Primary Schools Incursions


Have Australian animals visit your primary school  for a most memorable incursion!


The aims of our Primary School programs are: to stimulate interest, provide information and encourage respect for animals and the need for sustainability at a local and global level.

Session Details

Every session includes:
  • SESSION DURATION: Standard (60min) or Extended (90min)
  • LIVE and PRESERVED ANIMALS
  • INFORMATIVE DISPLAY
  • INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION
  • ‘HANDS ON’ TIME - the students are encouraged to observe and safely handle the animals.
After a session each grade teacher receives:
  • ‘FOLLOW-UP’ ACTIVITIES - activity sheets that consolidate information and concepts and stimulate interest for further research about the topic and related issues, are given to teachers after each session.
  • A3 POSTERS of Andrew Wegener's photography on the relevant topic
  • NATURE TREASURE BOX (re-cycled wildlife) for observation, handling and discussion back in the classroom.

Topics

Our session topics can be based around The Australian National Curriculum or be individually tailored to the needs of your class. 

The Australian Curriculum - Science Understanding: Biological Sciences

By observing and touching a variety of LIVE and preserved Australian animals, students are encouraged to discover and investigate the areas of the main focus of each topic.
Foundation Year - Preps

Needs of Living Things: AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS

Students are encouraged to:
  •  discover that living things have basic needs such as food, water & shelter
  

Bearded Dragon
 
Year 1 

External ANIMAL FEATURES

Students are encouraged to:
  • recognise common features of animals such as head, legs and wings
  • describe the use of  animal body parts for particular purposes such as moving and feeding

HABITATS
(Backyards - Minibeasts & Nocturnal Animals, The Beach)

Students are encouraged to:
  • discover that  animals live in different places where their needs are met

Spiny Stick Insect
 
Year 2

LIFE STAGES

Students are encouraged to:
  • discover that animals grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves
  • explore different characteristics of life stages in animals such as egg, caterpillar and butterfly
  • observe that all animals have offspring, usually with two parents
  

Birdwing Butterfly
 
Year 3

CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS- grouped by observable features

Students are encouraged to:
  • recognise characteristics of living things such as growing, moving and reproducing
  • recognise the range of different animals
  • sort animals based on their characteristics
  

Long-necked Turtle
 
Year 4

LIFE CYCLES: Minibeasts, Birds, Frogs, Reptiles & Mammals - monotremes & marsupials

Students are encouraged to:
  • observe and describe the life-cycle stages of different animals

Relationships of Living Things and Environment

Students are encouraged to:
  • investigate the roles of living things in a habitat - producer, consumer or decomposer - predator, prey, competitor
  • predict the effects when living things in feeding relationships are removed or die out in an area
    * SEE ENDANGERED ANIMALS topic.
  

Green Tree Frog

Praying Mantis feeding
 
Year 5

Adaptations for Survival

Students are encouraged to:
  • explain how an animals structural features and particular adaptations help survival in different environments
  

Shore Crab

-  Topics adaptable to suit any primary school level

Australian Wildlife Lectures also offers these topics that explore the similarity & diversity in groups of living things. These topics are adapted to suit the level and main focus of the participating groups.

The Sea - Coastal & Marine Life

By observing, touching and discussing a variety of marine life, students are encouraged to discover the:
  • Structure, Function & Adaptation of coastal animals from Molluscs to Marine Mammals
  • Human Impact on coastal habitat
  • Life-cycles: shells, sharks & other marine life
  • Food Chains - interdependence of animals
Display Material includes:
  • Preserved animals: Fur Seal, Little (Fairy) Penguin, whale bones,  Blue-ringed Octopus, shark, cuttlefish, shell eggs, shark egg cases, crab exo-skeletons, sponges & molluscs, Great White Shark jaws, teeth, photo charts.
Cuttlefish

Nearly hatched baby Port Jackson shark

Endangered Animals

By observing, touching and discussing a variety of endangered and vulnerable preserved wildlife, students are encouraged to discover the:
  • Factors leading to extinction
  • Issues: from local to national then global
Display Material includes:
  • Preserved: Endangered & Extinct-in-Victoria animals and illegal products seized & on loan from Customs.
  • Quolls, Potoroo, Leadbeaters possum and other endangered mammals.
  • whale bones, oil, skin, teeth & baleen.
  • Great White Shark jaws, teeth, photo charts
  • Introduced feral animals such as: fox, cane toad, pig & cat
Great White Shark

Tasmanian Devil

Reptiles

 By observing, touching and discussing a variety of LIVE and preserved reptiles, students are encouraged to :
  • Compare & contrast the main reptile groups: snakes, crocodiles, turtles & lizards
  • Life-cycles: live bearing & egg-layers
  • Structure & Function of venomous & non-venomous snakes
Display Material includes:
  • LIVE non-poisonous snakes, lizards & freshwater turtles
  • Preserved venomous snakes, eggs, marine turtles, crocodiles and monitors
Gecko

Woma

Topic not listed?  

Let us know your special needs and we will adapt to suit your requirements.

Cost

Cost depends on the location and number of sessions required.
Contact us for more details.