Assessment strategy
Suggestions for gathering information about student learning are provided in each of the activities in this module. Once satisfied that sufficient information has been collected, teachers may make judgements about students’ attainment of aims.
Science
Science and Society
3.2 Students recognise the need for quantitative data when describing phenomena.
Students may:
- test predictions about water flow within the schoolground catchment;
- record results from experiments on water movement in plants;
- use assessment techniques to evaluate the health of a local waterway.
3.3 Students make predictions about the immediate impact of some applications of science on their community and environment, and consider possible pollution and public health effects.
Students may:
- list the human impact upon a catchment area and the consequences of such an impact;
- identify detrimental practices upon a waterway and methods to rectify unsustainable practices so as to maintain a healthy waterway;
- predict the effect of unsustainable resource use upon the health of a local waterway.
Earth and Beyond
4.1 Students recognise and analyse some interactions (including the weather) between systems of Earth and beyond.
Students may:
- draw and label the water cycle;
- explain the stages of the water cycle.
3.3 Students collect information that describes ways in which living things use the Earth and the sun as resources.
Students may:
- use a topographic map to identify the natural resources within a catchment and how humans use these resources.
Life and Living
3.3 Students describe some interactions (including feeding relationships) between living things and between living and non-living parts of the environment.
Students may:
- draw and label the water cycle;
- explain the stages of the water cycle;
- describe how water moves through plants;
- plan and create a model of a water catchment.
SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment)
Place and Space
PS 2.2 Students predict possible consequences for an ecological system when an element is affected.
Students may:
- list changes to the schoolground catchment if vegetation, use of grounds were altered;
- list consequences to a catchment due to an increase in urban development, introduced plant or animal, or increased farming or fishing.
PS 2.4 Students use and make simple maps to describe local and major global features including oceans, continents and hot and cold zones.
Students may:
- locate waterways, the boundary and other features of the local catchment on a topographic map of the local area.
PS 2.5 Students express a preferred future vision for a familiar place based on observed evidence of changes and continuities.
Students may:
- list their ideas for maintaining or improving their local catchment area.
PS 3.3 Students cooperatively collect and analyse data obtained through field study instruments and surveys, to influence the care of a local place.
Students may:
- act on the results obtained from a field study and plan to improve some aspect of water quality in their local catchment.
PS 3.5 Students describe the values underlying personal and others actions regarding familiar places.
Students may:
- identify the values people have that motivate them to undertake action to improve a catchment area;
- state why they would undertake action to improve some aspect of the catchment area in which they live.
Systems, Resources and Power
SRP 3.1 Students make inferences about interactions between people and natural cycles, including the water cycle.
Students may:
- predict what might occur if one of the variables within the water cycle is altered, e.g. less/greater evaporation;
- discuss effects of changes to rainfall, vegetation or land use within the school grounds and how this may affect their use and enjoyment of them.
Last reviewed 31 August 2010
Last updated 16 June 2008
