July 2008
New
this month
Pacific country profiles
Despite the idealistic image of warm sandy beaches the tiny island states of Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Niue and Tokelau all struggle with their limited size and population, lack of economic diversity, remoteness from major trade and commercial sectors, climate change and weak governance frameworks.
www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/140
Global Oz Project - Planet Earth
This project supports Middle Primary – Lower Secondary students focus on the International Year of Planet Earth. It aims to empower students to recognize and
engage in responsible use of the earth's resources.
www.ozprojects.edu.au/course/view.php?id=25
“Languages Matter” Online Project
2008 has been proclaimed the International Year of Languages by the United Nations General Assembly. According to Koichiro Matsuura, Director General of Unesco, “languages are indeed essential to the identity of groups and individuals and to their peaceful coexistence. They constitute a strategic factor of progress towards sustainable development and a harmonious relationship between the global and the local context.”
These words are summarised in the slogan for the 2008 International Year of Languages - “Languages Matter”
The edna OzProjects team has developed an online student project to promote multilingualism as a way for all languages to find their place in our globalised world. This project includes links to online resources for a number of languages taught in Australian schools. It also aims to facilitate student understanding of the role of languages in global citizenship.
http://www.ozprojects.edu.au/course/view.php?id=33
Calendar
NAIDOC Week
6-13 July
The National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) invites all Australians to celebrate and promote a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, ensure that all people have access to the same opportunities and support Indigenous Australians to learn and value their culture. This year's national theme is ‘Advance Australia Fair?'
www.naidoc.org.au
World Population Day 11 July
World Population Day helps us focus on supporting countries to manage population growth through laws and policies to protect the rights of women and girls. This year's theme is ‘Plan your family'. It focuses on the need to provide information and services for people, particularly marginalized populations and young people, to plan their families. When people can plan their families, they can plan their lives. They can plan to beat poverty. They can plan on healthier mothers and children.
www.unfpa.org/wpd
Use the global education information and activities about Gender equality http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/517
Schools Tree Day 25 July
Join thousands of volunteers across the country to help ‘green up' Australia by planting native trees in your community. Trees help to filter water, combat salinity, clean the air and increase flows into water catchments. They also provide food and shelter to Australia 's unique wildlife and are an integral part of our country's biodiversity. For lesson plans and other ideas visit:
http://treeday.planetark.com/
Resources
Web
Into India – Spinning a Nation
Into India – Spinning a Nation is a downloadable file which centres on three investigations covering India 's development as a nation from a valued British colony to a unique modern democracy. Each investigation has a number of topics and subtopics which focus on a range of social, economic, political and environmental issues for students to explore through inquiry-based activities and a wide selection of written and visual resources. The resource is aimed at Years 10-11, and has relevance to Studies of Society and Environment.
www.asiaeducation.edu.au/pdf/intoindia_spinninganation.pdf
Dying to go…to the toilet: the sanitation challenge
This 20-page colour booklet is a resource for secondary students to explore the impact of poor sanitation on people's lives and the environment. Sections include:
Sanitation – what is the issue?; What are the global and regional patterns of sanitation?; How are people affected by sanitation?; How does poor sanitation impact on the environment?; Case studies: sanitation in Timor-Leste , Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh ; Action: what can be done to improve sanitation?
It is free from the Global Education PD Providers or by post for the cost of the postage and handling.
http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/156
Cocoa a Go Go
In this simulation game players take on the role of growing cacao trees for sale to chocolate manufacturers. They travel around the board, collecting equipment, answering questions and earning money so they can expand their production and export it to the world. Players encounter problems such as competition, lack of resources, climate difficulties and worker problems. This game has lots of graded questions and strategies and is both fun and educational.
