Course Title: Australian Environment
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2013
Course Code: HUSO5154
Course Title: Australian Environment
School: 360T Education
Campus: City Campus
Program: C4243 - Certificate IV in ESL (Access)
Course Contact : Baia Tsakouridou & Bloss Robertson
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99254488
Course Contact Email:prepare@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Lucy Annetta 94.3.16 email: lucy.annetta@rmit.edu.au
Melanie Kyle 94.3.16 email: melanie.kyle@rmit.edu.au
Caroline McEnroe 94.3.22 email: caroline.mcenroe@rmit.edu.au
Betty Koklanis 94.3.16 email: betty.koklanis@rmit.edu.au
Jane Collins 94.3.16 email: jane.collins@rmit.edu.au
Marcelle Damicoucas 94.3.16 email:marcelle.damicoucas@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 50
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
This module must be co-delivered and assessed with at least one of the language (Listening and Speaking or Reading and Writing) units from the Certificates in ESL.
Course Description
This module aims to familiarise learners with the Australian Environment and language required to describe a range of environmental features.
The module is included as an elective for use at different levels of the Certificates in ESL Framework. It may be contextualised to suit the needs and skills of learners.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VPAM543 Australian Environment |
Element: |
1 Describe Australia's physical features and climate. |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Locate key physical features of Australia on a map. |
Element: |
2 Compare Australia’s physical features and climate with those of another country. |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Describe physical features and climate of another country. |
Element: |
3 Describe an environmental issue of significance in Australia. |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Describe the main aspects of the environmental issue. |
Element: |
4 Investigate an environmental issue of local importance. |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Describe the main aspects of the local environmental issue. |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- describe Australia’s physical features and climate
- compare Australia’s physical features and climate with those of another country
- describe an environmental issue of significance in Australia
- investigate an environmental issue of local importance
Details of Learning Activities
This unit is part of Certificate IV in ESL (Access) which is an integrated program. This means that you will study this unit with several other units on the same day. Your program consists of Face to Face teaching and Directed Study. Your program will have a minimum of 8 hours Directed Study per week. You are not required to attend to complete Directed Study, however you are expected to complete all work given and will at times be required to show evidence that the work has been completed in this unit. This is a very important part of your program and we ask that you do 4-5 hours on your non attendance day and at least 1 hour each evening to cover all the units in the program. An outline of your Directed Study is published each week in the Weekly Program Delivery Plan.
This unit is co-delivered with the macro skills Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing and it will involve the following:
LISTENING
You will:
• listen to a range of audio visual texts
• take part in conversations
• listen to talks and lectures
• visit places of interest and listen to guides
SPEAKING
You will:
• work in pairs and in small groups
• give complex reports on researched topic
• make up role plays to practice conversation appropriate to further study context
• give a formal oral presentation
• take part in formal and informal discussions
• evaluate your own work
READING
You are encouraged to read a wide range of texts relevant to the study context.
You will:
• read , analyse and review complex texts for research purposes
WRITING
In a variety of writing activities, you will improve your sentence structure and learn how to use different writing styles.
You will:
• take notes from a range of complex texts
• learn to locate and record references used
• reflect on issues and your own learning
• learn to plan, draft and proofread your work
• construct formatted texts for study purposes
• become familiar with academic discourse
Teaching Schedule
Program Dates: Mon 11 February – Fri 21 June 2013
Term Break: Fri 29 March – Fri 5 April 2013
Public holidays: Mon 11 March (Labour Day), Fri 29 March (Good Friday),Thur 25 April (ANZAC Day), Mon 10 June 2013 (Queen’s Birthday)
This unit of competency is taught within an integrated program. The assessment tasks have been put in bold to match the unit of competency. The assessment tasks will also cover other units within the course
Teaching Schedule
Cert IV in ESL Access
| WEEK | Unit of competency GEDU5517 VBQU142 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
Unit of competency
LANG5599 |
Unit of competency
LANG5601 |
Unit of competency
LANG5600 |
Unit of competency
LANG5602 |
Unit of competency
COSC5972 |
Unit of competency HUSO5154 |
Unit of competency
HUSO5158 |
| ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | ASSESSMENT | |
| 1 | Parts 1& 2 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
Parts 1& 2 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
||||||
| 2 | Part 3 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
Part 3 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
||||||
| 3 | Part 4 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
Give and respond to instructions relating to the navigation of a website assessment | Part 4 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
|||||
