Hands on Habitats!

 

Hands on Habitats is an experience that the La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary has offered for a few years. Recently we have been re-vamping this experience (amongst others) to make it more 'hands-on' and to align with the new Victorian Government curriculum (AusVELS).

 

Hands on Habitats

 

Overview of experience

‘Hands on Habitats’ is the ideal introduction to (or reinforcement of) the needs of animals, and interactions with their environment. Your students will investigate three habitats in an Australian River Red Gum Woodland – Terrestrial (ground), Arboreal (trees and hollows) and Aquatic (wetland); gaining insight into the native animals that live here, how these environments function and what is required to create habitats. Optional activities can direct habitat construction back at school.

 

Our expert presenters will take full advantage of anything your class might bump into. This could include a mob of kangaroos, an orb weaver spinning an intricate web, a swamp hen with gangly feet, or a flock of ducks landing on the water.

 

Your educational experience at the La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary is designed to stimulate the imagination and curiosity of your students and provide them with ways to safely explore, learn about, and look after their environment.

 

Standard activities

A standard experience runs for 2 hours and includes 4 activities. Each class will accompany the same presenter as they rotate through the activities.

 

 

 

AusVELS Levels F-2:

1. ‘Introduction to Habitats’
• A classroom based activity that introduces students to the habitats of the LTWS and the animals that live here
• Students construct a food chain/web that links terrestrial, aquatic and arboreal habitats
2. Dip-netting
• Using dip nets to locate aquatic invertebrates from a wetland
• Note the habitat and interactions between organisms 
3. Arboreal Habitats
• Using teamwork students take on the challenge of assembling nest boxes
• Students experience what it’s like to build a home as a Sugar Glider
4. Rock ‘n Roll
• Students roll over logs and rock in the bush and catch the cratures that live underneath
• Note the importance of shelter (protection from predators) in habitats

AusVELS Levels 3-4:

1. ‘Introduction to Habitats’ (see above) OR ‘Whose Habitat that that?’ (see below)
2. Dip-netting (see above)
3. Arboreal Habitats (see above)
4. Woodland Walk
• Students explore arboreal, terrestrial and aquatic habitats
• On a walk through the LTWS, students investigate which animals call tree hollows their home
• Students identify the habitat needs of lizards and embark on a search for their perfect home

 

AusVELS Levels 5-6:

1. ‘Whose Habitat is that?’
• Students use an information booklet to identify the needs of native animals
• Using clues from the booklet they search for the perfect habitat for these animals
2. Dip-netting (see above)
3. Arboreal Habitats
• Students investigate the different types of nest boxes utilised in the LTWS
• Using nest box cameras, students gain an intimate view into the lives of some arboreal animals
4. Woodland Walk (see above)

Extended experience / Options 

‘Standard’ experiences can be extended by adding extra activities, some suggestions have been detailed below. If your topic focus does not suit the standard activities, we can swap them. Activities and experiences can be tailored to suit your needs – contact LTWSEducation@latrobe.edu.au for more information.

 

• Extended Introduction to Habitats
• Short presentations allow students to engage with minibeasts (invertebrates) and lizard lounges
• An intimate look into the lives of some of Australia’s native animals through the LTWS’s nest box camera feeds
• Frog Bog
• Students are introduced to the habitat requirements of frogsand the steps involved in creating a man-made wetland
• Students get to act out the steps using a model wetland (Please note: students do not get to create an actual wetland – see consultancies and incursions below)
• Lizard Lounge
• Students are introduced to the habitat requirements of lizards and the steps involved in constructing a ‘lizard lounge’
• Students get to act out the steps constructing their own lizard lounge in LTWS
• Close Encounters
• Using a video camera or one of our microscopes, students get ‘up-close and personal’ with minibeasts. Can be tailored to suit students at lower F-2 or higher 3-6 AusVELS levels
• Bee / Ant / Butterfly game
• A fun, team-building activity that focuses on the habitats of ants, bees or butterflies and their interaction with plants / flowers
• Nest Box construction
• For higher AusVELS levels with adequate adult supervision (1 adult per 5 students) only. In teams, students follow instructions and use tools to construct their own nest box. Allow more time for this activity. Additional costs may apply
• My Footprint
• Higher AusVELS level students are introduced to the concept of an ecological footprint and, as a class, calculate their own footprint. They discuss ways in which they can become more sustainable and reduce their impact on the environment
• Pull-apart-a-Poa
• Poa (native grass tussocks) provide habitat for many small animals. Students investigate this habitat by pulling apart tussocks and collecting any creatures they find. Best when combined with Potting-up-a-Poa
• Potting-up-a-Poa
• Poa can reproduce via division. Poa pulled apart can be potted and grown into indepedant tussocks. Students follow instructions to pot up their own Poa, which can be taken home or to school to be planted.

