Water mixture rescue
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- identify the different substances present in rainwater.
- describe the properties of these substances that allow them to be separated (e.g. particle size, solubility).
- explain how different separation processes work (such as filtration, sedimentation, and evaporation).
- select appropriate separation methods to make rainwater more useful.
- describe where each separation process occurs within the water purification pathway.
- apply understanding of separation techniques to a real-world context (water treatment).
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- draw a labelled diagram illustrating the water journey (roof → downpipes → tank → pipes → tap).
- annotate the drawing showing where each separation technique occurs.
- provide written explanations describing how each separation process works and the properties it relies on.
- justify why certain materials are selected or rejected.
- provide comparative descriptions explaining how the rainwater changes before and after each separation step.
In this lesson, assessment is summative.
Students working at the achievement standard should:
- use particle representations to show the difference between pure substances and mixtures, and identify examples of each.
- examine different solutions and identify the solvent and solute.
- apply a range of physical separation techniques, including filtration, decantation, evaporation, crystallisation, chromatography, and distillation (optional).
- compare separation methods used in everyday contexts, such as in the home, recycling industries, and water purification.
- analyse how the physical properties of substances in mixtures such as particle size, density, and volatility determine the separation technique used.
- identify the evidence being cited to support a claim and evaluating conflicting evidence examine a range of scientific texts, inferring the purpose of the text and target audience, and identifying specific language and text features that support that inference.
Refer to the Australian Curriculum content links on the Our design decisions tab for further information.
Whole class
Water mixture rescue Slides
Optional:
- Watering can containing water
- 5 small containers, each containing one contaminant
- Iron filings
- Soil (roof dust/dirt)
- Small leaves or grass (roof debris)
- Sand
- Cooking oil (vehicle pollution)
- Flat surface to represent a roof (for water runoff)
- Container to collect the water running off the ‘roof’.
Each student
Individual science notebook
Drafting paper and pencil
Lesson
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkEach student comes to the classroom with experiences made up from science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and resources in their life. The Connect routine is designed to tap into these experiences, and that of their wider community. It is also an opportunity to yarn with community leaders (where appropriate) to gain an understanding of the student’s lives, languages and interests. In the Act phase, this routine reconnects with the science capital of students so students can appreciate the relevance of their learning and the agency to make decisions and take action.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the everyday occurrences, phenomena and experiences that might relate to the science that they have learned. How could students show agency in these areas?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkRainwater mixture
(Slide 78) Remind students of the Launch phase activity and the story of the water running off the roof into the rainwater tank.
Optional: Recreate the story, producing the rainwater mixture.
One-by-one, sprinkle the individual contaminants onto your “roof” surface. Tell the story of each contaminant as you sprinkle it onto the roof:
- Soil and sand—Dust and sand are caught by the wind and blown into the air and onto the roof.
- Leaves/grass—Small leaves and bark are falling off the tree nearby.
- Iron filings—A branch falling on the iron roof causes small fragments of the metal roof to be scratched off.
- Oil—Cars are driving on the road in front of the house, and the smoke from the exhaust forms droplets of oil in the air that carry onto the roof.
Finally, pour water over the roof: Heavy rain falls on the roof and washes everything off the roof and into the water tank. Allow water to run off the roof and collect in a container at the bottom.
Discuss all the substances that are in the rainwater and could end up in the rainwater tank.
(Slide 79) Discuss how the current rainwater mixture could be used.
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkScience education consists of a series of key ideas and core concepts that can explain objects, events and phenomena and link them to the experiences encountered by students in their lives. The purpose of the Anchor routine is to identify and link students’ learning to these ideas and concepts in a way that builds and deepens their understanding.
When designing the Act phase of a teaching sequence, consider the core concepts and key ideas that are relevant. The Anchor routine provides an opportunity to collate and revise the key knowledge and skills students have learned, in a way that emphasises the importance of science as a human endeavour.
Particle properties
(Slide 80) Discuss the properties of the different substances in the rainwater mixture.
(Slide 81) Identify, name, and discuss the different separation techniques. Link these techniques to the properties of the materials that were separated in each process.
