Category Archives: Programs

Year 1 Science Incursions in Brisbane

 

habitat incursions

 

Ocean Life Education’s Habitats Program

One of Ocean Life Educations most popular programs is our Habitats Program, which focuses on curriculum learning for students in Prep and Year One. It’s a wonderful interactive based learning experience that focuses on how living things have a few basic needs to survive.

Read on to find out more about our year 1 science incursions in Brisbane…

A Voyage of Discovery

Students discover what a habitat is and that in order for an area to be a suitable habitat for an animal, it needs to provide the fundamental elements: food, water, shelter, air and oxygen.

brisbane incursionsExploring a Diverse Range of Habitats

Key habitat areas explored are rocky shores, sandy beaches, mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs, and the open ocean.

Find out more about diverse ocean habitats here.

 

How Ocean Animals Suit their Habitat

Students will discover that animals vary greatly, coming in different shapes and sizes, therefore requiring different types of habitat areas. They will find out through interaction, that our live display animals may live in one or more of these habitat areas and why.

This is a fun and exhilarating way for students to grasp all the key concepts about living things and their habitat.

Helping you Plan your Incursion

In the planning stages, we work with schools and home school centres to ensure your needs are met, and that we are focusing on what’s relevant to your teaching goals. If you have a special area of interest, we will concentrate on that.

Then, on the day of the incursion, our enthusiastic Marine Educators deliver highly educational, fun and engaging incursion that children will remember for a lifetime.

Our Primary Programs

Building Foundational Science Knowledge

These incursions will provide a dynamic and engaging way for Year 1 and Prep students to build foundational knowledge in science, fostering curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the natural world and imprinting a sense of ownership for its wellbeing.

Imprinting a Love of the Ocean

We stand by the statement that you ‘protect what you know and love’ and believe that teaching children about the ocean will help create environmental advocates of the future.

Our whole crew is passionate about the ocean, and we think this is very apparent during our science incursions and what makes the learning experience with Ocean Life Education very special indeed.

 

 

 

Find out about our Ocean Habitats Excursions

Learn about wetland habitats here

A Note About Year 1 Curriculum Science: Biological Science

Our incursions sit under the Australian Curriculum unit ‘Science Understanding’ and under the sub strand of ‘Biological Science’.

Understanding Sciences

AC9S1U01

Identify the basic needs of plants and animals including air, water, food or shelter, and describe how the places they live meet those needs.

Our Primary Incursions

Here’s a link to our other news

And a link to our programs

Our Inspiring Team of Marine Biologists

 

Updating the team page on our website this month made us think that it’s about time to do a blog post dedicated to the incredible people who make our programs so popular – the wonderful crew at Ocean Life Education!

We really do have the best team imaginable who all have one thing in common – their passion for the ocean and their enthusiasm for wanting to share their knowledge and educate others about the big blue.

So, here we report back on what the inspirational crew at Ocean Life Education love about the ocean and why they want to shout about it!

A Passion for the Ocean pistol shrimp and gobie

Our educators tell us that they are driven by a deep passion for the ocean due to key factors that have resulted from childhood or ocean experiences. That’s why we believe that giving children the opportunity to experience ocean life firsthand is key to harbouring a love of the ocean. Here’s what they say…

Reasons our Team Say they Love the Ocean

Fascination with Marine Life: The incredible diversity of marine organisms, from the smallest plankton to the largest whales, captures the imagination. The intricate behaviours, unique adaptations, and complex ecosystems of marine life provide endless opportunities for discovery and study.

 

pistol shrimp and gobieOur educator’s favourite ocean animals are diverse, ranging from the tiniest nudibranch, pistol shrimps and gobies, to turtles, humpback whales and graceful manta rays. What an impressive range, demonstrating  just how incredible life in the ocean is.

 

Environmental Stewardship: A desire to protect and preserve ocean ecosystems against the increasing threats to marine environments, such as pollution, overfishing, and climate change, drive them to work towards conservation and sustainability.

 

Whale Rescue Coolum 1996

Whale Rescue Coolum 1996

Many of our educators have worked on environmental projects themselves. Director of Education, Richard Coward, has been involved in research projects such as buoyancy syndrome turtle research, shark research and breeding programs.

Many staff, including Richard, have also been involved in rescues, resulting in the release of whales and turtles (amongst other species) back into the wild.

Check out this picture of the rescue that Richard was involved in.

 

Love of Exploration: The ocean is still largely unexplored, offering a sense of adventure and the allure of uncovering new species, unknown habitats, and geological features.

The mystery and vastness of the ocean inspire curiosity and a spirit of discovery in our crew.

“I was amazed when I went diving at night in Papua New Guinea and was lucky enough to experience a coral spawning event in an ocean that was glowing with bioluminescence (the production and emission of light by a living organism – seen in the image). It just blew my mind! Another time, I was awe-struck when I went diving with a smack (yes, the collective name!) of sea jellies (aka jelly fish). Magic moments that I will treasure forever…and there’s so much more to come!!”

 

Growing Up on the Coast

Connection to Nature: Our educators all love the ocean, often stemming from childhood experiences, such as beach visits, snorkelling, or scuba diving. This personal connection fuels a lifelong passion for studying and protecting marine environments.

Great-Barrier-Reef-Most of our educators were lucky enough to have grown up next to the ocean in Queensland or NSW. The East Coast of Australia is probably one of the best places on earth to grow up if you love the ocean!

These factors combine to create a strong passion among our team for the ocean and its inhabitants, driving them to be the inspirational educators that they are!

Find out more about our inspirational team

Fancy a career in Marine Biology?

Here’s a link to our other news

And a link to our programs