Write4Fun and Win!

Celebrate your writing skills by entering this fantastic writing competition. Students from K-12 can enter either a short story (500 words) or a poem (16 lines) on any theme / topic.

Enter at www.write4fun.net  Closing date is 31st March, 2016.

History - Using Sources to Investigate History

Understanding Historical Sources

Investigate explanations of primary and secondary sources to establish a definition of both for yourself.  

View the following resources and create a definition of both types of sources, including examples of each, in your History book.  

State why sources are important in historical studies:

National Archives of Australia - Vrroom Primary & Secondary Sources

Understanding Primary & Secondary Sources - YouTube

AC History Units - Sources

AC History Units - Analysing Sources

Antarctica Science Activities

Use this post to navigate to specific sites when working in your Science groups.

1.  Preparing to Visit Antarctic - What shall I wear?  What is it like there?

a. Imagine you are traveling by ship to Antarctica. You will need to pack for your expedition. In your group read the article provided about Antarctic Clothing and list five to ten items they you need to pack for your trip.

Record the information in your science book and label the diagram to show the layers of clothing required (worksheet provided).

Afterwards, dress the Scientist at Discovering Antarctica, so he can work in the cold – check that your diagram has the right layers of clothing.

b. Visit the interactive map of Antarctica at National Geographic to learn about the physical geography of Antarctica.. Click the map to explore and select certain features to investigate further. List five  interesting facts that you find.

c. Complete the activity Sizing Up Antarctica at Discovering Antarctica.. Once you have completed that activity, select The World Upside Down and identify the location of Antarctica in relation to other continents.

d. Complete the activity Seasonal Change at Discovering Antarctica. 

e. How big would Antarctica be if all the snow and ice melted? Read this answer from a leading scientist. What did the scientist tell you? Record the answer in your Science Books.

2. Why is Antarctica so cold?
Cold, colder coldest
Of all the continents, Antarctica is the coldest, the iciest, the windiest, and the highest in elevation.  The average temperature on Antarctic coastal areas is around -12°C. On the icecap the average is -20°C and on the highest mountains the average is -60°C. 

Make a table to contrast these temperatures with the average winter temperatures of Mona Vale (coastal), Katoomba in the Blue Mountains (higher elevation near Sydney) and Mt Kosciuszko (highest mountain in Australia).  

Find and record in your Science books the following temperatures:
The freezing point of water
the temperature at which human flesh freezes 
The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica 
The warmest temperature recorded in Antarctica
The coldest temperature recorded in Sydney
The warmest temperature recorded in Sydney
Human body temperature
The boiling point of water


On the thermometer worksheet, add a range of temperatures to include the above and mark each on the thermometer.

In your Science groups, brainstorm some reasons why Antarctica has such a cold climate.  Use the websites below to research the reasons why and create a poster showing your findings to present to the class. 
 
Science Learning
NASA Climate Kids

Windy, windier, windiest
Not only is Antarctica the coldest continent in the world, it is also the windiest. Because Antarctica is dome shaped and has an extremely cold interior, the cold air from the centre flows out and accelerates down the coastal slopes of Antarctica’s ice sheet. These katabatic winds reach more than 80 kilometres per hour as they collide with warmer air from the ocean. This causes severe blizzards, cloud and fog. Strong coastal gales can often reach 190 kilometres per hour and there have been reports of winds of up to 320 kilometres per hour.





Read this letter from an Antarctic explorer describing the winds in Antarctica and this brief article about why Antarctica is so cold. Include a diagram that explains Katabatic Winds on your poster.

Weather Data Collection - What is the current temperature in Antarctica? Ongoing daily observation and collection of weather data (see Assessment below).  Add a column to your data graph that shows Sydney's temperature each day as well.
 

Assessment

From the beginning of the unit students check the temperature in Antarctica at the same time every day for the length of the unit. Students collect data, using a table to record the daily air temperatures, wind speed and rainfall at Mawson Station. At the end of the unit create a graph to display the data using Excel.

You can find the current temperature at Mawson station here.

