Insect Show and Tell

Matt Mackenzie from Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre, NSW, shows participants at the PrimaryConnections Curriculum Leader Training in Brisbane some Spiny Leaf Insects (Extatosoma tiaratum) that he collected.

new PC units

Hi scienceS cool Blog followers,

PrimaryConnections has launched some new curriculum units fully aligned with the AC: Science. They will be available in October.
Further information at www.sciencescool.com.au

new PD in Term 4

Hi scienceS cool Blog followers,

PrimaryConnections at the Australian Academy of Science is host two professional learning workshops in Term 4.
The first is an Introduction to PrimaryConnections. This is ideal for classroom teachers and gives participants an opportunity to develop a deep understanding of the underpinning principles of the program and how to get the best from it with their students.
The second is a new workshop, PrimaryConnections and the Australian Curriculum: Science. Ideal for teachers and Curriculum coordinators.

Further information is on the website:
www.sciencescool.com.au

and on scienceS cool Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/scienceScool

PrimaryConnections

PrimaryConnections at the Academy of Science is hosting two day Curriculum Leader training at the Newnham Hotel on September 10th and 11th. Details are on the flyer which can be found on the website (www.sciencescool.com.au).
The two day training is the Academy's preferred mode of PD and is supported by the QCEC.

New website

scienceS cool has launched a website and Facebook page to make information sharing and contact even easier.
This Blog will continue for updates and discussion but detailed information about PD and fees will only be on the website from now on. The website has free downloads which will be added to regularly. Bookmark it for future reference!

http://www.facebook.com/scienceScool

www.sciencescool.com.au

Kathy

Available dates in semester 2

scienceS cool availability in Semester 2, 2012: Only dates in Weeks 5,6 and 9 in Term 3 and Term 4 scienceS cool is now taking bookings for the January pupil free days, 2013.

Training days in Brisbane

PrimaryConnections at the Australian Academy of Science is holding 2 days of workshops at the Newnham Hotel in Brisbane, on September 10th and 11th. Participants will be trained as PC curriculum leaders for their school. Contact PrimaryConnections or scienceS cool for further information.

Facebook

scienceS cool is now on Facebook.
LIKE us to get updates and keep in touch with what's happening in science
http://www.facebook.com/scienceScool

PrimaryConnections

Is your school using PrimaryConnections from the Australian Academy of Science?

Do you want to expand the PC units you are using and do more open investigations, giving your students more choices and helping them to investigate their own questions?

Science lesson demonstrations

Watch a lesson conducted with your class and have your questions answered during a de-briefing session

Availabilty: Semester 2, 2012. Limited dates. 

Fees: $900 per day (usually a day will accommodate 3 class demonstrations and feedback sessions)

PrimaryConnections

Twilight professional development sessions – 3:15pm to 6:15pm at your school

During the workshop teachers will…

·        Learn an easy way to teach children to ask scientific questions

·        Participate in a fun, practical investigation

·        Examine the alignment between the Australian Curriculum: Science and PrimaryConnections

·        Explore the underpinning principles of the program

·        Examine how to build upon the PC curriculum units to make investigations more open

Availability: Semester 2, 2012. Limited dates. Fees: $600

New science workshops available in Semester 2, 2012

New science workshops available in Semester 2, 2012:

• PrimaryConnections - Science and literacy
• PrimaryConnections and the Australian Curriculum: Science
• PrimaryConnections and multi-age classes
• Science lesson demonstrations and teacher de-briefing
• Hands-on investigations - differentiation and more 'open' investigations
• Science background knowledge for teachers - exploring the BIG ideas in science

The science s-cool fee structure will change from the beginning of Semester 2, 2012.
Check out the Fees page for further information.

Science at the Shine Dome

Each year the Academy of Science sponsors a teacher from each state and territory to attend it's annual Science at the Shine Dome conference in Canberra.

Applications are due Monday 5th March and forms can be found on the Academy website:http://www.science.org.au/events/sats/sats2012/ta.html

The conference activities include the New Fellows seminar, presentations, education workshop and annual symposium. The 2012 symposium will be titled 'Antarctic Science: from Mawson’s expedition to today'.

Those who attend the Science at the Shine Dome conference will:

• learn about the latest research across a range of science disciplines

• meet and talk with renowned scientists and young researchers

• network with interstate education colleagues.

The award includes:

• registration for all Science at the Shine Dome events

• return airfares to Canberra

• accommodation for the nights of 2 and 3 May (also 1 May for awardees from Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)

• a formal dinner with Fellows of the Academy and an informal dinner with young researchers

• lunches, morning and afternoon teas on 2-4 May.

Multi-age classes and PrimaryConnections units

Information from the PrimaryConnections Professional Learning coordinator:

Multi-age (or even multi-ability classes) will always be an issue especially now that the ACARA outcomes are Year level specific. There is no easy solution, and the reality I think should be that students experience a unit of science per term. Schools just need to be careful with their scope and sequencing and avoid students repeating units if they move between composite class combinations. I suggest schools very carefully set scope and sequences within the old “stage” levels and do 4 units a year 1 from each strand.

So for example for a Year 2/3 class they might do a red and blue Year 2 book and a green and yellow Year 3 in the first year of a 2 year stage level cycle. Then in the second year of the stage they would do red and blue Year 3 book and a green and yellow Year 2. Then back to the first year of the cycle.

I also advise that all students in the class do the same science unit but that the literacy focus gets changed for the ability/ Yr level of the students. Ie a graph for a Year 1 student might be a pictograph whereas the Year 6 student might do a line graph of similar information while being taught the same science “content”. I use the old “draft literacy focusses” document as a guide for how to do this (on the website).

snails and safety concerns

In response to recent media coverage about concerns regarding the safe handling of snails and slugs, Primary Connections sought reliable clarification.

Please see the document below for information.

Year 7 Chemistry Kit

Available in Term 2, 2012

Chemistry kits aligned with the three strands of the Australian Curriculum: Science for Year 7 classes. Kits include an inquiry based unit of work filled with student-led investigations, assessment tasks and assessment criteria and hands-on materials for the whole class.

Further information and pricing will be available later in Term 1.