The national Australian curriculum in science is being implemented in NSW through new syllabuses developed by the Board of Studies. In NSW secondary schools, from 2014, the new Science K–10 Syllabus will replace the current Science Years 7–10 syllabus for students entering Year 7 and Year 9. From 2014 the new syllabus will replace the old across all Year groups.

The syllabus identifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students are expected to develop at each stage. Teachers will continue to have the flexibility to make decisions about the sequence of learning, the emphasis to be given to particular areas of content, and any adjustments required based on the needs, interests and abilities of their students.

Important differences from the existing curriculum will be a simpler structure for the content: the previous syllabus elements ‘Prescribed Focus Areas’ (PFAs) and ‘Domain’ have been replaced by the strands ‘Skills’ and ‘Knowledge and Understanding’. As well, the skills content is specific for each Stage, and renewed emphasis is placed on using science inquiry to develop science understanding.

Science for Stage 4

Date/s TBC | 9.30am – 3pm | The University of Sydney

Teachers engaged in teaching the new Stage 4 Science Syllabus will be given the programming and presentation skills to help their students undertake the essential content and work towards course outcomes. This course will examine the differences between the current and new science programs, as well as the implications for teaching the skills strand and the knowledge and understanding strand. The general capabilities and cross-curriculum perspectives will also be addressed, with examples of the implementation of these into science lessons. Because all science students will be required to undertake at least one substantial research project during Stage 4 and Stage 5 that must involve hands-on practical investigation, this course will demonstrate how teachers can guide their students to choose investigations related to a topics previously studied or an area of interest, as well as encourage them to address problems relevant to their immediate environment and use readily available materials to undertake their investigation.

Science for Stage 5

Date/s TBC | 9.30am – 3pm | The University of Sydney

Teachers engaged in teaching the new Stage 5 Science syllabus will be given the programming and presentation skills to help their students undertake the essential content and work towards course outcomes. This course will examine the differences between the current and new science programs, as well as the implications for teaching the skills strand and the knowledge and understanding strand. The general capabilities and cross-curriculum perspectives will also be addressed, with examples of the implementation of these into science lessons. Because each Stage 5 science students will be required to undertake an individual research project, this course will demonstrate how teachers can support their students in planning their investigations, carrying out research, evaluating evidence and conclusions, and communicating results, findings and explanations to others.

Mathematics for stages 4 and 5

Friday, August 9, 2013 | 9.30am – 3pm | Cost: $242 per person (incl. GST) |

The national Australian curriculum in mathematics is being implemented in NSW through new syllabuses developed by the Board of Studies. In NSW secondary schools, from 2014, the new Mathematics K–10 Syllabus will replace the current Mathematics Years 7–10 syllabus for students entering Year 7 and Year 9. From 2014 the new syllabus will replace the old across all Year groups.

The syllabus identifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students are expected to develop at each stage. Teachers will continue to have the flexibility to make decisions about the sequence of learning, the emphasis to be given to particular areas of content, and any adjustments required based on the needs, interests and abilities of their students.

Important differences from the existing curriculum will be the structuring of content according to three strands: number and algebra; measurement and geometry; and statistics and probability. As well, new material will be incorporated, including transformations on the Cartesian plane, Venn diagrams and bivariate data analysis.

In this course, teachers engaged in teaching the new stages 4 and 5 Mathematics Syllabus will be given the skills to help their students undertake the essential content and work towards course outcomes. The differences between the current and incoming mathematics programs will be examined, as well as the implications for teaching the proficiency and content strands. The general capabilities and cross-curriculum perspectives will also be addressed, with examples of the implementation of these into mathematics lessons.

Implementing the new English K–10 Syllabus in NSW: a professional learning day for all teachers of English

Saturday, August 17, 2013 | 9.30am–3pm | Cost: $242 per person (incl. GST) |

With the forthcoming introduction of the new English K–10 Syllabus, this one-day conference offers all teachers of English a unique opportunity to build their professional knowledge and understanding of the new curriculum, and to engage in practical workshops that are directly relevant to implementing the Australian Curriculum in English in NSW. The sessions will include:

• orientation to the new syllabus
• key similarities and differences between the current and incoming English K–10 curriculum
• practical approaches to planning and programming, including through the use of an online programming tool
• practical examples of units of work and scope and sequence for English K–10
• strategies for managing the transition to implementation in 2014
• resources and suggestions for text selection, K–10.

This professional learning opportunity will be delivered by Dr Don Carter and Associate Professor Jacqueline Manuel, from the University of Sydney. Both have been closely involved in the development of the new English syllabus in NSW and bring to this one-day conference a breadth of experience and expertise in English education and curriculum. A draft program is published below.

The release and implementation of the Australian Curriculum: History marks a significant change in approaches to social learning. It places emphasis on engagement with historical concepts and inquiry processes, aimed at developing learners' understanding of big ideas and ways of thinking that define history as a field of knowledge. Clearly, this orientation to history teaching and learning presents challenges to teachers. Through lectures and workshops the presenters of these courses will seek to prepare teachers of history to begin instructing Stage 4 and Stage 5 history students in the new syllabus from 2015.

History for Stage 4 students

Date/s TBC | 9.30am – 3pm | The University of Sydney

Participants in this course will:

• map and identify key features of the Australian Curriculum: History (Stage 4) and workshop their implications for planning, programming and history pedagogy
• learn about current research into conceptual learning in history and identify effective strategies for embedding these in classroom programs and classroom practice
• discover how assessment can be a diagnostic aid to help develop and refine learners' historical thinking and understanding.

History for Stage 5 students

Date/s TBC | 9.30am – 3pm | The University of Sydney

Participants in this course will:

• map and identify key features of the Australian Curriculum: History (Stage 5) and workshop their implications for planning, programming and history pedagogy
• learn about current research into conceptual learning in history and identify effective strategies for embedding these in classroom programs and classroom practice
• discover how assessment can be a diagnostic aid to help develop and refine learners' historical thinking and understanding.