Curated resources by topic and type
Resources curated in topics, organised by:
1. Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies key ideas and concepts
Thinking in Digital Technologies
- DTIF Digital Technologies key ideas and key concepts resources
- Design thinking resources from the Digital Technologies Hub
- System thinking resources from the Digital Technologies Hub
- Computational thinking resources from the Digital Technologies Hub
- CSIRO Bebras computational thinking resources and Bebras 365 challenge challenge materials
- Teaching Computer Science to children Video series by Linda Lukias author of Hello Ruby has an excellent video explaining computational thinking as well as other key ideas and concepts and many accompanying resources.
Data collection
- Coronavirus live data dashboard
- Australian Data Science Education Institute (ADSEI)
- What about recording the birds that visit where you live? Get some ideas from the Aussie backyard bird count Students could use the top 10 aussie birds infographic to identify the birds and then keep a record or tally of what they see. For older students Birdata could be used to create activities at their level.
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
Data interpretation
- Is it going to rain today Years 5-6 lesson from the Digital Technologies Hub. In this lesson sequence students understand the importance of data in effective decision-making, and are able to find, sort and interpret Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) rainfall data, and to collect their own data and analyse the resulting datasets.
- Data.gov.au is the central source of Australian open government data. Anyone can access the anonymised public data published by federal, state and local government agencies.
- Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) data
- ADSEI datasets and lesson plans
- CSIRO data
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
- NSW FGovernment facts about Covid-19 includes NSW heat maps that can be used to interpret data collected.
Data representation
- Data representation introduction by CSER, Adelaide University video
- Ways of representing data for Year 6 by Khan Academy video
- Maths and data and outdoor play ideas F-6
- Exploring data representation F-2 with koala glyphs
- ACA DT at home activity - Unlock the secret symbols hidden on your clothes (Years F-4).
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
Digital Systems
- How computers work (Binary and data) video
- An introduction to computer networking by CSER, Adelaide University video
- 3-6 unplugged idea for learning about digital systems using a build your own paper computer
- mycomputerbrain.net (a Queensland-based provider) is offering their fascinating AI courses for free, along with other courses on algorithms and the internal workings of computers.
- ACAA DT @ Home activity - Unscramble a hidden message by figuring out missing letters in common words. This activity uses a a substitution cipher, and students can go on to create their own hidden messages. Substitution ciphers are an example of encryption, which is used when data needs to be sent securely. The full unplugged resource is available to download at https://aca.edu.au/resources/substitution-cipher/
- Exploring digital systems unplugged: Networks (Years 5-6) DTIF classroom idea
- 16 Days of Binary challenge resource by CSER Adelaide University
Interactions (human-human) and (human-computer)
- Unit for Years 7-8 Connected or distracted (interactions and impacts) from the Digital Technologies Hub. The internet facilitates fast and vast communication through a global network of connected devices. Social media has enabled us to communicate and build our social networks as well as share our thoughts on such a mammoth scale. However, with access to this technology comes some pitfalls that users need to be aware of and negotiate their way through.
Specification
- Decomposition in the classroom by CSER, Adelaide University video
- Digital Learning Teaching Victoria (DLTV) Digital Technologies videos explaining decomposition as it relates to Years 1-10
- Girls in STEM Toolkit (GiST) stay at home activities
- Visual programming in scratch - ideas and activities from DTIF
Implementation
- ACA resources including short tutorials using visual and text-based code
- Websites that allow students to code in visual programming language and text-based programming include: Scratch , Pencil Code, Make Code
- Apps that allow students to code in visual and or text-based programming form include: Scratch Jnr (Years F-2), Daisy Dinsoaur (Years F-1), Hopscotch (Years 4-7), Tynker (Years 4-8), Light Bot (4-7)
- Everybody can code website from Apple Education provide resources for students and teachers to learn the about basics of coding using Swift Playgrounds or for more advanced or older students, app development with Swift.
- Minecraft Edu hour of code resources include video and many other resources
- At home courses using Scratch. Course 1: How to use Scratch to make your first project on the Grok Learning platform: https://groklearning.com/course/aca-dt-34-scratch-1/
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
Algorithms
- An overview of flowcharts by CSER, Adelaide University video
- Teaching algorithms unplugged. Program a human computer made by Year 9 for primary.
