Experience Engage Enable
T: Telephone02 9816 1298
| Location | Field of Mars Reserve, Pittwater Road, East Ryde Wallumedegal Country |
| Bus access | Supply bus driver with Field of Mars Reserve bus information. No bus entry into Field of Mars Reserve. |
| Cost | 2023 DoE $24 per student - GST free 2023 Non-gov school cost $34 per student - GST free, minimum charge $600 |
| Risk assessment | |
| Tracks | View the YouTube track overview videos. |
| Welfare | Participants will be bushwalking during the day in rugged terrain. This excursion may not be suitable for people who have recently been unwell. |
| Bring | Backpack, medication, low-waste food, water bottle, sunblock, raincoat, hat, sturdy shoes, mask. Students wear reusable name tag and sports uniform. Students need to bring their own teddy or soft toy. |
| View | |
| Supporting resources |
The Needs of Living Things - Animals - available free from Apple Books |
| Bin access | All student waste to be taken home by students. |
| Parent/carer helpers | One or two parents per class, no siblings. Closed shoes essential. Check COVID-19 restrictions. |
| Medical or special needs | Notify Field of Mars staff prior to excursion. Students, staff and visitors must not attend if unwell, even with mild symptoms. |
| Extreme or wet weather | Days predicted to be above 35ºC, high winds, extreme bush fire danger and dust storms may result in the excursion being modified, postponed or cancelled. |
| Cancellations | Cancellations with less than three school weeks' notice will incur a $500 administration fee. This does not apply to cancellations due to weather, fire danger or COVID-19 restrictions. |
Read the letter from Edward, Chief Teddy, to the students.
Group your students as specified in the linked document.
Student lunches need to be in a suitable lunchbox for protection during picnic set up.
Print name tags for use on the excursion day - please ensure this step is completed.
Time |
Classes A, B |
Classes C, D |
| 9.45 - 10.20 | Welcome and Big Book Introduction Story Fruit break and toilets |
|
| 10.20 - 11.10 | Teddy bear tag and musical trees games |
Earth bushwalk |
| 11.10 - 11.30 | Recess |
|
| 11.30 - 12.20 | Earth bushwalk |
Teddy bear tag and musical trees games |
| 12.20 - 12.50 | P.A.W.S clue walk |
|
| 12.50 - 1.30 | Picnic lunch |
|
| 1.30 - 2.00 | The Old forest story and Create a forest |
|
| 2.00 - 2.15 | Pack up, toilet and depart |
|
Throughout the day students will learn to nurture respect for the natural world through first hand contact, understand how living things obtain their needs of life from the environment and what those needs are and to make a positive contribution to caring for the environment that is at a level appropriate to their age.
Inquiry question
What are the needs of living things?
Fieldwork
Earth walk
The focus of the bushwalk is to immerse the students in nature and develop sensory awareness of the bushland environment. Students will explore the features, colours and sounds of the bush through sensory activities such as touching textures, listening to bird calls, matching colours and smelling ‘whiff tea’.
Teddy bear tag
This game reinforces the needs of life: Plants for food, Air, Water, Shelter. Through a game of ‘tag’, each ‘bear’ or pair of ‘bear siblings’ collects four students wearing badges, one of each P-A-W-S, so that they have all the needs of life.
Musical trees
This game reinforces the importance of trees in providing the needs of life. Students as ‘bears’ dance around, and when the music stops, every bear goes to a ‘tree’. ‘Chainsaw Charlie’ sneakily cuts down trees until the bears stop him. The students discuss the importance of trees and replant those cut down.
Teddy bears’ picnic
Student groups (with an adult) will follow clues leading them on a trail to discover what the teddies need to survive in the bush. The route will lead them to a surprise picnic lunch spot under the trees.
The old forest story
The students will be told a story about a forest that is cleared. Students suggest actions that could be taken to provide for the animals’ needs of life.
Create a forest
Working in groups, students use natural materials and plastic animals to create a model habitat for Australian animals. This activity may be omitted if time is short.
Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017)
Outcomes
A student:
Content
Characteristics and basic needs of living things
Students:
recognise that living things have basic needs including air, food and water
compare the basic needs of some plants and animals
Using living things as food and fibre
Students:
recognise that plants and animals can be used as food, or materials (fibres) for clothing and shelter
address
Field of Mars Reserve
Pittwater Road
East Ryde NSW 2112
telephone 02 9816 1298
We’d like to acknowledge the Wallumedegal Peoples of the Darug Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we stand and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
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