STEM

Crop farming is key to Western Australia’s economy, and there is a lot more to the Wheatbelt than just wheat! Students will test their knowledge of WA’s agricultural outputs (as well as their critical thinking skills) as they learn to identify grains, plants and products associated with agriculture in WA.

Year group: Years 7

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study area: 

• Science – Biological Sciences
• Earth and Space Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science - ACSSU111, ACSSU116
• Year 9 Science - ACSSU176

The health of livestock animals is a crucial concern for farmers, both to maintain animal well-being and to maximise economic return. To that end, farmers selectively breed their livestock to emphasise desirable traits and minimise undesirable traits.

This workshop teaches students what farmers want in a healthy sheep, and tasks students with ‘breeding’ successive generations of sheep to produce an optimal offspring.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study area: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science – ACSSU184, ACSSI185

The local backyard bandicoot, the quenda, recently had its scientific name changed from Isoodon obesulus to Isoodon fusciventer. Why was it changed?

In this workshop, your students will discover the taxonomy and classification of species and how this is used to make sense of the diverse relationships that exist between different species.

Year group: Years 7

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study area: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science - ACSSU111, ACSSU112
• Year 9 Science - ACSSU176

Quendas have an important role to play in the ecosystem and our backyards. Through an interactive board game, students will learn about quenda biology, and their threats and understand how these threats can be exacerbated by urbanisation.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study area: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSSU175, ACSSU176

Your students will explore the Chelodina Wetland and discover what it’s like to study Environmental Science or Conservation and Wildlife Biology.

Students will complete field tasks to identify various types of flora and fauna, observe food chains and discuss the cycle of abiotic and non-abiotic elements of an ecosystem. They will discover why urban wetlands are important, not only to the local biodiversity but to humans as well.

This workshop can be run to support elements of either the Year 7 or Year 9 biological sciences curriculum.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 20 students per workshop

Study areas: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSSU176, ACSIS165, ACSIS166

In this workshop, your students will be challenged to design and create their own prototype for growing vegetables in outer space.

Imagining that they work on an international space station, students must consider factors such as gravity as well as the limited supply of resources like water, oxygen, nutrients and sunlight. They will learn about plant growth habits and the use of plants for filtration and air purification.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas:

• Science – Biological Sciences
• Design and Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Science - ACSSU150, ACSHE136, ACSIS139, ACSIS140, ACSIS146, ACSIS148
• Year 8 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK029, ACTDEK030, ACTDEK032, WATPPS46, WATPPS48, WATPPS49, WATPPS53
• Year 9 Science - ACSSU175, ACSHE158, ACSIS165, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSIS174
• Year 9 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK040, ACTDEK041, ACTDEK044, ACTDEK046, ACTDEK047, WATPPS554, WATPPS55, WATPPS56, WATPPS57, WATPPS59

Through the processes of evolution and natural selection, Australia has developed a distinctly unique biodiversity that consists of species found nowhere else in the world. Having a significant impact on local biodiversity are feral and invasive species.

This workshop will explore the historical and present-day situation of feral animals in our environment and strategies employed by Murdoch University researchers to ethically control these populations.

Students will also discover the various methods used to track and observe species in the wild.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study areas: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science - ACSSU185
• Year 10 Geography - ACHGK070, ACHGK071, ACHGK074, ACHGK075

This immersive game experience allows students to test their knowledge of radioactivity and isotopes as they race against the clock to prevent a nuclear meltdown.

Students must solve a series of problems to unlock the different locks and acquire the shutdown code needed to prevent a complete meltdown of the core. This activity further develops the team and communication skills of students.

Note this workshop follows on from "Radioactivity and Carbon Dating".

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Chemical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSSU177, ACSIS169, ACSIS170

This workshop is designed to introduce the concepts of acids and bases in a way familiar to students. In this class, students will analyse the pH of common household items using three different methods.

Method accuracy and specificity will also be discussed as students explore the pH of common solids and liquids around them.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Chemical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science – ACSIS124, ACSIS125, ACSIS126, ACSHE119, ACSHE120, ACSHE121
• Year 8 Science – ACSSU151, ACSSU152, ACSSU225, ACSIS139, ACSIS140, ACSIS141, ACSIS144, ACSIS145, ACSIS146, ACSIS234, ACSIS148
• Year 9 Science – ACSIS164, ACSIS165, ACSIS166, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSHE157, ASCHE158
• Year 10 Science – ACSIS198, ACSIS199, ACSIS200, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSHE191, ASHE192, ACSHE194

In this workshop, students exploit an acid-base reaction to propel a rocket into the air. They will first learn of the physics that underpins both rocket launch and flight, and the importance of weight versus thrust.

