Science fieldwork incursion | Stage 6 Biology | Field of Mars EEC

Cost and details

Cost	DoE school $20 per student – GST free Non-gov school $26 per student – GST free, minimum charge $750 per class Schools outside Greater Sydney – minimum charge $750 per class
Program length	Recommended length of 2 hours Maximum 2 sessions per day
Risk assessment	Risk management plan
Classes	Recommended maximum 8 classes per day
Worksheet	Worksheet coming soon. Schools are responsible for printing student worksheets.
Teacher preparation	If using local bushland or natural areas outside your school, all class teachers should visit the site before the incursion and be familiar with the route from the school to the site. Ensure a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:15. Preview the activities below. Indicate in the notes section of your booking form which fieldwork activities you would like to conduct.
Bring (if leaving school)	Sports uniform, clipboard, pencil, backpack, medication, water bottle, sunblock, raincoat, hat, sturdy shoes.
Medical or additional needs	Notify Field of Mars staff prior to incursion.
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

Fieldwork activities may be adapted to suit the local environment and available study sites.

Ecological sampling

Students use quadrats, line transects and belt transects to examine the distribution and abundance of vegetation and invertebrate species. Students compare random and systematic sampling methods and evaluate their purpose for fieldwork inquiry.

Abiotic testing

Students learn to use a range of specialised fieldwork instruments including thermometers, hygrometers, anemometers, light meters, soil moisture meters, and soil pH kits to measure abiotic factors which characterise the terrestrial ecosystem.

Water quality testing (optional)

Students examine aquatic ecosystem health in a local waterway. They use water quality testing equipment to measure dissolved oxygen concentration, turbidity, water temperature, pH and phosphate concentration. The data collected helps students identify relationships between water quality, ecosystem functioning, human activity and changed land use.

Explore related fact sheets

Use these student-friendly fact sheets before or after your Science fieldwork incursion to support ecological sampling, abiotic measurements, water testing and local ecosystem investigations.

• ⁠Habitat fact sheet – Learn how living and non-living features create places where organisms can survive.
• ⁠Water habitats fact sheet – Explore ponds, creeks, wetlands and damp places that can support water quality investigations.
• ⁠River and creek environment fact sheet – Learn how waterways, banks, flow, plants, animals and human impacts are connected.
• ⁠Invertebrate fact sheets – Explore small animals that can be sampled, classified and used as evidence in ecological investigations.
• ⁠Eucalypt forest ecosystem fact sheet – Learn about forest ecosystems, abiotic factors, habitats, food webs and fieldwork evidence.
• ⁠Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Use a local reserve example to compare with ecosystem features found at or near your school.

Program timetable

Learning activity	Duration
Ecological sampling	1 hour
Abiotic testing	1 hour

Recommended program length is 2 hours.

Learning activities can run in either order.

Sessions with 2 or more classes will alternate activities.

Session timetable

Time	Classes
9.00 - 11.00	Classes A, B, C, D
11.30 - 1.30	Classes E, F, G, H

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

This program works best as a 2 hour session. This might require some classes to start recess or lunch early or late.

More than 8 classes will need to book an additional day.

Syllabus outcomes and content

Biology 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

Ecosystem dynamics

Outcomes

• BI-11WS-03 conducts scientific investigations to collect data and information
• BI-11WS-04 selects and processes qualitative and quantitative data and information
• BI-11WS-05 analyses and evaluates primary and secondary data and information
• BI-11-03 analyses the relationships between organisms and their environment using the theory of evolution by natural selection

Content

• Conduct a practical investigation to collect and analyse abiotic and biotic data, to discuss the features of an ecosystem
• Compare abiotic data from a variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
• Explain how abiotic and biotic factors influence the abundance, distribution and diversity of species in an ecosystem
• Compare sampling techniques to estimate distribution and abundance of organisms
• Conduct a practical investigation to examine the distribution and abundance of a plant or animal using belt transect, line transect or quadrat sampling techniques

Biology 11–12 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2025