Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre logo

Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre

Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre

Telephone02 9542 1951

Emailroyalnatpk-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Features of places

Geography - Features of Places

Supports the Geography teaching framework - Local places and spaces

Students visit the Royal National Park to observe features of places and how people are connected. They participate in hands-on activities around Bonnie Vale picnic area or Reids Flat. There is a short bushwalk to the mangroves at Cabbage Tree Basin or to a rainforest grove from Reids Flat.

Key syllabus outcomes

  • Students describe features of places and the connections people have with places (GE1-1)
  • Students identify ways in which people interact with and care for places (GE1-2)
  • Students communicate geographical information and use geographical tools for inquiry (GE1-3)

Key inquiry questions

  • What are the features of, and activities in, places?
  • How can we care for places?
  • How can spaces within a place be used for different purposes?

Inquiry questions

  • What are some features of the Royal National Park?
  • How can we care for the Royal National Park?

Learning experiences

Students:

  • engage with place through sensory awareness activities, such as matching colours in nature, creating ephemeral art using natural materials, going on a mirror walk and using senses to observe the natural environment
  • listen to an Aboriginal Dreaming story relevant to the site they visit
  • learn about Aboriginal plant uses and seasons on a bushwalk
  • compare human and natural features and complete a class tally of features
  • examine natural features through an invertebrate search, crab searching and/or bird watching (site dependant)
  • use natural materials to create a nature map of the day’s journey or collaborate to create a pictorial map of the site
  • care for place by picking up litter, returning animals unharmed to habitat, examining plants without damaging them and managing waste

Recommended excursion sites

  • Bonnie Vale (please note limited access to toilets)
  • Reids Flat, Audley