With this knowledge, students will explore different ratios of acid and base quantities and the effect this has on the maximum height achieved.

In this iterative experimental process, students will need to have a good understanding of dependent and independent variables as they systematically work to achieve optimal chemical conditions to launch their rocket.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Chemical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSSU187, ACSSU190, ACSSU229, ACSIS199, ACSIS200, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSIS208

In this workshop, radioactivity and isotopes are explored in a series of fun, hands-on experiments. Students will understand the concept of half-life by simulating the radioactive decay of an atom over time. The importance of carbon dating in ageing previously living materials will be discussed.

Students will apply this concept to age their own once-living material through graphing and extrapolation of their own experimental data.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 60–90 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Chemical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSSU177, ACSHE157, ACSHE158, ACSHE160, ACSIS164, ACSIS169, ACSIS170

Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change due to the increased rate of emission. In this workshop, students will learn about the importance of trees in mitigating climate change through the storage of carbon.

By taking different measurements of a tree, students can calculate the amount of carbon stored in a tree, including using trigonometry

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study areas:

• Science – Earth and Space Sciences
• Mathematics – Numbers and Algebra

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Mathematics– ACMMG224
• Year 10 Science – ACSSU189, ACSHE191, ACSIS199, ACSIS200
• Year 10 Mathematics– ACMMG245

A test of a prototype hyperspeed train has gone catastrophically wrong, with the engineering team trapped inside and their oxygen leaking away.

Students must solve a series of engineering-themed logic puzzles in order to find a way out of the train - before time (and oxygen) runs out!

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Study areas: Science

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSIS164, ACSIS169, ACSIS172, ACSIS174

When people follow instructions, they interpret them using context, prior experience, assumptions and creativity to achieve the desired outcome.

Machines simply follow instructions blindly, whether they make sense or not, leading to unintended behaviours when instructions are unclear.

In this workshop, students write algorithms that describe how to do an everyday task. A volunteer ‘machine’ then puts these instructions to the test.

Year group: Year 7

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Digital Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Digital Technologies - ACTDIP030, WATPPS39, WATPPS41, WATPPS42, WATPPS45
• Year 8 Digital Technologies - ACTDIP029, ACTDIP030, WATPPS49, WATPPS50, WATPPS53
• Year 9 Digital Technologies - ACTDIP040, WATPPS60
• Year 10 Digital Technologies - ACTDIP040, WATPPS68

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is a powerful approach to design that allows both creativity and precision. CAD is used by engineers to visualise ideas, design and test components, and output schematics ready for manufacture.

This workshop is an introduction to CAD using the freeware SketchUp environment. Students will learn the basics of navigating a CAD program and practice using CAD to design their own creations.

Year group: Years 9-10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Study areas: Design and Technologies

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Design and Technologies – ACTDEK047, WATPPS56
• Year 10 Design and Technologies – ACTDEK041, ACTDEK047, WATPPS64

A two-part introduction to robotics programming, students use Spheros to learn basic programming strategies through a series of competition-style tasks.

Year group: Years 7-10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Study areas: Digital Technologies

Number of students: Maximum of 16 students

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Digital Technologies – ACTDIP028, ACTDIP030, WATPPS39, WATPPS40
• Year 8 Digital Technologies – ACTDIP028, ACTDIP030, WATPPS49, WATPPS50
• Year 9 Digital Technologies – ACTDIP039, WATPPS56, WATPPS60
• Year 10 Digital Technologies – WATPPS64, WATPPS68

Drones are not restricted to the sky! Remotely-Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROVs) are steerable submarine robots built for performing tasks that are difficult or impossible for humans, including science, military and industrial uses.

