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Online Teaching

The OpenSTEM® materials are ideally suited to online teaching. In these times of new challenges and requirements, there are a lot of technological possibilities. Schools and teachers are increasingly being asked to deliver material online to students. Our materials can assist with that process, especially for Humanities and Science subjects from Prep/Kindy/Foundation to Year 6. We also have some resources for a few high school subjects.

Fully aligned to the Australian curriculum, we have hundreds of resource PDFs. Teachers have used these for literacy practise in English, as well as resources for the Humanities and Science curriculum. They have even been used for NAPLAN preparation!

Full units available

We also have full lesson kits – divided into four units per year level (one for each term). These comprise a teacher’s handbook with complete lesson plans for each lesson; a student’s workbook which takes each student through all the requirements of each lesson, complete with assessment; a curriculum plan which indicates which curriculum items are being addressed in the unit and a complete assessment guide with criteria sheet, to match curriculum strands. Our use of continuous assessment, provides both formative and summative assessment points and means that there is no need to arrange proctoring of an exam in order to gain a full assessment. The assessment guide can be used to populate the report, if needed, each term.

The units make use of the PDF resources. These can be distributed with the student workbooks, to each student, via email. The entire unit can be undertaken without the need for a virtual classroom if required, with the support of a parent or home tutor, and phone calls to the teacher as required. Students could email back a scan of the completed student workbook, and any additional material they have written. The teacher could also deliver video presentations, which students could download, and students could upload videos or audio recordings of themselves delivering their material.

The units can also be used within a virtual classroom setting, or via a video conference link, with the teacher discussing the unit and requirements with students and then sending them off to work through their workbooks. Students could present finished bodies of work online in later session. The OpenSTEM® units could be undertaken with just one such online session a week, again assuming some input from a parent or person at home with the child, given that we are talking primary school children.

Some of our more extensive units (such as our Ginger Beer unit) address more than just Humanities and Science, covering Maths, Business and Economics and English curriculum items as well. These would need the active participation of a parent to assist the child at home and we would recommend arranging a call with us to deliver the initial stages of the project.

Virtual Classrooms vs Video Conferencing

So what is a virtual classroom and how does it differ from video conferencing?

We are all familiar with video conferencing programs such as Skype. These are growing more sophisticated and now include the capacity for screen sharing, type chat boxes and other tools to make having an online meeting or conversation easier.

Virtual classrooms (like BigBlueButton) are different because they have tools specifically for replicating classroom activities. As well as video and text chat, one can show a presentation, image or other document in the centre of the screen. The teacher or students (subject to permissions decided by the teacher), can write on pages of the presentation. So teachers can annotate slides, students can answer questions etc. Students can also be assigned into groups (anything from one to any size) and placed into “break-out” rooms, where they get their own copy of the presentation/document. Thus students can answer questions either individually or in groups, or discuss a topic, just as they would in class. The teacher can move between the groups to monitor activity. Break out rooms can be ended by the teacher after a set time, or at any time.

Timers can be used in the main room, e.g. to give students 10 minutes to write notes/answers. Or to allow the break out rooms to exist for only a certain length of time. Students are then returned to the main room to share what they discussed. Students can also chat in a side bar, to answer questions, or use an icon to “raise a hand” if they wish to ask something. Students can either type to reply or the teacher can allow them to contribute verbally by activating their microphone permissions.

Teachers have a lot of control in a virtual classroom. Trouble makers can have their permissions revoked and be silenced immediately. They can also be segregated to a room on their own, but still see the lesson material. Without an audience to play to, most behaviour settles quickly.

Email us for assistance if you want to know more about virtual classrooms.

You’re Not Alone!

Remember, there are a lot of people out there who have walked these paths below. We can assist you with resources, units, assessment, advice on virtual classrooms and many other aspects of online learning, including what works and what doesn’t. There are many other online communities that can also assist. Do reach out and let’s support each other through these trying times.

Helping Migrants to Australia

The end of the school year is fast approaching with the third term either over or about to end and the start of the fourth term looming ahead. There never seems to be enough time in the last term with making sure students have met all their learning outcomes for the year and with final reports to be prepared. The OpenSTEM® Understanding Our World® program takes the stress out of the fourth term as far as possible, ensuring that all curriculum items are covered well before the end of term and students are kept occupied with consolidation tasks so that teachers can prepare reports.

In units for Years 5 (Shaping Society, Working Together) and 6 (We Are One, But We Are Many), students have an assignment on a topic from Australian history and several of the suggested topics cover migrants to Australia, especially those from Asian countries. There is also a discussion about why people might become refugees, through factors such as war and natural disasters, or choose to migrate for a range of other reasons. Students in most year levels are examining cultural diversity and the make-up of Australian society.

