Search results

Listed under:  Science  >  Earth and space  >  Universe  >  Planets  >  Earth
Text

Beyond Earth: Colonising Space

This resource provides a scaffold for students to respond to a persuasive writing task. The persuasive writing task requires students to determine where humans should create the first space colony, using prior learning and research to justify their decisions.

Text

Space Exploration: Community of Inquiry

In this resource, students participate in a community of inquiry to consider the implications of human space travel. This process gives students the opportunity to come to a full, shared understanding of the concepts and issues around human space travel.

Text

Stomp Rocket Design Challenge

This resource provides a scaffold for students to complete a design challenge. The design challenge requires students to create a stomp rocket that can travel to a chosen planet in the solar system. The design challenge can also be used to investigate forces and energy. It can be delivered over a number of lessons, or it ...

Text

Modelling the Seasons

This resource provides a scaffold for students to undertake a simple experiment. Students use a world globe and a heat lamp to investigate how the tilt of the Earth’s axis causes the seasons.

Text

It’s Alive: Conditions on Earth

In this resource, students investigate and measure the conditions of planet Earth. They explore temperature, gravity and the needs of living things. Students also discuss how some conditions on Earth are constant, while other conditions regularly change, and how living things have adaptations to survive these changes.

Text

Beyond Earth: Shelter from the Elements

This resource provides a scaffold for students to undertake a design challenge. The design challenge requires students to develop a shelter that protects humans from the hostile conditions on another planet. Students draw on their existing scientific understanding (for example, conductors and insulators), along with their ...

Video

Why we can see some planets but not others

In this planetarium demonstration, the air has been sucked out of the sky to give us a black sky so we can actually see the planets that are above us. Why is it that we can't always see the planets? How does our proximity to the sun affect how visible a planet is to us?

Interactive

NASA: Eyes Eclipse 2017

This interactive 3D simulation of the total eclipse of August 21st, 2017 enables users to navigate to different locations to watch a simulation of what the eclipse would look like from that area from start to finish. The simulation is available as a web and desktop applications suitable for most devices.

Video

From Stonehenge to STEREO

Humans have been studying the sun for a long time, possibly because life on Earth is directly influenced by the sun. Why is the sun so vital to life on Earth? Think about what would happen to life on Earth if the sun didn't exist.

Interactive

EarthViewer - iTunes app

Journey through geological time and discover changes on Earth from the Hadean time, more than 4.5 billion years ago, through to today. Find out about plate tectonics, continental movement, atmospheric conditions, life on Earth, extinction events, fossil sites and much more. Contains many features which include allowing ...

Video

ABC News: Dr Karl discusses mining asteroids

Imagine an asteroid, half the size of a football field, hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour! Watch this clip to find out about Asteroid 2012 DA14 and whether it poses any threat to Earth. You will also discover why mining prospectors are keen to capture asteroids such as this one. Could the next ...

Video

For the Juniors: How do you know when rain is coming?

How can you tell when rain is on the way? Some animals seem to know when wet weather is coming. This clip explains some different ways that people can tell it's going to rain.

Video

Why do the stars move across the sky?

If you stand still and look up at the night sky for hours on end, you'll notice that the stars will move across the sky westwards. The truth is, it's not the stars that are moving, it's us! Do you know how the Earth moves in space? What do we orbit?

Video

A long history of the Moon

The Moon is a familiar object in the night sky and impacts life on Earth as it orbits our planet. Watch this animation showing how the moon has changed since its formation 4.5 billion years ago. See how the Moon's surface altered over time as volcanoes and asteroids created the basins and craters present on the Moon today.

Interactive

DIY Sun Science - iTunes app

Try some hands on investigations that relate to learning about the Sun. Follow step-by-step procedures, read through explanations to find out why things happened and also view related video clips. Free when reviewed on 12/5/2015.

Video

Living on the moon!

Imagine living on the moon! What are some of the essentials you may need that you take for granted on Earth? How would you source or access these necessities on the moon?

Video

Phases of the moon

Can you name the different phases of the moon? Watch this video and learn about the phases, how long a full lunar cycle is and why the moon looks larger at times.

Video

And now for the Sun's weather

The Sun is the primary source of energy on Earth and plays a major role in the weather we experience, but how does it affect weather in space? Watch this animation showing what happens when there is solar wind, solar flare and even a solar storm. Find out about their impacts on our planet and on us.

Video

BTN: Living on the International Space Station

What would it be like to live on a space station? In this clip you'll see footage of astronauts on the International Space Station and discover what their daily life is like. You'll also find out about how the space station was built and about some important research being done there.

Video

Triple J: Why is Pluto not a planet?

Watch this clip and learn why Pluto was taken off the official list of planets. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki explains the three criteria that must be met before planets can be called planets. What are they?