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Year 6 Science Incursions in Brisbane

 

Open Ocean Habitat

Ocean Life Education’s Habitats Program

Ocean Life Education’s Habitats – Physical Conditions program elevates Year 6 students’ understanding of habitats by focusing on marine environments. Students will explore the specific physical conditions required for marine animals to survive and thrive. They will learn how changes to these conditions can negatively affect marine life, leading to poor health or even death. The program encourages discussions on strategies to prevent these harmful impacts in the future.

During our Habitats incursions, students will delve into a diverse range of physical conditions, including:

  • Temperature
  • Salinity
  • Light
  • Nutrients
  • Current flow
  • Waves
  • Turbidity
  • Depth
Coral Habitat

The Great Barrier Reef

Habitats Case Study: The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Our focus will be on Queensland’s coral reef habitat, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef, located right at our doorstep. As one of the seven natural wonders of the world, it is essential to understand the physical conditions necessary for its survival so we can work to preserve it for the future.

What is Coral?

coral polyps

coral polyps

Though corals resemble plants on the ocean floor, they are actually marine animals related to jellyfish and sea anemones. Corals belong to the Cnidaria group, known for their stinging tentacles.

These invertebrates are colonial organisms, meaning many individuals live and grow connected in colonies. The Great Barrier Reef hosts around six hundred coral species which are made up of polyps, clear tube-like structures with stinging tentacles used for catching prey and defence.

Coral Reef Habitat – Necessities to Thrive

Temperature: Corals thrive in warm tropical waters, ideally between 23–29°C.

Salinity: They prefer salty conditions with salinity levels between 32–42 ppt.

Light: Sunlight is crucial for coral survival, as symbiotic algae within them need to photosynthesize to produce food.

Nutrients: Low nutrient levels are important to prevent smothering; calcium is essential for building coral skeletons.

Current Flow: Currents bring food, calcium, and disperse sediment, aiding in photosynthesis and coral spawn distribution.

Waves: Waves provide oxygen, food, and prevent sediment buildup on corals.

Turbidity: Low turbidity ensures sunlight penetration, crucial for coral survival.

Depth: Corals thrive in shallow waters, up to 70 meters, but prefer depths between the surface and 30 meters for optimal sunlight.

Human Impact

Coral Bleaching

Students will explore how human activities have altered the reef’s physical habitat and its effects on marine life. They will also discuss strategies to minimize negative impacts on the reef now and in the future.

Coral Bleaching

Climate change has raised water temperatures, especially in the northern Great Barrier Reef, surpassing 29°C and causing coral bleaching. Discussions will cover human actions like carbon pollution from cars and factories that accelerate climate change. Students will learn about coral bleaching, its causes, and potential prevention measures.

Land Clearing

The removal of trees and vegetation near coastal and river areas increases soil erosion, leading to sediment washing into oceans. This sediment smothers and kills coral. Students will investigate the effects of land clearing on marine environments.

Extension to Human Impact on the Ocean

Other human activities like plastic pollution and the use of shark nets and baited drum lines for shark control will be discussed. Students will learn about plastic’s harmful effects on marine life, particularly sea turtles.

The use of shark nets and drum lines since 1962, which results in unnecessary harm to marine animals, will be debated. The discussion will focus on modern, more effective technologies for protecting humans and marine life at beaches.

Ocean Life Education Habitats – 3 Minute VideoHabitats Short Video 

In this short film, Ocean Life Education’s Director of Education, Richard Coward, highlights key Habitats learning points using our marine animals as examples. It’s a great precursor to an incursion, which can be watched with students as a quick taster and talking point in advance of our visit.

A Note About Year 6 Curriculum Science

This incursion aligns with the Australian Curriculum content description ‘Science Understanding’ under the sub strand of ‘Biological Science’ for year 6’…

The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment. 

Creating Ocean Advocates

At Ocean Life Education, we believe people protect what they know and love. Our mission is to inspire a deep connection to the ocean in children through engaging science incursions. By creating hands-on, memorable experiences, we aim to spark a lifelong passion for marine conservation and the ocean’s wonders.

