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Three Aussie teacher Pinterest profiles you need to follow

aussiestarresourcesau · Dec 26, 2017 · 2 Comments

Hello, my name is Amy, and I’m addicted to Pinterest. It’s been oh… about 20 minutes since my last pin.

Please raise your hand if you’re addicted to Pinterest too. Go on.

Teachers love Pinterest! In fact, an article from eSchool News reports that teachers use Pinterest in almost equal amounts for personal and professional use, 69% personal vs 67% professional. This is compared to Facebook which, according to the article, most teachers use Facebook as their main social media (71%) but the use for professional reasons was much lower at 44%.

Pinterest should count as PD then… right?

I’ve put together this post to let you know about three great profiles you should follow on Pinterest. These are some of my favourite Teacher-Authors who are at the top of their game when it comes to teaching ideas and resources. Their Pinterest accounts are well worth a follow!

Curiosity and the Hungry Mind

Aussie Teachers your should follow on Pinterest

If you’re looking for STEM ideas then Sarah at Curiosity and the Hungry Mind will have you totally inspired. She loves sharing STEM ideas and resources with the education community I wish I’d found her Engineering for Kids board earlier. Sarah has been teaching STEM as a specialist teacher in Primary Schools and found that there was a real lack of quality resources so thought she'd give it a go and produce her own. Sarah says, “I really enjoy the creation process and when I see students around the world enjoying the activities and resources, it makes my heart sing. I am passionate about STEM and the tools and skills it gives the students. It really is important for our future generation.”

Check out her Pinterest profile here for more STEM inspiration.

Teaching Products

Teaching Products focuses on resources for lower primary, with an emphasis on English. And you’ll find a profile that is a “smorgasboards” of ideas (see what I did there? ). It’s loaded with fabulous pins to really get your teaching ideas flowing. Jennifer’s always looking for fresh, hands-on ideas that will get her students moving and interacting with letters and words check out her huge Literacy Board. She incorporates a lot of findings from recent research into her own resources to reflect best practices and advancement within the classroom. You can follow Jennifer’s Pinterest profile here.

Aussie teachers you should follow on pinterest

Ready To Print

I could go on for ages about fabulous teacher profiles on Pinterest but I wanted to highlight a few of the amazing Australian teacher-authors who are constantly pinning great ideas for you to draw inspiration from. If you know of any other brilliant Australian teachers on Pinterest drop a comment below so we can check them out. You can follow Aussie Star on Pinterest here or check out our Pinterest link below.

In the meantime,

Happy Pinning!

Amy

Aussie Star Resources - Australian Curriculum Teaching Resources for Upper Primary teachersFollow On

Hello, my name is Amy, and I’m addicted to Pinterest. It’s been oh… about 20 minutes since my last pin.

Please raise your hand if you’re addicted to Pinterest too. Go on. Teachers love Pinterest! In fact, an article from eSchool News reports that teachers use Pinterest in almost equal amounts for personal and professional use, 69% personal vs 67% professional. This is compared to Facebook which, according to the article, most teachers use Facebook as their main social media (71%) but the use for professional reasons was much lower at 44%.

Pinterest should count as PD then… right?

I find Pinterest incredibly helpful when I’m looking for ideas on anything, decorating, cooking and most often teaching. I love that it’s so visual, I don’t have to read through great swathes of text to be inspired or to find relevant information. I’ve put together this post to let you know about three great profiles you should follow on Pinterest. These are some of my favourite Teacher-Authors who are at the top of their game when it comes to teaching ideas and resources. Their Pinterest accounts are well worth a follow!

Curiosity and the Hungry Mind

If you’re looking for STEM ideas then Sarah at Curiosity and the Hungry Mind will have you totally inspired. She loves sharing STEM ideas and resources with the education community I wish I’d found her Engineering for Kids board earlier. Sarah has been teaching STEM as a specialist teacher in Primary Schools and found that there was a real lack of quality resources so thought she’d give it a go and produce her own. Sarah says, “I really enjoy the creation process and when I see students around the world enjoying the activities and resources, it makes my heart sing. I am passionate about STEM and the tools and skills it gives the students. It really is important for our future generation.” Check out her Pinterest profile here for more STEM inspiration.

Teaching Products

Teaching Products focuses on resources for lower primary, with an emphasis on English. And you’ll find a profile that is a “smorgasboards” of ideas (see what I did there?