Scientists at Murdoch are now using ROVs to research marine and estuarine environments by capturing data on animal and plant populations. In this workshop, students will learn to pilot an ROV and explore the underwater environment of our ‘ROV driver training’ pool.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 45 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 16 students

Study areas: Science, Design and Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSHE158, ACSHE228
• Year 9 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046

Students will explore how to optimise power production from solar panel cells through investigative circuitry. The workshop emphasises the concepts of series and parallel circuits, as students explore how combining cells in different ways affects the total output voltage and current of the system.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study areas:

• Science – Physical Sciences
• Design and Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science - ACSSU190, ACSHE192, ACSIS198, ACSIS199, ACSIS200, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSIS208
• Year 10 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK40, ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046, ACTDEK047, WATPPS64, WATPPS66, WATPPS68

Students will investigate physics and engineering concepts as they test how to build a model wind turbine for maximum power generation. This workshop also includes electrical circuit building, data measurement and a focus on the principles of designing and carrying out a fair test.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study areas:

• Science – Physical Sciences
• Design and Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSHE160, ACSHE228, ACSIS164, ACSIS165, ACSIS166, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSIS174
• Year 9 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK040, ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046, ACTDEK047, WATPPS55, WATPPS56, WATPPS57, WATPPS58, WATPPS60

This immersive game experience allows students to test their knowledge of forensic science as they play detective and work to establish the identity of the individual responsible for their colleague’s disappearance and the murder of Taylor Potts.

Students must interpret biological evidence (blood, DNA) as well as shoeprint and fingerprint evidence to unlock the different locks and acquire the missing suspect files.

They will then need to interpret their evidence in relation to the suspect file to determine the kidnapper/killer’s identity.

This activity further develops the team and communication skills of students.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science - ACSSU184, ACSIS199, ACSIS200, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSIS208

Facial approximation combines the principles of anatomy, osteology, anthropology and art to recreate a face from skeletal remains (the skull). It is often of assistance in police investigations to aid in the identification of a victim.

In this workshop, students will learn about the important facial muscles and tissues, and then create representations of these using clay. Muscles will be layered upon a skull, gradually building up the facial profile of the victim.

After this workshop, your students will be able to name the important facial muscles and bones and have an appreciation of forensic anthropology.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study areas: Science

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSHE156, ACSHE160, ACSHE158, ACSIS165, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSIS174

Have you ever wondered how the police collect, evaluate and identify fingerprints?

In this workshop, your students will discover the complete process of fingerprinting including collecting reference prints from an individual, lifting fingerprints from a crime scene in addition to evaluating and identification of crime scene fingerprints.

This workshop will also explore the requirements of fingerprinting evidence to be used in a court of law.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study areas: Science

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science – ACSIS124, ACSIS125, ACSIS126, ACSHE119, ACSHE120, ACSHE121
• Year 8 Science – ACSHE134, ACSHE135, ACSHE136, ACSIS139, ACSIS140, ACSIS145, ACSIS146, ACSIS148
• Year 9 Science – ACSIS164, ACSIS165, ACSIS166, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSHE157, ASCHE158
• Year 10 Science – ACSIS198, ACSIS199, ACSIS200, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSHE191, ASHE192, ACSHE194

Do your students watch or listen to true crime shows and try to figure out who might have been involved in the crime? Have your students ever wanted to know what it’s like to solve a case? Are your students interested in exploring the job of a forensic investigator?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, your students might enjoy working with the Cold Case Squad!

In this workshop, you’ll use your (new) forensic knowledge and investigative skills to review a murder case, exonerate the wrongly incarcerated and convicted and find the real killer!

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45 – 60 mins

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Forensics

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science - ACSHE191, ACSHE192, ACSHE194, ACSHE230, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSIS206

The Avengerz have returned to Earth from their most recent mission - fighting the evil Lord Thingy and saving Earth in the process. However, they have returned injured and with no access to medical supplies (Lord Thingmy has locked these away).

Students will need to use their nursing knowledge and skills to triage patients, assess ECG, blood gas analysis results and x-rays, and complete medication calculations to successfully save the Avengerz.

Nursing mentors will help guide your students through the activities (no prior knowledge needed). The fate of the world rests in your student’s hands. Will they be successful? Only time will tell.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science – ACSSU175, ACSHE157, ACSHE158, ACSHE160

Ever wondered how your brain works or what different parts of your brain do? This workshop will take your students through the names of the different areas of the brain and the function of each of these parts.

Students will then play the Brain-ectomy game where they use this knowledge to answer questions and build their own brain. Finally, we will put this into context for the students by discussing traumatic brain injuries and explaining the case study of Aaron Hernandez.

