Special Events P.4. VSSEC Primary Outreach Program P.5. CAPCOM. January—
June 2013. Meerkats and Mars. Landscape Plus landscape artist, Chris Keay, ...
January — June 2013
CAPCOM this issue Meerkats and Mars P.1 VSSEC Space Prize Winner Announced P.2 Italian Astronaut visits VSSEC P.3 Special Events P.4
The Flipped Classroom The flipped classroom model encompasses any use of Internet technology to leverage the learning in the classroom, so teachers can spend more time interacting with students instead of lecturing. This is most commonly being done using teacher created videos (aka vodcasting) which students view outside of class time.
VSSEC Primary Outreach Program P.5
Welcome to our new look bumper edition of Capcom. This year has been a very exciting and busy one for us all. Thank you so much for your patience as we have taken a little longer than was expected to get this into circulation.
Meerkats and Mars Landscape Plus landscape artist, Chris Keay, has re-
It is called the flipped class because the whole classroom/ homework paradigm is "flipped". What used to be classwork (the "lecture") is done at home via teacher-created videos and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class.
modeled our Mars Surface. Our newly designed surface
The successful use of this model at the Centre and has prompted us to take this model to the next level. Apple Australia is now working with the Centre to develop our unique iTunes U space. Students using the iTunes U app, can play video or audio lectures, and take notes that are synchronised with the lecture.
representation of the planet’s environment. Students
http://flipped-learning.com/
is ready for action! Mr Keay and his team, who created the meerkat enclosure at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, followed the latest information gained by the Curiosity Rover on Mars to recreate an accurate
will now have the opportunity to study the geology of Mars, researching the past and present environmental
This will assist students in searching for core samples, carrying out analysis on prehistoric rivers, collecting rocks samples and searching for economic metals whilst on the surface of Mars.
conditions on its surface. When they return to Earth, students use a stream Students carrying out a Mission to Mars will have a wide
table to study erosion, a Short-wavelength Infrared
range of state of the art equipment at their disposal,
Spectrometer, and a UV –Visible Spectrophotome-
including: Forward Looking Infra-red (FLIR) thermal
ter to conduct further analysis on rock spectra and
cameras, metal detectors and hand-held alpha, beta
compare surface features on the Red Planet.
and gamma detectors.
Pre-mission material is now carried out using the Flipped Classroom model and students are encouraged to created a science workbook which they use for the pre-mission material and during the mission itself.
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2012 VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize Winner Announced Aerospace comes to VSSEC VSSEC is very proud to announce the VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize winner for 2012 . University of New South Wales Electrical Engineering student, Thomas Cooney won first prize – going to the 6 week NASA Aeronautics Academy in California, America. Category winners for this year’s VSSEC NASA Australian Space Prize were: Alastair Tate – Geology and Planetary Geology, Monash University Emmanuel Malikides – Space Physics and Astrophysics, Australian National University Samuel Francis – Engineering, Australian National University.
Our University graduate collaboration projects continue to deliver amazing results.
The competition and quality of entrants this year was exceptionally high and the judges at NASA had a very difficult job choosing between these four incredibly strong finalists. Congratulations to our category winners and congratulations and bon voyage to Thomas! “Thank you VSSEC and NASA! I am honoured to be selected as the winner of the 2012 VSSEC-NASA Australian Space Prize. I’m really excited about attending this fantastic program which is an engineer’s dream come true. I am looking forward to working with and learning from scientists and engineers during the 10 weeks at the NASA Academy at Ames and bringing my experiences back to Australia to share with others.
This year, working with Swinburne University Engineering Faculty, we have produced a bench top wind tunnel. Ian Christie has worked with a group of undergraduate students to develop a wind tunnel that is completely portable and can be delivered to any school in the state. The wind tunnel is a key part of our Aerospace program for year 10 and 11 Physics.
I’m very grateful to VSSEC and all the sponsors of the program for this opportunity, which I know will be a highlight of my career.” Thomas Cooney.
VSSEC Educator aims for the Moon! Meet Alastair Tate Alastair, one of our Educators, has been
Alastair is currently completing a PhD analyz-
invited to complete an internship at the
ing whether any of the meteorites found on
Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston,
Earth could provide viable food sources for
Texas. A Monash University PhD student,
the development of early life forms. The
he is the first Australian in over ten years to
study he will be conducting during his intern-
be accepted to the NASA supported pro-
ship will provide a great opportunity for his
gram.
research and career.
Alastiar is on of 15 successful candidates, four of which are international students.
“I’m looking forward to making new contacts
The program will focus on the study of the Allende me-
and the opportunities for collaboration.”
teorite found in Mexico, which will research where ener-
“Going over and studying space, and being on the
gy sources of our early solar system.
forefront of human knowledge, on the unknown, is a really good thing, It’s really addictive.”
