Backyard Explorer - resources to learn about biodiversity in your own school backyard. Science object resources - resources to learn science through investigation of everday science objects Sustainable futures - activities to support education for a sustainable future Sustainable House Design - an integrated unit that supports sustainable house design projects Physics in the museum - activities to support the learning of physics concepts in the museum Technology Education - activities to support the learning of technology concepts in the museum Games in Learning - resources to support the development of games objects. Exhibitions - resources to support the development of museum exhibitions. |
Object analysis - activities and articles to support object-based learning
Exhibitions - resources to help students interpret and create exhibits
Other education resources - websites, teaching units, information
New!
Backyard Explorer Student User Guide (pdf 1.3 Mb updated 13/08/10) - In this ecological study, you will find out what native animals and habitats are found in your schoolyard, and make a digital story about them. The study utilises collection and data analysis methodologies used by Queensland Museum scientists. Associated resources can be found on the QM Learning Resources website and @ the Learning Place as a virtual field trip. Schools across Queensland are invited to join this project to add to the richness of the data collected.
Backyard Explorer Leader's (Teacher's) Guide ( pdf 1.3 Mb updated 13/08/10) This guide provides teachers with an outline on how to construct biodiversity assessments of sites in the school area. A case study example is used to help guide the process. There are also detailed guides on constructing pitfall traps as well as handy tips for idenfication of insects to order level.
Data Collation User Manual (pdf 2.3 Mb uploaded 22/07/10) This manual guides the user to setup and enter data on the data collation tool spreadsheet. The manual includes screen shots and explanatory notes on how each data sheet is used. There is a troubleshooting guide for each sheet.
Data Collation Sheet(xls 1100Kb updated 22/07/10) is a data spreadsheet tool that can be used to collate data from a collection event. You can enter and record school data, abiotic conditions and population counts of invertebrate orders.
Data Collation Sheet (Sample)(xls 1100Kb updated 22/07/10) is a data spreadsheet tool that can be used to collate data from a collection event. This a sheet with some sample data entered to a give an overview of how it can be used.
Backyard Explorer presentation (pdf 5.0 Mb) - This presentation introduces the Backyard Explorer program. It includes: curriculum links, biodiversity studies, collection techniques, data collation and identification of invertebrates.
Sustainable environments: animal survival
Where have all the animals gone? (pdf 300k) - a case study approach to analysing how changing environmental conditions have impacted on animal populations. What can we do in the future to minimise this impact?
How do creatures survive? (pdf 544k) - a study of how some of the animals found on Stradbroke Island survive their environment. This activity utilises the Couran Cove environmental kits available for borrowing from QM loans.
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Specimens Analysis - Sheet #1 (Microsoft® Word 25k uploaded 29/07/10) Specimen Analysis -Sheet #2 (Microsoft® Word 27k uploaded 29/07/10) - Specimen Analysis -Sheet #3 (Microsoft® Word 27k uploaded 29/07/10) outlines for analysing and researching natural specimens in the activities above (How do creatures survive?) Use as is or as a basis for worksheets modified to suit your specific activity. Here's one that I prepared earlier on the Spiny Leaf Stick Insect. (uploaded 29/07/10)
Survival information card (pdf 327k) - a specimen analysis that leads students to create their own information card about how their chosen creature survives its environment. This activity is modelled on the Couran Cove kits approach to creating information cards. Students can create their own kit or exhibition.
Specimens Analysis - Middle School (Microsoft® Word 25k) and Specimen Analysis - Junior Primary (Microsoft® Word 27k adapted by Tracey-Anne Ganzer Coolabunia SS) - outlines for analysing and researching natural specimens. Use these as a basis for worksheets modified to suit your specific activity.
Animal Survivor: Design a creature Teacher's notes (pdf 770 Kb ) and Animal Survivor: Design a creature Student Activity sheets (pdf 336 Kb) - Students analyse an animal to relate its features to its survival success in the current environmental conditions. Students then make predictions about how the animal may survive if conditions were to change. Finally, students suggest some features of the animal that may make it better equipped to survive in its habitat.