- mycomputerbrain.net (a Queensland-based provider) is offering their fascinating AI courses for free, along with other courses on algorithms and the internal workings of computers.
- Picture book How to code a sandcastle by Josh Funk read aloud. (F-3)
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
- 5 coding activities you can do without a computer from Code Club
Impact
- The Young ICT Explorers competition provides opportunities for student teams to design solutions that meet a social need. Watch the videos on the home page or read about some of the student project ideas here. The competition’s alignment with the school curriculum enables students to apply what they learn in their ICT/Digital Technologies classroom to develop a technology related project of their choice.
- Article - How robot carers could be the future for lonely elderly people
- CSIRO Digital Careers - Career-spotlights
- Digital Technologies Hub careers with Digital Technologies
2. Integrated learning and learning area resources
Cross curriculum learning
- ACA decision trees, classifying animals algorithm activity Science and Digital Technologies.
- ACA Python programming biology challenge. Combine Biology and Digital Technologies to build an animal classifier!
- Primary Connections: linking science with literacy (F-6 Science and literacy): Primary Connections offers a suite of units across Foundation to Year 6 fully aligned to all strands of the Australian Curriculum: Science including e-Resource Sheets which are editable, full-colour versions of the student resource sheets found in the Primary Connections units.
- Phenomenom by Hort Innovation Years 3 to 6, English, Health and Physical Education, Science, Technologies and Arts Only 5% of Aussie kids are getting their daily veg. Teacher, television host, and best-selling children’s author Alice Zaslavsky reckons we’re ready for a fresh approach. She has created a free, digital program for Years 3 to 6 that flips food education on its head. It’s called PHENOMENOM (with an m). And it might just help the next generation rethink veggies for good. These resources were funded by Hort Innovation, the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. Tune into the video webisodes with a host of amazing experts.
- Chicken farming in the living world Years 1 to 10, Science and Technologies Aligned to the NSW curriculum, this group of resources from the Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF) focus on inquiry questions about food production using chicken farming as an example.
- Cotton activities for primary school students Years 1 to 6, Geography, Science and Technologies Hands on STEM learning ideas from Cotton Australia aligned to the national Australian curriculum.
- Cattle and sheep farming today. Years 4 to 8, Geography, Science and Technologies These teaching resources explore farming and food production within the red meat industry, where students learn about sustainable farming practices, red meat nutrition, food production and the use of science and technology in agriculture .
- Geographical information systems by Forest Learning Years 7 to 10, Geography In this high school geography lesson plan students will learn about Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and how they can be used in forestry. View resource. Don't forget to complete the quiz here after completing the activities.
- The Yabby Unit Years 7 and 8, Science and Technologies This unit of work is aligned to the NSW curriculum and provides students with the opportunity to investigate the importance of aquaculture production to our society through focusing on Australian freshwater crayfish production. The Yabby Unit is one of many resources developed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) schools program. Find more of their learning materials here.
Science
- An article about teaching systems thinking (a Technologies key idea) in Science
- ACA decision trees, classifying animals algorithm activity
- ACA Python programming biology challenge. Combine Biology and Digital Technologies to build an animal classifier!
- Primary Connections: linking science with literacy (F-6 Science and literacy): Primary Connections offers a suite of units across Foundation to Year 6 fully aligned to all strands of the Australian Curriculum: Science including e-Resource Sheets which are editable, full-colour versions of the student resource sheets found in the Primary Connections units.
- Academy of Science Science by Doing (7 -10 Science): Sixteen, 3 part curriculum units each combines:
- Student Guide - designed as a reference for students with instructions for each activity as well as stimulus questions and images.
- Student Digital - a web-based resource for students linked to the student guide with interactive activities and video and audio clips.
- Teacher Guide - a comprehensive collection of teaching notes and information to assist teachers.
- Academy of Science articles and resources and education programs
- Double Helix (CSIRO) the double helix covid-19 explainer
- Taronga Zoo Digital programs and online resources and live web cams/ Taronga TV
- Thousands of #Science resource packs from Encyclopedia Britannica. Get instant free access here: https://elearn.eb.com/remote-learning
- Australian Reptile Park online video episodes
- Phenomenom - Australian Curriculum aligned lessons, video and podcasts centred around food. Learn about the science behind food and tune into the video webisodes with a host of amazing experts.
