This page presents teaching materials, at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, particularly materials generated by member groups and their individual members. Please also check the General Science Library and other pages under the Resources major tab.
Guidelines for content creators
Standards for authors to use when preparing data for use in the classroom are available for K-10 and senior science 11-12 .
Copyright considerations
Authors are encouraged to grant access to their work using Creative Commons attribution. A briefing note, Open Educational Resources and a powerpoint presentation by the QCAA explaining Creative Commons are re-published here, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0.
Curriculum-linked Resources
The Queensland science syllabuses
The 2019 roll-out of the new Queensland senior secondary syllabuses (available online here from QCAA, or summarised here) created a demand for original teaching materials, especially materials suitable for assessment of data analysis techniques relevant to Queensland localities. The Queensland Science Network in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has launched a project to draw upon datasets held by member societies, including the scientific journals and citizen science reports, and to package these rich sources into a format that teachers can use readily. This Curriculum-linked Resources section presents Queensland-relevant educational resources validated by experienced educators and classified according to locality, year level and curriculum headline.
Geological scientist Mike Turnbull B.App.Sc. QUT, M.App.Sc. CQU has made available to QSN a series of annual reports that he has compiled of the earthquakes, major and minor, in Queensland. This series commenced while he was engaged at Central Queensland University, but after separation he became a “citizen seismologist”. He is a member of the […] The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia’s program collaboration taking the social sciences into schools is now live. The project, the first under a new partnership with the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD), represents a collaboration between MoAD’s education experts and the Academy’s communication team. Working together, and using the Academy’s Seriously Social podcast […] A website about some of the local birds of South-East Queensland www.ourlocalbirds.com lets us look into some of their amazing lives via a unique and exciting range of video and still images as well as text and audio. The website has two principal sections: Learning about birds and Teaching about birds and was created by […] The Queensland Science Network is pleased to present otherwise not-easily-accessible reports of seismological activity. Seismology database There are three files. An introduction to the database. The database of Queensland seismic events (6MB). Note: the database has been converted to pdf format in order to stabilise it. People such as educators who wish to extract some […] The Australian Greenhouse Calculator helps explore how a person’s lifestyle contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. We all enjoy the benefits of modern technology such as heating and lighting, but we can take actions to reduce production of greenhouse gases and help combat climate change. Use the AGC to explore how to live more sustainably. By […] The past two centuries of history and loss of shellfish reefs in South-east Queensland have been chronicled in a scientific paper co-authored by Dr Ben Diggles, a member of The Royal Society Of Queensland. View pdf file. A downloadable Data Test – Oysters based on experiments aimed at restoring shellfish reefs has been prepared for use in classes in biology and marine science under Queensland’s 2019 senior secondary syllabus. The module has been prepared by Mr Michael Howe, Maths/Science/Marine Teacher at Bribie Island State High School. The original data sets were included […] This document has been provided by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority as a guide for scientists and naturalists in developing materials to support the Queensland science curriculum. Download publication Science syllabus presentation – workshop 18 April 2019
Queensland earthquakes data – CQU seismology observatories
Social Sciences in Schools
Birds of South-east Queensland – Educational website
Queensland earthquakes database – Uni of Qld seismology observatories
Australian Greenhouse Calculator
Charting two centuries of transformation in a coastal social-ecological system
Oyster recruitment – Marine Science Syllabus
Science syllabus and copyright
Citizen science school teacher resources
The Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist has published a list of curriculum-linked resources with a citizen-science component. By mid-May 2022, some 33 programs had been listed. The site includes definitions of citizen science and other context-setting materials.
Earthwatch’s curriculum-linked materials
Earthwatch has developed free STEM-related curriculum resources (mapped to the Australian Curriculum via Cool Australia); https://www.earthwatch.org.au/teacher-resources. Earthwatch has a number of other teacher resources here: https://www.earthwatch.org.au/Pages/Category/teachers
Field recording sheets for school groups
The free ClimateWatch app allows indicator species sightings and photos to be submitted while anywhere in Australia. Records can also be submitted through the ClimateWatch website where photos can be manually uploaded. For those without smart-devices, survey sheets are available on the website. Some things to remember:
- Familiarise yourself with species content via climatewatch.org.au/species .
- ClimateWatch trails have their own recording sheets you may wish to use instead of the app or survey sheets.
- A computer session can be scheduled after the field activity to enter the data into the ClimateWatch website.
ClimateWatch is a citizen-science experience that can be incorporated into secondary and tertiary school subjects, backyard or school ground explorations, field excursions or camps. Taking part in citizen science that monitors and records plant and animal behaviour is naturally aligned to the Science stream of the national curriculum. ClimateWatch is also a great way to build student capacity in critical and creative thinking, numeracy and ITC skills.
