Aquaria | Primary Program | Secondary Program | Species | Contact | Marine Discovery Centres Australia

Pre-visit suggestions

  • Ask students to bring from home one item from the marine environment (or photo of themselves in the marine environment) to make a marine corner in the classroom.
  • Lead a guided visualisation of a dive into the sea; what would it look like, what sort of plants and animals would there be etc.  Ask students to draw what they see.
  • Make a marine themed 'talking stick' to be used during class sharing/discussion times.
  • Students could make an octopus chart depicting ways they are connected to the sea.
  • Read some marine story books (e.g. A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle, Turtle's Song by Kim Michelle Toft and Alan Brown).
  • Bring a 'mystery marine object' into the classroom for students to examine and use as stimulus for creative writing - something such as a shark egg case, sea urchin test or crab carapace.
  • Request that students bring a wrapper free lunch on the day of the excursion to the MDC.

 

 

Post-visit suggestions

  • Make a class A-Z of marine life (students may like to use the species register on this website for ideas).

 

  • Make a model of one of the animals seen at the MDC using papier mache or other media.  Marine finger puppets could also be constructed and used in a short play.

 

  • Read a story book such as Echo the Dolphin (Natalie Jane Parker) or The Three Fishing Brothers Gruff (Ben Galbraith) to stimulate ideas and discussion about human impacts on the sea.  Ask students to design a poster or pamphlet to encourage others to look after the sea.

 

  • Conduct a beach litter survey, or alternatively, a survey of litter found in the school grounds, or in a gutter close to school.

 

  • Challenge students to design and construct a storm water outlet litter trap to reduce litter entering the sea.

 

  • Make a diorama of a Tasmanian marine habitat.

 

  • Write and carry out an interview of an older family member to find out about their experiences of the sea.

 

  • Arrange a classroom visit by a marine scientist or someone from the fishing industry (parents are often great source of experts).

 

  • Make a marine food chain mobile, linking pictures of each organism in the chain with fishing line or string.

 

Last updated May 2012.