Our courses are written by experts and presented by Earth Scientists. You can choose up to three topics for an all-day session (6 hours for more hands-on exercises), or two topics for half-day session (4 hours, with some hands-on exercises). We are happy to cater the subject to your needs.
TESEP Professional Development Workshops
Remote Sensing the Earth and Beyond
An introduction to all remote sensing types their relevance and use, particular in natiral hazards prediction, climate monitoring, exploring for resources, archaeology and its use in agriculture. This PD is a over-arching topic related to the TESEP STEM workshops, with a cross-over with physics, chemistry, biology and geography. Includes some hands-on exercises. Years 7 to 12.
Rock and Critical Minerals Kits
Introduction to the Rock and Critical Minerals Kits and the plate tectonics poster and integrated teaching (rock, mineral and big picture plate tectonics stories). This PD will include hands-on exercises and focus on Year 8.
Critical Minerals
What are critical minerals? This PD will explore critical minerals, how they are defined and mined, where there are used in industry and in our high tech lives. We will unpick some of the jargon, examine how many more minerals are used today in the past, and discuss the future of traditional minerals. We will also look at the number and volume of critical minerals required to enable the current energy transition, as well as how these minerals are sourced, recycled and processed. Critical minerals in Australia, the geopolitical risks to our supply chain, advances and challenges in recycling minerals, and current projects will also be discussed. PD uses the NEW Critical Minerals Kit, including mineral stories, plate tectonics, periodic table & rare elements. Years 9-12 with a Physics and Chemistry crossover.
Wet Rocks
This PD examines the importance of groundwater in the story of the hydrological cycle and its role in everything from Artesian Basins, hanging swamps, and sustainably. The PD also looks at some of the ecological impacts on the hanging swamps in the Blue Mountains in NSW. Relevant to Years 6 to 8 relevant with geography crossover.
Plate Tectonics
A guided journey through the rock cycle from intrusion to mineralised veins, volcano to sediment and everything inbetween. We will also show you how to the TESEP rock-kit and plate tectonics poster (see below), as well as all the online resources on the TESEP website. We will also dive into the Earth processes that drive plate tectonics. This PD also explains how the theory of Plate Tectonics was developed and how this relatively new paradigm not only explains why the Earth is so dynamic but also how it can be used to reconstruct the past appearance of the planet, predict the most likely locations of mineral and hydrocarbon deposits and explain the distribution patterns of fossil and extant animals and plants. Integrated with plate tectonics poster. Relevant to Year 8.
Riding the Climate Rollercoaster
This PD looks back over the last 4.6 billion years to find the drivers of climate change throughout geological time and discusses the impact climate fluctuations have had in the past as revealed by the rock record. This PD also examines the additional impact human activity is thought to have and the geological evidence for it and provides guidance on how teachers and students can access raw data to evaluate the results for themselves. Relevant to Years 9 to 12.
Energy & the Energy Transition
Energy has a transformational impact on the quality of human life. It impacts every facet of what we do and how we live making energy one of the most important issues of our time. We require nothing short of a complete transformation of how we produce, transport and consume energy. However, energy, the environment and the economy are intimately linked and the four pillars of energy security (i.e., affordability, availability, reliability and sustainability) must be maintained. Relevant to Years 9 to 12.
Life, Fossils and the 5 Big Extinctions
This PD will look at the 5 big mass extinctions through geological time and what might have caused them-using fossils. We will look at the evolutionary niches that were created by some of these extinctions, including the rise of hominids. Episodes include: Introduction to Fossils, Evolution and Extinctions; Fossils and Astrobiology; Fossils and Plate Tectonics; Hominid Evolution; Economic Fossils; and Micro-fossils. Biology crossover. Years 5-6 and Years 7-12.
Our Place in Space
Our Place in Space discusses the evolution of Earth, Solar System and Milky Way. This webinar will investigate the Solar System's journey through our galaxy, meteorites, the formation of the moon, the impacts of the Earth’s rotation and tilted axis. Our Place in Space is also ideal for teaching physics (i.e., Earth gravity as an attractive force, Newton's laws of motion). Relevant to Years 7-10.
Rocks, Space, Energy and Fossils for Primary School
This PD focuses on the primary curriculum with topics on rocks, critical minerals and their sustainable use in our high-technology lives. Also covers basic plate tectonics, Australian fossils and overview of current energy types, and influence and livability of planets, including images of the Moon, Mars and beyond! Relevant to Years 4-6.
4 to 6 hours
Duration
All States and Territories
Certificate of Attendance
4-25 Regional and 8-30 Urban
Attendees
Face-to-Face, Virtual or Combination
Mode
The TESEP Earth and Environmental Science Professional Development workshops are designed to provide
- Easy to understand explanations of topical issues
- Access to useful resources from existing sources
- New resources that assist you in the classroom
- Worksheets for field trips
- Access to teachers experienced in this field
Professional Development
Our Earth and Environmental Science Professional Development courses are designed to cover the Australian Science/STEM Curriculum, including biology, chemistry, physics, technology and geography. Our PD courses also offer:
- School visit PD including how to get the most out of our amazing Rock and Mineral Kits and Plate Tectonics poster.
- Additional all-day PD if requested.
- School visit PD on other Earth and Environmental Science topics by arrangement.
- Great resources for teachers and students courtesy of our partners and supporters.
- Access to Earth and Environmental Science/STEM experts to help you with any question about the subject.
Field Trips
In addition to your PD, we can also organise a field trip to an area of geological interest nearby your school.
Class Incursions
Classroom incursions for all year levels, tailored to your school's classroom needs.
Free Rock Check
We also offer a free rock check for schools with theirown rock and mineral collections:
- Check for hazardous materials (e.g., radioactive, asbestos minerals).
- Identify any unknown minerals and rocks.
- Provide curatorial advice.
Host Schools $35 per person Non-host schools $50 per person
Professional Development Course
$150
2X 1 Hour Incursions
Free (limited to 1 hour)
Rock Check
- FREE Sponsored $420 ROCK Kit for host schools, first-time visit.
- All slide packs and teaching resources are given to participants.