This can also be a great workshop for year 11 students just starting Psychology.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Psychology

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science – ACSHE157, ACSHE158, ACSHE160

Do your students know the difference between a muscle and a tendon? This workshop will take your students through different muscles and tendons as well as bony landmarks.

From building a skeleton model to designing muscles and tendons using plasticine, your students will learn about yourself and your body. You’ll also draw and label muscles and tendons on other students to understand the variability of the human body.

This workshop is a great introduction for students looking to study ATAR Human Biology.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links: ACSHE191, ACSHE92

Laboratory Medicine is a key component of modern human (and veterinary) medical practice. Information provided by medical scientists guides the critical decisions made by doctors every day.

In this workshop, your students will learn more about Laboratory Medicine by undertaking a series of hands-on activities and exploring the fascinating world of disease and diagnosis including histology, bacteria, and haematology.

This is a great introduction for students wanting to study Human Biology in ATAR.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Biological Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science – ACSSU175, ACSHE157, ACSHE158, ACSHE228, ACSIS170

In this workshop, students are taken through the Functional Movement Screen, a screening tool used globally to diagnose issues with movement and help correct these.

Students complete the same series of exercises used with patients and learn of the different factors affecting movement (including genetic and environmental factors).

They are presented with case studies of the same screening tool used with people of differing athletic abilities – from professional athletes to the elderly.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: 

• Science – Biological Sciences
• Health and Physical Education – Contributing to healthy and active communities

Curriculum links:  ACSHE191, ACSHE192, ACSIS204, ACPPS096, ACPPS097

In this workshop, students will participate in a series of safe psychological experiments exploring conformity, taste and smell and being an eyewitness to a crime. The Scientific Method, and how it is applied to psychological experiments, will also be discussed with students.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Psychology

Curriculum links: 

• Year 10 Science – ACSHE157, ACSHE160, ACSHE228, ACSIS164, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS171

Play the role of a cybersecurity expert, testing a fictional company’s online defences by running a penetration test against their server.

Participants will use the Kali Linux security testing distribution to learn the fundamental principles of real-world cybersecurity.

Suitable for students with a basic awareness of console/command-line instructions.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 18 students

Study areas: Digital Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Digital Technologies - ACTDIK034, ACTDIK035, WATPPS66

Students will become digital detectives as they look for clues in the lives of fictional social media users, using the Australian Computing Academy’s Schools Cyber Security Challenge hosted on GROK.

During the activity, students will learn to recognise safe and unsafe uses of personal information on the internet, and how to reflect on their own social media use.

Year group: Years 7–12

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study areas:

• Digital Technologies
• Science – Science as a Human Endeavour

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Digital Technologies - ACTDIP025, ACTDIP032
• Year 8 Science - ACSHE135

The Internet of Things is the ever-expanding, network of connected devices found throughout our lives.

This network offers amazing possibilities for our future, as well as substantial potential for misuse if security is not handled correctly.

During this workshop students discover how to control devices in Murdoch’s Cybersecurity & Networking labs, using bash scripting on Ubuntu Linux. (No prior scripting knowledge is required)

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 18 students

Study areas: Digital Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Digital Technologies - ACTDIK034, ACTDIP043, WATPPS55, WATPPS58

This immersive game experience allows students to test their knowledge of quadrilaterals through a series of puzzles focused on the identification of quadrilaterals and the calculation of perimeter and area.

In this Breakout Box, students must correctly answer the problems to unlock the locked box and obtain movie tickets (fictional) for themselves and their friends.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Measurement & Geometry

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Mathematics – ACMMG195, ACMMG196, ACMMG202

This immersive game experience allows students to test their knowledge of scientific notation, Distribution law, indices and binomials to become a Mathematics Secret Agent.

Students must work together to solve the puzzles and unlock the different types of locks before the timer runs out. This activity further develops students’ teamwork and communication skills.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Number & Algebra

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Mathematics – ACMNS209, ACMNA210, ACMNA212, ACMNA213

This immersive game experience allows students to test their knowledge of fractions, decimals and percentages and convert between them. There are five locks for the students to break before they get to the finish.

In this breakout box, Baby Yodee has been captured by the evil majestic storm fighters. Students need to work through a series of locks to free Baby Yodee and save the galaxy.

