Excursions
Overview of Proposed Excursions Grades P – 6
The following is an overview of the school’s excursion program. Excursions are usually organised to support the topics being studied in each term. Grades 1 – 6 operate on a two-year cycle to reflect the requirements of the Curriculum and Standards Framework (C.S.F.) which is the required curriculum for all Victorian Schools. Preps have a single year program.
The topics studied are shown below, next to the excursion venue. The learning focus of the excursion is shown in the right hand column. It is possible to go more than once to the same venue to achieve different curriculum objectives. Organisations such as the Zoo, The Museum, the Botanic Gardens and Healesville Sanctuary offer special educational programs targeted at different grade levels and different learning aims.
Some other excursions are also undertaken from time to time for specialist programs and cultural events such as Symphony Concerts, the Ballet, other theatrical performances or to take advantage of special events. Teachers may make small variations to this program from time to time to take advantage of special programs on offer e.g. Federation or where a preferred venue becomes unavailable.
Teachers also arrange for guest speakers, demonstrations (such as the Fire Brigade) or for performances to take place at school. It is especially valuable to have parents with particular expertise in the topic being studied to speak to the class. Some organizations have school visit programs. Holding events at school has practical advantages in managing transport costs and time.
Some alterations can be made to the scheduling of topics to fit in with camps. For example the grade 5 camps to Sovereign Hill usually takes place in third term. This means that Grade 5 studies ‘Birth of a Nation’ in Term 3 and the scheduled Term 3 topic in term 4.
|
Odd
Numbered Year e.g. 2003, 2005, 2007
etc.
|
|
Term
|
Grade Level
|
Topic
|
Excursion Venue
|
Learning
Focus
|
| Term1 | Prep | Me and My Needs | Life Ed Van | Harm Minimisation |
| Grade1 & 2 | Rainforests | Botanic Gardens | Rainforest Plant life, Canopy Layers and Features | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | Self and Relationships | Life Ed Van | Responding to peer group pressure | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Healthy Living | Guest Speakers | Healthy living practices, the impact of advertising; harm minimisation | |
| Term2 | Prep | Seasons, Plants, Seeds & Change | Gardens - Local walk (Autumn) | Growth, Change, Seasons, Trees, Care of the Environment |
| Grade1 & 2 | Local History | Gulf Station | The way things were, changes in Society and the way we live. | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | The World of Work |
Guest speakers - Factory visit |
Types of jobs | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Media | The Age | Newspapers | |
| Term3 | Prep | Our Neighbourhood | Box Hill Centre, Community visit eg Hospital, Burwood Fire Station | Local Community |
| Grade1 & 2 | Health/Your Space | Linked to Life Ed Van. Science or Technology Excursion | Hand on Science | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | Multicultural Australia |
Immigration Museum |
Contribution of different Cultural groups to Australia Society | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Our Country | Healesville or the Zoo | Ecology, the effects of humans on the environment, Preservation of species | |
| Term 4 | Prep | Australian Animals | Healesville | Night/Day animals, Animal habitats |
| Grade1 & 2 | Life Cycles | The Zoo (Butterfly House) | Life Cycles | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | The Australian Environment | Botanic Gardens | Systems in plants, classification of plants | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Birth of a Nation | Canberra Tour. Sovereign Hill Camp - Talks to MPs | History and Government of Australia |
|
Even Numbered Year e.g. 2004, 2006, 2008 etc. |
|
Term
|
Grade Level
|
Topic
|
Excursion Venue
|
Learning
Focus
|
| Term 1 | Prep | Me and My needs | Life Ed Van | Harm Minimisation |
| Grade1 & 2 | The Sea | Melbourne Aquarium | Underwater Life | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | The Human Body | Life Ed Van | Body Systems, Safe use of Medicine | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Space | The Planetarium; Guest speaker eg Physicist | The Planets and constellations | |
| Term 2 | Prep | Seasons, Plants, Seeds and Change | Gardens | Growth, Change, Seasons, Tree, Care of the Environment |
| Grade1 & 2 | Health & Safety Rules | Guest speaker eg pharmacist, Linked to Life Ed Van | Being Safe | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | Mystery and Adventure | Books Illustrated | Writing and Publishing Mystery Stories | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Australia & Its Neighbours | Mia Mia ( Aboriginal Centre) | Aboriginal Culture | |
| Term 3 | Prep | Our Neighbourhood | Box Hill Centre; Community visit eg Hospital, Burwood Fire Station | Local Community |
| Grade1 & 2 | Dinosaurs | Melbourne Museum or Monash Science Centre | Types of Dinosaurs and their relationship to the Environment | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | Antarctica | IMAX Cinema | The Antarctic Environment | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Changes | Melbourne Museum or Art Gallery | Inventions | |
| Term 4 | Prep | Australia Animals | Healesville | Night/Day animals; Animal Habitats |
| Grade1 & 2 | Culture Life (Fairy Tales and Fables) | Visitor eg Story Teller or Craft Focus such as Art Activity | Literature; Visual Arts | |
| Grade 3 & 4 | Our Earth | Visiting Speakers at School | Types of Rocks and minerals | |
| Grade 5 & 6 | Birth of a Nation | Canberra Tour; Sovereign Hill Camp; Talks by MPs. | History and Government of Australia |
