Science / Year 7 / Science as a Human Endeavour / Use and influence of science

Curriculum content descriptions

Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)

Elaborations
  • relating regulations about wearing seatbelts or safety helmets to knowledge of forces and motion
  • considering issues relating to the use and management of water within a community
  • considering decisions made in relation to the recycling of greywater and blackwater
  • considering how human activity in the community can have positive and negative effects on the sustainability of ecosystems
  • investigating ways to control the spread of the cane toad
General capabilities
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Environmental management,  Technology,  Ethics,  Energy resources,  Farming systems,  Medicine,  Social influence

Online

Game changers and change makers: resource book of ideas for National Science Week 2018

This resource book includes ideas to support students’ involvement in investigating, exploring, experimenting, designing, creating and communicating their understandings about game changers and change makers from the past who have solved some of the seemingly unsolvable problems, to game changers and change makers of today, ...

Interactive

Chicken farming in the living world: Stage 4

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 'What scientific knowledge has influenced the current agricultural practices of the chicken meat industry?' and comprises a ...

Video

Landline: Drones and bugs

We don't normally associate robotics with farming but, in fact, robotics have revolutionised farming and agriculture in recent years. Find out how some strawberry farmers are using drones to disperse 'good' bugs for pest control management. Can you think of some other ways drones could be used to help farmers?

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Returning water to Hattah Lakes

The two short videos in this series highlight the value of Hattah Lakes and the importance of ensuring that sufficient water replenishes the lakes during dry times. The videos explain how dams and weirs upstream store flood water that would otherwise fill the lakes. A collaborative engineering project reduced the environmental ...

Interactive

2024 Dreaming

Explore options for houses, work, food and transport in 2024 in this multimedia presentation from Radio National. A useful resource for stimulating discussion about applications of science and implications for society and the environment as well as current issues and developments in science. Gives examples of how different ...

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Gardening Australia: Creating a wetland

Find out how a school uses stormwater to create a wetland habitat for native plants. Josh Byrne visits Swan Valley Anglican School to observe the growth of their vegetable garden and to help out in the creation of the wetland. Discover what plants are best for a wetland habitat and how it will increase biodiversity and ...

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BTN: Storing data in a 'cloud'

Explore how you can access all of your personal files from any electronic device, anytime. See how cloud computing makes it no longer necessary to have separate copies of your photos, music and documents on every device you use. Watch this clip to find out more about cloud technology and the future of data storage and retrieval.

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Gardening Australia: Exploring the finished garden

Explore the Swan Valley Anglican Community School garden with Josh Byrne, and you will be amazed at what they have created in just six months. This clip will inspire you to create your very own productive garden.

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Foreign Correspondent: Siberian tigers

Imagine a world where the only place Siberian tigers lived was in captivity. Watch this clip to learn more about the natural habitat of Siberian tigers and the things that threaten their survival in the wild. Chinese scientists are breeding this endangered species in captivity and zoologist, Liu Dan, explains his hope that ...

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BTN: The Moon landing

Some say landing on the moon is as one of humanity's greatest achievements. Learn about the history of the moon landing and some of the challenges faced by scientists. See actual footage of the astronauts on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission.

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ABC News: Disease threatens fish

Imagine what would happen if a deadly fish disease found its way into Australia's biggest river system. Watch this clip to learn more about a disease threatening the ecology of the Murray-Darling River. Scientist, Professor Richard Whittington, explains that the disease could be the final straw for an endangered Australian ...

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ABC News: Supporting sustainable farming

Consider the vast land that is Australia. How might we, as a community, help to keep our land sustainable? Explore the ideas put forward by Professor Peter Cullen and Dr John Williams in response to the continuing drought conditions of 2003. What role could city dwellers play so that farmers could better care for the land?

Interactive

Sites2See: Sustainable transport

A single web page resource developed with the NRMA containing links to sites and other resources about hybrid vehicles, low emission fuels and sustainable transport.

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.

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 ...

Interactive

Science Talk 2007: Martina Doblin

An interview and lab tour with Dr Martina Doblin, a phytoplankton ecologist at UTS. Martina talks to students and their teacher from Concord High School about her work studying microscopic organisms such as the toxic algae that make up harmful algal blooms.

Interactive

Science Talk 2007: Glenn Porter

A master class and tour of the University of Western Sydney (UWS) Crime Scene House with Glenn Porter, a forensic scientist. Students talk to Glenn and PhD students to see what all the fuss is about with forensic science.

Video

Sea Urchins

This 7 minute video segment from Catalyst describes an excellent example of how biologists have worked to investigate and solve a problem of an invading species of sea urchin that was devastating a marine ecosystem. The scientific approach to develop a biological control needed to rely on technologies such as radio tracking ...

Text

Trees and chairs as carbon sinks

This ABC is in Q&A format and simply explains the answer to the question 'Could we really plant our way out of climate change?'

Video

Party locusts

This 8 minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent example of animal behaviour of locusts as a successful adaptation and how understanding the behaviour can potentially help reduce the damage they cause.