Sakeena Shafqat Ali | 110228133 | EDUC4209

Transdisciplinary Unit
Essential Question: How can we effectively decrease our reliance on non-renewable energy resources?

Level of Schooling: School and Class context

Year 8
This unit will be taught towards the end of term 3 after students have studied a unit on energy and electricity. This is a 3
week transdisiplinary unit whereby Mathematics and Science lessons of a year 8 classroom will be merged. Across the
four weeks, there are a total of 3 (10 x 50 minute) lessons per weeks

Concepts: Thinking and Working Scientifically/Mathematically

Science: Scientifically:

Energy comes in different forms and can be divided into categories

Explaining why energy transforms from one form to another

The conversion of energy from one form to another

Describing how energy is relevant to their daily lives

Electric grid is a system that distributes electricity from power plants to Identifying the pros and cons of 1 specific energy resource

locations that use electricity

Suggesting a recommended sustainable fuel mix for our region

The amount and type of energy sources used to supply energy demands of a Demonstrating beliefs and attitudes about energy consumption and
particular region differs
conservation

Non-renewable resources are limited resources which cannot be replaced in Identifying and recording appliances at home that require electricity

a short amount of time

Identifying behaviours and technology the can be used to reduce personal
Renewable resources are resources which can be replaced naturally and electrical use

quickly
Comparing different energy resources and its efficiency

Energy audit is used to evaluate energy use

Designing a 3D model of selected renewable energy

Behaviours and actions that saves or uses less energy

Investigating the efficiency of a selected renewable energy and its potential
Power is the rate at which energy flows
role in the local community

Australia’s advancement in incorporating renewable energy

Reasoning and justifying points made for the effectiveness of the selected
A range of technological solutions have been adopted by Aboriginal and renewable energy
Torres Strait Islander communities to maintain a good quality of life

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Mathematics: Mathematically:

Data is displayed to explore and represent information

Calculating their personal consumption of electricity

Data can be represented in multiple ways

Reading and interpreting electric bill

Calculation of personal consumption of electricity

Calculating mean, median and mode of a data set

An electric bill provides a breakdown of electricity consumption

Identifying values of mean, median and mode

Energy can be calculated using a formula (Energy = Power x Time)

Interpreting values of mean, median and mode and the effects they have on
Mean is the average of a data set
the data set

Median measures the middle score of a set of numbers

Designing a 3D model of selected renewable energy

Mode is the most common number in a data set

An outlier is a value that lies outside most of the other values in a set of data

Mean, median and mode can be interpreted to analyse and investigate a set
of data

Dispositions Key Manipulative/Algorithmic skills being developed

Create a wonderment and curiosity of the sources of energy - renewable and Collecting data of pupils responses
non-renewable

Linking learning to real life context encourages students to value scientific Designing a 3D model of their selected renewable energy
knowledge

Promote deep, true and authentic learning

Selecting suitable materials to construct their 3D models
Our energy choices and decisions impact the Earth’s natural systems and
the generation to come, in ways we may not be aware of
Calculating measurements of 3D model
Motivate students to participate in positive energy solutions for a sustainable
world
Use laptops to create a powerpoint presentation on the selected renewable
Encourage students to think outside of the box
energy

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Curriculum Links:

Science:

Energy appears in different forms, including movement (kinetic energy), heat and potential energy, and energy transformations and transfers cause change
within systems (ACSSU155)
Scientific knowledge has changed peoples’ understanding of the world and is refined as new evidence becomes available (ACSHE134)
Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical
considerations (ACSHE135)
Reflect on scientific investigations including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and identifying improvements (ACSIS146)
Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims based on evidence (ACSIS234 )
Communicate ideas, findings and evidence based solutions to problems using scientific language, and representations, using digital technologies as
appropriate (ACSIS148)

Mathematics:

Investigate techniques for collecting data, including census, sampling and observation (ACMSP284)

Investigate the effect of individual data values, including outliers, on the mean and median (ACMSP207)
Carry out the four operations with rational numbers and integers, using efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital
technologies (ACMNA183)

Cross Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Sustainability

OI.2: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special OI.5: World views are formed by experiences at personal, local, national and
connection to and responsibility for Country/Place.
global levels, and are linked to individual and community actions for
OI.5: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of life are uniquely sustainability.
expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.
OI.6: The sustainability of ecological, social and economic systems is achieved
OI.9: The significant contributions of Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait through informed individual and community action that values local and global
Islander Peoples in the present and past are acknowledged locally, nationally equity and fairness across generations into the future. 
and globally.
OI.8: Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices,
the assessment of scientific and technological developments, and balanced
judgements based on projected future economic, social and environmental
impacts.
OI.9: Sustainable futures result from actions designed to preserve and/or
restore the quality and uniqueness of environments. 

