excursion – Strathmore Primary School

On Thursday the 5th of March the Year 2’s set off on a very exciting trip to… the Melbourne Museum! Leading up to our excursion, we have been working hard in class during Inquiry learning all about toys from around the world! We have studied various toys from the past and compared them to toys of the present.

On the day of the excursion, we participated in an educational program and listened to a story about toys kept through several generations of a family, titled ‘My Grandmother’s Toy Box’. We also visited the Mini Mega Model exhibition, Melbourne Story gallery and Bugs Alive.

We made loads of interesting observations and discoveries! A few things we learnt…

Clues to identify toys from different periods of time such as, materials used, colours and patterns in clothing, advancements in the way toys operate etc.
Marn Grook is a traditional Aboriginal ball made long ago from possum skin!
A small cork model of the Colosseum in Rome, made by Richard Du Bourg around 1775, is the oldest model in the Mini Mega Model Museum.

Interesting fact: Cork was a suitable material for capturing the decayed character of classical architecture!

Two steam train models were made of different materials- one wooden and the other metal. Some of us made connections to experiencing the historic Puffing Billy.
We even got to use some of our senses whilst exploring the creepy-crawlies in Bugs Alive! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing, hearing and smelling the world of insects, spiders, snails and other invertebrates.

We had a marvelous time at the Melbourne Museum, and did some fantastic creative writing about it the next day at school!

Last Friday the Grade 4 students went on an excursion to CERES Community Environment Park to learn more about our Inquiry topic ‘Beautifully Sustainable.’ In the classrooms, students have been working on their Inquiry Rich Task, in which they are repurposing materials to create a new, environmentally friendly object. CERES provided an opportinity for students to come up with additional ideas or other ways to improve their Rich Task.

While at CERES, students enthusiastically participated in a range of environmental education workshops.

In the ‘Rethinker Tinker’ workshop students discussed solutions to single-use plastic. They then followed one of two designs to repurpose their old T-shirts into new reusable bags. Students were proud of their bags and will hopefully use them at home.

In the ‘Paper Making’ workshop the Grade 4s learnt about how paper is made and the impact paper production has on the environment. Students got the chance to make their own paper. They used pulp made from recycled paper and a piece of equipment called deckle. At the end of the workshop, students learnt about lots of different materials that recycled paper can be made from.

Students enjoyed spending time in ‘Sustainable Gardening’ workshop. During this workshop, students learnt about the requirements for a healthy and productive organic garden. They investigated worm farms, companion planting, hunting for ‘minibeasts’ to feed the chickens and weeding.

During the ‘Farm Task’ workshop, students explored a working crop farm. Students investigated the different types of crops that can be grown, seeds, importance of soil pH and how the sun can affect how crops grow. They then went into the chicken pen to learn about how chickens and bees are used at CERES to promote a sustainable and organic farm.

Kind regards,

The Grade 4 Team