Science / Year 9 / Science Inquiry Skills / Evaluating

Curriculum content descriptions

Evaluate conclusions, including identifying sources of uncertainty and possible alternative explanations, and describe specific ways to improve the quality of the data (ACSIS171)

Elaborations
  • identifying gaps or weaknesses in conclusions (their own or those of others)
  • identifying alternative explanations that are also consistent with the evidence
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Sampling bias,  Reliability,  Evaluation

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The mountain-pygmy possum: On the edge Teacher Resource

In this series of tasks, students identify habitats for the endangered mountain pygmy-possum, and use Geographic Information System (GIS) and geographical techniques to identify preferred survey sites and to estimate population numbers. The resource focuses on the biophysical environment of suitable alpine habitats; students ...

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Geological sequestration

This is an information sheet containing a student activity simulating geological sequestration of carbon dioxide as well as background information for teachers. The background information describes sequestration in geologic formations, including oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams and deep saline reservoirs. The ...

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Syllabus Bites: Traditional knowledge and sustainable ecosystems

This resource supports students to assess how the knowledge and cultural practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is being used to conserve and manage sustainable ecosystems and a sustainable future. Numerous short videos and links provide a rich variety of case studies. A task, including marking guidelines ...

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Biodiversity: protecting the environment

This study guide examines the complexity and importance of maintaining a vibrant and healthy farming environment including management of the biodiversity that pasture, livestock and natural fauna and flora. A range of articles and activities explore the challenges and opportunities that cattle and sheep farmers are embracing ...

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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, ...

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Can photons and atoms generate laser?

Electrons around atoms can absorb and emit photons of particular colours of light – see three different atomic models explain what's going on.

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Daisies describe an ecosystem

Ecosystems are affected by many factors including increasing temperatures, which many scientists believe threaten natural systems on Earth today. This creative clip uses a theoretical world of black and white daisies to show how changes to the natural reflectivity of a planet's surface impacts temperatures and populations. ...

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Experimentals: Do different things fall faster?

Want to find out what happens when you drop a watermelon and an apple from the top of a building? In this clip, Bernie Hobbs and Ruben Meerman, investigate whether the mass of an object influences how fast it falls. Bernie and Ruben ride the 'Giant Drop' at Dreamworld, drop a watermelon and apple from an eighth floor balcony, ...

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Catalyst: Large Hadron Collider discovery, 2012

Have you heard of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)? Watch this clip to find out about a scientific discovery at the LHC that left physicists uncharacteristically emotional. Catalyst's Dr Derek Muller takes you inside the LHC and talks to scientists there about the discovery of the Higgs boson and what it means for our understanding ...

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Four Corners: Megafires

Are we approaching the 'age of megafires'? It might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but some scientists believe there is cause for concern. Watch this clip to find out how bushfires as we know them are changing. Discover why.

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Atoms of Fire: Atoms and organic compounds

Can you imagine someone who lived over 2400 years ago saying that all matter is made up of atoms? Democritus, an ancient Greek, did. Explore the history of this scientific idea with chemist Amanda Tilbury. Hear how Swedish scientist Jöns Berzelius postulated much later that only living tissue could make an organic compound ...

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DIY Lava Lamp

This resource contains lessons plans containing instructions and teachers' notes for an activity based on a chemical reaction that occurs when a soluble aspirin tablet dissolves and the fact that oil and water do not mix are used to create a model of a lava lamp. Students have fun while they learn about density of fluids. ...

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Water recycling

This 11 minute video segment from Catalyst provides an excellent explanation of the processes involved in recycling sewage for an urban water supply. It also provides a range of opinions and concerns in an excellent debate on the topic.

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Dengue Mozzie

This nine and a half minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent example of current Australian science, the use of biological controls on a pest and modern techniques and approaches to fighting the spread of human disease.

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DIY pH Indicator

This resource contains lessons plans containing instructions and teachers 'notes for an activity based on the natural pH indicator present in red cabbage leaves. It can be extracted following these explicit and clear directions included for this activity. This indicator solution changes colour from purple to bright pink ...

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Ibis Invasion

This ABC In Depth feature article describes research on Australian white ibis - or 'tip turkeys' as many call them. They are regarded as a nuisance in cities, especially in the spring breeding season. But scientists fear they may become extinct as more pressure is put on the wetlands that are their native and adopted environments. ...

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Rabbit immunity

This 6 minute video segment from Catalyst covers a range of biological concepts associated with the history, impacts and methods of control of the introduced rabbit in Australia.

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Laptop wrap: Palaeontology

A webpage with a focus on the work of a palaeontologist, featuring the palaeontologist Robert Jones answering questions from students about his career.

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Pipe dreams

This ABC In Depth feature article is a case study shows how the impacts of human activities including irrigation on the environment and agriculture cannot always be predicted. The Ord River has long been touted as a possible northern food bowl. But nearly four decades after the irrigation scheme was created, why has it ...

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Treetop kangaroos

This ABC In Depth feature article includes everything you wanted or needed to know about tree kangaroos. This article describes their reproduction, classification, adaptations and issues relating to their conservation.