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I am an inventor lesson

In this lesson, students explore the life, work and times of Rube Goldberg. The lesson uses Rube Goldberg’s work to teach students about simple machines, how they function and their design principles. Working in groups, the students then design and create a Rube Goldberg machine that can complete a simple task. Students ...

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Understanding and respecting cultural narratives

Teachers guide students to explore cultural narratives through a film that highlights the rich traditions, morals, and storytelling techniques of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

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Brain break bops

Brain break bops are interoception activities(mindful body awareness activities) for pre-school and early primary school students. Building interoceptive awareness (feeling more connected with your body and your bodily signals) requires students to actively notice changes in their body state. This series of two-minute animated ...

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Movie magic

This resource provides eight lessons about the process of movie making in Australia through the various production steps from writing, shooting and editing the film to promotion of the finished film. It considers the legal rights of the creators and the responsibilities of consumers. The lesson plans are accompanied by ...

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The Swamp

This resource features the Yolngu-made film The Swamp. Students are provided with the opportunity to watch it and engage in a discussion exploring its genre, deviations from traditional documentary format, its impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, challenges faced by the Yolngu people, and the film's ...

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Fire in song

Explore the deep cultural importance of fire ('Gurtha') in Yolngu culture, that links to ancestral traditions, land, and water, shaping laws and knowledge through rich songs, dances, and designs. Fire embodies a connection to the past and sacred landscapes.

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BTN: The import of exports!

Is it better for Australia to import or export goods and services? Find out the top countries Australia trades with and the types of things that are typically imported and exported. How is Australia's foreign debt linked to importing goods and services?

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Sacred fig tree lone survivor video

Warrgamay elder Bill Morganson visits a sacred meeting place for his people - the last giant fig tree in the Herbert River Valley, north Queensland. He explains how trees like this were used by Warrgamay people and why this surviving fig has such value.

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Catalyst: Why plants are good for liveable cities

Central Park in Sydney was voted the world's best tall building. It is known for the plants in its beautiful vertical gardens which cover its surfaces, but did you know that the garden is not purely decorative? Watch this video to find out what other purpose the vertical garden has.

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Foreign Correspondent: Mother Mekong

Discover the connections between people and ancient temples hidden along the mighty Mekong River. Find out how long the temple Wat Phu (Vat Phou) has been a place of worship. Consider the spiritual value of this river, which provides more than sustenance and money.

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Stateline: Proposed coal mine raises environmental issues

Explore the possible benefits and impacts to the environment and community of a proposed new coal mine, called the Wallarah 2 Coal Project. In this clip from late June 2013, find out some viewpoints that landowners, community members, mine representatives and politicians present about the proposed underground mine.

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Indigenous watercrafts

Did you know that many different types of watercrafts were used by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities? Watercrafts varied in design, size and materials. Learn about two specific examples: the Ningher and the nawi. Why do you think the people from lutruwita and the Eora nation had such different watercrafts? ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Power is money on the the Mekong

Discover why the Lao Government plans to build a hydropower dam at Xayaboury (Xayaburi) on the Mekong River and how neighbouring countries might react. The Mekong River Commission is attempting to maintain a balance for all users of the river. Find out why this is a difficult and complex task.

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Landline: Winning the race to feed a growing population

The race is on to produce higher crop-yielding plants that will feed an ever-growing world population. See how scientists at the Plant Accelerator facility are investigating ways of increasing crop production. Some are focusing on conventional plant-breeding techniques while others are using GM (genetic modification) technology.

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ABC News: Light rail plan for western Sydney

Long lines of cars, frustrated drivers in peak traffic: familiar? As the population of Australia's major cities continues to rise and spread outwards, increased strain is placed on existing infrastructure such as roads. People often look to government to fix urban problems. Could a light rail system solve Sydney's western ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Ethiopia's nomadic pastoralists doing it tough

In 2008, Ethiopia's famines just keep coming, fuelled by prolonged periods of drought, rising food prices and an increasing population. Listen to aid worker Valerie Browning in a program aired that year, as she describes how nomadic pastoralists living in the remote regions of Afar try to survive and make their livelihood ...

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ABC News: Insects - food of the future?

Did you know that one-third of the world's population consumes edible insects? Although insects are known to be a good source of protein, some people may need more convincing. In this clip, hear from a professor who has recently written a cookbook to help people get the most out of bugs!

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Catalyst: How high will sea levels rise?

Much of the world’s population will eventually have to deal with the consequences of sea-level rise, but the question is: how high will the water get? Dr Graham Phillips investigates how scientists are turning to the distant past to predict the impact of rising sea levels. Watch scientists explore 120,000-year-old coastlines, ...

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Introducing Agriculture - from the paddock/ocean to the plate

This is a video about where food comes from and how it is produced. The video is presented by Amy and uses cut out animation and a spoken commentary with numerous puns and riddles to introduce and explain the concept and purpose of agriculture. Amy then details the steps in producing milk and honey. The video lasts for ...

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Post-harvest grain losses in Sub-Saharan Africa

This is a three-and-a-half-minute video promoting the case for investment in reducing the huge amount of grain lost to post-harvest pests and decay in Sub-Saharan Africa. It begins by highlighting the extent of grain losses, pointing out that they equal 20 per cent of all grain harvested, would have been worth about US$4 ...