statement:
There have been plans
made to put a new wind
farm near Mr Frasers
property. He is concerned
about how noisy it will
be. Either:
a) Write a letter
persuading Mr. Fraser of
the benefits of wind
farms.
b) write a letter to the
council persuading them
not to build it there
(BE SURE TO JUSTIFY
YOUR CLAIMS.)
How might wind farms affect the local community?

Backwards design is a popular planning method used by teachers to plan learning

sequences, where they begin their planning by underpinning what they want students to achieve
at the end of the unit of work (Wiggins & McTighe 2005). In planning this learning sequence, the
year 6 Science descriptor Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity,
alongside the General Capability Reflect on processes- identify and justify the thinking behind
the choices they have made (ACARA, 2013) were firstly identified. These outcomes are what
the teacher is aiming for the students to build competency in throughout the learning sequence.
The second stage in Backward design is to determine acceptable evidence, where assessment
or evidence of learning tasks are developed (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). In this learning
sequence, these tasks include: creating an inquiry poster and questions in pairs, observing wind
turbines at Woolnorth, a class debate and a final assessment task where students express their
understandings through persuasive writing. The final part of Backward design planning is to
plan learning experiences and instructions (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). This is where the
other experiences in the learning sequence have been designed or sourced such as the multimodal
text, class discussions, visit to Woolnorth Wind farm and creating personal resources such as a
PMI chart.
This learning sequence focuses on the General Capability Reflect on processes- identify
and justify the thinking behind the choices they have made (ACARA, 2013). Students should
be competent in this general capability by the end of year 6 (ACARA, 2013). The general
capability is firstly addressed in the focus questions of the learning sequence as they are aimed to
challenge students thinking about wind farms and the associated advantages and disadvantages
of them. Traver (1998) believes that good guiding questions contain both emotive and
intellectual force. The questions in this learning sequence are opening ended to allow students to
think deeply about the topic and are related to the learning sequences Overarching
Understandings. This general capability is supported in the learning sequence through the group
and whole class discussions that students engage in throughout the activities, where they are
encouraged to support and challenge other class members points about wind energy. In addition,
this general capability is explicitly covered in Activity 5 where students are involved in a class
debate and must justify their arguments about wind farms and again in Activity 6 where they
must justify their ideas in written form.

This learning sequence aims to continually develop students

understanding of Overarching Understandings. A strength of this learning
sequence is that all students are able participate in the activities as many of
them are catered to different learning abilities and include group work and
discussion. Activities 1 and 2 are aimed at introducing students to the topic
of wind energy and identifying prior understandings. Caram and Davis
(2005), suggests that teacher initiated discussions and questioning are
engaging to students and help develop their critical thinking skills.
Questioning is a major focus in these two activities as they aim to engage
students in the topic. The 2 stars and a wish task in Activity 2 provides
students a chance to give and receive both positive and constructive
feedback to one another about the poster and questions they have created.
During the whole of Activity 2, the teacher acts as more of a facilitator by
supporting students with research and providing them with feedback.
Brookhart (2008) highlights the importance of providing students with
feedback in every lesson.
In Activity 3, students undertake a field trip to the Woolnorth Wind farm
in North-West Tasmania. The aim of this activity is to allow students to
consolidate their understanding of how wind farms work and ask an expert
the questions they have formed in Activity 2. This is an opportunity for
students to get outside the classroom and experience a real-life wind farm.
Activity 4 is an opportunity for students to discuss what they have learnt and
clarify anything they are still unsure about. Students will work in groups to
create PMI charts to organise their ideas into the positives, minuses and
interesting points about wind farms/energy. Marchand- Martella, Miller and
Macqueen (1998), affirm that using graphic organisers deepens students thinking about a topic.
In activity 5, students are further consolidating their thinking about the advantages and
disadvantages of wind farming through a class debate. This allows students to practice justifying
their arguments. This task prepares students for Activity 6, where students have the opportunity
to show their understanding through persuasive writing about either the advantages or

disadvantages of wind farms. This activity assesses both students understanding of the General
Capability and the Science descriptor of this learning sequence. The teacher will use a rating
scale (see appendix b) to record students progress. Brady & Kennedy (2012), believe that rating
scales enable teachers to rate as to what degree the outcomes of the task or learning sequence are
achieved.
While a lesson or activity may only take 20 minutes to complete in the classroom,
planning the activity can take considerable amounts of time and thinking from the teacher
(Whitton et al. 2010). There are so many important points to be considered in planning. These
features are identified in this learning sequence such as student engagement, curriculum content,
prior learning and assessment. It is important that the learning sequences teachers create are
purposeful and consider the needs of all students in the classroom.
References
Australian Broadcasting Commission. (2009). Do you love wind farms or hate
them? [Video].
Retrieved from http://splash.abc.net.au/media/-/m/85338/wind-farmingbenefits-and-drawbacks?source=search
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2013).
The Australian
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Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2013).
The Australian

Curriculum: Science foundation to year ten curriculum (v5.2) Retrieved

from
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Scholastics. (2014). Arguments for and Against [Worksheet template].

Retrieved from
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/worksheet3.asp?
topic=Iditarod
Traver, R. (1998). What is a good guiding question? Educational Leadership,
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