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Teacher notes: Captain Cook

aussiestarresourcesau · Feb 18, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Students love to hear about Cook's adventures and discoveries and also his untimely death. Captain James Cook has gone down in history as one of the greatest explorers who ever lived and for navigating and mapping more places than anyone else during his time. Here you will find helpful teaching ideas, background information and links to relevant sites to help you explore Captain Cook with your class.

His second trip began in 1772 with two ships, Adventure and Resolution, His aim was to find out if there was a Southern continent in that region. He never found this continent, but during his expedition discovered South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands, along with other places.

Captain Cook met an unfortunate death in 1779 when a quarrel turned deadly after Captain Cook tried to take the Hawaiian leader captive and the people came to his defense. They killed the Cook before he could get back to his ship.

Australian Curriculum Links:
Year 4 HASS curriculum content descriptor requires that students investigate the journey(s) "of AT LEAST ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts ACHASSK084" Captain Cook is an ideal topic to meet the curriculum while keeping students engaged with his interesting experiences and adventures.

Resource Round Up
We've put together some links to places, videos and sites that might help you with your exploration of Captain James Cook.
http://www.captaincooksociety.com

If you're looking for something to make your life easier and ease your workload. We have created a great range of teaching resources dedicated to Captain cook that can be incorporated in to your Geography, Maths and English lessons. They are available to purchase separately or can be bought as a bundle saving your 30%.

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Students love to hear about Cook’s adventures and discoveries and also his untimely death. Captain James Cook has gone down in history as one of the greatest explorers who ever lived and for navigating and mapping more places than anyone else during his time. Here you will find helpful teaching ideas, background information and links to relevant sites to help you explore Captain Cook with your class.

His first trip in 1768 as Captain of the ship Endeavour was to Tahiti in the South Pacific to measure the distance of the earth from the sun by observing the movement of the planet Venus. While on this voyage he also explored the Society Islands, New Zealand and Australia of which he drew very detailed and accurate maps. He found Australia to be most interesting as there he discovered many new kinds of plants and animals His second trip began in 1772 with two ships, Adventure and Resolution, His aim was to find out if there was a Southern continent in that region. He never found this continent, but during his expedition discovered South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands, along with other places.

On his third trip in 1776, Captain Cook went in search of a passage that many believed joined the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. His ships were Resolution and Discovery. He sailed halfway around the world he did not find the passage. He eventually ended up discovering Hawaii and its islands where he and his men became the first Europeans to set foot there. Captain Cook met an unfortunate death in 1779 when a quarrel turned deadly after Captain Cook tried to take the Hawaiian leader captive and the people came to his defense. They killed the Cook before he could get back to his ship. Australian Curriculum Links:Year 4 HASS curriculum content descriptor requires that students investigate the journey(s) “of AT LEAST ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts ACHASSK084” Captain Cook is an ideal topic to meet the curriculum while keeping students engaged with his interesting experiences and adventures.

Lesson Hook IdeasSetting the scene is a great way to inspire students and quickly grab their attention. Check out your local op shops and thrift stores to collect items that might look like they belong on a ship. Dress ups can also be a great fun way to engage students and let them get in to character while they explore Captain Cook and his story. Present your students with ‘what if’ scenarios to discuss what Australia might look like if Captain Cook hadn’t discovered Australia. We have a free set of ‘what if’ scenarios in our Introduction to Austalian Explorers pack which you can get here. Resource Round UpWe’ve put together some links to places, videos and sites that might help you with your exploration of Captain James Cook.http://www.captaincooksociety.com If you’re looking for something to make your life easier and ease your workload. We have created a great range of teaching resources dedicated to Captain cook that can be incorporated in to your Geography, Maths and English lessons. They are available to purchase separately or can be bought as a bundle saving your 30%. Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4

Planning your expedition in to Australian Explorers

aussiestarresourcesau · Feb 18, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Expedition Planning Party
What a great way to spark enthusiasm and set off on your voyage in to your new unit. Before launching in to your new topic spend time with your students exploring the new topic, what it is about, why it is part of their learning journey and establishing what they already know. There are several ways to do this and we’ve created a solution for your but first let’s consider the possibilities.

