NRCL PROGRAMS 2009	YEAR LEVEL	FOCUS	VELS	SKILLS
EXCURSION (4hrs)
WATER FOR LIFE	Prep, 1 & 2 HEALTHY RIVERS	Water conservation and Yarra River health	Developing the view that learning is fun and exploratory.	Observing, exploring and measuring
	3 & 4 INNOVATING INSECTS	Aquatic Insects - Yarra River	Participate in simple experiments	Investigating, observing and measuring
	5 & 6 EXCITING ECOSYSTEMS	Water ecosystems - Upper Yarra Dam	Science, knowledge and understanding	Investigating, observing and measuring
	7 & 8 ELABORATE ECOSYSTEMS	Water ecosystems and testing - Yarra River	Science, historical, Geographical, knowledge and understanding	Investigating, observing, analysing and measuring
	9 & 10 THE BEST TEST IS A WATER TEST	Water ecosystems and testing - Upper Yarra Dam	Science, historical, Geographical, knowledge and understanding	Observing, measuring, analysing, evaluating and comparing
	VCE BIOLOGY UNIT 1	Water Quality, Aquatic Invertebrates identification, Riparian Ecosystem, plant identification	Science Unit 1	Fieldwork, Observing, profiles, analysing and comparing
UPPER YARRA DAM	9 & 10 Our Water Catchment - UPPER YARRA DAM	Water Catchment Quality Effects from fire, drought and logging	Science, historical, Geographical and Economical knowledge and understanding	Questioning, interpreting, evaluating and elaborating
	VCE Geography Unit 3	Water Catchment - Impact of change, effect and management on natural environment and human activities. Types of water. Rock and soil Formations and Climatic Aspects	Geography	Observing, comparing, analysing, evaluating and discussing
INSIDE FORESTS	Prep, 1 & 2 CIRCLE OF LIFE	The environment, habitats and animals (Life Cycles)	Observe and describe natural phenomena	Observing, discussing and questioning
	3 & 4 ENVIRON SUPERMARKET	The environmental features and food chains	Using scientific language to explain the environment	Observing, and questioning, comparing
	5 & 6 LIVING WITH LEADBEATERS	Ecosystems and food webs	Historical knowledge and understanding	Questioning, evaluating, estimating
	7 & 8 TALES OF 3 FORESTS	Comparing 3 types of forests	Historical and Geographical knowledge and understanding	Questioning, evaluating, estimating and interpreting
	9 & 10 ECO ADVENTURES	Explaining an ecosystem	Science, Historical, Geographical and Economical knowledge and understanding	Questioning, interpreting, evaluating and elaborating
	VCE BIOLOGY UNIT 2	Changes to Ecosystems, habitats, plant identification, measure the plant diversity and compare the forests. Look at the parasite / host and symbiotic relationships. Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water cycles.	Science	Fieldwork, plant identifying, Transects, Quadrats, interpretation, estimating, analysing and evaluation
LIQUID AND LEAVES	Prep, 1 & 2 THE RIVER PASSAGE	Conservation	Participate in simple investigations	Observing and measuring
	3 & 4 LIFE'S AMAZING CYCLES	Water cycle	Participates in simple investigations involving observation and measurement	Investigates, measures and analysis
	5 & 6 RAINFOREST HAVEN	Water conservation and issues	Creativity, reasoning processing	Reasoning, problem solving and observing
	7 & 8 WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE RIVER	Water and forest ecosystems	Science, Historical and Geographical knowledge and understanding	Questioning, evaluating, estimating and interpreting
	9 & 10 AMAZING INSECTS	Forest and River Ecosystems	Science, historical, Geographical and Economical knowledge and understanding	Observing, questioning, interpreting, evaluating and elaborating
	VCE ENVIRONMENENTAL SCIENCE Unit 1	Ecosystems - rainforest, montane, wet sclerophyll forest and riparian. Plant identification. Observe plant competition, parasitism and mutualism in action. Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water cycles. Climate Change, human and natural changes. Plate tectonics	Science	Fieldwork, Collect and record data, Plant identification, Quadrats, transects interpretation, estimating, analysing and evaluation
CAMP PROGRAMS
RAINFOREST (2hrs)	Primary / Secondary	Forest Ecosystems	Exploring / spatial awareness	Observing and questioning
WATER WALK (2hrs)	Primary / Secondary	History of the Yarra River	Awareness of environmental issues	Questioning and interpreting
INSIDE FOREST	Primary / Secondary	As Above
LIQUID AND LEAVES	Primary / Secondary	As Above
WATER FOR LIFE	Primary / Secondary	As Above
UPPER YARRA DAM	Primary	Water and Habitats	Science, knowledge and understanding	Investigating, observing and measuring
	Secondary	As Above
INCURSIONS (1 hr) PRIMARY (AuSSI Vic)
SCATS AND TRACKS	Primary	Identifying animals	Team building, Sharing thoughts, Questioning, Sort based on simple criteria, Learning is fun, Use Science words, Observe and describe natural phenomena	Observe, Sort and Analyse
FEATHERED FRIENDS	Primary	Identifying birds		Observes Differences
HEALTHY HABITATS	Primary	Identifying plants / weeds		Links Habitats
UNDERGROUND ARMIES	Primary	Identifying mini-beasts		Observes and Sorts
LIQUID GOLD - WATER CYCLE	Prep	Simple water cycle	Participate in simple investigations	Observes and sorts
FROM THE YARRA MOUTH... to your mouth	Year 1 & 2	From dam to school	Develop an awareness of special concepts through experiences.	Observes differences
BACKSTROKING BUGS	Year 3 & 4	Identifying water bugs	Participate in simple investigations involving observations and measurements	Links solid / liquid/gas
TESTING TIMES	Year 5 & 6	Chemical testing	The nature of similarities between and the diversity of living things and their sustainable relationships with the environment. Importance of Scale. Interactions between Earth and atmosphere.	Analyses, records, audits
PRE-SCHOOL (AuSSI Vic)
BIODIVERSITY	Kinder	Animals and plants diversity		Observes and sort
LIQUID GOLD	Kinder	Water play and conservation		Observes