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Werribee Open Range Zoo
Investing in Nesting is an interdisciplinary authentic learning experience that takes place in the classroom! Once students have visited Werribee Open Range Zoo and explored the issues surrounding habitat loss, they use their design, creativity and technology skills to construct a nestbox. Werribee Open Range Zoo facilitates this learning experience by providing expert knowledge when needed, and distribute the nestboxes to schools whose local wildlife are in need of some shelter. It’s a win-win situation for all, including displaced native wildlife!
Students are provided with the opportunity to apply their skills, knowledge and behaviors to a real life situation, whilst teachers are provided with the opportunity to develop an engaging, hands-on unit of work that compliments the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. Schools receiving the nestbox must commit to emailing the student that produced the nestbox each month until the end of the school year by informing them of whether their nestbox has been inhabited. This allows the students responsible for the design and construction of the nestbox to evaluate the effectiveness and need for artificial hollows, as well as gain insight into the distribution of native species.
Year 7 –10 students design and develop the nestboxes however students of all levels are able to be recipients of an Investing in Nesting nestbox, and are required to provide data until the final month of term 4.
The design and technology component runs across one term. The data collection takes place throughout the year and data is collated and analysed at the end of the year.
The school building the nestboxes covers the cost of timber for the nestbox construction. We have however managed to successfully secure funding from external sources to assist schools with purchasing recycled timbers and other equipment so keep this in mind if schools need financial assistance.
Nestboxes are distributed to schools investigating the effects of habitat loss visiting Werribee Open Range Zoo. Although there is no charge for the nestbox itself, to visit Werribee Open Range Zoo the cost per student is AU$12.50 (this includes a discovery session and safari).
Set up costs are low. You just need to secure the support of a school to trial the program, and time to develop teacher resources to compliment the program.
We promote the Investing in Nesting learning experience as an add-on experience to a regular zoo visit when we conduct pre-visit excursion calls to schools.
It is best if you have one staff member in the department coordinating the project so that nestboxes can be tracked and the interest generated throughout the program can be monitored. Other educators should help to facilitate the project by assisting with the distribution of the boxes.
The program builds community links through the sharing of resources. Discovery and Learning have secured financial support from the Catholic Education Office (CEO) for further development of the program in 2007 through a grant titled ‘Advancing Scientific Literacy’. This grant covers ten days teacher replacement that will allow a Discovery and Learning education officer to develop Investing in Nesting teacher resources and professional development opportunities, as well as one years equipment costs for MacKillop College.
Resources to successfully run the class: Use the nestboxes to enhance classes that you already run that explore the issues surrounding habitat loss and the displacement of local wildlife.
Each school receiving the nestbox provides a teacher contact so that an education officer can conduct a follow-up call at the end of the year to discuss whether the nestbox enhanced their unit’s focus. The school that constructs the nestbox also provides WORZ with their end of year assessment tasks.
Rachel Lowry, Discovery and Learning, Ph: +61 3 9731 9635, email rlowry@zoo.org.au.
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