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Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Online

Biodiversity: protecting the environment

This study guide examines the complexity and importance of maintaining a vibrant and healthy farming environment including management of the biodiversity that pasture, livestock and natural fauna and flora. A range of articles and activities explore the challenges and opportunities that cattle and sheep farmers are embracing ...

Video

Biomes that produce our food, industrial materials and fibre: producer video

This is a video about the mixed farming operations of Boonderoo Pastoral Company in South Australia. The farm is introduced by owner Lachie Seears who describes its size, family history and how region's Mediterranean climate allows him to diversify across a range of valuable commodities including Angus cattle, cross-breed ...

Online

Biosecurity

This is a unit of work about the biosecurity of Australia’s agriculture. The unit focuses on how introduced species can affect the balance of ecosystems. The major activities in this unit focus on the concept of interdependence in ecosystems; the importance of biosecurity and control of outbreaks. A simple experiment models ...

Video

Borneo Live Reef Fish Trade

This nearly 13 minute video segment from Catalyst explains how Fisheries scientists warn that if fishing around the world continues at its current pace, more and more species will vanish. The coral triangle is one particular area where biodiversity is at risk, and the top predator appears to be humans.

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Bringing mining to life: STEM careers

This is a unit of work about mining, occupations in the mining industry and the history and future of mining in Australia. The resource includes: An introduction with teacher notes, student tasks, embedded videos and links to additional resources. Specific topics explored include jobs in the mining industry; the role ...

Video

BTN: Animal recognition system

We have all heard of human face recognition systems, but have you heard of animal recognition technology? Watch this clip to discover how an 'animal recognition gate' is being used to separate the sheep from the goats. Find out how this innovative application of a popular technology might help farmers manage pest animals ...

Video

BTN: China's internal migration

For decades China has experienced a mass migration of people from rural to urban areas. This large-scale movement of people is putting pressure on the resources and facilities of cities such as Shanghai. Watch this clip, first broadcast in 1993, to find out the reasons for China's internal migration and the challenges it ...

Video

BTN: Curbing the carp population

Find out why European carp fish are called 'river rabbits' in Australia. Listen to how they came to Australia and what makes them such a pest now.Discover how a local entrepreneur is exploiting the new resource while scientists are doing their best to cap the carp population explosion.

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BTN: South Australia's ancient sea fossils

Come on a palaeontologist's dig at Emu Bay, South Australia, and discover some weird-looking creatures frozen in stone. Find out what these fossils tell scientists about life on the ancient sea floor. There is a demonstration of how a fossil is formed, and you'll be surprised by the types of materials that have been preserved.

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BTN: World population explosion, 1996

The growth of the world's population and the pressure this places on resources and the environment is a highly debated topic. Watch this clip from 1996 to find out about the trends and concerns associated with population growth at that time, and consider how perspectives and patterns may differ today.

Online

Carbon clues

Carbon is all around us and available to us in many different forms, yet we can’t see it and often we don’t even know it’s there – using a detective story setting students sift through clues to build an understanding of carbon and the implications of its use. The unit includes PDF resources and video quiz challenges for ...

Video

Carbon country update

This five and a half minute video segment from Catalyst discusses the potential to manage controlled burning in Arnhem that reduces frequency of wildfires to provide other benefits. The potential to turn this into economic benefits from carbon trading is explored and the science investigations that will first be essential.

Video

Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases

Have you heard of greenhouse gases? What do you think they are? (The word 'greenhouse' is a big clue!) The delicate balance of greenhouse gases has been affected by the addition of an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) to our atmosphere in the last 150 years. Watch this video to find out how CO2 is being added ...

Online

Carbon is energy

We all use energy every day. Energy is available to us in many different forms - food, heat, electricity, petrol. But where does it all come from? This unit investigates the science of energy, renewable and non-renewable energy sources and how they can be sustained into the future. The unit includes PDF resources and video ...

Online

Caring for our carbon

Carbon is all around us and available to us in many different forms – as an atmospheric gas, as an energy source, and as a food source. This unit investigates the science of carbon and the issue of climate change as both a scientific concept and a political issue, and, through discussion and debate, support students' to ...

Video

Catalyst: Aboriginal fire knowledge reduces greenhouse gases

Come on an eye-opening trip to Western Arnhem Land in northern Australia to find out how Aboriginal fire-control techniques are used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by thousands of tonnes.On the trip you will also find out how exploding ping-pong balls are used to create low greenhouse gas firebreaks at the right time ...

Video

Catalyst: Chemical pollutants toxic to whales

Explore how chemical pollutants affect the Antarctic food web. A scientist shows that baleen whales are consuming Antarctic krill contaminated by accumulated residues of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from pesticides and industrial chemicals. Find out why these pollutants are concentrated at the Earth's polar regions.

Video

Catalyst: Climate and bushfires in Australia

What can science tell us about the major cause of bushfires in Australia's past? How can it help us predict future bushfires? Two scientists discuss evidence related to bushfire regimes (bushfire patterns, types and intensity). Please note that this clip contains recent images of homes destroyed by fire that may disturb ...