Education Teacher Professional Learning
Last updated:19 November 2024
Geoscience Australia knows that helping teachers to better understand and teach the Earth sciences will lead to better experiences for budding science and geography students. Throughout the year Geoscience Australia hosts Earth science related programs and events for teachers. These initiatives focus on the skills and knowledge needed to teach geoscience topics within the Australian National Curriculum, with particular attention to engaging girls in STEM.
Teachers investigating the depth of earthquakes during a professional learning session.
TESEP professional learning in Canberra Term 4
The Education Centre at Geoscience Australia will host four Teacher Earth Science Education Programme (TESEP) sessions during December. The half day sessions run across two days: Monday 9 – Tuesday 10 December. The topics covered will be:
- Chemistry of the rock cycle
- Plate tectonics and critical minerals
- Our place in space
- The Big 5 extinctions.
Full details and registration information is available on the TESEP website. All registration forms should be sent to registration@tesep.org.au and officemanager@asta.edu.au.
TESEP also run online sessions for teachers. There will be a four-part series on ‘Riding the climate roller coaster’ during Term 4. For further information visit TESEP.
GTA teacher PL in Canberra Term 4
Join us and the Geography Teachers Association of Australia on 12 December for a day exploring remotely sensed data and how to apply it in the classroom. Hear from scientists working in the fields of coastal geomorphology, flood vulnerability, and earthquake monitoring and learn about Geoscience Australia’s role in community safety and preparedness for natural disasters. The new Digital Atlas of Australia will also be introduced.
Workshops during the day will enable participants to explore freely available satellite, landcover, coastal and natural hazard data hosted by Geoscience Australia. All participants will receive access to teacher guides and student activities.
Full details, cost, and registration available through Humanitix.
Teaching Secondary Earth Science
Plate tectonics misconceptions Part 1
This session of "Can I Fall Down the Cracks?" focuses on common misconceptions that are encountered when teaching plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics misconceptions Part 2
This session of "Can I Fall Down the Cracks?" focuses on common misconceptions that are encountered when teaching about hazards associated with plate tectonics.
Teaching Primary Earth Science
The accompanying PowerPoint presentations from the sessions are available on our website.
Earth Science professional learning session
This session focuses on teaching 'Earth's surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity'. The presenters introduce slow changes to the surface and show hands-on investigations of weathering and erosion processes.
Earth Science professional learning session
This session focuses on teaching 'sudden geological changes and extreme weather events that can affect Earth's surface'. Geohazards (earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis) are the main topics considered and the presenters show hands-on demonstrations and inquiry activities to support student understanding.
All our videos are available on our YouTube channel.
TESEP
The Teacher Earth Science Education Programme (TESEP) runs professional learning sessions across the country. For further information about programmes in your state visit https://tesep.org.au.
Australian Earth Science Education
Australian Earth Science Education (AusEarthEd) also run professional learning sessions and provide extensive classroom resources. There is a dedicated educator supporting senior secondary classes undertaking Earth and Environmental Science HSC in NSW.