Category: Events

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Meet NASA’S Dr Abigail Allwood

DrAbigailAllwood

Australian NASA scientist Dr Abigail Allwood is now one of 7 principal science investigators in NASA’s next mission to the red planet … the 2020 Mars mission. Abby is the first woman and first Australian to be given the prestigious role.

Abby is a field geologist with a strong interest in the oldest record of life on Earth. Eight years ago while doing her PhD at Sydney’s Macquarie University she proved that billion-year-old stromatolites (layered rock formations made by tiny microbes) in the Pilbara region (of WA) held records of Earth’s oldest microbial life forms. Abby thinks that the patterns of microbial life in the Pilbara could also have happened on Mars. Abby designed a new technology known as PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) which analyses very small, grain-sized portions of rocks to look for traces of organic material. She is now the Principal Investigator for PIXL which will be mounted on the robotic arm of the next Mars Rover in 2020 to examine the rocks on Mars and look evidence of early microbial life forms like the ones found in the Pilbara.

Abby will join us live from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to chat with young people and share her inspirational story as a young Australian who dreamt of working for NASA, the path that lead her to her incredible career and her exciting work on NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 mission. This is a unique opportunity for your students to ask questions and discuss ideas with
a home-grown NASA scientist.

This is a free video conference event
hosted by the Powerhouse Museum
Australian leading mars 2020 mission: meet NASA’s Abby Allwood
9:30 – 10.30 am (EST) Wednesday 10 September 2014
BOOK NOW at dartconnections.org.au
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Powerhouse Museum Special Videoconferencing Event

Science Show with Ruben Meerman

Science Show with Ruben Meerman

Science Show with Ruben Meerman

Calling NSW rural and regional schools to join us for this exclusive opportunity to keep up the scientific fun even after National Science Week!  

Enjoy a science show presented by Ruben Meerman, ABC’s Surfing Scientist as a part of this year’s Ultimo Science Festival.

His awesome performance covers all kinds of science and uses the amazing effects of liquid nitrogen in combination with more ordinary materials to demonstrate scientific phenomena we experience every day. Students are always mesmerised by bubbling beakers, fizzing fluids and spooky fog … while learning real science.

Ruben’s energetic style, clear explanations and playful humour are so entertaining yet at the same time he can ignite people’s natural curiosity … while blasting outdated “scientist” stereotypes right out of the water!

The Surfing Scientist, Ruben Meerman, has been promoting science on television, radio, at public events and in schools for more than fifteen years. He has appeared on ABC television programs including Catalyst, Sleek Geeks, Studio 3, Roller Coaster, The Experimentals and as the resident scientist on Play School.

Ruben will be available to answer questions after the show so come prepared to pick his brain!

When: Wednesday September 3

Time: 10am-11am

Cost: $60 per class

Ages: Stages 2-3, Years 3-6

BOOK HERE

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SciFest 2014

SciFest showcases science across Australia

It is time to start planning for SciFest and National Science Week. The SciFest video conferencing festival is on 4 – 8 August and provides a great lead in to National Science Week 16 – 24 August.  Join in with SciFest and National Science Week to enjoy and explore the wonders and benefits of science.

SciFest showcases science across Australia

SciFest provides an opportunity for your students to connect with exciting science, experts and experiments without leaving your classroom. There will be a variety of activities for students and teachers across the 5 day video conferencing festival. This means there will be something to interest every student.

 

Monday 4 August

SciFest – Museum Secretes Revealed

This video conference provides a glimpse behind the scenes of Australia’s oldest natural history Museum.

Time: 10am

SciFest – Minibeast Magnified

Minibeasts Magnified explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.

Time: 11am

SciFest: Liquid Nitrogen Show – Properties of Solids, Liquids and Gases

Find out how solids, liquids and gases change when rapidly heated and cooled. Smash a squash ball! Shrink a balloon instantly! What happens to living things if they are frozen?

