AS 90810 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

For Excellence, the student needs to undertake a personal action,
with critical reflection, that contributes to a sustainable future.

This involves:

• evaluating their own response to the personal action using supporting evidence and examples, including one or more of:
  • stating supported opinions or judgements
  • considering implications
  • projecting future impacts
  • evaluating options
  • suggesting alternatives and next actions for personal and social responsibility.
• drawing conclusions about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with the action in relation to the aspect(s) of sustainability.

The student has planned and implemented a composting project in their school to address aspects of environmental sustainability (1). The plan has been modified accordingly (2), with waste audits carried out at two stages to gather data to inform the action (3), and to evaluate the effectiveness of the action (4).

The student critically reflects on the school composting project contributing to economic (5) and environmental sustainability, considering implications of fire hazards and vandalism (6), and suggesting alternative and innovative next courses of action (7).

They evaluate threats to the success of the project, budget (8), compliance and workload for teachers and students (9), and implications of collection of the compost contributing to greenhouse emissions (10), while offering a possible solution for this (11).

For a more secure Excellence, drawing insightful conclusions, the student could survey the students in the school in terms of changes in their attitudes and behaviours before and after the waste audits.

For Merit, the student needs to undertake a personal action, with in-depth reflection, that contributes to a sustainable future.

This involves drawing conclusions about whether the personal action changed own attitudes or behaviours in relation to the sustainability issue.

This student has completed a PowerPoint (this is the same evidence provided for the Low Merit student, see below). They have also linked the effectiveness of the action in detail to an environmental aspect of sustainability (1), and have explained how their own and families attitudes, behaviour and understanding towards composting have changed (2).

To reach Excellence, the student could consider threats to their action and offer innovative solutions to addressing these issues.

For Merit, the student needs to undertake a personal action, with in-depth reflection, that contributes to a sustainable future.

This involves drawing conclusions about whether the personal action changed own attitudes or behaviours in relation to the sustainability issue.

This student has planned and implemented an action for composting organic material at their school (1), and carried out two waste audits so they have data to inform and to evaluate the effectiveness of their action (3). They have linked their personal action to an aspect of environmental sustainability (2).

They have reflected on the effectiveness of their action in terms of gaining support from the junior students, organisations and sponsors (4), and evaluated threats to the project such as workload and health and safety issues (5).

They have made recommendations for further action (6) and linked the effectiveness of the action to an economic aspect of sustainability (7). They have explained how their attitudes, behaviour and understanding towards composting have changed (8), and related their explanation to the environmental aspect of sustainability (9).

For a more secure Merit, they need to consider in more detail the implications of how their action contributed to the aspects of sustainability addressed in their plan and how their attitudes and behaviours have changed.

For Achieved, the student needs to undertake a personal action, with reflection, that contributes to a sustainable future.

This involves:

• developing a plan for a personal action in response to a current local sustainability issue, including:
  • an outline of the importance of the issue with reference to at least one aspect of sustainability
  • a time-frame and steps of action
  • how data is to be gathered
  • what measurement methods will be used.
• undertaking the personal action in accordance with the plan and modifying the plan as necessary to reflect required changes
• drawing conclusions about:
  • the validity of the data collection and measurement methods
  • the effectiveness of the plan, including an explanation of any modifications made
  • how the action contributed to a sustainable future based on the aspect(s) of sustainability addressed in the plan.

This student has undertaken an action of relocating Beech tree seedlings and planting them in an open area to offer habitat for species of the native Mistletoe plant.

An outline of the issue is explained in terms of environmental and social sustainability (1).  Data to inform the action (2), a timeframe of action (3) and details of carrying out the action (4) are stated.

The student has reflected on their action and its effectiveness potentially in the long term, and has used data from previous similar actions to support this (5). They have reflected on how the benefits of Beech tree relocation can support environmental sustainability, that is, improving the habitat within the Mistletoe plant occurs (6). They have briefly explained how their attitudes have changed (7).

To reach Merit, the student could further consider how the personal action changed their own attitudes in relation to the decline of the species of Mistletoe. For example, they may want to tell others about the uniqueness and threatened state of the Mistletoe in order to build local community support and awareness of conservation of this plant.

For Achieved, the student needs to undertake a personal action, with reflection, that contributes to a sustainable future.

This involves:

• developing a plan for a personal action in response to a current local sustainability issue, including:
  • an outline of the importance of the issue with reference to at least one aspect of sustainability
  • a time-frame and steps of action
  • how data is to be gathered
  • what measurement methods will be used.
• undertaking the personal action in accordance with the plan and modifying the plan as necessary to reflect required changes
• drawing conclusions about:
  • the validity of the data collection and measurement methods
  • the effectiveness of the plan, including an explanation of any modifications made
  • how the action contributed to a sustainable future based on the aspect(s) of sustainability addressed in the plan.

This student has used research to determine what the negative effects and damage possums have on the native forest (1) and briefly explains how their action (trapping) will contribute to environmental sustainability (2). The timeframe (3) and planned steps of action is decided with the support of a D.O.C. staff member (4). The action is undertaken (5).

Some data is collected using wax tags, counting possum bite marks, and they have analysed the effectiveness of their trapping action (6). They have considered future action using this method (7). The evaluation explains simplistically how their action contributed to environmental sustainability (8).

For a more secure Achieved, the student could add further detail and specific information of the economic and environmental impacts and benefits of possum trapping.

For Achieved, the student needs to undertake a personal action, with reflection, that contributes to a sustainable future.

This involves:

• developing a plan for a personal action in response to a current local sustainability issue, including:
  • an outline of the importance of the issue with reference to at least one aspect of sustainability
  • a time-frame and steps of action
  • how data is to be gathered
  • what measurement methods will be used.
• undertaking the personal action in accordance with the plan and modifying the plan as necessary to reflect required changes
• drawing conclusions about:
  • the validity of the data collection and measurement methods
  • the effectiveness of the plan, including an explanation of any modifications made
  • how the action contributed to a sustainable future based on the aspect(s) of sustainability addressed in the plan.

This student has undertaken an action of possum trapping in an area of native forest (1). They have simplistically linked this action to an environmental aspect of sustainability (2).

To reach Achieved, the student needs to collect data on damage possums have made in terms of loss of biodiversity. This can then inform the student to plan an action that will contribute to a sustainable future.

They need to provide further detail in their reflection in terms of how their action contributed to a sustainable future. They could provide data of the possums caught during the planned action and explain how possum trapping can be effective for environmental sustainability.

For example, the action of trapping possums in the area could enhance the habitat for the Mistletoe and biodiversity of that area will be supported. They could also link the potential to sell the possum fur to economic sustainability.