Secondary Program: 15 - 16 August

Celebrate National Science Week and have your students’ burning questions answered by experts from over 20 research organisations and universities! Wander through our Science Expo stalls and chat citizen science, frogs, fossils, medical research and more – even ask our scientists about their career paths. Ignite your students’ love for science by giving them the rare opportunity to touch base with real-life scientists, undertake experiments and get hands-on with cutting-edge innovations.

When: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 August
Where: Australian Museum Hintze Hall
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 120 per session

Hear from inspiring and insightful thought leaders about not only the impacts of climate change on Sydney and our health, but what we can do about it.  

Speakers include Dr Jenny Newell, Curator, Climate Change at the Australian Museum; Professor Philip Hansbro, Deputy Director Centenary Institute and Director Centenary UTS Centre for Inflammation; and Associate Professor Katherina Petrou, School of Life Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. 

When: Monday 15 August
Where: Australian Museum Theatre
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 120

Hear from women leading in their fields of STEM research, and find out about the career journeys that have brought them to where they are today. You’ll learn about their inspiring fieldwork adventures, from supporting community-driven archaeological projects, to exploring the vulnerability of native plants to climate change and describing new fossil species.  

Speakers include Dr Marissa Betts, paleontologist and geologist at University of New England; Dr Amy Mosig Way, archaeologist at the Australian Museum; and Phillippa Alvarez, Seed Ecologist PhD Candidate with University of Technology Sydney and the Australian Institute of Botanical Science. 

When: Monday 15 August
Where: Australian Museum Theatre
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 120

There’s never been a more important time for science communication, and finding creative and exciting ways to engage everyone in science. Join our panel of passionate science communicators to hear about their career journeys, and be inspired by their contagious enthusiasm to make science accessible for all.

Panel speakers include Professor Kris Helgen (Chief Scientist and Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute), Dr Mitchell Gibbs (Researcher in Indigenous practices for shellfish and coastal management) and Associate Professor Alice Motion (Chemist and Science Communicator).
Moderated by James Clugston (The Royal Botanic Garden).

When: Monday 15 August
Where: Australian Museum Theatre
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 120

Get fired up for some seriously explosive science with Street Science! Experience a range of roaring reactions as we investigate fuels – past, present and future, before dropping the temperature with the mind-bending properties of liquid nitrogen.

When: Tuesday 16 August
Where: Australian Museum Theatre
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 120 per session

Discover the culinary delights that can be found in a native garden! In this workshop led by a First Nations guide, students will tour the Cadi Jam Ora garden to explore different types of plants used and eaten by Aboriginal people of the Sydney region and learn how they prepare them.

When: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 August
Where: The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 30 per session

Explore what it’s like to be a forensic investigator and use scientific applications to solve crimes. Students will participate in a mock case scenario and learn how to dust and collect fingerprints, analyse bloodstain spatter and manage a crime scene, with the aim of building a solid case for the court of law. This interactive workshop is facilitated by the University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science.

When: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 August
Where: The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 30 per session

Dinosaurs are well known for their enormous sizes, and indeed they include the largest animals ever to walk the earth. But how do we know how heavy they were? This activity combines palaeontology, mathematics, physics and biology, using an age-old technique to estimate just how large these amazing animals once were! This interactive workshop is facilitated by the University of New England’s Discovery Program.

When: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 August
Where: The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 30 per session

Tree-gonometry, anyone? Numbers are everywhere in science and horticulture! Students will apply maths and science to the outdoor classroom of the Botanic Garden and discover how these skills are useful in science and horticultural careers.

When: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 August
Where: The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
Years: Secondary 7-11
Capacity: 30 per session