Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

Experience Engage Enable

Telephone02 9816 1298

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

Documentary in a day incursion program

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Teacher checklist

Location

Your school and/or local site
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

Please provide one learning space, with a smart board/projector, for all participating classes for the duration of the day. The space needs to accommodate multiple classes.
Welfare

If leaving school participants might be bushwalking during the day in rugged terrain.

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

Habitat digital book - available free from Apple Books

Fact sheets
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. Timetable suitable for up to three classes.

Time

Activities
9.00 - 9.30

Introduction and equipment distribution
9.30 - 9.45 Mobile filmmaking - Title scene
9.45 - 10.00 Introduction to iMovie
10.00 - 11.00 Mobile filmmaking - Establishing scene
11.00 - 11.30

Recess 
11.30 - 1.00

Mobile filmmaking - Scene 2 and 3 and conclusion.
1.00 - 1.45

Lunch
1.45 - 2.30 Post-production editing
2.30

Finish 

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Learning activities

Students will be introduced to the techniques of documentary film making. They will create an informative and entertaining documentary on iPads showcasing the habitat features of natural areas in and around your school.

Introduction

In the classroom, students will be introduced to the process of documentary making. A Field of Mars produced documentary is shown to outline the production steps, narration, camera techniques and editing. 

Mobile filmmaking 

During this session each class will operate in a variety of natural locations in or near your school. Students will be working in groups of 2.

At each location students will develop a script through field observations.

Students will take photos and videos to bring their script to life. They will be explicitly taught a variety of camera techniques including camera angles, camera shots and camera movements to enhance their imagery.

Students will be taught how to use iMovie to begin editing their documentary in the field. They will learn how to sequence, adjusting timing, add titles, add captions, modify sound, record voiceovers and add appropriate background music.

All completed videos will be returned to your school via Google Drive

Optional

Before the incursion students complete some of the activities provided in the Nature documentary learning resource.

Recommended activities include: 

Lesson 1

Activity 1: What makes a great nature documentary?

Lesson 2

Activity 1: Identify habitats

Activity 2: Research habitat facts

Lesson 3

Activity 1: Beautiful cinematography 

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Syllabus outcomes and content

English K-10 Syllabus (2022)

Creating written texts

Outcome

  • plans, creates and revises written texts for multiple purposes and audiences through selection of text features, sentence-level grammar, punctuation and word-level language EN3-CWT-01

Content

Informative purposes

  • Describe and/or explain ideas through logically sequenced paragraphs
  • Compare and contrast or discuss cause and effect through sequenced paragraphs
  • Create factual and historical accounts that incorporate broader contextual information

Text features for multiple purposes

  • Create written texts that include multiple paragraphs with clear, coherent transition of ideas
  • Choose multimodal features suited to a target audience and purpose, to reinforce and extend ideas

English K–10 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2022

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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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