Classroom Resources Search

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How do rocks store groundwater?

This classroom resource for secondary teachers explores porosity and permeability as it relates to groundwater.

Booklet for teachers

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Make your own micro:bit seismometer

This teacher guide explains how to set a micro:bit (small programable computer) up as a mini seismometer.

Activity/game; Booklet for teachers

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Analysis of earthquakes using real map and data sets

This teacher guide introduces Geoscience Australia earthquake data, and contains student activities.

Activity/game; Booklet for teachers

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Discovering geological maps

Poster describing each of the elements on a geological map.

Map; Poster

Groundwater mini unit

Explore important concepts about groundwater which includes First Nations Australian perspectives.

Booklet for teachers

Bathymetry of Australia video

Video flythrough around the coast of Australia showing the major topographic features of the seafloor.

Multimedia

Topography of the Australian continent poster

Poster showing the height and shape of the land surface across Australia.

Poster

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Space Education in Australia

Explore different space education resources for preschool students all the way to university students.

Factsheet/pamphlet

Mobile Phone

Minerals in Modern Technology

Learn about the many minerals, both common and rare, that are essential for modern technology and renewable energy.

Website external

Ice Power

Investigate the expansion rate of water to ice and how this relates to weathering of rocks in the environment.

Activity/game

Scientific talks

‘Crib sheets’ that summarise talks and provide easy access links to each part of the videos.

Factsheet/pamphlet; Multimedia

Mapping the ocean floor

Explore sonar and bathymetry with bouncy balls and pre-prepared data.

Activity/game; Factsheet/pamphlet

Volcanic hazards

Students learn to think like Emergency Managers.

Activity/game; Map

Spaghetti quakes

Investigate earthquake magnitude using spaghetti pasta.

Activity/game

See how they run

Explore the concept of lava viscosity and influence on volcanic cone shape.

Activity/game

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Sugar shake: erosion experiment

This activity introduces the concepts of weathering and erosion by investigating why river pebbles are often rounded.

Activity/game

Volcanoes - teacher notes and student activities

A comprehensive booklet exploring volcanoes. Includes Australian case studies.

Booklet for teachers

Geology of Minecraft 2

Poster entitled 'More Geology of Minecraft'.

Poster

Google Arts and Culture

National Mineral and Fossil Collection specimens displayed as themed exhibitions and items.

Website external

Tectonic Plates Jigsaw Puzzle

A world map that shows the edges of the major tectonic plates.

Activity/game

Education Centre Updates

A quarterly email newsletter for teachers of science and geography in Australian schools.

Website external

Shaping a Nation: A geology of Australia book

Illustrated book on the geological evolution of Australia through the lens of human impacts.

Book

Earthquakes - Teacher notes and student activities

A comprehensive booklet exploring earthquakes. Includes Australian case studies.

Booklet for teachers

Geological Timescale

A simple to-scale geological timescale.

Activity/game

Topography of Australia and surrounding region

The height of the land and features of the sea floor including deep trenches.

Poster

Tsunami - Teacher notes and student activities

A comprehensive booklet exploring tsunami. Includes Australian case studies.

Booklet for teachers

Australian Earthquakes 2014-15

Map of Australia showing earthquake locations and size with accompanying information.

Poster

Tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and you.

Illustrated suite of educational products about earthquake, volcano and tsunami hazard awareness in PNG.

Factsheet/pamphlet

Plate tectonics cut-out on a tennis ball

A4 paper model showing tectonic plates, ready to cut out and assemble onto a tennis ball.

Activity/game

Landslides - Teacher notes and student activities

A comprehensive booklet exploring landslides. Includes Australian case studies.

Booklet for teachers

Discovering Geoscience

Theoretical geological cross section from the ocean through a mountain range to inland plains.

Poster

Our Changing Earth - The Rock Cycle

Simple rock cycle: formation and features of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.

Poster

Australian Earthquakes 2013

Seismological report for the year - report of poster map.

Poster

Tsunami awareness pamphlet

Pamphlet on warning signs of impending tsunami and what to do in such an event.

Factsheet/pamphlet

Trilobite 3D cut-out model

A4 paper model, ready to print, cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a trilobite.

Activity/game

Serendipaceratops 3D cut-out model

A4 paper model, ready to print, cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a serendipaceratops.

Activity/game

Map reading guide

Handy booklet for purchase with instructions on how to use topographic maps.

Website external

Earth Observation: satellites over Australia

Poster showing a satellite image of each state. Many show natural hazards.

