Reef Magic Education and Research Field trips. Links to the Australian Curriculum v6.0 Science Year Level Biological Science Description Foundation Living things have basic needs including food and water. The needs of plants and animals Science involves exploring and observing using the senses. Habitats in local communities The Great Barrier Reef How do humans affect habitats? What happens if? Year 1 Year 2 Living things have a variety of external features. Features that define different habitats. Living things and their needs within habitats. Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves. Living things live in different places, where their needs are met. Use of informal measurements in the collection and recording of observations with the assistance of digital technologies. Case and effect of natural habitats. Science knowledge and how is it used to care for different habitats? Respond to and pose questions and make predictions about familiar objects and events. Drawing to represent ideas. Share observations and ideas. Habitat displays Habitats in local communities The Great Barrier Reef How do humans affect habitats? What happens if?
Year 3 Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from nonliving things. What are the distinguishing features of the Great Barrier Reef and how is it identified? Discuss the relationships between plants, living and nonliving things are on the Great Barrier Reef. With guidance, identify questions in a familiar context that can be investigated scientifically and predict what may happen based on prior knowledge. Use tools and or equipment to make and record observations using formal measurements and digital technologies. Communicate ideas and findings via diagrams and physical representations. Traditional Owners Visit? What is classified as living and nonliving? Features of marine animals and plants? Are there threats to the Great Barrier Reef? Survival needs of marine life? Year 4 Year 5 Living things have life cycles. Marine turtle species and features Life cycles of marine turtles Threats to marine turtles Jelly fish species and features Life cycle of jelly fish Endangered species categories and classifications Possible solutions to threats Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment. Can you think of some behavioural adaptions in marine animals? There are many structural adaptions in marine animals. Can you think of them? Have marine animals had to adapt to urban and agricultural developments? If so how? With guidance, identify questions in a familiar context that can be investigated scientifically and predict what may happen based on prior knowledge. Use tools and or equipment to make and record observations using formal measurements and digital technologies. Communicate ideas and findings via diagrams and physical representations What do we know about marine turtles? Do Marine Debris effect Turtles? Are turtles endangered? What are the main threats to turtles? What do we know about Jelly fish? Are there connections between human activities and jelly fish life cycles? Reef Magic Education and research field trip to Fitzroy Island and Photo Data Practical guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation and predict on the findings. Observe, measure and record data using digital technologies, drawings and possible field trips to the reef. What are adaptions? Physical adaptations of reef plants and animals? Behavioural adaptations of reef fish? Reef Magic Education and research field trip - Adaptations and reef relationships Photo Data Evaluate coral structures and their positions on the reef flat. Estimate growth patterns, availability of sunlight, nutrients and completion from surrounding coral colonies. Estimate the availability for new coral recruits and survey the animals within the habitat.
Year 6 The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment. How do fish and coral survive if they are effected by the health of their environment? With guidance, plan appropriate investigation methods to answer questions and solve problems. Share cultural, family and historical connections to fish and coral habitats. What is a healthy habitat? Observe, measure and record data using digital technologies, drawings and possible field trips to the reef to describe sustainability in reef environments. Can you identify different stakeholders of the community and create a collage of different activities and Do personal and community decisions effect coral how they link to the Great Barrier Reef. fish habitats? Year 7 Year 8 There are differences in and between groups of organisms. Classifications help organise the diversity of plants and animals. There are specialised food chains and webs within different plant and animal habitats. What are some possible environmental concerns and impacts for the Great Barrier Reef food chains and webs? What are human impacts to marine habitats? Do human activities impact over long or short periods of time or both? Cells are the basic units of living things and have specialised structures and functions. Multi cellular organisms contain systems that carry out specialised functions for survival and reproduction. What are the requirements for healthy coral communities? What is coral bleaching? What are the impacts of coral bleaching as a habitat and to the overall health of the Great Barrier Reef? Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs. Human activities can affect these interactions. Investigations and Field Work What do we know about the Great barrier Reef? Why is the Great Barrier Reef Important? Diversity of the Great Barrier Reef? What community members benefit from the Great Barrier Reef resources? What are the food chains of the Great Barrier Reef Are they important? How does it all link together? Multi cellular organisms contain systems of organs that carry out specialised functions that enable them to survive and reproduce. Conduct a range of Investigations including field work. What do we know about the Great Barrier Reef, coral and coral bleaching? Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including field work and experiments. What are cells? Plan investigations into coral cells. Single celled Zoozanthellae - Coral and types of coral mitosis? What are the requirements for healthy corals? Investigations into Coral Bleaching. Is coral bleaching linked to human induced activities? What are the main causes? What is being done locally and globally? Can we help?
Year 9 Multi cellular organisms rely on coordinated and interdependent internal systems to respond to changes to their environment. Ecosystems consist of plants and animals which Plan, select and use appropriate investigations and field work methods to collect reliable data. Ecosystems What are they and how are they defined? What is energy input and energy output? Biotic and Abiotic? rely on interactions of energy flows and pathways. What happens if there are changes to the natural energy flows? Are human impacts are threat to natural energy flows? What are the benefits of scientific data in tracking changes within reef ecosystems? Year 10 The transmission of heritable characteristics from one generation to the next involves DNA and genes. The theory of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of living things and is supported by a range of scientific evidence. Plan, select and use appropriate investigations and field work methods to collect reliable data. Has the Great Barrier Reef changed in its diversity selection over the last 100 years? If so how? Possible reasons for the change may include Climate Change. What is Climate Change and how is it related to the carbon cycle? Please include: biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and the atmosphere. How are scientific studies used to link the synergies between climate change and coral bleaching? What is being done locally and globally to reduce the impacts of climate change? Year 11 / 12 Tasks may be used as extended Experimental Investigations or Extended Research Tasks. The Tasks include: Local Marine Investigations List of stakeholders and their various activities that are associated directly or indirectly to the Great Barrier Reef. Climate Change -Students are encouraged to investigate and write a report on climate change. Reference: the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009. Identify regional, state and global considerations. What are stakeholders doing in regards to research, education and implementation of Climate change Action Plans? Reef Catchment Investigation Collate data with reference to your local catchment area. Who are the main stakeholders of the catchment area? What are their roles in the health of the catchment area? What is the current health status of the catchment area? How does your local catchment effect the Great Barrier Reef? Develop a plan to present the findings. Environmental Impact Assessment -Students investigate the social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts that might occur from potential new developments within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park e.g. scheduled large scale dredging plans adjacent to the Marine Park.
Local Stakeholders Reef Magic Cruises will work closely with local stakeholders in the delivery of the Reef Magic education and research programs for students. The stakeholders include: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Reef Check Australia Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre Tangaroa Blue Foundation James Cook University Holloways Beach Environmental Education Centre Cairns Regional Council The Qld Parks and Wildlife Service Local Farmers Tourism Industry Gunggandji Traditional Owner Sea Country Xanthe Rivett Underwater Photography education If you decide to participate in the education and research programs, there may be options available to you to have a representative from one or more of the above stakeholders talk to your students. The representative may come along with the students on the reef field trip to talk about their area of expertise and the relationships between their industry and culture to the Great Barrier Reef. For further information, please contact the Reef Community Education Coordinator: reefed@reefmagiccruises.com