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Students will also have access to aircraft design simulation software developed in collaboration with the Latrobe University, Games Technology Laboratory. This software allows student to design and test sections of aircraft. Once the student has completed their design they will build their model using 3D printing technology and then test the structure in the wind tunnel. The wind tunnel comes with a computer interface module, which will allow students to gather and analyse data of their model e.g. drag and lift, and establish if their model can fly.
“Try Zero G” junior scientist visits Tsukuba Space Center
Italian Astronaut visits VSSEC
12 year old Lily Thornton, from Clunes Primary School Victoria, won last year’s Try Zero G program. Lily’s winning experiment ‘Weight Station’ observed the behavior of a spring balance under microgravity. As a winner of the Try Zero G program, Lily, a Space Robotics Engineer aspirant, was given the opportunity to visit the Tsukuba Space Center of JAXA. There she toured the space center, including the mission control room and astronaut training facility, learning much about the International Space Station. Lily watched a downlinked video of astronaut Aki Hoshide, as he conducted her experiment in the Kibo module of the ISS on 16th November 2012. She was able to observe how her experiment performed in microgravity.
Astronaut Paolo Nespoli joined students from the South Australian Space School, as they carried out a Mission to Mars.
Mr Paolo Nespoli visited VSSEC on Friday the 19th April, accompanying students from the South Australian Space School. Mr Nespoli is an experience astronaut who has carried out two missions on the International Space Station, including
Try Zero G is an educational program conducted in space and sponsored by JAXA. It’s purpose is to perform simple, yet excellent experiments proposed by students, providing a great opportunity for young enthusiasts.
one mission that lasted 159 days.
If you, or your school are interested in participated in the 2013 Try Zero G, further information and applications details are on this website:
Specialist on board the space shuttle
http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/kuo/news/ kuoa_121203.html
bled further expansion of the ISS, in-
During this mission he performed a number of experiments for the European scientific community in the areas of human physiology and biology and participated in a number of education activities as well. In 2011, Mr Nespoli was assigned a long duration mission, where he was the ISS flight engi-
Mr Nespoli is not only an astronaut, but
neer and conducted science experiments and
has expertise in engineering, piloting,
technology demonstrations.
scuba and nitrox diving and parachuting.
In 2007, he flew as the Mission
Discovery, a mission that delivered and installed the Node-2 module. This ena-
The South Asutralian Space School is an annual program that provides bright and motivated Year 10 students a stimulated and rewarding education experience that focuses them on careers in science and engineering.
cluding the addition of the European
Having an astronaut accompany them on their
Columbus laboratory.
Space Camp and the Mission to Mars provides these lucky students with a once in a lifetime chance to study the science of an alien planet alongside an established expert in the field.
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Special Events
IAF Congress
In the past VSSEC has collaborated with National Space Science School based at Hamil-
By request of the Local Organiz-
ton Secondary College, Adelaide, to develop a space camp program. Over the two days
ing Committee, VSSEC has been
30 students participated in the Mission to the Orbiting Space Laboratory and the Mission
asked to amend the proposed two
to Mars programs. This year, as in previous years during the National Space Science
-day professional development
School Camp, a NASA or ESA astronaut accompanied students. VSSEC recently had the
program to be run in conjunction
honour of welcoming ESA astronaut Mr Paolo Nespoli (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
with the International Aeronautical
Paolo_A._Nespoli).
Federation Congress.
The Centre will host 24 senior students from the prestigious Italian Specialist Maths and Science College, Liceo Galvani Bologna from the 9th to the 21st of September. Students will spend a total of three days taking part in programs. They will also be taken to a variety of science education facilities in Victoria. This has been a collaboration between the Cen-
The program will now only be focused on primary education and run for one day. The changes to the program have been made and have been sent
tre/SSC and the Italian Consulate.
to the Local Organising Commit-
In collaboration with RMIT University Faculty of Environment and Planning, VCAA,
tee. Approval has been granted
VAEE , VSSEC will be conducting a one-day Environmental Leadership program on the
and the program will now be de-
24th of July. The Environmental Leadership Day “Creating a possible future for humanity”
livered on the 22nd of September
will provide students with an engaging and unique view of the career opportunities that
at the Youth Science
exist in the environmental sector. This will be done through an interdisciplinary approach
& Technology Centre of Beijing
that will challenge students to think critically, encouraging them to explore, discover and
Xicheng, - http://xckjg.com/ .
solve the question posed on the day:
The program includes a keynote
If we could no longer rely on Earth to provide us with a sustainable and safe place to live – could we lead humanity to Mars… or is there an alternative solution?
presentation by Ms Anne Tweed, four hands-on investigations and a presentation from a Chinese astronaut. VSSEC has offered, as part of the revised proposal, that all activities will be filmed using a Chinese-speaking primary school
McREL Professional Development VSSEC, in May began a professional development program that has been designed in collaboration with McREL. Ms Anne Tweed, principal consultant from McREL, will conduct six workshops based on the Designing Effective Science Instruction (DESI) program but also include elements of the Designing
teacher based in Melbourne. With the assistance of DEECD central office a teacher and class will be sourced for the filming.
