Documentary in a day incursion | Stage 2 English

Program activities

Activities may change to suit student needs, timing and school arrangements.

Workshop

Students examine short documentary examples and identify how narration, visuals, text and sound communicate information and engage an audience. They learn the documentary workflow and explore the planning guides, filming checklists and success criteria they will use throughout the day.

Mobile filmmaking

Working in pairs, students plan the structure of their documentary and draft a concise informative script using habitat vocabulary and observations from the school grounds or local natural area. They identify the footage required to illustrate and strengthen each section of their narration.

Students practise camera shots, angles and movements before filming habitat features and living things. They make purposeful decisions about framing, focus and camera position while following their script and filming plan.

Editing

Students use iMovie to arrange footage, adjust clip length and record voice-over narration. They remove unwanted audio, add titles and captions, select suitable music and create a closing credits sequence.

Students export and share their finished documentaries, then reflect on how effectively the narration, visuals and sound communicated information about the natural environment. Completed videos are returned to the school through Google Drive.

Suggested timetable

Time	Activities
9.15–11.00	Introductory keynote and equipment distribution Documentary script planning Filming
Recess
11.30–1.00	Filming Post-production editing
Lunch
1.30–2.30	Final editing (if required)

Times and session durations may vary depending on the school timetable, location choice and number of participating classes.

More than four classes will need to book an additional day.

Include your school’s bell times in the notes section of the booking form.

Syllabus outcomes and content

Students will learn to

• identify how narration, visuals, text and sound communicate information in documentaries
• plan and draft an informative script for a familiar audience
• use precise vocabulary to describe habitats and living things
• select camera shots, angles and movements that support narration
• sequence footage and combine spoken, visual, written and audio elements
• collaborate, review and revise a completed multimodal text

The incursion directly supports the English K–10 Syllabus (2022) through informative writing, oral communication and the creation of a digital multimodal text for an audience.

English K–10 Syllabus (2022)

Creating written texts – Informative purposes

Outcome

• EN2-CWT-02 – plans, creates and revises written texts for informative purposes, using text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language for a target audience

Content addressed

Informative purposes

• Create written texts that describe experiences and observations to connect with and inform an audience

Text features for multiple purposes

• Select and use multimodal features to add meaning

Oral language and communication

Outcome

• EN2-OLC-01 – communicates with familiar audiences for social and learning purposes, by interacting, understanding and presenting

Handwriting and digital transcription

Outcome

• EN2-HANDW-02 – uses digital technologies to create texts

English K–10 Syllabus (2022)⁠ © NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2022

Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary

audience, caption, cinematography, collaborate, communicate, documentary, edit, footage, habitat, informative text, narration, sequence, storyboard, timeline, voice-over

Cost, class numbers and booking

Cost

DoE school – $27 per student, GST free

Non-government school – $37 per student, GST free, minimum charge $750 per class

A minimum charge of $750 per class applies to non-metropolitan schools.

Classes

A recommended maximum of four classes can participate each day, with up to 30 students per class. The indoor learning space must comfortably accommodate all participating classes.

Program costs

Program costs may change. If program costs change after you book, you will be charged at the original cost.

Booking policy

Confirm final student numbers and classes 7 working school days before the program.

Book this Stage 2 English incursion

Risk assessment and accessibility

View incursion risk assessments⁠

Notify Field of Mars EEC before the incursion about medical, mobility, sensory, communication or other support needs so reasonable adjustments can be considered.

The school should ensure the selected indoor and outdoor learning spaces, furniture arrangements and movement routes are accessible and appropriate for participating students.

Classroom teachers are expected to attend and actively supervise students throughout the incursion.

Students who are unwell should not attend.

View school incursion location information⁠

Weather, cancellations and rescheduling

The incursion may be modified, postponed or cancelled if travel or program delivery is unsafe because of extreme weather or fire danger.

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

Learning space and access

Provide one extra-large indoor learning space, with a screen or projector, for all participating classes. The space must comfortably accommodate all participating students and remain available for the duration of the program day.

Ensure the room, outdoor learning areas, gates and movement routes are unlocked and available when Field of Mars EEC staff arrive.

Provide clear school-entry, visitor sign-in and parking instructions before the incursion. Where possible, arrange parking or an unloading area close to the main learning space.

Ensure the school office and participating teachers know when Field of Mars EEC staff will arrive and where the program will be delivered.

Natural areas and class organisation

The program requires access to natural environments in or near the school. Access to a suitable nature reserve near the school provides the richest learning experience.

Reserve suitable and accessible gardens, planted areas, bushland or other natural areas where students can film habitat features, living things and other natural subjects. Inspect the selected areas before the incursion and remove or manage temporary hazards.

When using bushland or another natural area outside the school grounds, ensure all participating class teachers have visited the site and are familiar with the walking route between the school and the site. Maintain a supervision ratio of at least one adult to 15 students while away from the school grounds.

Organise students into pairs before the program begins. Ensure participating teachers understand the boundaries of the outdoor learning areas and the required supervision arrangements.

Include the school’s bell times and details of the proposed natural areas in the notes section of the booking form.