- James Dyson Foundation children's STEM challenge cards have a whole host of fun activities children can try at home.
- African Swine Fever information sheet and activities Years 9 and 10, Science African Swine Fever is a devastating disease that affects pigs around the world and it is imperative that we keep the disease out of Australia. This resource provides a number of detailed classroom activities that link with the Animal Production content areas of the NSW Agricultural Technology 7-10 syllabus and also will be very relevant to other Year 9 and 10 Animal Production programs across Australia.
- Questacon at home — fun science activities for kids
English
- Explore branching as a programming concept by designing and implementing a choose your own adventure story. This example shows how this might look in Scratch Jnr.
- Early childhood learning at home literacy and numeracy cards have lots of simple ways children can be engaged in day to day activities that link to learning important curriculum concepts.
- Littlescribe Kids' online creative writing platform enlists Aussie authors and offers free resources. Australian online educational writing platform which kickstarts school childrens’ writing by linking them with published authors. Literacy services are currently free to teachers and parents working to keep home learning on track.
- J.K Rowling has a number of ways parents and teachers can foster reading and banish bordeom. One of them that is sure to be a hit is her Harry Potter at home website.
- Draw, read and get creative and have fun with author Dave Pilkey some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants! Check back every Friday to discover new activities, exciting videos, and more!
- Little J and Big Cuz episodes (SBS TV). Logie winner for 'Most Outstanding Children's Show', Little J & Big Cuz provides a young Indigenous audience with relatable characters, as well as offers an insight into traditional Aboriginal culture, country and language. There are also a host of activities and resources for teachers and parents on the website.
- 'In my blood it runs' documentary about Australian's first nations people, culture and education. Watch the trailer or find out more about the film including online screening information.
Mathematics
- Re(Solve) Mathematics by inquiry teaching resources. ReSolve teaching resources provide exemplary materials from Years F to 10.
- Secondary students Project Based Learning stimulus - Can we model generosity with Mathematics?
- Maths and data handling and outdoor play F-6
- High School Mathematics resources including teaching videos by Eddie Woo (MrWootube)
- Phenomenom - Australian Curriculum aligned lessons, video and podcasts centred around food. Learn about the mathematics behind food and tune into the video webisodes with a host of amazing experts.
Technologies
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
- CSER Adelaide university at home learning support links
- Design and produce a bee motel (STEM project) shared by Rebecca Keough
- CSER Digital Technologies 30 day challenge
- Bring out your inner architect as you make mini models and daring constructions. Learn how to make model inspired by Jørn Utzon, designer of the Sydney Opera House.
- Girls in STEM Toolkit (GiST) stay at home activities
- Design and build a Rube Goldberg machine at home. Here are some ideas.
- Instructables - Step by step making guides to a host of Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies projects.
- Toys from trash has an amazing collection of easy to make toys from things you might find in the recycling or around the home
- Dassault Systèmes is working with REA to help ensure contestants in all its STEM challenges are fully proficient in powerful industry tools. More than just CAD, proficiency in Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE tools will help students build on their Life-Long skills and help the transition directly into careers in Australia's leading industries. By visiting academy.3ds.com/challenges, students can download the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and benefit from a customised learning experience, and a dedicated support community.
- Digital Technologies Hub Learning at home activities
- EngiBears are characters that have a range of books and activities designed around them. They were dreamed up Engineers to capture tomorrow’s bright minds and entice kids into an engineering career.
- Handy Desk an interesting product /designed solution perfect for at home working and learning. This could make a good discussion point or focus for a design and technology lesson or project executed at home. (it's sustainable, light weight, transportable and meeting community need).
- Makers Empire free learning at home course| remote learning resources for teachers and 10 social distancing and self isolation 3D design challenges - teacher resources
- Jeepers creepers salmon leapers Years 5 and 6, Technologies This unit of study investigates the technology used to grow fish in Australia, with a focus on Salmon.
- Go nuts Years 7 and 8, Technologies This unit of study will investigate the nutritional benefits of eating nuts. It will provide students with the opportunity to investigate a nutrition challenge and use design and technology to produce an innovative solution, using nuts as a main component.
