National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology, and it is held from 12 to 20 August 2023.
Theme
The theme for National Science Week in 2023 is Innovation: Powering Future Industries. It incorporates the advancement in technology in all industries, especially using artificial intelligence (AI).
The curriculum focus of the theme is on the following:
- Science as a Human Endeavour
- Chemical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Earth and Space Sciences, and
- Biological Sciences.
Ideas Include
- Code a binary bracelet – Children design and create a bracelet using coloured beads that spell out the first letter of their name using binary code.
- Make balance scales – This simple set of scales can tell you if one item is heavier than another. Use them as a group activity, as part of a rotation station, or for free play.
- The wheels go round and round – learning how wheels move and how they make all sorts of other things move too.
- Innovation - Learning about innovations and how they shape our world.
- Design a smart farm – learning how innovation can make farming better.
- Living things have basic needs, including food and water
- Daily and seasonal changes in our environment affect everyday life
- Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape
- Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose
- Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events
- Hands-On Science Experiments
Documentation Templates
- National Science Week Portfolio Template - Can be used to detail the experiences the children engaged in during National Science Week.
- Discovering Science - The Discovering Science template enables educators to provide detailed information on the science experiments that the children were involved in.
Teacher Resource Book
Innovation: Powering Future Industries - has lesson plans, activities, demonstrations, Indigenous and historical perspectives and curriculum links for teachers of classes starting from early learning.
Foundation Training deadline: existing educators must complete by 27 August 2026 to ensure compliance, child safety, and service quality.
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