| 4 | Read, analyse and discuss current affairs texts assessment Film review |
Read, analyse and discuss current affairs texts assessment Give and respond to instructions relating to the navigation of a website assessment Film review |
Critically read creative texts Task 1 |
Film review | ||||
| 5 | Give and respond to instructions relating to the navigation of a website assessment | Critically read formal letters for a range of purposes | Describe and compare Australia’s physical features & climate with another country | Describe and compare Australia’s physical features & climate with another country | ||||
| 6 | Part 5 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
Analyse & participate in complex conversations Task 1 | Part 5 Research pathways and produce a learning plan and portfolio |
|||||
| 7 | Film Project | Film Project | Film Project | Write imaginative/reflective texts Task 1 | Film Project | Film Project | ||
| 8 | Read, analyse and discuss current affairs texts assessment |
Read, analyse and discuss current affairs texts assessment |
||||||
| 9 | ||||||||
| 10 | Academic essay | Academic essay | ||||||
| 11 | Analyse & participate in casual conversations for a purpose (charity afternoon tea | Critically read creative texts Task 2 |
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| 12 | Analyse & participate in casual conversations for a purpose (charity afternoon tea | |||||||
| 13 | Analyse & participate in casual conversations for a purpose (charity afternoon tea | Demonstrate critical understanding of extended oral presentation | Demonstrate critical understanding of extended oral presentation | |||||
| 14 | ||||||||
| 15 | Analyse & participate in complex conversations Task 2 |
Write imaginative or reflective texts Task 2 |
||||||
| 16 | Research report: Australian visual art | Research report: Australian visual art | Research report: Australian visual art | |||||
| 17 | Group oral presentation Australian visual art | Group oral presentation Australian visual art | ||||||
| 18 |
**The teaching schedule maybe subject to change. Students will be advised via Blackboard and in class should changes occur.
Teaching Schedule: This course will be delivered weekly. The times will be outlined in the program delivery plans which are updated each week.
Your program is made up of:
• Orientation
• Learning activities
• Mid semester review
• Guest speakers
• Exit review
All students will be inducted. The induction includes
• Program Guide & Student Diary
• Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Explore RMIT ( an orientation to the university and its services)
• Orientation to RMIT Libraries (library tour & on line catalogue introduction)
• RMIT Online Systems Information Session
Library Orientation & an RMIT Online Systems Information Session will be scheduled during the first two weeks of your program. Information about student services, rights and responsibilities is contained in your student diary.
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
There are no prescribed texts but it is recommended that students avail themselves of the many ESL resources available in the RMIT Library. |
References
Other Resources
TEXTS AND EQUIPMENT
There are no set texts in this course, but it is recommended that you bring
· English-English dictionary (We ask that you do not use a translation dictionary)
· Thesaurus
· Display folder with plastic sleeves
· Highlighter pens
· Notebook or loose leaf paper
· Headphones (use your own or they can be purchased from the Carlton Library very cheaply)
· USB (Memory stick)
Overview of Assessment
To be assessed as competent the learner needs to demonstrate:
- evidence of the ability to identify information on the Australian Environment
- evidence of the ability to make comparisons with environmental aspects of another country
- evidence of the ability to identify the impact of environmental problems
You may be assessed by:
- creating formatted texts
- academic essay
Assessment Tasks
Assessment will take place throughout the course. Your work is assessed on a competent (CA)/not yet competent (NYC) basis – it is not graded. You will be given written feedback on all assessment tasks. There will be individual and group projects completed both in and out of class.
Assessment is ongoing and its purpose is to develop your skills. You will be given assistance in redrafting and editing written assessment tasks because developing your ability to identify and correct your own mistakes is an important part of the learning process. It is important that you read the specific elements each assessment task addresses on the cover sheet for each task. At the time of setting assessments you will be given clear guidelines about which course, elements and performance criteria you will need to meet in order to successfully complete the task. Submission dates & deadlines will also be clearly explained.
Assessment tasks:
Summative assessments:
• Academic Essay
• Construct a formatted text to describe and compare Australia’s physical features with another country
Formative assessments: ongoing observations, summaries and review of student work
Please note:
Assessments tasks will include other courses (Units of competency) from the program.
All Assessment tasks should be submitted by the deadline. If an extension is required you must ask your teacher for one before the due date.
Assessment Matrix
Each assessment cover sheet clearly outlines the competencies being addressed in the task in relation to performance criteria. The sum of assessment tasks will cover all units and their elements over a range of occasions. You will be given opportunities to demonstrate competency in a variety of ways throughout the program. You are encouraged to discuss any problems or concerns with your teacher or student co-ordinator. An assessment matrix will be available on myRMIT.
Course Overview: Access Course Overview