- Primezone primary industries related school resources
- Apps for good design course and competition
- NSW HSC Technologies 'Shape Exhibition' virtual walk through tour
The Arts
- ARTS:LIVE is an award-winning, creative learning hub for the arts. With hundreds of hours of creative educational content, ARTS:LIVE allows children of all ages, educators and parents to explore, learn and develop their creative skills in the classroom and at home the website has everything you need to help you.
- The Art Gallery of NSW have launched a special online project called #TogetherInArt. The project is designed to use the power of art to connect people in troubling times, through a new online project that opens the Gallery to the world: http://bit.ly/2V1ZXq9
- Watch and listen to musicians and artists at the Sydney Opera House
- Learning at home resources from the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
- Use The Wiggles - Social distancing song to discuss important PDHPE Curriculum content about protective behaviours and keeping safe during COVID-19 and in the many other ways we can keep ourselves safe.
- Explore a vast collection of online Arts materials videos, and interactives with Google Arts and Culture.
- Apple Education Everyone Can Create is acollection of project guides that bring creative expression to every subject. The projects in the Everyone Can Create guides teach students to develop and communicate ideas through video, photography, music and drawing. And they help ignite creativity by giving teachers fun and meaningful ways to bring these skills into any lesson, at any age level.
- Draw, read and get creative and have fun with author Dave Pilkey some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants! Check back every Friday to discover new activities, exciting videos, and more!
- Sydney Opera House digital season. Watch on demand events and performances including dance, music, author talks and more
- Visit ARTEXPRESS (the best NSW Art projects) online - now available to explore online, via the local galleries:nArt Gallery of NSW, Hazelhurst Arts Centre and Sydney Olympic Park
Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
- Read Australian Curriculum HASS information here and view sequence of content document here
- See examples of student HASS work at the Australian Curriculum Work samples page.
- Thousands of #HASS resource packs from Encyclopedia Britannica. Get instant free access here: https://elearn.eb.com/remote-learning
- Geographical information systems by Forest Learning Years 7 to 10, Geography In this high school geography lesson plan students will learn about Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and how they can be used in forestry. View resource. Don't forget to complete the quiz here after completing the activities.
Health and Physical Education
- The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education is organised into two content strands: personal, social and community health and movement and physical activity. Find out more about the structure and view sequence of content documents and focus area documents here.
- See examples of student Health and physical education work at the Australian Curriculum Work samples page.
Languages
- Australian Curriculum Languages work samples
- Online language learning for students with Babbel Free Month for Students
- How to enable automatic captioning of PowerPoint presentations including language translation. This is a helpful tip for teachers making material to share with students or for students to evidence their work.
- Practice or learn a language free online or via the Duolingo website (also available as a smartphone or tablet app)
3. Other resources by type
Virtual Excursions
- Sydney Opera for kids... watch, listen or make activities
- 8 Museums you can virtually tour right now
- Virtually tour Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France
- Virtual tours of the Louvre Museum, Paris
- NSW HSC Technologies 'Shape Exhibition' virtual walk through tour
- Visit ARTEXPRESS (the best NSW Art projects) online - now available to explore online, via the local galleries:nArt Gallery of NSW, Hazelhurst Arts Centre and Sydney Olympic Park
STEM/STEAM
- STAR Portal By offering the most comprehensive collection of STEM activities and providers, the STARportal is the go-to place for families to discover local STEM activities for the children in their lives and for providers to find partners with which to collaborate.
- Girls in STEM Toolkit (GiST) stay at home activities
- Interdisciplinary STEAM Activities to try at Home by Torrey Trust Ph.D Associate Professor of Learning Technology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.
- STEAM Art lessons ideas from Tricia Fuglestad's elementary art room
- The ANSTO STEAM Club is for children 8-13 years. It is an opportunity for you to engage with science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in fun and innovative ways. You will be experimenting and creating using common everyday items found around your home.