Year group: Year 7

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Number & Algebra

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Mathematics – ACNMA152, ACNMA153, ACNMA155, ACNMA156, ACNMA157, ACNMA173

In this workshop, students will undertake a pattern analysis of bloodstains found at a crime scene to determine the position of the victim during the bloodshed event.

Students will use both a physical stringing approach and trigonometry to determine the angle of impact and the location of the victim.

This workshop demonstrates the importance of trigonometry in the real world by having students adopt the role of bloodstain pattern experts in a fictional case.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 28 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Measurement & Geometry

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Mathematics –ACMMG245, ACMMG273, ACMMG275, ACMMG27

In this interactive workshop, student groups will act as business managers from rival businesses, competing against each other to grow their profit and survive in a volatile world filled with dips, peaks and conflict!

Students will learn and put into action the basics of accounting, along with small business management and decision-making, to become the most profitable business in the classroom.

Through interactive roleplay, students will gain a greater understanding of the business operation, cash flow and investment opportunities that may make or break their business.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Number & Algebra

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Mathematics - ACMNA189

In this workshop, your students will travel back in time to look at the different codes and code-cracking techniques used throughout history.

They will begin in Roman times, attempting to crack a code used by Caesar to send cryptic messages to his Generals.

Next, they will assess the Affine cypher, which applies a mathematical equation to the alphabet, before lastly undertaking modern frequency analysis to decipher a cryptic murder note.

This workshop emphasises the importance of mathematics in everyday life and in IT and further develops students’ problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Number & Algebra

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Mathematics – ACNMA234, ACMNA235, ACNMA241

In this workshop, students apply Pythagoras’ Theorem to cell phone data to track a stolen phone.

Students begin by developing a picture model to represent the relationship between the phone tower, phone and its pinged distance, and then use this knowledge to pinpoint the location of the phone as it pings to different cell phone towers.

Students will visually represent their calculated distances on a scaled map and then propose the route they believe their phone has travelled.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Measurement and Geometry

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Mathematics – ACMMG222

In this workshop, students play the game “Let ‘em Roll” where they will attempt to win a car under different playing conditions. Students will use the class results to determine the probability of achieving a winning outcome.

Students will also calculate the theoretical odds of winning and compare their and the class's outcomes with these odds. Simple probability calculations involving both single and combined events are employed.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Statistics and Probability

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Mathematics – ACMSP204, ACMSP205

In this workshop, students will be both participants in a scientific trial and the statisticians investigating the data.

Students will explore the effect of different types of exercise on heart rate and then assess the data by constructing Stem & Leaf plots and calculating mean, median, mode, and range.

They will review their data against their proposed hypothesis to draw an evidence-based conclusion, as well as noting the limitations of their methodology.

Year group: Year 7

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Statistics & Probability

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Mathematics – ACMSP169, ACMSP170, ACMSP171, ACMSP172

In this workshop, probability in forensic science is discussed with a focus on student profiling.

Using student census data, students determine the probability of a high school student having different physical attributes, and then use this knowledge to “create” a student that is “one in a million”.

This workshop involves simple and combined probabilities and introduces the concept of the likelihood ratio, dependent and independent events.

Criminal cases involving flawed probability calculations are presented, along with a demonstration of witness reliability.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Mathematics – Statistics & Probability

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Mathematics – ACMSP246, ACMSP253

This workshop is a hands-on beginner’s guide to electricity and circuits. Starting with the fundamentals (What is a power source? What is a load?) students investigate what is needed to make a simple circuit work. Class discussion leads to an introduction to the concepts of Voltage, Current and Resistance, and basic electrical measurements.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study areas: Science – Physical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Science - ACSSU155, ACSIS139, ACSIS140, ACSIS148

Ohm’s Law is central to a working understanding of basic electronics. In this workshop students use Decade Resistor Boxes to experimentally verify the mathematical relationship V = I R. Suitable for students with an awareness of introductory electrical concepts, this workshop can either be run alone or paired with Introduction to Electrical Circuits.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Physical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Science - ACSSU155

Using Nerf guns to their full scientific potential, students investigate the relationship between a projectile’s kinetic energy, mass and velocity. This workshop can also be extended to act as an introduction to kinematic equations.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study areas: Science – Physical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science - ACSSU190, ACSSU229, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205

Vision is one of our primary tools for experiencing the world around us – but it isn’t necessarily an objective measure of reality. In this workshop, students build a simple optical spectrometer to explore light detection and measurement.

