Science- Secondary Lessons
Get your students involved in citizen science- collecting data for real science. Examples of citizen science include the long running Streamwatch and Waterwatch programs, where community groups and schools can monitor local creeks and river systems. Other citizen science projects include Wild Pollinator Count , Great Koala Count, Climatewatch, The Great Aussie Bird Count and Birds in Schools. Australia wide Climatewatch, Questagame and The Great Aussie Bird Count have apps that allow people to report in sightings on their mobile phones. Other animals in the Macleay that have citizen science apps are the platypus, frogs, water bugs, whales, echidnas and turtles.
Have a look at Zooniverse where your students can participate in citizen science projects around the world and the universe.
Investigate a local creek with Streamwatch, testing it at various locations. Use the Freshwater Macro Invertebrates or TheWaterBug apps to help you identify the macro invertebrates . Take photos and publish your results on a web2 tool e.g. Voicethread, like this example Hickey's Creek Streamwatch.
Have a look at Zooniverse where your students can participate in citizen science projects around the world and the universe.
Investigate a local creek with Streamwatch, testing it at various locations. Use the Freshwater Macro Invertebrates or TheWaterBug apps to help you identify the macro invertebrates . Take photos and publish your results on a web2 tool e.g. Voicethread, like this example Hickey's Creek Streamwatch.
You and your students can monitor your local creek or maybe see how Gills Bridge Creek is improving.
Streamwatch also produces a Teachers Manual.
Streamwatch also produces a Teachers Manual.
streamwatchmanual.pdf | |
File Size: | 786 kb |
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Research an indigenous seasonal calendar for the Macleay area. Research local indigenous food plants, visit Wigay Aboriginal Culture Park find out when they fruit. Talk to local elders . Using the CSIRO and Bureau of Meterology sites indigenous calendars are available for the following indigenous groups Nagan'gi, Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) , Gooniyandi, Malak Malak, Walmajarri, Brambuk, D'harawal, Nyoongar, Yawuru, Walabunnba, Yanyuwa, Miriwoong, Wardaman, Jawoyn, Bininj, Wagiman, Tiwi, Kunwinjku, Ngadju, Ngurrungurrudjba.
Astronomy can be done on a school camp because it is relatively easy in the Macleay to find somewhere without light pollution. Binoculars and telescopes can often be borrowed from family and friends. Depending on the time of year you may see planets, constellations, the moon in different phases, satellites and shooting stars and occasionally comets and eclipses. Two galaxies other than our own can also be seen with the naked eye. In the dark patches of the Milky Way you can see the Aboriginal constellation of the Emu. While not quite in the Macleay valley, the Port Macquarie Observatory run nighttime school excursions. Monthly Sky Guides are available from Sydney Observatory.
School excursions to the New England National Park can have guided programs for Journey to an Ancient World suiting Stage 4 students.
This online course by Field of Mars EEC for Year 11 Biology topic: A Local Ecosystem could be adapted for an excursion to a dry sclerophyll forest and the mangroves at South West Rocks.
The Water Research Laboratory at School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNSW has put out a guide for high school teachers on Coastal Management. This integrated unit has links to Science, Geography and Mathematics. While the examples are Narrabeen and Collaroy beaches it would be easy to use Macleay valley beaches.
coastal_management_-_teacher_resource_guide.pdf | |
File Size: | 9912 kb |
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