Awesome Antarctica Websites

This term Year 6 will be learning all about the most pristine environment on our planet - Antarctica!

We will gather a collection of awesome websites to assist our learning.

Click the links below to learn more...

In the footsteps of Mawson - discover all about the famous Douglas Mawson and his journeys to Antarctica.





Cool Antarctica - Facts, figures and interesting findings about Antarctica



Classroom Antarctica - Great online learning with resources for teachers and kids




Discovering Antarctica

Australian Antarctic Division - Australian Government site - heaps of great info!

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

When accessing links from this page, click on 'View the current live site' as many of these links have been archived on the SCAR site but are still active independently and are great sites!

 

Antarctica Online - Great images and information!

 

 

 Quick facts and interesting info about Antarctica from Odizzi

Fun filled facts about Antarctica from Enchanted Learning

 

The Encyclopedia of Earth!

Explorers

Antarctic Time Line of Discovery

Antarctic Animals – Useful Links

Antarctic Learning : Great labelled diagrams of Antarctic animals.

Visit the links listed here and take notes on the animal you are most interested in. Record your findings in your Science book and save accompanying pictures and labels.

Antarctica Plants and Animals and the Food Web

Animal life in Antarctica is generally confined to the coastal areas because all of Antarctica’s animals depend on the ocean for food. Click the link at the start of this paragraph to find information on a variety of Antarctic animals.
 

Birds
Among the species of birds in Antarctica are several kinds of Petrel and Tern, the Sooty Albatross, White Sheatbill, Great Skua, and Antarctic Fulmar, and several species of penguins.
 

Albatross
 Watch the video Albatross at Discovering Antarctica. You will need to select the videos button. Once you are on the page choose the title listed above.
 

Penguins
 The penguin is probably the best known Antarctic form of life. The bird, unable to fly, waddles around land in an upright stance. In the water, the penguin is a strong swimmer and is extremely agile. The Adelie penguin, about 18 inches tall, winters on the ice pack and nests along the coast during the summer. The Emperor Penguin, which is twice as tall as the Adelie, is the only animal that breeds during the cold Antarctic winter.  Click here for further information on Emporer Penguins and links to other Antarctic animals.
 

Killer Whales
 Visit the Antarctic Connection to learn about killer whales. Watch a video of killer whales on You Tube.
 

Seals
There are several species of seals that inhabit the continent of Antarctica including the Leopard,  Crabeater, Ross, and Weddell seals.
Check out the links of each seal listed above.
Visit the National Geographic site Leopard Seals. Play the video to find out more. 
Watch the video seals at Discovering Antarctica. You will need to select the videos button.



 

World Geography

Learn all about the continents of the world by visiting this fun and interactive website.

All About World Geography

Discover more about lines of latitude and longitude as well as other geographical facts at this informative website:

BBC Skillwise 

Cyber Safety

This week our PBL focus is CYBER SAFETY.

Cyber Safety is becoming more and more of a concern in our society.  As we get older, we are using the Internet and other communications software and devices more frequently and so we need to be aware not only of the benefits these technologies provide but also the dangers that come with them. With so many devices now connecting us to others, we need to make sure that we are protecting our own privacy and safety and respecting that of others.

Check out these great websites and YouTube videos to learn more about Cyber Safety and 'netiquette'.

Cyber Smart

Think You Know - Personal Safety on the Internet

Caught in the Web - The Lonely Princess

This week we will also take part in Virtual Classroom activity for "Safer Internet Day 2016 (Australian Catholic Schools) - Play your part for a better Internet!"

The 2016 Safer Internet Day Virtual Classroom will immerse students into the hype and excitement of Cherrybrook Primary School’s inaugural X-Factor competition!  We will help the aspiring performers to make wise and respectful choices on social media as they upload, post, share and comment on acts in preparation for the Grand Final. 


The presentation will assist us to:

• understand the possible consequences of posting images
• be a good bystander
• communicate online respectfully
• understand how to report inappropriate material and contact 

Talk to your parents about the these points after Tuesday's presentation.