Backward Design - UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE

Title: Where does my food come from and what has been done to it?
Year Level: 6/7

Teacher: Kimberley Marden

Focus Curriculum Area (s): Sustainability & HASS

Duration: 3 weeks

STAGE 1: Curriculum Links

General
Capabilities (GP)

Critical and

Numeracy

ICT

Ethical Behaviour

Personal and Social

Intercultural Understanding

Cross-curriculum
Priorities (CCP)

Aboriginal and TSI

Asia and Australias

Sustainability

Year Level
Content
Descriptors

Science: Use and influence of science

Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on
other areas of society and
may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120).
People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the
development of practices
in areas of human activity (ACSHE121).
Science: questioning and predicting
Identify questions and problems that can be investigatedscientifically and make predictions
based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124).
Science: Evaluating
Reflect on scientific investigations including evaluating the quality of the data collected, and
identifying improvements (ACSIS131).
Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to evaluate claims based on evidence
(ACSIS132).
HASS: Analysis and use of resources
Identify the origin and purpose of primary and secondary sources (ACHHS209) & (ACHHS152).
Locate, compare, select and use information from a range
of sources as evidence (ACHHS210) & (ACHHS153).
Draw conclusions about the usefulness of sources
(ACHHS211) & (ACHHS154).
HASS: Explanation and communication
Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations that use evidence from a range of
sources that are acknowledged (ACHHS213) & (ACHHS156)
Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital technologies
(ACHHS214) & (ACHHS157).
English: Literact: Purpose and audience

Literacy

Histories and Culture

Engagement with Asia

Year Level
Achievement
Standards
HASS:
Students formulate
significant questions
and propositions to
guide investigations.
They
locate and collect
useful data, information
and evidence from a
range of primary and
secondary sources.
They examine sources
to determine their
origin, purpose and
reliability
and to identify past and
present values and
perspectives. They
interpret and analyse
data to propose simple
explanations for
distributions, patterns,

Creative Thinking

English:
Students explain issues
and ideas from a
variety of sources,
analysing supporting
evidence and implied
meaning.
They select specific
details from texts to
develop their own
response, recognising
that texts reflect
different viewpoints.
They listen for and
explain different
perspectives in texts.
Students create
structured and coherent
texts for a range of
purposes and
audiences.
They make
presentations and
contribute actively to
class and group
discussions,
using language
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Analyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape meaning and vary
according to audience and purpose (ACELY1721).
Enlish: Literacy: Analysing and evaluating texts
Compare the text structures and language features of multimodal texts, explaining how they
combine to influence audiences (ACELY1724).
Technologies: Design and Technology
Investigate the ways in which products, services and environments evolve locally, regionally
and globally and how competing factors including social, ethical and sustainability
considerations areprioritised in the development of technologies and designed solutions for
preferred futures (ACTDEK029).
Sustainability:
OI.3 Sustainable patterns of living rely on the interdependence of healthy social, economic and
ecological systems.
OI.6 The sustainability of ecological, social and economic systems is achieved through
informed individual and community action that values local and global equity and fairness
across generations into the future.
OI.7 Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and
require us to explore and understand environments.
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 (ACARA, 2016).

Knowledge

Students will know where their food comes from.

Students will know what happens to their food.

Students will have a better understanding of why different things

happen to their food and make decisions about whether they like
those things happening to their food.

Students will be able to put an argument forward with possible

solutions for food production in the future.

Students will also be able to distinguish between what is food and

what is a food like product.

trends and
relationships,
and evaluate and
synthesise evidence to
draw conclusions.
Science:
They predict the effect
of human and
environmental changes
on interactions between
organisms and classify
and organise diverse
organisms based on
observable differences.

features to engage the

audience.
Technologies
By the end of Year 8,
students explain how
social, ethical, technical
and sustainability
considerations
influence the design of
innovative and
enterprising solutions to
meet a range of
Present and future
needs.
(Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and
Reporting Authority
[ACARA], 2015).

Skills

Create and develop inquiry questions about where their food comes from and
what happens to it along the way.

Investigate, collect data, examine evidence, interpret and analyse information,

and form conclusions and possible solutions.

Develop and experiment that will allow them to monitor how food reacts when
treated differently.

Explain issues from a variety of sources, analysing supporting evidence and

imply meaning.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will be able to take a situation (food producation), develop inquiry questions that will provide answers to what they want to and need to know;
students will be able to collect and sort quality (reliable) information in an inquiry investigation, analyse, evaluate and create meaning from that information
and present their new knowledge in an informative manner; providing possible solutions for the future.

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Task description: Summative Assessment

Students will present an inquiry investigation on food production with an emphasis on where our food is coming from and what is being done to
it.
Students can present their inquiry in any way they wish (Oral presentation, documentary, newspaper, essay, infograph, brochure
The target audience is their families.
Students can work individually or in pairs.
Due date: At the end of the fourth week of the unit.

Assessment Criteria:
Total 40 Points

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

On their way

Needs more work

5 Points

Inquiry questions
show they are well
thought out and
relevant.

Inquiry Questions
show thought to the
investigation topic.

Inquiry questions
relate to the
investigation topic.

Questions show
thought but vaguely
relate to the
investigation topic.

Questions are closed

and inappropriate for
an inquiry.

formulate significant
questions and
propositions to guide
investigations

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15 Points
Locate and collect
useful data,
information and
evidence from a
range of reliable
sources and explain
issues and ideas
from a variety of
those sources,
analysing supporting
evidence.