Brainstorming
Generate discussion and thought by holding a class brainstorming session. You could follow the KWL method by sorting their responses in to what they already know (K), what they want to know (W) and how will they know they’ve learnt it, or at the end of the unit return to the chart and record what they’ve learnt (L)

Quiz time

A quick quiz can be an easy way to check for prior knowledge. This can be helpful if you have new students who may have already covered this topic at their old school. This could be an individual task or conducted as part of your class discussion. The Australia Curriculum flows nicely for students to progress to this topic after Year 4 but it shouldn’t be assumed that all students have followed this path as some States and schools have their own version of the National Curriculum.

Classroom display

Involve your students in setting up your Australian Explorers classroom display to help generate discussion, prompt them to remember prior knowledge and introduce them to the new topic. This could be as simple as sorting a set of Explorer posters in to chronological order creating a timeline.

'What If’ Scenarios and discussion prompts
These 16 prompts are a great way to generate discussion and debate amongst your students. Look out though, it could become one of those lessons that you just have to roll with once they get going! (these are sometimes the best lessons) Children can find it difficult to think beyond the here and now but these scenarios are sure to get them to consider what life might be like if Captain Cook hadn’t claimed Australia for Britain, if the British settlers hadn’t had guns and if only the east coast of Australia was settled as British territory. This activity also includes a recording sheet for students to record their thoughts for one scenario which could be completed with a partner to help them consider all the possibilities.

What is an Explorer?

This cute and easy to execute flip book is a great place to start to help your students consider what it takes to be an explorer, the character and physical traits required and the skills they would need. Your students will also be able to imagine their own adventures and discuss where they would like to explore!

Tracking Australia’s Explorers

Australia is a vast continent and by mapping their expeditions students can grasp they enormity of their achievements. This activity requires students to track the routes taken by eight of Australia’s explorers and discuss the possible reasons for their expeditions and the dangers they faced.

Navigating My Own Exploration
This is flip book is an alternative to a boring KWL chart and provides a record of individual student learning and progress from the start of the unit to the end. Asking students to record their own understanding and reflect on what they’ve learnt is a great way to help them take responsibility and ownership of their learning.

Explorer Topic Specific Spelling Lists

These lists are the perfect complement to your Australian Explorer teaching unit. These Look, Say, Cover Write, Check lists allow for daily practise and are designed to cater for three levels of ability. They are ideal for homework or as part of your daily routine.

Starting a new unit of work is an exciting time but it can also be a lot of work. Hopefully your students will remember the topic of Australian Explorers as fondly as I do! I also hope that these ideas and resources make it a lot easier and Don’t get bogged down in the preparation when the fun and joy of your job is in teaching and participating in lesson with your students.

Happy exploring!

Click here to receive your FREE Australian Explorers Intro Pack.

Expedition Planning PartyWhat a great way to spark enthusiasm and set off on your voyage in to your new unit. Before launching in to your new topic spend time with your students exploring the new topic, what it is about, why it is part of their learning journey and establishing what they already know. There are several ways to do this and we’ve created a solution for your but first let’s consider the possibilities.

Brainstorming Generate discussion and thought by holding a class brainstorming session. You could follow the KWL method by sorting their responses in to what they already know (K), what they want to know (W) and how will they know they’ve learnt it, or at the end of the unit return to the chart and record what they’ve learnt (L)

Quiz time
A quick quiz can be an easy way to check for prior knowledge. This can be helpful if you have new students who may have already covered this topic at their old school. This could be an individual task or conducted as part of your class discussion. The Australia Curriculum flows nicely for students to progress to this topic after Year 4 but it shouldn’t be assumed that all students have followed this path as some States and schools have their own version of the National Curriculum.
Classroom display
Involve your students in setting up your Australian Explorers classroom display to help generate discussion, prompt them to remember prior knowledge and introduce them to the new topic. This could be as simple as sorting a set of Explorer posters in to chronological order creating a timeline.

Aussie Star Resources has created the Australian Explorers Introduction Pack which is a quick and simple way to navigate your students to the topic of Australian Explorers – and best of all it’s FREE so you won’t have to dip in to your own slush fund or contact your ships Paymaster! In this pack you’ll find 5 great tasks to inspire and engage your students without having to spend your own time creating quizzes and resources – it’s all here ready for you. ‘What If’ Scenarios and discussion promptsThese 16 prompts are a great way to generate discussion and debate amongst your students. Look out though, it could become one of those lessons that you just have to roll with once they get going! (these are sometimes the best lessons) Children can find it difficult to think beyond the here and now but these scenarios are sure to get them to consider what life might be like if Captain Cook hadn’t claimed Australia for Britain, if the British settlers hadn’t had guns and if only the east coast of Australia was settled as British territory. This activity also includes a recording sheet for students to record their thoughts for one scenario which could be completed with a partner to help them consider all the possibilities.

