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Listed under:  Science  >  Forces and energy  >  Heat
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Convection Currents

This activity invites students to explore convection currents in water. Warmer water rising through cooler water bends light, allowing students to project its motion onto a screen and observe the flow. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, what to do and notice, an explanation for the underlying ...

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Work sample Year 3 Science: Disappearing ice cubes

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 3 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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Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

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

Interactive

Sites2See: Surf safety

A webpage about surfing safety, dangerous waves and rips, and the history and science of surfing. A 'For Kids' section provides games and quizzes for young swimmers and surfers.

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Expansion and Contraction

This is a problem-solving activity in which students are engaged in a challenge is to control virtual bridges using expansion and contraction so that a car can pass over them. In so doing they learn about the expansion of solids, liquids and gases when heated is applied. Students need to understand how a bimetallic strip works.

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Science principles in traditional Aboriginal Australia

This is an illustrated article about how Aboriginal people's traditional knowledge demonstrates an understanding of physics, biology and chemistry and how Aboriginal people gather knowledge through observation, testing, trial and error, adapting and retesting. Written by Kudjala/Kalkadoon Elder from Queensland Letitia ...

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Photonic Chip

This 12 minute video segment from Catalyst explains why photonics promises to remove bottlenecks and speed up the entire Internet by sending information with light rather than tardy little electrons. An excellent source of information on the current science for students of information systems.

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Melbourne Recital Centre

This 6 minute video segment from Catalyst explains how understanding the properties of sound and modelling has been successfully applied to create the ideal space for recitals.

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Why is it cooler up the mountains?

'Ask an expert' ABC article about why is it cooler up in the mountains though it's closer to the sun and hot air rises. An excellent explanation that elicits discussion about solar radiation and heat energy and how energy is transferred and transformed.

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Laptop wrap: Under universal skies

A webpage with a focus on the electromagnetic spectrum and its links with radio astronomy with supporting activities and links to resources.

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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 ...

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Sites2See: Light and Matter

Links to resources to explore fundamental questions about light and matter and the application of the physics of light and matter to the past, the future and to space. Includes a quick quiz, links to additional DEC NSW physics resources and to the International Science School at the University of Sydney.

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Measuring Voltage

In this simulation students select to measure the voltage across one, two or three light bulbs in series to measure the voltage drop across one, two of three bulbs.

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Very Large Telescope

This 10 minute video segment from Catalyst explains why the telescope is located where it is and relates it to the properties of light.

Interactive

Fuses and Circuit Breakers

Students use this resource consisting of five slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how a fuse protects a circuit and learn some uses of resettable circuit breakers. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

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Sites2See: Exploring energy for Primary

One page with links to websites with interactive resources, information and activities to support primary students investigating energy and the Climate Clever Energy Savers program.

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Solar Prints

This 6 minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent introduction to the science behind photovoltaics. A useful comparison of the efficiency of energy conversion. Discussion of other issues considered in producing devices to use renewable energy to make electricity.

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Climate change – creating critical thinkers … not sceptics!

Climate change was once just part of the science domain, but today it is a political juggernaut! This unit explores the science of climate change as a scientific concept and a political issue. The unit includes PDF resources and video quiz challenges for teachers and student and the library section provides extra resources ...

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Temperature changes the properties of a substance

Substances that are very cold have different properties to substances that are hot. Watch as the Surfing Scientist uses hot and cold water, food colouring and a fish tank to demonstrate what happens when water at different temperatures is mixed together.

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Colourful Weather, Ep 1: What shape is a rainbow?

All you need is water, the sky and sunlight and you’ve got something that’s colourful – with a pot of gold at each end. What is it? A rainbow! Find out what happens to sunlight inside a raindrop, why rainbow colours are always in the same order and the real shape of a rainbow. Tip: it’s not an arch!