Constitutional Convention professional learning

Image above: The important concepts for the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship


Related sites to Humsteach blog 
Spatialworlds
Australian Curriculum Portal
GeogSpace
AC History Units
Geogaction
DECD Learning Resources for Australian Curriculum
DECD Achievement Standards Charts 
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
Geography Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of South Australia
History Teachers Association of Australia
Legal Education Teachers Association SA (LETASA)
Business Educators Australia

Email contact:

malcolm.mcinerney@sa.gov.au

* 14 September 2018  Constitutional Convention professional learning presentation



Relevant resources and links

* Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship  on the Australian Curriculum Portal















 * Being a Citizen: a resource developed by AGTA

 * South Australian Parliament teaching resources

* South Australian Virtual War Memorial

 * DECD Australian Curriculum Implementation guidelines

* July and September Civics and Citizenship Forum in the city

* Discovering Democracy resources 

* Parliamentary Education Office resources

* GeogSpace: the resource from AGTA and Education Services Australia (ESA) to support the Australian Curriculum: Geography 

* AC History Units: the resource from HTAA and Education Services Australia (ESA) to support the Australian Curriculum: History

* DECD Australian Curriculum: HASS resources worth a look! 

DECD has recently launched their "Making the Australian Curriculum work for us' resource to support the teaching and learning of the Australian Curriculum: HASS.

As you can see below the resource to date includes a creative animation, broadsheets on the curriculum and 'talking heads'.

 The  curriculum, year by year, all on one page in the Learning Area Explorer (including Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business).

The Sound bites on Civics and Citizenship

* Achievement Standards Chart and activities for HASS from DECD 

The Civics and Citizenship Achievement Standards chart is at:  http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/assessment/files/links/acchart_civicscitizenship.pdf

 Assessment activities are at:

http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/assessment/default.asp?navgrp=Leader


The RSLSA Virtual War Memorial

A great resource for commemoration activities, historical research and work on Australian identity in the Civics and Citizenship curriculum.

The South Australian Suffragettes site

A great South Australian history site focussed on the work of the suffragettes in South Australia.

What do you really think?

You think what?

"A curriculum is not value-free, as values and attitudes cannot be divorced from content."

The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Geography January 2011

HASS subjects and their teaching is not value free. It is almost impossible not to be political in some way when discussing HASS topics.

As Robert Butler was quoted as saying in the Economist in 2010:

“It is getting harder and harder in conversation to raise one or other of the most basic subjects in geography—agriculture, glaciation, rivers and population—without a flicker of panic crossing the other person’s face. You are no longer talking about a neutral subject.”


HASS has the potential to be relevant, dynamic and challenging for students in the classroom through providing the opportunity to develop a political frame around what is taught. How can we teach about water, population, migration and climate change for example without challenging students to place the discussion in a political context – that is, what do you believe is right and what are the values and ethical beliefs that guide ones opinion on an issue. 

Here are two excellent classroom polling tools to have a look at and use in our tutorial


* Straw Poll 

• A Straw Poll is a great resource to find out in an anonymous way what the class thinks about the issues profiled in the 'What are your politics ' questionnaire we answered this week. 
• Firstly here is some information on how to use Straw Poll
• Click on the URL's below and select your response. 

Q1. Gun ownership   https://strawpoll.com/eds3xxsy

Q2. Abortion on demand  https://strawpoll.com/2bbw492w

Q3. Capital punishment   https://strawpoll.com/rg9xxh73

Q4. Corporal punishment  https://strawpoll.com/9gxrs9xc

Q5. Australian Republic  https://strawpoll.com/zpzf1y4w

Q6. Removal of the Union Jack from the Australian flag  https://strawpoll.com/h3erf2ds

Q7. Privatisation of public facilities  https://strawpoll.com/9zf9y57a

Q8. School uniform  https://strawpoll.com/g48g4hs4

Q9. Immigration   https://strawpoll.com/dx57zadw

Q10. Unemployed and community service  https://strawpoll.com/3xs2zsf3

Q11. Coupons and benefit payments  https://strawpoll.com/7w7825k5

Q12. Compulsory service for 19 Year olds https://strawpoll.com/351hxr6r

Q13.  Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.   https://strawpoll.com/7s5ek3p9

Q14. Removal of King Edward V11 statue  https://strawpoll.com/g5ada6c9

Q15.  Moving Australia Day  https://strawpoll.com/pr6x7ega


* Poll everywhere

Is a digital tool that is a wonderful way to get students involved (all students, not just the vocal and uninhibited) in discussion of a contestable nature is Poll Everywhere. The brilliant aspect of this program is that it is easy to use, is anonymous and inclusive of all, can be used and developed in real time in the classroom and provides instant feedback (graphs, word walls etc). The program gives all students a voice so that they can express their opinion without ridicule or embarrassment. The resulting graphs and graphics provide data for class research and discussion and can be archived for comparison over time presentations. As a tool it is a great interactive way to involve the geography class in some high order thinking and discussion. 
The brief video on the Poll Everywhere Home page gives an introduction to this free digital tool which can be used not only in the HaSS classroom but also with teachers in their professional learning in HaSS.Poll Everywhere is a great way to get discussion started in any gathering.  It is certainly worth the 30 minutes to get acquainted with the tool and make the learning more interactive for participants and create some inclusive and comprehensive data for contestable discussions.

Beyond Mel Gibson...

• The poster for the 2018 Premier's ANZAC Spirit School Prize. Read the 'The story behind the face on the Poster' by clicking here.

The 31 August HTASA Conference presentation called 'Beyond Mel Gibson at Gallipoli!'

 ThePowerPoint of the HTASA workshop presentation.

The workshop explored the potential to teach war and commemoration through historical conceptual thinking using research skills to develop authentic learning in the classroom. Learning about Australia’s involvement in the Great War, World War 2, Korean War and Vietnam War should be more than learning about chronology, battles and statistics. The Australian Curriculum: History provides the opportunity to connect students to the stories and events through conceptual thinking. At the same time the use of research skills to ‘find’ stories is a way to personalise the learning for students. During the workshop the Virtual War Memorial and the Premier’s Anzac Spirit School Prize will be profiled as examples of unique initiatives for students to participate in high quality historical research and to personally engage in learning about war beyond just learning ‘about’ the conflict involved.


Some ideas to get started with researching

* Have students explore the RSL Virtual War Memorial site at https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/ 

* Get students to ask family and friends about family members or family friends who served or were involved in World War 1 and/or World War 2.

* Encourage students to visit memorials and honour boards (local area and beyond) and pick a name to research on the Virtual War Memorial? 

* Direct students to the Australian War Memorial website www.awm.gov.au. Start by going to ‘Research a person’ at www.awm.gov.au/research/people/ and entering either a name or service number.

 * Encourage students to research in their local library or local history museum for any local history accounts of an individual from their area participating in World War 1 and/or 2. 

* Contact your local Returned & Services League (RSL) (www.rslsa.org.au/) to discuss the Premier’s ANZAC Spirit School Prize task and ask whether they can help with your the research efforts of your students.  The RSL is involved in the competition and have communicated details of the competition and study tour to all their branches.  Such personal contact could be invaluable in developing responses.

* Have students visit the National Archives of Australia website at www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/army-wwi.aspx for detailed war records of individuals and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at www.cwgc.org/ for details on war cemeteries and graves.

The Premier's ANZAC Spirit School Prize blog
While you are on this blog (http://2016anzacprize.blogspot.com.au), take some time to read some amazing journal entries from the 2016 students who toured Vietnam and some background information on the Vietnam War provided to the students prior to departing.