Time: 12.00pm

SciFest – Geology Rocks

The Video conference will look at the dynamic earth forming processes. There will be explosive experiments demonstrated including the step by step exploration of the different phases of a volcanic eruption.

Time: 12.30pm

SciFest -Minibeast Magnified

Minibeasts Magnified explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.

Time: 2pm

SciFest: Liquid Nitrogen Show – Properties of Solids, Liquids and Gases

Find out how solids, liquids and gases change when rapidly heated and cooled. Smash a squash ball! Shrink a balloon instantly! What happens to living things if they are frozen?

Time: 2.00pm

 

Tuesday 5 August

SciFest: Transport: Past & Present

Have you ever wondered what types of transport zoomed around our streets, railways and skies before motor cars, electric trains and planes? Join the Powerhouse Museum with Finn, their 20th Century transport enthusiast, as he transports you back in time to Sydney in the early 1900s.

Time: 10am

SciFest: Sustainable Solutions Workshop

Put on your eco-designer thinking caps and take part in this hands-on workshop! Learn about ecological footprints and what it means to be sustainable.

Time: 11.30am

SciFest – ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Conservation

With Australian National Maritime Museum unlocked series, go behind the scenes at the museum and direct to our experts. Meet conservator Rebecca Dallwitz who will discuss conservation practices at the museum.

Time: 11.30am

SciFest – Meet the Experts

The Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Museum scientist and ask your questions

Time: 2pm

SciFest: K – 2 Science in Art

Explore chemistry in colourful art creations you can make in your class!
Your class participates in a number of activities as a series of group activities run in class during the video conference.

Time: 2pm

 

Wednesday 6 August

SciFest: For Good Measure: Fun with measurement and standards

What do ‘Peter Piper’ and ‘Jack and Jill’ nursery rhymes have to do with maths and measurement? What are gills, bushels, pecks and the smoot? Find out in this special hands-on maths video conference!

Time: 10am

SciFest – ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Conservation

With Australian National Maritime Museum unlocked series, go behind the scenes at the museum and direct to our experts. Meet conservator Rebecca Dallwitz who will discuss conservation practices at the museum.

Time: 10am

SciFest – Meet the Experts

The Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Museum scientist and ask your questions

Time: 2pm

Scifest: 4 Slimes in 30 minutes – Kitchen Chemistry fun!

4 slimes in 30 minutes…. how could you go wrong! Join Fizzics Education for SciFest as we dive into kitchen chemistry in this fun yet educational workshop

Time: 2pm

 

Thursday 7 August

SciFest: Stars and Planets

Students investigate our Universe and space exploration techniques in this hands-on workshop. What did the big bang really look like? How are the tides formed? Where is Earth in the Solar System?

Time: 9.30am

SciFest – ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Conservation

With Australian National Maritime Museum unlocked series, go behind the scenes at the museum and direct to our experts. Meet conservator Rebecca Dallwitz who will discuss conservation practices at the museum.

Time: 2pm

SciFest – Meet the Experts

The Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Museum scientist and ask your questions

Time: 2pm

Scifest: 4 Slimes in 30 minutes – Kitchen Chemistry fun!

4 slimes in 30 minutes…. how could you go wrong! Join Fizzics Education for SciFest as we dive into kitchen chemistry in this fun yet educational workshop

Time: 2pm

 

Friday 8 August

SciFest – Weather and Pressure

What is air pressure? Why are low and high pressure areas important? How are clouds formed? What is our atmosphere made of anyway?

Time: 9.30am

SciFest – Museum Secretes Revealed

This video conference provides a glimpse behind the scenes of Australia’s oldest natural history Museum.

Time: 10am

SciFest – Minibeast Magnified

Minibeasts Magnified explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.

Time: 11am

SciFest – Weather and Pressure

What is air pressure? Why are low and high pressure areas important? How are clouds formed? What is our atmosphere made of anyway?