- Magnets are used to separate particles based on their magnetic properties.
- Filtering is used to separate particles based on size.
- Sedimentation and a separating funnel are used to separate particles based on density.
- Crystallisation is used to separate a solute from the solvent through the evaporation of the solvent.
- Chromatography is used to separate particles based on solubility.
- Optional: distillation is used to separate two liquids based on boiling point, where the solvent is the liquid with the highest volume.
Note: If photographs were taken of each separation technique, they may be used during this Anchor routine.
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhen students use their knowledge and skills in new ways, they also have an opportunity to develop and use their creative and critical thinking skills. With scaffolded support, they can become more confident to work in a team and develop a stronger sense of autonomy. This results in stronger student outcomes, attitudes and sense of empowerment.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider what activity would allow students to showcase their knowledge and skills. Consider the current abilities of your students. What are they capable of explaining? What props could they design or build that would support their explanations? How much information would they need in their design brief to support their thinking? How does this connect with their lives and interests?
Design a rainwater tank
Explain that in the future, drinking water may be scarce. This means that all homes will need to have a water tank to store the rainwater from their roof.
(Slide 82) Challenge the students: How can you make the rainwater in a tank as useful as possible?
Define
(Slide 83) Outline how the rainwater will be collected and all the ways the rainwater could be used.
Ideate
(Slide 84) Brainstorm ALL the different separation techniques that could be used. Encourage students to consider:
- the materials that could be used.
- where the separation technique could be located:
- on the roof.
- going into the tank.
- in the tank.
- going to the tap.
- coming out of the tap.
Prototype
(Slide 85) Design the process of collecting rain water in a tank. Create a labelled diagram or a physical model of the process.
The prototype could include:
- describing the substances (and their properties) that will be in the rainwater mixture.
- drawing the water journey from the roof, downpipes, rainwater tank, hose/pipes, and tap.
- identifying the location of each separation technique on the drawing.
- describing how each separation technique separates a substance based on its property.
- describing how the usefulness of the water has increased.
The Act phase empowers students to use the Core concepts and key ideas of science they have learned during the Inquire phase. It encourages students to develop a sense of responsibility as members of society—to act rather than be acted upon. It provides students with the opportunity to positively influence their own life and that of the world around them. For this to occur, students need to build foundational skills in an interactive mutually supportive environment with their community.
When designing the Act phase, consider ways that students could use their scientific knowledge and skills. Consider their interests and lifestyles that may intersect with the core concepts and key ideas. What context or problem would provide students with a way to use science to synthesise a design? How (and to whom) will students communicate their understanding?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkA key part of Science Inquiry, the Communicate routine provides students with an opportunity to communicate their ideas effectively to others. It allows students a chance to show their learning to members of their community and provides a sense of belonging. It also encourages students to have a sense of responsibility to share their understanding of science and to use this to provide a positive influence in the community.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider who might be connected to the students that have an interest in science. Who in their lives could share their learning? What forum could be used to build an enthusiasm for science. Are there members of the community (parents, teachers, peers or wider community) who would provide a link to future science careers?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkSharing the design
Receiving feedback is an important part of the design process.
Before students present their designs, discuss how to give effective feedback to each other by planning the approach to be used in the classroom. Each group could use a structured feedback form, checklists, or rubrics to guide their review. This can include specific areas to review, for example:
The science
- Have mixtures and pure substances been defined?
- Does the design consider real scientific principles of separating mixtures by describing:
- the properties of the substances in the mixture?
- how these properties were used in a particular separation process?
- the difference in the rainwater mixture before and after a particular separation technique was used?
The model or design
- Has the design described the materials that will be used in the separation process?
- Does the design identify a material that would not be used in the separation process and justify this decision?
- Does the design offer creative solutions to the problem?
- How practical is the design for actual implementation, considering available resources and technology?
- What could be improved in the design?
- Are there any flaws or missing elements in the design?
- What are the strengths of the design?
- Is the design unique and well thought out?
The communication
- How well is the design communicated, both visually and verbally?
- What are the assumptions that have been made about the design?
