21 June 2024
During Week 8, Year 7 students visited both the South Australian Museum and the Australian Space Discovery Centre as part of their Science curriculum. This excursion was designed to integrate ‘Indigenous Perspectives’ into their studies, connecting their previous units on taxonomy, ecosystems, and Earth’s motion with the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Australians.
The museum featured several displays showcasing traditional methods of land and resource management, including fire management practices and insights into how Indigenous Australians have historically managed natural resources. The museum also showcased old scholar, Andy Thomas’s space suit, worn during his 1998 mission to the MIR Space Station. Students eagerly competed for a merit by uncovering the Australian town where a meteor was observed falling and subsequently recovered as a meteorite. The answer lies in the Karoonda meteorite, which fell at 10.53 PM in November 1930. This event was witnessed across a vast area from the Eyre Peninsula to central Victoria and was described as a brilliant fireball turning night into day.
Students also attended presentations by employees from the Australian Space Centre, discussing the increasing significance of the space industry for South Australia and globally. The presentations included details on how the logo was designed to incorporate constellations important to Indigenous Australians and their interpretation of the the night sky. Additionally, they highlighted that the Australian Space Centre houses the only mission control in Australia, which monitors the positions of satellites including BlueWalker 3. Following the presentations, students engaged with interactive displays including satellite technology, heat shielding and space botany. Thank you to the following staff for their assistance with the excursion: Dr Holden, Mr Wright, Dr McTernan, Miss Firth, Dr Giles, Mr Crawley, Mr Jaldiani, Dr Haines, Mr Davey, Miss Quesnel and Miss Balacco.
James McRae
Middle Years Science Coordinator