Features of places excursion | Stage 1 HSIE Geography

Cost, risk assessment and details

Cost	DoE $27 per student – GST free Non-gov $37 per student – GST free, min charge $750 per class Term 1 – Non-gov weeks 3 to 5 cost = DoE cost – GST free, min charge $750 Program costs may change. Bookings are charged at the cost confirmed when you book.
Classes	Maximum 6 classes at Buffalo Creek Reserve with up to 30 students per class. More than 6 classes will run across two sites – Buffalo Creek Reserve and Field of Mars Reserve. Please contact us.
Risk assessment	Access the risk assessment for your excursion location. Buffalo Creek Reserve risk assessment - main location Field of Mars Reserve risk assessment - alternative location
Bring	Sports uniform, backpack, medication, low-waste food, water bottle, sunblock, raincoat, hat, sturdy shoes, reusable name tag.
View	Preparing for your excursion Features of places learning resource Features of places social story
Welfare	Rugged bushwalking, limited wheelchair accessibility. May not suit recently unwell participants. For medical or special needs notify staff prior to program.
Extreme or wet weather	Program may be modified, postponed or cancelled due to predicted extreme temperatures, bush fire danger, heavy rainfall, high winds or dust storms.
Booking policy	Confirm student numbers and classes 7 days in advance.
Cancellation or rescheduling	Cancellation or rescheduling with less than 30 school days’ notice before the booking date – $650 Cancellation with less than 14 school days’ notice before the booking date – full program cost Cancellation due to unsafe weather or fire danger – $0

Activities

Activities may vary depending on student needs, timing and weather.

Bushwalk fieldwork and map skills

Students work like geographers to locate Sugarloaf Hill and Sugarloaf Point using a large-scale map, then follow tracks through bushland while using directional language and observations to identify natural and human features.

Mangrove forest exploration

On the mangrove boardwalk, students investigate the unique features of a mangrove forest by looking closely at mud, seedlings and animal evidence (such as trails and burrows), and discuss how built features like boardwalks help people care for sensitive environments.

Pond inquiry

At a freshwater pond, students hear the story of Tiddalick the Frog to explore caring for water places, then use a dip net to observe small water animals and consider how to protect pond habitats.

Invertebrate and crab investigations

Students search for invertebrates using gentle survey techniques (such as tree shakes and leaf litter investigations) and, when conditions allow, explore the creek or river edge for crabs (tide permitting), practising respectful handling and returning animals to where they were found.

Banksia creatures and bush inspiration

Using loose natural materials and visual prompts, students create a banksia creature, building appreciation for bushland features and reinforcing low-impact behaviours such as collecting only fallen items.

Ephemeral nature map

Students collaboratively build a temporary memory map of their journey using loose natural materials to represent key features, routes and activities, then explain their map using geographical vocabulary before leaving no trace.

This program will retire at the end of 2026.

Explore related fact sheets

Use these student-friendly fact sheets before or after your Features of places excursion to introduce natural features, human features, water places and ways people care for environments.

• ⁠Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Explore local bushland, creeks, tracks, mangroves, saltmarsh and other features students may investigate.
• ⁠Mangrove forest ecosystem fact sheet – Learn about tidal forests with mud, breathing roots, seedlings, crabs and boardwalks.
• ⁠Grey mangrove fact sheet – Discover a salt-tolerant tree with breathing roots that grows along sheltered tidal waterways.
• ⁠River and creek environment fact sheet – Learn how creeks, banks, water, plants and animals form connected environments.
• ⁠Water habitats fact sheet – Explore ponds, creeks, wetlands and damp places that support plants and animals.
• ⁠Eucalypt forest ecosystem fact sheet – Compare forest features with mangroves, creeks and other local places.

Suggested timetable

Time	Classes A, B, C	Classes D, E, F
9.45 - 10.30	Introduction, toilets and recess	Introduction, toilets and recess
10.30 - 12:00	Bushwalk and activities	Activities at Buffalo Creek Reserve
12.00 - 12.30	Lunch and toilets	Lunch and toilets
12.30 - 1.45	Activities at Buffalo Creek Reserve	Bushwalk and activities
1.45 - 2.00	Concluding activity	Concluding activity
2.00 - 2.15	Pack up, toilets and depart	Pack up, toilets and depart

Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary

investigate, represent, compare, manage, connect, communicate, collect, natural feature, built feature, managed feature, mangrove, pneumatophore, invertebrate, boardwalk, eucalypt forest

Syllabus outcomes and content

Geography K-10 Syllabus (2015)

Features of places

Outcomes

• Describes features of places and the connections people have with places GE1-1
• Identifies ways in which people interact with and care for places GE1-2
• Communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools for inquiry GE1-3

Content

Features of places

• Investigate features of places and how they can be cared for, for example:

  • description of the natural and human features of places
  • discussion of the natural features of places identified in Aboriginal Dreaming stories and/or Legends of the Torres Strait
  • consideration of how a place can be cared for

Other syllabus links

Learning experiences will also support but not explicitly teach the following outcomes and content:

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017)

Outcomes

• Describes observable features of living things and their environments ST1-4LW-S

Geography K-10 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2015

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2017