Learning and Teaching Support
This section contains links to web sites, online resources and tools that provide learning and teaching support for teachers.
Digital learning in Geography
australianscreen - Is developed in partnership with the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) by Curriculum Corporation through The Le@rning Federation. The site brings together material from the vast collections of the NFSA, the National Archives of Australia, the ABC, SBS, and AIATSIS in a unique collaboration. It represents over 1,300 Australian feature films, documentaries, television programs, newsreels, advertisements, short films, animations and home-movies produced over the last 100 years, with clips and curators’ and teachers’ notes. All material is made available with the permission of the copyright holders. The resource includes many clips on environment, identity and culture and indigenous Australia.
CensusAtSchool - is an online questionnaire and analysis resource for students in Years 5–12 at all Australian schools. Having access to real, contextualised data provides students with the opportunity to make meaningful use of statistics within a variety of Victorian Essential Learning Standards domains. Resources are provided that can support teachers to plan units of work that map to the Standards. Also provided are assessment tasks at various levels.
Over 44,000 students completed the questionnaire in 2008. CensusAtSchool is now run annually making it easier to include CensusAtSchool in curriculum programs. CensusAtSchool is voluntary and is provided strictly for educational purposes only. The 2010 questionnaire includes thirty questions on topics about students, including their lifestyle (e.g. method of travel to school, favourite type of music and use of technology), characteristics (e.g. eye colour, height) and opinions on environmental issues. There are also interactive questions to test reaction time and concentration.
The registration process for teachers has been streamlined for easier access. Now teachers can participate using one simple online form to create a CensusAtSchool Teacher Account.
The questionnaire for 2010 closes on July 2nd.
Cybergeography - Contains atlas of maps and geographic reprehensions of the geography of the new electronic territories of the internet, world-wide and other cyberspaces.
FUSE - brings resources together in one place, so it is easier to find quality digital content. Sources include the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) (e.g. Digilearn, Connect), Skool.com, The Learning Federation and Victoria’s Cultural Institutions.
Global Classroom project - Provides links to global projects such as Victorian global projects, the Mad Hatter Challenge; a way to connect to schools around the world; a place where students can map out their favourite Victorian location; an online discussion about books; and the Travel Buddy and Bulldog Buddy activities. Search this site for geography-related projects.
Geography-related web sites
Aquatic Environment Education Centre at Wonga Wetlands - The Aquatic Environment Education Centre website provides information on field work, laboratory work, individual school programs at all levels, specific HSC/VCE courses and lectures and tours for visiting community groups and universities/TAFEs. Program offered through the Strategic Partnerships Program: Broad curriculum provision at Wonga Wetlands.
Asia Education Foundation - This website assists teachers to develop confidence in teaching about Asia though up-to-date curriculum resources and professional learning.
Australian Geography Competition - The National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition is a joint initiative of the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and the Australian Geography Teachers Association and is proudly sponsored by National Geographic Channel. It is designed to encourage student interest in geography and reward student excellence. Further details and results from the 2010 competition can be found on their website.
Brambuk, Gariwerd - The Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre stands as a testimony to the survival of Aboriginal or Koori culture in the wake of the European invasion. The website provides information on holiday programs, events, cultural heritage and visitors information. Programs offered through the Strategic Partnerships Program: Discovery of Brambuk; Live it up in Gariwerd; Welcome to country, language, ways of seeing circle
CERES Community Environment Park - The CERES Community Environment Park aims to inspire children of all ages to be proactive caretakers of the environment. The website includes details of all of their education programs, which focus on issues such as water conservation, energy, waste and sustainability. Programs offered through the Strategic Partnerships Program: Sustainability in Schools program (Metropolitan); Sustainability in Schools program (Regional).
Department of Primary Industries - Provides information on: the national livestock identification system; drought in Victoria; plague locusts; agriculture and food; fishing and aquaculture; minerals and petroleum; science; research and development; and trade and investment.
Department of Sustainability and Environment - Contains information on coast and marine management; conservation and the environment; fire and other emergencies; forest, heritage and land management; parks and reserves; planning; plants and animals; property, titles and maps; recreation and tourism; research; and water.
Earthwatch - Engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding necessary for a sustainable environment. This site provides information about volunteers, supporters, resources, business, education, events, publications and its partners.
Environment Australia - Provides information on the atmosphere; biodiversity; coasts and oceans; heritage; human settlements; inland waters; land management; and parks and reserves. It also links to sites about Antarctica, Australian plants, water, the environment, the Great Barrier Reef, greenhouse effects, meteorology, pollution, natural resource management, renewable energy, and water efficiency labelling.
Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria (GTAV) - The GTAV is committed to excellence in geographical education in Victoria. The website provides links to teaching materials, major projects such as Global Education. Programs offered through the Strategic Partnerships Program: Student support; Teaching and Learning.
Landcare Education - The La Gerche Gully Site (formerly known as the Creswick Landcare Centre) is the home of the Landcare Education program. Located in the Creswick Regional Park at Creswick (16kms north of Ballarat), the Landcare Centre was established to provide quality environmental education programs to schools and the general community. Programs, incursions and field trips can be developed to cater for a range of environmental education themes.
LandLearn - Provides a structure and support for schools to incorporate studies of sustainable agriculture and natural resource management into the curriculum: The website provides support for teachers and school communities through current learning and teaching resources and student activities that make learning fun; engages students in active, experiential learning which can include on-going participation in community environmental management projects; promotes partnerships between school and community groups, such as Landcare, and between urban and rural schools.
Natural Resources Conservation League of Victoria - Advocates sustainable management of forest ecosystems and provides environmental education. The web site includes brochures for teachers, details of educational excursions and interactive activities for students.
Parks Victoria - Provides information on Victoria’s parks and reserves; marine and coastal areas; special places; Victoria’s heritage; activities; guided tours; publications; conservation; news; and the 'Healthy Parks, Healthy people' program.
A Studies of Asia program embeds the study of history, geography, literature, popular culture and traditional arts of the countries of Asia within the domains of Humanities, English and The Arts. Such learnings are imperative to prepare students to live, learn and work in the 21st century.
United Nations Millennium Development Goals - The UN website with information, news and resources about the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which range from halving world poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to universal primary school education for all by the target date of 2015. These goals form a blueprint for all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions.
What’s in a name?’ - Is a free educational resource comprising a video, activities and worksheets designed to explain the importance of place names; where they come from, what they stand for, and how crucial they are, but also how all Australians can become involved in the naming of places.
World Wide Fund for Nature - Provides information on climate change; forests; fresh water; marine life; sustainability; animal species; and toxins. This site also includes information on places in the world where this organisation works and the environmental issues of concern to these places.