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August 2025

🔬🌏💡 HAPPY NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK! 💥🧪🔭 

We'd love to know what you have planned in your classroom! 



Alongside the celebrations, there is plenty happening in our SASTA community, including the upcoming Early Career Teachers Conference packed with hands-on ideas and opportunities to connect with fellow educators. The call for workshops for the STEM Conference is also open, so if you have an idea or experience that could support science educators, we’d love to hear from you.

Scroll down to explore the full Term 3 professional learning program and catch up on the latest news from our science education community.
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August Events

September Events

SASTA Events Calendar
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July Blog Posts

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Check out the latest edition of the ASTA Journal online.

Term 3 Members Networking & Nibbles - 5 September

Join us for a relaxed afternoon of great conversation, new connections, and delicious nibbles — with your first drink on us! It’s the perfect way to unwind, mingle with fellow members, and celebrate our science community.

Professional Learning

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Register online ➔

Early Career Teachers Conference

Kickstart your science teaching journey with a day of hands-on workshops, practical strategies and networking at Nazareth Catholic College – Senior Campus.



Designed for preservice and early career educators (R–12), the program covers behaviour management, lab safety, curriculum design, digital tools and inclusion. Connect with peers, share ideas in the popular Share-a-thon, and enjoy morning tea, lunch and happy hour. Travel scholarships are available for regional and remote teachers. Find out more here.

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Register online ➔

MEMBERS FREE Webinars - PRIMARY

Creating Curiosity Collections - 20 August

This webinar explores the value of diverse collections in enriching science education. Participants will learn about building various collection types, including specimens, books, bones, and more, and their role in sparking curiosity and inquiry. 



It's not a Fringe Show, but... Tips for creating engaging primary science lessons without losing your mind! - 28 August

Students often arrive at specialist Science lessons expecting fun and excitement - a bubble show, buckets of slime, sherbet to scoff, volcanoes going kaboom, rockets to fire, and geysers of elephant’s toothpaste. It’s wonderful to see their excitement and interest in doing hands-on science! However, we are typically running this show with no labs, little equipment, and no support to set up and clean up - plus we have a whole curriculum to teach, not just an entertainment schedule to deliver.

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    STEM Conference

    "STEM for a Changing World" explores how educators can equip students with the skills, adaptability, and creativity needed to thrive in an ever-evolving world. The conference will be a platform for future-focused learning, integrated practice, and real-world problem-solving through STEM.

    

    Join us to connect, collaborate, and be inspired by innovative ideas that shape the future of STEM education. Workshops are encouraged from educators across all year levels, including primary settings. Find out more here.

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    Friday 19 September

    Register online ➔

    The SHE Task (repeat)

    This workshop is aimed at people who want to further their skills in setting, assessment and providing feedback on the SHE task.

    

    This is a repeat of the workshop run earlier in the year, for those who were unable to attend. 

    Resources

    For all resources available from SASTA visit the website.

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    Stage 1 & 2 Topic Tests and Exam Packs

    SASTA’s Topic Tests and Exam Packs provide high-quality assessment resources for Stage 1 and Stage 2 Biology, Chemistry & Physics. Designed to align with the SACE curriculum, these fully editable tests and exams help teachers assess student understanding and prepare them for final assessments. 

    

    Orders can be placed via purchase order to [email protected]. 

    Contributions from the science community

    New Science Assist Website

    ASTA is excited to launch the new space for Science Assist online – redesigned, restructured, and now part of the ASTA website to provide a more connected experience for science educators across Australia.

    

    Officially launched at ConASTA 72 in Perth by ASTA Executive Director Guy Micklethwait during his keynote address, this marks a major step forward in delivering streamlined digital support to science teachers nationwide.

    With updated branding, improved navigation and a refreshed design, Science Assist is now easier to use and better aligned with ASTA’s broader vision to support science education nationally.

    

    We encourage you to start using the new Science Assist website and update any bookmarks, as the old site will be retired in early August.

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    Ngarrngga Curriculum & Resource Update

    Fresh, curriculum-aligned resources are now available to enrich learning around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. Included are five new primary modules, a suite of Years 3–12 materials connected to the 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art exhibition, and professional learning articles to boost educator confidence and support curriculum planning. These resources follow Ngarrngga’s clear learning narrative framework, addressing key AITSL standards. Find out more. 

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    Bush Food & the Science of Survival

    Discover how Indigenous knowledge has transformed native plants like lemon myrtle—prized for its “lemonier than lemon” citral-rich flavour—into powerful tools for food, medicine, and sustainability. This Cosmos feature brings to life how First Nations science, grounded in meticulous observation and storytelling, offers invaluable insights for today’s challenges. Read the article here. 

    Copyright Agency Questionnaire

    Take 10 minutes to tell Copyright Agency what materials you’ve copied and shared with your students in the past 12 months and go into the draw to win one of five $500 e-gift cards.

    

    The information you provide will help Copyright Agency ensure fair payment to creators of educational material.

    Complete the online questionnaire by 15 September to go into the draw. Prize draw T&Cs apply. Find out more here. 

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    Ecosystems of the Murray River & Mallee — Student Challenge

    Calling all Year 10–12 students in SA, VIC, or the Murray–Darling Basin (NSW, QLD): here’s your chance to spend a week immersed in real science! 

    

    From 3–8 October 2025, join Earthwatch at Calperum Station for a fully funded expedition including habitat surveys, small mammal and reptile trapping, vegetation assessments, and more. Fly in with the George Alexander Foundation fellowship—inclusive of travel, meals, accommodation, insurance, and equipment—and contribute to meaningful conservation research in the heart of the Murray–Mallee. 

    

    Applications close 24 August. Find out more here.

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    WildVoice – Youth Art for Conservation Competition

    Encourage Year 7–12 students to become creative champions for wildlife protection! WildVoice invites young artists to explore wildlife crime and conservation through drawing, painting, digital art, mixed media or collage. This is a unique opportunity to raise awareness through creativity—submissions close 15 October 2025. 

    

    Find out more here. 

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    Science Connections – Secondary Teaching Sequences

    Discover free, inquiry‑based sequences for Years 7 and 9 from the Australian Academy of Science. Engage students with immersive topics like space ecosystems, endangered species conservation, and bushfire resilience, all designed with the Launch → Inquire → Act (LIA) framework and aligned to AC v9. Each sequence includes professional learning support, adaptability for different contexts, and editable teaching content to spark curiosity and deepen understanding. Find out more here. 

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    Teachers Registration Board Service Award

    Nominations are now open for the 2025 Teachers Registration Board Service Award, which honours educators with 20+ years of service who have made a lasting impact on student learning and the profession. Teachers can self-nominate or be nominated by a colleague. Applications must include a CV and a statement addressing the nominee’s contribution to student wellbeing, teaching practice, and professional collaboration. The award will be presented on 4 November at Adelaide Town Hall. Submit applications to [email protected] 

    by midnight, 5 October 2025. Download the application form and criteria here.

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