8+ quality sources
were used to collect
data, information and
evidence.

6+ quality sources
were used to collect
data, information and
evidence.

4+ quality sources
were used to collect
data, information and
evidence.

2+ quality sources
were used to collect
data, information and
evidence.

Showed high levels

of ability to determine
if a source was
reliable.

Showed they could

determine is a source
was reliable.

Showed they could

determine is a source
was reliable.

Had a mixture of
reliable and not so
reliable sources.

Interpreted and
analysed the
information well.

Interpreted and
analysed the
information to an
acceptable standard.

Struggled to use
sources
appropriately and
little analysis shown.

Very well: Used other

sources and
information to
support their
argument

Used other sources

to support their
argument.

Used limited or
unreliable sources to
support their
argument.

Put forward an
argument without any
other sources of
information to
support their view.

Regularly
participated in class
discussions by
listening to others
and sharing.

Limited contribution
to class discussions.

Not sure who this

student is, they didnt
speak once in the last
four weeks.

Interpreted and
analysed information
extremely well.

There is no evidence
that any quality
sources were used to
collect data other
than information and
evidence from
Wikipedia and
personal opinion.

Examine sources to
determine their
origin, purpose and
reliability, interpret
and analyse data
5 points
Select specific details
from texts to develop
their own response,
recognising that texts
reflect different
viewpoints
10 points
Make a presentation
and contribute
actively to class and
group discussions,
using language
features to engage
the audience.
explain how social,
ethical, technical and
sustainability
considerations

Extremely well: Used

information from
sources in order to
articulate and back
up their own view
point or argument.
Actively participated
in class discussions
and activities by
respecting others
opinions and
articulately putting
their forward.
Extremely in tune
with the social,
technical and
sustainability issues
that impact on where

Showed interest in
the social, technical
and sustainability
issues that impact on
where our food
comes from and what
happens to it.

Listened to others.
Vaguely interested in
the social, technical
and sustainability
issues that impact on
where our food
comes from and what
happens to it.
Struggled to develop
a solution focus.

Has no opinion or
interest in other
peoples opinions
about food
production and
solutions for
sustainable chemical
free food.

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influence the design

of innovative and
enterprising
solutions to meet a
range of
Present and future
needs.
5 Points
Spelling, grammar
and overall
presentation on
inquiry

our food comes from

and what happens to
it.

Developed an interest
in solutions.

Looks for solutions

for more sustainable
ways to produce
chemical free food.
No spelling or
grammar issues.
Presentation is neat
and very appealing to
the audience as well
as easy to follow and
understand.

Very few errors.

Presentation is neat
and easy to follow
and understand.

Some spelling and

grammatical errors
but mostly wellpresented and easy
to follow and
understand.

10 + spelling and
grammatical errors.
At times difficult to
understand, overall
presentation is
confusing.

20 + spelling and
grammatical errors
throughout. Difficult
to understand and
not very appealing to
the audience.

Assessment recording template: Each student will be given a copy of their own personalised marked rubric that has specific feedback about their inquiry
investigation.
Feedback: Students will present their inquiry investigation to their class and family; students will create a feedback sheet that includes specific areas they
would like feedback on as well as a criterion decided by the class in a class discussion. Students will pick five students to review their work as well as family
members at home. The teacher will go through the feedback with the student after they have collated it and also provide feedback on what the student did
well and areas the student may need to develop, and how they could develop those areas.
Formative Feedback:

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(Lambert 2012).
Self-assessment: Students will use the review process to self-reflect and identify what they were most pleased with and what they would do differently
next time. The focus will be on how students feel the process went and what they would have changed.

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN STAGE 3: PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION

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What events will help students:

Learning Experiences
1

Excursion to the SunDrop Farm just outside of Port Augusta.

SunDrop Farms are global leaders in sustainable agriculture,
growing fresh fruits and vegetables using renewable inputs. At the
Port Augusta Farm they are growing tomatos using salt water and
the sun.

The lesson will start with some YouTube films deliberately played
to shock the students about how far food some food travels and
about chemicals and poisons that are put on food.

Students will then start an experiment with a range of foods to

establish what happens to the food over time is it is organic,
came from overseas or has been sprayed or injected with
chemicals.
Students develop inquiry questions about where their food comes
from and what is done to it along the way.
Students research for two to three lessons.
Students also make observations of their experiments during
these lessons as well.
Students will put together a presentation for their families of their
inquiry investigation. This can be done in any way they choose.
Students will also develop a review sheet that their peers and
families can use to provide feedback about their inquiry.

Students will present their presentations to the class and to their

families for homework.

Assessment For/As Learning

(Formative Assessment)
Formative assessment: Note in a
box. Students provide feedback
on the excursion and place it in a
box, class discussion about the
feedback (after the teacher has
checked the comments).
Teacher to give verbal feedback
to students about the way they
conducted their experiments.

The teachers will act as a guide

during the research phase,
offering explicit instruction when
it comes to process but
encouraging reflective selfevaluation of content.
Teacher asks questions that
encourage reflective practice
about how to present
information.
Teacher reflection: Do the student
display the skills and knowledge
to do this?
Do the students have enough
information to create their
presentation?
Peer review
Family review
Self-review
Teacher feedback

Resources
School bus
Permission forms
SunDrop farms worker

Variety of fruit and

vegetables.
YouTube videos
Containers or boards
Recording sheets
Cameras/iPads
iTV
Computers
iPads
Notebooks
Internet
Library
iPads
Computers
Paper/card/texters
Depends on what the
students decide.

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