Task 2 - Catering for Diversity Approx.

1000 words
Artefact 1: Formative Assessment Recount Writing
Description of Artefact: What is it?
Artefact 1, is an image of a recount written after completing an experiment where the students were learning about
the water cycle.
Learning area:
English:

Students understand how similar texts share characteristics by identifying text structures and
language features

When discussing their ideas and experiences, students use everyday language features and
topic-specific vocabulary.

Students create texts, drawing on their own experiences, their imagination and information they
have learnt.

Science:

Earths resources are used in a variety of ways (ACSSU032)

They use informal measurements to make and compare observations

They record and represent observations and communicate ideas in a variety of ways

How was it used? For what purpose? When was it used? Explain the task set for students
The purpose of this task was to gauge the student understanding about the condensation, precipitation and
catchment stages of the water cycle. Through the means of writing a recount which they had started to learn about
the week before. Students had previously conducted the science experiment and were given the instructions to
write a recount about our experiment for the water cycle, using the steps they had been learning about recount
writing. The teacher had written the instructions write a recount about the water cycle experiment on the board
and after revising the important parts to include in a recount the students were to complete the task.
With who? Who were the diverse learners and their needs? Give contextual background
In this year 2 classroom there are 2 SAER students, for both literacy and numeracy, and 2 students with Autism.
These 4 students regularly work in small group with the Education Assistant at the group work desks in the back
section of the room, this is to allow for a more individualised program to be put in place at a level which suits their
learning needs. The group will be referred to as the SAER students. The SAER students were able to work with
the Education Assistant at the back of the classroom and verbally give their recount to her and she scribed for
them. The EA was instructed to repeat the instruction verbally to the students before the task commenced and not

to give any hints about what they should include, as the teacher was wanting to identify if the students had
remembered what to include in a recount.
Explain how the artefact addresses AITSL standard 5 and developing and demonstrating appropriate
assessment tasks and considerations for the diversity of learners in contemporary classrooms
This particular artefact addresses AITSL Standard 5 by allowing those SAER students the opportunity to still
record their recount verbally. Therefore, the assessment is still showcasing the current knowledge and skills about
recounts and the use of developing language. The rest of the students still showcase their learning and developing
skills at an appropriate level for their current skill set.

Artefact 2: Water Cycle Mobile

Description of Artefact: What is it?

Artefact 2 is a Water Cycle Mobile. It is a series of circle which have been joined together so they hang down in a
line. On each circle the students have drawn and labelled a different part of the water cycle.
Learning area:
Science:

Students identify that the natural resources are used in different ways.

Demonstrate understanding of how science impacts on their daily lives

Use knowledge gained from observations and research to describe changes.

Use a range of methods to sort and communicate information.

How was it used? For what purpose? When was it used? Explain the task set for students
This assessment piece was one of the summative tasks implemented in the last week for this unit of work. My
mentor teacher had been working through a unit looking at the worlds natural resources and how they are used.
There were many opportunities to learn about all the different aspects of the water cycle through experiences from
experiments to an incursion with staff from the Department of Water. This summative assessment piece was
implemented to assess the student understanding of the water cycle, where it comes from and ways that people
use it.
With who? Who were the diverse learners and their needs? Give contextual background
The Water Cycle mobile was easily bale to be differentiated for the wide and diverse abilities of the class. The
SAER students were able to draw their representations of each part of the water cycle and have the description
written on the back by the Education Assistant. This assessment still allowed the SAER students the opportunity
to demonstrate their learning as it was not just dependant on the writing alone, and were able to still describe the
cycle in their own words which showed their understanding.
Explain how the artefact addresses AITSL standard 5 and developing and demonstrating appropriate
assessment tasks and considerations for the diversity of learners in contemporary classrooms
This assessment addresses Standard 5 and caters for the diversity of learners by not being a fixed written task. All
students were able to demonstrate their developed knowledge and understanding through the images they drew
and backed up with the writing that either they wrote or had scribed for them. By allowing students to use both
written and drawn formats a wider range of abilities is catered for. The mobile was not prescriptive with what the
students had to include therefore the students were able to include their knowledge from a range of sources such
as the incursion, videos, books and experiments that they had been experiencing.

Artefact 3: Water Cycle Quiz

Description of Artefact: What is it?
Artefact 3 is a written quiz that the students were given on the second last lesson. The last lesson was used for
students to reflect and evaluate their learning.
Learning area:

Science:

Students identify that the natural resources are used in different ways.

Demonstrate understanding of how science impacts on their daily lives

Use knowledge gained from observations and research to describe changes.

Use a range of methods to sort and communicate information.

How was it used? For what purpose? When was it used? Explain the task set for students
The assessment piece was the last summative assessment for this unit of work. This quiz consists of a diagram of
the water cycle which the students had to label and write a description of the water cycle. And the second part was
where the students needed to explain what different words meant in relation to the water cycle. At the beginning of
the lesson students were provide with an image of the water cycle and asked different questions about it to
activate their prior knowledge. They were then given the quiz to complete individually to the best of their ability.
The reason for this quiz was to assess the culmination of knowledge that the students have developed over the
unit of work, in direct relation to the water cycle.
With who? Who were the diverse learners and their needs? Give contextual background
This task was more structured than the other assessment pieces as it was a written based assessment. The class
was placed into test conditions which meant they were unable to talk to anyone else as they had been separated.
The SAER students were again able to work as a small group with the Education Assistant at the back of the
room, where they were able to verbally answer the questions and have the EA scribe their answers. After she had
scribe the written paragraph the students were then to label the diagram with the given words and draw images to
support their explanations.
Explain how the artefact addresses AITSL standard 5 and developing and demonstrating appropriate
assessment tasks and considerations for the diversity of learners in contemporary classrooms
This assessment task was a ridged task and I felt it didnt allow for all students to showcase their learning to the
fullest potential. I think a better alternative assessment piece may have been to have the students create a short
presentation to show the skills and knowledge in a deeper and more involved way.