How to teach Foundation Year History to meet the ACARA elaborations

If you're new to teaching HASS this year or just need a refresher about the Australian Standards (ACARA) for History this is the place for you!

I'm an experienced HASS teacher for early years so over the next few months I will guide you through Foundation to Year 3 HASS expectations based on the ACARA.

First things first, HASS means Humanities and Social Sciences (if you didn't already know) and covers History and Geography in Foundation (Prep) to Year 3. In Year 3 onward you now get the joy of teaching Civics and Citizenship as well as History and Geography! More about THAT later..

For now.. Foundation Year teachers. 

What does HASS History cover, when should you teach it, how should you assess it and what resources you will need?

Let me guide you through.

Firstly, if you haven't already purchased my Foundation Year History Pack (available in my store in AUD here or my TpT store in USD here) then why not join over 850 Aussie teachers and download a pack today. It will save you a LOT of time, worry and stress. NB: if you've already purchased this pack, be sure to download the updated version (as of 22nd December 2018).

Inside the pack you will find curriculum-alignment sheets, such as this one below, to guide you through the curriculum elaborations and step-by-step instructions on how to implement each activity.

What does Foundation Year History cover?

As with all other Foundation Year subjects, History moves students from their known world to the unknown world. The known world of your Foundation Year students is their family. Foundation Year History explores who their family members are, how their families are structured and how family traditions and memories are shared.

When should you teach Foundation Year History?

I strongly recommend you begin the year with History and finish with Geography. The reason for this is that you can easily integrate the History curriculum with the activities that are already being undertaken in your classroom at the start of the year. These activities include making a birthday wall with students (not before they arrive) and creating a classroom calendar (sequencing events), getting to know students (family structures and photographs of family members) and exploring celebrations early in the year such as ANZAC Day (how events are celebrated or commemorated).

How should you assess Foundation Year History?

Any new Foundation Year teachers will possibly panic when they see the standard of work expected from 5 and 6 year olds by ACARA but any experienced Foundation Year teacher will tell you it IS possible to gather evidence through work samples and prompted activities.

The key point is to keep things simple. Be clear about what you want your students to say or do to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts covered. For example, show students pictures of families and see if they can establish who the father, mother, grandparents and children are. Ask them; how do you know this? to assess their vocabulary and visual comprehension skills. Undertake LOTS of modelling of your own family - this is me, these are my children etc.

Use vocabulary cards to build students' understanding of key terms, this will assist students in providing a clearer response in their final assessment.

Undertake one-on-one assessments such as the family sequencing activity. Can they name the members of their families? Who is the oldest, who is the youngest? Use a tick and flick sheet to quickly record students' responses in a busy classroom (aim to do this activity for 2-3 minutes each student over several days).

Think about what you want students to say. What is the expectation of this unit? This is something your year level will need to agree on. What does an A look like (there are assessment examples in ACARA but remember the guidelines expect students to be taught to a C standard). 

What resources will you need?

You can use a lot of your own items from home, in fact this should be essential to keep the content relevant to students. Bring in photographs of your own family, draw up your own family tree as an example and discuss your own family memories. How do you remember events in your family? What celebrations do you have?

There are a great range of early years books for discussing family celebrations. I have discussed these before in this blog post - click here.

You will also find the Foundation Year History Pack an absolutely must in your planning, especially if your school works directly from ACARA.

Here is what other teachers have said about the pack:

"This resource is a life saver ! thank you for taking the time to create it. I can't wait to use it"

"I cannot rate this product any higher! It is fantastic!"

"Great unit. Can't wait to use again next year!"

"Great to see more quality Australian based resources."

"Everything I needed to cover the entire curriculum. Thank you."

"Great thank you, fit in perfectly with our unit!"

"Can not wait to use for our family unit next term. so clear and concise."

"This is such an amazing resource!!! It aligns perfecting with Australian Curriculum outcomes. Thank you for all this hard work.

"Very useful for helping me to plan my HASS unit this semester. Thank you!"

"Love saving time with helpful resources well-aligned with our curriculum requirements. Thanks!"

"Great quality resource for Prep History. Thank you so much. It is exactly what we need."

"Absolutely amazing resource. I've been using this with my prep class over the past few weeks. The worksheets are very easy to explain and the kids have no trouble with them at all. I printed and laminated the family members and had my students order them from oldest to youngest and they loved it!"

"Fantastic thank you, saving me hours of work and making history so much fun!"

