1.2 - Education for sustainability learning opportunities

In the coming weeks students will be learning about sustainability and how the community of Queenstown evolved from being regarded as a mining town, to the town it is today. 

The Australian Curriculum outlines that a year 4 achievement standard in geography is to recognise when significant events bring about change in a community. A key inquiry question will be for students to research how the town has evolved in regard to buildings, social groups, employment, education and tourism. Students will be involved in researching, questioning, developing timelines, interviewing and excursions to enable them to build a comprehensive reflection of the adaptations being made within their community. (ACHASS1074).


Sustainability evokes images of solar panels and recycling.  Students will be discovering that sustainability also involves how a community can evolve after significant changes to their environment, economy or government.

Initial discussions will be based around students' knowledge of what is available in their community in terms of education, social groups and employment opportunities. Students will be involved in developing a series of questions to ask community members to research changes within the community. These questions will be developed through researching and group discussions. An excursion will include a visit to the Galley Museum, a walk around the town centre which will include a presentation from a local tour guide.

Students will be viewing a series of clips.  The first clip will enable them to develop an understanding of the population difference in school numbers from the 1980's.  I will be the first person the students will be able to 'interview'.  Interviews enable to students to develop their questions, data recording skills, how to interpret the data and how to present the data. (ACHASS1074).

Murray High School Choir

The second and third clips are from 2014.  This is when the mine closed.  Most students in the classroom will have experience with the impact this had on the community at the time.  The students may have been too young to realise that many people moved to find employment and the atmosphere of the town was one of deep concern.  

2014 Mine closure 

The following clip is from The Unconformity advertising campaign of 2016. Most students this will be an event they have personal experience with.  Discussions around this clip will lead students to research the changing dynamics of Queenstown and the importance of tourism in providing employment.

A clip title The History Miner is a fascinating insight into how one man has evolved from being a miner to that of a successful tourism operator.  

The History Miner

Hopefully the students will gain an understanding of how communities are able to adapt to major life changes and develop new ventures to help the town continue to be viable. (ACHASSK090).  An important element of this unit will be asking the students to envisage what they believe Queenstown will be like in 20 years time.  Do they see a future for developing tourism or mining?  


References:

Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessing Authority. (2016). The Australian Curriculum: Humanities and social studies. Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/

Galley Museum image: Retrieved from: https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/4851048/war-medals-stolen/

Mine closure video.  Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/queenstown-locals-fear-for-towns-future-after-mine-closure/5671754

Murray High School Choir video.  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNBd22wUlC4

The History Miner video.  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxF1zejQBnA

What is Sustainability image.  Retrieved from: https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-development/do-you-know-when-sustainability-first-appeared/

1. Civics and citizenship - Learning about identity and cultural diversity

Civics and Citizenship – Learning about identity and cultural diversity.

https://www.slideshare.net/katherinehannaford/library-conference-sole-presentation

In Year 3 our focus for Humanities and Social Sciences will be Civics and Citizenship Education (CCE). This will involve learning about the importance of cultural diversity within our community and how contributions from different cultures impact on the community.  The Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2017) has outlined a framework for educators to follow to ensure we provide a rich, engaging, and relevant unit for students.

What is community?

The students will be learning about what a community is, what makes up a community and the various aspects of being involved in a community. This will involve inquiry-based learning through discussion of community and the groups and individuals that they may encounter. When students are able to question what is happening they can relate it to their own lives and find relevance for the learning. (Churchill, et.al., 2011).

We will be discussing and developing our knowledge of the different communities we have in our area and within our classroom. We will also focus on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples connection with the community and how this community is represented within our school environment. Aboriginal culture is embedded within many of our classroom lessons.  It is important for us as a school community that we ensure that students learn about our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and the importance of ensuring the cultural aspects of the traditional owners of the land are respected and continued.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories have been embedded within the Australian Curriculum through being a cross-curricular priority.(ACARA, 2017). 

 

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/419045940317200334/

 Students will investigate what contributions the different cultures make to the community as a whole and the effectiveness of having various cultures has on the community.

 

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/73887250110731436/?autologin=true

     A major part of any unit is consideration to the required achievement standards as outlined within the Australian curriculum. This is done through analysis, evaluating, reflecting and communicating.

Research will include using various techniques to source information about the cultures that are represented within the classroom.  Be prepared for your children to come home with some research questions to further develop their knowledge of their cultural background.  Questions may include cultural groups and what they do within the community.  As a class it will be exciting for students to discover and learn from each other what is available within their community.

Students will analyse and collate the information they have collected and decide how they will present this to their classmates.

It will be through class discussion and the opportunity for guest speakers to come and share their culture with the class that students will be able to further develop the concept of community and diversity.

What can you do to help?

The students enjoy it when parents/caregivers are able to come and share their time within the classroom.  If you are able to talk to the class about your cultural background and how it may differ from theirs, or providing your child with the information and allowing them to present it to their classmates.  

References:

Australian Curiculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). The Australian Curriculum: Cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.  Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). The Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship. (v. 8.3). Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/civics-and-citizenship/

Churhill, R., Ferguson, P., Godinho, S., Johnson, N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., …Vick, M. (2014). Teaching making a difference. Milton, QLD. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

NSW Department of Education. Multicultural education. Retrieved from: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/multicultural-education/culture-and-diversity