- Friday 04 August 2023
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If you have a little learner in your life, you’re bound to have heard of National Science Week. Much like the bright white light produced when magnesium burns in air, the week-long celebration of science sparks a burning passion for discovery in young learners around Australia each year. And through producing magnesium oxide, heat, and light in experiments like this, National Science Week spreads the joy and wonder that can be found through science!
I’m celebrating science, engineering, and technology this National Science Week with the infinitely busy and ever-energetic teacher and in-house writer, Michele Zupanov, to talk all things science in this modern age!
As the writer of the brand-new Australian Curriculum Science (Revised Edition 2023) workbook series, Michele has some fantastic insights to share with us about the importance of inspiring the scientist in each and every child.
The Theory of writing a science series
I have long thought that it must take some kind of super-powered brain for our in-house writers to be able to function as both primary school teachers and writers … and talking to Michele taught me just how right I was.
A few weeks ago, as I edited yet another of Michele’s excellent blogs, I found myself wondering how she manages to focus all that incredible knowledge dancing around in her mind into such an illuminating, clear, and informative piece of writing. And how on Earth did she manage to do the same on an even larger scale with a seven-book series?! I had to know what her writing process was actually like.
‘It’s a long one!’ Michele says. ‘I first start with physically writing notes on paper, then compiling a digital table with an outline and a plan, based on research, and the final step is actually writing the lessons.’
Keeping all that information in one brain has got to mean she has some very finely honed planning and organisational skills, right? Well, it’s either that or some kind of superpower …
When it comes to writing for R.I.C., she explains, ‘I get to dream big and spend time researching, planning, developing, writing, and re-writing the best possible product. I would never have time to do this as a classroom teacher. I’m just happy that I can help save all the teachers out there some time and sanity, but I also feel a sense of responsibility to deliver a quality product.’
Did you hear that, folks? You can rest assured Michele knows how to look after her fellow educators; like a chemist mixing carefully selected components to create an impressive reaction, Michele has combined the perfect elements to create a hugely successful science series!
While talking to her, it’s clear that her passion for her work is deeply rooted in her desire to make teachers’ lives easier and the classroom experience smoother. She is just one of our superb writers that has the drive to improve students’ learning journeys in the classroom and beyond.
‘I also always have a goal in mind while I am writing, otherwise I get sidetracked with all the wonderful things I want to add in to elevate a lesson or activity. I am a visual person, so I often write my goal on a sticky note so it is in my field of vision, and I can keep referring to it to keep me on track.’
Inadvertently (or perhaps not, seeing as teachers are always one step ahead), Michele makes an awesome point here: everyone’s process is different. In fact, many of our greatest scientific breakthroughs weren’t discovered by just following one strict set of procedures—take that fateful apple that landed on Isaac Newton’s head and led to his theory of universal gravitation. It wasn’t just reading and writing that inspired the discovery—though, of course, these skills helped—but also getting to experience the real world around him.
There is no cookie-cutter way to work or learn—Michele is a testament to that. With a greater understanding of how you work best, you can more easily achieve your goals, and avoid boxing yourself into working in only one format. If nothing else, Science Week is about being curious enough to find deeper understanding about how we work and the world we live in.
‘Once all the details are planned and the product is written,’ Michele continues, ‘it is then time for me to put my critical eyes on and go through everything again and make sure it is written to the best standard within the time frame.’
Now I can relate to that—I am an editor at R.I.C., so my critical eyes are always on. Reviewing and obsessing over details is my bread and butter.
Anyway, back to science. Or maybe we never strayed in the first place? After all, I am typing away on a computer …
This National Science Week is a chance to deepen students’ understanding of the world around them—it could mean contemplating the existence of aliens and how we might contact them; theorising about the next step in human evolution; or discovering why you close your eyes when you sneeze! If one thing’s for certain, all these questions have a fascinating answer just waiting to be discovered.
Science encourages curious minds
So why is National Science Week so important? Well, no matter what subject your learner is interested in at school, there are incredible things to be discovered by getting involved in science—it’s not all equations and numbers. In fact, science is inherently creative. Scientists use their imaginations every day to theorise inventive solutions to problems or help unearth answers to some of the world’s biggest questions. Inspiration strikes them much like it strikes a painter—though their muse may instead be a planet, a fossil, a chemical compound, or a humble apple.
‘I think kids are more interested in science now than in the past,’ Michele says. ‘There is a lot of talk about STEM, and it fits with the students’ natural curiosity about the world. Having a week dedicated to science adds extra opportunity for educators and schools to emphasise how relevant science is and how interesting it is.’
