Places Are Similar & Different Experience – The Earth’s Environment Incursion

Introduction: Our Rangers will begin the day with an exciting presentation using our taxidermy animals to discuss the importance of different places to people and living things, why people need to protect places, features of places, how humans can protect places and human connections to places.
Note: In school hall or a large COLA area preferred.

Activity 1: Waterworks – Students get their hands all slimy with child friendly craft paint, shampoo, vegetable oil, talcum powder, sunscreen and water. Students will look at ways to protect our waterways sustainably and the importance of our rivers, creeks, beaches and lakes.
Note: This activity is best run outside on either grass or a concrete area that can easily be hosed down. As we are experimenting with different materials, there is the possibility of spillage. We will ensure that we clean up any mess that may be created.

Activity 2: Building Bird Houses – Students identify the importance of trees and tree hollows within our national parks as they make bird houses in small groups. At the end of this activity students will place these around the area to attract local wildlife. They’ll be excited to come back after a few weeks and discover what species are living in their specially-made habitats. A great way to give back to our wildlife community!
Note: This activity can be run anywhere incl. inside a classroom, hall, COLA or playground area. Students will just need a space to place their bird houses at the conclusion of the activity.

Activity 3: Bug Catching on School Grounds – Students will have faces camouflaged in child-friendly face paint. They will be given small clear jars with lids to catch anything creepy crawly they find in school grounds -spiders not allowed. This activity demonstrates the biological diversity of environments and the variety of species that can live in habitats. This activity also focuses on how animals have adapted to live within our cities and built-up urban areas and how humans need to create green spaces for our animals. Students will be able to identify what they have caught as they cross reference their bug to the identification sheets provided.
Note: This activity is best run in a garden area of the school where insects are likely to be found.

Activity 4: Making Renewable Solar Ovens – Sustainability is now more important than ever, especially if we want to preserve our environment for future generations. With more than 60% of Australia’s energy coming from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, we need to look for clean renewable forms of energy. In this exciting challenge. Students in teams investigate SOLAR energy and create/ design their own solar ovens. The team who can capture the most heat in their ovens will win this challenge. A great way to explore the suns power and how humans can capture and use this energy.
Note: This activity can be run anywhere incl. inside a classroom, hall, COLA or playground area. Students will just need a sunny, protected spot to place their ovens at the conclusion of the activity to ensure that they can test their ovens.

Activity 5 (Optional, if time allows) – Places are Similar and Different – The Earth’s Environment Olympics – Students will be split in two teams working together to race each other in a competitive game against the clock. This highly competitive competition will have your students shouting, screaming and cheering with their peers as the teams discuss strategies and tactics on how to beat their competitors. Students can discuss the answers and problem-solve the questions based around what they learnt in the morning introductory presentation.
Note: In a school hall or on a grassy area such as an oval.