by Jillian Roberts, Learning Manager – Queensland Museum

This term has begun differently to any other before it as the majority of Queensland students transition to learning from home. Thank you to the teachers across the state who are doing an incredible job transitioning to online learning and providing amazing support to students and parents alike.

Queensland Museum has a suite of resources that can complement the Department of Education Learning@Home Science units for students in Years 5 to 9. Our resources are hands-on, use every day materials and can be downloaded from learning.qm.qld.gov.au. They are also editable so students can type their answers and save them straight into the resource.

Year 5

Students in Year 5 can spend this term getting Lost in Space from the lounge room. In this resource students design a shelter to survive on another planet, use fractions to create a scale model of the Solar System, and construct a paper rocket to fly to another planet. You can also turn your house into the solar system with our Lost in Space Planet Posters, and help guide students using the Lost in Space Teacher Resource Booklet. It’s out of this world!

Year 6

In Year 6 students are learning about electrical energy. How about using circuits to construct a simple telegraph machine and send coded messages? For more information on this activity see page 50 – 56 in Physics of War.

Year 7

Send a rocket through a model solar system while learning about forces for Year 7 science. In this design challenge students will consider gravity, air resistance and applied force to create a rocket that can fly to a specific planet, or as far as possible! Complete the Stomp Rocket Design Challenge on page 45 – 65 in the Lost in Space Teacher Resource Booklet.

Year 8

Explore rocks, volcanoes and stone tools, then use rocks to travel through time and determine what Australia may have looked like in the past, and what you may find in the future in School of Rocks! We also have a STEM Video: School of Rocks explaining how rocks tell the stories of our Earth and a core sample you can analyse from the comfort of your own home. The School of Rocks Teacher Resource can help you guide your students through these curriculum-aligned activities.

Year 9

In Year 9 students learn about matter and chemical reactions. You can get the whole family involved in Mineral Madness, a card game similar to Rummy where the goal is make different compounds from your element cards. For detailed instructions and to print your own cards check out Mineral Madness on pages 5 – 15 in School of Rocks.

Explore all of our online resources at learning.qm.qld.gov.au, and sign up to our Education e-news and social media channels for the latest in programs and activities to support you and your students in learning at home.