Sensational Science

Amazing Space is a great website created by The Formal Education Group of the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach. (Quite a mouthful!!).

The aim of the site is to create, produce and share classroom resources based on the Hubble Space Telescope’s greatest discoveries.

There is a gallery of images taken by Hubble, as well as information in Capture the Cosmos on a number of spacey topics.

In the Educators and Developers section, there is a section called Teaching Tools that contains lots of resources and classroom activities. There is even a section designed to help students with their homework.

The site is well worth a visit next time you are visiting space with your teacher/class.

A permanent underwater webcamera has been installed on the Great Barrier Reef, at Davies Reef off the coast of Townsville. Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science have set up the camera which will take a photograph every 15 mins of the reef. The camera is trained on a coral bommie, and will give real time images of the reef. One of the main aims for the scientists is to get real time feedback of the effects of coral bleaching. In addtion, it is hoped that the behavioural habits of tropical fish that live around the coral bommie will also come to light.The images from the reef are available online for everyone to see at the AIMS Data Centre

Some Astronomy websites to assist you with your worksheet:

NASA – Solar System Exploration

The Solar System

Comets

Nine Planets – Comets

Comet Halley

NASA – Comets

Constellations of the Zodiac

NASA – Pluto

Exploring the Planets

NASA – Welcome to the Planets

Constellations of the Zodiac

Zodiac Constellations

This week is Science Week. The theme this year is Australian Biodiversity. Come and check out the display in the library.

While you are at it, why not test your Science Knowledge by having a go at one of the Quizzes below.

The quizzes are graded into 3 levels of difficulty: Quiz 1 is for Years 7 & 8, Quiz 2 for Years 9 & 10, and Quiz 3 for Years 11 & 12.

However, if you want to tackle all three, then go right ahead!! The results of the quiz will be recorded, and prizes awarded for the person(s) achieving the highest scores.

QUIZ 1: Year 7 & 8

QUIZ 2: Year 9 & 10

QUIZ 3: Year 11 & 12

Mrs B caught this great image of a garden orb spider spinning a huge web on her clothes hoist

We had some fantastic entries into the Science Photo Comp. After much consultation, the following photos were chosen as the winners.

Senior Winner was Rebecca with her photo of a mushroom with bug on top.

The Intermediate prize went to Scott with a trilogy of photos from a Tasmanian holiday:

Finally, last but not least, the Junior prize went to Mikaere for his photo of Callistemon – Pink Champagne

The winners were presented to Assembly, and received the prize of a Science themed book. Congratulations to all three.

Actual footage of Apollo 13′s mission can be viewed on YouTube. The fateful moment when the message “Houston we’ve had a problem” arrives at Mission Control is captured as we see scenes of the Control Room.

To view these click on the following:

Apollo 13 #1

Apollo 13 #2

More Apollo 13 footage

Global Warming, Climate Change, the Greenhouse Effect ….all these feature extensively on the World Wide Web. In this case, the amount of information readily available is extensive, but the authenticity of some of that information is dubious to say the least. DON’T rely on information from Wikipedia!! The sites listed below should provide you with what you require to complete your assignment. As always, if you find anything you think should be added to the list – send us a comment.

Greenhouse Gases

CSIRO Atmospheric Research information Sheet

CSIRO Atmospheric Research Greenhouse Information Paper

US Environmental Protection Agency – Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Environmental Literacy Council – Greenhouse Gases

The Energy Information Adminisatration (US Govt Energy Statistics) – Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change and Energy

Greenhouse Gases and Societyfrom the University of Michigan

Green House Gas On Line is a web page by Dave Reay Lecturer in Carbon management at the University of Ediburgh, funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council. For information on the different Greenhouse gases, click on the links on the LHS of the page.

Climate Change

NOVA Science Enhanced Greenhouse Effect Information

The Australian Government Parliamentary Library – The Basic Science of Climate Change

Global Warming – Early Warning Signs Hot Map

CSIRO Climate Change Introduction

CSIRO Portal for information on Climate Change. Click on the relevant links to go to more information

Global Climate Change – Research Explortorium by the National Science Foundation (US)

The Govt Climate Change FAQ Section has quite a lot of straightforward information – click on the questions to find the answers!!

Climate Change – The Bureau of Meterology

The Met Office (UK) – Climate Change Science
– Your Guide to Climate Change

Union of Concerned Scientists – Global Warning FAQ’s – click on the blue links

We are the Weather Makers – Tim Flannery

The Ozone Layer

Tasmanian Dept of Education animation about the depletion of the Ozone Layer

Climate Change Sceptics

BBC WEAR – David Bellamy Change Sceptic

Interview with Prof Ian Pilmer – Climate Change Sceptic

Blog of A Climate Change Skeptic

The Age – Article on Climate Skeptics

Website of The Lavoisier Group of Climate Change Sceptics

Your task is a smelly one!!!!

The following websites are designed to help you with your Sewage Research Assignment. Click on the highlighted links to go to the sites.

A good place to start is the Process Flow Diagram which clearly shows how a Treatment Plant operates. Click on each of the steps to obtain details about each stage.

Melbourne Water Treatment Plants:

1. Essential Facts – The Sewage System (Melbourne Water)

2.Melbourne Water – Sewage and Recycling
Once on the website click on the links to get some good information about Melbourne Water and the treatment of Sewage.
Try the following:

What is Sewage?

The Early Years: A History of Sewage treatment in Melbourne

Toilet to Market Gardens Where does it all go?
Recycled Water

3. Overview of the Western Treatment Plant (Werribee)

4. More background on the Western Treatment Plant

5. Take a Virtual Tour of the Western Treatment Plant

6. Flowsheet for the Eastern Treatment Plant

7. A toilet is not a rubbish bin – what you can and can’t put down the toilet

Recycling Sewage

1. Recycled Sewage – what is it used for?

2. Biogas from Sewage

3. Biosolids and their Use

Septic Tanks and Sewage Treatment

1. A bit of info about Sewage Treatment, Septic Tanks and Household Waste

2. How Sewer and Septic Systems Work

The History of Sewage Treatment in Melbourne

1. History of Melbourne’s Sewerage System

2. More about Marvellous SMELLBOURNE’s Sewerage System

Check out The Monivae Blog Cool Chemistry for help with information about Thermometers.