Allow the students time to present their designs.
Reflect on the sequence
You might ask students to:
- write a blog post that expresses a view about the need to encourage more people to install rainwater tanks.
- investigate how First Nations Australians developed cultural protocols for water management.
Using Generative AI tools to write assessment rubrics
Careful use of artificial intelligence tools can support teachers in developing assessment rubrics.
Artificial intelligence tools can provide support in developing assessment rubrics, however, the quality of the output depends heavily on the clarity of the prompt, the inclusion of curriculum standards, and the specificity of the assessment criteria provided. The draft rubric produced will need to be carefully checked for clarity, coherence, and class-appropriate content. AI cannot replace professional judgement; rather, it assists when it is used strategically.
1. Start with the standard, not the tool
Effective rubric design begins with curriculum alignment. Before using a Generative AI tool, teachers should clearly identify:
- the relevant achievement standard.
- the content descriptors being assessed.
- the cognitive demand (e.g. explain, analyse, evaluate, construct).
Providing the achievement standard directly within the prompt ensures that the Generative AI tool anchors the rubric to expected student performance. For example, including wording such as: “Students explain the physical properties of substances and develop processes that separate mixtures” guides the Generative AI tool to align descriptors to the required depth of knowledge and skill.
Without this anchor, Generative AI tools may generate generic criteria that lack alignment with reporting requirements.
2. Specify the assessment components clearly
Generative AI tools perform best when the task requirements are explicitly broken down. Instead of asking: “Write a rubric for a separating mixtures project”, a more effective prompt would include:
- the science concepts required.
- the skills students must demonstrate (data analysis, calculation, argument construction).
- the design or application component.
- the communication expectations.
Breaking the assessment into categories (e.g. science understanding, design application, communication) produces a rubric that reflects the multidimensional nature of authentic tasks.
3. Define performance levels explicitly
To generate meaningful performance bands (e.g., Well Below Standard to Well Above Standard), the prompt should:
- provide the wording for “At Standard”.
- clarify what progression should look like (increasing complexity, accuracy, independence, evaluation).
Generative AI tools can then scale descriptors logically:
- Well Below Standard → limited understanding, little or no analysis.
- Below Standard → partial understanding, limited analysis.
- At Standard → accurate application, appropriate analysis.
- Above Standard → detailed reasoning, evaluation, integration.
- Well Above Standard → sophisticated, critical, and reflective reasoning.
Without this structure, descriptors may become repetitive rather than developmental.
4. Use cognitive verbs intentionally
Assessment criteria should reflect increasing cognitive demand. Teachers can guide Generative AI tools by incorporating verbs such as define, describe, explain, etc.
This ensures that higher performance levels demonstrate deeper reasoning rather than simply “more detail”.
5. Prompt for evidence-based language
AI-generated rubrics are stronger when prompts require:
- evidence-based reasoning.
- identification of assumptions.
- consideration of conflicting evidence.
- data analysis and anomaly identification.
These elements align with upper-primary and secondary achievement standards and promote higher-order thinking.
6. Maintain professional judgement
AI-generated rubrics should always be reviewed and refined by teachers. Consider the accessibility of the language, the appropriateness of the context, and its ability to separate students’ grades appropriately. Generative AI drafts accelerate the process, but professional expertise ensures validity. If the first attempt is not appropriate for the class, readdress the prompt and try again.
Example of a strong Generative AI prompt template
Write an Australian Year [year/level] assessment rubric for a task where students will [outline the task e.g. a poster outlining the different separation techniques used to purify rainwater].
Align the rubric to the following achievement standard:
[Paste the full Science Understanding standard]
The task requires students to: [outline all the Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry criteria required]
Organise the rubric into the following categories: [outline the key elements of the design e.g. the science, the design, communication of design]
Include five performance levels in columns: Well Below Standard, Below Standard, At Standard, Above Standard, Well Above Standard.
“At Standard” must align directly to the achievement standard.
Ensure progression across levels reflects increasing depth of analysis, use of evidence, and critical thinking.
Include references to assumptions, data analysis, and evidence-based reasoning where appropriate.
