With the start of a new semester Secondary change from History to Geography during their HSIE lessons. For Year 7 this means becoming familiar with maps and the information they give us about our world. We started the term by looking at Google maps of Temora and examining how the ‘old fashion’ drawn maps are being superseded by satellite maps using actual photos that show real detail. We also spent time using our investigative skills developed during History to see if we could figure out when some of the images were captured. The class did very well at this using images of their own houses and known locations around town, and their knowledge of when places changed. We managed to date the satellite images as between May and August 2020. 

Year 9 will be focussed on food production and how the way we use our farmlands has changed over time. As some of our students come from farms that provide food for the rest of us, this is a way for students to make a contribution based on actual experiences and the practices that their families have.  In the past this has meant that I have learnt a lot about farming from real farmers; being a former city kid I am loving that the information we have in our class room comes from those actually producing my food. 

Year 10 will also be looking at our natural environment, but with a focus on conservation and management. We can all agree that how we treat our land has changed over the past few decades, and Year 10 will be learning about what has brought on these changes. They will also undertake an in depth study of The Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and will then conduct individual research on a disaster that has had wide ranging effects on the natural and human environments. 

Year 8 English are looking at the way ‘Australia’ is represented in text. This will mean a study of ‘Johnny Hart’s Heroes’ in combination with several short stories and poems that illustrate Australia in different ways. 

Stage 5 Food Technology has a focus on Food Equity this term and will be cooking many dishes that rely on limited ingredients, or have come about due to a lack of regularly used ingredients. Keep an eye out for images of these on Facebook. 

I will also be joining Mrs Sutherand for Year 8 Music this term. Unfortunately we are unable to take the students to watch ‘Hamilton’ in Sydney, but we will be able to stream it via Disney Plus and they will still be able to develop their understanding of how music and song can be used to tell a detailed story.