In the news this week there is a story that has some relevance to these topics. Migrants and refugees from Asia make up a small but significant part of the numbers of people who come to Australia and find a home here, just as they have done since early colonial times. Many migrant and refugee women have experienced trauma and/or have come from countries where women’s place in society is very different than in our own. Some of these, just as in the rest of society, are single mothers or women at risk. However, they often face extra hurdles resulting from their history in their country of origin. For example, many women from Asian and African countries can not drive, either because they have not had the opportunity to learn, or it may even have been culturally inappropriate. The lack of a driver’s licence severely impacts their ability to get a job and transport themselves and their children to activities, including school and sports.

Access Community Services in Logan, south of Brisbane, has a Women at the Wheel program to help women prepare for a driving test. Currently there are women from Afghanistan, Burma and Somalia in the program and there is a very long waiting list for places. The program tries to match women with instructors who speak their native language to help them to understand the nuances of Australian road rules clearly. The women are delighted with the program, reporting that they find it very empowering and citing that having a driver’s licence will help them to find employment and transport themselves and their children as needed, making them independent and contributing members of the community.

In a way, these women finding a role for themselves in the community through learning to drive cars is almost reminiscent of the Afghan cameleers of the 19th century (shown above), who came to Australia to lead camel caravans, assisting explorers and taking the goods produced by farmers in isolated areas to market. Some of these people, from many places across the Asian subcontinent, chose to stay in Australia and adapted with the changing society, finding new roles for themselves and contributing to society in a range of ways, not least culturally and by enhancing the range of food and restaurant options available. The strength of Australia lies in the way that we pull together when times are tough and people need help. Aussies have always had a reputation for helping those in need and it is great to see this spirit continue today as people work together to build a better society.

This Week in Australian History

Black Wattle flowers — Black wattle flowers – photo, John Tann

The end of August and beginning of September is traditionally linked to the beginning of Spring in Australia, although the change in seasons is experienced in different ways in different parts of the country and was marked in locally appropriate ways by Aboriginal people. As a uniquely Australian celebration of Spring, National Wattle Day, celebrated on 1 September since 1910, celebrates the flowering of these uniquely Australian trees, as well as Australian identity.

Not strictly speaking within this week, but close enough to be included: it was 22 August, 1770, when James Cook claimed the East Coast of Australia for Britain, planting a flag on the island he called “Possession Island“.
On 29 August, 1862, Andrew Fisher, who became the 5th Prime Minister of Australia after Federation and served 3 terms (1908-1909; 1910-1913 and 1914-1915) was born in Scotland in the UK. Fisher had started working in coal mines at the age of 10 and went on to be the leader of the Australian Labor Party between 1907 and 1915. Fisher came out to Australia and worked on the gold mines at Gympie. The cottage in which he lived is a heritage-listed building and can be visited as part of the Gympie and District Historical Society Mining Museum.
On 30 August, 1835, John Batman, with a party of settlers including John Pascoe Fawkner, landed at the mouth of the Yarra River and established a settlement on the site where the current Melbourne Immigration Museum is situated. This settlement later became the city of Melbourne.
Also on 30 August, 1853, the last convict ship to travel directly from Ireland to Australia, the Phoebe Dunbar, arrived in Fremantle, Perth. England continued to send convicts for another 15 years.
31 August, 1933, the township of Stuart in the Northern Territory was renamed Alice Springs.
1 September, 1874, was the day that the General Post Office opened in Sydney. It was the first building purpose-built as a post office in Sydney and was controversially positioned over the Tank Stream, which had provided early Sydney with its drinking water.
A rather unique incident occurred on 1 September, 1846. John Ainsworth Horrocks was an explorer who founded the village of Penwortham in South Australia. Whilst on an expedition in north-west South Australia, he stopped to reload his shotgun. He was busy with this task when a sudden lurch from Harry, his camel, discharged the gun, fatally injuring Horrocks.

From a celebration of Spring to a man who was shot by his camel, there are plenty items of potential interest to students this week. These can also be aligned to aspects of the Australian curriculum. Why not celebrate wattle day in your classroom? Have the students bring in wattle flowers. Younger students can talk about changing seasons, Australian celebrations and draw the flowers; older students can examine Australian identity, Federation and the creation of a separate identity from Britain in the early 20th century. Students in Victoria and New South Wales can also examine the events of particular significance to their state.