). It’s loaded with fabulous pins to really get your teaching ideas flowing. Jennifer’s always looking for fresh, hands-on ideas that will get her students moving and interacting with letters and words check out her huge Literacy Board. She incorporates a lot of findings from recent research into her own resources to reflect best practices and advancement within the classroom. You can follow Jennifer’s Pinterest profile here.

Ready To Print

Ready to Print resources are focused on a variety of products that are suitable to use in a range of classrooms and so is their Pinterest account! The variety of teaching ideas and helpful pins are indicative of Michelle’s dedication to creating resources that excite children to learn and teachers to teach. Michelle creates games and hands on activities that are related to Mathematics and English curriculum content allowing students to access this in a fun way. If you’re looking for great ideas for the new school year check out her Back to School with Ready to Print board. I could go on for ages about fabulous teacher profiles on Pinterest but I wanted to highlight a few of the amazing Australian teacher-authors who are constantly pinning great ideas for you to draw inspiration from. If you know of any other brilliant Australian teachers on Pinterest drop a comment below so we can check them out. You can follow Aussie Star on Pinterest here or check out our Pinterest link below. In the meantime, Happy Pinning! AmyAussie Star Resources – Australian Curriculum Teaching Resources for Upper Primary teachersFollow On

Upper Primary Teaching Tips: Build Relationships

aussiestarresourcesau · Dec 17, 2017 · 2 Comments

Have you ever been to a dinner party and had a conversation with someone who comes across as 'friendly' but you can tell they're just being polite and are not interested in you at all? #awkward How much effort do you invest in getting to know that person further? Not much right? You'd rather spend your time with people who are genuinely friendly.

Why would you make any extra effort for someone who isn't truly interested in getting to know you?

Upper primary teaching tip: If you're not willing to build relationships with your students then teaching probably isn't for you.

There, I said it.

Just like you, upper primary students can tell when a teacher is not really interested in getting to know them. This can make life really difficult for you as it will affect behaviour management, interaction within the class and ultimately relationships with parents who will pick up on the same vibe or hear it from their children.

When I put a shout out on the Aussie Star Resources Facebook page asking teachers for their tips for teaching upper primary students building relationships was mentioned by most of the teachers who responded! Here's what they had to say:

"Be real! It's all about relationship."

"Be honest and build a strong relationship it will help with behaviour management. Ask them advice on what they want to learn and classroom set up. Give them some ownership of their space."

"Get to know each of the kids and show them that you are interested in who they are - not just the job that we do."

"Relationships are key! Be ready to negotiate too...."

"Build the relationship first, be yourself and most importantly you are not there to be their friend (mentor, yes, friend, no)"

Students are looking for real connections, they want to get to know you and they want you to get to know them. They will know if you’re not really interested in them and it will be difficult to gain their respect. You will find that if you have a strong authentic relationship with your students it will make an enormous difference to your teaching and your enjoyment of it.

So how can you build relationship with your students? Here are my top ten ideas for building relationships with students.

1. Be enthusiastic about your teaching and about your students

2 . Create a classroom environment that is a safe space for students to be themselves

3. Take an interest in your students' lives outside of the classroom. Ask them about their hobbies, sporting interests and what they do in their spare time. If you live locally drop in at their Saturday morning sport to cheer them on. Parents will appreciate this too and it will help strengthen your relationship with them too.

4. Be positive! Your attitude will rub off on the students.

5. Make learning fun and interesting! This doesn't mean that you need to make every lesson an Oscar worthy performance but it does mean putting in the effort to make lessons interesting and engaging. The amount of effort you put in will be reciprocal of the amount of effort your students make.

6. Get to know their parents. Take time in the mornings and afternoons to greet parents and have a quick chat. These short discussions go a long way to building open lines of communication and show that you are really invested in your students.

8. Let your students have a say in their learning. This always sounds a bit scary but it doesn't mean handing over full control of your planning and lessons. Involve students in your planning by asking what they would like to know about a topic or allow them to make class rules and consequences.

9. I've written a separate blog post on the importance of recognition in the upper primary classroom but providing students with recognition for their achievements and their growth will help foster strong relationships with your students

10. Provide boundaries for your classroom. The word boundaries sounds restrictive but they actually build a sense of trust and reliability. By providing set expectations on behaviour, work ethic, responsibility and conduct students feel safe and have a clear understanding of what's required of them. Without boundaries they can feel chaotic and unsure. Boundaries are a good thing.

I could go on with more ideas but I'd rather hear yours instead. Leave a comment below about how you build relationships with your students. If you have VIP Access you'll find our Mind Mapping pages in our Free Resource Library which can be a great way to get to know students. Our Cohesive Class Pinterest Board also has some great pins about building relationships and working with students to create a great class environment.

