Secondary Program 2011

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releasing the dredge over the side of the RV Penghana

 

 

 

out on the Channel

 

 

 

foreshore transect

 

 

bottlenose dolphins at the bow

 

The D'Entrecasteaux Channel is a varied, sheltered and safe waterway with uninhabited islands, an interesting history and fascinating marine ecology.  Weather permitting all Secondary students spend part of their day on our 13.5m research vessel Penghana.  The RV Penghana makes an excellent safe, floating classroom. It is well equipped with up-to-date navigation and sampling equipment.

The Marine Discovery Centre is a resource for your teaching - our staff are flexible, well qualified, experienced and willing to discuss your program with you in order to provide the best possible experience for your students. Secondary programs are designed for a maximum class size of 32 students.  Space on the RV Penghana is limited so classes over 16 are split into two groups with each group spending half their day on activities in the Centre and half on the water.  If the class needs to be split the Visiting Teacher works with their students on activities around the Centre. Both Day and Extended programs are available for Secondary students.

Day  Programs

Duration: We are happy to work with classes anytime between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm. Arrival and departure times vary depending on how long the bus takes from your school to the Centre. Bus times from Hobart are usually at least 45mins.

A typical secondary day for 16 or less students

9.30 – 10.30: Tour of the Centre& Introduction to Focus

10.30: Morning tea

10.45 – 11.15: Centre Research- students work in pairs on two activities related to focus e.g., Biodiversity audit and Marine Habitats

11.15: Students prepare to go to sea

11.30 – 2.15: Sampling the benthic biodiversity at a number of sites from RV Penghana (Including lunch time)

2.15 – 2.30: Return to centre with samples and data and debrief. 

If the class is bigger than 16 students it will run the same up to Morning Tea at which stage the students will be split into 2 groups. Each group will spend half the rest of the day at sea and half in the Centre with a swap at lunch time. 

 

Focus Topics

Full Day programs

Sustainable fisheries    Gr 7— 8

Navigating at Sea (max 16 students)     Gr 7— 8

Aquaculture in the Channel    Gr 7—10

Human Impact    Gr 9—12 

Foreshore Ecology (max 20 students)    Gr 11—12

 

Half-day Programs  Join 2 of these topics together to make a full program

Food from the Sea       Gr 7— 8

Feeding Relationships       Gr 7—10

Sex in the sea        Gr 7—10

Biodiversity in a cool temperate marine environment    Gr 7—12

Marine Habitats       Gr 9—12

Ocean currents       Gr 9—12

Climate Change     Gr 9—12

 

 

To help with future investigations back in the classroom we can provide :

  • Preserved plankton

  • Previously collected data

  • Reference information - books, journals and websites

  • Local marine science expertise

We also have strong links with research and industry facilities such as: CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, the University of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Aquaculture & Fisheries Institute, the Australian Antarctic Division, the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council and the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science.

 

Please contact Pam Elliott for further information on all secondary programs.  Click here to see for pre- and post-visit suggestions for your classroom.