TCHR2002 CHILDREN, FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES ASSESSMENT 1: Portfolio 2024
Education & Teaching
15th Jun 2025
2
TCHR2002 CHILDREN, FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES
ASSESSMENT 1: Portfolio 2024
Summary
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Title |
Assessment 1: Portfolio of short responses to unit content |
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Due Date |
Monday 18th November (WEEK 4) @ 11:59pm AEDT |
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Length |
1500 words excluding references |
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Weighting |
50% |
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Academic Integrity and GenAI – see below |
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, is permitted for this preparation of Assessment Task, within university guidelines. If you use GenAI tools, you must use these ethically and acknowledge their use. To find out how to reference GenAI in your work consult the APA 7th referencing style for your unit via SCU Library referencing guides. |
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Submission |
1 word document saved as a PDF or Word document Submit to Turnitin in the assessment 1 folder on Blackboard No resubmissions of assignments are permitted in this unit Complete the unit cover sheet and add any copies of special consideration approval |
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Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO) |
You will demonstrate the following Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO) on the successful completion of this task: ULO 1: Compare and critique historical and contemporary constructions of childhood and families, including those pertaining to First Nations perspectives and experiences. ULO 2: Identify how children develop identity and how teachers develop a sense of belonging, being, and becoming. |
Rationale
Working with and supporting children and families within the context of their community is a vital consideration for teachers as this reflects the lives and learning of children. Knowing children, families and communities therefore presents opportunities and challenges and being able to identify, compare and critique the diversity of issues that children and families experience in contemporary communities in Australia is a vital skill.
Assessment Description
The aim of this assessment is for pre-service teachers to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding regarding the historical and diverse issues facing children and families in contemporary communities. This assessment aligns with the unit learning modules 1-3 and requires you to reflect upon key issues presented in the unit content and complete three (3) x 500-word responses to the following topics.
Topic 1: Historical childhood influences
Think about one or two issues that influence children’s lives today and how this has changed over the last 20-50 years. With reference to the unit content compare and critique how contemporary life may enhance or hinder outcomes for children and families compared to how life influenced them in the past. Pay attention to the ideas about how contemporary childhoods are constructed in an Australian or Global context. Frame your answer using the levels in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model including an understanding of the concept of proximal processes.
Topic 2: First Nations childhoods
Culturally responsive educators are knowledgeable of each child and family’s context including how to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the curriculum. Make relevant links to the Early Years Learning Framework (AGDE, 2022) in your discussions.
Discuss the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being able to see themselves, their identities and cultures reflected in their learning environment.
Identify why creating an intercultural space is important for all children and families?
Topic 3: Gender equity scenario
You are employed as the teacher in an early childhood education setting where a new family has recently enrolled their four-year-old son Jacob. You have planned a cooking experience with the children when Jacob states, “cooking is the girl’s job, boys should not cook!” Discuss the following points with reference to the unit content:
What specific language and strategies would you use to address the children’s being, belonging and becoming in this situation?
Give examples of how can you teach gender equity as part of an anti-bias curriculum that has been outlined in the unit content, with children aged 3-5 years-of-age?
How could you communicate the principles of an anti-bias curriculum and gender equity with families?
Assessment Instructions
Formatting and style
APA 7 formatting is required for this task.
Include a cover page that contains:
The title of the task in bold
Your name (as author) and Student ID
Your faculty (Faculty of Education, Southern Cross University)
The unit code and name (TCHR2002 Children, Families, and Communities)
Your unit assessor’s name
The due date
Include clear headings for the topics you are responding to
Indent the first line of each new paragraph.
Use 12-point Arial font.
Use a 1.5- or double-line space for your writing and your reference list
Referencing
APA 7 Referencing style is required to be used for this task. Please refer to the APA 7th Referencing Guide for this task - https://libguides.scu.edu.au/apa
Create a reference list on a new page at the end of task with a minimum of ten references, although you may use more
At a minimum, your sources for this task will include the unit required text, unit readings, EYLF (AGDE, 2022) and broader literature.
Broader literature may include textbooks, peer reviewed articles, and other authoritative sources.
If you have used an AI tool or technology in the process of completing your assessment (for example, brainstorming, understanding concepts, generating examples, summarising readings), an acknowledgement of how you have used AI tools or technologies is required. You can create this acknowledgement by adding a declaration at the end of your reference list. For example: I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT to brainstorm concepts for this assessment as a starting point for initial research before writing my assessment.
