Student Name: ____________________________________
Teacher: _________________________________________
Assessment Task for Year 11
Subject: Earth and Environmental Science
Stage:6 Preliminary
Assessment Task No.
1
Due Date:
2 May 2008
Weighting
15 %
Submission Instructions
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This is an in-class task which will be completed during your lesson in period 4
Complete the feedback sheet after the task.
Penalty for non attendance
 On day of task: 50% of mark awarded for that component pending Illness/Misadventure
certification
 The next day: zero awarded for that component pending Illness/Misadventure certification
Outcomes being assessed
P7 Identifies and describes the physical and chemical features of the environment
P8 Discusses the interplay between internal and external forces which constantly reshape the Earth’s surface
P10 Describes human impact on the local environment
TASK DETAILS
1.
Learning in the field:
Students have been prepared to effectively complete this task during the field trip through:
Learning to:
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identify and describe the geological features of the local environment that determine its natural landforms
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analyse the ways in which the vegetation of an area can be influenced by soil composition and climate
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assess the impact of human alterations to the environment, including land clearing, in terms of some specific
consequences, such as increased runoff, increased soil erosion, changes in river flows, in-stream sedimentation
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describe, using examples from the local environment if possible, ways in which artificial structures can disrupt
natural surface processes
Learning about (knowledge)
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gather and present information that identifies and describes:
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the geological features of the local landscape
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the past geological history of the area that can be deduced from evidence in the local rocks
gather and process first-hand information and use available evidence to assess current human impact on the
local biotic and abiotic environment
gather information from secondary sources to discuss one government regulation based on ecologically
sustainable development principles on land use
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gather, process and present information about the consequences of land clearing in a particular catchment
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process and analyse secondary information on the impact of an artificial structure on natural surface processes
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gather, process and present information from secondary sources on two Australian species that have been
declared endangered and use available evidence to outline the reasons why the species have become
endangered and the measures taken to ensure their survival
gather information from secondary sources to identify significant sites of biodiversity in the local area
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Terms used in the assessing of this task:
Identify – recognize and name
Explain – relate cause and effect; make the relationships between things evident; provide why and/or how
2.
Description of the Task
The student is asked to …….
Answer the questions provided on the day of the task using the information you have gathered on the field trip.
You will be assessed on your ability to:
1. Identify and explain geological evidence that the environment was different in
the past
2. Identify and explain evidence that soils affect the local biological
environment
3. Explain human impacts on the environment and the strategies that can be
used to minimize them
Areas to Focus On During Field Trip
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Discuss the possible consequences of land clearing including increased runoff, increased soil erosion, changes
in river flows, in-stream sedimentation, salinity (CR,SC,Y,PW)
Investigate local examples of land clearing during the field trip and assess the impact (CR,SC,Y,PW)
Study evidence of human impact on the local biotic and abiotic environment (SC,Y,PW)
Describe the past geological history that can be deduced from evidence in the local rocks
(Y,G,CL,GL,LH,MW)
Study Penrith Weir as an example of an artificial structure that disrupts a surface process (PW)
Use Penrith Weir and its fish ladder as an example of a strategy to minimize the impact (PW)
Study the impact of habitat disturbance and the advantage provided for introduced species as a result of
Penrith STP outflow (PW)
Study the relationship between soils and vegetation (G,GL,MW)
Gather information on and discuss the Threatened Species Act (GL)
Investigate two endangered species in terms of why they have become endangered and the measures taken to
ensure their survival during the NPWS talk (GL)
Use examples from the Blue Mountains of biodiversity at all three levels during the NPWS talk (GL)
Identify the significant sites of biodiversity in the Blue Mountains (GL)
Locations to be Visited
1.
2.
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Colonial Reserve (CR)
South Creek (SC)
Yarramundi (Y)
Penrith Weir (PW)
Blue Mountains National Park, Glenbrook (G)
Cahill’s Lookout (CL)
Govett’s Leap, National Parks Headquarters (GL)
Little Hartley (LH)
Mt Wilson (MW)
Terms:
 Biotic – the living components of the environment
 Abiotic – the non-living components of the environment
 Biodiversity – the amount of variation in living things at a genetic, species or ecosystem level
3.
Marking Criteria
For each example:
1. Evidence must be geological. Identifies appropriate features of a site (1
mark), explanation (1 mark). Explanation must link features present with
past environment and must be clear how that environment was different to
today (1 mark).
2. Identifies appropriate area (1 mark), describes properties of soil (1 mark),
and links properties to biological environment (1 mark).
3. Identifies human activity and location (1 mark), explains impact (1 mark),
explains strategy that could be used to minimise impact (1 mark).