This page provides links to a range of useful resources and websites for Tasmanian educators looking to inspire students about the innovation and diversity on offer in Australian agriculture.
New resources and links are being added on a regular basis, so come back every now and then to see what’s new.
DoE Project Based Ag Experience for schools and students HERE
Cross-industry resources
Engaging students in STEM using Agriculture
The practical experiments outlined in this booklet are designed and adapted to engage students in concepts and skills used by agricultural scientists and the agriculture industry. They can also be used to teach and reinforce aspects of many curriculums of science and food related school subjects.
These practicals are ordered by increasing level of complexity, where earlier experiments are aimed at late primary/early high school students, and later practicals for high school/college level.
Each practical contains the section ‘Syllabus Links’, which guides the teacher at a glance to whether the practical is relevant to the course they teach.
Click here to download resource
The Primezone website
Primezone provides teachers with single-point access to a range of primary industries education resources.
This website is an initiative of the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA).
The Career Harvest website
Career Harvest is a one-stop shop for prospective students to discover rewarding careers.
There is a wide range of jobs, both in Australia and overseas, that graduates within agriculture and agribusiness industries can make meaningful contributions to. Current challenges and opportunities available to graduates include feeding the world, adapting to climate change, managing the environment, operating profitable markets, managing future energy sources, and maintaining biodiversity.
Career Harvest was created during 2011, thanks to a collaboration between the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture (ACDA) and various bodies across the agriculture and education industries. Career Harvest was relaunched during 2012, by the ACDA along with Rimfire and communications specialist Redhanded Communications Group.
During late 2017 the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEFA) partnered with ACDA to take over the operation and further development of Career Harvest.
PIEFA is collaboration between industry, government and educators to promote primary industry education. PIEFA is helping the community to understand and value the food and fibre industries.
FarmVR
FarmVR is a Virtual Reality Agricultural Experience, designed to ‘immerse’ people into various agricultural experiences to learn more about where their food comes from, consider Agriculture and a career pathway and assist teachers to engage with their students in the classroom.
Visit the FarmVR website to download the FarmVR app and immerse yourself in agriculture now.
Student Edge
Student Edge is a membership-based organisation for secondary and tertiary students, with more than 950,000 members. Student Edge’s vision is to create a world where students are empowered and supported to make great life choices. Through its website and mobile app, Student Edge provides a number of services to students, to help them save and manage money, get ‘job ready’ and discover their career pathway.
Commissioned by the Shire of Manjimup’s SEED Program, recent research, conducted by Youth Insight and made possible through Royalties for Regions funding by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) investigated perceptions of secondary students towards agriculture, with insights into how they access and explore potential careers.
Download the outcomes from this research and discover how you can inspire your students to find their place in agriculture.
dairy-industry resources
The dairy industry has a plethora of exciting resources and educational opportunities. Check out the Discover Dairy website.
If your students are wondering about a career in the dairy industry, share with this handy poster with them or explore the Stepping stones | Career planning booklet — it’s udderly mind-blowing just how many career opportunities there are in the dairy industry.
If you’re looking for a local contact to support your classroom activities, you’ll find a list of regional contacts on the Dairy Australia Website.
EGG-industry resources
The egg industry has a plethora of exciting resources and educational opportunities. Check out the Australian Eggs website.
Student-led, free units of work for Stage 4 and 5 support students in exploring the Australian egg industry through a collaborative approach to learning. The inquiry-based resources link to curriculum outcomes in Science, Design and Digital Technologies, Geography and Health and Physical Education.
Each of the four units of work include a full, detailed lesson plan, activity sheets and IWB resources to support your teaching, so you can just pick up a lesson and dive in!
forestry resources
Forest Learning | Agroforestry — Trees at Work on the Farm!
Produced by a senior agricultural science teacher for year 9–10 agriculture students (NB: activities are also applicable to science and design and technology), and with assistance from Private Forests Tasmania, CSIRO, University of Tasmania, Yan Yan Gurt West Farm, Private Forestry Service Queensland, The University of Melbourne, this resource showcases current Australian case studies and the real science underpinning the use of trees within an agricultural landscape for productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability.
Download your class copy here!
ARBRE | Cadet Forester Program
The Cadet Forester program has been developed to overcome the shortfall of professional foresters currently needed to work in Tasmania’s forest industry. Trainees can commence on an Australian School Based Apprenticeship for year 11 and 12 students, or an adult traineeship for all other applicants. Trainees will be directly employed by individual companies, or by a group training organisation for shared work placements.
Created by industry, and supported by Tasmania’s largest forest growers and producers, Arbre has a clear mandate — to promote career pathways, and offer linkages to industry for job seekers.
Download the ARBRE Cadet Forester Brochure here!
wool-industry resources
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) has a wide range of interactive and hands-on resources for students from early childhood through to tertiary levels.
Take a look at the Learn About Wool website and order a free hard copy Learn About Wool kit, containing posters, factsheet and fibre, yarn and fabric samples for your classroom.
For the full on-farm VR experience, check out the Woolmark VR app. Keep an eye out for new augmented reality (AR) additions over the coming months.
Encourage your students to access the online Woolmark Learning Centre and explore the Wool Introductory Course or take a deeper dive into the world of wool with the Wool Appreciation Course.
cotton-industry resources
Cotton Australia has a wide range of free resources for students and teachers, videos and presentations, a comprehensive education kit and interactive classroom resources. on the Cotton Australia website.
For an overview of Cotton Australia’s Education Program — click here