Melbourne  Zoo Excursion 

On Tuesday 2/8 and Wednesday 3/8, the Year 7 cohort attended Melbourne Zoo for the Science program ‘Call of the Wild’. As part of the program, our year 7s enjoyed some hands-on learning together with the Zoo’s education staff. The program encouraged students to consider human impact on wildlife and what they can do to be a more sustainable citizen and save species. In small groups, they identified the adaptations, ecological connections and threats faced by endangered species.  

Our Year 7s were most surprised to learn about the negative impacts of phone manufacturing on Gorilla habitats in Africa. Unfortunately, these habitats contain a precious material called coltan, which is used in all phones. They discovered that by recycling old mobile phones, they can reduce deforestation by reducing the need for new sources of coltan.

Year 7s were enthusiastic and engaged in this lesson, which had direct connections to what they had previously learnt about food chains, species roles and habitats. Students got to spend the rest of the day exploring the range of animals at the Zoo and considered the ways that they could minimise their own ecological and environmental footprint. It was great to see so many students being actively involved and engaging in content that will further their learning in this area.