Poster

Silicate chemistry - Teacher notes and student activities

Black and white booklet focussed on silicate minerals, their structure and properties.

Booklet for teachers

Magnetic Anomaly Map of Australia

A3 PDF of the magnetic intensity map of Australia.

Map

Antarctic Geoheritage activities

Activities for primary and secondary students about living and working in Antarctica..

Activity/game

Time and life, geological time and palaeontology - Teacher notes and activities

Learn about geological time, radioactive decay curves, fossilisation and dating (b & w).

Booklet for teachers

Geographic information

Information about elevation, water bodies, significant rocks, rivers, islands, waterfalls and deserts.

Website internal; Map; Website external

Water observations from space

History of surface water coverage in Australia.

Website internal; Map

Surface Geology of Australia

JPEG or PDF download of surface geology map of Australia. A3 size.

Map

Outline maps of Australia

Outline maps of Australia - black and white. State boundaries and capital cities or coastline only.

Map

Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction - Teacher notes and student activities

A guide to Australian maritime boundaries such as the EEZ and how they are determined.

Booklet for teachers

Reference maps of Australia

Four-part wall map (2m x 1.7m), reference maps (1:5 million and 1:10 million), Asia-Pacific region map.

Website external

Australian Flood Risk Information portal

Map of Australia with search engine to find flood risk studies from around the country.

Website internal; Map

Triceratops 3D cut-out model

A4 paper model, ready to print, cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a triceratops.

Activity/game

Australia, an ancient land - Teacher notes

Explore geological time, fossils and rock dating with an Australia focus (black and white).

Booklet for teachers

Australia Through Time

Reference poster - evolution of life, palaeogeography, sea level, climate change, minerals.

Poster

The science of gold - Teacher notes and student activities

Purity, value and properties of gold (black and white).

Booklet for teachers

Pterosaur cut-out 3D model

A4 paper model, ready to print, cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a pterosaur.

Activity/game

Australia Operating mines map

Large JPEG or PDF map file: operating mines 2018 on a generalised surface geology background.

Map

What lies beneath the Antarctic Ice?

Full colour information and activities about drilling beneath Antarctic ice and the life forms discovered.

Activity/game

Historic Earthquakes of Australia Storymap

Interactive map with detailed information about significant earthquakes in Australia.

Website internal

A4 Map of Australia

Compact colour reference map of Australia showing major cities, roads, rail and topography.

Map

A3 Map of Australia

Compact colour reference map of Australia showing major cities, roads, rail and topography.

Map

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 1

Australia and the Australian people: geography, geological heritage and the people.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 2

Australia in time and space: geology of the continent, flora, fauna and landscapes.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 3

Living Australia: isolation from other large continental masses has shaped flora and fauna.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 4

Out of Gondwana: economic benefits of having been part of Gondwana in the form of fossil fuels.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 5

Old, flat and red: Australia's distinctive landscape, flatness, rivers and regolith.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 6

Living on the edge: The highly diverse costal margin has influenced the patern of settlement in Australia..

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 7

Groundwater: water availability for crops, farms and cities is underpinned by the knowledge of geology.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 8

Foundations of wealth: Mineral wealth in Australia and the geological processes that created it.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 9

Sustaining Australia's wealth: geological stability has created bulk commodities in iron ore, bauxite, coal and gas.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 10

Deep heat: geothermal energy could supply Australia's future electrical power needs.

Book

Shaping a Nation - Chapter 11

Advance Australia Fair: the opportunities and challenges that Australian geology creates for the future of this nation.

Book

Gravity Anomaly Map of Australia

PDF download of the gravity anomaly map of the Australian region (large file).

Map

Sydney Basin cut-out

An A4 page ready to cut out and assemble into a 3D model of the Sydney Basin.

Activity/game

Interactive Maps

Range of Geoscience Australia's geospatial services/maps. Includes marine, geology, hazards and water.

Multimedia

Radiometric Map of Australia

PDF A3 and A0 version of the radiometric map of Australia.

Map

Plate tectonics cut-out on a basket ball

Paper model of a globe showing tectonic plates, ready to cut out and assemble on a basketball.

Activity/game

Australian Earthquakes 2013 map

Summary of earthquakes in Australia for 2013 including the last decade for comparison.

Poster

Remote sensing at Geoscience Australia video

Detailed video of Geoscience Australia's highly varied work in remote sensing.

Multimedia

Geology of Minecraft

Poster comparing the concepts in the computer game Minecraft with science/geology.

