| About Sky Trackers
The Story
Nikki is 13 and into science - her dream is to be the first person on
Mars. Mike is 14 and into rock music - he thinks science sucks. Mike’s
horse and guitar are the only things that make his life at the station
bearable – until he falls for Nikki. The characters in Sky Trackers
follow deep space probes, search for aliens, solve mysteries through computer
technology and even fly into space.
After an approach to the Australian Children’s Television Foundation
from the CSIRO, who were concerned that girls were not continuing with
science studies in secondary school and at university, the ACTF made this
series in an effort to popularise science for children through drama and
to excite them about the opportunities science has to offer. The CSIRO
and NASA advised the ACTF throughout the development of the scripts so
that the series deals with fact not science fiction.
Sky Trackers was shot, over 26 weeks, on location at CSIRO’s National
Australia Telescope facility, set in the Paul Wild Observatory at Narrabri,
northwest NSW and on locations around Melbourne
Synopses of episodes in the Sky Trackers Education
Packs and related Lesson Plans
Sky Trackers: Space
Education Pack including video and booklet.
Topics: meteors and space phenomena;
the mysteries of deep space and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence;
rockets and space travel.
Is There Life on Earth?
Lesson Idea: Is There Life
on Earth & Is There Life on Earth B?
|
Nikki helps a friend with his radio signals projects
using computer information systems to aid the investigations of Earth.
|
Long Distance Call:
Lesson Idea: Long Distance
Call & Long Distance Call B |
Mike’s father is in a space shuttle and faces danger when
the unexpected happens. |
Meteor Rights:
Lesson
Idea: Meteor Rights & Meteor Rights B
|
Nikki, Mike and Maggie help to track a meteorite that lands in the
local area. The race is then on to be the first to reach it. |
Sky Trackers: The
Environment
Education Pack including video and booklet.
Topics: feral animals; water systems;
industrial pollution.
Dead Duck:
Lesson Idea: Lesson Plans:
Dead Ducks & Dead Ducks B
|
Searching for hidden treasure, the children discover
important information from the past. |
Penguin Point:
Lesson Idea: Penguin Point
& Penguin Point B |
When penguins are found covered in oil on the beach computer information
systems are used to aid investigation. |
The Beast:
Lesson Idea: The Beast & The
Beast B
|
Nikki, Mike and Maggie use their investigative skills to solve a
disturbing mystery when native animals are found dead and injured
in the local area. |
Sky Trackers: Family
and Self
Education Pack including video and booklet.
Topics: death, grief and moving on; family
violence and handling conflict with parents; adoption, parents and the
basis of identity.
Letting Go:
Lesson Idea: Letting Go |
Mike and his dad are forced to revisit the death of
their mother/wife several years before. |
Origins:
Lesson Idea: Origins |
Cleo discovers she is adopted and resents her ‘parents’
who have hidden the facts from her. |
Rocket to Me:
Lesson Idea: Rocket to Me
|
Nikki’s and Mike’s complaints about parental demands
are dwarfed by the discovery that a friend is subjected to physical
and psychological abuse. |
|
