Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

Experience Engage Enable

Telephone02 9816 1298

Emailfieldofmar-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Bush Christmas incursion program

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Teacher checklist

Location

Your school
Cost

2025 DoE $18 per student - GST free

2025 Non-gov school cost $20 per student - GST free, minimum charge $750

Schools are to confirm the number of students and classes at least 7 days prior to attending. Schools will be charged based on the number of students confirmed or number of students who attend on the day (whichever is greater). 
Risk assessment Risk management plan
School preparation

Detailed information below. 
Bring

Students wear reusable name tag.
Parent/carer helpers One or two parents per class, no siblings.
Medical or special needs

Notify Field of Mars staff prior to incursion. 

Students, staff and visitors must not attend if unwell, even with mild symptoms. 
Cancellations

Cancellations with less than 30 working school days notice will incur a $600 administration fee. 

Cancellations with less than 7 working school days notice will incur the full cost for the program based on the original booking. 

Cancellations due to weather or fire danger are exempt from fees. 
Class numbers

If more than one day is required for your school, bookings should be made on consecutive days. 

Suggested timetable for up to three classes

Time

Class
9.30 - 10.45

Class A
11.30 - 12.45

Class B
1.30 - 2.45

Class C

School preparation

Maximum 25 students per session. 

Program length is approximately 1hr 15 mins. Please discuss with Field of Mars staff to arrange the timetable and session details.

Equipment and resource requirements for schools

Please provide:

  • Freshly fallen gum leaves to make wrapping paper. These should be collected by the students the day before or morning of their session.
  • Space for bags and ornaments to dry. Stencil bags can be laid out on the floor, on tables or pegged onto clothes lines. As drying time overlaps between sessions enough drying space for two classes is appreciated.
  • Art smocks/aprons for students. Students can arrive to their session wearing the art smocks. If you do not have class sets please contact us. 

Space requirements

  • Please arrange vehicle access and a parking spot close to the Bush Christmas room as we bring a large amount of equipment with us. 
  • We need to set up in one indoor place for all sessions because of the large amount of equipment and display materials. The school hall is the preferred space. Alternatively, a prepared space on the ground floor is suitable – see furniture requirements below. If two days are booked the equipment needs to be left overnight.

Furniture requirements 

Please provide: 

  • A rectangular block of 2 large trestle tables or 6-8 desks for printing calico bags. There needs to be enough space for half the class to stand around the tables. Each bag is the size of a tabloid newspaper page. 
  • A rectangular block of 2 large trestle tables or 6-8 desks for making wrapping paper. The butchers paper is about A3 size.
  • A rectangular block of 2 large trestle tables or 6-8 desks for making clay ornaments. 
  • Floorspace or tables for colouring in.
  • See set up images on this page.

Instruction sheet for taking care of the ink on the fabric bags and colouring-in blackline master. 

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Learning activities

Through an Australian Christmas story, images and puppets, the students will be introduced to some well-known Australian animals. 

Introduction 

Through a story and large images students will learn about the habitats of these Australian animals, what they eat and where they shelter, as well as special adaptations to their environment. To reinforce this, the students will meet a live eucalypt-eating stick insect.

Craft activities 

In two groups the students rotate through the following activities:

  • Printing calico bags - students use a roller and stencil to print a gum leaf and flower design onto a calico bag. 
  • Making wrapping paper - the students use gum leaves and crayons to create leaf rubbings onto paper.
  • Pressing ornaments - students will make clay ornaments using natural materials.

Conclusion 

The session concludes with the singing of an Australian Christmas song accompanied by hand-made bush percussion instruments.

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Syllabus outcomes and content

Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus (2024)

Visual Arts

Outcome

  • experiments with and identifies ways materials and techniques are used to represent subject matter and ideas in artworks CAE-VIS-01

Content

Making and exhibiting: Artists make artworks using materials and techniques to represent subject matter and ideas

  • Explore painting and printmaking materials and techniques, experimenting with tools to create effects

Other syllabus links

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

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024)

Observations and questions spark curiosity

Outcome

  • identifies and describes characteristics of living things, properties of materials, and movement STE-SCI-01

Content

Living things have characteristics that help them survive in their environment

  • Examine flowers, fruit, leaves, roots and stems of plants and describe their purpose

  • Examine animal bodies, their body coverings, and how and what they eat

Creative Arts 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

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

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017)

Living world

Outcomes 

  • explores the characteristics, needs and uses of living things STe-3LW-ST 

Content

Characteristics and basic needs of living things

  • recognise that living things have basic needs including air, food and water (ACSSU002)

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

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Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

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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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