Sustainable environments: human impacts
Impacts on native populations (pdf 1570k) - a case study approach to analysing how humans have impacted on animal populations. A series of slides featuring displays from the Queensland Museum's Endangered Species exhibition is presented.
Where have all the animals gone? (pdf 300k) - a case study approach to analysing how changing environmental conditions have impacted on animal populations. What can we do in the future to minimise this impact?
Creating a Natural History Exhibition (pdf 611k) - guide to creating a natural history exhibition on human impacts on native populations. A case study of the koala in urban environments is presented.
Sustainable living practices (pdf 777k updated 21/10/08) - a Teacher's Guide to using domestic objects as a basis for investigating sustainable living practices. Addresses issues of sustainability through SOSE and Technology outcomes. Suitable for Middle School.
Sustainable living practices (pdf 720k updated 21/10/08) - a Student Activity Guide to using domestic objects as a basis for investigating sustainable living practices. Addresses issues of sustainability through SOSE outcomes. Suitable for Middle School.
What do you know about sustainable living? (pdf 92k uploaded 23/10/08) - A survey that asks questions about what the user knows about sustainable living practices.
What do you do about sustainable living? (pdf 78k uploaded 23/10/08) - A survey that asks questions about what the user does about sustainable living practices.
Sustainable Futures: Rover's amazing journey (pdf 595k updated 17/08/09) - a Teacher's Guide to introductory robotic programming for mechatronics. These activities introduce basic concepts of programming a robot to solve various maze challenges of differing levels of difficulty. Suitable for Lower Middle School or students with no previous experience of prograsmming or robotics.
Sustainable Futures: Rover's amazing journey (pdf 247k updated 17/08/09) - a Student's Guide to introductory robotic programming for mechatronics. These activities introduce basic concepts of programming a robot to solve various maze challenges of differing levels of difficulty. Suitable for Lower Middle School or students with no previous experience of prograsmming or robotics.
Sustainable Futures: an introduction to mechatronics (pdf 1100k updated 16/07/09) - a Teacher's Guide to introductory robotic programming for mechatronics. These activities include an introduction to various sensor and output devices and provide a basis for further activities in mechatronics. Suitable for Middle School.
Sustainable Futures: intelligent machines (pdf 2579k uploaded 16/07/09) - a Teacher's Guide to intermediate level programming for mechatronics. These environmentally based projects provide a basis for engaging in more sophisticated projects in the context of intelligent machines for a more sustainable future. Suitable for Middle School.
Sustainable Futures: Through Mechatronics (pdf 1968k) - a Teacher's Guide to using mechatronics as a basis for investigating sustainable practices in resource management. Addresses issues of sustainability through Science and Technology outcomes. Suitable for Middle School as well as a springboard for Senior studies in Science and Technology.
Sustainable Futures: Environmental Controller and Data Logger (pdf 1093k uploaded 02/07/09) - a Teacher's Guide to using an environmental controller and data logger. This Picaxe 18X based device can be programmed to store data onboard for later download or interfaced directly for real time monitoring of data. The device will soon be available through QM Loans but can be made available now to Queensland schools by contacting the Museum Magnet Schools Project Officer: allan.morrison@qm.qld.gov.au
Sustainable House Design: Teacher's guide (pdf 1591k updated 28/07/09) - a Teacher's Guide to an integrated curriculum unit on sustainable house design for middle years of schooling. The guide includes helpful suggestions on how to implement and manage the house design projects for students.The updated version contains all the student worksheets as well as the links to Essential Learnings.
Sustainable House Design: Essential Learnings (pdf 315k uploaded 16/07/09) - a Teacher's Guide to an integrated curriculum unit on sustainable house design for middle years of schooling. The guide includes links to Essential Learnings in Science, SOSE, Technology, English, Mathematics and ICT's.
Sustainable House Design: Student's guide (pdf 832k updated 29/07/09) - a student's guide to an integrated curriculum unit on sustainable house design for middle years of schooling. The guide includes learning activities in Science, SOSE, Technology, English, Mathematics and ICT's. The updated version contains the analysis worksheets for house design and energy sources.
