Schoolyard safari incursion | Stage 1 Science and Technology | Field of Mars EEC

Cost, risk assessment and details

Cost	DoE $27 per student – GST free Non-gov $37 per student – GST free, min charge $750 per class Schools outside Greater Sydney – minimum charge $750 per class Program costs may change. Bookings are charged at the cost confirmed when you book.
Risk assessment	Risk management plan
Classes	Recommended maximum 4 classes per day with up to 32 students per class.
School preparation	Schools to provide one extra large learning space, with a screen or projector, for all participating classes for the duration of the day. The space needs to accommodate multiple classes.
View	Schoolyard safari learning resource
Welfare	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 and 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

Invertebrate survey

Working in small groups, students search for and collect invertebrates in school habitats using simple scientific equipment such as leaf litter searches and tree shakes. Students discuss where living things are found and why these places meet their needs.

Students examine collected invertebrates using magnifiers and identification charts. Students make sensory observations and describe key external features to support accurate identification.

Students record different types of data about their invertebrates using a structured graphic organiser.

Living things photo walk

Equipped with iPads, students conduct a photo survey of living things in the school grounds. Students learn how to retrieve data and create a digital document to store their observations.

Students sort their photos into groups and explain the reasons for their classifications using simple criteria. Students share findings with peers and reflect on the variety of living things in a local habitat.

Explore related fact sheets

Use these student-friendly fact sheets before or after your Schoolyard safari incursion to introduce schoolyard living things, habitats, data collection and grouping observations.

• ⁠Invertebrate fact sheets – Explore insects, spiders, worms, molluscs and other small animals students may find in school grounds.
• ⁠Insects fact sheet – Learn about insect features that can help students sort, group and describe living things.
• ⁠Ant fact sheet – Explore common schoolyard insects that live in groups, collect food and move through habitats.
• ⁠Spider fact sheet – Learn about arachnids that may be found on plants, leaf litter, bark, rocks and logs.
• ⁠Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – Discover fallen leaves, bark and twigs where small animals shelter, feed and hide.
• ⁠Habitat fact sheet – Learn how food, water, shelter and space help living things survive.

Suggested timetable

Time	Classes A and B	Classes C and D
9.30 - 11.00	Invertebrate survey	Living things photo walk
	Recess
11.30 - 1.00	Living things photo walk	Invertebrate survey

Times and session duration varies depending on school timetables, location choice and number of classes.

Please include your school's bell times in the notes section of your booking form.

Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary

observe, record, data, sort, group, compare, justify, pattern, invertebrate, habitat, survey, classify, tally, identification chart

Syllabus outcomes and content

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024)

Outcomes

• Poses questions based on observations and information to investigate cause and effect ST1-PQU-01
• Measures and describes changes in living things, materials, movement, Earth and the sky ST1-SC1-01
• Collects, represents and uses data to identify patterns and relationships ST1-DAT-01

Content

Investigations of changes provide knowledge and understanding

Living things change over time

• Recognise that data can be collected through observation, testing and research, and that it can be represented as descriptions, diagrams, graphs, images and tables
• Collect data about the variety of living things in a local habitat, group them and justify the groupings

Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding

Digital systems use inputs and algorithms to produce an output

• Use the basic features of common digital tools to capture, save and retrieve data to communicate and collaborate following agreed rules

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, 2024