The Big Idea

All living things need to adapt and evolve to survive.

Our Driving Questions:

What do living things need to survive? (food, water, climate, weather, characteristics, habitat)

How do living things change? (life cycles, adaptations, defence (camouflage)

How can we help to promote the survival of living things?

We are very lucky to have access to experts because last week, one of our parents, Abbie, spoke with us about the amazing Volcano Dreaming mural we have on loan in the MPC.

It is a photographic panel of the wildflower grassland that is situated west of Melbourne. It is jam packed with colours, habitats and biodiversity. We learnt that it was the biggest area of grassland in the world. However, It is under threat as only 2 percent is left. We learnt about controlled burning which began 40 000 years ago as indigenous people understood the ecosystem allows for habitat survival and that the grass needs to be cleared so that flowers can grow. Abbie explained the interconnectedness of the ecosystem and all the different species. We talked about how introduced species threaten native flora and fauna.At to end the session, Abbie read us a very interesting book called On the Trail of the Plains Wanderer. It is a unique bird that is endangered.

In evolutionary terms, Plains-wanderers are one of a kind. There’s no bird like it in the world. Plains-wanderers are beautiful birds. They are mostly brown or buff in colour with white and blackish markings over the body including spots and streaks on the head and neck.They prefer short, sparse grasslands that provide cover and space to forage for seeds, leaves and insects. Once seen from Victoria to Queensland, the Plains-wanderer has undergone a dramatic decline in the last decade. It is critically endangered and under imminent threat of extinction. Zoos Victoria

Our Wonderings about our Big Idea

After the session with Abbie, we thought about some questions we wanted answers to.

Some of our questions are below…..

How do penguins survive in the cold?

How long do Koalas live?

How do Tigers defend themselves?

How did tigers get their stripes?

Why do dogs bark?

What do lizards eat?

How many hours do sand cats sleep?

At home, you can create your own questions about living things. How could you support your child in finding answers to these questions? Those wonderings could be helpful in giving your child an idea for when they are a focus child.

Have a great week,

Gillian and Angela

Year 5/6 Bulletin

CAMP 2023