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Interactive

Design thinking across the curriculum

This cross-curriculum resource is designed to introduce Stage 2, 3 and 4 students to the design thinking process through a series of videos and interactive activities. This resource is also downloadable as a SCORM file: the downloaded version will only work if you upload it to a webserver, such as Moodle or Canvas.

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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 ...

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Biosecurity surveillance at school

This activity outlines the process to undertake a biosecurity surveillance of a school environment. The teacher guide, slides and student sheets identify some invasive pests that represent a threat to NSW agriculture including cane toads, fire ants and exotic bees. The activity could be adapted for other locations.

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Going nuclear

In this unit students are guided to complete a short investigation into the considerations of siting a nuclear power station and then submitting a brief report and reflection.

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To mine or not to mine

In this activity, students outline the choices that need to be made when considering whether to use scientific and technological advances to obtain a resource from Earth's spheres.

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Earth and space – Stage 2

In this lesson sequence, students investigate some natural processes and human activities that cause erosion. The sequence uses a balance of synchronous and asynchronous learning strategies. The tasks provide options for students with and without technology. The sequence includes a student workbook and advice for parents ...

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Transportation Though the Ages: Science as a human endeavour

Humans are constantly working to develop and improve our technology and understanding. This resource provides step-by-step instructions to help students consider why innovative design and improvement is important. Students firstly identify as many types of transport they can think of and then discuss why new types of transport ...

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Investigate: cane toads

This unit of work is designed to help students understand cane toads and their threat to the Australian environment and agricultural production. Why some animals are to be protected and others need to be eradicated. The resource includes a teacher guide, student learning journal and a PowerPoint presentation.

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Catalyst: How will fire change the climate?

Considering the impact of a changing climate on the severity and frequency of fires is one thing, but how about the impact of fires on climate? Why does Professor David Bowman describe this scenario as a 'fire spiral'? What are the consequences of a world with fewer forests? As Professor Craig Allen explains, drought and ...

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Magical Land of Oz: Conserving the Great Australian Bight

What do you know of the Great Australian Bight? Learn about some of the unique wildlife that lives here. What makes it such a good habitat for these marine animals? What are some potential threats facing this pristine environment?

Online

Endangered species - marine turtles

This is a detailed plan for teaching a unit on endangered species - marine turtles. It includes a unit outline, overview and aim, learning outcomes, inquiry questions, background information about the marine turtles, lesson plans and a guide to assessment. The lesson sequence is based on the inquiry based 5Es approach to ...

Online

Coral bleaching

This is a detailed plan for teaching a unit on coral bleaching. It includes a unit outline, overview and aim, learning outcomes, inquiry questions, background information about coral bleaching, lesson plans and a guide to assessment. The lesson sequence is based on the inquiry based 5Es approach to teaching Science, with ...

Online

Green packaging lesson

This lesson plan engages students in finding ways to reduce plastic waste in food packaging. Students investigate problems created by plastic waste then observe ways these issues are being addressed. They design new packaging for food items that currently produce excessive waste then test their designs objectively. The ...

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Sustainable table: the coming famine

This is a website about the key issues related to global food insecurity. It contains sections on the scarcity of primary resources; land degradation; land scarcity; waste; climate change; consequences of inaction; and proposed solutions. Photographs, statistics, graphs, maps and figures support the information. This resource ...

Interactive

Save our catchment – virtual excursion

This virtual excursion offers twelve video lessons that form a sample investigation of pest species invading Australian riparian zones. Filmed on Bundjalung Country, the excursion traverses mid north coast NSW Upper Clarence River Catchment, connecting each video to companion classroom and field learning tasks. The invasive, ...

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Cockles' role in food webs

This is a colour video clip of marine scientist Stephen Wing, from the University of Otago in New Zealand, discussing the role cockles ('Austrovenus stutchburyi') play in marine food webs in New Zealand. (Classification - Phylum: Mollusca; Class: Bivalvia; Order: Veneroida; Family Veneridae.)

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Management of the northern savanna

Around the world, tropical savannas are in serious trouble. This clip from 2007 explores the use of Aboriginal technology for sustainable management of the environment in Australia's huge northern tropical savanna. Hear from two environmental scientists why traditional fire-management practices may reduce the incidence ...

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Wine-grape growing and climate change

View vineyards of the Yarra Valley region of Victoria in a news clip from 2006 and discover a warming climate's consequences for the region's wine-grape growers. This clip examines some of the ways these growers can adapt to climate change. An environmentalist also gives views on climate change and issues politicians with ...

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Catalyst: Megafauna fossils

Travel back in time in outback Australia and investigate the giant lumbering beasts of the past - the megafauna. Visit a fossil site in Cuddie Springs, New South Wales, where megafauna bones have been discovered. Explore the connection between Aboriginal peoples and megafauna, and theories for the extinction of Australia's ...

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Places we protect

This is a rich, multilayered resource about 35 protected Bush Heritage reserves throughout Australia. The resource includes a map of Australia that displays the locations of the 35 reserves. Each location is linked to important information and images including: quick facts; visiting information; the animals, plants and ...