The last time Bingara Central School students visited Hervey Bay they didn’t see a whale.

But it made no difference – the group of 46 Year 5 and 6 students, from northwest NSW, had a fantastic time.

Assistant principal Alison Johnson hopes to relive the 2006 excursion later this year through an integrated conservation unit on whales she cowrote with former Bingara Central assistant principal Mick Migheli.

The unit was written after the pair had completed the Intel Teach Essentials Course, which trains teachers on how to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into their lessons while they develop units of work that are aligned to syllabus outcomes and the Quality Teaching framework.

Mrs Johnson said the term-long unit required students to consider “issues surrounding the survival of whales” and how they could “make a difference not just to whales but the environment as a whole”.

“As an integrated unit of work it had direct links with the human society and the environment, science and technology and creative and performing arts syllabuses,” she said.

Working in groups, the students studied whale species, habitat and migration patterns and whaling history. They used the internet for research anddeveloped PowerPoint presentations.

One member from each group used their team’s research as the basis for an email to an outside agency to protest against whaling or promote methods of protection.

“One little girl sent an email to a Japanese restaurant selling whale burgers in protest at the practise,” Mrs Johnson said.

Each group presented their research to the other students and participated in a debate “on the pros and cons of whaling”.

The students also used publishing software to develop a pamphlet. Mrs Johnson said students “were highly engaged and very eager” throughout the unit and demonstrated improved teamwork and ICT skills.

She said the development of the unit, and participation in the Intel course, had enhanced her teaching practices.

“Completing the course has given me extra tools to use in the classroom and improved my technology skills,” she said.

Intel Australia’s education program manager Ludmila Fedorovitch said the whale unit gave Bingara Central students “the opportunity to develop essential 21st century skills” such as teamwork and collaboration.

The essentials course is part of the Intel Teach Program, a joint initiative between Intel and the education department managed by the Centre for Learning Innovation that has trained more than 3,000 teachers across NSW since 2003.

For more information about the Intel Teach Program go to www.intel.com/education/au