This year’s National Science Week theme is ‘Innovation: Powering Future Industries,’ a theme you’d be hard-pressed to replace with something timelier and more relevant to today’s world. Innovation is essential to growth and progress as a society, and Michele believes that there are some incredibly important aspects of modern life that our younger generations need to be aware of and invested in.
Regarding the 2023 theme, Michele says, ‘It feels very much rooted in STEM and how combining science knowledge with design thinking and computational thinking can solve the problems of the world for a more sustainable future.’
I have a sneaking feeling everyone else at R.I.C. would agree. Our focus on developing resources that can traverse the modern educational journey is something we are all very passionate about; just wait until you see Australian Curriculum Science.
So, why is it important to revise this classic series?
The short answer is that things evolve; I’m sure you can agree that the world we live in today is considerably different to the world a decade ago, or even just a few years ago. If you are as curious about the long answer as I am … it’s time to ask Michele.
‘The curriculum changed to the extent that a new series was definitely warranted,’ Michele says. ‘We needed to look at science with the added requirements of the new curriculum, which wasn’t just about the science content.’
Well, there you go. If you thought revising a classic series was just a matter of adding the new curriculum links, swapping out a few paragraphs, and calling it a day, you’re not alone (I’m sorry, Michele, I was so naïve!) The vastness of the process quickly becomes obvious when you think back to the textbooks used in schools a few years ago (with no tablets or laptops in sight—gasp) and then look at what learners have access to today. Needless to say, a lot has changed, so how can we expect students to develop an accurate view of the world we live in today if they’re using outdated resources?
‘While the content was realigned and refined, there were also key considerations that needed to be included,’ Michele continues. ‘These were namely the Student Diversity considerations, which we have addressed with our new ‘Ponder points’ feature, and the new protocols for engaging First Nations Australians, which we have addressed by forging a relationship with our Aboriginal Education Advisor, Mel Brown, who signs off on all of our First Nations content.’
Simply reading through our bestselling resources highlights how passionate our whole team is about working with experts in a range of fields to ensure our content is curriculum-aligned, accurate, appropriate, and reflects the real world. Plus, Mel Brown is an absolute pleasure to work with; she reviewed the new Australian Curriculum Science series, among others.
Michele loved working with Mel on the newly revised series. In fact, when I asked her what her favourite part of revising the series was, she said, ‘Adding the fresh content, especially the First Nations Australians content, and knowing that it was actually approved by Mel! It was really important to me that we recognise the knowledge that First Nations Australians have in the field of science. They are the world’s first scientists and astronomers.’
In order for students to gain a deeper understanding and be better prepared for life both inside and outside of school, we have to give them the necessary tools to flourish. Sharing an accurate depiction of the world today is a great way to set students up for success in the future.
‘I also just wanted the series to look more ‘science-y’, so we refreshed the whole look and feel to include real-life images and photographs,’ Michele adds.
Love it or love it
No matter your own thoughts on the latest science and technological innovations—for example, artificial intelligence—it’s difficult to deny that their impact on society as a whole is astonishing. I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that humans can think so creatively about technological solutions that have the potential to reshape our world.
Despite having a brain wired towards creativity, science has always fascinated me. And I know I have those weird and wonderful school experiments to thank for that. I learnt that science can be found anywhere, and so, it is enmeshed in all of our favourite subjects intrinsically.
Some of my most vivid memories from primary school (aside from my favourite English classes) are from science activities. From creating boats with different materials and seeing if they would float, to classifying different types of sea creatures, to examining how salt impacts the way plants grow; the ways in which I was introduced to the wonder of science in primary school sticks with me to this day.
The creativity it takes to be a writer, an artist, or an editor (like me!), is also deeply rooted in science. No matter how your brain is wired or what field you work in, we are constantly immersed in the wonder of science all around us.
This National Science Week, encourage your young learners to be fascinated by and curious about the world we live in. There’s no guessing where the knowledge of future generations will take humanity; who knows, maybe in a few more years students will be learning about the far corners of the planet in VR!
As Michele says, ‘Once you have the knowledge, it’s about knowing how to apply that to devise creative solutions.’
After all, learners today are the next generation of scientists, problem-solvers, and innovative thinkers—let’s nurture that spark! Check out our Australian Curriculum Science (Revised Edition 2023) series now, another one of our resources that is written by educators, for educators. Plus, don’t forget to download our science freebie and read our previous blog post to hear the stories from the rest of the R.I.C. office about their primary science lessons!
So, what are you getting up to this National Science Week?
Abbie
Marketing Editor
