Session 11 - Somerly Primary School Year 3 - Jodie Davidson & Katy Hough

1. Groups of 3 based on states and territories - WA, NT, SA, TAS, VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD

2. Each group will be given one of the ten Australian deserts. Can you work out where on the map it will need to go

DESERTS

1. What are the features of a desert?

2. How many deserts are in Australia and where do you think they are?

3. What plants might you find in the desert and why? Choose from the selection on the table

4. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBKc7Kv1e_o&msockid=3431123c764611f093848197df2de624

5. What animals might you find and why?

Create your own desert animal - snake, lizard, bilby, skink, dingo, red kangaroo, thorny devil, dusky hopping mouse using the wire, paper and masking tape. What does it need to survive?

What creative habits would your animal need to survive in the desert?

Successes

• Working in their pairs of one good reader and another who is good at looking. This was reasonably effective at grouping based on skills, allowing one person to read out loud about their desert location and the other to find it on the map

• Most students used persistence and discipline in making their desert creature even though in some instances, it took them a few times to get the hang of obtaining the shape they were after using the wire.

• Engagement in the making activity

• Working together to guess the states and cities around Australia

• Including words for the more advanced students and images for those who can’t read

Challenges

• There are still the very quiet students (usually those with lower levels of literacy and understanding) who require much more assistance with both instructions and participation. They will usually come to an adult in the hope that they will take over rather than implement persistence by trying a second or third time. 

• ‘This is good enough’ …student

• Not listening (or possibly unable to listen) to instructions

• Most students opted to copy the example demonstrated rather than create a different creature, except for a few who made snakes

The disparity in the academic and comprehension levels within the class can result in different levels of engagement. Some will put a lot of effort in and in some cases, like today, create two creatures, whereas others have a go and then give up or take it to an adult in the hope that they will do it for them. If sessions are simplified, this can help however it can also result in the brighter and more outspoken students finishing and being disruptive with materials and around the classroom requiring more adult attention which takes it away from the quieter students who also need help. The sessions, like today, where there is more creativity and hands on making is having better participation results overall however there also seems to be a difference between where they were at the end of last term, and where they are currently in regards to creative habits and class cohesion. This may also be because they have moved classrooms, the classroom next door sometimes requires staff assistance particularly if there is a relief teacher and there are a couple of student changes meaning we have new students who are not yet familiar with using creative habits. 

Revisit creative habits - warm up, attention during the session

Allow more time for reflection at the end and possibly change this from the flowers

Have activities for early finishers