During this science unit I asked middle school students in years 7 to 9 to brainstorm questions. These questions could relate to anything at all that interested them personally. Students then worked individually or in small groups to investigate their questions by creating and following scientific methods. Students were given the opportunity to demonstrate the ACARA Science Inquiry Skills, with a focus on planning and conducting, processing and analysing data and information, and communicating.

We utilised Google classroom for students to create their methods and final communications. This allowed them to use tools such as voice typing, assisting those with literacy and language problems to have increased output. I was able to check their work both in and out of class and was thus well prepared to provide formative feedback at any time.

This lesson sequence utilised a range of learning activities including individual tasks (e.g. brainstorming questions), group work (e.g. creating methods)  and practical activities (laboratory experiments, social surveys, etc. depending on the question chosen), catering for different learning needs within the class and allowing students across the full range of abilities to demonstrate their understandings (1.5, 3.2, 3.3).

This unit was designed so that students could demonstrate their proficiency in the Science Inquiry Skills. Students were assessed against the achievement standards for each skill, in addition to selected general capabilities, and determined to meet the standard for their year level or not. Students on a modified curriculum were assessed against the appropriate year level standard; for example, one student with an intellectual disability and an auditory processing disorder was assessed against the year 4 standard despite being enrolled in year 9. The use of the descriptive achievement standards allowed consistent decisions to be made, and these were moderated by the mentor teacher. Informal formative assessment was conducted frequently, through questioning of students and by checking work completed in Google classroom. Students were given immediate feedback, often in the form of prompting questions such as "How could you explain this to someone in another class?" and "What do you think this means?" to enable them to provide more detailed and clear final communication products (2.3, 3.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3).

Several students across the three classes had difficulties with language, including severe literacy delays affecting both reading and writing. By utilising Google classroom I was able to introduce students to voice typing facilities which allowed students who would normally have limited written output to speak their ideas and have them recorded as text. Whilst facilitating students' "typing", this tool also assisted students by showing them the correct spelling for difficult words and homophones. Students who had difficulty reading also used the Microsoft Word text to speech function (1.6, 2.5, 2.6, 3.4, 4.1. 4.5).

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.

1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability.

2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting.

2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies.