There are many environmental and cultural celebration dates throughout the year that tie in seamlessly with the River Detectives program. This is great news, as finding ways to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ is gold for time-poor teachers and crowded curriculums.
To support you, at the end of each term we will distribute some inspiration directing you to resources on the River Detectives website that are most relevant to exploring the events coming up in the following term. This is designed to help you with your planning and save your precious time.
Term Three is always a big one with many events on offer.
If the advice is not needed/relevant simply file away my email or delete it – there is never any obligation to do more than the basics with the RD program.
Term Three planning inspo:
JULY
This is a great article in The Conversation about the history of NAIDOC and what we can continue learn: Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn
- Plastic Free July; Plastics in waterways and oceans is a huge issue. Come up with an action plan to reduce your plastic waste at school and home with resources at the Plastic Free July website. At the River Detectives website you will find lots of great videos to explore the impact of plastics on our waterways with students. Please take care viewing as these images/issues can be confronting for students;
There are some great picture story books to explore the topic such as ‘Louie and Snippy Save The Sea’ or encourage your students to write their own . . Rubbish in the River (riverdetectives.net.au
- National Tree Day; Schools Tree Day is coming up on Friday 25th July followed by National Tree Day (for community) on Sunday 27th July. You could spruce up some gardens at school or work with a local Landcare/Friends group on some revegetation at a waterway? There are useful resources to enhance a planting event at the toolkit tab of the Tree Day website. From the River Detectives website you might be interested in;
AUGUST
- Science Week (9-17th); Make a pact to do your water quality test this week and upload your results. Conduct your monthly water quality test, explore our water science resources or think of other ways to use your equipment:
- have students bring in samples from home / their dam / another waterway and test for salinity, turbidity, pH and phosphorus
- tweak samples by adding salt / fertiliser / sediment to see how this impacts salinity, phosphorus and turbidity results
- there are some great extensions to water quality testing in our themed activity matrix
Head to the Science Week website for more ideas.
SEPTEMBER
- Platypus month; This year’s focus is on ‘loopy litter’ that entangles platypus in our waterways. The simple message of ‘Seize It, Snip It, Bin It’ is a call to action for students. Stay tuned for a resource pack due to be released at the end of July. In the meantime, check out these resources from the River Detectives website;
- Biodiversity Month; Spring is alive with biodiversity. It’s a great time to immerse your students in nature
Don’t forget we love to see what you’re up to. Leave a comment below or even better, send your regional coordinator photos/work samples so we can highlight your efforts and share good ideas with other River Detectives schools!
And don’t forget if you’re a ResourceSmart School there may be actions you can make progress on by participating in these events.