Take care

Amy

Have you ever been to a dinner party and had a conversation with someone who comes across as ‘friendly’ but you can tell they’re just being polite and are not interested in you at all? #awkward How much effort do you invest in getting to know that person further? Not much right? You’d rather spend your time with people who are genuinely friendly.

Why would you make any extra effort for someone who isn’t truly interested in getting to know you?

Upper primary teaching tip: If you’re not willing to build relationships with your students then teaching probably isn’t for you. There, I said it. Just like you, upper primary students can tell when a teacher is not really interested in getting to know them. This can make life really difficult for you as it will affect behaviour management, interaction within the class and ultimately relationships with parents who will pick up on the same vibe or hear it from their children. When I put a shout out on the Aussie Star Resources Facebook page asking teachers for their tips for teaching upper primary students building relationships was mentioned by most of the teachers who responded! Here’s what they had to say:

“Be real! It’s all about relationship.”

“Be honest and build a strong relationship it will help with behaviour management. Ask them advice on what they want to learn and classroom set up. Give them some ownership of their space.”

“Get to know each of the kids and show them that you are interested in who they are – not just the job that we do.”

“Relationships are key! Be ready to negotiate too….”

“Build the relationship first, be yourself and most importantly you are not there to be their friend (mentor, yes, friend, no)”

So how can you build relationship with your students? Here are my top ten ideas for building relationships with students.

1. Be enthusiastic about your teaching and about your students 2 . Create a classroom environment that is a safe space for students to be themselves 3. Take an interest in your students’ lives outside of the classroom. Ask them about their hobbies, sporting interests and what they do in their spare time. If you live locally drop in at their Saturday morning sport to cheer them on. Parents will appreciate this too and it will help strengthen your relationship with them too.

4. Be positive! Your attitude will rub off on the students. 5. Make learning fun and interesting! This doesn’t mean that you need to make every lesson an Oscar worthy performance but it does mean putting in the effort to make lessons interesting and engaging. The amount of effort you put in will be reciprocal of the amount of effort your students make. 6. Get to know their parents. Take time in the mornings and afternoons to greet parents and have a quick chat. These short discussions go a long way to building open lines of communication and show that you are really invested in your students.

7. Share your life with students (within reason). Your students want to get to know you too. I would often share about my family and use examples from my own life to help teach a concept. I would also let students know about my own schooling, I think they forget we were children once too. 8. Let your students have a say in their learning. This always sounds a bit scary but it doesn’t mean handing over full control of your planning and lessons. Involve students in your planning by asking what they would like to know about a topic or allow them to make class rules and consequences. 9. I’ve written a separate blog post on the importance of recognition in the upper primary classroom but providing students with recognition for their achievements and their growth will help foster strong relationships with your students 10. Provide boundaries for your classroom. The word boundaries sounds restrictive but they actually build a sense of trust and reliability. By providing set expectations on behaviour, work ethic, responsibility and conduct students feel safe and have a clear understanding of what’s required of them. Without boundaries they can feel chaotic and unsure. Boundaries are a good thing. I could go on with more ideas but I’d rather hear yours instead. Leave a comment below about how you build relationships with your students. If you have VIP Access you’ll find our Mind Mapping pages in our Free Resource Library which can be a great way to get to know students. Our Cohesive Class Pinterest Board also has some great pins about building relationships and working with students to create a great class environment. Take care Amy

Upper primary teaching tips: Respect

aussiestarresourcesau · Nov 29, 2017 · Leave a Comment

I’ve put together my 5 top tips for teaching upper primary students that might help you to feel more comfortable with working with older students. I also put a shout-out on Facebook to other upper primary experts who shared some great advice and ideas.

Respect - Find out what it means to me!

Respect is always a two-way street so I’ll break this in to two parts.

Firstly, respect their growing maturity, they’re not little children anymore, they’re young adults who have a rapidly growing understanding of the world. Don’t speak to them like they’re little children, instead speak to them like young adults, involve them in their learning and find out what is going on in their life so you can speak to them accordingly. For example, the student in your class who gets himself and his younger siblings up and off to school each morning because Mum has been working the night shift will not appreciate being treated like a little child when they’re living and operating as an adult already.

