A Parliament of Birdsat Bunyaville

Discovering DemocracyBunyaville Environmental Education Centre

Earnshaw State Junior CollegeOur Lady of the Rosary Kenmore Created by Noeleen Rowntree

at Bunyaville

Understanding democracy, valuing place

• Engaging the learner• Creating active and informed

citizens for a sustainable future

Immersion via role play

Connecting to the learner

Building knowledge

So who are we really?

• introduce self as the bird you are

‘I’m Palm Cockatoo. Pleased to meet you.’

Transition into roleScaffolding learning

builds understandingtolerance value othersfeeling successful

Learner centred

Creative problem solving

…a scrape in the ground

…hollows in old trees

What is it like to be a nocturnal bird?

experience first hand

I’m a diurnal bird

Did you hear that?

Learner centred

Deep understanding

Meaningful for the learner

Constructs knowledge

The issues

Ferals - Beware!

’Noisy Miner is happy the Land is for sale’

Media interviewKnowledge integration

Our habitattoday in this forest

Deepening understanding

Active engagement for all learning styles

Just what we need

Birds are sharing their feathers and their message.

connectedness

ModellingMaking connectionsKnowledge integration

In flight to Cockatoo Island

Collaborative partnerships

The Halls of Parliament of Birds

appreciate

TransdisplinaryIntegrationSOSE, Science, English, HPE, ICT

Including The Arts- visual arts- role play- role of media

Literacy- visual and critical

Committee Meetings

We’re almost in the chamber

Parliament – a place to speak

Our electorates (Habitats)

• Pop in segment from video with Ali in the parliament talking about birds (students) speaking on behalf of all the birds out there that they are representing as the elected bird of their habitat.mini tape 5.35-6.45

• CD 2 339 GRASSLANDS• Wetland - Cd2 260 ‘water

rail’s nesting site’• Forests - Bunyaville 199

We represent all habitats

Parliament in session

Builds capacity• students, staff, community

Higher order thinking

Party Meeting and advisors

All in favour say aye

Encourages participation and the capacity to act for the community and societal improvement

Pass bills

Our Bills….

Ali explains

9 times out of ten the government and opposition agree on the bill.

Consensus debate

• Consensus Bill chosen to debate

• All parties agree with the idea in principle

• Bill can be amended (by the opposition)

• Most bills are agreed to in the real parliament (95%)

• The rest are adversarial debates

Consensus debate

Public Gallery

Federal Member

Invited to attend ParliamentLinks to the real world

Rainbow Bee-eater is the member for the Forest and makes decisions in the electorate in which you reside.In fact the bills that may be discussed and passed in the chamber could affect where and how you live. You may therefore find the debate of interest to your future.

Media

Rap

‘We all want a say’

Student reflection

‘My experience of Cockatoo Island and Bunyaville is that I learned new things. I learned that forests are being cleared for houses. First no habitats, then no eggs, then no babies, then no birds. I made a nest and found out what birds use to make nests. The Bunyaville forest is shrinking and lots of trees are going so we shouldn’t cut down trees. In the forest, we found feathers to make the rainbow feather.’

(Rose Abundo’s Year 4/5 )

Class teachers’ reflections• Unit was very much hands-on• Discovering Democracy kit helpful with Cockatoo Island Books 1-3 • Need more resources on birds and habitats• Teachers integrated across the kla’s focussing on The Arts, English

SOSE, Science and ICT• Assessment woven into the unit with criteria sheets, checklists,

observation, self and peer assessment, powerpoint presentations, community celebration of learning

• Example of some criteria - consider points of view, participating, cooperating, respect for the speaker

• Children with learning and behavioural problems were able to participate at some level

(Teachers Earnshaw State Junior College and Our Lady of the Rosary Kenmore)

..and at school

Democracy in progress

• What has been learnt has flowed into the classroom and school practices e.g. Year 4/5 is responsible for assembly next term. Before proceeding on format for the assembly, Year 4/5 students plan to consult with rest of school re certain issues, revise the format and work towards a new format that students have voted on as acceptable by the majority of the class.

• ‘What got me excited…my ESL boy and ADD boy who’s never on task or focused also wanted to go and talk about it {gathering school’s input for the assembly}…experiencing first hand how it is if everyone has a say on an issue or a proposed change.’ Year 4/5 class teacher

..and at school• Debating bills at school that relate specifically to school issues. For

example:‘All students should have 20 mins of physical activity at school each day’‘Students who are bullying at school should receive harsher consequences’

• Some students are lobbying for drinking taps at more accessible levels as most Year 4/5 students have to kneel to drink.

(Teachers Earnshaw State Junior College)

Noeleen’s favourites

The creation of the Parliament of BirdsReused logs – relocated by National ParksSustainable use of natural resources

ALI

who’s who

Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre

Acknowledgements• This project was successful thanks to the Discovering Democracy

Grant and a team of truly inspirational educators.• Rod Pattison for his creative talents in building the Parliament of

Birds and props, • Bunyaville staff and volunteers Cam Mackenzie, Judy Nightingale,

Gail Price, Trish Ingenhoven, Cathy Godwin (artist and teacher), Marija Bicanic

• Earnshaw State Junior College Year 4/5 students and teachers • Carol Cochrane for seeing the potential ‘to fly’• Our Lady of the Rosary at Kenmore Year 5 students and teachers• Erika Fish a talented and dedicated photographer.• Pam Koger for her incredible graphic artistic skills.• Ali Garnett and Kaye Kessing for their teamwork and foresight to

create Cockatoo, Cacophony and A Parliament of Birds.

Thank you from Noeleen Rowntree - Project Managernrown1@eq.edu.au (07 3353 4356)

Discovering DemocracyBunyaville Environmental Education Centre

Earnshaw State Junior CollegeOur Lady of the Rosary Kenmore Created by Noeleen Rowntree

at Bunyaville