You are part of a teaching team in an early childhood setting working with three-to-four-year-old children. Recently, you have been reading and discussing the following books with the children, who have shown a strong interest in Australian animals:

Scenario

You are part of a teaching team in an early childhood setting working with three-to-four-year-old children. Recently, you have been reading and discussing the following books with the children, who have shown a strong interest in Australian animals:

• Somewhere in Australia by Marcello Pennacchio
• Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan
• An ABC of Australian Animals by Bronwyn Bancroft

In response to this interest, the teaching team has decided to initiate a project investigation on Australian animals to support and extend children’s literacy and numeracy development.

Mind Map

Using insights from:

• The chosen children’s literature
• Your excursion to a local venue (e.g., Melbourne Museum) where children can encounter Australian land, sea, and air animals
• Your own research

Create a mind map that highlights potential learning opportunities across curriculum areas to support children’s:

• Knowledge development
• Critical thinking skills (with reflective components)
• Disposition for inquiry and exploration
• Literacy, numeracy, and overall wellbeing

Your mind map must clearly show connections between Australian animals and opportunities for integrated learning.

Learning Experience

Design a three-week integrated literacy and numeracy curriculum, including the following curriculum areas:

Curriculum Areas

• Art
• Drama and Puppetry
• Movement and Music
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Engineering
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Integrated Curriculum (e.g., STEM or STEAM)

Requirements

For each curriculum area, you must:

1. Design one original learning experience that supports literacy and numeracy development for 3–4-year-old children.
2. Clearly describe:
   • What the children will do
   • What the educators will do
3. Make use of:
   • Indoor learning environments
   • Outdoor learning environments
   • Local community spaces (incursions and excursions)
4. Identify relevant:
   • Resources and materials
   • Digital technologies/media
5. Clearly link every learning experience to:
   • EYLF Outcomes
   • Stages of the planning cycle (Observe → Plan → Implement → Evaluate → Reflect)
6. Outline effective pedagogical practices and strategies that promote:
   • Literacy-focused critical thinking
   • Numeracy-focused critical thinking

Minute Puppet Show

Create a puppet show as a group using:

• The children’s literature
• Excursion insights
• Curriculum experiences from Phase 2

The puppet show must:

• Be suitable for 3–4-year-old children
• Be around 5 minutes in length
• Support literacy and numeracy development
• Include only:
  • The story
  • The full script

Ensure the story includes Australian animals and reflects the learning provocations explored throughout the project.

Brief summary of assessment requirements

You are part of an early-childhood teaching team (children aged 3–4) who will run a three-week integrated project on Australian animals to develop children’s literacy and numeracy. The assessment has three phases:

1. Mind map : use children’s literature, an excursion (e.g., Melbourne Museum) and research to create a mind map showing learning opportunities across curriculum areas (knowledge, critical thinking, inquiry disposition, literacy, numeracy, wellbeing). Show connections between animals and integrated learning opportunities (land / sea / air).
2. Three-week learning program : design one original learning experience for each curriculum area (Art; Drama & Puppetry; Movement & Music; Language; Mathematics; Science; Engineering; HASS; Integrated STEM/STEAM). For each experience specify: what children do, what educators do, indoor/outdoor/incursion use, resources & digital/media, links to EYLF outcomes, and the planning cycle stages (Observe → Plan → Implement → Evaluate → Reflect). Emphasise pedagogical strategies that promote literacy- and numeracy-focused critical thinking.
3. 5-minute puppet show (script + story) : a group puppet show (story + full script only) that uses the literature, excursion insights and designed experiences; suitable for 3–4-year-olds and supports literacy & numeracy.

Assessment length / weight & due date (as provided): 2,800 words, 30% weighting, due Sunday 11:59 PM (AEST).