Year 7 Science students visited The Retreat in Kangaroo Valley as part of their study of Australian habitats and how organisms are adapted to survive in their environment. Surrounded by rainforest, eucalypt and sclerophyll forest, rivers and areas of open pasture, this beautiful location provided students with the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to fieldwork in a real Australian habitat.
Throughout the day, they investigated two key scientific questions: How can qualitative and quantitative observations of leaves be used to create a dichotomous key to classify plants found in a habitat at The Retreat? and How do adaptations of plants and animals help them survive in habitats at The Retreat?
Using fieldwork, images, videos and by collecting and analysing samples, Year 7 surveyed The Retreat and identified native plants and animals. They considered how these organisms were adapted to their environment and how abiotic features such as temperature, soil pH, light and wind can influence the living things found in different habitats.
Students collected leaf samples and recorded features such as shape, colour, texture, length and width. This information was then used to create graphs and classification keys, helping students understand how scientists use data and models to classify living things based on observable characteristics.
This was a hands-on, interesting and thought-provoking experience which allowed students to develop a deeper understanding of Australian habitats and the scientific skills used to investigate them. Following this work, students will create a poster presentation of their findings, including photographs, tables of results, graphs, classification keys and scientific explanations.
