Science Matters Quarterly Newsletter (2020) Science Matters Newsletter #1 2020 March Term 1 | Page 6

Teaching moments
COVID-19
In a recent interview https://bit.ly/ABCcovidSTA on ABC radio, Professor Brian
P. Schmidt, Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, emphasised
that rational thinking was key to combatting the alarm and racial discrimination
that is emerging in the midst of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. In
response to this call, we believe that science teachers should encourage an
informed and rational approach to the topic in science classrooms. Science
teachers should be aware of reliable and up-to-date resources about the virus.
As “fake news” stories arise, we should not only counter with factual sources
but also give students the tools to discern reliable sources for themselves.
The Department of Health https://bit.ly/AusHealthSTA is providing up-to-date
information and health warnings for Australians.
STANSW Councillors Deb de Ridder and Lauren McKnight have compiled
a list of resources that we recommend for use in the classroom to support
discussion with students.
Teaching Moments – http://bit.ly/STAteachingmoments1
Australian Bushfires
The bush fires in Australia this summer have provoked a lot of discussion about
the effects of climate change.
Sadly many individuals, communities and ecosystems have been impacted
by this latest crisis and our thoughts are with these affected individuals and
communities. As science educators, the topic of bushfires need to be discussed
in a way that is both sensitive to the context of the school and encourages
scientific thinking. STANSW Councillors Deb de Ridder and Lauren McKnight
have compiled a list of resources that we recommend for use in the classroom
to support discussion with students.
STANSW is conscious of the trauma that some school communities have
experienced this summer. Beyond Blue has produced a resource pack for
educators https://beyou.edu.au/bushfires-response which includes information
on post-traumatic stress and resilience for school communities.
Teaching Moments – http://bit.ly/STAteachingmoments2
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