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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 - 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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Understanding the National Earthquake Alerts Centre

This video introduces the National Earthquake Alerts Centre. The video explains that earthquakes are detected by a network of seismometers; each station sends seismic information for analysis and checking by seismologists on duty. The video describes the types of wave forms in earthquakes and the sequence of events in ...

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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.

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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.

Downloadable

Exploring Minerals and Crystals: Teacher Notes and Activities

This 101 page booklet explores minerals and crystals. The resource includes sections on identifying minerals, significant minerals and gem resources in Australia and the uses of crystals. The booklet contains activity ideas and experiments for teachers and students.

Downloadable

Earthquakes - Teacher Notes and Student Activities

This 85 page booklet explores earthquakes. The booklet includes the causes and types of earthquakes, how earthquakes are recorded, magnitudes of earthquakes and case studies of significant Australian earthquakes. The booklet contains a glossary, links to online resources, activity ideas and experiments for students and ...

Downloadable

Geological Timewalk Booklet

This 58 page booklet explores geological timescales in the context of the Australian continent. Each section discusses a single geological time interval, and outlines the major geological, climatic and biological events which occurred in that interval, including continental drift, the break-up and amalgamation of continental ...

Downloadable

Volcanic hazards: What would an Emergency Manager do?

This activity examines a hypothetical city and its vulnerability to volcanic hazard risk. It includes background information for teachers, PowerPoint presentation, student activity sheet and worked answers.

Downloadable

Sugar Shake: Erosion experiment

This activity introduces weathering and erosion by investigating why river pebbles are often rounded. The download includes background information for teachers and an activity sheet for students. The activity demonstrates the process of erosion using sugar cubes. Students are asked to predict what might happen (a hypothesis) ...

Downloadable

Make your own microbit seismometer instructions and classroom activities

This 12 page guide explains how to set up a micro:bit as a mini seismometer that will detect shaking, and how to collect and display the data. The guide also includes classroom-ready activities on how to introduce and explore vibrations and earthquake monitoring.

Downloadable

Mapping the ocean floor

This activity builds understanding of sonar technique and applications through processing and plotting data to discover a seafloor feature and by bouncing balls on different surfaces and analysing rebound, relating this to ground hardness then extend understanding to 'backscatter' in bathymetry surveys. It is suitable for ...

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Park Ranger Problem Solving: An ‘Addition & Subtraction’ Rich Task for Years 3–4 - Calculate

The aim of this task is to provide a rich, contextual activity through which students can begin to explore the addition and subtraction of one- and two-digit of numbers in everyday contexts.

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Work sample Year 9 Science: Radioactivity

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 9 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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Geography: Landscapes and Landforms

Join Shona from Geoscience Australia and explore the formation of Australia's coastal, desert and mountain landforms and landscapes.

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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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Shadows

This activity invites students to explore the phenomena of shadows and investigate the question, 'How can you change shadows?' Students work with shadow phenomena outdoors, indoors, or both to figure out how to change the size, shape, and position of a shadow. The activity is designed for use at home or in a classroom and ...

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Ramps and rollers

This activity invites students to explore the phenomena of rolling objects down a ramp and investigate the question, 'What happens to a roller when you change the ramp by making it steeper?' Students experiment by rolling balls or cylinders down a ramp, and observe how the ramp's steepness affects how far their roller rolls ...

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Separation Anxiety

This activity invites students to explore colour chromatography, a technique that uses capillary action to separate different types of ink at different rates. 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 ...

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Physical world – design and production investigation

In this lesson sequence, students work in pairs to explore how light energy from the sun is converted to heat energy to cook food using a solar oven. They investigate types of solar oven designs while exploring materials that are the most efficient in achieving heat absorption and insulation. Students collect, analyse ...