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Interactive

Indigenous weather knowledge

An interactive map of traditional weather and climate knowledge that has been developed and passed down through countless generations by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The site provides descriptions of the sixteen seasonal calendars used by First Nations peoples across Australia.

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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.

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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.

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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 ...

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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.

Interactive

Earth rotation: night and day

Watch an animation of the Earth rotating in space showing day and night, the equinox where locations on Earth experience close to equal hours of daytime and night-time (12 hours) and views of the Earth from above the North and South Poles. Turn an animated model of the Earth to explore how rotation is related to night and ...

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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.

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ABC News Dr Karl discusses the Earths heat video

Discover the activities deep within the Earth that could seriously impact life on Earth far into the future. Watch this video to find out about the sources of the Earth's own heat. Dr Karl explains clearly just what is below the Earth's surface and what is happening there. As well, he talks about changes in the Sun and ...

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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.

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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 ...

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Earthshine

This six and a half minute video segment from Catalyst explains Earthshine as light from our own Earth reflected back from the Moon's dark side. A PhD student is studying it to learn about how light reflects from a planet that contains liquid water as well as land. Her work may one day lead to the discovery of other planets ...

Interactive

Solar System Quiz

This is a non-threatening ten question multiple choice quiz that gives students feedback on their understanding of our solar system that continues to reveal amazing facts and inspire some out-of-this-world fantasy. Excellent explanations given in the feedback. A useful resource to stimulate discussion or establish student ...

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How the sky works

This ABC Astronomy Basics article is an excellent example of simple explanations of many of the phenomena we observe in the sky. Features such as constellations, neighbouring galaxies and nebulae are outlined. It explains that finding constellations and planets in the ever-moving night sky can be challenging. It gives tips ...

Interactive

Catchment Detox

Students play the game and make decisions about the development of a catchment with competing economic and environmental demands. Students receive feedback on how sustainably their catchment has been managed.

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Sites2See: Astronomy for primary

A small galaxy of sites and resources, from Galileo making discoveries that changed our view of the universe, to new images and understandings from Hubble, on a page tailored for Primary students.

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Do-it-yourself podcast

This resource for educators and students details a do-it-yourself podcast activity that gives students the opportunity to host a show featuring astronauts conducting experiments on the International Space Station, or NASA experts explaining scientific concepts. A set of NASA audio and video clips is provided, along with ...

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.

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Our world: communications in space

This is a NASA 'Our World' video clip focusing on the different ways that astronauts on the International Space Station use technology to communicate with ground staff and others on Earth. The narrators include the puppet Lily and actual astronauts on the space station. Different modes of communication include radio contact, ...

Interactive

Spacewalk game

This is an interactive resource that explores the International Space Station through a Station Spacewalk Game in which participants conduct virtual NASA repair work on the International Space Station. In the game, participants leave the airlock and complete tasks executed by astronauts to help power up the space station ...

Interactive

My solar system

This is an interactive resource exploring the orbital motion of a system of planets. Using the orbital simulation, students can build their own system of planets and watch the gravitational ballet. They can set initial positions, velocities, and masses of 2, 3, or 4 bodies, and then see them orbit each other. This interactive ...