Assessment Submission
Submitted using the submission point in the Turnitin folder in the Assessments Tasks and Submission section on the Blackboard TCHR2002 site.
Label your final submission with your surname and initials and the assessment task's name,
e.g. SmithJ_PortfolioTask1.doc
You are strongly advised to undertake your own SIMILARITY CHECK via Turnitin, PRIOR to the due date, to identify and resolve any academic integrity issues prior to submitting - see SCU Academic Integrity and Turnitin. You can submit up to three times and receive the similarity match report immediately – after three attempts, you will need to wait 24 hours.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct file and the final version of your assessment for marking before the due date/time.
Turnitin does not generate an automatic email receipt. If you have successfully uploaded your assessment, a green bar will appear at the top of the screen that says: Submission uploaded successfully: Download digital receipt. Use the hyperlink to download your digital receipt and store this with your assignment file.
If you have any difficulty submitting your assignment, log a job with Technology Services by email so you have evidence of your attempted submission. To avoid any last-minute problems, make sure you submit well before 11:59pm on the due date.
Academic Integrity
Southern Cross University academic integrity means behaving with the values of honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, courage, responsibility, and respect in relation to academic work. The Southern Cross University Academic Integrity Framework aims to develop a holistic, systematic, and consistent approach to addressing academic integrity across the entire University. For more information see the information in Blackboard, the recorded assessment overview and refer to SCU Academic Integrity Framework.
Generative AI
For the assessments in this unit students are permitted to use Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) to:
clarify concepts, theories, ideas, etc., discussed in class
generate preliminary ideas for writing
edit a working draft of the assessment
read and summarise research and supporting evidence for the assessment
Students are not permitted to use Generative AI to:
generate definitions or writing used in their final submission.
produce arguments or refine thinking on their final submission
Any of these actions will constitute and be treated as a breach of academic integrity.
Do not post confidential, private, personal, or otherwise sensitive information into these tools. If you use these tools, you must be aware of their limitations, biases, and propensity for fabrication. Your use of AI tools must adhere to the SCU Academic Integrity Framework, including upholding honesty, ethics, professionalism, and academic integrity
Special Consideration
Students wishing to request special consideration to extend the due date of an assessment must submit a Request for Special Consideration form via their My Enrolment page as early as possible and prior to the original due date for that assessment task, along with any accompanying documents, such as medical certificates. Please refer to the Special Consideration section of the SCU Policy https://policies.scu.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=140
Late Submissions & Penalties
Except when special consideration is awarded, late submission of assessment tasks incurs a late penalty in accordance with the SCU Late Submission & Penalties Policy https://policies.scu.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00255
Penalties will be incurred after the assessment submission due date/time.
A penalty of 5% of the available marks will be deducted from the actual mark
A further penalty of 5% of the available mark will be deducted from the actual mark on each subsequent calendar day until the mark reaches zero.
Grades & Feedback
Grades and feedback will be posted to the ‘Grades and Feedback’ section on the Blackboard unit site using the following rubric for the marking criteria and grading standards. Please allow 7 -10 days for grades to be posted.
Assessment Rubric
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Marking Criteria and & allocation |
High Distiction + 100%) |
High Distinction (85 - 99%) |
Distinction (75-84%) |
Credit (65-74%) |
Pass (50-64%) |
Marginal Fail (35-49%) |
Fail (0-49%) |
Absent fail (0%) |
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Criteria 1 Historical influences and changes to childhoods in relation to Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model /15marks |
Achieves all the criteria for a high distinction to an exemplary standard with outstanding integration of the unit content and references. |
Comprehensive comparison and critique of changes and influences in contemporary society using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model to frame the response. The concept of proximal processes is seamlessly woven through the discussion with reference to readings and the unit content. |
Clear and concise discussion, critical thinking and examples of the ways in which contemporary life may enhance or hinder proximal processes and outcomes compared to the past, using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model to frame the answer. |
Discussion of some of the ways in which contemporary life may enhance or hinder proximal processes and outcomes compared to the past, using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model to frame the answer. |
Discusses the ways in which contemporary life may enhance or hinder children wellbeing outcomes compared to the past, with limited insights from Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model and concepts. |
Limited discussion that may not clearly reflect the unit content or respond effectively to the criteria in relation to History, changing childhoods or Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model. |