Habitat Creation consultancies and incursions are also available.

 

 

Pre- and Post-trip resources

 

La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary Resources

• Introduction to Habitats presentation (Levels F-6)
• Aquatic invertebrate identification sheet
• Compost invertebrate identification sheet
• Close Encounters activity
• Bug Info sheets
• LTWS DYI Nest Box kits
• Nest Box Footage (please contact us if interested in this footage)
• Butterfly pots activity

 

External Resources

• Australian Government ‘Hands on for Habitats’ teachers resource (Leveles F-7): http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/46de2525-fff1-4071-9682-9a98d034943c/files/teachersguide.pdf
• Australian Government ‘Discovering Wetlands in Australia’ teachers resource (Levels 3-6), includes animal origami, fact sheets, word games and videos http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/discovering-wetlands-australia
•  Australian Museum ‘Wild Kids’: information about different Australian habitats and animals http://australianmuseum.net.au/wild-Kids
• Habitat web / ecological connections (North American focus, but can be adapted to local plants and animals) http://happeninhabitats.pwnet.org/pdf/Habitat_Web_Activity.pdf
• Animal based activities (colouring in, dot-to-dot, word search etc) http://www.durrell.org/Kids/Puzzles--activities//Kids/Puzzles--activities
• Biomes imaginary creature packet and Biomes matching cards (North American focus) http://scienceforkidsblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/biomes-freebie-next-generation-science.html
• BBC habitats (information about British habitats and the animals that live there) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats
• Interactive information about animals and their predators (international) http://www.whateats.com/
• Food web and animal identification key interactive online game (North American Focus) http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/foodchains.html
• Producer / Consumer / Decomposer interactive online game http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/producersconsumersgame.htm
• Increasing complexity food chain interactive game http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm
• Nest box plans for Australian Birds (Birds in Backyards) http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/Nest-Box-Plans
• A range of activities, including possum nest box designs, at World of Animal Welfare: http://www.woaw.org.au/teachers/learning-resources/activities/
• Video ‘Australian Wood Ducks using a nest box’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6G71M7YEzY
• Garden activities for kids http://www.gardening4kids.com.au/category/garden-activities/
• Australian Government ‘Build a Lizard Lounge’ http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/db37051e-a47c-4475-b6a9-564a044ac569/files/lizard.pdf
• BugLife teachers resources (British focus) including activities, colouring sheets and information http://www.buglife.org.uk/activities-for-you/children-and-schools/bug-resources-schools
• Simple Bug Hotel for Kids http://www.redtedart.com/2013/06/26/simple-bug-hotel-for-kids/
• Corroboree Frog Education Kit http://wirraminna.org/wirra-projects/corroborree-frogs/Corroborree_Frog_Education_Kit.pdf
• Build a frog pond: http://www.fnpw.org.au/resources/habitats-for-australian-animals/native-frog-ponds
• Supporting Native fish in your garden http://www.backyards4wildlife.com.au/uploads/BFW%20FS%20-%20Native%20Fish.pdf 
• Parks and Woodland activities (Bristish focus) http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/supporter-resources/downloads/C4L_W4L_Fun_Games_for_ParksandWoodlands.pdf

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)

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)

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)