Primary Connections home

About Primary Connections

Teaching and learning model

Professional Learning Programme

Curriculum resources

Research and evaluation

Indigenous perspectives

For Primary Connections facilitators and trialling teachers

Order Primary Connections

Education use licence

Primary Connections project overview – August 2008

Primary Connections information flyer (PDF file)

Primary Connections is an innovative and exciting approach to teaching and learning which links the teaching of science with the teaching of literacy in Australian primary schools. It is an award winning partnership between the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

Primary Connections supports teachers to improve students' scientific literacy, as well as their learning outcomes in both science and literacy. Linking science with literacy enriches the learning experience for students.

A professional learning program gives teachers the tools to understand the Primary Connections programme, its philosophy and goals. Through interactive workshops participants develop their pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers also explore how to effectively use, adapt and extend curriculum units to suit their needs, or write their own units using a unit planner.

A set of curriculum units model how to implement the teaching and learning approach in the classroom. They are practical resource books with an easy-to-use layout, and a science background CD. They have a working scientifically focus and topics are chosen after consulting all state and territory documents, as well as the Statement of Learning for Science. The full suite of units spans all years of primary school.

Primary Connections has links to other projects such as The Learning Federation and the Science Education Assessment Resources (SEAR) Project.

Making a Difference: Primary Connections Stage 3 Project Brief: 2006-2008