To download a free preview visit my TpT store link here.

or visit my Australian shop here.

Free Tangram Puzzle Card Download

The tangram puzzle is an ancient Chinese puzzle introduced to America in 1815. The puzzle became popular throughout the Western world in the 1920s and the First World War saw another resurgence of interest in the tangram.

Most classrooms today use the tangram puzzle pieces to help students with their understanding of spatial awareness. Students need to rotate and move the puzzle pieces to replicate an existing picture and for some young children, this can pose a great deal of difficulty. Sometimes, how a child uses the tangram puzzle pieces can be an indicator of their understanding of two-dimensional pieces, shapes and space. For example, do they understand that by flipping a 'tan' (puzzle piece) around they can match what they see on the card with what they see on their table? Flipping, rotating and moving shapes around are great practice for early maths skills.  

Click here to download my Free Tangram Cards - print on card stock or laminate them to help them last. 

Free Easy Last Minute Christmas Crafts

As the last few weeks of school loom before us, and for those in Australia and New Zealand it's also the last few weeks of the school year, teachers are looking for easy craftivities to keep little hands busy. 

I've thrown together a couple of my favourite Christmas craft ideas and you can download them all for free by clicking here. 

Firstly, the tried and trusted Christmas Tree. 

Depending on the age of your students, you may want to pre-cut the shapes for your students. 

These gingerbread people (men or women) look great decorating any classroom wall or window. Print on coloured card or let students decorate. 

Alternatively you can try some cute gift boxes. Let students go crazy and decorate them as they wish (glitter would look fantastic on these!).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREEBIE

How to move classrooms with less stress

Are you moving classrooms at the end of the year?

This can be one of the most stressful times in even the most experienced teacher's life. You have everything set up how you want it (often how you need it!) and now you're being asked to pack up all of your worldly belongings and shift them to the other end of the school. It feels like moving house, except you don't get to pick the house, when you move or even the movers!

It doesn't have to be too stressful though.

Here are my 5 tips for making a smooth transition to your new classroom.


1. Start stripping your walls early. 

I know your room looks pretty, what with all those wonderful pieces of artwork made by the students and your carefully cut and arranged bulletin board, but it all needs to go. Most schools require the walls to be completely stripped of all blu-tak, staples and pins - leaving the walls completely washed down and clean for the next teacher. I realise this can feel like a huge task but just think of how you would want the walls to look when you go into your new room. Leave your room in a state you'd wish to find it in yourself. So start early. Students do pick up on the 'end of school' vibe once that learning wall is packed away but seriously.. who are you kidding! You and your students both know the heavy duty learning is over and it's time to wrap things up, so don't be afraid to start a little earlier than normal.

2. Get your students to help. 

Students have lots of energy, and teachers are often feeling exhausted at the end of the year, so why not take advantage of this by getting them to help out. Get those tall students stripping the hard to reach pins on the wall (without standing on a chair of course!) and those bright students that love a 'task' so set them up with any sorting activities (sorting pins, piles of blu-tak etc.. ). Students will be more engaged and on-task if you find a job to included them. It is their classroom as well remember.

3. Do you really need that?

Seriously. DO. YOU. NEED. THAT? I know you're going to use it one day but.. when is that actually going to happen? I keep an expanding file with all my bulletin board materials stored in it, organised by terms so that I have my learning materials ready (this is the real beauty of teaching for many years on the same year level!). Do you have extra copies of handouts? Keep one on file and throw out the rest. Do you have piles of student work? Check your school policy on retention of records (ours is 5 years) and only keep what you need to, label and place into boxes. Make sure you take any assessment pieces to the shredder - never to the bin! Be ruthless! If you haven't used that item/worksheet/activity in the last 2 years you're never going to use it. Take it home and store it there (that's a whole other blog post!).

4. Get some busy work handy early on.

Keep your students busy so you can focus on the clean up and organisation. My students are always either working on their Farewell Folders or their Christmas Card Art. Depending on the school, sometimes movies are allowed (my school only allows them if they are related to the curriculum). There was always a hundred different things we were going to watch that we ran out of time for during the year. Now is THAT time my friend! ABC iView has a great range of curriculum friendly videos and older students will enjoy exploring My Place which has an interactive website and short movies to watch.

