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July 2022
It's been a busy month in the SASTA office in the lead up to the Annual Conference, Study Guides arrived and orders have been sent and we finished our Term 2 professional learning events! There is still plenty to come in July:
- SASTA Annual Conference - 11 & 12 July | Register here
- Early Career Teachers Conference call for workshops close 8 July | Submit here
- Mary Anning Art Prize submissions close 17 July | Find out more
And make sure you put Science Alive! in your calendars for 5 - 7 August. More details are available below.
Our theme for this month is Plastic Free / Sustainability so check out our website and excursion of the month below! And keep an eye on the blog and our socials for more to come. Did you see our Oceans posts?
SASTA news
Oliphant Science Awards at Science Alive!
5 - 7 August
The Oliphant Science Awards is excited to be hosting our entire Open Day at Science Alive! for the first time this year! On display will be all the Models & Inventions projects plus the winning entries from all the other categories. Come along to find out if your entry won a prize this year, find out about the competition or get some inspiration for next year!
You will also have the chance to get hands on with our come and try activities and have a chat with Professor Flint who will be showcasing some of our best entries.
Looking for a hands-on science and technology day out for your school class? We're shaking things up a little with a number of new exhibits and shows. Adelaide's Science Alive! Stem Day Out provides Year 7-12 students a window into the wide variety of STEM careers now available. Register here.
An exclusive invitation for female senior high school & tertiary students to join us for a morning of inspiring presentations from leading female scientists, engineers and professionals from a diverse range of STEM careers. Register here.
Professional Learning
Last chance to register! Find out more and register here.
The program includes 2 Keynote Presentations, 6 Cutting Edge Presentations and over 35 workshop sessions to choose from! Registrations close Wednesday 6 July.
Call for Workshops close Friday 8 July! Find out more here.
The aim of the conference is for our early career science teachers to walk away equipped with the resources and best practice strategies for building their confidence, wellbeing and capabilities. Submit your presentation by Friday 8 July.
Stage 2 Marking & Moderation Workshops
These workshops will provide an opportunity for teachers to discuss assessment and the application of the performance standards to samples of work, as well having invaluable professional input with their own student samples. An opportunity to readjust marking standards prior to final moderation.
- Nutrition - 15 August
- Psychology - 19 August
- Physics & Biology - 26 August
- Chemistry - TBC
Genetics & Food Chemistry Workshop
Wednesday 10 August
This workshop is aimed at teachers who want a fresh and innovative approach to teaching Biological Sciences and Chemistry.
Using grapevine management (viticulture) as the theme, we are able to teach science content such as Grape genetics, phenotypic characteristics in relation to soil science and food chemistry. All of this with a context that applies to so many regional and rural families around South Australia within the wine industry.
You will receive ideas for several activities, experiments and fair test investigations, learning resources to take home to help you get started in the classroom.
School Events & Activities
Mary Anning Art Prize closes Sunday 17 July
The aim of the Mary Anning Art Prize is to have young South Australian artists create an original piece of artwork that tells us something about the prehistoric life of South Australia. Find out all the details here.
Professor Flint- Adventures in Palaeontology is running a special Facebook Live event on Sunday 3 July on the history of palaeo art and to help entrants with their work so mark it in your calendar! The Live event can be accessed here: https://fb.me/e/2tc6lFikg
Australian Space Discovery Centre - FREE school sessions
Targeting ages 12 and above, the Australian Space Discovery Centre offers 75 minute sessions for up to 40 students that aims to inspire the next generation of the space workforce with stories of opportunity, curiosity and technology. Operation: Eyes On Earth, is an alternate 90 minute design thinking workshop relating to satellites that can accommodate up to 30 students. These free sessions and workshops provide exclusive use of the Australian Space Discovery Centre for schools.
More information is available here.
For your classroom | Plastic Free / Sustainability
Wipe Out Waste (WOW)
Wipe out Waste (WOW) is a South Australian initiative, funded by Green Industries SA and delivered by KESAB environmental solutions, that encourages a whole school or site approach to waste reduction.
WOW’s Resources provide a great introduction to the world of waste and recycling for students of all levels. WOW also has many activities to help reduce material to landfill. Take a look and see which activities you can try at your site!
Department for Education (Plink)
The Department for Education SA have produced a series of resources to help bridge any gap between the Australian Curriculum and the classroom. These resources include Scope and sequence documents (R to 10 for 7 learning areas) and Units of work (English, Maths, Science and HASS – years 5 to 9).
All teachers from each of the three sectors have access to these wonderful resources via the Department for Education Plink: https://www.plink.sa.edu.au
For those that have not accessed the Plink before you will need to create an account and then you can access the resources.
This month we would like to highlight the Year 7 Unit of Work: Renewables and Non-renewables.