References
Commonwealth of Australia. (2023). Australian framework for generative artificial intelligence in schools. Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.education.gov.au/schooling/resources/australian-framework-generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-schools
Artificial intelligence tools can provide support in developing assessment rubrics, however, the quality of the output depends heavily on the clarity of the prompt, the inclusion of curriculum standards, and the specificity of the assessment criteria provided. The draft rubric produced will need to be carefully checked for clarity, coherence, and class-appropriate content. AI cannot replace professional judgement; rather, it assists when it is used strategically.
1. Start with the standard, not the tool
Effective rubric design begins with curriculum alignment. Before using a Generative AI tool, teachers should clearly identify:
- the relevant achievement standard.
- the content descriptors being assessed.
- the cognitive demand (e.g. explain, analyse, evaluate, construct).
Providing the achievement standard directly within the prompt ensures that the Generative AI tool anchors the rubric to expected student performance. For example, including wording such as: “Students explain the physical properties of substances and develop processes that separate mixtures” guides the Generative AI tool to align descriptors to the required depth of knowledge and skill.
Without this anchor, Generative AI tools may generate generic criteria that lack alignment with reporting requirements.
2. Specify the assessment components clearly
Generative AI tools perform best when the task requirements are explicitly broken down. Instead of asking: “Write a rubric for a separating mixtures project”, a more effective prompt would include:
- the science concepts required.
- the skills students must demonstrate (data analysis, calculation, argument construction).
- the design or application component.
- the communication expectations.
Breaking the assessment into categories (e.g. science understanding, design application, communication) produces a rubric that reflects the multidimensional nature of authentic tasks.
3. Define performance levels explicitly
To generate meaningful performance bands (e.g., Well Below Standard to Well Above Standard), the prompt should:
- provide the wording for “At Standard”.
- clarify what progression should look like (increasing complexity, accuracy, independence, evaluation).
Generative AI tools can then scale descriptors logically:
- Well Below Standard → limited understanding, little or no analysis.
- Below Standard → partial understanding, limited analysis.
- At Standard → accurate application, appropriate analysis.
- Above Standard → detailed reasoning, evaluation, integration.
- Well Above Standard → sophisticated, critical, and reflective reasoning.
Without this structure, descriptors may become repetitive rather than developmental.
4. Use cognitive verbs intentionally
Assessment criteria should reflect increasing cognitive demand. Teachers can guide Generative AI tools by incorporating verbs such as define, describe, explain, etc.
This ensures that higher performance levels demonstrate deeper reasoning rather than simply “more detail”.
5. Prompt for evidence-based language
AI-generated rubrics are stronger when prompts require:
- evidence-based reasoning.
- identification of assumptions.
- consideration of conflicting evidence.
- data analysis and anomaly identification.
These elements align with upper-primary and secondary achievement standards and promote higher-order thinking.
6. Maintain professional judgement
AI-generated rubrics should always be reviewed and refined by teachers. Consider the accessibility of the language, the appropriateness of the context, and its ability to separate students’ grades appropriately. Generative AI drafts accelerate the process, but professional expertise ensures validity. If the first attempt is not appropriate for the class, readdress the prompt and try again.
Example of a strong Generative AI prompt template
Write an Australian Year [year/level] assessment rubric for a task where students will [outline the task e.g. a poster outlining the different separation techniques used to purify rainwater].
Align the rubric to the following achievement standard:
[Paste the full Science Understanding standard]
The task requires students to: [outline all the Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry criteria required]
Organise the rubric into the following categories: [outline the key elements of the design e.g. the science, the design, communication of design]
Include five performance levels in columns: Well Below Standard, Below Standard, At Standard, Above Standard, Well Above Standard.
“At Standard” must align directly to the achievement standard.
Ensure progression across levels reflects increasing depth of analysis, use of evidence, and critical thinking.
Include references to assumptions, data analysis, and evidence-based reasoning where appropriate.
References
Commonwealth of Australia. (2023). Australian framework for generative artificial intelligence in schools. Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.education.gov.au/schooling/resources/australian-framework-generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-schools