Background

Dinosaurs lived between 245 and 66 million years ago, during the Mesozic Era, and their remains have been found on every continent on Earth. Despite their abundance elsewhere, less discoveries have been made in Australia because of the geology. Australia has been subject to 30 million years of erosion and weathering, therefore paleontologists have smaller areas of suitable exposed rocks to look at when searching for fossils.

Background

Managing waste has become a critical issue in Australia and around the world. Now we are facing another waste crisis, that of what to do with the rubbish in left in space and on the moon.

Space debris is also known as orbital debris, space junk, space waste, space trash, space litter or space garbage. More than 500,000 pieces of debris, or “space junk,” are tracked as they orbit the Earth. They all travel at speeds up to 17,500 mph, fast enough for a relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.

Background

This is a scenario based program.

Climate change has suddenly kicked in. A cataclysmic climate event has occurred; massive floods are predicted and sea levels are rising.

The Seeds from Schools program arises from the Seeds from the Streets project that was developed by Victoria University. This project was founded on the identified need for an abundant source of seed that could be used for native grassland restoration projects in the west of Melbourne, without overharvesting from naturally occurring plant populations.

Background

All living things have adaptations to help them survive in an environment. The Ecolinc wetland and grassland features an array of native plants and animals that have a range of adaptations to survive seasonal changes, human impact and predation. 

Background

A life cycle depicts the changes a living thing goes through during its life. In some cases, this process is slow and gradual but in others the process is quick. Mayflies have the shortest life cycle on Earth. Their life only lasts 24 hours, but some species only last a few hours.

Background

Everyday human activities produce waste in a number of forms. Waste in the form of litter pollutes the land and waterways, while waste disposed as rubbish ends up in landfill which can contaminate groundwater, not to mention the need to find new holes as existing ones quickly fill. The “Three Rs”, namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, represent ways of minimising the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.

Background

The Chasers’ War on Waste was a popular program that aired on the ABC in 2017-2018. Individuals who choose to join this war must therefore be Waste Warriors.

Everyday human activities produce waste in a number of forms. Waste in the form of litter pollutes the land and waterways, while waste disposed as rubbish ends up in landfill which can contaminate groundwater. The Three R’s, namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, represent ways of minimising the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.

Background

There are 36 species of frog known to occur in Victoria, but many have declined or are currently in decline. Many species are classified as endangered, including the Growling Grass Frog, which was once common around parts of Melbourne. There are many reasons for the decline in numbers including habitat loss, introduced species, pollution and diseases. Students can assist in the conservation process by being involved in frog surveys and creating suitable habitat to allow local frogs to naturally colonize an area.