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General Capabilities

Literacy Numeracy ICT Critical and Creative Thinking

Understanding and using numbers Plan information searches

Identifying and clarifying
Comprehending instructional in context
Locating and accessing data information and ideas

components
Calculating mean, median and information
Organising and processing
Comprehending texts through mode
Selecting and evaluating data information

listening, reading and viewing

Calculating personal energy information
Imagining possibilities and
Composing texts
consumption
Designing PowerPoint presentation
connecting ideas

Understanding how visual elements Interpreting values and the effects Understanding computer-mediated Considering alternatives

produce meaning
of it communication
Seeking solutions and putting ideas
Using language to interact with Managing digital data
into action

peers and teachers

Reflecting on processes

Delivering presentations
Transferring knowledge into new
Expressing opinions and point of contexts

view
Applying logic and reasoning

Drawing conclusions and designing

a course of action

Personal and Social Capability Ethical Understanding

Working collaboratively with peers

Recognising ethical concepts surrounding renewable energy

Effectively communicate ideas

Reasoning and making ethical decisions

Making purposeful decisions

Considering consequences

Negotiating and problem solving skills

Reflecting on ethical action

Showing initiative
Exploring rights and responsibilities

Valuing diverse perspectives

Considering points of view

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Learning
Science Mathematics
Experience

See Appendix 1 for the booklet which students will be using throughout the unit

2 x 50 minute lessons



1. Students will be told that they will begin a unit of study on
human energy use and renewable and non-renewable resources.

2. Students will be given 2 minutes to think go and write down as

many ways they use energy on a daily basis

3. Compile the responses and ask students to think of how would

they represent this collected data. What information could improve
its accuracy?

4. In groups, students will represent this data (e.g bar graph, column
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graph, pie chart, line graph)

(Engagement)
5. Ask students to identify an activity they do which requires
electricity (e.g charging their phone in an electrical outlet, turning
on the heater etc.)

6. On page 3 of booklet, have each student sketch the path that

electricity takes to get to their homes. Encourage students to
sketch as far back as possible. Teacher will talk around the room
to get a sense of students understanding and alternative
conceptions

7. In a think-pair-share, students will explain their sketches

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2 x 50 minute lessons

1. As a class, watch a video titled Energy 101: Electricity

Generation
2. Students will be given 2-3 minutes to review and revise their
initial sketches based on what they learnt from the video

3. In a think-pair-share, students will discuss how (if any) their

ideas about electricity has changed

4. Hand out post it notes to students and get them to write down
the kinds of natural resources which can be used to generate
electricity (one per post it)

5. Have students stick them on the whiteboard

6. Based on the responses, as a class, draw up a table of the

different types of renewable energy as well as the frequency (e.g
how many students wrote down “solar panels”

7. With that, construct a bar graph together with the class and
students will identify the mode, mean and median (refer to page 4 of
booklet)

11. Calculate the mean and median of this data. Do they both
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equate to the same value? If yes, no outliers are present.

12. Practice with additional questions to deepen students’

(Explore & Explain) understanding

13. Show students the different types of energy used to generate

electricity in South Australia and other states (link to website in
resource section). Discuss how the mix varies in different states

14. Explain to students that today, in pairs, they will research and
evaluate one energy source and its pros and cons with the class.
Assign each group 1 of the following:

biomass, coal, geothermal, hydropower, natural gas,

petroleum, solar, uranium, wind, wind

15. Groups will be given 20 minutes to research on this this and 2

minutes to present their findings. Fill up page 5 of booklet

16. Have a discussion with the class, would they alter the fuel mix
in South Australia? (based on the website by SA gov listed in
resources) How?