Secondly, expect respect! I often say this to student teachers when I go to observe them on their practicum. I find they tolerate too much talking, or students being rude and they don’t deal with it because they don’t think they’re deserving because they're not an actual teacher. My line is always the same, “You are their teacher, you deserve their respect, don’t be afraid to demand it.” Of course, you don’t stand at the front of the class and say, “Respect Me!” but you manage their behaviour with age appropriate strategies and remind students about what is appropriate. Model how to treat people respectfully and acknowledge when they do this to reinforce their behaviour.

It's all about relationship!

This was a mentioned by most of the teachers who responded to my question on Facebook! No matter what age group you teach it is all about relationships BUT it is different with older students. They’re looking for real connections, they want to get to know you and they want you to get to know them. They will know if you’re being fake and it will be difficult to gain their respect in this instance. You will find that if you have a strong authentic relationship with your students it will make an enormous difference to your behaviour management. A strong relationship builds respect and provides recognition of your students.

Keep it real!

Older primary students can spot a fake smile or interaction a mile away! They are seeking authenticity from their teachers and are old enough to pick up on body language, tone of voice and eye contact that shows when people are not being real so don’t put on a persona for students. They want to get to know you and they want you to get to know them – it’s about making real relationships as mentioned above. Of course, being real doesn’t mean you give them every detail of your life and treat them like your best mate but it is possible to be authentic without compromising your authority or crossing any boundaries, which brings me to...

Boundaries

While we talk about building authentic relationships and giving students respect and recognition this does not mean that you are ‘friends’ with your students. You are of course friendly with your students, and kind, encouraging, supportive and you care about them but you are not ‘best mates’. Always maintain a clear boundary with your students so they understand what is acceptable behaviour and understand that you are the teacher who has authority in the classroom. If you relax these boundaries it will undermine your authority and their respect for you and it will be very hard to get it back. If you set and maintain your boundaries right from the start this shouldn’t be a problem.

Hopefully these tips have helped you to feel more comfortable with having upper primary students next year. Remember if you’re looking for great teaching ideas specific to upper primary students the Aussie Star Pinterest board is dedicated to all things upper primary and our Shop is stocked with loads of upper primary resources. If you’re looking for freebies sign up for our VIP membership to gain access to our free resource library.

Good luck and let me know in the comments if you’ve found this helpful or if you have any other advice for upper primary teachers.

Cheerio

Amy

Like all year groups upper primary students require an approach to teaching and learning that is specific to them. I mean you can’t treat them the same as Year 2 students when, by the end of the year, some of them are taller than you! (most of my year 6 students are taller than me by the end of the year and man do they love to rub it in the cheeky monkeys!!) I’ve put together my 5 top tips for teaching upper primary students that might help you to feel more comfortable with working with older students. I also put a shout-out on Facebook to other upper primary experts who shared some great advice and ideas.

Respect – Find out what it means to me! Respect is always a two-way street so I’ll break this in to two parts. Firstly, respect their growing maturity, they’re not little children anymore, they’re young adults who have a rapidly growing understanding of the world. Don’t speak to them like they’re little children, instead speak to them like young adults, involve them in their learning and find out what is going on in their life so you can speak to them accordingly. For example, the student in your class who gets himself and his younger siblings up and off to school each morning because Mum has been working the night shift will not appreciate being treated like a little child when they’re living and operating as an adult already. Secondly, expect respect! I often say this to student teachers when I go to observe them on their practicum. I find they tolerate too much talking, or students being rude and they don’t deal with it because they don’t think they’re deserving because they’re not an actual teacher. My line is always the same, “You are their teacher, you deserve their respect, don’t be afraid to demand it.” Of course, you don’t stand at the front of the class and say, “Respect Me!” but you manage their behaviour with age appropriate strategies and remind students about what is appropriate. Model how to treat people respectfully and acknowledge when they do this to reinforce their behaviour. It’s all about relationship! This was a mentioned by most of the teachers who responded to my question on Facebook! No matter what age group you teach it is all about relationshipsBUT it is different with older students. They’re looking for real connections, they want to get to know you and they want you to get to know them. They will know if you’re being fake and it will be difficult to gain their respect in this instance. You will find that if you have a strong authentic relationship with your students it will make an enormous difference to your behaviour management. A strong relationship builds respect and provides recognition of your students.

