Little Scientists Online Workshop

Inspire STEM: Australian dinosaurs, megafauna and fossils

Come and investigate with us the creatures that used to call Australia home and their habitats. From famous fossil sites across Australia to the wombat-like diprotodon and other mega fauna, we will explore practical, hands-on ways of investigating Australia’s findings in the fossil record. We will suggest hands-on investigations and other ways of sparking not only children’s but your own curiosity.

What is megafauna? Did mammoths roam Australia? What was in their place? How can we approach meaningful explorations of these big, important topics? How did the climate at the time affect these amazing animals? What Australian dinosaurs have been found so far and what do we know about them?

STEM education is much more than factual answers to complex questions and Little Scientists will show you how easy and uncomplicated it can be. In a series of live webinars, Little Scientists will introduce the concepts, methods and skills of inquiry-based STEM education to early childhood teachers and educators. We will show you some simple techniques to cultivate children’s skills and excitement for STEM exploration and our hands-on components will enrich your repertoire of STEM activities.

We will show you some simple techniques to cultivate children’s skills and excitement for STEM exploration, and our hands-on components will enrich your repertoire of STEM activities.

Session 1: Explore and Play – Introduction to hands-on, inquiry-based STEM learning and exploration

Date: Thursday, 2 June 2022

Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm AEST

Overview of early STEM education and inquiry-based learning, focusing on the importance of playfulness and joy as impetuses to scientific discovery and research
Interactive demonstrations of STEM explorations using items found around the home
Creating a rich learning environment to stimulate discoveries, enrich STEM learning opportunities and nurture curiosity in children and adults alike
Discovering everyday phenomena and explanations of basic scientific concepts
Resourcing STEM activities, learning how to use what you already have for fantastic explorations

Session 2: Play and Reflect – Process to practice

Date: Thursday, 9 June 2022

Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm AEST

Reflection on what has been learned so far, what has worked well and how to overcome challenges
Learning techniques to find STEM explorations in everyday situations, making STEM accessible to young children
Discussion of next steps to integrate STEM exploration further in individual circumstances

The sessions are scheduled to run for 1.5 hours each and include a Q&A session. You will be engaged in hands-on activities during both sessions, for which you will receive a materials list in advance.

Don’t forget to register early as registrations for our online workshops close 24 hours before the event commences.

Questions? Email us at workshops@littlescientists.org.au

Terms and Conditions

TQI registered PD

Completing this online workshop may contribute 3 hours of NESA Elective Professional Development.