17. Get students to fill up page 5-6 of booklet.

18. Ask students to bring in their last two electricity bills for
learning experience 4 (if possible)

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1 x 50 minute lesson

1. Post signs that say “Always/Yes” and “Never/No” on opposite

ends of the classroom

2. Explain to students that these signs represent their rating scale

of a questionnaire. They can stand on either end or in between
to represent “Maybe/Sometimes”

3. Read the following statements one at a time:

I turn off the lights whenever I leave a room

Riding a bike instead of driving a car can reduce pollution

(Explore & Explain)

The decisions I make about energy use can have a huge
impact

Power and energy are the same thing (False. Power is the rate
of energy flow. This will be covered shortly)

I can encourage my peers to make better energy decisions

4. Inform students that they are required to complete their personal
energy audit at home to estimate their personal electricity used.
Discuss how this can be calculated by doing a few example using a
formula

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2 x 50 minute lessons

1. Using the information gathered at home which students have

filled out at home, students will now calculate an estimate of the
amount of energy used

2. Remind students that they should apply there formula learnt in

the previous unit to measure electrical power (Energy = power x
time)

3. Complete calculation page 7 and 8 of the booklet

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4. Allow students to access computers in order to explore and
calculate their personal carbon dioxide emissions using the
(Explore and Carbon Footprint Calculator website (listed in the resources
Explain) section)

5. To wrap up this learning experience, have a discussion with

student about the following points (page 9 of booklet):

What surprised you most about your personal energy

consumption?

Do you see opportunities to conserve energy?

How is an individual’s energy use a global issue?

6. Homework: students should read an article titled “Really

Australia, its not that hard - 10 reasons why renewable energy is
the future” to participate in the next lesson’s discussion

1 x 50 minute lesson

1. Practice some extra questions on mean, median & mode

(pearson textbook)

2. Remind students that outliers are calculated using 1.5xIQR rule

3. Gather the total energy usage of members of the classroom

(Explore & Explain)
(based on the electricity bills brought in)

4. Tabulate and ask students to represent the data then find the
mean, median and mode on page 10 - 12of booklet

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3 x 50 minute lesson (page 13 ad 14 of booklet)

1. Continue with mean, median & mode questions in Pearson
textbook
1. Discuss key points of article titled “10 reasons why renewable
energy is the future of Australia”

2. Students will watch an 8-minute ABC news clip titled

‘Australia’s energy crisis: Absolute shambles, national
embarrassment and a disgrace”

3. Ask students what did ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Individuals used for energy resource? Discuss the pros
and cons

4. In groups of three, students will research what is being done in

terms of sourcing renewable energy in Aboriginal communities
living in remote parts (E.g along the coast from Cairns to
Adelaide)

5. In pairs, students all then choose from a list of renewable

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energy which they will research and present on at the end of

the unit, attended by the school’s principal. Introduce task now
(Elaborate)
so students can begin their initial planning

6. List of renewable energy:

biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind

7. To help students understand what is expected of them, go over

the rubric and explain that they will be required to create a
powerpoint presentation as well as design a physical or animated
3D model of their choice of renewable energy

8. Give students around 30-45 minutes to brainstorm ideas and

materials needed. Students can use this resource as part of their
research = https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resources/
technologies.

9. The next learning experience will be either be a STELR

investigation on wind energy (if kit is available) or an excursion to
“STEM Innovation Lab”.

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2 x 50 minute lessons

1. If STELR kit is available in school, wind turbine

investigation will be conducted (refer to page 134 of
STELR Teacher Manual)

1. If STELR kit is available in school, wind turbine investigation

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will be conducted (refer to page 134 of STELR Teacher Manual
book)

(Elaborate) 2. Otherwise, an excursion to “STEM Innovation Lab” which takes

students through a design thinking model and allows them to
explore models of renewable and non renewable energy

3. After the excursion, students will fill up a 3-2-1 in page 15 of

their booklet

Students will be given 10 x 50 minute lesson to work on their summative assessment (in pairs)

An example of lesson sequence:

By the end of 4 x 50 minute lesson (e.g Monday and Tuesday), students should have completed their research and powerpoint
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presentation

(Evaluate) By the end of 2 x 50 minute lesson (e.g Wednesday), students should have planned model and gathered materials



By the end of 4 x 50 minute lesson (e.g Thursday and Friday), students should have built and finalised model and powerpoint
presentation

This will be scaffolded throughout lessons

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3 x 50 minutes lessons

1. Students will present their powerpoint presentation and 3D

model 

2. After all pairs have presented, take a class vote to ask students
which renewable energy do they think their school can implement.
Based on the responses, students will have to represent the data,
calculate mean, mode and median.

