A visit to the Gardens will give students a better
understanding of:
- The important roles of plants as producers/providers in the environment
- The importance of plants in our lives
- The diversity of plants
- The role of the Gardens in conserving rare and threatened plant
species.
Students will also gain a sense of ownership and appreciation of the
Gardens and of our natural environment.
Relevance to the Curriculum and Standards
Framework
The following charts list the outcomes for the Life and
Living Strand of the Science Key Learning Area that an excursion to the
Ballarat Botanical Gardens could help achieve. Only those outcomes relevant
to the primary years of schooling are listed. Features of the Gardens
relevant to achieving those outcomes are also listed.
| Strand |
Living together |
Structure and function |
Biodiversity, change and continuity |
|---|
Level 1
Outcomes |
Identify human needs and the needs of other living
things |
Use the senses to investigate objects |
Distinguish between. living and non-living
things |
|---|
| Relevant Gardens Features |
Plants displayed in the Gardens provide food shelter etc
for humans and animals |
The Gardens provide a full range of sensory stimuli,
visually and by students touching plants and smelling the fragrances of
plants |
Organic and Inorganic environmental elements are shown
clearly in the Gardens eg the living collection, soil, compost
etc |
|---|
| Level 2 Outcomes |
Describe the types relationships such as parenting,
feeding, competition and collaboration that exist between living
things |
Identify and link observable features to their functions in
living things. Describe how body structures assist living things plants
and animals to survive in their environment |
Identify features of living things that change over
time |
|---|
| Relevant Gardens features |
Birdlife can show parenting and competition. There are
examples of competition between plants for light and nutrients. |
There are numerous examples of plant structure, function
and adaptation demonstrated in the Gardens |
Seasonal changes, germination, plant maturation, death and
decomposition are displayed at the Gardens |
|---|
| Strand |
Living together |
Structure and function |
Biodiversity, change and continuity |
|---|
Level 3
Outcomes |
Map relationships between living things in a
habitat |
Identify external and internal features that work together
to form systems in plants and animals |
Classify living things in variety of ways. Investigate the
similarity and diversity of characteristics within and between groups of
living things |
|---|
| Relevant Gardens Features |
Producers consumers and decomposers are all represented at
the Gardens |
Many examples of plant structure and function - roots,
stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, etc |
The Gardens' floral diversity offers many examples of
classification which can range from the simple, (eg leaf colour or shape)
to the scientific. |
|---|
Level 4
Outcomes |
Identify living and non-living things that affect the
survival of organisms in an ecosystem |
Describe the functioning of the support, transport and
reproductive systems in plants and animals and the respiratory system in
animals. Explain how animals use their senses to detect and respond to
their environment |
Suggest why some species have become extinct. Identify
current endangered species and examine strategies to conserve
them. |
|---|
| Relevant Gardens Features |
Plant needs such as soil, water, air, nutrients and the
dependence of animals on plants can all be can be demonstrated in the
Gardens |
Plant systems can be demonstrated at the Gardens,
especially support and reproduction in all major plant groups |
The Gardens collections include rare species, plants
extinct in the wild, and plants that have survived since the Triassic
era |
|---|
Resources
Ballarat Botanical Gardens Conservation Analysis (1994)
John Patrick and Associates
Ballarat Botanical Gardens Masterplan and Management Strategy (1995)
John Patrick and Associates
Panoramas of Ballarat (1998) Max Harris and Jenny Burrell
The Prime Ministers (1996) Peter Waugh
Websites
http://ww
w.ballaratbotanicalgardens.com/history.htm
http://www.ba
llaratbotanicalgardens.com/lake/plants.htm
http://www.ba
llaratbotanicalgardens.com/lake/mammal.htm
http://www.bal
laratbotanicalgardens.com/lake/birds.htm
http://www.bal
laratbotanicalgardens.com/lake/trees.htm
Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens - pages on Bunya
Bunya Pine, Ginkgo and Baron Ferdinand von Mueller
http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/edserv/bunya.html
http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/edserv/gingko.html
http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/edserv/sara.html
http://http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/edserv/baron.html
|
