Last session with CLT Kingsbury for 2013

Today was my last session with the CLT prep/one students for this year. We had a close-up look at some of the invertebrates the students discovered last week. Then we coloured and labelled pictures of invertbrates - introducing the students to the idea of invertbrate body parts (we may expand on this next year).
The students had trouble imagining how many wings and legs some of the invertebrates have - especially millipedes and bees.

These 'Invertebrate Info sheets' are available as a resource for teachers.

- Juli Atkinson (education staff)

The Butterfly Game

The Butterfly Game

Creating Bright Flowers

We've been having a ball with the Findon Biodiversity Group (FBG) at Findon Primary School. This weeks session was all about pollination and how butterflies are important in our ecosystems. Over the past few weeks, students have been creating wooden cutouts that replicate a flowers function (bright petals, nectar storage) and we've now installed them on garden stakes and put them in the ground.

At lunch time (and note this is a purely voluntary activity) we've been getting around 20 - 30 students joining in to help create the Butterfly Garden.

The Butterfly Garden Plan

The Findon Biodiversity Group (FBG) have been referring to their garden plan and putting a huge range of butterfly attracting plants into the area. 'We're hoping that butterfly habitat will attract the butterflies' says Anamika.

Collecting Nectar

Today, we worked with all the grade 5 students (Grade 4's were on camp) and had the first attempt at running the Butterfly Game. Students were placed into teams of 4-6 and equipped with a pipette (Nectar sucker) and a bucket (Nectar storage unit).

Butterflies (students) then took it in turns to race down to the flowers and collect a pipette full of nectar (colored water) and then take it back to their 'home'. After 5 minutes, the teams gathered together and measured their nectar.





An interesting spin off from this game was the FBG leaders taking control of the running of the game and providing good educational context for the running of a great team activity.

'We're creating a butterfly garden to attract the indigenous butterflies by using indigenous plants that are good for butterflies and other animals' said James. 'Yes, and this game demonstrates how butterflies are important for pollination' said Emily.

 

- Andrew Stocker (Senior Coordinator Education Services)

Bug Scatter!

Today I introduced the CLT prep/one students to some of the invertebrates that live in leaf litter ('Bugs that live in leaf litter' is available as a resource for teachers). The students really loved naming the invertebrates and searching for them in the leaf litter. A few students were afraid of the invertebrates or had trouble finding bugs by themselves, but most were incredibly excited! One student, Josh, who is normally difficult to engage, was absolutely enthralled by the bugs and refused to stop looking at them even when the class had moved back to the classroom. He was very gentle with them.

- Juli (education staff)

Beneficial insects and Butterfly pots

In our last session with CLT OV for 2013, we explored why insects are important to people with the Beneficial Insects – how insects help people activity, evaluating their understanding of this with the Insect/Benefit worksheet, with the majority of students correctly linking insects to their benefit.

The 'Beneficial Insects – how insects help people' activity is available as a resource for teachers.

We harnessed the student’s love of crafty activities to elaborate on this with students Making Butterfly Pots which they potted up with indigenous “butterfly attracting” plants to attract these pollinators to their gardens.

'Creating Butterfly Pots' is available as a resource for teachers.

 

Students finished the year with a bit of friendly team competition being pollinators themselves in the Butterfly Game (which Andrew has also written about).

- Amanda Dare (Education Senior Officer)

Making an insect!

Today the CLT OV Grade 1/2 students had an opportunity the build their own insects out of art-and-craft materials. This activity really engaged the students whilst making them think about the body parts (e.g. how many pipe cleaners did they need to collect to make the legs).

'Make an insect' is available as a resource for teachers.

We further evaluated students understanding of body parts with a visit by a male and female spiny leaf insect for them to indicate body parts on a living insect. This gave students the opportunity to revisit their knowledge of body parts as well as exploring the differences between the male and female. Most students were keen to have a hold of the stick insects, but for others this activity was a bit of a personal challenge. To allay fears of being bitten we discussed what stick insects eat and the fact that when frightened their strategy is not to bite but to mimic a leaf blowing in the wind – which students were able to witness.