This Week in Australian History

Today we introduce a new category for OpenSTEM® Blog articles: “This Week in Australian History”. So many important dates in Australian history seem to become forgotten over time that there seems to be a need to highlight some of these from time to time. For teachers of students from Foundation/Prep/Kindy to Year 6 looking for material to engage students around Australian history we recommend the OpenSTEM® Understanding Our World® HASS + Science program, which is filled with curriculum-aligned topics specifically designed to capture the interest of students. Whether you use our program or not, one can still connect with students by finding content applicable to their current lives which aligns with curriculum requirements. Here are some suggestions for this week:

6th June: This year Wednesday 6 June was marked by the opening match of the annual State of Origin rugby league series between the NSW Blues and the Qld Maroons. Whilst rugby league has its own fascinating history, closely allied to Australia’s colonial history, and the first match between Qld and NSW was played on 11 July, 1908, the date of 6th June has another significant historical association for both states. It was on 6th June, 1859, that Queensland became a colony of Britain, separate from New South Wales. Officially referred to as “Queensland Day”, this date was celebrated with parades and festivals all over the state at its centenary in 1959. I’m sure many Queenslanders would like there to be more widespread recognition of their state’s “birthday”. Students in Years 5 and 6, in particular, with their focus on colonial and Federation history, might enjoy looking into the birthday of their own state, and the OpenSTEM resources on the history of each state can be used to good effect, see here for links: New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

10th June: A more tragic event in Australian history is the Myall Creek Massacre, which took place on 10 June 1838 in central New South Wales. About 30 unarmed indigenous Australians were killed by a group of 12 convicts and former convicts, working as stockmen in the area. No reason was given for the massacre apart from the expansion of European settlers into the area. The incident was notable in that it actually came to trial (a rare event at the time). After the jury refused to convict “a white man for killing a black” (letter to the editor of The Australian newspaper, 1838), the Attorney-General convened a second trial for 7 of the 11 men held in custody. All 7 were found guilty and hanged. The remaining 4 men were remanded to the next court session, but after the sudden disappearance of the chief Aboriginal witness against them (who was never seen again), they were released. One of them later committed suicide. The event and trial were extremely controversial, further polarising the colonial population. Today a memorial stands on the site and an annual commemoration is held. The curriculum offers the opportunity for students in Year 5 to study massacres in Australian history in the context of colonial history.

11th June: On this day in 1770, Captain James Cook encountered the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. Unfortunately, Cook’s ship, The Endeavour, ran aground on the reef now named for Cook’s ship, near Cape Tribulation (which was named by Cook for this unfortunate event) at 11pm at night. This incident led to Cook and his crew spending 7 weeks ashore, near modern Cooktown, repairing their ship. As a result of this time, the word “kangaroo” entered the English language and the stage was set for Australia to later become a British colony. In 1969, 6 cannons, ballast and an anchor, tossed overboard in an attempt to get the ship off the reef, were discovered and one of the cannons is on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Today, with the Great Barrier Reef under extreme threat from warming, coral bleaching, pollution and increased carbon dioxide, we would do well to remember its part in our history.

Some events in history are pleasant and can be embraced with excitement, whilst others are more sombre. However, all contain lessons for our modern lives. Students love to discuss wide ranging topics, especially if these can be made relevant to their own lives. The OpenSTEM® Understanding Our World® HASS + Science program offers a vast range of engaging ways to help teachers gain interest in these topics from their students and to stimulate enquiry and problem-solving, as well as introducing basic research skills which will stand them in good stead for life. Why not make your classroom a vibrant hub for curious young minds by implementing our programs next term?

Nellie Bly – investigative journalist extraordinaire!

May is the birth month of Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, better known as “Nellie Bly“. Here at OpenSTEM, we have a great fondness for Nellie Bly – an intrepid 19th century journalist and explorer, who emulated Jules Verne’s fictional character, Phileas Fogg, in racing around the world in less than 80 days in 1889/1890. Not only was she a bold individual with a keen eye for detail and a gifted wordsmith who could capture an audience with her tales of her exploits, but she was also a thoroughly investigative journalist with a sharp interest in social justice.

She was born 154 years ago in a part of Pittsburgh, USA, named after her father, Michael Cochran, who had worked his way up from being a labourer to a major landowner, postmaster and respected justice. A passionate advocate for women’s rights from the age of 16, her eloquence landed her a job as a writer for the local newspaper. At the age of 21, she served as a foreign correspondent in Mexico, later publishing her experiences in a book. She was forced to flee Mexico after criticising the Mexican government for imprisoning a local journalist.

Emboldened by this experience, she decided to embark on an even more dangerous assignment and, with the support of Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, the New York World, she feigned insanity to go undercover inside a women’s mental asylum and report on the conditions there. After 10 days, the World intervened to have her released and her damning report, later published as the harrowing account: “Ten Days in a Mad-House” did lead to an increase in funding for these institutions and some reforms.

