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April 2023
There are only a couple of places left for our Member excursion to the Lumination Learning Lab on 18 April - book in now! There are also a number of free professional learning opportunities listed in our 'contributions from the science community below'. And of course our Term 2 Professional Learning workshops!
We're excited to announce the release of the program and registration for CONASTA 70!
Check out the website for all the details and to register online.
SASTA News
Don't forget to keep an eye on our School Projects page for some exciting competitions and projects coming up! And we've created a PL from the Science Community page to keep track of any additional PL events.
2023 SASTA Awards
There are many great teachers out there that often fly under the radar and SASTA would like to acknowledge, and celebrate their outstanding achievements and contributions to the science community.
This is your opportunity to nominate a colleague who has inspired you or is a role model in the community or share your own accomplishments! These awards will be presented at CONASTA 70.
It is free to nominate and there are a number of Awards available for SASTA members:
- Credit Union SA / SASTA Outstanding Contribution to the Teaching of Science Award
- Helen Castle Memorial Scholarship
Find out more about the awards and previous winners or nominate yourself or a colleague here.
Professional Learning
SACE Chemistry Design Investigations: Time to play
12 May 2023
A hands-on practical session trialling different ideas for investigations suitable for Stage 1 and 2 Chemistry. The workshop will involve guidelines on supporting students to deconstruct and design appropriate investigations.
Implementing the Australian Curriculum: Science V9.0
22 May 2023
AC 9.0 has been released and with that the need to make changes to our sequences/rubrics and curriculum documentation to fit with the new descriptors. This session will take a practical approach and show implementation (which we have done this year) and also cover (more briefly): task design, assessment types and rubrics.
7-10 Australian Curriculum Science: How can we design and assess differentiated tasks?
9 June 2023
This session will only focus on Australian Curriculum 7-10 Science courses – these are so critical for making sure we are retaining students in Science in the senior years. It is essential that we equipment students in these year levels with confidence and the skills needed to explain, analyse and be critical.
Oliphant Science Awards
Project Registrations close 19 May 2023
The 2023 Information Booklet is available and can be downloaded here.
Citizen Science | NEW Category for 2023
This category is aimed at involving whole classes or school groups in meaningful citizen science projects. The project can be one that you have designed yourself or an existing citizen science project that you take part in.
Think about not only what type of citizen science project your students would like to try, but also what types of projects are feasible for them to do, based on where the school is located and what you’re able to do in your classroom or your school environment, what equipment you will need and researchers you could collaborate with. Find out all the details here.
Resources
Physics, Chemistry & Biology now available
Stage 2 Workbooks - 3rd Edition | NEW
The Third Edition of the popular SASTA Stage 2 Workbooks set students on the path to success in their study of science through their clear and engaging narrative, innovative use of art and photos, and superior contextual questions that enhance teaching and learning.
For more information and to order visit the website.
Contributions from the science community
Pre-service Teacher Placements
The University of Adelaide is seeking teaching placements for their Bachelor and Master of Teaching pre-service teachers.
Term 2 placement from 1/5/2023 – 2/6/2023 – 25 days – with 50% teaching workload in Psychology
Term 3 placement from 28/8/2023 – 29/9/2023 = 25 days – with 80% teaching workload in Psychology
If you are interested in hosting a pre-service teacher please contact the University here or Petra Galbraith (petra.galbraith@adelaide.edu.au)
personally to discuss further.
STEM Together Future Shapers
STEM Together Future Shapers is a new program that aims to help Year 5-10 students and their supporters to build their confidence, capability and connection with STEM. Specifically, it focuses on students that are either; Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, girls, those from regional schools or those from lower opportunity areas, as well as the people that support them to get involved in STEM.
Nominations close 19 April. Find out more on the website here.
Big Science Competition
Registrations for the Big Science Competition are now open!
This online multiple choice science competition is a must for all science-loving students in Year 7 – 10! Not only is it a great challenge, but all students who sit the competition in Australian high schools go into the running to win one of four great prizes – including an Apple iPad.
Teachers who host the Big Science Competition gain insight into their students learning with our comprehensive reporting. It’s easy to register! Visit ASI’s website for more information: https://bit.ly/3LJh0Jt
Registrations close Friday 5 May.
Development for a Better Future Competition
As part of our ACIAR-supported NextGen project to encourage the next generation into studies and careers to improve food and nutrition security, the Crawford Fund is offering a $1000 prize to the school of a student or student team that wins our ‘Development for a Better Future’ Competition.
We want tomorrow’s scientists, researchers, communicators, AI and big data specialists, nutritionists, geographers, engineers, designers, social scientists, problem solvers and creative thinkers to let their imaginations run wild and help us with their ‘development for a better future’ ideas. Find out more information about the competition here.
Geoscience Pathways Project
Climate action has never been more important to young people. Geoscience Pathways Project provides free support to schools who would like to offer the SACE subject Earth and Environmental Science which explores all aspects of the climate crisis. Please contact Kelly Sharrad at ksharrad@gmail.com for more information.
STEM Experience day
Wednesday 12 April | FREE
North Terrace campus
Schools are invited to bring groups of up to 30 year 9-10 students to our North Terrace campus for a hands-on STEM day. Your students will have the opportunity to try 3 different interactive workshops that span science, engineering and maths. Places are limited, so each school will be limited to one group of up to 30 students.
2023 SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards
Nominations for the 2023 SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards are now open, inviting South Australia’s STEMM community to celebrate and acknowledge the most outstanding members of their fields.
Among the six award categories is the STEMM Educator of the Year – Primary or Secondary School award.
For more information on categories, eligibility criteria and to apply, visit http://bit.ly/3T0WNAt
Nominations close Friday 21 April.
Groundwater Workshop
presented by Prof. Peter Cook, Dr Margaret Shanafield, & Peter Reeve
This Workshop will include:
- An introduction explaining groundwater, how it moves, and its environmental importance.
- Participants will receive (free) Groundwater Experiment Kits (with equipment) to use back in the classroom: these will allow students to measure how fast water moves through sand and gravel, to help them understand key groundwater concepts. (These will be demonstrated during the session.) Please note: limit of one kit per school.
- Participants will receive (free) Groundwater Professional Development pack (hardcopy and electronic) including information sheets on topical groundwater issues for students to discuss back in the classroom (issues including: groundwater and mining, groundwater and salinity, ecosystems dependent on groundwater, groundwater and climate change).
Find out more here.
Future Thinkers 2023
In a fast-paced, ever changing world, we need learners who are equipped to solve the problems of the future.
Introducing Future Thinkers 2023, a futures-focused design thinking challenge run by Lumination. This education challenge gives students in SA the opportunity to solve real world problems using immersive learning. Free of charge, students compete against other schools in SA by participating in an immersive learning experience run by the Lumination team with the aim to create a solution that assists Australia's sustainability efforts.
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