Juvenile Spiny Leaf Insect

- Amanda Dare (Education Senior Officer)

Potting-up-a-Poa

Despite a messy start to the day (an overhead Wattle tree dripped vibrant red sap all over the students) the prep/one students potted up their own native grasses (Poa) today. It was quite challenging for the students to work out how to get the roots under the soil. Students took their Poas home to be planted in their garden.  - these can be raised to be planted at school, or taken home to be planted in the garden. The stusents were amazed at the comparison between tree and grass leaves.

- Juli Atkinson (education staff)

Some Poas ready to be planted

Full grown Poa labillardieri in the LTWS

What do we know about minibeasts?

This week at CLT OV, the Grade 1/2 students reviewed their knowledge on minibeasts and we wrote it up on the whiteboard:

We then discussed some of the characteristics that determine insects from other invertebrates. We also went over the body parts of an insect (head, body (2 parts – thorax and abdomen), 6 legs, 2 sets of wings, antennae) in preparation for our activity next week...
- Amanda Dare (Education Senior Officer)

Plant Art and Craft

Today I worked with the Prep/One students at Charles La Trobe Kinsbury to reinforce their knowledge of plant parts. Using real plant parts, including leaves, bark, twigs and seed pods, the students built their own 'Plant Part Art'.

Some students were confused about how to build a trunk, some students put roots in the wrong place or grass in the tree tops (using them as ‘leaves’).

- Juli Atkinson (education staff)

Close Encounters

This week, Andrew visited CLT OV, as I was away. Using microscopes, they had an up-close look at some minibeasts that occur in wetlands at the Sanctuary.
For many students this was the first time they had used microscopes, and the students were very excited (and a bit disgusted) to see the minibeats up close. Andrew asked the students to pay close examine the minibeasts and answer simple questions, such as: What colour is it? How many legs does it have? Does it have any other appendages?
At the end of the session, the teacher asked Alana to stand up and talk to the rest of the class about what she had experienced…

I found a bit red worm that was called a blood worm… it sucks the blood of other animals (not people) and that is why it is red.

There is also another animal that looks like a lady beetle, but it is smaller and black with lots of blue legs – it was called a blue legged water mite.

The 'Close Encounters' activity is available as a resource for teachers

- Amanda Dare (Education Senior Officer)

Pull-apart-a-Poa

Today was my first visit to Charles La Trobe Olympic Village to work with the Grade 1/2 students, the future Sustainability Leaders of the school. After discussion with the teacher, and consideration of the topics the students have previously covered, I have proposed that we start with a focus on minibeasts (aka insects) as there seems to be a natural interest in this area. We can then tie this into veggie patch/other vegetation, and move on to veggie activities.

Today we got to know one another and played a game called 'Pull-apart-a-Poa'. In this game the students pull-apart a native grass tussock, which is a natural habitat for many insects and other invertebrates. The students then try and collect the invertebreates into observation containers for a closer look.

This activity introduced the students to the topic of minibeasts as well as the idea that plants may form their home (habitat).

'Pull-apart-a-Poa' is available as a resource for teachers.

- Amanda Dare (Education Senior Officer)

Introduction to plant parts and the plant life cycle

Today was my first session at Charles La Trobe Kingsbury. I spent about 20 minutes with each Prep/One class and ran through the same activities. I used large pictures to introduce the ideas of “trees”, “grasses” and “bushes/shrubs” and plant parts: leaves, branches, trunk, roots.

Students generally knew the names of plant parts but did not really know what shrubs or bushes were. When asked ‘what do you call a small tree?’ one boy responded “bonsai”. One girl commented that fig trees had their roots above the ground.