Sustainable House Science Investigations: Teacher's Guide (pdf 357k updated 09/03/10) - a teacher's guide to a series of science investigations related to sustainable house design of schooling. The guide includes a generic approach to conducting science investigations that could be applied in a range of contexts.
Sustainable House Science Investigations: Student's guide (pdf 357k uploaded 05/05/09) - a student's guide to a series of science and mathematics investigations on sustainable house design. The guide includes learning activities in energy use, water and climate control.
Science investigations Teachers Guide(pdf 154k updated 25/11/08) - teacher's guide and background notes about how to conduct a scientific investigation. The notes include a model investigation on the flight of a whirlybird.
Science investigations presentation Presentation Guide(pdf 131k uploaded 8/12/08) - a presentation on performing science investigations in the middle school. The presentation follows the teacher's guide for the whirlybird investigation as well as some approaches to science learning that uses "real science" as a basis.
Science in a box Teachers Guide(pdf 950k updated 17/10/08) - teacher's guide and background notes about how to engage learning about energy and change with everday science objects. Updated version contains student challenges with links to Essential Learnings.
Science in a box Student Challenges (pdf 1930k updated 17/10/08) - student activity guides about how to investigate a science object then respond to a challenge.
Simple machines Teachers (pdf 1200k) - teacher guide and background notes about how to engage learning with simple machines.
Simple machines Students (pdf 150k) - student activity guides about how to investigate a simple machine.
Creating a science object exhibition Teachers (zip 1800k) - teacher guides and background notes about how to create a science object exhibition.
Creating a science object exhibition Students (zip 1200k) - student activity guides about how to create a science object exhibition.
Physics in the museum: Extended research tasks (ERT) and experimental investigations (EEI) (Ipswich: The Workshops Rail Museum) (pdf 420k) - a Teacher's Guide to activities that engage Year 10 - 11 students in concepts of energy and work in physics. The guide gives suggestions for activities within the museum that relate to extended research and experimental investigations back at school.
Physics in the museum (South Bank Sciencentre) (pdf 144k) - a Teacher's Guide to a Sciencentre activity that focuses on a Sciencentre object to be studied in depth by the student. Suggestions are made for exploring the object in the museum as well as further research activities for back at school.
Physics in the museum (South Bank) (pdf 234k updated 17/08/10)- a Teacher's Guide to museum student activities that focus on several of the displays and objects in the museum. Suggestions are made for qualitative and quantitative activities in the museum as well as further proble solving activities for back at school.
Physics in the museum: activity trail (Ipswich: The Workshops Rail Museum) (pdf 420k) - a Teacher's Guide to activities that engage Year 10 - 11 students in concepts of energy and work in physics. The guide gives suggestions for activities within the museum that relate to further research and investigation back at school.
Inventions - Junior (pdf 190k) This activity focuses on aspects of inventions that have contributed to making life easier, more efficient or more sustainable. The activity analyses objects that can be found in any museum.
Object Analysis - Artefacts (Microsoft® Word 25k) - outlines for analysing and researching natural or man-made objects. Use these as a basis for worksheets modified to suit your specific activity
Object Analysis - Junior (Microsoft® Word 58k) - simplified object analysis activity sheets for students in lower primary; a page for animals and another for artefacts
Three Step Object Analysis (Microsoft® Word 25k) - a simple activity sheet that encourages descriptive language and higher level thinking
Take One Object - One interesting object can stimulate research in all sorts of directions, but where do you start? What questions do you ask? These pages give some examples of possible curriculum links from objects
Technology Education - Creating Alliances Inspiring Futures - (pdf 1.0Mb) Workshop presentation on Technology Design through Object Analysis
New! Back by popular demand! May 2009
Getting about - Links to transport images useful for investigating modes of transport and energy sources and changes.
Games Design (pdf 122k) A five page document containing a diagrammatic overview of the different aspects of designing a game; a two-page list of characteristics of what makes a good game; a sample game structure & game sequence
Object Oriented Programming 1 (pdf 460k) - a tutorial suitable for either teachers or students to develop OOP skills in Actionscript Flash 2.0. This introduction is based on an arcade style game framework.
