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Balance

This activity invites students to explore the phenomena of balance and investigate the question, 'Can you find at least three different ways of balancing three identical weights on a balance board?' Students work with a simple balance (e.g., a ruler as the balance board, a toilet-paper-tube fulcrum, and coins as weights), ...

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Corner Reflector

This activity invites students to use two hinged mirrors create a kaleidoscope that shows multiple images of an object. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, assembly instructions, what to do and notice, an explanation for the underlying science of what students observe and suggestions for further ...

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Cold Metal

This activity invites students to investigate why, when you touch a variety of materials, some will seem warmer or colder than others, even when they're at the same temperature. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, what to do and notice, an explanation for the underlying science of what students ...

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Naked Egg

This activity invites students to use a giant cell (a de-shelled chicken egg) to explore the comings and goings of cellular substances. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, what to do and notice, an explanation for the underlying science of what students observe and suggestions for further activities.

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Shell Shifts

This activity invites students to explore how the pH of a solution dictates whether carbon is present in the form needed to make seashells. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, what to do and notice, an explanation for the underlying science of what students observe and suggestions for further activities.

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Cranky Contraptions

This activity invites students to make Cranky Contraptions, kinetic sculptures that animate a character or scene when a handle is turned. These automata are powered by a simple crank slider mechanism which provides the basic motion. Everyday materials around can be repurposed into these contraptions. The activity includes ...

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Identifying Minerals - Determining Density

This short video demonstrates how to determine the density of a mineral sample. The video explains how to calculate density, then shows students how accurately measure the mass and volume of a mineral sample.

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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. ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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The Australian Coast - Teacher notes and student activities

This 100 page booklet explores the major physical environmental characteristics of the Australian coast. It also provides an outline of the major physical processes which shape the coast and introduces the human-induced processes which impact upon Australia’s coast. The booklet contains a glossary, links to online resources, ...

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Weathering, erosion, landforms and regolith - Teacher notes and student activities

This 112 page booklet explores the processes of weathering, erosion and deposition. It highlights the different types of weathering, erosion and transport and provides examples of famous landscapes to enhance the understanding of these processes. It includes case studies about the formation of many Australian landforms ...

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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.

Downloadable

See how they run

This activity introduces lava viscosity and influence on volcanic cone shape. The download includes background information for teachers and an activity sheet for students. The activity involves making lava slime and racing this down a slope. Participants are asked to predict how lava viscosity might influence volcanic shape ...

Downloadable

Plate tectonics globe tennis ball activity

This activity is designed to help students visualise plate boundaries on a spherical Earth, rather than on a flat map. The downloadable PDF includes a model to cut out that shows major plate boundaries, boundary types and highlights our own Indo-Australian plate. The activity includes assembly instructions and pieces to ...

Downloadable

Analysis of earthquakes using real map and data sets

This teacher guide provides information about earthquakes and online portals to download real world earthquake data, as well as two student inquiry activities. Each activity includes instructions on how to access and use the relevant portal as well as questions that prompt students to find, record, and interpret the data. ...

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Work sample Year 1 Science: Minibeast habitat

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 1 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

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Work sample Year 4 Science: Amusement park ride

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 4 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

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Work sample Year 8 Science: Bouncing ball

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 8 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

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Work sample Year 10 Science: Big bang theory

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 10 Science. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...