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Interactive

Waters of Kamay

This learning sequence explores the salt and fresh waters of Kamay Botany Bay, its importance as a life source and the cultural connection it has to the Aboriginal people living at Kamay. Water is essential for life. It nourishes our bodies, our lands and supports all life on earth. It is home to wondrous and significant ...

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Different paper plane designs

How many different paper plane designs are there? Lots! Watch as Dylan Parker, paper plane expert, demonstrates some of his favourites. Notice the way the different shapes and features of the planes cause them to move through the air in different ways. Which one do you like the most? Why not have a go at making something similar?

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Growing carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are a very tiny but super strong material used in manufacturing to create strong, lightweight products. Besides sporting equipment, find out what other kinds of products are made using these tiny molecules. What other qualities (besides size and strength) do carbon nanotubes have that makes them even more ...

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For the Juniors: Tall buildings that won't fall

What makes tall buildings strong and stable? View this clip to find out how a tall building made from concrete is made even stronger. Look at a model of the building to see how it will look when it's built. See if you can pick up some design tips to help you build your own tall structure!

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For the Juniors: Wheely good wheels

Wheels are round and come in many sizes, but how does a wheel turn? In this clip we show you how a wheel and axle work together to provide movement.

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Building spaghetti bridges

Have you ever tried making a bridge out of dried spaghetti? What about a spaghetti bridge that can support a roadway and small car? Watch as teams of first-year university students reveal and test their designs. How did they decide what kind of bridges to build? Have a go at designing, testing and building your own spaghetti ...

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How to design and build a robot in six weeks!

Evan, a mechanical mentor for FIRST Robotic Competition's 3132 'Thunder Down Under', outlines the processes involved in designing, building and testing a robot in six weeks. What influences the team in their design and building processes? Can you think of anything else that might influence the design and build of the robot ...

Online

Drone search lesson

This lesson plan introduces students to the practice and applications of using drones to take aerial photographs. Students learn safety procedures regarding the use of drones then capture images of simulated disaster areas. Students observe the use of drones in science and technology-based endeavours and suggest new applications ...

Interactive

Chicken farming in the living world: Stage 1

Chickens are fascinating animals and provide students with an interesting subject matter to discuss the many aspects of our living world. This interactive course for students explores the question 'How do humans use plants and animals?' and comprises a series of modules and supporting videos. Students will plan, design ...

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The innovator

This is a short animated film highlights the versatility of wool as a natural fibre. The wordless film journeys through the ages and offers a unique view on how wool has been used - and continues - to clothe humans. The video provides an humourous stimulus resource to highlight the range of properties of wool.

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Sam the Lamb: Does wool burn?

This short entertaining video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and 'Professors' Madeleine and Daisy test which fabrics burn easily and which fabrics are the most flame resistant. Sam and his science team test the flammability of a range of synthetic and natural fabrics including polyester, polar fleece, cotton and wool.

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Sam the Lamb: properties of wool

This short video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and a group of young wool enthusiasts, explores the properties of one of nature’s most versatile fibres. Viewers will discover how wool can stretch and return to its natural shape when worn; why wool is safe to wear around campfires and in the sun, and how wool can manages moisture ...

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Sam the Lamb: what is wool?

This short video, narrated by Sam the Lamb and a group of young woolgrowers, explores where wool comes from, how it grows and how it protects sheep in all kinds of weather. Viewers will discover what wool looks it, how it feels and how woolgrowers harvest their sheep’s woolly fleece each year…and how it grows back again.

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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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For the Juniors: Making Bread in a Factory

Have you ever wondered how your sandwich bread is made? This clip shows the story of bread, beginning with flour being loaded into a truck. Watch big machines mix the dough. See your bread being baked, then packed ready for the shop.

Interactive

Science Talk 2008

An online resource with interviews and master classes with many of Australia's prominent scientists. Interviews with eight scientists in areas of astronomy, marine biology, bio-chemistry related to medical research, chemistry related to materials science, astro-imaging, palaeontology, climate change science and psychology ...

Online

Exploring farms that produce our meat and wool

This is a teacher resource containing a sequence of activities relating to meat and wool production in Australia. It contains material to assist planning and implementing a study of where farmers live, where our meat and wool comes from, technologies used in production and resource management, and how farm environment and ...

Online

Investigating technologies in agriculture

This is a teacher resource containing a series of inquiry teaching sequences about the role that technologies play in the production of food and fibre in Australia. It contains material to assist the planning, implementing and assessing a study of a range of primary industries and the innovative methods and equipment they ...

Online

Exploring the production and marketing of seafood

This is a teacher resource containing a series of inquiry teaching sequences relating to seafood production and marketing in Australia. It contains material to assist planning, implementing and assessing a research task about the technologies and methods used in the fishing and aquaculture industries to catch and farm seafood, ...

Online

Salmon Growing in Tasmania

This is a unit of work on aquaculture with a particular focus on the Tasmanian salmon farming industry. The unit provides a series of structured investigations leading to a design challenge which asks students to create an improved salmon pen. Activities include: an introduction to aquaculture and sustainable farming methods; ...