Activities - Stage 4

NEW—Science Karst Walk

SC4-12ES, SC4-13ES, SC4-14LW, SC4-15LW

Students learn:

to relate the formation of a range of landforms to physical and chemical weathering, erosion and deposition ,
to outline the origins of and relationships between sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks,
to identify that sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks contain minerals,
to describe the conditions under which fossils form.
how geological history can be interpreted in a sequence of horizontal sedimentary layers, with the oldest are at the base and the youngest at the top,
that water is an important resource that cycles through the environment (ACSSU222),
how scientific knowledge of the water cycle has influenced the development of household, industrial and agricultural water management practices,
to identify some examples of groups of micro-organisms ,
how the features of some Australian plants and animals are adaptations for survival and reproduction in their environment,
about food chains and food webs, including examples from Australian ecosystems,
about interactions between organisms in food chains and food webs, including producers, consumers and decomposers (ACSSU112),
examples of beneficial and harmful effects that micro-organisms can have on living things and the environment,
to predict how human activities can affect interactions in food chains and food webs, including examples from Australian land or marine ecosystems (ACSSU112).

NEW—Science in the Chifley

SC4-15LW, SC4-13ES, SC4-12ES, SC4-14LW

Students learn:

how advances in understanding of processes that occur in the Earth, influence choices about resource use and management,
the effects of physical and chemical weathering, erosion and deposition,
the origins of and relationships between sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks,
to identify that sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks contain minerals,
the conditions under which fossils form,
how geological history can be interpreted in a sequence of horizontal sedimentary layers,
how new biological evidence changes understanding of the world,
about food chains and food webs, including examples from Australian ecosystems,
about interactions between organisms in food chains and food webs, including producers, consumers and decomposers (ACSSU112),
about beneficial and harmful effects that micro-organisms can have on living things and the environment,
how human activities can affect interactions in food chains and food webs (ACSSU112).

The Lucas Cave Tour

SC4-13ES, SC4-14LW, SC4-17CW

Students learn:

to explain how advances in scientific understanding of processes within and on the Earth, influence the choices people make about resource use and management.
about the formation of landforms and limestone, weathering, erosion, deposition, fossils, water, water cycle and even cave dating methods.
to relate the structure and function of things that live in and around the caves to their classification, survival and reproduction, such as marsupials, monotremes, bats and even more unusual organisms.
to explain how new biological evidence, such as fossil discoveries, changes people's understanding of the world’s history.
the chemical process of how calcite crystal forms.

Adventure Caving

PDHPE—4.1, 4.9, 4.10, 4.13, 4.14

Geared up with personal head-lamps and overalls, students will negotiate squeezes, climbs and crawls, and feel like real explorers, while learning about the cave environment up close. Environmentally responsible and overseen by expert guides, it is a fantastic way to explore the underworld. The students must help each other and rely on teamwork to make their way through the caves.

There are Adventure Caves to suit different ages and group sizes. The Plughole Adventure includes an abseil into the entrance, weather permitting. (For students age 10 and over.) Students and teachers do NOT need any prior experience at abseiling.

Adventure Caving is popular with schools, as it helps children develop a positive self-concept in a unique, non-competitive, yet challenging, physical activity. Many students that try Adventure Caving, will take it up as a sport later on, along with rappelling, rock climbing, canyoning, hiking, mountain biking and similar mountain based activities.

Adventure caving involves helping each other, learning amazing new skills, focusing, manoeuvring through unfamiliar and difficult terrain and even making friends. Carefully crawling, climbing, balancing, squeezing, even abseiling, involves flexibility and the use of all muscle groups. Without the need to be ‘athletic’, Adventure caving is highly inclusive, beneficial for boys, girls and teachers.

Exploring a deep, undeveloped cave like a real speleologist brings students as close to nature as they can possibly get. Importantly, students can immediately feel the positive results of working together, listening, obeying instructions from experts and carefully controlling their movements. Caving is a challenging and exhilarating lifestyle activity that is increasing popular.

Students learn:

self-confidence and how to improve their capacity to manage challenging circumstances,
to participate in and promote enjoyable lifelong physical activity,
how personal strengths and abilities contribute to enjoyable participation in physical activity,
the benefits of a balanced lifestyle and participation in physical activity,
to develop and apply the skills that enable them to adopt and promote healthy and active lifestyles,
demonstrates cooperation and support of others in social, recreational and other group contexts
to engage successfully in a wide range of movement situations that display an understanding of how and why people move.