Teachstem

Teachstem A network of STEM and education professionals who help schools improve literacy and skills in STEM.

How does GPS know where you are? 🛰️GPS is a network of satellites and receiving devices that helps determine location on...
23/09/2026

How does GPS know where you are? 🛰️

GPS is a network of satellites and receiving devices that helps determine location on Earth. Satellites constantly send radio signals, and a GPS receiver measures how long it takes for signals from at least four satellites to arrive.

Since radio waves travel at a constant speed, those timing measurements can be used to calculate the receiver’s distance from each satellite. The point where those distances intersect is its location. This method is called trilateration.

It is a powerful everyday example of physics, mathematics and engineering working together—from navigating a car journey to mapping animal movements.

Could your students explore location data, mapping and the science behind GPS? teachSTEM can support geospatial STEM learning.

Learn more: National Geographic Education—GPS

Source: National Geographic Education.

21/09/2026

What is hiding in your backyard that you walk past every single day? 🌿

You do not need to travel far to find something amazing. Some of the best nature discoveries happen in the most ordinary places. A suburban backyard, the edge of a local park, even a garden pot.

Maybe it is a beetle you have never seen before, a spider web catching the morning light, a frog that appears after rain, or a bird that returns to the same branch every day- Or a gecko in your garden! These small moments of noticing are exactly where citizen science begins. Every observation, however ordinary it seems, helps build a picture of the wildlife living all around us.

So we would love to know: what is the most surprising thing you have ever found in your own backyard or local park? Tell us in the comments and tag a friend who loves a good backyard mystery.

If you enjoy this kind of everyday science, follow the page for more!

Recently, teachSTEM spent the day surrounded by young innovators.Dr Kylie Hewson represented teachSTEM on the judging pa...
17/09/2026

Recently, teachSTEM spent the day surrounded by young innovators.

Dr Kylie Hewson represented teachSTEM on the judging panel at the STEAM into STEM Sustainability and Innovation Fair at Griffith University Logan.

It was a full day of hands-on science and creativity. Students set up and presented their sustainability and innovation projects for judging, took part in workshops, and tested their engineering skills in a bridge building competition, before the day wrapped up with an awards presentation. The fair brought students together with Griffith University mentors and industry representative, giving them a real audience for their ideas.

Watching students tackle real challenges, think creatively, and see for themselves what a future in STEM can look like is a genuine privilege, and this day delivered exactly that.

Share this post with a young builder or inventor in your life or tag them in the comments below!

Griffith University

Why do rainbows form? 🌈Rainbows appear when sunlight passes through water droplets in the air. As light enters each drop...
16/09/2026

Why do rainbows form? 🌈

Rainbows appear when sunlight passes through water droplets in the air. As light enters each droplet, it bends. The light reflects inside the droplet, then bends again as it leaves. These changes separate white light into the spectrum of colours we see in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

The next time you spot a rainbow, notice where the sun is. Rainbows are usually visible when the sun is behind you and rain is falling ahead. It is a beautiful example of physics happening in everyday life, and a great starting point for exploring light, colour and refraction with students.

Could your students investigate how light changes direction as it travels through different materials? Save this one for your next lesson, and follow the page for more everyday science to use with your class.

Learn more: The Physics Classroom, Rainbow Formation: https://www.physicsclassroom.com/tutorial/refraction-and-lenses/refraction-phenomena/rainbow-formation

Source: The Physics Classroom.

Spring is here, and with it comes a simple, satisfying way to reconnect with the places we live, work and play, and to l...
14/09/2026

Spring is here, and with it comes a simple, satisfying way to reconnect with the places we live, work and play, and to look after them.

The Great Spring Clean Up is now underway across Australia, running throughout September and October. Run by Clean Up Australia, it is a reminder that it is in our nature to care for our environment, and spring is a great time to do our bit. The idea is a simple one: pick a place that matters to you, gather your crew, and remove litter before it washes into our waterways, harms wildlife and spreads further through the environment.

A local park, a beach, a bushland track, your library, school grounds or local community space all make a perfect spot, and every effort adds up. Best of all, it is free for community groups to take part, and every community clean up receives a free kit with gloves, bags and other supplies.

You will also find plenty of support to help you host your event, including how-to videos, toolkits and FAQs. Join thousands of Australians taking action this spring.

Ready to make a difference in your own backyard? Register your clean up here: https://www.cleanup.org.au/register-a-clean-up/

Clean Up Australia

08/09/2026

Ten years ago, half of the students at Park Ridge State High School were failing core subjects like maths. Recently, that same school was celebrated on a national stage, and teachSTEM was proud to be part of the celebration.

