Science Week Challenge: MyScope Explore

Make cool microscopic discoveries with MyScope Explore. Take up our challenge for the chance to win a Foldscope – a fully functional origami microscope.

There are twenty prizes on offer for the best entries so don’t delay. The competition runs until the end of Friday 27th. This competition is only open to Australian residents.

MyScope™ Explore is an e-learning resource for ages 8 years and upwards, that’s freely available to all. This interactive, virtual electron microscopy experience is a collaboration between our expert scientists, and science educators around Australia. The site includes theory with hands-on activities based on the Australia science curriculum, along with an array of samples to explore on a scanning electron microscope simulator, from everyday bugs and objects to forensic evidence.

Access MyScope Explore

For teachers and parents: these challenges can be guided by you as an online science week activity for the class or set as individual work. The challenges are aimed at two groups: Years 4-8 and years 9-12 and cover topics such as: Microscopy, Observation, Comparison, Investigation, Evidence, Analyse data, Synthesise from evidence, Measurement, Means (averages), Water-repelling surfaces, Food chain, Technical design, Adaptation, and Biodiversity.

Entry form for years 4-8

Entry form for years 9-12

The questions you’ll be asked to answer in the forms are below.

Years 4-8:

• What kind of insect do you think the spider ate for his last meal? Use MyScope Explore to find out and tell us how you worked this out.
• How does a baby chicken get air when it’s sealed up inside its egg? Use the microscope simulator to find out and tell us what you find.
• Gecko skin doesn’t get wet. Use the electron microscope simulator to figure it out and tell us why.

Years 9-12:

• On average, which is bigger, a silverfish scale or a butterfly scale? How did you work that out?
• Gecko skin doesn’t get wet. Use the electron microscope simulator to figure it out and tell us why. What extra water-proofing feature do lotus leaves have, that the gecko doesn’t?
• Why might the dome-like structures on a termite wing be the shape they are?
• Using what you found out in the last two questions, design a water-repelling coating for the wings of an insect-like drone and tell us why you did it the way you did.