Inadequate or irrelevant discussion of the ways in which contemporary life may enhance or hinder proximal processes and outcomes compared to the past, and/or has not used Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model to frame the answer. |
Not attempted |
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Criteria 2 Discusses the importance of integrating First Nations childhoods and cultural identity in relation to the Early Years Learning Framework v.2.0 /15 |
Achieves all the criteria for a high distinction to an exemplary standard, with outstanding integration of the unit materials. |
Comprehensive discussion outlines the importance of strong Indigenous childhood identity and intercultural learning spaces. with clear links to the Early Years Learning Framework woven through the writing. |
Clear discussion that addresses the key points, with links to the Early Years Learning Framework. |
Discussion addresses the criteria, with some links to the Early Years Learning Framework. A stronger link to diverse perspectives for all children could be addressed. |
Satisfactory discussion of key points that is limited by deeper connections to the Early Years Learning Framework and unit content. |
Limited discussion of Indigenous childhood and responses to the question with few or no links to the Early Years Learning Framework and unit content |
Inadequate or irrelevant discussion of strategies for supporting Indigenous childhoods, with no links to the unit learning materials. |
Not attempted |
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Criteria 3 Promotin gender equity and social justice in the early childhood setting with reference to the unit anti-bias curriculum content, language, strategies and examples. /15 |
Achieves all the criteria for a high distinction to an exemplary standard, with outstanding integration of the unit materials and a deep knowledge of the topic. |
Comprehensive discussion of language and strategies that could be used to address the scenario. Example of teaching and learning strategies are effective for working towards anti-bias curriculum and equity in the early childhood setting for children and families. |
Clear discussion of language and actions that could be used to address the scenario. Some teaching strategies and examples address anti bias curriculum and gender equity in the early childhood setting with very minor limitations or errors. |
Discussion addresses the language and actions that could be used to handle the scenario for teaching gender equity to young children, and some strategies for working towards adopting an anti-bias curriculum in the early childhood setting. Some limitations or errors are evident. |
Discusses the ways language and actions could be used to address the scenario with limited strategies for teaching gender equity and an anti-bias curriculum Minimal links to learning materials and use of references may be evident. |
Limited discussion of language and actions that could be used in the scenario. Limited strategies are included with some major limitations or errors and/or consistent minor limitations or errors |
Inadequate or irrelevant discussion of language and actions that could be used to handle the situation, strategies for teaching gender equity to young children, and strategies for working towards social justice and equity in the early childhood setting. |
Not attempted |
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Criteria 4 Academic Literacy including English expression, writing, APA 7 references, and reference to relevant readings and resources. /5 |
Achieves all the criteria for a high distinction to an exemplary standard, without any errors. |
As per Distinction and: Insightful integration of readings and discussion with compelling writing that aligns all aspects of the task. Intext citations and short quotes have been used effectively. |
As per Credit and: In-depth discussion and critique that is clearly written with minimal referencing and grammatical errors. |
As per Pass and: Writing is clear with references made to relevant readings that link to required unit content. APA 7 Referencing is mostly correct. |
Limited reference to unit readings, content and resources. APA and/or writing referencing may need improvement punctuation, grammar, paragraph structure, APA 7th referencing |
Writing is not cohesive, and/or the unit learning materials have not been included in a reference list or in-text citations. |
Significant improvement needed in writing and presentation with consistent errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, paragraph structure, and APA 7th referencing |
Not attempted |
Description of SCU Grades
High Distinction:
The student’s performance, in addition to satisfying all of the basic learning requirements, demonstrates distinctive insight and ability in researching, analysing and applying relevant skills and concepts, and shows exceptional ability to synthesise, integrate and evaluate knowledge. The student’s performance could be described as outstanding in relation to the learning requirements specified.
Distinction:
The student’s performance, in addition to satisfying all of the basic learning requirements, demonstrates distinctive insight and ability in researching, analysing and applying relevant skills and concepts, and shows a well-developed ability to synthesise, integrate and evaluate knowledge. The student’s performance could be described as distinguished in relation to the learning requirements specified.
Credit:
The student’s performance, in addition to satisfying all of the basic learning requirements specified, demonstrates insight and ability in researching, analysing and applying relevant skills and concepts. The student’s performance could be described as competent in relation to the learning requirements specified.
Pass:
The student’s performance satisfies all of the basic learning requirements specified and provides a sound basis for proceeding to higher-level studies in the subject area. The student’s performance could be described as satisfactory in relation to the learning requirements specified.
Fail:
The student’s performance fails to satisfy the learning requirements specified.