Science / Year 8 / Science Inquiry Skills / Evaluating

• TLF-IDM017937

Fiery red, cool blue and sunny yellow are phrases used to describe feelings associated with colours. But what actually is colour? Why is it there and what helps us to see it? Follow Chloe Sheridan as she unravels the complexity of seeing colour by delving into its physics and biology. She entered this video in the 2013 ...

• TLF-IDM016632

This 5 minute video segment from Catalyst describes how a school student conducted his own scientific investigation. Daniel O'Doherty was intrigued to find out what was the carbon impact of travel to and from school each day, and what could be done to reduce this impact. His project won the 2008 Action Against Climate Change ...

• TLF-IDL2357

Select energy sources and energy converters to build energy chains to power appliances and vehicles. Examine how each energy converter in a chain loses some energy and reduces the energy available for use. For example, show that using a solar panel and an electric motor to drive a car delivers only 16% of the original ...

• TLF-IDL5821

Select samples from an outdoor setting. Magnify the substances to atomic level so that the particles they consist of can be seen. Sort the substances into groups based on how the particles are arranged and how they move. Classify the substances as solids, liquids or gases. For example, classify argon as a gas and ice as ...

• TLF-IDM015384

Explore the issues around the construction of the Traveston Dam in Queensland with Professor Jean Joss and former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. In this 2006 news report they outline arguments for and against the construction of the dam and how it would affect one of the few remaining homes of a 150-million- year-old ...

• TLF-IDM016019

Imagine living in the shadow of a volcano? Well, millions of people do in Naples, Italy, where a massive volcano called Vesuvius exists. This clip explores the dangers posed by volcanoes and investigates some recent and ancient eruptions. Find out some misconceptions about volcanoes and discover how science is helping prevent ...

• TLF-IDM015968

Did you know that Australia is the most flammable continent on Earth? Watch this clip to discover how bushfires impact natural ecosystems, and how the increasing global threat of bushfires may affect Australia. Australian scientists explain the ecological consequences of fire and a US expert describes his concerns for the future.

• TLF-IDM020429

If you had to measure the rain level for the whole globe, how would you go about it so you could have as accurate a reading as possible? Rain gauges are great for measuring rain in small areas, but why might they not be as good for measuring large areas? Watch this video to see how the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) ...

• TLF-IDM015553

Will a medicine ball or a basketball hit the ground first when dropped at the same time from the same height? In this clip, Catalyst's Dr Derek Muller investigates what influences the speed at which objects fall. Derek challenges some people in a market to make a prediction and explain their thinking, before he finally ...

• TLF-IDM025327

This resource explains how to make slime using cornflour to produce something called a non-Newtonian fluid. A non-Newtonian fluid is a substance which has properties of a liquid and a solid. This means it can flow like a liquid, but also can have a set shape. It all depends on the amount of force you apply to it. In this ...