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National Science Week

School theme 2019 

Destination Moon: more missions, more science

Destination Moon: more missions, more science is the school theme for National Science Week in 2019. This theme is a way for teachers and their students to discover past missions to the Moon and space programs that have solved some of the seemingly unsolvable problems—and current and future space programs, operations and missions. Many of these use big picture thinking in science to solve problems, and technology, engineering and mathematics to design new solutions. This will help forge our future paths in the areas of space operations, space science, Earth observations, positioning systems and communications.

The 2019 Resource Book of Ideas for National Science Week will offer teachers and students the opportunity to investigate the people, space agencies, universities, and science organisations that are all delivering solutions in space science.

 

What is National Science Week?

National Science Week is an annual festival of science that takes place in August each year. This celebration aims to raise the profile and increase the public understanding and public appreciation of science, innovation, engineering and technology, and their role in maintaining and improving our society, economy and environment. National Science Week 2019 will run 10-18 August.

In schools around the nation, thousands of teachers and students from early childhood to senior secondary levels contribute to National Science Week celebrations by organising and participating in a diverse range of activities and events.

It provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists’ to the world of knowledge. It also aims to encourage an interest in science pursuits among the general public, and to encourage younger people to become fascinated by the world we live in.

 

How do SCHOOLS get involved?

Apply for a school grant. Schools can apply for up to $500 to help them conduct a National Science Week activity/event. Note: Applications for school grants open 25 February 2019

Go to a National Science Week event. Approximately 1000 events take place around Australia during National Science Week each year, including those delivered by universities, schools, museums and science centres.

These events attract a wide audience from children to adults, and science amateurs to professionals. Over one million people participate in science events across the nation, with another 160 000 taking part in school activities.

Use the ASTA teacher resource book. For National Science Week each year, ASTA produces a teacher resource book to help support and assist teachers in providing engaging science activities for their students. The book is based, each year, on the National Science Week school theme chosen for that year and is always packed with information, classroom activities, experiments, diagrams, photographs and websites.

Since 2011, ASTA has provided the teacher resource books as web-based digital books. Titles include - React to Chemistry, Energy Evolution, A Century of Australian Science and Food for our future: Science feeding the world. These are available free of charge from the National Science Week Books and Resources link below. Some past resource books are also provided electronically, but hard copies can be purchased from the ASTA office.

For the latest information visit the National Science week website and sign up to the newsletter for updates and follow on Twitter and Facebook

Further Information