This unit contains Teaching and Learning activities, teaching tips and assessment advice. The unit comes complete with student handouts for activities and is fully aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
OzHarvest / FEAST
KESAB is partnering with OzHarvest to deliver the FEAST program to South Australian schools.
FEAST (Food Education and Sustainability Training) is OzHarvest’s curriculum-aligned education program inspiring kids to eat healthy, waste less and become change-makers in their community. Like any good FEAST, it’s designed to be fun, engaging and filled with good food!
The Year 5 and Year 6 education program runs for 10 weeks and teaches students about food waste, sustainability and nutrition using hands-on cooking activities in the classroom with fully equipped kitchen kits provided by OzHarvest (no kitchen required).
Good news! OzHarvest has funding available for eligible schools to sign up to FEAST at no cost. This gives schools unlimited access to all educational resources, professional development training, kitchen kit, frying pans and ongoing support. Register your school to find out more www.ozharvest.org/feast
Oliphant Science Awards
Resources for Students
Have you been keeping an eye on our Resources for Students page? There are a range of blog posts with resources, links and ideas for students developing a project for the Oliphant Science Awards. Some recent posts include:
Resources
For all resources available from SASTA visit the website.
Stage 1 & 2 Trial Exams - available now!
You can also bundle your Stage 1 & 2 Trial Exams with Topic Tests for a discounted price!
The SASTA Trial Exams are a 'must have' resource, developed by leading teachers to support Stage 1 & 2 Teachers. Teachers will be able to use the resource for students, a stand-alone assessment tool or to develop exam preparation skills.
Stage 2 Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology & Nutrition are available now.
Stage 1 Biology, Chemistry & Physics mid-year and end of year exams are available now.
Study Guides are now available!
Contributions from the science community
Unpacking INVISIBILITY: a climate change program for teachers
14 July | 1.00pm - 4.00pm
INVISIBILITY is everywhere. It’s the people we don’t notice, the environmental changes we can’t see, and the algorithms working hard behind the scenes. What becomes visible when we start paying attention?
In MOD.’s new exhibition, we’re shining a spotlight on the unseen to help us better understand the world around us and our place in it. Meet the MOD. Exhibition team, researchers and artists featured in the exhibition, and other teachers for a half day workshop delving deeper into the themes of INVISIBILITY. Find out more here.
The International Conference on Physics Education 2022
The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics’ is pleased to announce that the 2022 International Conference for Physics Education to be held virtually from 5-9 December this year.
The conference will include workshops and talks and will appeal to Physics teachers. Submissions for abstracts and registrations are now open and plenary and keynote speakers have been announced here.
Astrophysics: An Introduction
7 July - 25 August
Astrophysics is a space science. It is the branch of astronomy that applies the laws and theories of both physics and chemistry to explain the universe and all the objects in it. Astronomy is the study of what and where, astrophysics is the study of how and why.
This certified 8-week course is available online or in-person. It's great for Yr 11 & Yr 12 students interested in pursuing a career in astronomy/astrophysics or Teachers looking to further their knowledge and use as professional development. Find out more here.
CONASTA 69
Get ready for the year's most important PD opportunity, CONASTA, the
nation's premier event for Australian science teachers, held annually at
different locations around the country. After two years of Covid interruptions, we are thrilled to say that it is back.
In this, CONASTA's 69th year, the event will take place in Canberra, and will be hosted by the ACT branch of our Federation, SEAACT. Here you will be able to network with your peers and enjoy presentations from some of Australia's leading science academics and education professionals, whilst soaking up Spring in the nation's capital, including Canberra's famous Floriade festival. There's never been a more pleasant way of developing your knowledge and skills.
Please join us in Canberra for the Australian Science Teachers Association's annual conference for science educators between 25 - 28 September, 2022. This is an event not to be missed!
Registration is now open on the Science Educators Association of the ACT
(SEAACT) website.
ANSTO Hackathon
Bring innovation to your classroom with a fast-paced hackathon for students in years 7-11.
In keeping with these United Nations “International Year Of…” topics, this year's Glass: More Than Meets the Eye theme celebrates the many roles that glass plays in our lives – from phone screens to optical fibres to glassware in labs – plus investigating glass as a part of our sustainable future. Find out all the details here.
Environmental Scholarships for Year 10-12 Students
Imagine spending a week in an amazing location with students from all over Australia, exploring solutions for a more sustainable relationship with our environment. The Earthwatch Student Challenge is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a select number of Year 10 - 12 students to experience environmental research first hand.
- No prior experience is necessary.
- Working with leading scientists, you will be trained in many aspects of scientific field work and gain valuable insights into conservation research.
Our next expedition “Ecosystems of the Murray River and Mallee” will be held in Calperum Station, South Australia. Find out more details here.
Contact SASTA
South Australian Science Teachers Association
249 Henley Beach Road Torrensville SA 5031
P 08 8354 0006 F 08 8354 0008 E office@sasta.asn.au
www.sasta.asn.au
