Professional Learning
Learn and Stargaze in the April holidays!
Don’t miss our exciting Professional Learning and Stargazing during the April 2013 school holidays! The event is jointly hosted by the Gravity Discovery Centre and Gingin Observatory. Sessions focus on how we can assist in teaching the Australian Curriculum Science. Discover ideas on how astronomy can be incorporated into your teaching program, and linked to the AC. Integrate Einsteinian Physics into teaching. Guest speakers will deliver up-to-date science information. Evening conclude with an exploration of the night sky through telescopes.
Primary and Secondary Science (years 4-10)
Tuesday 30th April 2:30-8:30pm
Cost for both is $70 ( includes dinner and afternoon tea)
Register education@gravitycentre.com.au
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Churchlands SHS teachers discover GDC
An enthusiastic group of seven teachers from Churchlands Senior High School attended a professional learning workshop at the Gravity Discovery Centre on Friday 23rd March. The workshop focussed on science in the new Australian Curriculum, and how the Gravity Discovery Centre can be best utilised to maximise student learning.
A significant part of the Australian science curriculum is focussed on human endeavour in science. The group visited the research laboratory onsite which tells an interesting story about the human endeavour in finding gravitational waves. Scientists here have been attempting to detect the smallest measurement ever undertaken by mankind. The benefits to society of this research thus far includes new technology for monitoring wave motion, vibration dampening devices and underground mineral finding technology.
Another story of human endeavour which is told at the centre is the never ending search for knowledge and understanding in science. Thousands of years ago people believed that the Earth was the centre of our Universe. A long time later Galileo came along and invented his first telescope. He also made predictions about all objects falling to Earth at the same rate. Hundreds of years later Newton developed his own theory on gravity. But Einstein’s theories of gravity and curved space have so far proven to be correct in every way, superseding all previous understandings. Our search for knowledge about our Universe continues, and the SKA project is one that will provide more answers in the future.
Churchlands teachers were able to repeat Galileo’s experiments in gravity from the 45m Leaning Tower at the Gravity Discovery Centre. They engaged in demonstrations of curved space, and used giant equipment such as the pendulum tower and wave cable to conduct physics experiments. They discovered that space is, in fact, very stiff but is warped by the mass of objects such as suns, planets and black holes.
The feedback from the teachers was overwhelmingly positive. All seven teachers strongly agreed or agreed that the day was worth their time and effort to attend, and that they would recommend it to a peer.