Poster

Nautilus 3D cut-out model

A4 paper model, ready to print, cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a nautilus.

Activity/game

Geological timescale bookmark

A bookmark featuring the geological timescale. Suitable to print on A4 paper.

Image/diagram/slides

Geological timescale: Australia Through Time app

Geological history of Australia; animated continental drift maps over the last 600 Ma.

App

Rock and mineral factsheets

Rock factsheets downloadable as PDFs on a range of commodities, mostly metals.

Factsheet/pamphlet

Geographic dimensions

Dimensions of States and Territories, Australia compared to other countries, border lengths.

Website internal

Australian Coast - Teacher notes and student activities

A comprehensive booklet exploring Australia's Coasts. Includes Australian case studies.

Booklet for teachers

50 years of large Australian earthquakes

Map of Australia showing large earthquakes over the last 50 years.

Poster

Weathering, erosion, landforms and regolith

Comprehensive teacher notes with student activities.

Booklet for teachers

Tsunami animations

Animations of tsunami caused by undersea earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions.

Multimedia

Groundwater in Timor Leste

Three short videos on groundwater resources in Timor, hydrogeology and vulnerability.

Multimedia

Exploring minerals and crystals

Comprehensive teacher notes with student activities.

Booklet for teachers

Sediment analysis card

This card is useful for analysis of sediments - size, roundness, sorting.

Image/diagram/slides

Canberra firestorm January 2003

Satellite image showing burnt land and the fire front during the 2003 Canberra bushfires.

Poster

Shield volcano cut-out

An A4 paper model, ready to cut out and assemble into a 3D shield volcano.

Activity/game

Geological TimeWalk: Australia's geological history

A comprehensive 52 page colour booklet exploring the geological history of Australia.

Book

Strato volcano cut-out

An A4 paper model, ready to cut out and assemble into a 3D strato volcano.

Activity/game

Plate tectonics - Teacher notes and student activities

Introduction to the theory of plate tectonics; includes evidence and student activities (b & w).

Booklet for teachers

Create your own geological timewalk

Instructions on how to create your own to-scale geological time scale for three distances.

Activity/game

As the cocky flies

Allows you to calculate the distance between two places in Australia.

Website internal

Australian Mines Atlas

Mineral factsheets and information about Australia's identified mineral resources.

Website internal

Minerals Downunder

Useful information on gold, copper, silver, mineral sands, iron and exploration techniques.

Website internal

Hazards

Comprehensive webpages about natural hazards, risk analysis and nuclear monitoring.

Website internal

Geocaching activity

Instructions on how to geocache together with spatial activity ideas for the classroom.

Activity/game

Australia's maritime jurisdiction

A booklet explaining Australia's land and water jurisdictions in plain language.

Booklet for teachers

Sentinel bushfire mapping application

National bushfire monitoring system showing hotspots for emergency service managers across Australia.

Website internal

Earthquakes in the Canberra region

32 page booklet about seismic activity in the ACT region.

Book

Landslides cut-out

An A4 paper model, ready to cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a landslide.

Activity/game

Fossils - Teacher notes, fact sheets and student activities

Black and white booklet about fossils, fossilisation and major fossil groups.

Booklet for teachers

Landslide awareness brochure

Colour brochure about landslide awareness and what to do in unstable areas.

Factsheet/pamphlet

Slump cut-out

An A4 paper model, ready to cut out and assemble into a 3D model of a moving slump.

Activity/game

History of the Earth

Geological time scale, palaeogeographic maps and illustrations of life forms over time.

Poster

Land cover in Australia

Map of Australia's land cover. Includes a link to a 3D data viewer.

Website internal

Satellite images of Victoria bushfires 2009

Satellite image of landcover across Victoria during the 2009 bushfires.

Poster

Water

Information on groundwater, the Great Artesian Basin and groundwater resources in Australia.

Website internal

Large data cube: earth observation data

Video on the future of earth observation data management and analysis e.g. flood studies

Multimedia

Karst hazard brochure

The distinctive landform features associated with limestone rock weathering e.g. sinkholes.

Factsheet/pamphlet

Natural Hazards in Australia

Overview of rapid onset hazards in Australia, impact on communities and risk evaluation.

Book

City Quest

Interactive Quiz using satellite images of Australian capital cities

Activity/game

Australia - Palaeogeographic Atlas

Click through the images to see what Australia looked like throughout geological time.

Multimedia

Antarctica poster

Poster featuring satellite image of Antarctica and geological history of the continent.

Poster