Early Stage 1/Stage 1
Storybook STEM programs
The Best Nest (ES1)
Students investigate how birds build their nests using a range of materials. Students work in small groups to build their own bird nest, using success criteria to ‘test their nest’.
Duration: 1 hour.
The Very Ugly Bug (S1)
Students examine the external features of insects and create their own ‘ugly bug’ using natural materials.
Duration: 1 hour.
Who Sank the Boat? (S1)
Students examine how the properties of materials determine their use and how forces are used for a purpose by building a boat that can float and hold toy animals.
Duration: 1 hour.
Aboriginal education (ES1/S1)
Activities include a cultural knowledge sharing session, traditional indigenous games, storytelling through sand drawing and creating clay art.
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Science (S1)
Bush bugs
Students identify and classify insects by examining their external features. Students label the body parts of insects and complete scientific sketches of bush bugs.
Duration: 45 minutes.
Geography (S1)
Features of places
Students examine the features of their school, creating sound maps and nature maps of the things they can hear and see. They take a close-up look at the features of insects and vegetation.
Duration: 1 hour.
Stage 2
Storybook STEM programs
The Most Magnificent Thing
Students undertake the challenge of designing, constructing and evaluating a marble run. Students will assess their design against pre-determined criteria and re-design, re-construct and re-evaluate their run.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Cicadas in Schools
Students participate in a Citizen Science project investigating cicadas in their school. This program includes lesson plans for two lessons that can be delivered by the classroom teacher and an additional fieldwork lesson delivered by a Longneck Lagoon EEC teacher
as an incursion.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Aboriginal education
Activities include a cultural knowledge sharing session, traditional indigenous games, and storytelling through sand painting.
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Science
Living World
Students undertake a ‘bush study’ of the vegetation on their school grounds in two different sites and compare and analyse their findings. Students develop an understanding of the interdependence of species by participating in a ‘Web of Life’ activity.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Soil and Stone
Students undertake investigations into changes to the Earth’s surface. They examine different soil types under the microscope, classify stones according to a variety of criteria and participate in an erosion experiment.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Geography
Biodiversity Guardians
Students investigate The Earth’s Environment by undertaking a biodiversity audit of their school grounds. They conduct a bird survey, invertebrate survey and habitat assessment of their school and make recommendations about what changes could be made to their school environment to promote biodiversity.
Duration 1.5 hours.
Environmental audits
Longneck Lagoon EEC staff can work with your students to conduct investigations at your school site into:
- waste and litter
- biodiversity.
We will then assist your students to develop action plans to make a change for the better.
Stage 3
Storybook STEM programs
Engibear’s Bridge
Students undertake the challenge of designing, constructing and evaluating a bridge. Students will assess their design based on pre-determined criteria.
Duration: 2 hours.
Cicadas in Schools
Students participate in a Citizen Science project investigating cicadas in their school. This program includes lesson plans for two lessons that can be delivered by the classroom teacher and an additional fieldwork lesson delivered by a Longneck Lagoon EEC teacher as an incursion.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Aboriginal education
Activities include a cultural knowledge sharing session, traditional indigenous games, and storytelling through sand painting.
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Science
Ugly Animals
After reading selected pages from The Encyclopeadia of Ugly Animals, students develop skills in scientific drawing and describing adaptive structural and behavioural features. They investigate how these adaptations support survival. Duration: 1 hour.
Geography
Biodiversity Guardians
Students investigate The Earth’s Environment by undertaking a biodiversity audit of their school grounds. They conduct a bird survey, invertebrate survey and habitat assessment of their school and make recommendations about what changes could be made to their school environment to promote biodiversity.
Duration 1.5 hours.
Using Geographical Tools: GPS Challenge
Students learn how to use a GPS (Global Positioning System) device and undertake a GPS Challenge within their school.
Duration: 2 hours.
Environmental audits
Longneck Lagoon EEC staff can work with your students to conduct investigations at your school site into:
- waste and litter
- biodiversity.
We will then assist your students to develop action plans to make a change for the better.
Leadership and team building
Students will participate in a range of activities and undertake challenges that aim to develop their leadership and teamwork skills. Two groups can operate in a day, with a maximum of 12 students in each group.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
