2024 Summary and Results
A free, nationwide science competition for primary and secondary school students in Years 3 to 10, Think Science! encourages students to perform an investigation using the Science Inquiry skills from the Australian Curriculum and document their process and findings in a video. Over $10,000 in prizes are on offer for winning schools and students.
What is Think Science!?
At ANSTO, we believe science is for everyone! Think Science! is suitable for students of all levels and abilities. This teams-based competition encourages an interactive learning environment that provides insights into how scientists work. Teachers will be supported with resources to assist with incorporating investigations and the Science Inquiry skills into class lessons. Most importantly, we aim to make science fun.
Think Science! asks students, in small teams of 2 - 4 individuals, to conduct a first-hand science investigation on a topic of their choosing. Students will document how they followed all steps of the Science Inquiry strand of the Australian Curriculum.
Teams will submit a short video, 3 - 4 minutes long for primary students and 4 - 5 minutes long for secondary students, to ANSTO, which summarises and showcases their investigation and science inquiry skills. Communication is an important science skill, and the video that teams create will play a major part in their success in Think Science! 2024.
The competition is flexible. Any science topic can be chosen, including content being taught in classes, and provides an opportunity to include digital technology skills. No special equipment or materials are required. Schools from any State or Territory across Australia are invited to join in.
There are four categories for entry, each with great prizes: Years 3/4, Years 5/6, Years 7/8 and Years 9/10. Additional prizes for schools in regional and remote areas are also offered.
Our winners for 2024 can be viewed here. 2024 winners
How to Enter & Terms/Conditions
Teachers must register themselves and their class to participate and must read the Terms and Conditions carefully before registering.
Registered teachers may submit entries from three student teams per class, using the online Entry Form below. Enter early to allow for any technical difficulties.
A YouTube link for each video entry must be provided on the Entry Form. The visibility setting for each video must be set to ‘unlisted’ (not for public viewing, viewable only with your link).
Think Science! Terms and Conditions 2024 (PDF, 213.85 KB)
Prizes
ANSTO is awarding over $10,000 in prizes. There are student prizes for the winning teams and medals for place getters. Winning schools can choose any science education resources to the listed value.
Judging
All entries will be judged by experienced science educators at ANSTO. Every entry will be judged by at least two educators independently, to determine finalists. Finalists will progress to an additional round of judging with an expert panel.
Think Science Judging Rubric for Years 3-6 V2, 2024 (PDF, 189.2 KB)
Think Science Judging Rubric for Years 7-10, 2024 (PDF, 619.43 KB)
We have provided the checklist below to assist with making sure your video meets the judging requirements. Print off the checklist, watch your video (you may like to do this with other friends, family or classmates) and tick off all the steps that your video has included. Are there any steps missing? You may like to redo your video before submitting it, to make sure it is amazing and just what the judges are looking for!
Think Science! Video Checklist for Years 3-6 (PDF, 338.14 KB)
Think Science! Video Checklist for Years 7-10 (PDF, 825.48 KB)
Think Science! 2024 Student Logbooks
All student teams must complete a Logbook during their investigation. This must be retained at the school and a pdf copy made available if requested. The Student Logbooks below can be used for this purpose if needed.
Think Science! 2024 Student Logbook Years 3 - 6 (PDF, 833.1 KB)
Think Science! 2024 Student Logbook Years 7 - 10 (PDF, 1.17 MB)
Tips & Supporting Resources
We recommend that you read the “Tips & Tricks” below and information on suitable software to use for presentations. These resources are designed to help teachers incorporate Think Science! into their classes.
Think Science! Tips and Tricks (PDF, 209.25 KB)
Think Science! 2024 How to make a video
Think Science! 2024 Video Storyboard Planning (PDF, 251.47 KB)
Think Science! Topic examples for Years 3 - 6 (PDF, 165.65 KB)
Online Information Sessions
If you missed our online Think Science! information session for teachers on Monday May 6th, or would just like to hear it again, we now have the recording of the session available.
Online Think Science! session May 6th, 2024
Also available in 2024 is a NEW free online Think Science! incursion for teachers and students. During the 30 - 45 minute session, our experienced educators will teach science skills to your class, using a simple activity that all ages can do. After completing the session, your students should be able to identify the science skills they need for their Think Science! project.
Think Science! Newsletter
Each month, during the competition period, registered teachers in Think Science! will receive a newsletter that focusses on one of the aspects of thinking scientifically. The newsletter aims to provide tips and information to assist teachers with ensuring that their students are meeting the requirements of the Think Science! competition successfully.
Past issues of the newsletter are below and will be updated as each new issue is emailed.
Issue 1: Picking a topic and writing a question. (PDF, 207.39 KB)
Issue 2: Planning and conducting (PDF, 204.23 KB)
Issue 3: Processing and Analysing (PDF, 290.67 KB)
Issue 4: Evaluating (PDF, 235.43 KB)
Issue 5: Communicating (PDF, 225.82 KB)
Participation Map
Explore registered schools on our map! We will also keep registered teachers up to date with useful information.
Do you have a question?
Don't hesitate to contact the ANSTO Think Science! Team if you have any questions about the Think Science! event.
Think Science! Team
The ANSTO Think Science! Team
| Program Creator and Leader | Program Creator and Coordinator | Secondary Education Advisor | Secondary Education Advisor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephanie McCready BAppSc (Hons) PhD | Kim Whitbread BSc BA Dip Teach | Julie Mulholland BSc (Hons) Dip Ed | Sarah Tyler BSc Dip Ed |