Contemporary Teacher Leadership: Assignment One - Jarod Leis
Contemporary Teacher Leadership: Assignment One - Jarod Leis
Contemporary Teacher Leadership: Assignment One - Jarod Leis
REDESIGNED UNIT – STAGE FOUR HISTORY ‘ABORIGINAL AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, COLONISATION
AND CONTACT HISTORY (SECTION B – NORTH AMERICA)’ CRANEBROOK HIGH SCHOOL.
Objective…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Context……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Goals……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
Background Information………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Comparative Table of unit differences…………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Report of Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11
Scope and sequence……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16
Concept map…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18
Assessment task and marking criteria……………………………………………………………………………………………………..19
Redesigned unit outline…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..26
References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….37
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….41
Objective:
The following report provides numerous suggested recommendations to develop and redesign the ‘first six weeks’ of the Stage Four History
module – Topic 6d: Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples, Colonisation and Contact History provided by Cranebrook High School; a Western
Sydney public school located at the foot of the Blue Mountains. The following recommendations endeavour to focus on incorporating
strategies for gifted and talented students and students with diverse teaching and learning needs.
Context:
The listed recommendations are established to support critical and higher order thinking throughout the stage four curriculum. Specific target
areas include literacy and numeracy skills and increasing ICT capabilities. The amended unit has the purpose of increasing engagement and
motivation of students and also boost content understanding relevant to the Stage Four History syllabus. The report incorporates a
reconstructed unit outline with a concept map, assessment task and a scope and sequence. Careful consideration of the Understanding by
Design Framework (McTighe & Wiggins, 2012) and the Universal Design for Framework (Israel., Ribuffo and Smith, 2014) was used in
reconstructing the unit of work as both are key frameworks that support sustained improvement of classroom progress and success. A concept
was provided.
Goals:
The primary goal of this report is to assist the HSIE faculty of Cranebrook High School in creating a unit of work that incorporates teaching and
learning strategies that cater for students that are both gifted and talented and those that have learning difficulties of any capacity. After
reflecting from teaching the unit over a six-week period, the amendment of strategies and learning activities are designed to promote
engagement, increase motivation and encourage participation of all students. The amendments will assist in the continued improvement in
students’ ability to think analytically in both individual and group based activities within the stage four history classroom.
Recommendations:
* Incorporation of Student Centred learning by:
Utilising small scale collaborative learning activities such as Think/Pair/Share to assist with learning (Bamiro, 2015).
Allowing for less teacher led activities and implementing more student led tasks.
Create more engaging content material and allow for a wider scope of activities
Further support students with learning difficulties as ICT opens up new opportunities for participation (Rabah, 2015).
Developing social skills through collaborative activities and assessments (Lee, 2015).
Incorporating numeracy and literacy into the classroom consistently on a daily basis.
Knowing students and how they learn in order to differentiate learning activities (AITSL, 2011).
Becoming an agent for change and continuously challenging students to extend their learning capacity.
Background Information:
This report has been produced for the HSIE department of Cranebrook High School; a secondary boys and girls public school located in
Western Sydney. The intention of this report was to develop the program Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples, Colonisation and Contact History:
Topic Four, studied during the stage four history curriculum for year eight students. The original unit of work incorporates a variety of teacher-
no specific mention whether or not students who are gifted and talented or those with learning difficulties are incorporated. Cranebrook High
School prides itself on quality teaching and learning and allowing all students the opportunity to achieve their personal best in all aspects of
school life. Taking this into consideration, the included recommendations that have been made for the program endeavour to accommodate
both students who are gifted and talented and students with learning difficulties through various differentiation strategies.