3. In addition to that, students are required to interpret the values of

their calculation

4. Students will proceed to write up half a page of reflection of

Aspects that worked well?

Aspects that did not work well?

How has their thinking changed after this unit?

As a class, looking back at the graph we have created (based on

(Evaluate & Reflect) our electricity bills), how can we decrease our daily energy usage?
Why is this necessary?

Now that students are more aware of this topic, get them to fill up
their page of 18 of their booklet - My pledge of green - and how it
will be undertaken (duration, note-taking etc) possibly until mid of
term 4 where students can present their findings using a slow-
mation or digital narrative.

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Assessments
What will you assess? How will you assess? When will you assess?
 How will you record your What forms of feedback will
Who leads the assessment? assessments? you provide?

Concept:
Students will sketch the Formative
Renewable energy booklet
Inform teaching

Electric grid is a system that electric grid from their homes At the start of the unit
Anecdotal notes Verbal feedback throughout
distributes electricity from as far back as they can Teacher-led
lesson

power plants to locations that

use electricity

Concept:

Data is displayed to explore Students will record Formative

Anecdotal notes
Inform teaching
and represent information
responses and represent the At the start of the unit
Informal observations
Data can be represented in data visually Teacher-led
multiple ways

Concept:

Energy can be calculated Students’ written responses Formative

Anecdotal notes
Oral feedback given during
using a formula (Energy = to “energy audit” section Learning Experience 3 - 4
Informal observations the task

Power x Time)
listed in booklet Teacher-led Small group discussions

Concept:

Behaviours and actions that Students come up with ways Formative

Anecdotal notes Oral feedback
saves or uses less energy
we can save or use less Student-led
energy in our daily lives

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Assessments
Concept:

Renewable resources are Students will present a Summative

Anecdotal notes
Written feedback

resources which can be powerpoint presentation on a Student-led Marked against rubric Rubric

replaced naturally and selected renewable energy Oral feedback

quickly
and build a 3D model of it

Australia’s advancement in
incorporating renewable
energy

Concept:

Mean is the average of a Based on audiences response Summative

Anecdotal notes
Written feedback

data set
of which renewable energy Student-led Marked against rubric Rubric

Median measures the can be adopted by school/ Oral feedback

middle score of a set of local community, students will
numbers
calculate mean, median and
Mode is the most common mode. They will then test to
number in a data set
see for outliers and interpret
An outlier is a value that lies results
outside most of the other
values in a set of data

Mean, median and mode

can be interpreted to
analyse and investigate a
set of data

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Resources
Teacher Resources https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/energy-and-environment/energy-supply/sas-electricity-supply-and-market)

http://www.ltcconline.net/greenl/courses/201/descstat/
mean.htm#:~:text=Mean%2C%20Mode%2C%20Median%2C%20and%20Standard%20Deviation&text=The%20s
ample%20mean%20is%20the,symbol%20for%20the%20sample%20mean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHilqd13rII

https://www.coolaustralia.org/activity/hydro-tasmania-ancient-modern-energy-sources-fire-electricity/?login=yes

https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/media/5157/ccp-tbi-7-10.pdf

https://smile.oregonstate.edu/lesson/fueling-future

https://stelr.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Renewable-Energy-Teacher-Manual-200318.pdf

Pearson Mathematics Textbook

Pearson Science Textbook

Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Booklet

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Student Resources Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy booklet

https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHilqd13rII

https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resources/technologies.

https://theconversation.com/really-australia-its-not-that-hard-10-reasons-why-renewable-energy-is-the-future-130459
Post it notes

Electricity bill

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