Deep Creek Reserve STEM Excursions

What is a catchment, what is our impact and ways that we can help use water more sustainably and improve the health of the waterways?

Water is a scarce and finite resource that is vital for the life of every living thing on the planet. Our local waterways are part of a larger catchment that our drinking water comes from. Our activities have an impact on our local waterways and in turn the larger catchment, oceans and all the life that depends on it for survival. Students will learn about our impacts and ways to help. They will also become citizen scientists by learning how to monitor the chemical, physical and biological health of their local waterway.

Victorian Curriculum: VCGGC059, VCGGK068, VCSSU041, VCSSU042, VCSSU047.

How do forces, motion, sound and light impact everything we do?

Forces are at work in everything we do: we push to open doors, pull to drag a toy and gravity pulls on things to make them fall down. Scientists and engineers study forces to design better bridges and faster aeroplanes. The way objects move depends on a variety of factors including their size and shape. Students will learn how a push or a pull affects how an object moves or changes shape.

Where does light come from and how do we see it? What are some ways to make sounds? How we detect them, or create more? In this program students will learn how light and sound are produced by a range of sources and can be sensed.

Victorian Curriculum: VCSSU041, VCSSU048, VCSSU049, VCSIS050, VCSIS051, VCSIS052, VCSIS054, VCSIS055 

What are the properties of materials?

All around us objects are made from interesting materials. These objects have physical and chemical properties and are used for different purposes. Some objects are made from a single material, for example, a steel sewing needle or a wooden plank. Others are made from a combination of materials, for example, toys can be made by combining plastic and fabric. The properties of an object are determined by the materials that are used to make it and how those materials are put together.

Victorian Curriculum: VCSSU041, VCSSU044, VCSSU045, VCSIS050, VCSIS051, VCSIS054.

Climate change, caused by humans, is affecting habitats all over the world. In this program students will use the Deep Creek wetland environment to investigate:

• the biodiversity of wetlands including freshwater macroinvertebrates, birds and frogs
  
• changes to temperature in man-made and natural environments
  
• use of renewable energy to reduce the impact of climate change.
  

Victorian Curriculum : VCSSU056, VCSSU057, VCSSU058, VCSSU062, VCSSU063, VCSIS067, VCSIS068, VCSIS070, VCSIS072, VCGGC074, VCGGK081, VCGGK082.

What is a catchment, what is our impact and ways that we can help use water more sustainably and improve the health of the waterways?

Water is a scarce and finite resource that is vital for the life of every living thing on the planet. Our local waterways are part of a larger catchment that our drinking water comes from. Our activities have an impact on our local waterways and in turn the larger catchment, oceans and all the life that depends on it for survival. Students will learn about our impacts and ways to help. They will also become citizen scientists by learning how to monitor the chemical, physical and biological health of their local waterway. 

Victorian Curriculum: VCGGC073, VCGGK082, VCMSP149, VCSSU057, VCSSU058, VCSIS068.

What are non-contact forces, and how does heat effect solids and liquids?

Forces are at work all around us. Scientists and engineers study forces to design better bridges and faster aeroplanes. Investigate friction, gravity and magnetism, as well as an introduction to the forces of flight.

Scientists studying physics also look at energy, which comes in a variety of forms including light, sound, electricity and heat. Students will be introduced to heat energy, including sources of heat, measuring heat, and movement of heat through convection and conduction. Make sense of why things feel hot or cold to our bodies and learn how to keep things at ideal temperatures.

Victorian Curriculum: VCSSU063, VCSSU064, VCSIS065, VCSIS066, VCSIS067, VCSIS070, VCSIS071.

What are the properties of natural and processed materials?

Chemists are scientists who study the tiny particles that make up every material on Earth, as well as the way that materials interact with each other. Students will be introduced to atoms and molecules, and the movement of these particles inside solids, liquids and gases, the three basic states of matter. Investigate water in solid, liquid and gaseous form, with reference to the water cycle. Observe the properties of different states of matter and play with an unusual material. Extend students' knowledge beyond solids, liquids and gases with activities including liquid crystal and plasma states of matter.

The properties of both natural and processed materials are important to chemists and engineers. Plastics are an important material for us to study, with many advantages and disadvantages to their production and use. Find out more about the structure of polymers as well as use and properties of different plastic types. Shrink your own decorated plastic to take home.

Victorian Curriculum: VCSSU059, VCSSU060, VCSIS065, VCSIS066, VCSIS067, VCSIS070, VCSIS071.

Climate change, caused by humans, is affecting habitats all over the world. In this program students will use the Deep Creek wetland environment to investigate:

• the biodiversity of wetlands including freshwater macroinvertebrates, birds and frogs
  
• changes to temperature in man-made and natural environments
  
• use of renewable energy to reduce the impact of climate change
  

Victorian Curriculum:  VCSSU073, VCSSU074, VCSSU075, VCSSU079, VCSIS084, VCSIS086, VCSIS087, VCSIS088, VCGGC088, VCGGK095, VCGGK096.

What is a catchment, what is our impact and ways that we can help use water more sustainably and improve the health of the waterways?

Water is a scarce and finite resource that is vital for the life of every living thing on the planet. Our local waterways are part of a larger catchment that our drinking water comes from. Our activities have an impact on our local waterways and in turn the larger catchment, oceans and all the life that depends on it for survival. Students will learn about our impacts and ways to help. They will also become citizen scientists by learning how to monitor the chemical, physical and biological health of their local waterway.

Victorian Curriculum: VCGGC087, VCGGK096, VCSSU073, VCSSU074, VCSSU075.

What is a catchment and how have catchments changed over time? How do we impact our waterways? How can we use water more sustainably and improve the health of the waterways?

Water is a scarce and finite resource that is vital for the life of every living thing on the planet. Our local waterways are part of a larger catchment that our drinking water comes from. Human activities have an impact on our local waterways and in turn the larger catchment, oceans and all the life that depends on it for survival. Students will learn about our impacts and ways to help. They will also become citizen scientists by learning how to monitor the chemical, physical and biological health of their local waterway.

Victorian Curriculum:

• Yr 7 - 8: VCGGC099, VCGGC101, VCGGK106, VCSSU091, VCSSU093, VCSSU101, VCSSU107, VCSIS113;
• Yr 9 – 10: VCSSU121, VCSSU128, VCSIS136, VCSIS138, VCSIS139, VCSIS140, VCGGC129.