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•Coral Reefs support a large number of plants and animals. •Coral Reefs are built by millions of tiny animals called polyps. •Some coral polyp species receive more than 60% of their food from algae. •Each coral colony begins life as a single polyp, which then reproduces itself as a single polyp, which then reproduces itself by budding or by dividing. Types of coral reefs There are eight main categories of corals: branching, corals with meandering ridges and valleys, massive or thick colonies, thin plates and crusts, solitary/isolated/free-living corals, coral with large, daytime expanded polyps, column corals and blue/fir/organ pipe/lace corals. Some examples of coral are found below:
Where are coral reefs found? Special conditions are needed for reef-building corals. Coral reefs will only grow in waters warmer than 18oC, and no deeper than 50metres. Therefore coral reefs are limited to clear, shallow tropical seas found either side of the equator. Corals may not develop properly in waters that receive freshwater runoff or sediments from rivers.
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Stage 1 of the WestConnex project involves the widening of the M4, a connection between Parramatta Road and the City West Link and new connections at Concord Road. A tunnel will run from the end of the current M4 to the City West Link, M4 East concept design WestConnex Stage 1 WestConnex interactive map Ashfield A section of Ashfield along Parramatta Road was acquired and demolished for WestConnex. The exit to the M4 tunnel will be opposite Bunnings Warehouse near the crossroads of Frederick St/ City West Link and Parramatta Road. Link: WestConnex plan jeered by Ashfield residents Save Ashfield Park Rally Haberfield Some of the issues raised in relation to WestConnex in Haberfield include home acquisitions, destruction of heritage architecture, noise and vibrations for homes adjacent to construction sites, changes to traffic flows and the impact of all of these factors on the nature of the suburb. Links: Haberfield homes acquired for building of WestConnex Three month closure of Ramsay Street Haberfield Talking WestConnex and Mike Baird ignoring compulsory aquisition reforms WestConnex private contractors sell items from heritage homes ahead of demolition WestConnex unused land should be handed back say inner west residents. Residents in Haberfield and Beverley Hills claim WestConnex work is cracking walls of houses near motorway construction sites. What we are facing is the destruction of Haberfield
Stage 5 Geography - Changing Places
In the previous 7-10 syllabus in Environment Issues there was a section of content where students were asked to investigate individual, groups and government responses to an issue. In the new NSW syllabus this has been removed. However, in Stage 4 Changing Places the issue of WestConnex protests (or some other protests) can be used to address the inquiry questions:
Students can examine transport networks as both a cause and consequence of urbanisation (see previous post - WestConnex - Sydney, Sustainability and Transport) Students can also use it to examine the following content dot points:
Below: The St Peters West Connex site.
Stage 6 Geography - Urban Places/Urban Dynamics In a previous post I wrote about how WestConnex could be used as a way of exploring growth, development, future trends and ecological sustainability for a Sydney case study in the urban dynamics section of the HSC course. Another way this issue could be used in this course would be to use it to explore the culture of place of a suburb like Haberfield. There have been a variety of articles regarding the nature of the suburb in terms of heritage architecture, noise, and street life, and how this has and will change as a result of WestConnex. There are also a number of articles regarding the development site at St Peters and the removal of established trees on Sydney Park. This could also be used as a way to ask problematic questions such as: - What is the cost of development?, - What kind of Sydney do we really want? - Do the benefits to the city/commuters outweigh the costs to others? - Will the project really releive traffic in the long term? 
Students can do this through the lense of community protests to examine how different groups and individuals perceive how WestConnex (both a consequence of and a response to urbanisation - i.e a response to traffic congestion, the need for transport infrastructure) impacts their community and/or environment. In the previous syllabus there was a lot of scope to do activities such as mock council meetings, mock letters to Members of Parliament, etc. A simple search on Youtube brings up many recorded meetings regarding the project. This is an ideal scenario to use in class to reenact (or participate in) this process. While NESA/BOSTES has not completed a rewrite of the Civics and Citizenship Australian Curriculum, we can assume it will be relatively similar based on the rewrites of 7-10 History and Geography. In Civics and Citizenship (AC) students examine how citizens participate in direct action and lobbying (Year 8) and how and why individuals and groups participate in and contribute to civic life (Year 9). This provides a perfect example to explore these kinds issues and to build on student knowledge in Civics and Citizenship. Resources Below is a list of links to articles and websites related to WestConnex protests. You will notice that some of these are from media outlets such as Green Left Weekly and Alt Media. In a previous post on WestConnex most of the links I provided were government websites. The two posts together provide a more balanced approach to the issue and any lesson to students should include a range of perspectives and encouraging students to do their own analysis and make their own conclusions. WestConnex: Protesters clash with Police over 800 tree-deaths Protesting businesses in Newtown and Enmore stick it to WestConnex Haberfield homes acquired for building of WestConnex Three month closure of Ramsay Street Haberfield Talking WestConnex and Mike Baird ignoring compulsory aquisition reforms WestConnex private contractors sell items from heritage homes ahead of demolition Clover Moore supports protesters at 24-hour-a-day camping blockade... WestConnex protesters arrested as Sydney Park trees come down. Protesters Clash with WestConnex workers How the 15.4b WestConnex will affect Sydney residents Baird's new protest laws used against WestConnex protesters Protests grow over WestConnex Stop WestConnex WestConnex Action Group  The Spirit of Anzac is a touring exhibition featuring genuine artefacts and stories. To promote the tour the Australian War Memorial and the Australian Government have sent out packages to schools of about 10 Google Cardboard head sets in boxes. You can download the Spirit of Anzac 360 Explorer App from the App Store or Google Play.