Time: 11.30am

SciFest – Fantastic Fungi

Join our Royal Botanic Garden research scientist and explore the important world of fungi from The Royal Botanic Garden and The Australian PlantBank.

Time: 12 noon

SciFest – Geology Rocks

The Video conference will look at the dynamic earth forming processes. There will be explosive experiments demonstrated including the step by step exploration of the different phases of a volcanic eruption.

Time: 12.30pm

SciFest – Minibeast Magnigfied

Minibeasts Magnified explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.

Time: 2pm

SciFest – Weather and Pressure

What is air pressure? Why are low and high pressure areas important? How are clouds formed? What is our atmosphere made of anyway?

Time: 2pm

 

Bookings and topics are available at DART connections. Simply search SciFest to see all the exciting events from organisations across Australia.

 

SciFest event is proudly supported by Virtual Excursions Australia

National Science week_large

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Mapping with Matthew Flinders

The map of Australia and many of our place names are the work of Matthew Flinders but how well do we know this important explorer? Come on a journey of discovery with the State Library of NSW as we commemorate 200 years since his death.

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The State Library collection encompasses many of Matthew Flinders personal possessions, including his chess set, sword and miniature writing box.  See some of these treasures up close as we circumnavigate Australia with the great explorer and his cat Trim in this one hour, free video conference.

a082001rWe’ll retrace his journey and hunt for treasure along the way in this interactive experience on 24 July.  Bookings through DART Connections.

 

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Art Around the Library

Come behind the scenes and explore the amazing pictures collection at the State Library of NSW in this 5 part video conference series. Inspire your inner artist in these five, hour long interactive sessions. Each experience examines a different artwork from the collection, followed by a hands-on workshop where your students will create artworks using different techniques including perspective drawing, painitng, collage and 3D modelling to build their observational and art-making skills.

DSC_6045_webBook for one session or for all five, and best of all, it’s FREE! Pre and post visit notes complete the experience and outline curriculum links, and we encourage you to use this as a springboard for further art-making adventures: one school recently held an art exhibition in their hall for parents and students, showcasing all the artworks produced by their students during this VC series.

According to teachers who have participated, Art Around the Library is ‘a great way to easily get experts into your school’ and ‘a great way to bring history to life’. The next series will run on Tuesdays beginning week 2, Term 3. Bookings can be made at DART Connections.

 

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NAIDOC Week 2014

NAIDOC Week is held in the first full week of July. It is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.

Virtual Excursions Australia is presenting the NAIDOC Week Video Conferencing Festival. This event will run before and after the July school holidays for student across Australia. Please join the Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, State Library of NSW,  National Library of Australia and Sydney Olympic Park for a series of fabulous events.

Derek from the Australian Museum presenting the Totems workshop
Derek from the Australian Museum presenting the Totems workshop

17 June

KOORI CLASSROOM: NAIDOC to today

Time: 10:30 & Time: 14:00

Overview: “To know the future we must first know the past” (Aunty Fran Bodkin D’harawal Elder). In this session of our Koori Classroom series, D’harawal knowledge keeper, Shannon Foster will guide students through the origins of NAIDOC – also part of her own family story.

 

18 June

NAIDOC Week – Boori Monty Pryor – Writing Workshop

Time: 12:00

Overview: Boori Monty Pryor will talk about his life and work as an author and performer and lead the students through an interactive writing workshop

 

20 June

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Totems workshop

In this practical workshop students learn about lifestyles and beliefs of Indigenous Australians whilst creating their own totem.

Time: 10:00

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Art Workshop

In this practical workshop students create an artwork of their own. They explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia.

Time: 11:00

 

24 June

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

KOORI CLASSROOM: NAIDOC to today

Time: 10:30

Overview: “To know the future we must first know the past” (Aunty Fran Bodkin D’harawal Elder). In this session of our Koori Classroom series, D’harawal knowledge keeper, Shannon Foster will guide students through the origins of NAIDOC – also part of her own family story.