We played a modified version of "head, shoulders, knees and toes” as trees “leaves, branches, trunk and roots” and then "Simon says” also as trees e.g. “Simon says wave your branches in the air”.
The students really enjoyed these activities.

We then ran through the plant life cycle from seed, seedling, sapling to adult tree, introducing the idea that flowers indicate an adult stage. Correlations were drawn to the human life cycle: baby, toddler, teenager, adult. Students seemed amazed at the idea that flowers indicated an adult plant, and that very small plants could be adults as well as big trees.

We then play/interpreted the life cycle by acting out the plant life cycle, growing from seeds, sprouting leaves and growing into tall trees.

With one group there was time to touch some plants that I had brought in, including a paper daisy.

The images used in 'Introduction to Plants' is available as a resource for teachers.

- Juli Atkinson (education staff)

 

Planning for Native Plants experience

I have finally heard back from Charles La Trobe College. I will be delivering education experiences at their Kingsbury campus once a week throughout Oct, Nov and Dec this year! Best of all - I will be working with the Preps and Grade Ones. So excited!

They have previously discussed  vegetables and vegie gardens, so I will be focusing on native plants - introducing the students to the different types of plants, what their parts are called and how plants can function as habitat for animals.

- Juli Atkinson (education staff)



Eucalyptus Polyanthemos flower

Sustainability Game

Sustainability Game

Findon Primary School played host to yet another educational experiment in August 2013. The La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary visited the school for a session on Sustainability. The school had been undertaking an inquiry unit on economics and wanted something to tie their activities into sustainability.

So, the Sustainability Game was launched. This game was very similar to online games that students can play on their own, but we wanted something that would engage students in conversations around sustainability. The concept was quite simple, but the ideas and process was quite complex, so we were a bit concerned as to how the grade 4/5 students (and teachers) would take to the game.

The game follows a seasonal timeline where students are able to place a component of a new town onto a 'blank' patch of land - in this case a blank piece of A0 butchers paper. Students take turns adding, houses, parks, shops, council chambers, factories and pretty much anything they think would belong in a town.

Set Up

The students start with a playing board (butchers paper) and set up all the playing cards in piles. They are allocated $1500 and 200ml of the three main resources (Materials, Energy and Water). A marker is placed on the Play Card in the 'Summer' position.

Play starts by the first student in the team (of 4-6 students) placing an infrastructure card on the play board. Resources are then subtracted from their supply and discarded in the pollution bucket. The market is then moved to the next season and the second student takes a turn.

The catch is students a limited amount of resources in which to construct their town and decisions need to be made about minimising resource use or impact.

For example a standard house will cost 10ml in resources, 10ml in electricity and $50k to create, whereas an Eco house cost a bit more, but running costs are much less.

The Purpose

This is not a game for determining a winner or loser, it is not a game where a team of students create the ideal 'ecotopia'... It is a game that is designed to draw out conversation and negotiation skills in students and promote a team approach to problem solving. Along the way there is loads of manipulation and calculation skills, so it is great in developing students understanding of measurement.

Student and Teacher Feedback

The most significant (unexpected) feedback on our first test run was that all students were fully engaged in their discussions. Once students got their heads around the concept, it was about an hour of total immersion. Jack, a grade 4 student was keen to get his team installing Eco Houses because 'we can save heaps and we also get some pollution back'... ' we chose to put this into Energy, because we were running a bit low'. Mary commented on the game saying 'We ran out of materials really early, which meant we had nothing left to build a council chambers'.

Teachers commented on how engaged the students were. Alyson saying that it was much better than on-line, similar activities, because the students were engaged with each other as well as the game.

 

- Andrew Stocker (Senior Coordinator Education Services)

A chat abour community engagement

http://bit.ly/14AaJos

- Andrew Stocker (Senior Coordinator Education Services)

Alien Invaders

What a great team of Students we're working with!

Yesterdays session was about Alien Invaders...

The students were asked to spread themselves out in a circle and stand as still as a statue, as quiet as a mouse and listen carefully to the sounds of the school yard.