- The Let’s talk STEM videos are also available on our Monash Education YouTube channel as follows:
Video 1: https://youtu.be/odT1zw8M6yg
Video 2: https://youtu.be/cjqQibpizyc
Video 3: https://youtu.be/2tJtO3ikJeI
Virtual visitors and guest teachers
- Watch and listen to musicians and artists at the Sydney Opera House
- Author read alouds YouTube playlist assembled by the Children's Book Council
- P.E with Joe video lessons with the Joe the body coach, especially for kids
- Video lunch doodles/art lesssons with Author Mo Willems perfect for Years F-3
- Alison Lester author reads here books aloud
- Mem Fox books read aloud
- Phenomenom - Australian Curriculum aligned lessons, video and podcasts centred around food. Learn about the Science, Maths and Aboriginal cultural knowledge behind food and tune into the video webisodes with a host of amazing experts.
Link collections
- ABC Education brings you thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers.
- Curated and coordinated by the experts at Common Sense, lWide Open School is the result of a collaboration among leading publishers, nonprofits, and education and technology companies. Wide Open School features a free collection of the best learning experiences and activities for kids, organized by grade band and subject. You will also find daily schedules with creative breaks and recommendations to keep kids engaged and exploring, one day (or one hour) at a time.
- 130+ free online learning resources by We Are Teachers
- Publishers offering free access to scholarly materials compiled by Australian National University
- NSW Department of Education Learning at Home', resources and links including templates
- Australian Computer Academy (ACA) Covid-19 support links
- This link by blogger Brian Host and this one from kids activities blog show EdtEch tools, free during COVID-19 school closures.
- UNESCO Distance learning solutions. -platforms, apps, unplugged resources
- Wakelet Continuity of learning and learning from home (various resources)
- Access 40 million ready-to-play kahoot quizzes and games for free. Access millions of ready-to-play games on any topic, in different languages, for children of all ages. Many of these games were created by teachers to complement their school’s curriculum. Have a look at themed game collections in the Self-study section, or search for relevant topics when you’re logged in to your account.
- Kids News Learning at home resources
- Girls in STEM Toolkit (GiST) stay at home activities
- CSER and DTIF Digital Technologies at home resources list
- The Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP) has designed the Digital Lunchbreak website to assist children and young people with finding online resources and activities to do at home in their lunchbreak, around learning hours and on weekends.
Audio books and Podcasts for kids
- Audible Is Offering Free Audiobooks for Kids During School Closures
- Librivox a collection of free public domain audio books read by volunteers around the world. There is a focus on older works for which copyright has expired.
- ABC ethics podcast for kids Short and Curly with expert presenters and discussions questions
- Children's author David Walliams is releasing a FREE audio story every day for a month.
- Time magazine (kids version) Time for kids digital library free for kids for the rest of the school year
- National Geographic kids (Aust/NZ) have made access to their digital edition absolutely FREE for the next three months to help parents through the weeks ahead by providing content that engages and inspires kids about the world outdoors.
- Phenomenom, a website with all kinds of learning linked to food by teacher and former Masterchef contestant Alice Zaslavsky has a digital toolkit for teachers includes an online library of audio podcasts (called Nomcasts) that act as springboards for curriculum-aligned PDF lesson plans.
- The State Library has a particularly interesting podcast featured on their website at the moment if you are interested in Australian history. The Buriel Files is based at Central Station in Sydney and highlights some Sydney’s history from the 19th century.
eBooks and ePubs
- A free kids book about the coronavirus in ePub and PDF form
- A child friendly ePub explaining about COVID-19 via Karen Butler
- Free ebooks from Project Gutenberg a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world's great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired.
- Explore interactive stories on Issuu such as Water stories from around the world or a A book with augmented reality ORIGAMI for children
- Free Field of Mars Education Centre Science related multitouch interactive eBooks for iPad. These are also part of the invertebrates online course Field of Mars have produced available through the iTunes store
- Enter an Archive of 6,000 Historical Children’s Books, All Digitized and Free to Read Online
- Coronavirus A book for children by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson & Nia Roberts
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
- A fun augmented reality activity from Merge. You can download and print a Merge Cube at home and then use the free apps to try out some augmented reality.
- If your students have a VR viewer at home you might consider exploring some of the resources available for Google cardboard. Explore Google Expeditions, and all the other possibilities.
Remote and online learning tutorials, tips and techniques
- Remote Learning and teamwork solutions presented by Dr Rebecca Vivian of CSER Adelaide University (Google slide show). Suggested tools and approaches and tools that can help you engage with students and support collaborative learning.
