Tag: primary sources

This Week in HASS – term 3, week 4

This week younger students start investigating how we can find out about the past. This investigation will be conducted over the next 3 weeks and will culminate in a Scientific Report. Older students are considering different sources of historical information and how they will use these sources in their research.

Foundation/Prep/Kindy to Year 3

Students in stand-alone Foundation/Prep/Kindy classes (Unit F.3), as well as those in integrated classes (Unit F-1.3) and Years 1 (Unit 1.3), 2 (Unit 2.3) and 3 (Unit 3.3) are all starting to think about how we can find out about the past. This is a great opportunity for teachers to encourage students to think about how we know about the past and brainstorm ideas, as well as coming up with their own avenues of inquiry. Teachers may wish to hold a Question and Answer session in class to help guide students to examine many different aspects of this topic. The resource Finding Out About The Past contains core information to help the teacher guide the discussion to cover different ways of examining the past. This discussion can be tailored to the level and individual circumstances of each class. Foundation/Prep/Kindy students are just starting to think about the past as a time before the present and how this affects what we know about past events. The discussion can be developed in higher years, and the teacher can start to introduce the notion of sources of information, including texts and material culture. This investigation forms the basis for the Method section of the Scientific Report, which is included in the Student Workbook.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 (Unit 3.7), 4 (Unit 4.3), 5 (Unit 5.3) and 6 (Unit 6.3) are following a similar line of investigation this week, but examining Historical Sources specifically. As well as Primary and Secondary Sources, students are encouraged to think about Oral Sources, Textual Sources and Material Culture (artefacts such as stone tools or historical items). This discussion forms the basis for students completing the Method section of their Scientific Report, where they will list the sources of information and how these contributed to their research. Older students might be able to self-direct this process, although teachers may wish to guide the process through an initial class discussion. Teachers may wish to take the class through a discussion of the sources they are using for their research and discuss how students will use and report on these sources in their report for their topic.

This Week in HASS, term 2 week 5

pipsie little birdNAPLAN’s over and it’s time to sink our teeth into the main body of curriculum work before mid-year reporting rolls around. Our younger students are using all their senses to study the environment and local area around them, whilst our older students are hard at work on their Explorer projects.

Foundation/Prep/Kindy to Year 3

Unit F.2 for stand-alone Foundation/Prep/Kindy classes has the students continuing to think about their Favourite Place. This week students are considering what they can hear in their Favourite Place and how they will depict that in their model of their Favourite Place. Students can also think about what their Favourite Sounds are and whether or not these would occur in their Favourite Place. Students in integrated Foundation/Prep/Kindy classes (Unit F.6) and Years 1 (Unit 1.2), 2 (Unit 2.2) and 3 (Unit 3.2) have this week set aside for an excursion to a local park or area of heritage significance. If an excursion outside school grounds is impractical teachers can achieve similar results from an excursion around the school and oval. Students are using their senses to interpret their environment, as well as thinking about living and non-living things, natural and managed landscapes and sources of heat and light.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 (Unit 3.6), 4 (Unit 4.2), 5 (Unit 5.2) and 6 (Unit 6.2) are continuing their project on an explorer. This week the focus for most students is on animals which may have been encountered by their explorer. Year 3 students are examining animals from different climate zones and how they are adapted to deal with climate extremes. Students in Years 4 and 5 look at extinct animals from Africa, South America or North America, assessing impact and sustainability issues. Students in Year 4 (and optionally as an extension for Year 3) consider the life cycle of their chosen animal. Students in years 4, 5 and 6 also start to examine the differences between Primary and Secondary sources and some of the OpenSTEM resources contain quotes or copies of primary material, so that students can refer to these in their project. Year 6 students are examining the changing Economies and Politics of Asia through time, in order to place the explorations within a broader context and to gain a greater understanding of the development of the global situation. Students have another 2 weeks to complete their presentation on their explorer (including environment and other aspects), before assessment of this project.