Earth Science Week 2021 is just around the corner. Take the opportunity to join in some of the activities!
11am – 12noon. Online (register here from Thursday 30 September)
Geoscience Australia’s CEO James Johnson and Chief Scientist Steve Hill will preview Geoscience Australia’s new Science Strategy, and explain how we apply our science to support a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment. Learn what makes Geoscience Australia the nation’s trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia.
Accessible any time. Online (visit this webpage any time from 10–16 October to participate)
Think you know your granite from your gold? Gather online with your fiendishly-clever family, competitive classmates or fun-loving friends to participate in our Earth Science Week quiz! Test your knowledge of earthquakes, fossils, mountains and more! Are you a Geoscience Genius?
The quiz is designed for upper-primary aged children, but it is great fun for everyone. Play individually or as a group.
Accessible any time via Geoscience Australia’s Facebook page.
While many Australians cannot currently travel, they can still explore the country virtually through Satellite Sleuths. Each day from 11–15 October inclusive, Geoscience Australia will share an earth observation image showing something fascinating somewhere in Australia. Your task is to identify what the image depicts. Don your trilby hat and trench-coat and test who is the most super of all sleuths amongst your friends and family.
Via radio in the ACT on 98.3FM, 11am – 12noon, or the following week via podcast at https://fuzzylogicon2xx.podbean.com/
Move over Batman, there are new crime fighters in town! Guests from Geoscience Australia will share fascinating stories about how geoscience can be used to fight crime on the Fuzzy Logic Radio Show.
Geochemist Patrice de Caritat, will dish the dirt on how researchers in Canberra trialled a new method of tracking the movements of criminals using soil, Collection Officer Natalie Schroeder will share how Australia’s first female Commonwealth palaeontologist helped to solve a crime at Canberra’s Federal Golf Club in 1952 using her knowledge of fossils, and Geoscience Australia Laboratories Director Keith Sircombe will explain how a machine that uses radioactivity to date ancient rocks was used to match gunshot residue with specific brands of ammunition as part of ground-breaking research.
9:30am – 10:15am. Online (Register here).
Did you feel the earthquake that shook south-eastern Australia? What makes the earth rumble and how do we measure and record earthquakes? Join Geoscience Australia educators in discussing these questions and more. This online program is targeted at upper-primary students but is available to all students, teachers and parents across Australia.
This online session is hosted by Distance and Rural Technology Learning (DART) and Virtual Excursions Australia (VEA) as part of their Earth Science Week programming.
3:30pm – 4:45pm. Online (Register here).
Do you teach science? Join us to hear about the variety of Earth science resources available for teachers to use in the classroom.
This online session is hosted by Distance and Rural Technology Learning (DART) and Virtual Excursions Australia (VEA) as part of their Earth Science Week programming.
7pm – 8:30pm via Zoom (Register here).
Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts from the Australian Centre for the Public Awareness of Science will conduct a live recording of their much-loved podcast, described as ‘the science show for people who sat up the back of the classroom’ through Zoom. They will be joined by Digital Earth Australia Earth observation scientist Claire Krause and Tanja Pejic from the National Earthquake Alerts Centre for a special Earth Science week edition of the podcast exploring the history of geoscience and how our understanding of the earth beneath our feet has changed over time.
11 am – 12 noon. Online (register here from Thursday 7 October).
Antarctica conjures images of expansive white icesheets but what about the 1% not covered by ice? Though small, these exposed islands of rock are hotspots of human and animal activity, and our presence leaves an enduring legacy on the fragile landscape. In this seminar from Dr Steph McLennan, you’ll find out about Geoscience Australia’s work to help better manage our environmental impacts in Antarctica.
Teachers have access to a great range of activities provided by the American Geosciences Institute who coordinate Earth Science Week globally.
