Schoolyard safari program

Teacher checklist

Main Location	Field of Mars Reserve, Pittwater Road, East Ryde Wallumedegal Country Google maps - Apple maps.
	Supply bus driver with Field of Mars Reserve bus information No bus entry into Field of Mars Reserve.
	Field of Mars Reserve risk management plan
	View the YouTube track overview videos. Buffalo Creek track Doyle and Warada loop track
Alternate location	Buffalo Creek Reserve, 117 Pittwater Road, Hunters Hill Wallumedegal Country Google maps - Apple maps
	Supply bus driver with Buffalo Creek bus information. No bus entry into Buffalo Creek Reserve carpark.
	Buffalo Creek Reserve risk management plan
	View the YouTube track overview videos. Sugarloaf Point loop track
Cost	2023 DoE $24 per student - GST free 2023 Non-gov school cost $34 per student - GST free, minimum charge $600
Covid	COVID-19 safety plan
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.
Please provide	Two tote trays per class to transport your clay models back to school.
View	Preparing for an excursion
Supporting resources	Student activities Social story – Schoolyard safari - written for Field of Mars Reserve Invertebrate Explorer - available free from Apple Books Fact sheets
Bin access	All student waste to be taken home by students.
Parent/carer helpers	Optional one parent 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.

Suggested timetable for up to six classes

Time	Classes A, B, C	Classes D, E, F
9.45 - 10.30	Introduction, recess and toilets	Introduction, recess and toilets
10.30 - 12.00	Bushwalk	Invertebrate investigations
12.00 - 12.30	Lunch	Lunch
12.30 - 2.00	Invertebrate investigations	Bushwalk
2.00 - 2.15	Pack up, toilets and depart	Pack up, toilets and depart

Learning activities

Students will investigate where small animals and invertebrates live in the bush, and what their features are.

Inquiry questions

Where do invertebrates and small vertebrate animals live?
What are the features of invertebrate and small vertebrate animals?

Fieldwork

Bushwalk

On a bushwalk traversing a variety of environments, students will observe the different places in the natural environment that invertebrates are found. Many invertebrate species will remain hidden during the walk, so particular emphasis will be placed on looking for animal evidence such as tracks, scats and sounds.

Build a bug

The session will be introduced with the picture book The Ugly Bug. Students will then work in small groups to undertake tree shake surveys that dislodge invertebrates from the foliage of shrubs for collection and observation. Students will use paper clay to create small clay models of invertebrates based on their observations of the collected invertebrates, embedded invertebrate specimens, and The Ugly Bug illustrations.

Invertebrate investigation

Students will work in small groups to search for and collect leaf litter invertebrates in the gardens surrounding the Field of Mars education centre. Collected specimens will then be examined for their structural features using personal magnifiers, and identified using ID charts. Some of the collected invertebrates will be magnified onto the IWB and features and adaptations will be explained.

Syllabus outcomes and content

Science and technology K-6 Syllabus (2017)

Outcomes

A student:

observes, questions and collects data to communicate and compare ideas ST1-1WS-S
describes observable features of living things and their environments ST1-4LW-S

Content

Working Scientifically

Students:

explore and answer questions through participation in guided scientific investigations
compare observations with those of others
make safe choices when using materials and equipment

External features of living things

Students:

describe the external features of a variety of living things

Living things live in different places

Students:

identify that living things live in different places that suit their needs

Other syllabus links

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

Geography K-10 Syllabus (2015)

Outcomes

A student:

describes features of places and the connections people have with places GE1-1
communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools for inquiry GE1-3

Content

Features of places

Students:

investigate features of places and how they can be cared for, for example:
description of the natural and human features of places
consideration of how a place can be cared for

Curriculum note - this excursion is aligned with the language, learning models and experiences of the Primary Connections Stage 1 unit Schoolyard Safari.

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

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

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