Students then investigate the benefits and limitations of human sight, including the biology of the eye and the role of the brain in converting ‘detection’ into ‘perception’.

Year group: Year 9

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas:

• Science – Biological Sciences
• Science – Physical Sciences

Curriculum links:

• Year 9 Science - ACSSU175, ACSSU182, ACSIS166, ACSIS172, ACSIS174

‘Rube Goldberg’ machines perform a simple task in a complicated way. The Rube Goldberg Challenge asks students to design and build a working Rube Goldberg machine under set constraints within a limited time. 

As a team challenge, the workshop incorporates critical thinking and problem-solving while also exploring physical science concepts relating to simple machines.

Year group: Years 7–12

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus, at your school or online

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 25 students

Study areas:

• Science – Physical Sciences
• Design and Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science - ACSSU117, ACSHE119, ACSHE120, ACSHE121
• Year 7 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK031, ACTDEK034, WATPPS39, WATPPS40, WATPPS41, WATPPS43, WATPPS44, WATPPS45
• Year 8 Science - ACSSU155, ACSHE134, ACSHE135, ACSHE136
• Year 8 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK031, ACTDEK034, WATPPS48, WATPPS49, WATPPS53, WATPPS60
• Year 9 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046, ACTEK047, WATPPS56, WATPPS57
• Year 10 Science - ACSSU190, ACSSU229
• Year 10 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046, WATPPS63, WATPPS64, WATPPS66, WATPPS68

Students explore Newton’s Laws, air resistance and optimal projectile trajectories by attempting to launch a water rocket as far as possible. 

This workshop can either (i) use prefabricated rocket parts to focus on the physics and mathematics of rocketry, or (ii) have students design and build their own rockets, test their creations, and iterate their designs to maximise performance.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 60–120 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 25 students

Study areas:

• Science – Physical Sciences
• Design and Technologies

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science - ACSSU117, ACSHE119, ACSHE121, ACSIS124, ACSIS125, ACSIS126, ACSIS131, ACSIS132, ACSIS133
• Year 7 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK031, ACTDEK034, WATPPS39, WATPPS40, WATPPS41, WATPPS43, WATPPS44, WATPPS45
• Year 8 Science - ACSSU155, ACSHE134, ACSHE136, ACSIS139, ACSIS140, ACSIS141, ACSIS146, ACSIS234, ACSIS148
• Year 8 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK031, ACTDEK034, WATPPS48, WATPPS49, WATPPS53, WATPPS60
• Year 9 Science - ACSHE160, ACSIS164, ACSIS165, ACSIS166, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSIS174
• Year 9 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046, ACTEK047, WATPPS56, WATPPS57
• Year 10 Science - ACSSU190, ACSSU229, ACSHE191, ACSHE194, ACSIS198, ACSIS199, ACSIS200, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSIS208
• Year 10 Design and Technologies - ACTDEK043, ACTDEK046, WATPPS63, WATPPS64, WATPPS66, WATPPS68

In this Breakout Box team challenge, students must decipher and interpret a series of clues to find Pharaoh Userkare’s tomb and the treasure. Userkare was buried quickly following his sudden death and his tomb has never been recovered.

Information has led archaeologists to the desert of Saqqara, once home to the Ancient Egyptian capital Memphis.

Can the student archaeologists solve the logic and spatial awareness puzzles to find Userkare’s tomb and treasure before the timer runs out, or will he continue to remain a historical mystery? Only time will tell.

Year group: Years 10–12

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Teamwork and problem-solving skills development

Students play the role of deep-sea explorers as they follow the trail of a lost expedition hunting for the mythical Atlantis. This activity’s marine science-themed logic puzzles will test students’ critical reasoning skills as they search for a sunken treasure lost to time.

Year group: Year 10

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science

Curriculum links:

• Year 10 Science – ACSIS198, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS206, ACSIS208

This session emphasises the wide variety of circumstances in which scientists need to use their communication skills – and the wide variety of challenges that face them.

During the workshop students identify potential communication challenges facing STEM professionals and discuss possible steps towards solving these challenges.