 

Useful links

Overview of Marine Habitats

Habitats Fact Sheets

Other Primary Resources

Our Primary Incursions

 

Recent Blogs

Year 7 – Habitats

Year 3 – Life Cycles

Year 1 – Habitats

Our Primary Incursions

Here’s a link to our other news

Year 7 Science Incursions in Brisbane

 

Ocean Life Education’s Classification Program

Ocean Life Education’s year 7 science incursions in Brisbane provide students with a solid foundation of a variety of ocean-focused themes in line with the Australian Curriculum. One of our most popular programs is Classification, which focuses on helping students organize their understanding of the world around them, enhancing critical thinking and observational skills.

During our Classification incursions, students will explore the grouping of living organisms based on their observed features, functions, and adaptations for survival. They will understand the reasons behind animal classification and discover both similarities and differences among various marine animals. Additionally, the importance of scientific communication will be emphasised, and students will engage in simple classification exercises of marine species using scientific conventions for naming species.

 

Simple Classification of our Marine Animals

We bring a fascinating and diverse range of live marine animals along to our science incursions, including a baby shark, a freshwater turtle, a variety of sea stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. This enables us to look at a range of classifications first hand. For example, our echinoderms…

 

Sand Sea StarEchinoderms

Sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers are all classified as echinoderms – named for the spines or bumps covering the outer surface of the bodies (Greek root word echino– meaning spiny; Latin root word –derm meaning skin).

Children learn that echinoderms, despite their diverse appearances, share two key features that distinguish them from other animals: a water vascular system and five-sided radial symmetry. These characteristics are fundamental to their movement and body structure, highlighting the unique adaptations of this fascinating group.

The water vascular system in echinoderms consists of canals filled with seawater that aid movement, feeding, nutrition, and respiration. Hydraulic pressure allows tube feet to extend and retract, enabling them to move around and interact with their environment.

The pentamerous radial symmetry structure of echinoderms makes the body strong as a five-segment skeleton is stronger than a four- or six-sided one (because the line of weakness cannot run directly across the body).

Our sea stars, urchins and cucumbers offer a fitting example of all these characteristics and the children have fun while learning to classify them themselves. We also discuss how our shark and turtle may be classified but in less detail.

 

Marine Classification – Table Activity Classification Activity Table

Here, students observe our live marine animals and then apply their learning to categorise animals themselves into a table. This is a great activity for year 7 science as students become scientists, drawing their own conclusions from the data and observations.

 

Marine Classification – 3 Minute Video

In this short film, Ocean Life Education’s Director of Education, Richard Coward, highlights key Classification learning points using our marine animals as examples and explains how animals are grouped according to the way their bodies look and function. It’s a great precursor to an incursion, which can be watched with students as a quick taster and talking point in advance of our visit.

 

Primary Science ExcursionIncursions in Brisbane & Excursions to the Coast!

While our science incursions in Brisbane are a fantastic way for us to bring the sea to students who might not get the opportunity to visit the coast, we also offer the option of experiencing Classification during an excursion to the coast. Our team meet the students at a designated spot, and we explore and research the environment together before returning to our live marine animals to put things into context.

 

Classification for Younger Students

If you are also teaching younger students, another great way to prepare for our Classification science incursion is with our Classification Card Activity in which student use classification cards to work out which headings different marine animals could be classified under.

A Note About Year 7 Curriculum Science

This incursion aligns with the Australian Curriculum content description ‘Science Understanding’ under the sub strand of ‘Biological Science’ for year 7’…

Investigate the role of classification in ordering and organising the diversity of life on Earth and use and develop classification tools.

Imprinting a Love of the Ocean: Cultivating Future Environmental Advocates

At Ocean Life Education, we believe that “you protect what you know and love.” Our mission is to instil a deep connection to the ocean in children, inspiring them to become passionate advocates for marine conservation.

Our dedicated team brings this vision to life through engaging science incursions that showcase the wonders of marine environments. We aim to create memorable experiences filled with hands-on learning and exploration. By sharing our enthusiasm and knowledge, we strive to spark a lifelong appreciation for the ocean in every child we reach.

Find out more about year 7 science incursions in Brisbane.

Year 3 – Life Cycles

Year 1 – Habitats

Our Primary Incursions

Here’s a link to our other news