HUB SPP S1 2012 “Sustainability and our Farming Environment” at St Joseph’s Primary School Hopetoun
In S1 2012, St Josephs’ PS created six great books on issues of sustainability in farming for Science Talent Search as part of their HUB SPP. 
The HUB SPP provided an in-classs teacher PD “Sustainability and our Farming Environment” program for the teacher and students of the Senior Class (y3-6) at St Joseph’s Primary School Hopetoun. Hub SPP environmental educator, Jeanie Clark, provided activities which delivered on:
- the school’s ‘Sustainability and Conservation unit’ aims,
- other learning outcomes across the VELS curriculum.
- aims of the SPP,
- the 2012 National Science Week theme,
- the 2012 Australian Year of the Farmer,
- the 2012 National Year of Reading
- and the 2011-2020 United Nations Decade of Biodiversity.
The St Joseph’s PS students participated in the Science Talent Search by writing Science Based Picture Story Books for the Creative Writing Competition on the theme “Yes we can,” said the people, “farm sustainably”. The problems faced with farming sustainably that they cover are:
- dry times (2 stories)
- weeds (3 stories)
- pest animals (4 stories)
Two of the six books won major bursaries in their STS sections – a wonderful result for these four children, but all the children were so proud of their achievements in completing their own Science based story with illustrations. These books and discussion sheets can be found as pdfs at http://www3.sjhopetoun.catholic.edu.au/sustainability–farming.html
Part of the program involved the students researching farms with their own families and friends. The data that they have collected can be found on the St Joseph’s PS website above.
The program also involved the class in the 2012 Saltwatch program. Their results are on the map made by selecting 2012 here: http://www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/monitoring-and-data/1010/
Read the full report HUBSPP_2012-S1 learning story
page last updated 12/2/2014