Finally, students put these new ideas into practice in a challenge to communicate complex science topics using amusingly restrictive means of communication, such as haiku or interpretive dance.

Year group: Year 8+

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 30 students

Study areas: Science – Science as a Human Endeavour

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science – ACSHE223, ACSHS133
• Year 8 Science – ACSHE226, ACSIS148
• Year 9 Science – ACSHE157, ACSIS174
• Year 10 Science – ACSHE191, ACSHE230, ACSIS208

Researching a school project once meant browsing a library’s non-fiction section or choosing the right volume of a hardcover encyclopedia. These days, information is a quick internet search away – and it comes with a hidden price.

This light-hearted workshop has a serious message. Social games will help students engage with questions like:

• How do you know what (and who) to trust?
• What can you do to mitigate against being misled?
• What do scientists do when ‘truth’ seems to be a matter of argument?

Year group: Year 8+

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Science – ACSSU155
• Year 10 Science – ACSSU189, ACSSU190

The aim of this activity is to work out what’s inside a set of Mystery Boxes without opening them. It explores ‘working scientifically’ and how a variety of skills and processes are used to generate scientific theories based on evidence.

Year group: Year 8

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science – Science Inquiry Skills

Curriculum links:

• Year 7 Science – ACSIS124, ACSIS125, ACSIS130, ACSIS131, ACSIS132, ACSIS133
• Year 8 Science – ACSIS139, ACSIS140, ACSIS145, ACSIS146, ACSIS234, ACSIS148
• Year 9 Science – ACSIS164, ACSIS165, ACSIS169, ACSIS170, ACSIS171, ACSIS174
• Year 10 Science – ACSIS198, ACSIS199, ACSIS203, ACSIS204, ACSIS205, ACSIS206, ACSIS208

You’ve made an app, a device, a website… but what comes next? This workshop prepares STEM students for the challenging next step – pitching their product to potential partners or investors.

Students will learn how to identify their key messages, structure their presentations, and practice speaking with authority and confidence.

This session is ideal for student groups who are participating in a Hackathon or other STEM challenge including a presentation component.

Year group: Year 7-12

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45–60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Science

Curriculum links:

• Year 8 Science – ACSSU155
• Year 10 Science – ACSSU189, ACSSU190

This workshop explores the different parts of the brain and their functions. Students will play the “Brain-ectomy” game where they will use this knowledge to answer questions and build their own brain. The concepts are put into context by discussing traumatic brain injuries and the case of Aaron Hernandez.

Year group: Year 11

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Year 11 ATAR Psychology

Curriculum links: Unit 1

Do your students know the difference between a muscle and a tendon? This workshop will take your students through different muscles and tendons as well as bony landmarks.

From building a skeleton model to designing muscles and tendons using plasticine, your students will learn about yourself and your body.

You’ll also draw and label muscles and tendons on other students to understand the variability of the human body.

Year group: Year 11

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Year 11 ATAR Human Biology

Curriculum links: Unit1

Are your students struggling to understand the concept of moles and related calculations? In this workshop, students compete in teams to complete different activities in the Mole Olympics, utilising different calculations as they relate to moles (mass, concentration, volume)

Year group: Year 11

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Year 11 ATAR Chemistry

Curriculum links: Unit 2

Using Nerf guns to their full scientific potential, students fire projectiles to investigate basic kinematic equations. In doing so, students also discover how experimental uncertainty and experimental error are inescapable counterpoints to theoretical modelling.

Year group: Year 11

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 24 students

Study areas: ATAR Physics, Mathematics

Curriculum links:

• Year 11 Physics – Unit 2
• Year 12 Physics – Unit 3
  

In this workshop, students will participate in a series of safe psychological experiments exploring conformity, taste and smell and being an eyewitness to a crime. The Scientific Method, and how it is applied to psychological experiments, will also be discussed with students.

Year group: Year 11

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Year 11 ATAR Psychology

Curriculum links: Unit1/Unit 2

This workshop uses the Happy Atoms kit and learning app to develop and cement students’ understanding of functional groups and chemical molecules. Happy Atoms employs magnetic connections to more realistically demonstrate sharing of electrons in a bond. In this workshop, students race against the clock and each other to create different functional groups, and use iPads to scan the molecule to check their work and learn more regarding each molecule.