5. Label everything!

This last one goes without saying really, but I'll say it anyway! Write your name on everything. I don't just mean your pencil box I mean on the back of posters, on each letter of your bulletin board display, on boxes of assessment and on sticky notes taped firmly to your personal belongs that are moving to your new room. Things do get lost - often. I have often found the odd poster or piece of lettering that lost its way to its new home, but without a name on the back it often goes in the bin. Name it or lose it.

Moving can be stressful but just remember the joy you'll have of setting up a new learning environment at the start of next year! Now THAT IS fun!

Christmas Food Crafts For Kids

I'm in no way a crafty person. Nor am I good in the kitchen. But I love involving kids in some fun Christmas craftivity and making something they can eat as well is just a bonus (but trying to get them to stop eating it before it is finished can be difficult!). It goes without saying that I don't condone bringing sugary treats into the classroom but... it's Christmas! It's not like it happens every day - right?

I saw two ideas, one on Pinterest and one in a Coles brochure, for Christmas trees and thought I'd road test them both and tell you which one is easiest to make (note: if you're in any way crafty you'll probably already know the answer to this just by looking at the pictures!). 

I gathered my ingredients and put on my bravest face without showing any fear to the children "Let's make Christmas Trees!". 

Firstly, Christmas Tree Cones. The kids were super keen to 'have a go' but I needed to add the icing on it first. I would recommend dipping the cones in icing rather than trying to spread it on the cones (they were a bit fragile). Pre-prepared iced cones that are set would be better and make the cones stronger but you'll need to find a way to make the candy stick to the cone with icing.  

Next the kids managed to put the decorations on the tree themselves. This bit was so much fun and took the kids a long time to play around with. I recommend doing these over a tray to catch all the mess though. 

The kids ate them as soon as they were done and I was thankful because they were messy!

Next we tried the Brownie Christmas Trees. 

These were by far the easiest to put together! The hardest bit was opening the candy canes from their wrapping! 

I baked the brownies, let them cool and then cut them into triangles. After that I dribbled on some icing and handed them to the kids. They attached the Smarties and pushed a broken candy cane into the base. We then dusted them with icing sugar. I'm definitely going to make these ones again as they were so easy and looked impressive when done!

Have you ever tried these two ideas? Do you have another easy edible Christmas tree craft for kids? If so, add it as a link in the comments.  

7 Gifts under $25 that teachers will love!

If you are teacher giving a gift to another teacher (secret Santa anybody?) or just a parent who wants to say 'thanks' to your child's teacher, then you're going to love this list of gifts teachers will really want.

Teachers don't want highly expensive gifts, really.. it can be embarrassing and awkward for other parents/teachers. Often our school policy doesn't allow us to accept gifts over $200, so why make everybody uncomfortable. A gift is a token of your gratitude to the other person, so this list is made up of gifts under $25.

I'm a classroom teacher, I work with other teachers, my friends are teachers... I know what teachers want.. here is our letter to Santa.

1. HANDMADE GIFTS

Never underestimate the power of handmade gifts. I once received a handmade Christmas ornament by a crafty fellow teacher and I still put that decoration on the tree each year. One of my students gave me a cartoon drawing of the whole class with me in it and I've still got that! People really treasure handmade gifts as there is often a lot of love and thought that goes into them. Even just an old (clean) jar with some baking ingredients and a recipe can go a long way. You can see a selection of wonderful handmade gifts at the Organised Housewife. 

2. TEACHER BY GABBIE STROUD

I'm currently reading this book and will write a short review soon, but I can already tell this is going to be a touching journey. Gabbie is an ex-teacher and has written about the ups and downs of life as a teacher. This book is a MUST for teachers everywhere. If you're a teacher giving to another teacher, don't worry if you think they may already have this book... I'm sure they will find a home easily for it with another fellow teacher. Click here for more information.

3. A PERSONALISED WATER BOTTLE

This is another wonderful idea teachers love. Personalised anything is great for a busy classroom. I can't tell you how many times I've picked up a student's water bottle that happens to look like mine! Or have left a water bottle in a staff meeting room. These water bottles are under $15 and you can make it as bright and colourful as you'd like. For more information click here. 

4. PERSONALISED TEACHER NOTEPADS

As teachers, having your name on something is more than just pretty, it's essential. It's so handy to have personalised property and notes are always being written and passed around. This would make a another wonderful gift idea for any teacher. For more information click here. 

5. A TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS GIFT CARD

Teachers are always spending their own money on teaching materials and a TpT gift card is treated as gold for any resource-savvy teacher! You can set any amount on there that you'd like (it's far more discrete if you want to break the $25 gift-giving-threshold). Click here to find out more.