- Google have developed Teach from Home, a temporary hub of information and tools to help teachers during this crisis. You’ll find resources to enable remote instruction, student engagement, collaboration with peers, and more.
- Make your own D.I.Y document camera with your smartphone and materials you have at home via Krissy Venosdale
Online safety/ eSafety
- eSafety Comissioner - video and resource library and links to their most recent Covid-19 advice. Keep up to date via Newsletter, Twitter and Facebook. Other useful resources include:
- Open letter to Australia's school principals and teachers
- Open letter to Australia's parents and carers
- The eSafety guide has new information on Zoom and the app Houseparty.
- In April and May we will be running live parent webinars
- eSafety’s professional learning program for teachers starts 8 April 2020
- eSafety is developing 4 new 30 minute webinars to start mid-April: Keeping safe and healthy online – for ages 7-12 years, Keeping your sanity and supporting your kids online – for parents and carers, My House, My Rules - for parents/carers and children to participate together, Child Protection and Online Learning – for educators and organisations
- Australian Curriculum online safety curriculum connection makes links across learning areas with aspects of eSafety at all year levels F-10. The purpose of this curriculum connection is twofold. It is designed to:
- guide teachers to identify content in the Australian Curriculum that supports the teaching and learning of online safety
- connect teachers to a range of interdisciplinary resources that have been developed to support the teaching and learning of online safety.
Online safety is a broad concept that concerns minimising risks online from a range of negative influences including inappropriate social behaviours, abuse, harmful content, inappropriate contact, identity theft and breaches of privacy.
The eSafety Commissioner supports an approach that broadens the provision of online safety education so that it is empowering, builds resilience and effects positive culture change, while also promoting the development of respectful relationships and safe and appropriate long-term behaviours.
Australian state and territory specific links
ACT Department of Education
NSW Department of Education
- NSW Department of Education Learning from home main page **being updated frequently**
- Learning from home using technology information and advice
- NSW Department of Education T4L (Technology for Learning) including professional learning and resources
- NSW Department of Education Learning from home - remote learning and Covid-19 support materials
- DET latest magazine has some tips and tricks
NSW Indpendent Schools
- AISNSW Learning at home portal is open to all schools in every sector
NT Department of Education
Distance and online learning is a part of the traditional approach to learn in the N.T. Additional resources for schools and parents might include:
- NT learning together website - NT has partnered with DET Qld and NSW to provide learning at home resources
- NT Education website
- Department of Education Northern Territory - Early childhood - help your child read and learn
Qld Department of Education
2 week units of work for all learning areas (some links in the materials may not work outside Qld) based on C2C materials
- The url is for a PRINT only version and as such the links within are inactive
- This link provides access to both print and downloadable formats
- And this link is for the downloadable formats
SA Department of Education
TAS Department of Education
VIC Department of Education
- Education Victoria's Learning at Home website
- FUSE Resources, tech support and advice for learning from home
- Online Resource Hub for Victorian Teachers in the form of an open Google Doc to share resources and ideas for teaching.
WA Department of Education
Wellbeing during COVID-19
- Headspace (Australia) provides health support to 12 - 25 year olds and has some great support information to assist during COVID-19, other services include eheadspace and headspace schools with resources for teachers.
- Telethon Kids - Advice for parents to discuss with kids
- Australian Psychological Society (APS) - COVID-19 advice for Australians
- Reachout - Coping during coronavirus
- Beyond Blue - Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
- AISNSW Wellbeing resources for students and teachers
- Student wellbeing hub - This is a space for educators, parents and students to build safe, inclusive and connected school communities that promote wellbeing and learning.
- The Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP) has designed the Digital Lunchbreak website Many government and non-government organisations have prepared activities and resources for all children and young people including those who are: vulnerable; live across regional and remote NSW; from diverse backgrounds and have varying interests. These materials have been collated and are available here.
Diverse learners and EALD
- Royal Institute for deaf and blind children - hearing resources. Digital resources to support adults, children, families and health professionals to develop communication in spoken language or Auslan. RIDBC know this is a difficult time for many, so they’re offering a #free subscription for all RIDBC #apps on #AppStore & #GooglePlay.