The actual headset is already made when it arrives and is packaged within a cover to protect the set. It is quite robust (a little more sturdy than the Google Cardboard sets I have purchased from Ebay before and discusses in previous posts). The lenses are quite large, which will enhance the viewer experience, and some additional velcro and padding should also add to the experience.
The App provides an interactive tour of the displays at the Spirit of Anzac exhibition. Students can focus on a particular image and information pops up to explain the display. This isn't as immersive as some other Google Cardboard apps that I have reviewed, but given that it is being sent to schools for free and that the app is free it would be a useful and interesting way to engage students with the displays prior to a visit. The exhibition is showing at:
Explore The Spirit of Anzac - What to Expect Access the Spirit of Anzac Google Cardboard User Guide Some other options of Google Cardboard/Virtual Reality apps that you might like to look at are: War of Words VR This VR experience uses the Seigfried Sassoon poem "The Kiss" as the basis of the experience. It is an animated experience created by BBC Arts. It promotes the feature-length documentary War of Words - Soldier-poets of the Somme. Trench Experience Trench Experience enables the user to experience an authentic trench from world War I. This is like a virtual museum. Diggers Trench VR This VR experience is only available with Oculus Rift - not Google Cardboard. However, I imagine that as Google Cardboard begins to be used more that this will be the type of experiences that we can expect more of. This is more story based. As a new recruit you experience life in the tranches and are able to influence some of the events that unfold in the story. Changing Places (Year 9) The Changing Places topic requires students to explain processes and influences that form and transform places and environments (GE5-2) and to assess management strategies for places and environments for their sustainability (GE5-5). The topic requires students to examine urbanisation, the impact of migration and strategies to address change in urban places and how they enhance sustainability. As a part of examining the causes and consequences of urbanisation, students will have investigated spatial distribution patterns of urbanisation (for example the influence of transport corridors), and the social, economic and environmental consequences of urbanisation (this could include traffic congestion, costs of tolls or costs of constructing new infrastructure, average times people spend commuting to work, the impact of car exhaust on air quality). In examining urban settlement patterns students will specifically address the impact of transportation networks in Australian and another country to explain differences in urban concentrations. While there is scope to deal with a range of issues and influences related to urbanisation and urban settlement, there is certainly an opportunity to develop a unit of work that develops students’ understanding in car dependence, traffic congestion, public transport, road networks, etc. to lead them to be able to examine this issue of the WestConnex development from a range of perspectives and with detailed background knowledge. In the last part of the Changing Places topic students investigate the management and planning of Australia’s urban future, including Australia’s population projections, implications for growth and sustainability, strategies to create sustainable urban places and ways for individuals and groups to become involved. WestConnex provides a great case study to examine this. Obviously you need to address the points at the national scale, but the WestConnex project impacts on such a large are of Sydney that you might find that many of your students are already engaged with (or at least aware of) the project in some way. Urban Places/ Urban Dynamics (Year 12) If you choose to do Sydney as a large city case study for Urban Places the WestConnex project could also tie into the - growth, development, future trends and ecological sustainability dot point.  Lesson ideas The risk of covering this as a case study is the difficulty in maintaining an apolitical discussion of the issues. It is important to provide a whole range of perspectives and interpretations to develop problematic knowledge and higher order thinking, but how do you direct the discussions to ensure that the focus of the lesson is on the content and not the politics? Some lesson possibilities: Population Growth & Transport As a group, students examine the current population projections for Sydney and consider the effectiveness of current transport infrastructure (include roads, rail, light rail, ferries, etc), taking into account commute times and traffic congestion. Suggest a range of different strategies to address transport issues in Sydney. Discuss with your group the pros and cons of each strategy. Devise a plan that you would put in place if you were Premier. Present your alternate plan to the class (include annotated maps, descriptions justifying your choices, references to economic, social and environmental sustainability of your choices). West Connex & Sustainability Examine the WestConnex development from a range of different perspectives. Assess the project for economic, social and environmental sustainability. Include maps showing where the WestConnex project is located and the changes to landuse along the corridor (for example, aquisitions and demolitions, new open spaces). What might you change to improve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the project? Individual and community action Individually, examine the ways that individuals and communities have contributed to the political process and discussions about the WestConnex project. Write a paragraph about 5 actions taken by individuals and communities. Do you think these have been effective? Do you think these actions are justified? What other actions could individuals or communities take?  Resources:
The NSW Government has put out a range of resources to promote the WestConnex, including an educational package. These provide some basic information