Nellie’s next exploit was to attempt to match the journey from Jules Verne’s novel “Around the World in 80 Days”. The attempt became a race with a rival newspaper fielding another candidate, travelling in the opposite direction. As in the novel, using steamships and railways, Bly started on 14 November, 1889 and travelled through England, France (where she met Jules Verne), Italy, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan (as well as a visit to a leper colony in China). She sent short updates on her progress by telegraph from most places, now connected by submarine cables for the new electric telegraph network. She returned victorious to New York a mere 72 days later, on 25 January, 1890, also beating her rival by 4 1/2 days. Her success inspired a board game, no doubt helping 19th century children with their Geography knowledge!

She went on to marry a millionaire manufacturer, many years her senior, whom she succeeded in business as his health failed, becoming a renowned industrialist in her own right. She was responsible for several innovations and inventions (such as a new milk can and a stack-able garbage can) and was a staunch supporter of the Women’s Suffrage movement.

Nellie Bly features as one of the explorers in our Women Explorers series. She is included in the list of explorers for the OpenSTEM® Understanding Our World® Unit 5.2 for students in Year 5, although her adventures are suitable for examining historic methods of transport with students in Years 2 and 3, as well as social issues surrounding women’s suffrage and industrialisation for students in Year 6.

Amelia Earhart in the news

Recently Amelia Earhart has been in the news once more, with publication of a paper by an American forensic anthropologist, Richard Jantz. Jantz has done an analysis of the measurements made of bones found in 1940 on the island of Nikumaroro Island in Kiribati. Unfortunately, the bones no longer survive, but they were analysed in 1941 by a doctor, D.W. Hoodless, from the Central Medical School in Fiji. Dr Hoodless concluded that the bones were of a stocky male, however, later researchers have argued about his conclusions. Jantz has examined a wide range of evidence, including photographs, measurements from Earhart’s clothing and the original measurements of the bones and has concluded that the bones are 84 times more likely to belong to Amelia Earhart than to any other person.

Let’s quickly recap the mystery surrounding Amelia Earhart:

Earhart learned to fly in the early 1920s, taught by a pioneer female aviator, Anita Snook. Earhart worked at several jobs to save up for the tuition fees. She saved up again to buy a secondhand biplane. After Charles Lindburgh flew solo across the Atlantic in 1927, a female aviator, Amy Guest, unwilling to attempt the feat herself, offered to sponsor any woman prepared to try the Atlantic crossing. Earhart was part of a team of 3 who flew the Atlantic shortly after this and then completed the solo crossing herself in 1932. In 1937, Earhart was part of a team trying to fly around the world. Their first attempt ended when their aircraft had mechanical problems. The second attempt started on 1 June, 1937, leaving Miami, Florida and flying to South America, Africa, India and South-East Asia.

On 28 June, 1937, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, set off from Darwin, Australia on the final leg of their voyage – crossing the Pacific. They had a brief stop in New Guinea on 29 June, before setting off for Howland Island in the Pacific – their next refuelling stop. It was planned that Earhart and Noonan would get radio directions to Howland Island from their support ship, the USCGC Itasca. However, the ship soon realised that although they could hear Earhart on the radio, she could not hear them. She was running low on fuel and was unable to see the island or the ship. The last clear broadcast said that she would run along a certain bearing. Later broadcasts were recieved but were faint and garbled and with many vessels now calling on that frequency it was no longer clear which signals were from Earhart. Sporadic signals continued for 4 or 5 days, but Earhart and Noonan were never found.

The search started almost immediately, with the Itasca searching the immediate area of Howland Island. A week later, US Navy planes flew over many of the surrounding islands, but didn’t find anything, although they did note signs of “recent habitation” on Gardner, now Nikumaroro, Island. The search was called off on 19 July, 1937. In 1938 Nikumaroro Island was settled and a skeleton of a woman, with “American” shoes was found, as well as the skull of a man. These bones had been disturbed and damaged by crabs. A cognac bottle with fresh water was found near the skeleton. Some of these bones were those analysed by the doctor in 1941.

Evidence such as the women’s shoes, a Benedictine liqueur bottle (which Earhart was known to have with her) and an American sextant, all found with the bones, suggest strongly that these remains are of Earhart and Noonan. Jantz’s research includes trying to reconstruct the likely size of Earhart’s bones to compare them with the 1941 measurements. It is therefore likely that Earhart and Noonan either crashed or landed close enough to Nikumaroro Island to be able to reach it, however, they were unfortunately not spotted by the Navy planes a week later.

OpenSTEM® does not actually have a resource on Amelia Earhart (yet! Watch this space!), but we do have many other resources on fascinating Women Explorers, such as Nellie Bly, Isabella Bird, Gertrude Bell and Ida Pfeiffer. So if you’re keen to follow up on these topics with students, do have a look at some of these resources. As well as the interesting stories themselves, following their paths on maps and globes, can add enormously to the exploration of Geography curriculum material.