Keep it real! Older primary students can spot a fake smile or interaction a mile away! They are seeking authenticity from their teachers and are old enough to pick up on body language, tone of voice and eye contact that shows when people are not being real so don’t put on a persona for students. They want to get to know you and they want you to get to know them – it’s about making real relationships as mentioned above. Of course, being real doesn’t mean you give them every detail of your life and treat them like your best mate but it is possible to be authentic without compromising your authority or crossing any boundaries, which brings me to…

Boundaries While we talk about building authentic relationships and giving students respect and recognition this does not mean that you are ‘friends’ with your students. You are of course friendly with your students, and kind, encouraging, supportive and you care about them but you are not ‘best mates’. Always maintain a clear boundary with your students so they understand what is acceptable behaviour and understand that you are the teacher who has authority in the classroom. If you relax these boundaries it will undermine your authority and their respect for you and it will be very hard to get it back. If you set and maintain your boundaries right from the start this shouldn’t be a problem. Hopefully these tips have helped you to feel more comfortable with having upper primary students next year. Remember if you’re looking for great teaching ideas specific to upper primary students the Aussie Star Pinterest board is dedicated to all things upper primary and our Shop is stocked with loads of upper primary resources. If you’re looking for freebies sign up for our VIP membership to gain access to our free resource library. Good luck and let me know in the comments if you’ve found this helpful or if you have any other advice for upper primary teachers. Cheerio Amy

Canberra – A City Built for Learning

aussiestarresourcesau · May 18, 2017 ·

Recently the Aussie Star family went on holiday to Canberra. Our daughter changed schools a couple of years ago. While she’s very happy where she is, it did mean that she would miss out on going to Canberra for camp in year 6. Also, I have taken students to Canberra for camp a couple of times and think it is one of the best family holiday destinations in Australia – there is so much to do!

So, we set off from our home near Adelaide and broke up the 16 hour drive across three days. We travelled through Western Victoria, stayed at Goroke, then Rushworth and finally made it on to the Hume Hwy to Canberra on the third day. It was a lot of driving but we got there! I felt very inspired driving through the old gold mining areas and stopping to take photos of Melville’s cave at Mt Arapiles.

The first time I went to Canberra on camp with my class I was extremely nervous! The thought of taking 40 students interstate on a long bus trip, with a day in the snow, seemed daunting. But I needn’t have worried – it was brilliant! There are so many things to do and see, that the students were always engaged and ready to go. The other wonderful thing was that the students were really able to consolidate their learning in HASS. In first semester we had focused on topics like Australian Federation, Civics and Citizenship, and Experiences of Democracy. We were also able to have the perfect introduction to our Earth Sciences unit by visiting the Geo Science Centre.

These learning opportunities were my major motivation for taking the family to Canberra and, as usual, it didn’t disappoint. If you ask my husband he will probably tell you it wasn’t a very restful holiday, because I had organised an itinerary that didn’t allow for much down time! If you ask me, I think we could’ve fit a couple more things in.

Even if you’re not going to Canberra for your school camp, it is well worth including a few lessons on Canberra in your HASS unit. Help students understand the history, purpose and function of our nation’s capital. Here I’ve listed a few points to get you started. There are lots of resources online to help and I’ve included links to them with each point in the title.

Parliament House

In Canberra they call it New Parliament House which makes me laugh considering it’s nearly 30 years old. But it does distinguish it from Old Parliament House. This building is spectacular and consists of approx 4500 rooms! Everywhere you look there are clocks (2700 to be exact) so there’s no excuse for an MP to miss out if a division is called. I’d love to be there to see that!

An interesting fact I learned on this trip is that Romaldo Giurgola, the principal architect, designed the building with our nation’s democracy in mind. You’ve probably noticed that Parliament House is built into Capital Hill. This is because he believed that the building shouldn’t tower over the people and dominate them. Instead, it was designed so Australia’s citizens could actually climb it and stand above their government. The Aussie Star family were pretty keen to take advantage of this, so we took the lift up and stood on top of our government! (And stretched Mr 3’s legs)

Join a tour group if you are visiting Parliament House. I highly recommend it! The guides are a wealth of information and do a great job of catering to all ages.

Old Parliament House

This gracious old building is now called the Museum of Australian Democracy and was Miss 11’s favourite place on our trip. We went twice and, had time permitted, we would have gone again! (I would have gone for the chocolate slice in the cafe alone!)

You can really explore this building and it is very hands-on and interactive. We sat in the big comfy chairs of the Upper and Lower Houses and discussed what the roles and responsibilities of each house are. We climbed up to the Press Gallery, and also peeked through the spy hole between Bob Hawke and his Secretary’s office! The kids loved pretending they were giving a live media release – especially when it came out on the speakers in the next room. We listened to the stories of the Prime Ministers and looked at how Australia’s democracy has evolved over the last 116 years. We waited patiently while the kids typed important documents in the Speakers chambers and took lots of photos in the dress up area. There is so much to do in this wonderful place for all ages. The hands-on learning opportunities are wonderful! And there is the opportunity to join a tour group if you would like more information.

