Incorporating Indigenous perspectives in science

1. Incorporating Indigenous perspectives in science 1. There's an emu in the sky by Cliff Malcolm 2. Primary Connections

2. Indigenous Perspectives Framework Primary Connections - Video

5. 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learninghttp://8ways.wikispaces.com/ • Story Sharing: Approaching learning through narrative.Aboriginal culture has long employed narrative pedagogy as a way of sharing knowledge. • Learning Maps: Explicitly mapping/visualising processes. Learning Maps • Non-verbal: Applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning. Kinaesthetic, hands-on learning • Symbols and Images: Using images and metaphors to understand concepts and content. Indigenous students to be visual-spatial learners.

6. Land Links: Place-based learning, linking content to local land and place. Contextualising learning • Non-linear: Producing innovations and understanding by thinking laterally or combining systems. different ways of approaching and structuring knowledge. • Deconstruct/Reconstruct: Modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts (watch then do). Students from different cultural backgrounds bring vastly different experiences to the classroom. • Community Links: Centring local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit. content is culturally relevant and meaningful for the local community

7. How we learn - culture way 1. We connect through the stories we share.2. We picture our pathways of knowledge.3. We see, think, act, make and share without words.4. We keep and share knowledge with art and objects.5. We work with lessons from land and nature.6. We put different ideas together and create new knowledge.7. We work from wholes to parts, watching and then doing.8. We bring new knowledge home to help our mob.

8. Aboriginal perspectives are not found in Aboriginal content, but Aboriginal processes... • Tell a story. • Make a plan. • Think and do. • Draw it. • Take it outside. • Try a new way. • Watch first, then do. • Share it with others.

10. A teacher’s worldview: 'The teacher's own knowledge of and experience with diverse cultures will influence the type of curriculum the teacher is likely to offer the students, as well as influencing his or her pedagogical approach to students in the educational setting.'

11. Lesson introductions in science • Recall a real life or imagined situation/problem/event • Read a short story to the class • Give the students some amazing /dramatic statistics • Conduct a short teacher to teacher performance • Have a [science] conversation between two teachers • Read a letter (imagined or real) • Retell a PBL scenario ( not a task but a scenario) • Conduct an actual science experiment • Begin with a WHAT IF question • Do not say: “last week or last term we did this and therefore we all know this and are moving forward into…”

12. NSW Aboriginal Education and planning strategy 2006-2008 • The aims are for 2012 • https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/strat_direction/strat_plans/yr2007/aetlongstrategy.pdf • Mandatory aboriginal education; all teachers are legally and morally responsible to implement

13. Incorporating Indigenous perspectives • There is an emu in the sky, science curriculum and teaching program • The elements of a story • Characters, events, situations • Characters interact and form relationships • Not only information, but MEANING • A plot =problem, a journey, a conflict, a case history

14. How a story could develop in science • In Unitone: There's an emu in the sky – three students attempt to understand the heavens. • In Unittwo: Students look at the nuts and bolts of buildings the characters set up a series of question they want to answer • In Unit three: cooking- why we cook some foods and not others • In unit four: students put on a plant exhibition highlighting different aspects of plants • In Unit five: energy: set in an old house, the characters try to solve the problem of a house with no electricity • All are based on story. Why? To communicate the ideas

15. Astronomy and indigenous perspectives • Find out if there are particular events, anniversaries looming, then plan the unit • http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au/education/teachers/viewing/ • Eg astronomy

16. Test your knowledge of astronomy • You are planning a viewing night after school on the Friday evening first week of term 1. Parents, children, and your teaching colleagues will be attending. • Question • What could be observed in the night sky? • Naked-Eye • Binocular Viewing • Telescopic Objects

17. Naked-Eye • Seeing and the twinkling of stars. Is there a difference between stars on the horizon and high overhead (near the zenith)? Why? Extend this to introduce the concept of seeing. • Comparing stars and planets. Can your students distinguish between these objects? • Locating stars and constellations. Using star charts and star wheels get your students to identify specific stars and constellations. Can they find the shapes and patterns? • Finding your star sign. Students are likely to ask about their zodiac sign. Ask them to locate and identify it. Probe them as to what is the significance of the Zodiac? Why are there actually 13 signs? • Creating new constellations. Ask student to create and draw their own constellations based on the stars visible. • Aboriginal sky patterns. See if you can locate Aboriginal patterns such as the Emu in the night sky. How are their patterns different to the classical approach to constellations?

18. Naked-Eye • Observing the Milky Way. Many students have never seen or been aware of the Milky Way. If holding your night in winter it will be high overhead. You can ask them to sketch its shape. • Seeing beyond the Milky Way. How far can your students see with the unaided eye? • Meteors. This is a great activity to keep students engaged when not using a telescope. Ask them to watch out for meteors and keep a count. Try and keep a group total for a night. See if a meteor shower is predicted for your viewing night. Can you identify the constellation or quadrant from which the meteors are coming? What time of night is best? • Satellites. Observing these is another way of keeping students engaged and observing. Works best in few hours after sunset or before dawn. Why? Do the satellites seem to follow similar paths? Why is this? Can you identify any specific satellites? • Measuring angles. Using hands and fingers ask your students to measure angular separations of stars. How far apart are the Pointers? Does this distance change over time? How far do the stars move in an hour? Where in the sky do stars seem to move fastest? • Comets. If you are really lucky there may be a comet visible to the naked eye. Check the astronomy news websites to find out more.

19. Binocular Views • Finding clusters. Use binoculars to observe the rich star fields of the Milky Way. • Craters on the Moon. Can students see any craters on the Moon? • Moons of Jupiter. Can they detect any of the Moons of Jupiter? • Comets. You have even more chance of observing these with binoculars than the naked eye. Check to see if any are up.

20. Telescopic Objects • Craters and Mountains on the Moon • Planets. Try and observe all those that are up during the viewing night • Moons of Jupiter. How any moons of Jupiter can students see? Sketch or photograph the arrangement. • Single stars. These are often the most disappointing objects for first time observers. Even through the largest telescope a single star is still just a point source of light with no resolvable detail. • Globular clusters. These are some of the most impressive objects in the night sky. • Galaxies. Try and locate and observe some galaxies.

21. Features: • Science as a search for meaning – through characters students see scientific explanations in the context of making meaning • Models – stories, legends, plays, pictures and model making are all different ways that we can learn • Co operative learning groups • Question bank • Log books