What is an Explorer?
This cute and easy to execute flip book is a great place to start to help your students consider what it takes to be an explorer, the character and physical traits required and the skills they would need. Your students will also be able to imagine their own adventures and discuss where they would like to explore!

Tracking Australia’s Explorers

Navigating My Own ExplorationThis is flip book is an alternative to a boring KWL chart and provides a record of individual student learning and progress from the start of the unit to the end. Asking students to record their own understanding and reflect on what they’ve learnt is a great way to help them take responsibility and ownership of their learning.

Explorer Topic Specific Spelling Lists

Remembrance Day

aussiestarresourcesau · Feb 18, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The Aussie Star family live in a district where my family has lived for generations. There are links to our past around the small towns which can be seen on plaques, in community halls, sporting clubs and churches. Ancestors can also be found on the local war memorial where the names of members of my family are listed for both World War I and II. Although I never met these relatives I can’t help but feel a connection to these two men, particularly my Poppa’s brother who was killed in Damascus in Syria and is buried there. I sometimes feel sad that there is no chance of someone visiting his grave in a country that is torn apart by war and unsafe to visit. Last year I took my daughter (11) to see the memorial and we discussed the reasons her ancestors were included on the list of names. It was clear that it had struck a nerve with her as she asked constant questions on the way home;

Why did the war start?
Why did they have to go and fight?
Didn’t they know it would be dangerous?
If there is another war will Dad have to go and fight?

And on it went. Upper primary students have the maturity to see beyond the plaque on the memorial and to make connections between the past and the present which makes teaching older primary grades so enjoyable.

5 Alternatives To Tests – Putting Assessment to the Test

aussiestarresourcesau · Apr 16, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Testing testing 123...just not all the time!

Now don’t get me wrong, tests definitely have their place in the classroom. They can be a very effective way of checking your students' ability to recall information with very little effort. They’re also easy to mark and report on. There’s nothing like cold hard data to help you write your reports. But they are not the best assessment solution for every subject. They are also limited in their ability to give you insight beyond a student’s ability to recall information. For example, during a test a student may be able to recall the Federation occurred in 1901 but it’s also important to check their understanding of why Federation happened, the significant events that led to it and the contribution of important figures such as Henry Parkes. Each student will explain their understanding of this important event in their own way and a test may not be a meaningful and authentic way to check their understanding.

So what are the alternatives to tests? Let’s look at 5 alternatives to tests that you might like to try in your classroom.

Multimedia presentations

This is a great opportunity to incorporate technology in to your lessons. Your students might like to make a news segment about a special event, or perhaps a mini documentary about their Earth Science topic or a mathematical concept. Maybe they can reenact a chemical reaction using stop motion or generate a PowerPoint presentation or slide show of their latest book report. The possibilities are endless.

5 Alternatives to Tests for valid assessment

Dioramas

Dioramas are a great way for students who love creating and crafting to show their understanding. I’m always amazed at how creative students (and often their parents) can be when creating dioramas. I’ve seen them made from LEGO, air dry clay, plasticine, wood and cardboard. While the construction and presentation of dioramas is important it’s equally important that students demonstrate their understanding of the learning outcome. This can be done with a written or oral component. A great idea is to have parents and other classes come through your diorama ‘gallery’ and ask the students to explain their diorama. Providing prompt questions can help or even preparing other classes with questions might help the process.

Teach the concept

Turn the tables on your students by asking them to teach you, their parents or their peers about a concept, topic or skill. They will need to carefully plan their lesson and write a detailed lesson plan including an objective and anticipated outcome- this should be directly linked to the curriculum outcomes. Students should also check for understanding and reflect and evaluate their lesson after to consider how they could have modified or improved their lesson to teach it better.

Write an instruction manual

This works in beautifully with procedure writing but can be linked to subjects such as maths, science and even PE. Rather than teaching the concept and having to speak in front of their peers (for some students this is a terrifying concept) students can write a detailed instruction manual with graphics and diagrams to help convey their knowledge and understanding. This could be completed on the computer or written by hand. Photographs could also be used to help present the steps. It can be helpful to provide examples of different types of instruction manuals to inspire students. To test their manuals students can swap their manuals and follow the steps to see how effective they are. Constructive feedback from peers could be written as part of the assessment task.

