Author Archives: oceanlifeeducation

Why our approach to curriculum connection has never been so important

Why our approach to curriculum connection has never been so important

By Richard Coward

Understanding our surrounding environment, our impact upon it and why we need to protect it has never been more important.

Fortunately, the Australian Curriculum is moving toward an improved coverage of key concepts and understanding within biological and Earth sciences across all primary year levels.

Ocean Life Education offers a fantastic opportunity for teachers to use our programs as a learning resource that is engaging, providing meaningful interactive learning whilst linking to related curriculum modules.

Our approach, is to bring key concepts together giving students a better understanding of the bigger picture.

We help students understand animals and their given habitat, how they differ from other animals, why they look and feel the way they do, what their importance is to the environment they live in, what problems humans create for them and why we need to look after them and their habitats.

For example, sea stars have a tough flat body to protect them from their harsh habitat (the shallow foreshore). They belong to a group of animals called ‘Echinoderms’ as they have tube feet and pump water around their body not blood to keep them alive. The sea stars eat algae and dead animals off the ocean floor, keeping it clean and healthy. If we pollute the water, sea stars will struggle to survive in their habitat. The problem lies in that if our human impacts result in dying sea stars, we lose an important cleaner of the ocean floor, resulting in a complexity of negative effects.

We take the approach of helping students to understand these cause and effect links to help keep our environment clean – to ensure the animals’ survival, and ours.

We deliver school programs that provide alignment with the Australian Curriculum Science strands: Science Understanding for Biological Science and Earth & Space Sciences, as well as Science as a Human Endeavour.

Using live marine animals, we provide a unique depth of engagement and understanding.

Our marine science incursions are a truly rewarding and refreshing way for students to learn key concepts set out by the national curriculum.

Visit our school programs page for a range of available programs.

Ocean Life an Interactive School Incursion

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By Richard Coward

Ocean Life Education delivers fun marine education incursions, where students are given the opportunity to interact with a variety of live marine creatures.

Through positive controlled contact children learn why animals’ look and feel the way they do, how their bodies function, what their individual role is in their environment and therefore why we need to look after them.

Initial focus with children is on individual animals, the next step is to explain their role in their specific environment, from here the question is asked; “what would happen if this animal was removed/extinct?” Finally, what impacts are we as humans having on the animals and their environment?

Responding to interactive learning

Interactive learning covers all modes of learning such as visual, auditory and kinaesthetic (touch). We understand all children are different and learn in different ways, some may be visual not auditory, others kinaesthetic not visual. This means the message of protecting through understanding is far reaching and more effective.

Children respond very well to hands on interactive learning, with the real animal at their fingertips information given to them has much greater meaning than learning from a book, white board or a story.

This one-on-one experience provides a greater depth of understanding which leads to the desire to protect them.

Marine studies linked to the Australian Curriculum

Our hope is to imprint in every Australian a sense of ownership and protectiveness of our marine environment, and together we will lead the world in the changes necessary for a healthy planet.

Ocean Life Education marine incursions are accredited by Education Queensland and are linked to the Australian National Curriculum and C2C for science and biological education.

A variety of marine education programs are offered for schools, vacation care, special events and conferences.

Choose a program that suits current unit themes

Our fun and interactive programs cover topics such as plastic pollution, climate change, human impact issues, classification, conservation and life cycles to name a few.

We can also tailor our programs to your classrooms’ current unit theme for all levels of school learning.

What we’re known for

Ocean Life Education is proud to be involved in educating tomorrow’s leaders in environmental awareness and protection.

We are pleased to have presented at renowned environmental events such as Indigiscapes, Sunshine Coast University’s World Environment Day and and Explorama as well as the Australian Association for Environmental Educator’s World Environmental Education Congress in Brisbane 2011.

We’ve also featured on children’s television program, Totally Wild, twice.

We are leaders in environmental education

We are of the firm belief that Australia is a leading nation in environmental education, but we are only scratching the surface, we must be resolute and continue to develop and alter the general populations’ mindset and put environmental sustainability at the top of the list of priorities.

The job of looking after and sustaining our environment for the future isn’t just one for the governments it is one for everybody.

What to expect:

  • Qualified marine educators arrive at your school or event and set up an area for discussion, storytelling, resource exploration and of course hands on interaction.
  • We bring fascinating live marine animals, artefacts, games and information.
  • Students may encounter baby sharks, turtles, sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and more.
  • Open display tubs are used for easy interaction and provide an entertaining, educational programme that lasts in the student’s minds forever.
  • When we leave, students are talking about the live animals for weeks!

What more information?

For more information, visit our School Programs page or Contact Us to make a booking.

MEDIA RELEASE: Ocean Life Education blends science with humour for Holiday Programs

Ocean Life Education is blending science with humour these school holidays offering fun marine education programs to Outside School Hours Care centres across the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane regions.

With a strong focus on pollution and how humans affect the environment, Ocean Life Education offers an exciting learning experience that will leave children with a greater sense of ownership and understanding to protect our natural marine environment.

Director of Education, Richard Coward, says Ocean Life Education’s Holiday Programs are a great way for all age groups to learn about relevant issues whilst having a fun and interactive experience.

“We create our vacation care programs with all age groups in mind so each child can have an enjoyable and memorable experience.

“These Spring holidays we’re offering our Human Impacts program which covers topical issues such as plastics pollution and micro plastics, land clearing and over fishing and the impacts these have on our marine life and their environment,” Richard said.

The Human Impacts program educates children on how everyday practices such as correct waste disposal and recycling can protect marine life and reduce our impacts such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

“It’s fantastic to see so many Outside School Hours Care centres across South East Queensland incorporating environmental education and the ocean into their program calendars”.

Ocean Life Education has been established on the Sunshine Coast for over eight years bringing live creatures from the ocean into the school and early learning environment.

Children get up close and touch live marine animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, baby sharks and fresh water turtles and are fascinated by how these animals function and what part they play in our oceans and waterways.

To book an Ocean Life Education program for your school, early learning centre or next holiday program phone 07 5443 8545 or visit www.oceanlifeeducation.com.au.

For more information

Tracey Coward, Business Manager, phone 0404 455 690 or 07 5443 8545.
Email to, info@oceanlifeeducation.com.au