Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Groups of students choose a water related website. They evaluate the website using selected criteria. They make recommendations on how the website could be improved and forward their suggestions to the organisation.

Learning goals:

  • Website materials are evaluated to see if they help and are relevant to the intended users.
  • Website design is evaluated to identify how easy it is to navigate and find required information.
  • Solutions are identified in weaknesses in the website.
  • New ideas are proposed to make the site more interesting.

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Year 9 Science

  • Critically analyse the validity of information in secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS172)
  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS174)

Year 9 English

  • Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)

Year 10 Science

  • Critically analyse the validity of information in secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS206)
  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS208)

Year 10 English

  • Use comprehension strategies to compare and contrast information within and between texts, identifying and analysing embedded perspectives, and evaluating supporting evidence (ACELY1754)

Syllabus Outcomes: SC5-7WS, SC5-8WS, SC5-9WS, EN5-2A.

Topic: Water

Year levels: 9 and 10

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time required: 45 mins.

Learning areas addressed: ICT, Science, Geography, English, Civics and Citizenship.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Assist students in choosing websites to evaluate. May need to be responsible for communicating with organisations.

Resources required: Internet.

Homework and extension opportunities: Part of this activity could be assigned as homework.

Keywords: Water, Website, Evaluate, Conservation, Communication, Consumption, Recommendation.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

Most major activities in our society have a presence on the internet with a dedicated home page. Students have grown up with the internet and are often excellent critics of what makes a good or poor website.

The students’ task will be to evaluate how well the website works for the intended user and if the website is effective at communicating water conservation practices.

Activity outline

Assist groups of students in choosing an appropriate website that relates to water consumption (or water treatment including waste water). These can include:

  • Water retailers who bill homes, schools, and industry.
  • Water suppliers who supply the water to retailers.
  • Water suppliers for agriculture including irrigation.
  • Government bodies responsible for managing water resources including the storage of water and the distribution for home, industry and agricultural uses.
  • Conservation organisations lobbying for responsible water management.
  • Conservation organisations
...
 
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Student Worksheet

Most major activities in our society have a presence on the internet with a dedicated home page. As you probably often use the internet, you are well placed to be excellent critics of what makes a good or poor website. In this activity, you will be required to evaluate how well a website works for the intended user and make recommendations for its improvement.

Task One: Choose a website that relates to water consumption (or water treatment including waste water).

These can include:

  • Water retailers who bill homes, schools, and industry.
  • Water suppliers who supply the water to retailers.
  • Water suppliers for agriculture including irrigation.
  • Government bodies responsible for managing water resources including the storage of water and the distribution for home, industry and agricultural uses.
  • Conservation organisations lobbying for responsible water management.
  • Conservation organisations focused on healthy waterways.
  • Government organisations responsible for waterway manag
...
 
- or - to view worksheets

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