Design a board game

I have used this in maths as part of our unit on probability. Students love the opportunity to be creative and design the ultimate board game. Like all activities it does require guidance and scaffolding to ensure the learning objectives are not lost amongst the cardboard, straws, spinners and hot glue guns. A process journal can help with this so that students log their planning and progress throughout the construction to ensure they are on task and on track to reach their objective. It’s important to provide focused time for writing in a process journal - don’t rush it and provide helpful prompts to get them writing as it takes practice to master writing a process journal. When they’re all done it can be great fun to have a lesson for students to play each other’s games and provide constructive feedback.

Hopefully you’ve been inspired to try a few different assessment strategies. There are many more so follow our Pinterest profile to keep an eye on ideas we find inspiring. We have an entire board dedicated to meaningful assessment ideas which you can follow by clicking here. If you're looking for assessment tasks and activities with a difference check out our Australian Explorer Assessment Planner and our Earth Sciences Expo Assessment Planner.

Happy teaching

Amy

Testing testing 123...just not all the time!

Now don’t get me wrong, tests definitely have their place in the classroom. They can be a very effective way of checking your students’ ability to recall information with very little effort. They’re also easy to mark and report on. There’s nothing like cold hard data to help you write your reports. But they are not the best assessment solution for every subject. They are also limited in their ability to give you insight beyond a student’s ability to recall information. For example, during a test a student may be able to recall the Federation occurred in 1901 but it’s also important to check their understanding of why Federation happened, the significant events that led to it and the contribution of important figures such as Henry Parkes. Each student will explain their understanding of this important event in their own way and a test may not be a meaningful and authentic way to check their understanding.

So what are the alternatives to tests? Let’s look at 5 alternatives to tests that you might like to try in your classroom.

Multimedia presentations

Dioramas

Teach the concept

Write an instruction manual

Design a board game

I have used this in maths as part of our unit on probability. Students love the opportunity to be creative and design the ultimate board game. Like all activities it does require guidance and scaffolding to ensure the learning objectives are not lost amongst the cardboard, straws, spinners and hot glue guns. A process journal can help with this so that students log their planning and progress throughout the construction to ensure they are on task and on track to reach their objective. It’s important to provide focused time for writing in a process journal – don’t rush it and provide helpful prompts to get them writing as it takes practice to master writing a process journal. When they’re all done it can be great fun to have a lesson for students to play each other’s games and provide constructive feedback.

Hopefully you’ve been inspired to try a few different assessment strategies. There are many more so follow our Pinterest profile to keep an eye on ideas we find inspiring. We have an entire board dedicated to meaningful assessment ideas which you can follow by clicking here. If you’re looking for assessment tasks and activities with a difference check out our Australian Explorer Assessment Planner and our Earth Sciences Expo Assessment Planner.

Happy teaching

Amy

TPT Feedback – More Than Just Points

aussiestarresourcesau · Nov 28, 2018 · 4 Comments

Picture this scenario. You’ve had a great day teaching. The kids are happy. You’ve covered everything on your plan. Your behaviour management is textbook perfect. The kids are working so you go and check your emails. Suddenly you’re plunged in to a pit of despair and anxiety. There’s a message from the front office asking you to call a parent. No explanation, no ‘heads-up’ about what they’d like to speak about. Your heart stops.You break out in a cold sweat. A million possibilities run through your head.

“What’s wrong?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Did something happen that I don’t know about?”
“Is he being bullied?”
“Did I remind the kids to put sunscreen on?”

Well, I can tell you that TPT sellers experience a very similar situation. Nothing stops a Teacher-Author in their tracks like feedback from Teachers Pay Teachers. They feel same sense of panic. The same surge of (usually) unreasonable dialogue rushing through your head.

“Please let it be great or at least polite.”
“I hope they haven’t found a mistake my editor missed"
“Are they unhappy?”
"I’m not cut out for this.”
“My resources aren’t as awesome as I know they are.”

And on it goes.

I’ve had a few of these lately so felt the need to write on behalf of my fellow Teacher-Authors with one simple message. Please be reasonable.

Despite our initial fear we actually LOVE to get feedback. It inspires us, fuels our passion, builds our confidence and can make our day. I’d say 95% of the time feedback is a positive experience with high-fives and happy dances. 3% of the time we get feedback pointing out issues or suggested improvements. While these don’t fill us with joy they are constructive and helpful. They provide us an opportunity to improve our resources and serve teachers better.

