Australia's Science Forum

I get to look out my window at an orchard, a vegetable garden, compost bins, and a pile of horse manure that one of the Assistant Principals, a Science Teacher and a subject called "Green Team" are establishing and looking after. I also help out in this class from time to time and the clas...

We have a box called "Hot Air Balloon Gear" and a Manilla Folder called "Hot Air Balloon Instructions" but the folder is empty and all I can see in the box of gear is some of the thick orange garbage bags that seem to have had aluminium foil glued to them on one side. Sorry canno...

It is for an engine, not sure if it will be a toy engine or a old lawn mower engine yet. Student is pretty reliable, so I am sure it is for the said purpose. Purpose is to distill it and then power an engine, I mean if it was just to power the engine then I could use some of the Ethanol I have in th...

Anyone know how to make to Ethanol in a classroom? eg the Distillation process etc as I have a student who wants to make some so that they can power a engine with it. Am not sure if I should be allowing this to happen or not.

Thanks

Don't have any data loggers hear, except for some old thing that looks like it comes from the Ark called an EI Enviromental Data Probe that has batteries that had had to be modified so that a 9V battery fitted into the cardboard case of what was a 9V transistor battery which was an Eveready Battery ...

Normally I send out 1 half full box and a couple of empty boxes, usually seem to get them back in previous years. Grade 7s will start using the science labs next week though I believe, so I will see what happens then. I tried the lighter gun things but the teachers couldn't figure out how to use the...

What did you do with the Dry Clay etc?

Not sure if this is what you are looking for but I just went to Google and put "IEC Ripple Generator" into the search box and it came up with 1 result which said it was the instruction sheets for a IEC Ripple Generator model (not sure if its the model you were looking for) Hope this helps ...

I was wondering if someone has any advice/information for me regarding the disposal of preserved animal and other specimens which have been at my workplace since I started working here and are most likely preserved using Formalin (formaldehyde).

Thanks

Andrew

You could do water rockets using a soft drink bottle, Ice cream container or lid as fins, water and a bike pump. I know one of the teachers who no longer works here, had his class in 2006 make rockets out of cardboard and they used a solid fuel rocket engine, not sure if you could do this in other s...

Hi all The school that I work at has 3 first aid officers, 2 in a central location and 1 is an Outdoor Ed. teacher (I believe these people get about $500 extra a year for doing this), however a number of other teachers also have first aid certificates but don't deal with students every day. The firs...

Most of the teachers are scared of doing the old Sodium in Water demonstration so Yours Truly has been asked to demonstrate it a few times usually to Grade 7 classes. I don't think the kids find it that exciting especailly when they can watch Brainiac and see them putting even more reactive metals i...

Yes I agree with Richard. Get something that your glassware will fit in, not like the the one that is sitting here near me as I am typing this, that you can fit a bowl in and thats about it. I mean I can fit 500ml flasks in it if I take the turntable out.

And if you want to get to brass tacks, the OHS legislation and training doesn't go through every industry and every possible incident that may or may not occur at a workplace. It is a good dream for it to be unlawful to work in science without qualification ... in science, but then what would happen...

Ian

I believe it was 24th of Nov. 2007 that they are talking about

In case you haven't done it yet, you need to logout to find the registration link

Its another 10 days till the teachers start again and 12 days until the students start again in Southern Tasmania, as we have a public holiday on the 11th of Feb. (only the South), I think North, North East and North West schools teachers start on the 11th of Feb. and Students on the 12th or the 13th

Hi there Ian

I have been back at work a week now, just going through the MSDS's and updating the ones older than 5 years and also going through the inventory to see what we have and what we need.

Andrew

Well Wed. was a waste of time, the weather conditions were perfect, the rockets acted how they were meant to. It would have been quite good if some of the students could listen to the basic instructions about building a launch area in the long jump pit, don't waste the chemicals etc etc. but they co...

Have you tried contacting Workcover? they may be able to help. Also are you a member of a Union? because you could contact them as well. Our fume cupboards seem to be tested every 6 months or so, but it must just be the extraction system, as 1 of the cupboards in the classroom has a broken screen an...