Effective Mathematics Instruction (DEMI) program with an effective use of Technology component as
The video will be made available
an overlay to both programs. She will also present a workshop on Using Interactive Notebooks to
to all teachers attending the con-
Teach Science.
ference so as to assist them with
VSSEC has secured funding to continue the work with McREL. 2014 will see the introduction of a full program dealing with effective instructional design in Mathematics as a well as Science. A separate program on the effective use of interactive notebooks to teach science will also be offered.
any language difficulty that may arise during the workshops. All written material used will also be translated into Chinese.
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The instructional design of VSSEC’s primary program
VSSEC’s New Primary Outreach Modules
provides opportunities for students to experience changes in their own noticing, thinking and understanding. Lessons have been designed as hands-on, student-centered tasks. It is important students have time to think, experiment and
Our previous outreach modules are:
discuss their ideas in a safe and supportive environment. Learning
‘Getting Dirty on Mars’
is
an active
process,
and
we
need to
acknowledge students’ attempts to make sense of their
‘Microscopes and Fossils’
experiences and help them confront inconsistencies in
‘States of Matter’
their sense making. Teachers’ questions can model the sorts of questions students might ask themselves. Mis-
‘Inference Cubes and Mystery Tubes’
takes are not inadequacy, but helpful contributions in the search for understanding. We should encourage the ex-
‘UV Beads’ These units have been incredibly well received by all the schools we have visited and we have often been asked for more. It is with considerable pleasure that we can announce the new modules that we will be adding to our existing program:
pression of ideas.
VSSEC Primary Outreach Program
Scientific skills and processes:
Observing drawing)
Raising questions (understanding what questions are investigable)
Since our very first outreach program in
Hypothesizing (possible explanations)
2010, we have brought science to the
Predicting (using hypothesis to make predictions)
lives of over 7600 primary school
Planning and carrying out investigations (understanding fair testing and variables)
Interpreting information (patterns, inferences and conclusions)
Communicating (recording, reporting and discussing)
‘Sinking and Floating’ ‘Newton’s Hot Wheels’
children.
‘Magnification’ ‘Mechanical Toys’ ‘Balloon Car Racers’ These modules will investigate the physical world in interesting and engaging ways. These will provide hands-on experiments looking at density, Newton’s Laws and motion, how magnifying glasses and microscopes work, building and
Five new inquiry based activities have been designed for this year’s extension of our primary school program.
(including
measurement,
scientific
As well as science content, it is important that students learn scientific processes and skills that support the development of ‘scientific thinking’ and ‘attitudes of science’. Attitudes of science:
Curiosity
Respect for evidence
Open-mindedness
Critical reflection
Sensitivity to the living and non-living environment
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Meet the Staff Michael Pakakis has been a teacher of Science and Mathematics since 1985. During this time he has held a number of positions of responsibility from head of Science to head of Senior School. He has also worked in a variety of Government schools and is presently employed at Strathmore Secondary College as a Leading Teacher and Director of VSSEC.
Michael first approached teaching with a little apprehension, feeling that the teaching was an incredibly demanding and difficult profession. He realized that teaching was his vocation when on his 2nd teaching rounds he taught a molecular modeling class for Year 11 chemistry at Niddrie High School (Now Rosehill Secondary College). Everything clicked. The students were excited by the class and told him they had immensely enjoyed the class and gotten a lot out of it. Michael likened the experience to ‘swinging to hit a golf ball, finding its sweet spot, and it just goes flying’.
Michael Pakakis is a alumnus of Strathmore Secondary College. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Latrobe University with a strong emphasis on immunology. Michael is Diploma of Education from Monash University, majoring in Chemistry and Biology, and has been a teacher for 28 years. Michael taught at Moreland HighSchool, Coburg Technical School and Strathmore Secondary College, before becoming Director of VSSEC.
Since then Michael has been passionate about teaching science, even taking students on trips to the United States to visit Space Camp. The students loved the experience and were really inspired to continue science. Michael also was inspired: Australian students shouldn’t have to travel to the United States for a space science experience — they could do it here! VSSEC was born from this idea and the Mars Experience developed shortly afterward. Mars exploration is very topical and the science related to the exploration of the Red Planet could be closely tied to science in the classroom.
Michael has always been a strong champion of teacher professional development and has been actively involved in the development of programs here at VSSEC. Michael has collaborated with McREL teacher experts Anne Tweed and Matt Kuhn, and Learning Horizon’s instructor Jane Pollock.
‘Allowing students to engage with science and its equipment at the Centre is only a part of exposing students to good science pedagogy. Having teachers who taught effective science pedagogy is the other.’
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VSSEC would like to acknowledge the contributions of Swinburne University students, most especially Victoria Stone-Meadows, to this newsletter. 6