- Accessibility in Office Lens for iPhone. This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Office Support home. These features are also useful for EALD learners.
- ABC Splash - Learn English videos
- Australian Special Education Principals Association (ASEPA) - Online resources for students with disabilities and their families.
- Student wellbeing hub - This is a space for educators, parents and students to build safe, inclusive and connected school communities that promote wellbeing and learning.
Challenges
- Inspired by the LEGO challenge... CSER University of Adelaide have 30 days of CSER Digital Technologies activity challenges! Teachers/parents, you can download the slide and remix the activities here: https://bit.ly/CSER-challenge
- New to scratch? Here's a fun 30 day challenge to introduce students to it from CSER University of Adelaide. Each day links to a scratch tutorial to help you through. By the end you may want to make your own challenge!
- Bebras 365 challenge computational thinking resources
- 30 days of lego challenge
- Creative writing challenge. Choose your favourite and have students do one a day from the list. Have them illustrate their work in pencil, paint or collage to extend the tasks and creativity.
- Gratitude journal. write about something you are grateful for everyday for 2 weeks.
- Secret code challenge. Make up your own secret code by creating a master sheet with what it all means then write messages to another family member. Give them the master sheet and see if they can de-code your messages.
- 30 Day Scratch challenge from Create Code Load
- Minecraft Edu challenges
- ACA Code cracking - Play a game with a partner where you guess a 3 digit code. Change the game to create codes using favourite superheroes, foods or music. Take your new skills and learn how to create passwords with superpowers. This activity is intended for students in years 5-6 and will take up to an hour. For the downloadable activity sheet head to https://aca.edu.au/resources/code-cracker/
- Dassault Systèmes is working with REA to help ensure contestants in all its STEM challenges are fully proficient in powerful industry tools. More than just CAD, proficiency in Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE tools will help students build on their Life-Long skills and help the transition directly into careers in Australia's leading industries. By visiting academy.3ds.com/challenges, students can download the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and benefit from a customised learning experience, and a dedicated support community.
- James Dyson Foundation children's STEM challenge cards have a whole host of fun activities children can try at home.
- 16 Days of Binary challenge resource by CSER Adelaide University
- 10 social distancing and self isolation 3D design challenges - teacher resources from Makers Empire
- The ANSTO STEAM Club is for children 8-13 years. It is an opportunity for you to engage with science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in fun and innovative ways. You will be experimenting and creating using common everyday items found around your home.
ICT as a general capability activities
- Dancemat online typing tutor game from BBC. There are four levels to play, each divided into three stages. You start by learning the home row keys. Each stage builds on previous lessons, introducing new letters as you progress. You’ll soon be touch typing like an expert! At the end of each level you can test your typing speed and get a fun reward.
Pre-school and early learners
- Audible Audio books for littlest learners
- Northern Territory Government STEM technology games to get involved in at home resource has lots of ideas
- ABC Education has special programming on both their website and TV
- The wiggles social distancing song
- Playschool special episode about covid-19
- Time to come in little bear (Social story about COVID-19)
- Digital Technologies parent cards have ideas about easy activities to do at home.
- Early childhood learning at home literacy and numeracy cards have lots of simple ways children can be engaged in day to day activities that link to learning important curriculum concepts.
- EngiBears are characters that have a range of books and activities designed around them. They were dreamed up Engineers to capture tomorrow’s bright minds and entice kids into an engineering career. The website has fun games and activities .
Outdoor learning
- Time and tide bell project learning at home activities are designed to get children learning outdoors and sometimes indoors but always about the natural world. Examples of some of this learning can be seen in their rogues gallery. This is a UK based project aimed at helping people engage and think more deeply about our impact on the environment. You can read more about this project or watch a video about it here.
- Article from The Conversation (June 2019): Outdoor learning has huge benefits for children and teachers — so why isn’t it used in more schools?
- Outdoor Classroom Day (international) website has some excellent lesson ideas and resources. These are individual lesson and topic ideas sourced from a broad range of experts and organisations. You’ll see that we’ve concentrated on inspiration, leaving the planning of how the activity will be delivered up to the person that knows their class and environment the best — you. Outdoor classroom day also has an Australian website with Australia specific lesson plans and curriculum specific resources.