<![CDATA[THE RESEARCH SAFARI - Challenge Blog]]>Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:52:35 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[3D Printing - just a fad or a way to transform our lives?]]>Wed, 12 Sep 2018 22:40:25 GMThttps://www.researchsafari.com.au/challenge-blog/3d-printing-just-a-fad-or-a-way-to-transform-our-livesHouses, tortoise shells, new ears and noses, artificial limbs. These are just a few of the things that are now being created using 3 D Printing.  While 3D printing has been around for many years in the manufacturing industry it has become very popular in the last couple of years because of the availability and low cost of the technology to individuals and households.

So here are a few questions for you to explore around 3D printing?
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • What materials can be used to create 3D printed objects?
  • In which fields of science do you think 3D printing is having the biggest impact and why?
  • How is the manufacturing industry being affected by the fact that 3D printers are so readily available to households and individuals?
  • Find at least one example of 3D printing in each of the following areas:
               * Artificial body parts
               * Clothing
               * Architecture
               * Manufacturing
               * Automobiles
               * Household items
               * Helping animals
You can also use the SIX THINKING HATS to explore this topic.
Use the following website to help find answers to the above questions.
Picture
Links to the Australian Curriculum
]]><![CDATA[Windmills and turbines]]>Sun, 21 May 2017 11:03:45 GMThttps://www.researchsafari.com.au/challenge-blog/windmills-and-turbinesToday we can see big modern wind turbines scattered across the landscape but did you know that the first windmills were developed to automate the tasks of grain-grinding and water-pumping and the earliest-known design is the vertical axis system developed in Persia about 500-900 A.D. 

This challenge is designed to get you to discover as much as you can about windmills and wind turbines.

There are a number of resources and images provided to get you started and the following focus questions can help to guide your research. Some of the questions only need a short answer- others will require you to 'dig deep' into the information provided. 
Some questions to get you started...

What is the definition of a windmill?
When were the first windmills created?
What is the difference between a windmill and a wind turbine?
What have been some of the uses of windmills over the centuries?
What is the main use of windmills / wind turbines today?
Which countries are the greatest users of wind turbines today?
Where is the biggest wind turbine and how big is it?
What are some the benefits of using wind turbines to generate power /energy?
What is the most interesting thing you have found out about wind turbines?
What do you see are the biggest advantages of using wind turbines?
What is the Moving Windmills Project and who is William Kamkwamba?
Resources to help you

The following images show you a range of different windmill types.These images are all Creative Commons or "Free to use and share". 
Websites

Wind Turbine (Wikipedia)

The Illustrated History of Wind Power Development

The History of Wind Energy

Timeline:The history of wind power

The Windmill (Encyclopedia.com)

How do wind turbines work?

Moving Windmills Project?
]]><![CDATA[Amazing bridges of the world]]>Thu, 11 Aug 2016 01:22:20 GMThttps://www.researchsafari.com.au/challenge-blog/amazing-bridges-of-the-world
Picture
Have you ever had the opportunity to cross a really interesting bridge? Have you ever wondered how it was made? This next challenge will get you to explore 20 of the most famous or interesting bridges around the world.
Here is what you have to do.
  1. Download the worksheet provided below.
  2. Go to the weblink The Wolrd's Most Impressive Bridges and read about each of the bridges.
  3. Complete the worksheet either individually, in a group or as a class.
  4. Find two more bridges that you would like to add to the list then answer the following questions. (You will be guided by your teacher for this).

QUESTIONS

Which of these bridges is the longest?
Which of these bridges is the oldest?
Which bridges are viaducts?
Which bridges are suspension bridges?
Which bridges are for pedestrians only?
Which would you consider the most interesting bridge and why?
Which bridge do you think is the greatest engineering feat?

What other questions could you ask about these bridges?

Worksheet
]]><![CDATA[What do dolphins have to do with toroidal vortices?]]>Fri, 22 Jul 2016 23:35:28 GMThttps://www.researchsafari.com.au/challenge-blog/what-do-dolphins-and-toroidal-vortices-have-in-commonToroidal vortices are also known as bubble rings.  Watch the following videos and follow the links to find out how they are made and what they have to do with dolphins. There will be some questions to answer at the end.

Questions

1. What are four different examples of where toroidal vortexes can be found / made (either natural or man made)?
2. Which gender of dolphins seems to make more bubble rings?
3. How do dolphins make the bubble rings?
4. Describe an easy experiment where you can make a toroidal vortex.
5. What other interesting facts can you find about toroidal vortices?
Other resources to check out
Vortex Ring (Wikipedia)
Vortex Ring Experiments
Bubble Ring (Wikipedia)
]]>