Questions/Scenarios
1. Describe your experience of Earth/space science from when you were a student in primary school. What misconceptions did you have about Earth's place in space? Did you have a sense of curiosity about the natural world? Did you have any awareness about environmental issues or sustainability in your understanding about Earth's uniqueness in our Solar System? How would you describe the approach that was used to teach science and its effectiveness?
2. Describe your current perception of Earth/space science and how it is taught in your context. What resources are available to support inquiry and education for environmental sustainability? Provide a critique of a resource that is currently used in your context that focuses on the concept of sustainability. You should provide an accurate reference for the resource which can be a commercial package, government website or educational support material that is suitable for your context. Context is Primary school.
3. Learning in science involves the knowledge and skills that are learnt in other areas such as English, mathematics and history. Provide specific examples to show the links that exist for the topic of sustainability within the science curriculum. You should explain how education for sustainability is embedded with science and these three other learning areas.
4. Prepare a (hypothetical) email that you would write to the school principal/site director explaining your plan for a science-based learning environment that would allow the students to develop a deeper understanding of sustainability through an inquiry approach. In this email, you will describe the classroom layout, request and justify the resources, outline the educational benefits for the children, demonstrate how the topic of sustainability addresses your curriculum requirements and how you will ensure that all safety precautions are considered. You should describe the inquiry approach that you are using to address a specific sustainability concept that is relevant for your context.