If you intend to go to The Museum of Australian Democracy allow plenty of time. If you’re not visiting, check out their website and explore their comprehensive range of teaching resources for years 5 and up that can be used in your classroom.

In the next post I’ll focus on two more locations and provide you with further information about the learning opportunities of each place. Stay tuned!

Cheerio

Parliament House

Join a tour group if you are visiting Parliament House. I highly recommend it! The guides are a wealth of information and do a great job of catering to all ages.

Old Parliament House

In the next post I’ll focus on two more locations and provide you with further information about the learning opportunities of each place. Stay tuned!

Cheerio

Recently the Aussie Star family went on holiday to Canberra. Our daughter changed schools a couple of years ago and while she’s very happy where she is, it did mean that she would miss out on going to Canberra for camp in year 6. Also, I have taken students to Canberra for camp a couple of times and think it is one of the best family holiday destinations in Australia – there is so much to do!

So, we set off from our home near Adelaide and broke the 16 hour drive up across three days, travelling through Western Victoria, staying at Goroke, then Rushworth and finally made it on to the Hume Hwy to Canberra on the third day. It was a lot of driving but we got there and I felt very inspired driving through the old gold mining areas and stopping to take photos of Melville’s cave at Mt Arapiles.

The first time I went to Canberra on camp with my class I was extremely nervous! The thought of taking 40 students interstate on a long bus trip, with a day in the snow, seemed daunting but I needn’t have worried – it was brilliant! There are so many things to do and see that the students were always engaged and ready to go. The other wonderful thing was that the students were really able to consolidate their learning in HASS that we had focused on in first semester which included topics like Australian Federation, Civics and Citizenship and Experiences of Democracy. We were also able to have the perfect introduction to our Earth Sciences unit by visiting the Geo Science Centre.

These learning opportunities were my major motivation for taking the family to Canberra and, as usual, it didn’t disappoint. If you ask my husband he will probably tell you it wasn’t a very restful holiday because I had organised an itinerary that didn’t allow for much down time! If you ask me I think we could’ve fit a couple more things in.

Even if you’re not going to Canberra for your school camp it is well worth including a few lessons on Canberra in your HASS unit to help students understand the history, purpose and function of our nation’s capital. Here I’ve listed a few points to get you started. There are lots of resources online to help and I’ve included links to them with each point in the title.

Parliament House

In Canberra they call it New Parliament House which makes me laugh considering it’s nearly 30 years old, but it does distinguish it from Old Parliament House. This building is spectacular and consists of approx 4500 rooms! Everywhere you look there are clocks (2700 to be exact) so there’s no excuse for an MP to miss out if a division is called. I’d love to be there to see that!

An interesting fact I learned on this trip is that Romaldo Giurgola the principal architect designed the building with our nation’s democracy in mind. You’ve probably noticed that Parliament House is built into Capital Hill, this is because he believed that the building shouldn’t tower over the people and dominate them. Instead, it was designed so Australia’s citizens could actually climb it and stand above their government. The Aussie Star family were pretty keen to take advantage of this so we took the lift up and stood on top of our government! (And stretched Mr 3’s legs)

If you are visiting Parliament House I highly recommend you join a tour group as the guides are a wealth of information and do a great job of catering to all ages.

Old Parliament House

You can really explore this building and it is very hands on and interactive. We sat in the big comfy chairs of the Upper and Lower Houses and discussed what the roles and responsibilities of each house are. We climbed up to the Press Gallery, we also peeked through the spy hole between Bob Hawke and his Secretary’s office! The kids loved pretending they were giving a live media release – especially when it came out on the speakers in the next room. We listened to the stories of the Prime Ministers and looked at how Australia’s democracy has evolved over the last 116 years. We waited patiently while the kids typed important documents in the Speakers chambers and took lots of photos in the dress up area. There is so much to do in this wonderful place for all ages. The hands-on learning opportunities are wonderful and there is the opportunity to join a tour group if you would like more information.

If you intend to go to The Museum of Australian Democracy allow plenty of time. If you’re not visiting check out their website and explore their comprehensive range of teaching resources for years 5 and up that can be used in your classroom.

In the next post I’ll focus on two more locations and provide you with further information about the learning opportunities of each place. Stay tuned!

Cheerio

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