National Science Week August 2024
National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. But what does science mean to all of us? Isn’t it just experiments done in labs by people in white coats?
Well, without science, your life would be very different. You wouldn’t know what time it is, couldn’t turn on a light bulb, or cook your toast, have a glass of clean water, have a car, or a bicycle, or know to wash your hands to stop germs passing between us. Science really does underpin our everyday life and the world we live in.
Species Survival
National Science Week runs from 10–18 August 2024. This year’s theme is Species Survival: More than just sustainability, reminding us that we’re all part of the big, interconnected web of life. Every creature on earth matters – they all have a part to play in our ecosystems and survival, providing the air that we breathe, and our food and water.
Events and Workshops:
Here at Yarra Plenty Regional Library we are excited to bring you a jam-packed schedule of events and workshops for adults and children. Read on to explore how you can get involved:
We begin with bees, who have a pivotal role in food production. Learn how to Bee a Pollinator in a hands-on garden session at Ivanhoe Library from 10.30am to 11.20am on Saturday 10 August.
Follow up with learning how greenspaces attract Indigenous Pollinators, and the
key role they play in providing food and habitat for microbes, fungi, plants, animals. This event is at Watsonia Library, which has a community garden, from 2.00pm to 3.00pm on Sunday 11 August.
STEM Games for Kids
Join us at Eltham Library on Monday 12 August, 4.00pm to 5.00 pm for exciting STEM Games for Kids event brought to you by STEMeez in partnership with Swinburne University! Engage with STEMeez resources such as interactive games and hands-on experimental activities that will ignite your child's curiosity and love for STEM. This event is for families with children aged 5–8 years old.
Coding!
Try some fun coding and use Scratch to create a game and Save the Shark!
In this cool session, you’ll learn about sharks' favourite food: it’s fish, not humans! We'll also discover how plastic in the oceans is harming sharks in their natural habitat. There are two sessions to choose from: Tuesday 13 August at 4.00pm to 5.00pm at Mill Park Library, or Thursday 15 August from 4.00pm to 4.45pm at Diamond Valley Library.
Wednesday 14 August two exciting events to choose from, or you could go to both! We have an Online Code Club from 4.00 pm to 5.00pm, where you can create games, animations and interactive stories with Scratch. For ages 8–12 years.
Our Night Sky
Follow that up with a wonderful event ‘Our Night Sky’ at Whittlesea Library from 7.00pm to 8.00 pm. Join us for a star gazing and telescope experience with Steve Fleming, former lecturer in Astronomy at La Trobe University. Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or new to the world of Astronomy, our Night Sky Telescope Event promises to be an unforgettable experience for all ages.
Origami and Space Travel
Our final Science Week event is Origami and Space Travel! How can origami help us travel through space? You'll find out if you come along to this creative and scientific session at Thomastown Library from 4.00pm to 5.00 pm on Thursday 15 August. We will have several levels of design, for beginners as well as experienced origami makers.
I’ll finish this roundup of our fabulous events with a quote from US physicist Brian Greene:
When kids look up to great scientists the way they do to great musicians and actors, civilization will jump to the next level.
Check out our Catalogue!
If you can’t make it to these events our catalogue has hundreds of science-y items for you to read, listen to, and watch.
Check these out for starters:
Super Fun Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids : 52 Family-friendly Experiments from around the House
The 52 experiments in Super Fun Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids use materials most of us keep in our pantries to introduce fundamental principles of physics, chemistry, and biology. Author Liz Lee Heinecke has developed experiments that are safe enough for the youngest children in the house and engaging enough for the oldest.
![Numbers in nature [Deadly Collection]](https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9781923096080/lc.gif&client=yarraplentyrl&upc=&oclc=)
Numbers in Nature by Jarrah Cain
Mathematical concepts are all around us - in nature, architecture, art, biology, computer science and in our everyday lives. Did you know that natural processes, such as how bees swarm, have been used as a model for computer algorithms, or that boomerangs work using similar aerodynamic concepts as aircraft? Explore how number patterns, symmetry, algebra, geometry and other maths concepts have been applied by First Australians for millennia.
![BBC Science Focus Magazine [electronic resource]](/media/2cjgcqb3/bbc-science-focus.jpg)
BBC Science Focus Magazine
A Libby eMagazine
With accessible features illustrated with the world’s best photography, BBC Focus Magazine explains the theory behind scientific phenomena and really brings science to life. In every issue you’ll find news of the latest major scientific developments, a lively Q&A section, plus exclusive and astonishing photographic reports that range from the breathtaking to the downright odd.
The Science of Flight
A Kanopy Streaming Series
This streaming series, available free using Kanopy, is a treasure trove for all who wonder where lift comes from, how a pilot flies a plane, what air traffic controllers do, and many other things about flight, including how rockets and orbits work.
Biology : 100 ideas in 100 Words : A Whistle-stop Tour of Key Concepts by Eva Amsen
Get to grips with the essential topics in biology today through 100 key ideas, each one explained clearly in 100 words. this book introduces 100 key areas of biology such as life processes, evolution, DNA and inheritance, diversity of plants, immunity and disease, and explains each topic in just 100 words. Perfect for getting your head around big ideas clearly and quickly or refreshing your memory of the fundamentals of life on earth, this book covers the most up-to-date terms and theories and inspires a heightened level of understanding and enjoyment to the core areas of biology explored in The Science Museum.
![Animal Behaviour [electronic resource] : An Audio Guide](/media/d1zfk24q/animal-behaviour.jpg)
Animal Behaviour- An Audio Guide
Why do birds have regional accents? Can horses learn maths? What do animals without eyes see? Questions such as these have fascinated scientists and animal lovers alike long before ethology – the study of animal behaviour – became recognised as a science in the 1970s. Now, as issues of conservation and welfare dominate the field, an understanding of how and why animals act the way they do has become even more critical. Drawing together evolutionary theory, ecology, population biology, genetics, physiology and anatomy to demonstrate the diversity involved when studying animals, in Animal Behaviour, John A. Byers explains the mechanisms and motivations behind a range of animal movements. Listeners are equipped with the core knowledge and skills to further their own studies and better understand the natural world that surrounds us.