Differentiation for - Each lesson has a - No differentiation present - Increased level of - Auditory learners respond
students with variety of activities within the program. differentiation throughout better to audio instruction
learning needs which can allow for - Whilst a variety of most lessons and utilising verbal analogies
- Variety of students of all activities are present within - Auditory learners and storytelling to
teaching academic levels to the program, no considered demonstrate their point
activities attempt. alternatives exist if the task - Alternatives for those who (Kayalar & Kayalar, 2017)
within a is too challenging. feel more comfortable - Differentiation is based on
lesson. working individually Vygotsky’s work and
promoting inclusive education for all students. This view correlates with Cranebrook High School in which their school motto “Quality teaching
and learning is our core and each student is supported to achieve their personal best in all aspects of school life” embodies the core of
inclusive education. The year eight cohort is filled with students who are both gifted and talented and are eager for new and challenging
content and students who have various learning difficulties such as poor verbal, communication and attention skills. The amendments to this
program keeps the changing educational landscape in mind and places an emphasis on differentiation and success for all students through
using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Understanding by Design (UBD) frameworks as a guide in providing both a challenging,
Increasing effective student-centred learning was one recommendation in amending the original program. Student-centred learning was
incorporated through the continuous use of activities such as Think-Pair-Share and tasks that allowed students to create a piece of work
themselves. This reflected the shift of moving away from the previous teacher-led learning which relied heavily on activities in a textbook to
student-centred learning. Bamiro (2015) through his research discovered that think-pair-share strategies increased the development of higher
quality cognitive skills. This activity can be used in various formats at the start, middle and end of a lesson as it acts as a recap activity as well as
(2015) research supports the Bamiro (2015) study and extends its usefulness for those with learning difficulties and in particular with speaking
ability. The Raba (2017) research found that teachers within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms agreed that implementing think-
The incorporation of collaborative case studies is another example of student-centred learning. These tasks came in the form of a collaborative
debate, creative writing and a ICT case study. Burner, Madsen, Zako and Ismail (2017) studied the impact of three secondary school teachers
implementing student-centred learning over teacher-led learning which encompasses a significant part of this amended program. The results
of this study found that students displayed an element of “risk taking” and becoming “active learners” in the way they collaborated with other
students and in creating their own work. Allowing students to become “active learners” is at the forefront of implementing individual and
collaborative projects as it allows students of all levels of academic capacity to create and be proactive in their learning.
Minimal elements of digital and ICT integration were incorporated through the original program and the amended program endeavoured to
not only increase how often it was used but more importantly increase its capacity to enhance student learning. Rabah (2015) identifies the
incorporation of ICT in education as a process that enriches teaching and learning processes for students who are both highly engaged and also
collaborative research were considered in adding variety and depth to learning experiences. Utilising YouTube videos was used as an
alternative source of information instead of text from a textbook. Furthermore, short videos can stimulate student’s minds and can allow them
to begin forming an understanding of the content. Findings from the Kuo, Chu and Huang (2015) research emphasise the importance of
collaborative group work especially for students who have learning difficulties as it allows students to pool information together as a collective
The integration of more diverse literacy activities that challenge and stimulate learning and increase the incorporation of numeracy activities is
in line with the general capabilities found in the Australian Curriculum (n.d). Literacy skills were incorporated within the original program
however, there was an over reliance on worksheets and contained very little scope for differentiation and creativity. Amendments to the
program included widening opportunities for students to express individuality and content knowledge and this came in the form of creative
writing activities and a debate. Semali (2017) expresses the need for allowing literacy skills to be tested through the incorporation of writing
tasks, discussions and creative writing and is beneficial for all students. By breaking traditional teaching methods and allowing students to
express individuality in their learning, it can continue to challenge and push boundaries of all students. For students who have low social skills
and learning difficulties, Lee (2015) state that the incorporation of collaborative tasks like a debate or group projects can positively develop
(2015) research it is stated that numeracy is an integral part of learning in all subjects. The amended program allows for numeracy to be
incorporated more frequently through entry timeline activities and referring to maps.