6. STATIONERY SETS

We really can never get enough of stationery... we really can't! Every now and then a thoughtful parent will give me a small set of pins, bulldog clips, stables etc.. in a handy container and every year I use them all up! Especially if they are pretty! We teachers are always creating bulletin board displays and pinning student work up, we really need this item and again it saves us money because otherwise we'd buy it ourselves. Click here to find out more. 

7. TEACHER'S SWEAR BOOK

This one made me laugh and, depending on your teacher, they would see the funny side of this as well. Teachers cannot swear in the classroom, so this little colouring book contains all the 'other' words we use instead such as 'fudge!'and 'Geez Louise!' and will give your teacher a good giggle. Click here to find out more about this book. 

What teacher gifts do you love giving or receiving?

Book Review: POW MAN - putting a positive spin on bullying

I was recently asked to review a new book by Dave POW Tabain and Nadia Worland called POW MAN. A book that teaches children how to unleash the hero within. As soon as the book arrived, I quickly read it and then gave it the TRUE test of quality by passing it to my three children.

13 Year old - it's too babyish for me
11 Year old - it's great!
9 Year old - loved it!

After reviewing the contents again with my teacher's hat on, I felt this book definitely fits nicely into primary grades 2 through 5.

Essentially the story revolves around a young boy, Dave POW Tabain, his school friends and a bully at school. In order to help his friend Stu, who is bullied by Johno and his crew, Dave comes up with a 3 point plan - the POW Plan.

One of the things I really loved about this book is the language used by the writers. When I tested this book out with my own classroom students, they all enjoyed the slang words used such as "OMG!" and "told ya!" which gave the book a sense of realism for the situation Dave and his friends would encounter. It appears to be set in an Australian school, which also helped my students make a deeper connection to the characters.

The book is filled with cartoon-type illustrations, similar to other books for this age group, and is a gentle read with a powerful message. With bullying in and out of schools becoming a major issue, this book is well timed for pre-teens. Nadia Worland seems to have some great credentials for this topic as she has worked both as a teacher and facilitator for Positive Partnerships. Co-author Dave POW Tabain also has a good grounding as a motivational speaker and past kettle-ball champion.

The plan, that is revealed in the book, takes students through a step-by-step realistic solution to the bullying problem that Stu encounters. Being easy to read, realistic and down-to-earth, I feel this book is perfect to include in your classroom discussions around bullying.

The book can be purchased from various Australian bookshops or directly for the POW MAN website and teaching materials are also available through the publisher.

Christmas Around the World: Australia

 I've lived in many different countries but nothing beats a Christmas in Australia!

Australians are a fun loving bunch of people and Christmas is a time to relax and have fun with friends and family. 

Christmas preparations start as early as late October and by early November all stores are stocking Christmas trees and decorations. Most people start decorating their homes in late November (some even earlier!) but there is no set traditional date for decorating your home in Australia - everything is very relaxed. 

December is the first month of Summer in Australia, which means Christmas is HOT! In December Australia experiences some of its hottest temperatures ranging from the mid 20s Degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit)  to above 30 Degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). The temperature means people spend their Christmas mornings down at the beach in some places and in other areas families stay inside with their air-conditioning on. 

The heat also dictates what type of food is eaten at Christmas time. Cold food is often the order of the day, due to the warm weather, with salads and seafood popular foods. Some people as so keen to get their seafood for Christmas they will line up at fish shops at 4 am on the day click here to read more!

Sweet treats include trifle and pavlova (soft chewy meringue base with cream and fruit on top). Chocolate treats are still enjoyed but because of the warmth of Christmas day, most chocolates will melt if not kept in air conditioning or the refrigerator. 

Carols by Candlelight is one tradition that Australians love. Every Christmas each state and territory hosts its own Carols by Candlelight and it is also shown on television on Christmas Eve. 

Children place Christmas sacks or stockings out for Santa and because Australia is one of the first places in the world to start Christmas Day, Aussie kids know Santa will visit them first!

Australian children love to sing an Australian Christmas song called Six White Boomers (click to watch it below). 

Christmas time also coincides with the end of the school year in Australia (late January to Early December) so Christmas concerts are often mixed with end-of-year celebrations and school graduations. 

You can find out more about Christmas in Australia in the Christmas Around The World: Australia pack where you can download maps, posters, brochures, flyers and these cute paper dolls to make.