Stage 2 students are investigating the Australian farming industry in HSIE:
Farming for the future
Australia’s biodiversity: farming, pastoralism and forestry
Stage 2 students are investigating the Australian farming industry in HSIE:
Farming for the future
Australia’s biodiversity: farming, pastoralism and forestry
This term, Stage 3 students are studying the Physical World in Science & Technology. In the unit, “Light me up”, activities concerning electricity will be done in classrooms and activities concerning the properties of light will be done in the school library.
To introduce the “light” concepts (including shadows, absorption, reflection, refraction, transparent/opaque/translucent, researching with secondary sources about reflection/refraction science understandings, discoveries and/or inventions, such as mirrors, magnifiers, spectacles and prisms, that directly affect people’s lives), here are some Youtube clips that may prove useful.
Shadow | The Dr Binocs Show | Educational videos for kids
Why do we have shadows?
Science – light – shadow – Advanced – English
Stage 2 students continue their investigation into the history of transport.
Sydney Trains Vlogs special: Red Set F1 test run
Japanese high speed bullet train
Futuristic straddling bus allows cars running underneath
Future transportation technology / China straddling bus HD
In the final days before Sydney’s Monorail ceased on 30th June 2013, Powerhouse Museum staff filmed the ride from the driver’s cab. The Powerhouse has acquired this cab and a carriage for its collection:
Driving Sydney’s Monorail
J.A.Y. Walker Deceased (1950). [Re-released for Walk to Work Day, 2012.]
Students in Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 have been studying the Aboriginal Dreaming Story of “How the birds got their colours”. This week, they are investigating birds. Our playground is currently well-populated with large crows (or ravens?) and the students have been enjoying (or being blamed for) their hilarious antics: tossing scraps out of the bins, stealing shiny rocks from a memorial garden, and frog-marching pigeons out of the playground.
I found some fascinating Youtube videos that demonstrate the intelligence of crows, as they complete an exercise involving a three-step plan, and then an eight-step plan.
Crow intelligence – multi-step tool action test
Are crows the ultimate problem solvers? – Inside the animal mind – BBC
Smart crow uses cars to crack nuts in Akita, Japan near Senshu Park
Remember Aesop’s fable of “The crow and the pitcher”?
Causal understanding of water displacement by a crow
Thank you everyone for a thoroughly enjoyable conference last weekend (Menzies Hotel, Sydney). Gail Erskine, Felicity Jagavkar-Baker, Margaret Hamilton, and all the volunteers, did a spectacular job. As a veteran of many science fiction media conventions (as an attendee or committee member), and a number of TL-focused PD seminar/conferences (sometimes as presenter, or attendee/volunteer/committee member) over the decades, “Read: Myriad Possibilities 2016” compared very well.
This was my first CBCA Conference. The two full days had wonderful variety and no dead spots at all (that I noticed), and it appeared to be very seamless. I loved that the early release of the “Notables” enabled publishers to have every shortlisted title available for sale on the day of the Shortlist announcement on the Friday. (I know there was some trepidation about this when first announced.) I ordered my school’s books from Paul Macdonald on the Friday, and they arrived at school on Thursday, a day earlier than promised.
The authors and illustrators at the conference made themselves very available to all, and autograph sessions were well timed and well promoted.The Committee appeared unflustered most of the time, and glitches were quickly addressed. (And in the timeslots where I volunteered, everything seemed to be set up for success. Much appreciated!)
I also attended the Leigh Hobbs’ Masterclass (see pic above) arranged by the Australian Society of Authors in Ultimo, on the Sunday after the conference! It, too, was excellent. Worth every cent.
And then, on the Monday, it was back to Week 2 of my school’s Book Fair. Stop the world, I wanna get off! #CBCA2016
Wednesday is the annual National Simultaneous Storytime! This year the book is “I got this hat” by Jol & Kate Temple and Jon Foye.
Robbie Rules and Class 1S are ready!
In association with the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s NSW Branch, and teacher librarian Jackie Hawkes, I have set up a blog to help students to explore the 2016 CBCA Book of the Year Awards, the “Notable books”, Short List, Honour Books and gold-medal winners, and to support CBCA NSW initiatives, such as the Kids AAA event.
Check it out: HERE. Early days yet!
Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 students are learning about Aboriginal Dreaming stories.
The Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent (by Dick Roughsey)
Batik painting, inspired by Dick Roughsey’s Dreamtime picture book, The Rainbow Serpent
Rainbow Lorikeets wild and free in their native Australia
Stage 3 students continue their investigations into the states of matter.
Mystery golf ball in a block of wood (WoodLogger.com)
Making plastic money…
Several classes are researching the 50 years of decimal currency in Australia. Here are some useful Youtube clips.
Dollar Bill and Australians keep the wheels of industry turning
Decimal currency, 14 February 1966 – Television advertisements
New decimal coin designs
50 years of decimal currency – Studio 10 segment
Decimal currency – Behind the News
Royal Australian Mint Tour – Behind the News
More information is available HERE, the website of the Royal Australian Mint.