This approach adapts the Lesson 4 summative (Build an Ecosystem) so students who need additional support can genuinely show what they know, aligned with ABLEWA Stages A–D. It changes the access, not the science being assessed.
Least dangerous assumption
Every student can demonstrate understanding of an ecosystem in some form. Provide the task in an accessible mode rather than exempting the student.
Adjusted ways to complete the task
- Part A (build): provide a partly-started tree scene with a bank of labelled picture cards (producer, consumers, decomposer). The student places and glues cards and adds pre-cut arrows, rather than drawing from scratch.
- Part B (roles): offer a matching format — draw a line, or place a role symbol beside each living thing — instead of writing role names.
- Part C–D (explain): accept oral explanations (scribed), AAC, or a sentence-with-symbol-choice: "If the grass is gone, the wallaby has ___ (no food / more food)."
Supports to have ready
- The Living or Non-Living? and food-chain cards, and the word wall with symbols.
- A physical arrow cut-out for direction; a two- or three-choice mat for roles.
- A quiet space and a visual checklist of the four parts (A, B, C, D) with tick boxes.
Judging the evidence (adjusted, mapped to the rubric)
- Stage A–B: selects/indicates producers and consumers among cards; reacts to a "what if" change. (Evidence for the Roles and Ecological-relationships criteria at an emerging level.)
- Stage C: places a correct simple chain with an arrow to the eater and identifies the decomposer. (Roles + Food-chain criteria.)
- Stage D / towards Year 4: builds a small ecosystem, arrows correct, and gives a supported reason for a change. (All four criteria at an emerging-to-sound level.)