'I heard 3 different types of birds' said Mary. 'And I heard and aeroplane and a dog' said John.

There were many different sounds occurring and the students were able to talk about these sounds and think about how we can find out the types of animals we have in our school yard, just by listening quietly.

Then, I produced a space ship! (a wooden box with a lid) and told the students 'This is an intergalacic flying saucer from the planet Xenon' travelling to earth on a very important mission. It has flown around the world looking for a great place to land and decided that the grassy area in you school is the perfect landing pad'.

'Now that the spaceship has landed, I'd like each student to take it in turns telling a sentance in the story of the Aliens and what they got up to while at your school.'

So, each student held the talking stick, and added a sentence to the story...

Firstly, The aliens landed and came out of their ship.
There was Bacon on the ship that Kylie ate
The aliens got angry that students were eating their Bacon,
So they came out with their Ray Gun and 'vapourised' some students
Teachers were concerned so they came out to help and Mrs McCarthy got vaporised as well.

The Aliens yelled out 'We coming to take over your planet' and they started spreading out from the school.

Finally, the students teamed up and fought back against the aliens and everything went back to normal.

At the end of the story, I mentioned that I really do have aliens in the spaceship and ask the students 'would you like to see them?'.

I carefully opened the lid and pulled out a Plant - plantango lanceolata a common invasive weed in Australia. I explain that this plant was introduced to Australia and is now invading areas around Melbourne, just like the Aliens in our story.

This activity is one that we have been running for a number of years. It is a really great activity to run when you are creating a habitat area in your school to deepen students understanding of weed species and how and why we need to look at removing them.
-Andrew Stocker (Senior Coordinator Education Services)

Making Progress

So, today was another fantastic session at FPS. Students were engaged in a mathematics activity that focused on area and space which is an extension of an earlier activity that encompassed a range of mathematical principals (I'll provide a link soon). Today's session was aimed at grades 4/5, but can easily work with younger and older students.

Students have thus far been focusing on their desire to create habitat for butterflies and other animals by creating an authentic learning space in the school yard. In designing this space, students need to develop a practical sense of space and determine the types, numbers and requirements of a variety of indigenous plants that are ideal habitat plants for butterflies.

Step one
I asked students to go into the planned space and stand at the geometrical extremities (the edges) of the space they felt would be ideal for their butterfly garden. We discussed what we think should be included in the garden and developed an understanding of the space required for a number of features:

• Plants
• Lizard Lounge(s)
• Paths
• Outdoor classroom

'M' adding details to the map

Step 2Jobs were delegated to the remaining few students - A scribe or map drawer and measurers.

The measurers measured from one person to the person on the opposite side of the space so we ended up with a width and length of the area.

Step 3
The scribe drew a rough outline of the space and wrote in the measurements (width and length) - we then calculated a rough area (136sqmtr).

Step 4
Because our area was not perfectly rectangular, we also measure the length and widths of a variety of other features so we ended up with a rough outline of the space.

Surprisingly, A, O and M were keen to extend this concept and measure other features within the space - How can we figure out exactly where to draw the large trees on the Map? I know, said A, we could measure from this line (the baseline) and also from the back fence to the tree (giving an approximate grid reference to the trunk of the tree).

Once we had the 'floor plan' mapped out, the students then started to place the physical features of their butterfly garden.

In the last part of the session, I introduced some of the indigenous plants that butterflies are attracted to and talked about their space requirements. For example a Grass Tussock takes up around 50cm - 1m of space - so, how many grasses can we plant in our area? 100? Do we want to plant only grasses? do we want to put plants everywhere?

By the end of the session the students had a really great understanding about the space they want to create, the types of plants they require, the area n which they'll be working and the volume of mulch we require to create the garden beds.

So the next session will be confirming these understandings and then getting ready for creating an awesome butterfly garden.

 

- Andrew Stocker (Senior Coordinator Education Services)