Increasing the inclusivity of all students is a significant part in the amending the original program. Very little existed in extension activities and
differentiated instruction and activities were absent from the program. This goes against the research by Rabah (2015) in which differentiation
enriches the learning of all students. Creating content and activities that is challenging yet achievable for all students requires teachers to have
an in depth understanding of their students. Incorporating higher order thinking opportunities within the amended program included
extension activities as an addition to set work which target further developing content knowledge and understanding. Yen and Halili (2015)
support these additions through their research in which it was found that higher order thinking teaching yielding multiple perspectives whilst
Differentiation also incorporates providing an equal opportunity for students with various learning needs to be able to achieve within a
classroom. Throughout the original program, no examples of differentiated teaching material were listed. This goes against research by Doubet
and Hockett (2015) in which they state that differentiation is a requisite in maximising each learner’s potential. The amendments to the
Auditory learners have opportunities to express content understanding through oral reports and voice memo tasks. These opportunities align
with the research by Kayalar and Kaylar (2017) in which auditory learners engage and respond more positively to utilising verbal analogies to
demonstrate understanding. Students with a low social ability are given the choice in how the process of their learning occurs through the
choice of individual or collaborative work. This strategy reduces any unnecessary stress placed on students with low social skills yet still allows
To conclude, a number of recommendations have been stated throughout this report for the betterment of all students having an equal
opportunity within a classroom. These recommendations were made through the UDL framework which endeavours to cater for the various
strengths of all students as stated by Israel, Ribuffo and Smith (2014). The recommendations endeavour to increase engagement and
motivation within the classroom whilst at the same time, challenge students in developing critical educational skills that can be applied
Term 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Topic 6b The Black Death in Asia, Europe and Africa (14th-century plague)
Assessment Task 1: Report Outcomes: 4.2, 4.4, 4.6 Weighting: 15% Week received: wk3 Due: wk7
Assessment Task 2: Oral Presentation Outcomes: 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 4.10 Weighting: 10% Week received: wk3 Due: wk8/9
Term 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Assessment Task 3: Poster Outcomes: 4.3, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9 Weighting: 25% Week received: wk3 Due: wk7
Term 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Assessment Task 4: Creative Writing Outcomes: 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7 Weighting: 25% Week received: wk7 Due: Wk1 T4
Assessment Task 5: Topic Test Outcomes: 4.2, 4.4, 4.7, 4.9 Weighting: 25% Week received: wk3 Due: wk6
Outcomes assessed
A student:
HT4-2 describes major periods of historical time and sequences events, people and societies from the past
HT4-3 describes and assesses the motives and actions of past individuals and groups in the context of past societies
HT4-4 describes and explains the causes and effects of events and developments of past societies over time
HT4-6 uses evidence from sources to support historical narratives and explanations
HT4-7 identifies and describes contexts, perspectives and interpretations of the past
Feedback provided
The teacher will provide written feedback outlining strengths and what went well within the assignment and areas for improvement regarding
the creative writing and the comparison components of the task.
1. Access our google classroom and submit underneath the submission tab
2. Hardcopy
IF you need assistance in submitting the assignment, please see your teacher first.
Title: Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples, Colonisation and Contact History (Section B) Society: North America
Content Focus:
Students study the history of both North American Lakota and the Aboriginal Australian peoples with an extensive focus on the lifestyle and
the process of colonisation on their society. This section focusses on North American Lakota Sioux and emphasises the role of significant
people, features of the tribe, sources both primary and secondary and colonisation and how and why it occurred.
Content Rationale
Students investigate: The study of the North American Lakota Sioux before colonisation is
The nature of colonisation important as it allows students to gain an understanding of Native
The features of a pre-colonial indigenous culture American tribes. Furthermore, it allows students to form an
The nature of contract between the indigenous and non- empathetic understanding of events that occurred in North America
indigenous peoples and students can draw links and comparisons to colonisation in
The response of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples to Australia with Indigenous Aboriginal peoples. Analysing aspects of
colonisation lifestyle, significant people and sources will let students gain a
The consequences of colonisation deeper understanding on the society.
The experiences of colonisation
Lesson Introduction: HT4-2 Define the Anagram activity Activity One: Warm up Anagram activity - Allowing students to
One Defining concepts of done individually or in pairs (literacy focus) work individually or in
colonisation / invasion, Pre-test groups (process)
America’s first occupation, Activity Two: Pre-test (skills and check for
migrants colonisation PowerPoint Presentation any prior knowledge) through google forms
and
settlement Worksheet Activity Three: Teacher guided introduction
through PowerPoint slide – Timeline, Map
Think-pair-share
Activity Four: Students can work individually
Map or in pairs to answer the America’s first
migrant’s worksheet.