The remaining 2% is another story. This feedback can fit in to 3 categories:

Cassie Credit Collector

Example: “Excellent Resource!” 2 Star Rating.

Umm.. Excuse me? This makes no sense! An excellent resource can’t be worthy of 2 stars from a possible 4. Sure, you’ve got your TPT credit for the next sale. But you’ve also broken a Teacher-Author’s heart and lowered their rating on TPT which affects their business.

While you’re getting those credit points please leave thoughtful feedback. You wouldn’t give your students half marks without an explanation. Please don’t do it to a Teacher-Author.

Disappointed Debbie

Example: “I expected more.” 1- 2.5 Star Rating.

The best TPT sellers are very thorough. On each product page you will find a detailed description, thumbnail images and a preview. Some spiffy sellers even provide video previews. Teacher-Authors go to great lengths to help you make an informed purchasing decision. They want to ensure you know exactly what you're getting.

Did you expect more? Did you check out the resource thoroughly to be sure it was what you wanted? If you did, and it was misleading, then leave feedback explaining what you thought you were getting. Leave details - It might inspire the seller to update the resource.

“Caveat Emptor” is the assumption that the buyer takes responsibility for checking the quality of a product and its suitability for their needs. Sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what you’re getting on TPT. You look at the thumbnails and read the description but you’re still buying blind. If this is the case I get it if you’re disappointed in what you’ve received. I suggest that in the future you don’t make these risky decisions. Instead expand your search and look for a product that shows you exactly what you’re getting.

It’s out there I promise!

Lazy Lucy

Example: “This was helpful but I still had to teach the concept.” Rating 2.5 Stars.

This one makes me cringe and breaks my heart a little. Yeah you will need to teach the concept because, well, you’re the teacher! No resource can take the place of explicit teaching and nor should it! Resources should complement and enrich your teaching. They will not do the teaching for you.

Geeze Teacher-Authors are a sensitive bunch!

Nope! We're people.

Teacher-Authors know they will get negative feedback at times. Even the TPT superstars have negative reviews. Bill Gates said "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." All I ask is that you provide valid, thoughtful and genuine feedback.

Your voice does matter and teacher-authors want to know what you think. But keep in mind the real-life person on the other side of the internet. The Teacher-Author who has probably worked a full day in the classroom like you. Or is at home with her new baby trying to supplement the household income with her business. The teacher-Author who can't face another year of IEPs and behaviour plans and needs a break. Leave feedback that is constructive and detailed. Leave feedback that will inspire the development of quality resources. Leave feedback that is purposeful and we'll all reap the benefits.

“What’s wrong?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Did something happen that I don’t know about?”
“Is he being bullied?”
“Did I remind the kids to put sunscreen on?”

“Please let it be great or at least polite.”
“I hope they haven’t found a mistake my editor missed”
“Are they unhappy?”
“I’m not cut out for this.”
“My resources aren’t as awesome as I know they are.”

And on it goes.

I’ve had a few of these lately so felt the need to write on behalf of my fellow Teacher-Authors with one simple message. Please be reasonable.

The remaining 2% is another story. This feedback can fit in to 3 categories:

Cassie Credit Collector

Example: “Excellent Resource!” 2 Star Rating.

While you’re getting those credit points please leave thoughtful feedback. You wouldn’t give your students half marks without an explanation. Please don’t do it to a Teacher-Author.

Disappointed Debbie

Example: “I expected more.” 1- 2.5 Star Rating.

Did you expect more? Did you check out the resource thoroughly to be sure it was what you wanted? If you did, and it was misleading, then leave feedback explaining what you thought you were getting. Leave details – It might inspire the seller to update the resource.

Lazy Lucy

Example: “This was helpful but I still had to teach the concept.” Rating 2.5 Stars.

Geeze Teacher-Authors are a sensitive bunch!

Nope! We're people.

Teacher-Authors know they will get negative feedback at times. Even the TPT superstars have negative reviews. Bill Gates said “We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” All I ask is that you provide valid, thoughtful and genuine feedback.

Your voice does matter and teacher-authors want to know what you think. But keep in mind the real-life person on the other side of the internet. The Teacher-Author who has probably worked a full day in the classroom like you. Or is at home with her new baby trying to supplement the household income with her business. The teacher-Author who can’t face another year of IEPs and behaviour plans and needs a break. Leave feedback that is constructive and detailed. Leave feedback that will inspire the development of quality resources. Leave feedback that is purposeful and we’ll all reap the benefits.