Zoo nostalgia

These old b/w photographs, taken during excursions to Taronga Park Zoo in 1968 and 1971, demonstrate how little visitors could manage to see between the bars of the old enclosures. The elephants’ view, through the window of the old concrete “temple”, is more recent. When the new elephant enclosure was unveiled in 2007, a static exhibit inside the “temple” showed their original environment, complete with a “saddle” for elephant rides.

Now I’m motivated to go back to the zoo soon and recapture as many pics, in colour, as possible. A few enclosures (and the floral clock) are still in the same locations but, thankfully, look very different today.

PS: I did it!

Inspired by illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft

Congratulations to Year 4 at Pilgrim School, Aberfoyle Park Primary School Campus, South Australia, for sharing a great new Photo Peach slideshow, “Our favourite parts of Australia”. The students were inspired both by the artwork and written text of “Why I love Australia” by Bronwyn Bancroft (which is one of this year’s CBCA shortlist, Category: Picture Books), and the digital slideshows Penrith PS students have been creating in recent months.

Final five

The final five groups of students have completed their persuasive slideshows from storyboards created during Term 2: Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology).


by Caitlyn & Arona


by Jazmin, Seth, Matt A., Rachael & Jared


by Tom, Matt J. & John
Compare the above slideshow with the students’ original storyboard.


by Skye, Emma T., Mitch, Kyle & Natalee


Vijay, Talita, Toni & Lachlan

Enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment.

As mentioned previously, just a few points to consider with Photo Peach: Use it as judiciously as you would a series of Youtube clips. Don’t permit students to do open browsing; Photo Peach is a Web 2.0 facility that is open to anyone, and the slideshows are “unrated”. Also, if you notice that new comments have been added to a slideshow you’ve made, please preview the slideshow again before using it with students so you can monitor (and moderate/remove) unwanted comments. (Or close off comments altogether.) Consider a subscription to Photo Peach, which enables you to add your own or Creative Commons music, a wider range of transitions, and the capacity to download slideshows to your hard drive, web space or a CD.

All downhill from here!

The penultimate batch(?) of completed persuasive slideshows: Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology).


by Harry & Olivia


by Maria, Kira, Elyse & Tori


by Hamish & Amber


by Raina, Kahn, Elias & Jaymz


by Nicole, Emily, Binta & Kayla

Enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment.

As mentioned previously, just a few points to consider with Photo Peach: Use it as judiciously as you would a series of Youtube clips. Don’t permit students to do open browsing; Photo Peach is a Web 2.0 facility that is open to anyone, and the slideshows are “unrated”. Also, if you notice that new comments have been added to a slideshow you’ve made, please preview the slideshow again before using it with students so you can monitor (and moderate/remove) unwanted comments. (Or close off comments altogether.) Consider a subscription to Photo Peach, which enables you to add your own or Creative Commons music, a wider range of transitions, and the capacity to download slideshows to your hard drive, web space or a CD.

Three more slideshows: endangered animals

Another batch of completed persuasive slideshows from Stage 3: Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology).


by Amy, James & Ashley


by Luke, Mitch, Hayden, Corey & Tristan


by Aimee & Long

Enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment.

As mentioned previously, just a few points to consider with Photo Peach: Use it as judiciously as you would a series of Youtube clips. Don’t permit students to do open browsing; Photo Peach is a Web 2.0 facility that is open to anyone, and the slideshows are “unrated”. Also, if you notice that new comments have been added to a slideshow you’ve made, please preview the slideshow again before using it with students so you can monitor (and moderate/remove) unwanted comments. (Or close off comments altogether.) Consider a subscription to Photo Peach, which enables you to add your own or Creative Commons music, a wider range of transitions, and the capacity to download slideshows to your hard drive, web space or a CD.

Latest persuasive presentations

A few more groups of Stage 3 students have completed their persuasive slideshows from the storyboards they created in Term 2: Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology).


by Suresa, Emma, Sarah & Lily


by Tahlia, Christina, Corey, Angela & Christian


by Chloe, Cecelia & Marcya


by Jayde G & Rhys

Enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment.

As mentioned previously, just a few points to consider with Photo Peach: Use it as judiciously as you would a series of Youtube clips. Don’t permit students to do open browsing; Photo Peach is a Web 2.0 facility that is open to anyone, and the slideshows are “unrated”. Also, if you notice that new comments have been added to a slideshow you’ve made, please preview the slideshow again before using it with students so you can monitor (and moderate/remove) unwanted comments. (Or close off comments altogether.) Consider a subscription to Photo Peach, which enables you to add your own or Creative Commons music, a wider range of transitions, and the capacity to download slideshows to your hard drive, web space or a CD.

Four more for the road!

Just in time for the last school day of Term 2, here are four more Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology).


by Max, Mikahla & Kaelin


by Naomi, Bernise & Quinn


by Monique, Courtney, Patrick & Milo


by Tristan & Luke
Compare the above slideshow with the students’ original storyboard.

Enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment.

As mentioned previously, just a few points to consider with Photo Peach: Use it as judiciously as you would a series of Youtube clips. Don’t permit students to do open browsing; Photo Peach is a Web 2.0 facility that is open to anyone, and the slideshows are “unrated”. Also, if you notice that new comments have been added to a slideshow you’ve made, please preview the slideshow again before using it with students so you can monitor (and moderate/remove) unwanted comments. (Or close off comments altogether.) Consider a subscription to Photo Peach, which enables you to add your own or Creative Commons music, a wider range of transitions, and the capacity to download slideshows to your hard drive, web space or a CD.

Inspired by Shaun Tan


by the Lost Bottlecap Collectors of Penrith PS

This digital story was conceived, storyboarded and photographed by Stage 3 students working with me in the library as part of the Shaun Tan book rap. Please feel free to comment. See the earlier post re using Photo Peach slideshows with students.

The four pages of storyboard are also uploaded for comparison with the final slideshow:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4.

Twice more, with puppets

My bargain store collection of endangered animal puppets is getting a work out this week. Here are our next two Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology).


by Kaleece, Zohra, Kodi & Sulieti


by Jade, Lauren & Kiesha

Once again, enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment. More slideshows will appear as the term comes to a close. Please see the previous post re using Photo Peach with students.

More, more, more!

Here are some more Guided Inquiry Endangered animals (Stage 3 science & technology); three more of the students’ digital slideshows have now been uploaded to the world.


by Monica, Jacob & Caleb


by Zain, Will & Rhianna


by Jayde J., Madilyne & Ben

Enjoy! Share! And please feel free to comment. More slideshows will appear as the term comes to a close.

As mentioned previously, just a few points to consider with Photo Peach: Use it as judiciously as you would a series of Youtube clips. Don’t permit students to do open browsing; Photo Peach is a Web 2.0 facility that is open to anyone, and the slideshows are “unrated”. Also, if you notice that new comments have been added to a slideshow you’ve made, please preview the slideshow again before using it with students so you can monitor (and moderate/remove) unwanted comments. (Or close off comments altogether.) Consider a subscription to Photo Peach, which enables you to add your own or Creative Commons music, a wider range of transitions, and the capacity to download slideshows to your hard drive, web space or a CD.