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Video

Exploring Australia's Seafloor

This video, presented by marine ecologist Dr Rachel Przeslawski, explores how marine scientists make maps of the seafloor and what these maps are used for. Dr Przeslawski talks about her experiences as a marine scientist involved with making maps from ships and discovering the depth, shape and hardness of the sea floor. ...

Video

Introduction to tectonic plates (primary)

This short video is targeted at upper primary students but is suitable for a wider audience. It introduces the concept of tectonic plates making use of a tectonic plates puzzle. Students are asked to predict the direction and speed of plate movement and consider where and why earthquakes happen on the Australian Plate.

Video

Rocks from volcanoes

This short video introduces rocks from volcanoes and their features using some of the samples in the Geoscience Australia Education Centre. Students are shown different types of lava rock, bombs, obsidian and pumice. The video is suitable for middle primary and older students as well as a general audience; it introduces ...

Video

Identifying Minerals - Streak Test

This short video demonstrates how to determine the streak colour of a mineral sample. The video shows how to rub a mineral sample across a streak plate, and how to use a streak colour chart to help identify a mineral. The video also shows the difference in streak colour for pyrite (fool's gold) and real gold.

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Introduction to fossils

This video demonstrates different types of fossils, explains how fossils form and discusses why fossils why fossils are so useful for learning about life on Earth.

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Why are river pebbles round? Sugar shake: erosion experiment

This short video introduces the concepts of weathering and erosion by investigating why river pebbles are often rounded. Students can undertake an activity which demonstrates the process of erosion using sugar cubes. They are asked to predict what might happen (a hypothesis) and then observe what does happen and relate ...

Video

Liquefaction In Action

This short video examines the process of liquefaction and its impact on buildings and other structures. The video encourages students to investigate some of the ways engineers lessen the impact of earthquakes on buildings and to make their own liquefaction demonstration and extend it into an inquiry activity.

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The Geology of Minecraft

This short video discusses bedrock, obsidian and redstone using real rock samples and references to the Minecraft game.

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Fossil Shell Stories

This video presents examples of shell fossils that help us to understand where oceans were located in Australia millions of years ago. The shells lived in shallow marine environments before they died and became part of the rocks formed from sand and silt at the bottom of the water. Brachiopods from Woolshed Creek in Canberra ...

Video

Earthquake monitoring

This video introduces earthquake monitoring using seismometers and seismographs. It also features the National Earthquake Alert Centre. Students are asked to try making earthquakes at home using the accelerometers in their smartphones.

Online

Education - Return to 1616 Ecological Restoration Project

This is a comprehensive education package based on of the world's most exciting ecological restoration projects that is happening right now in Western Australia! It features interactive virtual tours, 3D skulls, videos, real-action inquiry projects, research projects, native animal educational card games and activities, ...

Online

Getting the buzz on bees and other beneficial insects

We’re going to investigate insects! Explore your outdoor surroundings to see if your habitat is home to bees and other beneficial insects. Use the field guide to help you get the buzz on bees and other local insects. OUTCOMES: For children to look closely for beneficial insects outdoors and identify those which are present; ...

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Beautiful biomes

In this lesson students learn the features of the five main biomes, and use ClassVR headsets and CoSpaces to design and create a virtual biome to explore. They research and identify the features of a biome and then create their own virtual environment. The resource explores the human impacts on biodiversity and explore ...

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Food innovation and molecular gastronomy lesson

In this lesson, students explore connections between science, design, and technologies through the lens of food innovation and food science. Students look at interesting and unusual food products, using food textures as a jumping off point to explore the relationship between chemistry and food. Students then experiment ...

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DTiF in conversation with Save the Bilby Fund – Background information on the Save the Bilby Fund

Kevin Bradley, CEO of Save the Bilby Fund, and Cassandra Arkinstall, a researcher and volunteer at Save the Bilby Fund, explain why the bilby is an important indicator of the health of an ecosystem, and how their decline impacts other wildlife. This video gives an overview of what the Save the Bilby Fund does as they work ...

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Create dichotomous keys lesson

In this lesson students engage in a hands-on exploration of local diversity. Students research and record local wildlife, learn about biodiversity in Australia, and conduct a ‘bush blitz’. They learn how to create dichotomous keys and translate their keys into a wildlife discovery app prototype. The resource includes links ...

Online

Creating a bee hotel: research

Explore the different types of bees common to Australia, their features including how they are different to flies and wasps. We will focus on native bees, specifically to learn about their nesting habitat. This learning activity is the first part of a sequence of 2 individual learning activities focused on creating a bee ...

Online

Water for wildlife

With Australia’s changing climate we need to adapt to our altering conditions. This is challenging but also possible for humans through behaviour change and infrastructure change (too advanced?) but not quite so easy for our precious wildlife. While water is considered renewable as it functions as part of a water cycle, ...

Online

Creating an Indigenous plant-use garden: harvesting

The satisfaction of eating straight from the garden is one of life’s best learning experiences, however we need to be respectful and mindful to only harvest what we need to allow the plant to continue to thrive for generations to come. This activity involves the assessment and mapping of local environments to create a successful ...

Online

Creating an Indigenous plant-use garden: vision

Planning for an Indigenous plant-use garden is a good way to develop a connection with and respect for First Nations people's perspectives. Use this learning activity to explore exciting ideas, create goals and understand more about successful Indigenous plant-use garden projects. Outcomes of this learning activity are ...