http://www.newint.com.au/shop/cocoa-go-go-board-game-1409.htm
AusAID
updateHot Topics
Shrinking the Malaria Map
Launch of International Year of Sanitation in Australia
http://www.ausaid.gov.au/hottopics
Media Releases
June 20 Australia Increases Response to China 's Earthquake
June 13 Australia Provides Humanitarian Assistance to Bangladesh
June 12 Australia Pledges $250 Million in Further Assistance for Afghanistan
June 12 Australia to Work with Pacific on Land Policy Reform
http://www.ausaid.gov.au/media/latest.cfm
Relief in Sight
A photographic display focusing on AusAID's disaster relief program is travelling around Australia :
Launceston Meadow Mews Shopping Centre 26 June – 2 July 2008
Hobart Northgate Shopping Centre 5 July – 10 July 2008
World Youth Day Celebrations Hyde Park Barracks 15 July – 20 July 2008
Ballina Ballina Fair 28 July – 1 Aug 2008
Further details and supporting teaching materials
http://www.reliefinsight.com.au
Focus Magazine
The latest edition of Focus is about Pacific Progress. Articles focus on education and health in the Pacific and youth in East Timor, volunteers, the power of sport to address the Millennium Development Goals, the International Year of Sanitation, action to address issues of landmines and microfinance.
Print copies are available free of charge from AusAID and can be downloaded from http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pubs.cfm?Type=PubFocus
Global Education around Australia
Environmental education up the track: hot topics for our community
9-12 July 2008
Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) Biennial national conference, in Darwin
www.cdu.edu.au/ehs/AAEE
Sustainable Living Challenge
The Sustainable Living Challenge aims to encourage secondary students to raise their awareness, engage their minds and develop their skills to be better able to respond to the challenge of sustainability in their future personal and professional lives. Closing date 31 October
http://www.sustainableliving.com.au/
Access Asia study tours
Access Asia study tours offer exciting professional learning opportunities for educators. They are open to all educators and their partners.
Programs in 2008 include:
China Study Tour - $2,999
21 September to 4 October 2008 and 28 September to 11 October 2008
Korea Study Tour - $2,599
21 September to 3 October 2008
Registrations close FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2008
Programs in 2009 include:
China Study Tour - $3,499
3-20 January 2009
India Study Tour - $2,599
11-24 January 2009
Jaipur pre-tour - $1,199
7-10 January 2009
Vietnam Study Tour - $2,499
4-16 January 2009
Cambodia Extension - $1,199
16-21 January 2009
Registrations close FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER 2008
www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au/our_work/school_education/international_programs/study_tours
Victoria
Made in Australia
This powerful collection of photographs of asylum seekers by Viv Mehes highlights the difficulties people faced. It is divided into three sections: ‘Staying strong', ‘The people' and ‘Hung out to dry'.
At the Foyer, 1 Spring Street Melbourne , until 11 July
60 Years On, Human Rights Challenges: Where to now for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
July 4 2008
At 6.30pm in the Melbourne Town Hall, 120 Swanston St, Amnesty International presents a public lecture with Professor Larissa Behrendt, Professor George Williams and Zubayra Shamseden discussing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
http://vic.amnesty.org.au/
Planet Earth, Geography Teachers Association of Victoria Conference
10-12 August
This Conference has a wide range of workshops around the themes of sustainability, global education and ICT. There will be keynote addresses from Dr Peter Christoff on global warming and the local and international responses, and Professor Paul James who will discuss how our understanding of urban spaces is changing.
http://www.gtav.asn.au/Prof_Development/conf08/conf_rego1_58.pdf
NSW
Geography Teachers' Association of NSW Conference – Focus on Australia in Asia Pacific Region Friday 22 August
For details contact Yvonne Little at GTANSW
Phone: 02 9564 3322
Email: office@gtansw.org.au
Flier: www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/1088
South Australia
Water Saving Innovation Competition
The Royal Adelaide Show, in partnership with SA Water, has instigated a Water Saving Innovation Competition to encourage and recognise new and innovative water saving initiatives from all sections of the community. Entries close 25 July
Full details and an entry form are available from the Participating/ Competitions & Exhibits section of the Adelaide Showground website.
www.adelaideshowground.com.au
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