BTN and Kid Architects, Built Environments

Posted on August 15, 2017 by ianmclean

The Stage 3 students continue to investigate the built environment in the school library.

The Kid Architects story from BTN (“Behind the News”) should prove useful.

This month has also seen the revision of plans for Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s signature art project for the Sydney CBD: a massive metal “Cloud Arch” structure, which would tower over the intersection between the Sydney Town Hall, Queen Victoria Building and Woolworth’s Corner, with the light rail tracks passing beneath. Since first being announced, the structures shape has been refined but the cost has almost quadrupled. See the Daily Telegraph‘s story HERE.

Sydney’s new light rail project: Stage 3 Built Environments

Posted on August 1, 2017 by ianmclean

Our Stage 3 students are exploring the built environment in their current geography unit. Some of these students did work on the planning that went into Sydney’s current light rail projects when they were in Stage 2, so I will need to establish some baseline data as to their current field knowledge on the topic during the library sessions this term.

Here are some of our useful Youtube clips:

Sydney’s Light Rail future with audio commentary – Transport for New South Wales

Sydney Light Rail flythrough – May 2015 [Sydney CBD]

Western Sydney Light Rail concept flythrough [Parramatta CBD]

The students are probably also aware of the recent building projects (Thornton Estate) and our local railway station modifications at Penrith:

Future of Sydney – Penrith

Volcanoes erupting

Posted on June 14, 2017 by ianmclean

Volcano eruption – lava volcano erupting – Hawaii volcano – Lava lake – Lava flow- 2017

The science behind natural disasters

Posted on June 6, 2017 by ianmclean

Stage 3 students are investigating natural disasters in science. In library lessons, we are particularly looking the properties of these disasters, and how they form.

How do tornadoes form? – James Spann [TED-Ed]

What are hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones?

On this day 24th of December | Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin [1974]

What is an earthquake? | The Dr Binocs Show | Educational Videos For Kids

On this day 28th of December | 1989 Newcastle earthquake

How tsunamis work – Alex Gendler [TED-Ed]

Tsunamis 101 | National Geographic

The International Space Station and beyond

Posted on March 21, 2017 by ianmclean

Stage 3 students are investigating the International Space Station (ISS) in information literacy and science lessons in the library:

Tour the International Space Station – Inside ISS – HD

James May rides the Vomit Comet – Astronaut training – James May: On the moon – Brit Lab

Averting exploration disasters:

What if Apollo had crashed on the moon?

Mars awaits:

Mars or the moon – Where do NASA manned missions go next?

Stage 3 and space technology

Posted on March 7, 2017 by ianmclean

Our Stage 3 students are continuing to investigate the physical attributes of space and, in library lessons, the technological aspects that supported – and continues to support – the exploration of the solar system.

What Galileo saw with his telescope

Galileo – mini biography

History of human spaceflight

Partners in space: CSIRO and NASA celebrates its 50th anniversary

People exploring space

Posted on February 24, 2017 by ianmclean

Our Stage 3 students are investigating the physical attributes of space and, in library lessons, the technological aspects that supported – and continues to support – the exploration of the solar system. We are commencing with the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing and then looking both back and forth on the timeline.

(HD footage) Restored Apollo 11 moon landing video – via PRC media