Object Oriented Programming 2 (pdf 306k) - a second tutorial that builds interactive control with a capability to launch objects. The completion of the second tutorial provides a framework that can be used to develop any game in the arcade style genre.
Take One Object - One interesting object can stimulate research in all sorts of directions, but where do you start? What questions do you ask? These pages give some examples of possible curriculum links from objects
Objects from the Past (Microsoft® Word 37k) - written for a Year 3 class looking at household objects. Objects from the Past - teacher notes adds some suggested questions
50 ways to look at a Big Mac® box (pdf 139k) - a creative analysis of a common object. The 50 questions can be modified to suit any object you are studying
Creating a Museum This is an article by Jamie Hay of Nambour SHS that was published in QHTA's The History Teacher eJournal, Vol.45, No.1, August 2007. This paper describes an innovative approach to teaching history to year 10 Australian students – one that aimed to challenge and transform students’ ideas about the past, and the relative value of different world cultures. Thank you to Jamie and the QHTA for allowing the article to be linked here. You will access this article by leaving the mms website to enter the QHTA website.
Creating a Museum: Lesson Plans The following materials relate to the article Creating a Museum: How students can change ideas about the past by Jamie Hay, published in QHTA's The History Teacher eJournal, Vol.45, No.1, August 2007. The materials comprise: 1. Overview of the lessons 2. Research guide. You will access these resources by leaving the mms website to enter the QHTA website.
Museum in a Classroom (pdf 117k) - Lesson plan for a brief introduction to museum process and object analysis. Students make a collection of personal objects, study them closely and mount an exhibition
Learning from an Exhibition (Microsoft® Word 26k) - five questions that can be asked about any exhibition, encouraging students to explore its subtext and communication strategies
Creating a Classroom Exhibit (pdf 167k) - article about how the Smithsonian Museum Magnet Schools integrate museum process into their teaching
Looking at Exhibition Design (Microsoft® Word 35k) - a set of worksheets for in-depth analysis of the design of exhibits, suitable for high school students
Looking at Exhibition Design - Primary (Rich Text35k) - The above activities, modified for middle to upper primary students
Exhibition Design Flowchart (Microsoft® Word 26k) - a summary of the flowchart used to develop exhibitions at the Queensland Museum. You probably don't need one this complicated, but it's a useful model to help students think about planning their own events
Writing Your Object Label (Microsoft® Word 26k) - content guidelines for writing information labels for objects
Museum Label Design (Microsoft® Word 26k) - focussing on readability and lettering sizes
Families Remember (Microsoft® Word 65k) - Guide for creating an exhibition of family wartime memories. As part of a school community's commemoration of ANZAC Day or Remembrance Day, students research their own family and community connections with wartime and create a museum-style exhibition of artefacts, documents, pictures and stories
Creating Exhibitions: examples
Border Stories - an exhibition about refugees by Médecins Sans Frontières. This is an excellent example of the way simple objects can take on a powerful meaning when their story is told
Wild Things WebQuest - How can we help more wild creatures live in our school grounds? An inquiry-based learning project for Middle School students
Wild things in the school grounds (pdf 396k) - How can we help more wild creatures live in our school grounds? An extensive information package, the basis for the above WebQuest
Musical instruments teaching resources - Linked to the Musical instruments website, this unit lets students engage with the technology of musical instruments and the design challenges involved in making them
Toys Rich Task (Microsoft® Word 83k) - Toys are a rich source of information about the culture that created them, as well as demonstrating lots of interesting science. This is a draft unit outline linking to Level 4 Outcomes (Year 6/7) from the Queensland syllabus
Oral history guidelines (pdf 128k) - summary of a guide by the Oral History Association, with tips for students on how to reliably record oral histories
Museums defined (Microsoft® Word 26k) - What is a museum? Here are some definitions to discuss
How to make a Museum Loans kit - guidelines for anyone planning to make travelling kits for object-based learning
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Have you used any of these resources successfully? Do you have improvements to suggest, or new ideas to add? If so, we'd love to hear from you - allan.morrison@qm.qld.gov.au
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