Year group: Year 12

Delivery location: Murdoch University Perth campus or at your school

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Number of students: Maximum of 32 students

Study areas: Year 12 ATAR Chemistry

Curriculum links: Unit4

Take a guided tour across the Murdoch University campus or through one of our learning facilities.

Led by our Student Ambassadors, your students will see and learn about a range of on-campus services available to them as undergraduate students, and explore practical learning environments used by our own students.

Duration:
30 – 60 mins

Participants: 
Maximum of 30 students

Murdoch University’s Anatomy Museum is core to the training of our Veterinary and Animal Science students. It facilitates learning in the areas of domestic species and wildlife anatomy.

Your students will get a guided tour as well as the opportunity to explore the museum complex which includes the Veterinary Anatomy Museum and the Primate Museum.

Duration:
30 – 45 mins

Participants:
Maximum of 24 – 30 students

Years: 7 - 9

Are you teaching middle-school science this year?
Sign your class up for Murdoch University’s Biokémon Challenge!
Participating teachers and their classes will get:

• a ready-made challenge to complement in-class learning
• an opening presentation delivered by Murdoch University exploring ecology and food webs
• the chance to win great prizes, both for students and for the whole class

Expressions of interest are now open. Contact: outreach@murdoch.edu.au

Years: 7 - 12

Confront and solve modern energy challenges using an exciting new technology – the Murdoch Microgrid!

The Murdoch Microgrid is an ever-expanding set of inter connectable model buildings. Each building element dynamically simulates the energy usage and production of its real-world counterpart, whether a house, a school or a power station.

Students can connect these model buildings together into table-top power networks that explore a wide variety of engineering &energy scenarios.

Want to build your own model microgrid?

Our teacher and student guides will help you lead your class through the process of designing, constructing and programming your own microgrid building elements.

Expert support from Murdoch University is available for your microgrid build through Maker skills workshops in Computer-Aided Design, microcontroller programming and more.

To discuss a Microgrid build project at your school, contact outreach@murdoch.edu.au

Are your students the best in the state when it comes to science knowledge? Murdoch University is celebrating National Science Week for the entire month of August with a state-wide science quiz competition.

WHO:
Year 9 and 10 students

WHEN:
Any weekday in the month of August 2023

WHERE:
At your school (metropolitan only) or online via our secure learning portal for regional schools.

CONTENT:
3x rounds of 10 questions each exploring a different topic of science.

DURATION:
One class period (50-60 minutes)

CLASS SIZE:
Single class to a whole cohort of Year 9 or Year 10 students

Winning schools for metropolitan and regional will win a prize as well as a trophy to keep for the year for your display cabinet.

Register now by emailing outreach@murdoch.edu.au

Year: 10

Seek Out Science is an interactive STEM day for Year 10 students to explore STEM at university. The event is held at Murdoch University’s Perth campus and involves presentations and hands-on workshops across a range of STEM disciplines.

Term 2
21st June 2023 and 22nd June 2023

Term 4
8th November 2023 and 9th November 2023

Free program to attend
Places are limited and for equity reasons, there is a limit of two classes per school.

Teachers can register or find out more by emailing outreach@murdoch.edu.au

Years: 9 - 10

The Santos Science Experience is a great opportunity for Year 9 and 10 students to explore the vast array of science courses and experiences available at the university, through 3 days of engaging and interactive workshops and challenges at Murdoch University. 

Students will be able to broaden their experience across fields including agricultural science, marine biology, veterinary medicine, engineering, forensics and biomedical science.

Each program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to engage in a wide range of fascinating science activities under the guidance of scientists who love their work.

When: 12-14 Dec 2023

Places are limited and an attendance fee of $190 applies. To secure a spot or learn about Rotary sponsorships, head to: scienceexperience.com.au

Years: 7 - 10

From concept to execution, challenge your students to create an IT-oriented solution for a problem they experience in their everyday school life.

Participating groups will then be invited to Hackathon Day at Murdoch’s Perth campus, where they’ll finalise their designs before presenting their tech solution to other participants. Selected groups will ultimately pitch their projects to a judging panel for the chance to win great prizes!

Schools can also request supporting incursions from Murdoch University on the topics of Entrepreneurship, Ideation and Pitching Your Product.

Expressions of Interest are now open!
Contact: outreach@murdoch.edu.au