The Inner West Council also has a large number available on their website including meeting minutes, media releases, and an online petition. ABC: WestConnex environmental impact statement projects less traffic, less pollution once M4 East completed. UNSW - West Connex – M4 East – Submission by the Healthy Built Environments Program (UNSW) West Connex Action Group There have been many protests regarding the WestConnex. Another source of information is the WestConnex Action Group website. WestConnex Action Group facebook page Please see my other WestConnex posts: WestConnex Infographic WestConnex - Protest Movements and Impacts WestConnex update - Haberfield and Ashfield WestConnex update - St Peters, Alexandria and Newtown
Social media is a tool that students are very familiar with and use for a variety of personal and social purposes. If we can tap into students' enthusiasm for and ability to use social media we can easily harness it to enhance student learning. Recent coral bleaching events have been discussed widely on twitter by experts and organisations that study and work to protect coral reefs. Some examples of experts and organisations to follow on twitter:
Twitter lesson 1
Investigate the differences in people’s views about the causes of environmental issues such as coral bleaching and ocean acidification. Take screenshots of a range of different views about this issue. Refer to the information about environmental worldviews from previous lessons. Make an inference about the environmental worldview that each person holds. Why do you think this? Justify your answers. What are your thoughts and opinions about this issue? How do your thoughts reflect your own environmental worldview? Twitter lesson 2 Create a Storify that shows the progress of discussions, research, campaigns and decisions related to the management of a coral reef. Use the tweets and the links contained in them as a starting point for a geographical inquiry. This may help you to pose questions, planning an investigation, collecting secondary information. In doing so, consider:
Video conferencing tools:
Benefits of videoconferencing:
Providers for video conferencing:
Once you have done a few organised sessions and feel comfortable using the technology, you will be able to make connections with people and organise your own presenters. Video Conference lesson Research the work of the organisation or person that will be running the videoconference. Provide a brief summary of the work of the organisation or person. Formulate a number of questions that you can ask to the person during the videoconference. These may relate to the work of your class as a whole or your own geographical inquiry. As a class collect the questions that have been designed and remove any duplicates. It may be beneficial to send the questions to your presenter ahead of the video conference. For Stage 4 History, you may like to refer to a resource I created a few years ago (as mentioned in a previous post). Click here to examine the Syllabus Bite on Ancient India. As you progress through the topic you might like to use the glossary file below to help students develop knowledge of key terms. There is also a glossary quiz file, but you may like to break this up into a couple of smaller quizzes depending on the ability of your students. 
Students must explore the beliefs, values and practices of ancient India. The handout below introduces a few key terms, provides a brief summary of beliefs, values and practices and outlines a short group work task.
The activity below allows students to examine the physical features of ancient India including mountain ranges, plains, deserts, wetlands, rivers and highlands. Students are required to complete a mapping activitiy to show the spatial distribution of these features.
A person of significance must be examined. Below is a short introduction to Ashoka including a few relevant key terms and a short cloze passage. For more detail on Ashoka examine my previous post Teaching Ashoka.
Please note: This is part 4 of 5 for this PBL activity. The whole task can be found at the following posts: Tourism PBL Task 1 Tourism PBL Task 2 Tourism PBL Task 3 Tourism PBL Task 4 Tourism PBL Task 5
Below the line promotions (10 marks) You have been invited to the Sydney Tourism Expo to promote your tourism operation. You will be required to promote your business with a stall. Your stall may have the following items: - a model of your hotel. Your model should demonstrate how your hotel addresses each of the following: Services, Convenience, Social/Environmental Issues and Value. - a copy of your business proposal (Group work Week 2) - a map showing the location of your hotel - examples of your custom products - your business cards and brochures - an audio visual display showing either your website or TV commercial.  Please note: This is part 4 of 5 for this PBL activity. The whole task can be found at the following posts: Tourism PBL Task 1 Tourism PBL Task 2 Tourism PBL Task 3 Tourism PBL Task 4 Tourism PBL Task 5 Create a model of your hotel (25 marks) You have been given a set of materials to build a model of your hotel. Each group received the same materials. You may choose to use a software program to plan your hotel or you may choose just to sketch your plan on paper. Your model needs to look realistic, but it also needs to address the following: - What services does your hotel provide? - How does your hotel address the outcome of convenience for customers? - How does your hotel address social and environmental issues? - How does your hotel provide value for your customers? You have already discussed these issues in group work 3, but now you need to demonstrate your ideas in a practical way. Annotate/label your model to demonstrate these objectives
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Louise SwansonDeputy Principal at a Sydney high school. Coordinating author of the new Geoactive book series. 
7-10 Geography pages have been retired due to the introduction of the new syllabus. The above links relate to current NSW syllabuses. All Commerce and Legal Studies resources have been moved onto this main site (search Commerce or Legal Studies below).
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