NAIDOC Week – Create YOUR Australian flag

Time: 14:00

Overview: In this special NAIDOC week art workshop students will explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia. In this lesson students will create their own Australian Flag by investigating their cultural heritage as well as that of Australia’s first inhabitants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

KOORI CLASSROOM: NAIDOC to today

Time: 14:00

Overview: “To know the future we must first know the past” (Aunty Fran Bodkin D’harawal Elder). In this session of our Koori Classroom series, D’harawal knowledge keeper, Shannon Foster will guide students through the origins of NAIDOC – also part of her own family story.

 

25 June

NAIDOC – Create YOUR Australian flag

Time: 14:00

Overview: In this special NAIDOC week art workshop students will explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia. In this lesson students will create their own Australian Flag by investigating their cultural heritage as well as that of Australia’s first inhabitants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

 

26 June

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 11:30

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

 

27 June

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Totem workshop

Time: 10:00

Overview: The Indigenous Totems session is a practical workshop where students learn about lifestyles and beliefs of Indigenous Australians whilst creating their own totem. Concepts and culture will be demonstrated with real artifacts and aboriginal cultural material.

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Art workshop

Time: 11:00

Overview: Students explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia. Students investigate the traditional styles, symbols, materials and tools of Indigenous art around Australia. They use Indigenous art and cultural objects as a stimulus to create their own design.

 

16 July

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

 

17 July

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 14:00

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

 

18 July

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

 

23 -2 7 June or 21 – 25 July

NAIDOC Week – NAIDOC and Neighours

Time: By appointment

Overview: This workshop focussing on the fascinating, but little known story of Aya-I-Ga, also known as Neighbour. Neighbour was the first Indigenous Australian to receive the Albert Medal for gallantry. This program allows participants to interact with the National Library of Australia’s presenters, original objects and photographs and is suitable for students in Years 7-10.

 

Virtual Excursions Australia is proud to support this event

 

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians.

NAIDOC week 2014

 

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Law of the land: troopers, trackers and bushrangers

Sydney Living Museums is pleased to offer this engaging virtual excursion about troopers, trackers and bushrangers in the gold rush era. This educational history videoconference is available to primary schools across Australia and around the world and allows your students to interact live with our mounted trooper presenter. Suitable for Stage 3 students – Years 5 and 6.

State Library of Victoria

Find Out More

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World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nations’ key event for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years World Environment Day has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is celebrated in over 100 countries.

The theme for 2014 is Raise your voice not the Sea Level.

World Environment Day is an opportunity for everyone to realize not only the responsibility to care for the Earth and to become agents of change. Join the Australian Museum, National Maritime Museum, Taronga Zoo and the Powerhouse Museum in a 3 day festival recognising World Environment Day.

Event images
World Environment Day Event images

3 June
World Environment Day – David Rabbitburrow presents The Wonder of Whales and their relatives

Time: 14:00

Overview: Join our intrepid groovy animal expert and media celebrity David Rabbitburrow to discover just how amazing these fascinating creatures are! Also investigate some of the threats to their future and what we can do to help.

4 June
World Environment Day – David Rabbitburrow presents The Wonder of Whales and their relatives

Time: 10:00

Overview: Join our intrepid groovy animal expert and media celebrity David Rabbitburrow to discover just how amazing these fascinating creatures are! Also investigate some of the threats to their future and what we can do to help.

5 June

World Environment Day – Catchment Health

Time: 09:30

Overview: To celebrate World Environment Day the Australian Museum is participating in the World Environment Day video conference festival.The Catchment Health video conference explores some of the impacts facing our terrestrial and marine environments. This session looks at the importance of catchments and how everything we do on land has impacts in our marine environments.

World Environment Day – Taronga Zoo

Time: 10:00

Overview: Celebrate World Environment Day and adventure over to Taronga Zoo to learn more about the remarkable animals we share environments with around the World. This inspirational video conference will explore the plight of animals such as the Sumatran Tiger, Western Lowland Gorilla, Australian Sea Lion and our very own Corroborree Frog. All animals classed as endangered and in need of very specific actions from people to help their recovery.

