Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

Experience Engage Enable

Telephone02 9816 1298

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

Earth's environment - Eucalypt forest incursion program

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Teacher checklist

Location

Bushland near your school
Cost

2025 DoE $25 per student - GST free

2025 Non-gov school cost $28 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

Ensure all class teachers have visited the site and are familiar with the route from school to it.
Welfare

Participants will be bushwalking during the day in rugged terrain. Toilets may only be available at the start and end of the day.

This incursion 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.
View

Preparing for an excursion
Supporting resources

Student activities

Eucalypt Forest - available free from Apple Book

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 incursion. 

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 incursion being modified, postponed or cancelled. 
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. 

Suggested timetable

 
Actual times may vary.

Time

Activity
9.15 - 9.45

Introduction, toilets, crunch and sip

Equipment bags distributed at school or bushland site
9.45 - 12.30

Bushwalk and activities, including recess
1.00 - 1.30

Lunch at bushland site
1.30 - 2.15

Bushwalk and activities
2.15 - 2.45

Pack up and head back to school

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Learning activities

Students investigate the natural vegetation and resources of the eucalypt forest and the value of this environment to animals and people.

Inquiry questions

  • What are the geographical features of a eucalypt forest?
  • How does the eucalypt forest provide habitat for native animals?
  • What are some relationships between living things in a eucalypt forest?

Fieldwork

Bushwalk activities

Students will undertake a bushwalk as ‘place detectives’.  Through teacher-led and student-directed activities, students will investigate and record the characteristics of the forest, evidence of animals and their interconnection with the environment. 

Fieldwork tools will include sensory observation, invertebrate hunts and recording through sketching, mapping, watercolour and tallies in their take-home field journal. Students will also work independently guided by task cards catering for a variety of learning styles. Teachers will be encouraged to take photographs for student use back in the classroom.

Nature collage concluding activity

To conclude the day, students will use loose natural materials to recreate the vegetation layers, habitat features and animals of the forest. They will provide a verbal explanation of the forest interconnections.

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Syllabus outcomes and content

Geography K-10 Syllabus (2015) 

The Earth's Environment

Outcomes

  • examines features and characteristics of places and environments GE2-1
  • describes the ways people, places and environments interact GE2-2 
  • acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry GE2-4 

Content

Significance of environments

  • investigate the importance of natural vegetation and natural resources to the environment, animals and people, for example:

    • identification of types of natural vegetation eg forests, grasslands, deserts 

    • explanation of the importance of natural vegetation to animals and the functioning of the environment eg provision of habitats, production of oxygen  

    • discussion of the importance of natural vegetation and natural resources to people

Other syllabus links

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

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017) 

Outcome

  • compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things ST2-4LW-S 

Content

Survival of living things

  • Describe how living things depend on each other and environment to survive

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

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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