Indoor games

I had this list of indoor games ready in case our group got stuck inside at camp. I didn't get the chance to use them, so here they are for future use.

Kids Games

Moving into Symbol Systems

In Term 2 we will commence our COGS study on 'Symbol Systems' with a focus on China.

To gain an orientation to the topic here are a few interesting websites:

National Geographic Kids has a good overview of facts about China including, geography, nature, history, people and culture, government and economy; along with 'fast facts.'
It also includes a video of how development in Northern China is turning farmland into desert!

An excellent page of China Links suitable for Primary students is here.

SMH Education Resources

The SMH Education resources webpage is a welcome opportunity to locate resources to add to a program or extend classroom activities.

NSW outcomes are addressed and specific units of work are catered for, across stages.

At this time, some units of work and activities have been developed around:
- Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
- Our Changing Environment
- The Communication Revolution
- Living in the 21st Century
- Welcome to Australia
- Premier's Reading Challenge

There are also links to a 'Weekly Assignment,' 'Everyday Maths,' and an online, multiple choice 'News Quiz' based upon each week's Sun-Herald newspaper.

Would be an excellent suggestion to parents who are looking at locating extra work for their child - all activities are designed by local teachers.

Fights in Parliament

Not everywhere handles themselves well in Parliament, as seen around the world!

Week 8: Political Parties Performance Task

This week we are undertaking a consolidation task to end our unit on 'Making Informed Choices.'

We are undertaking a fun 'Political Parties Performance Task' that I adapted from a similar task aimed at American Students.
Political Parties Performance Task
Some students have started looking at 'Color Theory' to select an appropriate colour scheme for their political party. Some fantastic explanations are located here.

Our presentations are taking place on Friday, good luck everyone!

Other blogs: Government

From time to time I come across other brave teachers out there trying to give blogging a go to collect and organise lesson plans and resources.

Today I found the 'Educate for Change: DO IT!' Blog - there are over 20 (USA) Government lesson plans here they may easily be adapted for use in Australia.

I'm sure there are many more out there and I'll be adding to this post as it all happens.

Left vs Right

We are approaching the end of our unit of work government and I have found this excellent diagram explaining the meaning of the 'left and right sides' of politics. Click to enlarge.

FAQs about Reporting Using Grades

The luxury of being 'kept on a stage' to teach for more than 2 years means you have a chance to revisit your forms of assessment and the way you report - with the intention of improving your comments and how they address the work you are doing in class.

I was hunting around the NSW Board of Studies and found this document that may assist teachers writing reports.

a_to_e_grading_faqs

Electoral Divisions in Australia

Today we looked at current federal electorates in Australia.

We located our local electorate and had a general discussion about our the features of electorates and our leaders.

The up to date federal electorates and corresponding maps are listed here.