Resources

Use these resources for inspiration in your partnership.

If you would like us to add other resources, please contact us.

Hands-on activities

There are plenty of great, simple hands-on science activities that are ready to use in the classroom. Try these sites:

Curriculum information

National Statements of Learning from the Curriculum Corporation provide a guide to students' learning at different levels. Note that each state and territory has their own curriculum or syllabus, which will be different to these statements.

Useful organisations and programs

Science Teacher Associations run regional science fairs and other competitions, plus offer plenty of resources and information about science teaching. The national Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) website includes links to each state and territory association.

edna provides resources and links related to education at all levels and in all subject areas. The Science Learning Hub is a similar site from New Zealand.

The Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations offers general information about education in Australia plus links to other education organisations including state and territory education departments.

Primary Connections is a primary science/literacy program that could be a good framework for your partnership.

Environmental programs can provide ideas or be a framework for your partnership. Try:

Competitions can provide a great focus for a partnership. Try:

See also the list of complementary programs that might be useful for your partnership.

Ideas from partnerships

Run a science fair
SiS scientist Jason Scholz helped his partner school set up a science fair, and in the process wrote a fantastic resource booklet to help students (and teachers!) develop science fair projects. He's kindly made the booklet available to download (Microsoft Word, 118KB).

Set up a website
A website can be a great way to record the work you do in your partnership, and can help long-distance partnerships stay in touch. Take a look at these examples:

Find more ideas in the partnership showcases.

IT resources

These resources might help you stay in touch and record the work your partnership is doing. Note that schools will have varying levels of access to these resources.

Skype allows phone and video calls over the internet. The software is free to download, and calls between two Skype accounts are free (except for your ISP costs).

Blogger and Wordpress offer free blogs that can be customised. You can use the blogs for discussions within your partnership or to showcase your work to the world. There are many other similar programs available. Be aware of security and privacy issues when using blogs.

Education Queensland's Learning Place provides tools and support for online learning, including blogs, online chats and forums. It's only available to Queensland government schools, but check your local education authority to find out if there's something similar available for you.

Scientists in Schools has an email list for discussions between participants. It's only open to scientists and teachers who are in a Scientists in Schools partnership.



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