World Environment Day: Transport Past & Present

Time: 10:00

Overview: Have you ever wondered what types of transport zoomed around our streets, railways and skies before motor cars, electric trains and planes? Come find out with Finn, our 20th Century transport enthusiast, as he transports you back in time to Sydney in the early 1900s.

World Environment Day – Bugwise

Time: 10:30

Overview: To celebrate World Environment Day the Australian Museum is participating in the World Environment Day video conference festival. Bugwise explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.

World Environment Day: Sustainable Solutions Workshop

Time: 11:30

Overview: Put on your eco-designer thinking caps and take part in this hands-on workshop!  Learn about ecological footprints and what it means to be sustainable. Meet Mr Airhead and teach him how to think sustainably using the 6 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair, Refuse and Rethink. Utilising ‘Rethink’ students complete a Lifecycle Analysis of a common product and come up with ways to reduce the product’s ecological footprint.

World Environment Day – Bugwise

Time: 12:30

Overview: To celebrate World Environment Day the Australian Museum is participating in the World Environment Day video conference festival. Bugwise explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.

World Environment Day – Taronga Zoo

Time: 13:00

Overview: Celebrate World Environment Day and adventure over to Taronga Zoo to learn more about the remarkable animals we share environments with around the World. This inspirational video conference will explore the plight of animals such as the Sumatran Tiger, Western Lowland Gorilla, Australian Sea Lion and our very own Corroborree Frog. All animals classed as endangered and in need of very specific actions from people to help their recovery.

World Environment Day – Catchment Health

Time: 13:30

Overview: To celebrate World Environment Day the Australian Museum is participating in the World Environment Day video conference festival.The Catchment Health video conference explores some of the impacts facing our terrestrial and marine environments. This session looks at the importance of catchments and how everything we do on land has impacts in our marine environments.

World Environment Day David Rabbitburrow presents The Wonder of Whales and their relatives

Time: 14:00

Overview: Join our intrepid groovy animal expert and media celebrity David Rabbitburrow to discover just how amazing these fascinating creatures are! Also investigate some of the threats to their future and what we can do to help.

World Environment Day – Plastic not so fantastic in the ocean

Time: 14:00

Overview: Plastics are everywhere. It’s hard to imagine a life without using plastics. But the downside is that a lot of plastic enters the environment, where it will linger for hundreds of years. In the ocean, plastic moves into the so-called Great Garbage Patches. But why do these patches form? And whose garbage is where? What effect does the plastic have on marine life?

 

Virtual Excursions Australia is proud to support this event.

2014 World Environment Day Logo
2014 World Environment Day Logo
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Meet Jennifer Griffes Shechet

Meet Jennifer Griffes Shechet – Earth and planetary scientist on the Mars Curiosity Rover team. 

Joining California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2008 as a research assistant in planetary geology, Jennifer now works in operations for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover. She was previously involved in the analysis of the potential Curiosity landing sites, as well as on the HiRISE team (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment). HiRISE is a high-resolution camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) including characterising sedimentary layers in HiRISE images over the global Martian surface.

Since Curiosity landed in August 2012 Jennifer has been working on mission operations as a keeper of the plan “I help build the plan fragments that get sent up to the rover”, characterising the terrains the rover has driven over and “assessing the predictive capabilities of terrain we will drive over in the future, to best protect the rover wheels from future wheel damage.”

Live from the Caltech, Jennifer will talk about her studies and career as a planetary scientist, her current role with the Curiosity mission and what it’s like working in a scientific team at the frontier of human discovery..

This free virtual excursion event is presented to you by The Mars Lab

This event will be held at 9:30 – 10.00 am (EST) Friday 16 May 2014

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Jennifer Griffes Shechet

Click HERE to Book your virtual excursion today.