Lesson Lakota Sioux – HT4-2 Describe the Timeline activity Activity One: Warm up timeline activity - Auditory learners can
Two Who were HT4-6 main features done individually or in pairs (numeracy design an oral report
they and their of the chosen Mindmap focus) instead of making a poster
lifestyle Indigenous
PowerPoint Presentation
Lesson The French in HT4-2 Describe the Anagram activity Activity One: Warm up Anagram activity - If students do not feel
Three North America HT4-3 key aspects of done individually or in pairs (literacy focus) comfortable working in
and The HT4-10 contact Everyone up activity groups or a debate they
English in between the Activity Two: Last lesson recap – “Everyone can use ICT and create a
North America Indigenous ICT research up” students recall an interesting point comparative table of the
people and the from last lesson and then they can sit down differences and
colonisers Information sheets similarities of the English
Activity Three: Debate – students are and French.
divided into two groups and have to use ICT
to gather research on either the French in
North America or the English. One
information sheet is provided to help with
research. The debate question: “did the
French or the English have a greater impact
on the North American Lakota?”
Lesson European HT4-3 - Define the Matching terms with Activity One: Matching terms with - Activity One extension:
Five conquest and HT4-4 concepts of definitions definitions Expand on the definitions
settlement invasion, and provide examples
occupation, PowerPoint Presentation Activity Two: Teacher led discussion across the world of
colonisation through PowerPoint Presentation on colonisation.
and Creative writing reasons why colonisation occurred
settlement - Activity Three extension:
Exit slip Activity Three: Creative writing task: Students are then to write
- Explain how Students are to write a letter to the queen a diary entry from the
and why regarding a new found land. They are to perspective of the Lakota
colonisation describe why it should be colonised. To be
occurred handed in for marking - Activity three: auditory
learners can record a
Activity Four: Exit slip – students fill it out series of voice memos
and hand to the teacher for review reporting to the queen
about the new found land.
Lesson Removal of HT4-3 - Describe the Timeline activity Activity One: Timeline activity using - If students need extra
Six reservations HT4-4 key aspects of worksheet assistance in source
Lesson The great wars HT4-2 - Explain how Anagram activity Activity One: Warm up Anagram activity - Extension: Students can
Nine of resistance HT4-6 indigenous done individually or in pairs (literacy focus) do a comparative study on
part 2 HT4-10 and non- Mind map two different battles and
indigenous Activity Two: Last lesson recap: Teacher led note the key facts.
peoples ICT case study mind map on the board
respond to - Auditory learners can
colonisation record a podcast that
Lesson Personality HT4-6 - Explain how Kahoot topic recap Activity One: Warm up Kahoot activity –
Ten study and HT4-7 indigenous topic recap
impact on the and non- YouTube video
North indigenous Activity Two: Watch
American peoples Cloze passage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLpHR
Lakota respond to -Gayq8
colonisation Think-Pair-Share take brief notes
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/
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https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/apst-resources/australian_professional_standard_for_teachers_final.pdf.
Bamiro, AO. (2015). Effects of Guided Discovery and Think-Pair-Share Strategies on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Chemistry,
Bennison, A. (2015). Supporting teachers to embed numeracy across the curriculum: a sociocultural approach, ZDM Mathematics Education,
Burner, T., Madsen, J., Zako, N & Ismail, A. (2017). Three secondary school teachers implementing student-centred learning in Iraqi Kurdistan,
Israel, M., Ribuffo, C., & Smith, S. (2014). Universal Design for Learning innovation configuration: Recommendations for teacher preparation
Kayalar, F & Kayalar, F. (2017). The effects of auditory learning strategy on learning skills of language learners (students’ views), IOSR Journal of
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Raba, AAA. (2017). The influence of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) on improving students’ oral communication skills in EFL classrooms, Creative
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmed_Mahmoud_Raba/publication/312355810_The_Influence_of_Think-Pair-
Share_TPS_on_Improving_Students'_Oral_Communication_Skills_in_EFL_Classrooms/links/5882624892851c21ff42e6a1/The-
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Websites
10.8 A new Teacher narration, pp. 308-9, oral responses to CYU 1-3, p.309
beginning
(pp. 308-9) Compare the British treatment of Australian Aborigines in
nineteenth century and effects on their culture – list on
whiteboard. Refer to land rights issues and read the modern ‘Link’,
pp. 312-13, on the Inuit peoples and Nunavut.
http://www.nativeweb.org/
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nagpra/DOCUMENTS/ResMAP.HTML