Teacher Resource: Activity 1 - Using Online Resources like a Scientist

Scientists have many methods of acquiring data to help them in their studies. In this activity, like Dr White, you will use online resources to aid in your research. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website enables you will explore the vegetation index in parts of Victoria, while Climate Change Australia provides temperature and rainfall data that will support consideration of long and short term effects on ecosystems. Both of these websites are free to use by anyone and can provide valuable information for any environmental study.

Activity 1: Teacher Resource: Research

Science Understanding: Biological Sciences

Levels 7/8

Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs and can be affected by human activity (VCSSU093)

Levels 9/10

Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems (VCSSU121)

Science Inquiry Skills:

Construct and use a range of representations including graphs, keys and models to record and summarise data from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and to represent and analyse patterns and relationships (VCSIS110)
Use scientific knowledge and findings from investigations to identify relationships, evaluate claims and draw conclusions (VCSIS111)
Communicate ideas, findings and solutions to problems including identifying impacts and limitations of conclusions and using appropriate scientific language and representations (VCSIS113)

Activity 1: Teacher Resource: Text