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)

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