Queensland STEM Education Network
The Queensland STEM Education Network (QSEN) website has now been transferred to the Queensland Science Network. Funding for QSEN expired at the end of March 2018. The project assembled a number of valuable resources including posters and a glossary of terms. QSEN was a consortium of Queensland universities providing a range of high quality programs and initiatives designed to build STEM capacity across the State. A statement of objectives and outcomes has been furnished by former Coordinator and Member of the Society Kay Lembo (syllabus AT royalsocietyqld.org.au).
We acknowledge the enormous investment of time and talent by Ms Lembo and her colleagues, and especially thank Griffith University for hosting the project originally.
General Educational Materials Library
This section is a general repository of materials suitable for adapting to classroom use. Most have been generated by member groups of the Queensland Science Network. First, a two-page brief by The Royal Society of Queensland explaining scientific method and the robustness of scientists’ conclusions about climate.
Primer Dr Peter Dart and Col Lynam, members of The Royal Society of Queensland, have compiled this primer on the coal seam gas industry. Are you aware that Queensland coal seam gas is a risk to food security? The paper includes a useful table of recent reports and media columns with hotlinks. The paper has […] Dr Pat Dale, member of The Royal Society of Queensland, has been investigating methods of mosquito control for more than 30 years. In particular, she has trialled “runnelling”, a low-impact form of habitat modification, as an alternative to spraying pesticides. In this article published in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, she and […] This guide to environmental activities (23MB) from the US Peace Corps has information of general usefulness, but the ideas here are always subject to the Queensland curriculum. In 2018 the United Nations declared 20 May annually as World Bee Day. The World Bee Day websites international and Australian contain useful videos, case studies and written materials explaining the role bees play in agriculture and biodiversity. Also see the website for the Australian not-for-profit Wheen Been Foundation. The National Waterbug Blitz is Australia’s first nationwide, citizen science, waterway monitoring event. In spring each year, Australians are encouraged to discover how healthy their local waterways and wetlands are, simply by exploring and identifying what waterbugs live in them. Many schools, farmers, local residents, catchment or Landcare and other community groups, are collecting information […] A series of information sheets on soil properties and soil erosion by Southern Queensland Landscapes and the Queensland Department of Resources provides an excellent introduction to soil science. Lucidly illustrated, they are suitable for mid-year to senior science students. 01 02 03 Gully erosion 04 05 06 07 08 Understanding soil colour 09 Understanding soil […] A series of 30 exercises for students is available on the TED site Earth School. The exercises, called “Quests”, encourage students globally to “celebrate, explore and connect with nature”. A certificate is emailed upon completion of the 30 exercises. Australian Dr John Cook has developed a game, Cranky Uncle, to explain global warming and climate denialism. The game is promoted on the site www.skepticalscience.com as a teaching tool, for secondary and tertiary levels. The game is accompanied by a book and a Teachers’ Guide. The website has a wealth of material on climate change […] By Jodi Rowley Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum Australia has 240 known species of frog, almost all of which are found nowhere else in the world. Some species are flourishing, like the Striped Marsh Frog. But others have declined dramatically since the 1980s, and four have become extinct. Croaks, whistles, bleats and […] Wet rocks Wet Rocks is an initiative of the Teacher Earth Science Education Programme: Groundwater Education Resources for Teachers Wet Rocks is a valuable resource for both learning and teaching about groundwater. Relevant to the Australian Curriculum, Wet Rocks introduces study of groundwater and its place in the water cycle, how it is formed, its […]
Coal seam gas and agricultural land: Defying the precautionary principle
Mosquito control – An alternative to pesticides
Environmental activities – International guide
World Bee Day
National Waterbug Blitz
Soil science and soil erosion resources
Earth School
Cranky Uncle climate game
Clicks, bonks and dripping taps: Listen to the calls of 6 frogs out and about this summer
Groundwater education for teachers – including Wet Rocks
Links to Prominent Educational Websites
Please consult the website for details of the Society and the stunning work that its members produce. The Copyright Agency’s Reading Australia portal by March 2021 was presenting 224 freely-available resources to assist with the teaching of books by Australian writers. Originally launched in 2013 to showcase Australia’s rich literary heritage and encourage more people to read Australian literature, Reading Australia has become a valuable asset for teachers looking to introduce homegrown […] The website of the Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist https://www.chiefscientist.qld.gov.au/stem-education/activities-resources references a wide range of STEM activities and resources. Arising indirectly from a brainstorming session convened by the Royal Society of Queensland in July 2015, the Office of the Chief Scientist of Australia developed a national web portal to offer access to a range of authoritative materials and programs. The STAR portal went live late in June 2017. Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia is a not for profit company that operates and manages a web portal called Primezone. Primezone provides teachers, parents and students, with an Australian Curriculum-driven range of high-quality, vetted educational resources relevant to primary industries, from Foundation to Year 12. Visit Primezone at www.primezone.edu.au
Botanical Artists’ Society of Queensland
Reading Australia
STEM Education – Activities and resources
STAR Portal
Primezone