A Science Enrichement Day to celebrate Science Week for Stage 4 Science
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| Blackwattle Bay Study Site |
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Grime Scene Investigation
Grime Scene Investigation targets one or two high school teams of talented science students and requires them to undertake a planned set of pre visit tasks followed by fieldwork at Blackwattle Bay on Sydney harbour. The students take on the roles of real scientists working in
teams of five assuming the roles of an ecologists, biologist, water
quality chemist, environmental scientist and a microbiologist.
Their research will be based on an environmental consultancy scenario.
The
investigation covers both pre visit tasks and fieldwork, leading to
the teams reporting on the state of the environment for the fictional 'Bay City Council'.The Grime Scene Investigation project is based on quality teaching principals and promotes student investigations into the local environment and environment management issues. The focus is on syllabus outcomes 4.8 Features of living things, and 4.10 Factors effecting survival of organisms. Content in the areas of classification, adaptations, uni and multi cellular organisms and ecosystems will be covered. The integration of Technology and Environmental Education Policy objectives, are key components of the project. To be adequately prepared to undertake the field study component of the whole program, teachers need to allow three weeks for a web based research task for each team member, and for general organisation of the teams into their scientific roles. There is also a comprehensive follow-up, using the results of the investigations in the estuary. Teams report on their findings, which then can be delivered as a powerpoint, vodcast or in other forms of media. Dates have been set aside during Science Week (19th, 20th and 21st August), for the running of this program in 2008. Costs are $10.00 per team, which covers teacher program packs, a cruise around the study site, and fieldwork consumables such as protective gear, water quality testing chemicals and fish supplies for dissection. Teacher relief of $250 per school is provided from a grant by the City of Sydney, for teachers accompanying their teams on the fieldwork day. A second teacher may accompany the students but will not be covered. Further Program Information: Students undertaking the program, will take part in activities such as land use mapping, environmental issues eg stormwater investigations, fish dissections/adaptations, plankton studies, water quality testing, classification of species and food chain studies. Expert scientists and environmentalist may be on hand to assist students in their fieldwork. Further information about student's pre visit activities, is found on the DET TaLe website under projects www.tale.edu.au Log into the portal under TaLe as either a Primary or Secondary teacher, then search for 'Grime Scene Investigation' under Science, Stage 4. Click the following link to view a Quicktime movie on the GSI study of Blackwattle Bay. You will need your school's user name and password to view the movie GSI project fieldwork day - movie Open the following link to view a student environmental consultancy team Vodcast of their findings about Blackwattle Bay. You will need to save the file to disk first, then view it in Quicktime. |