Park Ridge State High School has been named Secondary School of the Year (Government) at the 2026 Australian Education Awards in Sydney. It is a remarkable achievement, and the result of a decade of hard work by teachers, students, families and collaborating organisations who refused to accept that a young person's background should limit what they can achieve.

teachSTEM is proud to be one of the many organisations that partner with Park Ridge, and we were grateful to be invited to the school's 2026 Partners' Breakfast. The morning was the school's way of thanking the businesses, community groups and organisations who support its students, and the real credit sits with the teachers, families and young people who have done the work over the past decade.

Executive Principal Sharon Amos captured it beautifully: "The award will soon be forgotten, but the work and collaboration performed by our teachers and partner organisations will leave a lasting legacy on the youth and students at PRSHS."

And as Professor Deborah Brown of the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project reflected: "There's a lot of people who think equity and excellence can't be achieved together, but the team at PRSHS continuously proves that it can be done."

It is a nice reminder that every student can achieve extraordinary things, regardless of where they start.

Park Ridge State High School

07/09/2026

Some of the Gold Coast’s most curious young minds were celebrated recently, and teachSTEM was proud to be there. We joined the 2026 Gold Coast Schools Science Competition Awards Evening, hosted by Griffith University through its Science on the GO! program at Queensland Academies for Health Sciences in Southport.

Now in its 39th year, this is the largest schools science competition of its kind in Queensland, and this year set a new record, with 624 entries from 40 schools. Students from Prep to Year 12 investigated real scientific questions and presented projects across five categories: Scientific Investigations, Engineering and Technology, Classified Collections, Communicating Science, and Environmental Action.

The evening opened with a keynote from Jenny Damcevska of Griffith University's Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Research Institute, whose research focuses on next-generation semiconductor technologies. Our Managing Director, Dr Bridie Schultz, presented the awards for Communicating Science. It is a category we care about deeply, because helping people share science clearly is one of the best ways to make sure everyone can take part in it.

Huge kudos to Anita Brant and the Science on the GO! team for organising such a fantastic initiative, and a warm thank you to Queensland Academies for Health Sciences for hosting the evening.

To every student who entered: congratulations. Your curiosity, persistence and ideas are exactly what the future of STEM needs.

Griffith University Science on the GO Queensland Academies Health Sciences Campus

04/09/2026

We have a winner! Congratulations to Manuel, the winner of teachSTEM's 2026 Citizen Science Social Media Competition.

We ran this competition to celebrate something we believe in deeply: that science is for everyone, and that everyday people have a real role to play in it. Manuel's entry captured that beautifully.

His video stood out for its clear message and confident communication. He went beyond simply explaining what citizen science is, and showed why taking part matters and how people can get involved in their own communities. He made the idea genuinely accessible and engaging for a social media audience, while still honouring the important contribution that everyday people make to real science.

For that combination of a clear message, strong storytelling and a focus on local participation, Manuel receives our $200 gift card. Congratulations, Manuel, and thank you for helping us spread the word.

To everyone who entered: thank you. Your curiosity and creativity made this a joy to judge.

22/02/2026

The future of environmental leadership is in great hands! 🌏 Park Ridge State High School’s Year 9 "State of the Environment Student Showcase" highlighted the incredible talent and dedication of the next generation. DETSI scientist Rebecca Trevithick attended the event and was amazed by the students’ outstanding work!

As part of their assessment, students analysed local environmental data, exploring biodiversity, pollution, climate, and air and water quality.

The students used advanced tools and datasets developed by DETSI and other Government agencies, including:
🌡️ Weather-station climate observations
💧 Water quality data from Tahbil
🌬️ Air quality data from the National Pollutant Inventory
🌳 Land and vegetation mapping with drones
🦜 Species biodiversity datasets (QBEIS and WildNet)

Rebecca was thrilled to see the students’ work align with industry practices, especially their drone imagery analysis for ground and foliage cover—just like DETSI scientists do every day.

The students impressed with engaging presentations, posters, and exhibits, showcasing their talent and dedication. The event highlighted the importance of science literacy in solving real-world environmental challenges and demonstrated the department’s commitment to supporting community engagement.

Teachstem

Toward the end of the year, Park Ridge State High School Year 9 students hosted a student-led State of the Environment ...
06/01/2026

Toward the end of the year, Park Ridge State High School Year 9 students hosted a student-led State of the Environment showcase at the North Logan City Library Citizen Science Corner, presenting local climate, water and air quality findings using maps, figures and drone imagery. Their work transformed classroom investigations into evidence that community members could explore, question and learn from.
The session brought together families, council and industry representatives, and concluded with the installation of a student-curated display that will remain in the Citizen Science Corner over summer, inviting ongoing community engagement.

How could teachSTEM support your students to turn learning into real-world community action?

Learn more about how teachSTEM can support you:
www.teachSTEM.com.au
(Linkedin) https://www.linkedin.com/company/teachstem/
(Instagram) www.instagram.com/teachstem_/
https://www.acnc.gov.au/.../19851dfb-2626-f011.../profile

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