Brooke Topelberg In 2003, Mrs Brooke Topelberg—only three years out from an education degree and just back from two years’ teaching in inner London—was appointed science coordinator of Westminster Primary School. The school is set in a high immigrant, low socio-economic suburban area in northern Perth. Science was a low priority at the school.
Jane Wright Students at Adelaide’s Loreto College have been investigating extra-sensory perception, finding the best way to neutralise spills of household cleaners, and testing the antibiotic effects of Manuka honey. They present their results not just by writing reports, but using talks, videos, role-plays and stories. Their activities are typical of the practical, can-do attitude…
Wednesday 8 December 2010 Today’s stories from the physics conference in Melbourne include: Tomorrow’s technology pioneers recognised today From the laser to quantum optics Prof Kostya (Ken) Ostrikov (Kostya.Ostrikov@csiro.au), a CSIRO scientist who set the ground rules for constructing new materials atom by atom using collections of charged particles known as plasmas; Teleportation Prof Hans-Albert…
This week on radio, Tim Thwaites is talking about why pierced ears became inflamed; how the physics of skipping stones can improve flying; boosting your brain; using your home computer to find heavenly bodies; and more…
“Our failure to act on climate change could encourage an underground movement to take action and fix climate change through geo-engineering. It’s a real threat according to leading academics. And the ethics of geo-engineering were explored at a Victorian government backed conference in California earlier this year,” says science commentator Tim Thwaites. Shock? Horror? Why…
11 am, 27 April 2010 From Australians stranded in Europe to fresh vegetable growers in Africa, people dependent on the world’s airlines have done it hard in the past two weeks. If the eruption of one volcano in Iceland can disrupt us so badly, what could the Bluebird project do? You are about to find…
Len Altman Geoscience is at the heart of some of humanity’s biggest challenges in the 21st Century: access to water; alternative energy sources like geothermal and hydro; and adapting to climate change. “So why,” asks Len Altman, “Are students in our schools more likely to learn about the moons of Jupiter or the rings of…
Allan Whittome Badgingarra Primary School is perched on a hill three hours north of Perth, looking out across fields of canola and wheat. The approach to the school is lined with sculptures of native animals and a model of the Solar System made in limestone, set amongst native plants. In the classroom the students are…
Explore what evolution means in a changing world. Find out how your students can save the environment. Understand the reality of climate change.
Our colleague Kim McKay in Sydney has won a prize from the US AAAS for her children’s book on ‘100 things you can do to save the planet’.