YEARS K–6 IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM
A Guide to the New K-6 Science & Technology syllabus (continued)
also recommend encouraging students to enter the STANSW
Young Scientist competition which has Technology, Science and
Maths categories. Check out youngscientist.com.au for details.
A seismograph designed and recreated by Y5 students at
Sacred Heart, Villawood
Young Scientist Age Champions from St Ambrose, Concord
West
What’s Been Removed?
1. Values and Attitudes
4. Information
One of the main reasons given for changing the old syllabus
was to reduce the number of outcomes (16) which was seen as
being arduous. Whilst this has definitely happened (now only 11),
it is not so black and white. For instance, Values and Attitudes
accounted for three of the previous 16 outcomes. Values and
Attitudes still exists, but has been reassigned to Objectives.
Information has been superseded by the more rigorous and
detailed Digital Technologies. It should also be highlighted that
Digital Technologies is also way “beyond the current technologies
and skills students learn in the ICT [General] Capability” (NSW
Education Standards Authority, 2017, p. 37)
Conclusion
2. Built Environment
Having been embedded in several schools preparing for this
new syllabus (some preparing for over a year now), I have
grown to appreciate its benefits, allaying many of my original
fears. Teachers I work with say they feel empowered by this new
syllabus and the students are certainly having a lot of fun with
some rich, deep learning of Science and Technology.
Similarly, Built Environment has also been reassigned to
Objectives; featuring in Knowledge and Understanding and some
content descriptors. Teachers will note that there was a massive
overlap between the old Built Environment outcomes and Places
and Environments in the Geography syllabus (NSW Education
Standards Authority, 2015). Any great resources from previous
years of Built Environment need not be thrown out but blended
into other Science and Technology strands plus Geography
where appropriate.
Postscript – For a bit of background reading, primary teachers
may be interested in an article I wrote for The Conservation Five
challenges for science in Australian primary schools also one for
ABC Education Five ways to win with the new K-6 Science and
Technology syllabus when the last syllabus came out. While the
syllabus has changed, many of the same challenges remain
and also the same ways to succeed. Best of luck to all primary
teachers this year!
3. Products
Products has formally been removed as an outcome in its
own right. However, as previously mentioned, about half of
the Science outcomes have been denoted with a Technology
emphasis. This usually entails a solution to be designed and
produced. For schools looking to do more STEM in particular,
the Technology emphases are the perfect springboard; perhaps
not surprisingly since Science plus Technology (Engineering)
plus Digital Technologies is essentially three quarters of STEM.
Check out NESA’s numerous primary STEM resources for ideas
at educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/under
standing-the-curriculum/programming/stem-support. I would
References
Board of Studies NSW. (2012). Science K-10 Syllabus
(incorporating Science and Technology K–6).
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2015). Geography K-10
Syllabus.
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2017). Science and
Technology K–6 Syllabus.
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