Natural Links in Cardinia – Levels 3 & 4

This program links to different types of vegetation in Geography, exploring planet Earth as a complex environment that relies on delicate links and sophisticated relationships between living and non-living elements. It gives students the opportunity to classify natural objects and organisms while exploring the interconnectedness and importance of a balanced environment along with the life cycles of plants and animals. Students learn about human impacts and create actions for the school to support positive change.  

This 3 hour program has 4 modules:

Module 1: Habitats and Survival (Mini Beasts, Plants and Birds)
Discover what birds and animals need to survive, then explore the Cardinia Creek and nearby wetlands to examine how the plants and animals are interconnected, along with the impact weeds and wastewater can have on the ecosystem.  Students learn how to take data and develop a graph to show how many different species of birds, insects and animals they find! 

Module 2: Classification including understanding the difference between invasive species V native plants
This module explores the characteristics and differences between living, previously living and non-living elements within a habitat through a hands-on classification activity. We also explore what makes an invasive weed and thus the classification of native plants verses weeds which includes a hands on activity.

Module 3: Lifecycles
By the end of this module, students will understand that some species look the same from offspring to adult (such as humans) whilst other species undergo dramatic changes during their life cycle. We will specifically look at frogs, dragonflies and blackberries. We also explore the important link between dragonflies (as a food source) and frogs and the role dragonflies play as polinators.

Module 4: Helping Habitats
By role-playing animals that are typically found in urban wetland habitats, students get to explore animal needs, and the impact humans have on their ability to survive. Students use the animals’ perspectives to think of positive changes that we can all make, to support local habitats such as creeks, lakes and parks to be healthy – as healthy habitats help reduce the impacts of climate change, give us great places to visit and provide a home to many precious local native plants and animals. Students also discuss how natural links are affected and/or disrupted by human activities and decide actions they can adopt to minimise their impact on the environment.

This program ends with a Call to Action
Students will lead a discussion about how natural links are affected and/or disrupted by human activities and derive actions they can adopt to minimise their impact on the environment.

Certificate and Conservation Code to reinforce learnings
Post event, schools will be issued a Certificate of Participation and Conservation Code for each class which students are encouraged to sign and hang in the classroom as a reminder of their learnings and their commitment to protect the environment. We will also provide an array of free resources so lessons can continue in the classroom.

INCLUSIONS, NOTES, TERMS and CONDITIONS

Programs are open to schools located in and around Cardinia Creek. Sessions offered are subject to availability and budget. Each group must not exceed 30 students. You can book as many students from your school as you like, however, all excursions must be delivered by the end of Term 3, 2025. Transport can be arranged if required, however it is hoped that most schools can manage their own to allow maximum student participation from across the region.

Equipment supplied by Gould League: Workbooks/Worksheets along with all tools and equipment required for activities including fieldwork data collection. We will email you the worksheets 7 to 10 days in advance so you can print them off for your students

Equipment needed by the school: First aid kit, insect repellant, sun screen and PPE including hand sanitiser to kill viruses, bacteria and other micro organisations. 

Students needs to bring: Their own snacks, water and lunch, sunscreen, a clipboard, pencil, and a copy of the Gould League worksheet/workbook (usually sent 7 days prior to excursion so copies can be made for students); bag to take away your rubbish.

Restrictions/Limitations: This Gould League program does not operate on days with a Fire danger rating of Extreme or Catastrophic. On rare occasions, programs may be postponed due to extreme weather predictions involving wind/storms. In both cases, these programs will be rescheduled at the earliest convenience of both parties.

CURRICULUM LINKS

Science Understanding: Science as a Human Endeavour
Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions (VCSSU056)
Science Understanding: Biological Science
Living things have characteristics that distinguish them from non-living things and things that were once living, including fossils VC2S4U01
Plants and animals have different life cycles; offspring are similar, but not identical, to their parents VC2S4U02
Consumers, producers and decomposers have different roles and interactions within a habitat; food chains can be used to represent feeding relationships VC2S4U03
Science Understanding: Earth and Space Science
Water is an important Earth resource that originates from various sources; water cycles through the environment by moving through the sky, landscape and ocean, and involves processes including precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, condensation, melting, freezing, crystallisation, infiltration and run-off VC2S4U07
Science Inquiry: Processing, modelling and analysing
Data and information can be organised and represented to identify patterns and simple relationships by constructing tables, graphs and visual or physical models VC2S4I04
Sciency Inquiry: Questioning and predicting
Observations can be used as a basis for posing questions to identify patterns and relationships, and to predict the outcomes of investigations VC2S4I01
Geographical Knowledge | Diversity of places and environments
The relationships between people and their place and its environment VC2HG4K01
The importance of environments, including natural vegetation and water sources, to people and animals in Australia and on another continent VC2HG4K03
Sustainability and its application to the use of natural resources and the management of waste VC2HG4K09
Geographical Skills – Geographical Inquiry
identify and develop questions to guide a geographical inquiry on the diversity of places and environments VC2HG4S01
locate, collect and record information and data from a range of sources, including from fieldwork, maps, photographs and graphs VC2HG4S02
Represent and analyse information and data collected in different formats VC2HG4S03
Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding: Diversity and Understanding
Why people participate within communities and how students can actively participate and contribute to communities VC2HC4K07
English: Language for interacting with others
Understand that cooperation with others depends on shared understanding of social conventions, including turn-taking language, which vary according to the degree of formality VC2E3LA01
English: Literacy Interacting with others
Use interaction skills to contribute to conversations and discussions to share text- or topic-based information and ideas VC2E3LY01
Drama: Creating
Use a variety of dramatic forms and elements of drama to create real and imagined stories VC2ADR2C01
Drama: Presenting
Present and share drama that communicates ideas to audiences in informal settings VC2ADR2P01

The Victorian Curriculum F-10 content elements are © VCAA, reproduced by permission. Victorian Curriculum F-10 elements accurate at time of publication. The VCAA does not endorse or make any warranties regarding this resource. The Victorian Curriculum  F-10 and related content can be accessed directly at the VCAA website.