Mangroves and the Environment is a day program in which students adopt the role of Junior Ecologists to investigate the importance of the mangrove forests along the Wynnum/Manly foreshore. Students sequence key stages in the lifecycle of crabs and mangroves and gain an understanding of how living things depend on each other to survive.
Pre-program resources encourage students to think about the role mangroves play in maintaining ecosystem health. A letter-to-the-editor published in the Wynnum Herald provides stimulus, generating questions about the value of mangroves and their importance to humans and other organisms. Post-program resources will be made available to support students' ongoing learning.
Up to 60 students can be accommodated in two groups for this program with each spending half of the day on-board Inspiration on Moreton Bay and the other half of the day exploring the mangrove forests. On Moreton Bay, students conduct investigations into the lifecycle and adaptations of blue swimmer crabs using a plankton trawl and crab pot retrieval. Onshore, local mangrove species are identified and their lifecycles and adaptations for survival investigated. Students identify and study organisms that live within the mangrove environment, including crabs, snails and birds. Throughout the day there is a focus on feeding relationships between the plants and animals in the ecosystems observed.
Curriculum Intent
Science
Science Understanding
Science as a Human Endeavour
Use and influence of science
Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)
Humanities and Social Sciences
Knowledge and Understanding
Geography
- The importance of environments, including natural vegetation, to animals and people (ACHASSK088)
General Capabilities
Critical and creative thinking
Ethical understanding
- Understanding ethical concepts and issues
Cross-curriculum Priorities
Sustainability
C2C
Science Unit 2 ‘Ready, Set, Grow!’