Stage 6 - A Local Ecosystem
Teacher checklist
Location - Buffalo Creek Reserve, eastern side of Pittwater Road, East Ryde.
Bus access - give information to driver. No bus entry into Buffalo Creek Reserve.
Cost - $18 per student (GST free) + optional $4 at school pre-visit lesson. Confirm numbers 2 weeks before
excursion. Invoice will be based on confirmation.
Pre-excursion course - the online A Local Ecosystem course must be completed before attending the fieldwork
excursion. It is available through iTunes U or as a download on the resources page of the Field of Mars EEC website.
Bring - Student worksheet, clipboard, food, water, sunblock, medications, hat, wet weather gear. Packed in a small
backpack - only essential items.
Wear - sports uniform recommended. Hats and sturdy closed shoes essential for students and staff, Name tags.
Staffing - NSW DEC suggests a student/adult ratio of 15:1 for bushwalking.
School to provide – copies of worksheet for each student, clipboards, pencils
Extreme or wet weather - may result in the excursion being modified, postponed or cancelled. Includes days
predicted to be above 350C, high winds, extreme bush fire danger and dust storms. If the forecast deteriorates
overnight then contact the centre on 98161298 or 0418118697 or 0438842343.
Cancellations - less than two weeks notice $100. This does not apply to cancellations due to weather.
Medical or special needs - please notify Field of Mars EEC staff.
Field of Mars EEC is bin free. Students and teachers are encouraged to use ‘nude food’ containers. All waste
contributing to landfill will be returned with you to your school.
Timetable - start and finish times are only a guide. When booking, please inform us of your arrival and departure
times. The timetable may be adjusted according to your arrival and departure time, tide and weather conditions.
Activity
Distribution - Transect
Woodland
9.30 - 9.50
Introduction, check
equipment and walk to site
9.50 - 11.00
Class 1
11.00 - 11.20
Recess
11.20 - 12.30
Class 2
12.30 - 1.00
Lunch
Abundance - Quadrats
Mangroves
Class 2
Class 1
Class 1 + 2
1.00 - 2.10
2.10 - 2.20
Adaptations &
Interrelationships
Woodland
Conclusion & Depart
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Learning Activities
Abundance
In the mangrove forest the students will use quadrats along a belt transect as part of a scientific
study to investigate the relationship between distribution and abundance of crabs near the
boardwalk.
Distribution
In the dry sclerophyll forest the students will investigate the relationship between fire and plant
diversity along a transect line, including the measurement of abiotic factors.
Adaptations and Interrelationships
During the fieldwork, students will be shown examples of relationships between species in the
local environment, trophic interactions and the various ways native plants and animals have
adapted to their environment.
Pre-Excursion activities – iTunes U course (app) or online course (web)
This course and associated fieldwork program supports learning outcomes from the NSW Board of
Studies Stage 6 Biology syllabus. It supports part of the topic A Local Ecosystem, there is some
additional content in the topic that is not covered by this course and excursion.
The pre-excursion activities should be completed before attending the excursion as they cover
essential content and skills necessary for fieldwork activities and student assessment tasks. These
activities are superior to, and replace, the in-class introduction session previously offered to
schools.
The students will need a minimum of 2 hours to complete the course. The course contains videos,
fact sheets, maps, images, resource links, ebooks and extension materials.
The iTunes U course will always contain the most up-to-date and comprehensive resources and
materials for the A Local Ecosystem course. Any updates or new resources will be instantly
updated on IOS devices. The course suits the flipped classroom model or can be used as in-class
lessons.
To access iTunesU, an iPad, iPod Touch or an iPhone is needed and with the iTunes U app:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/course/a-local-ecosystem/id785091020.
If an IOS device is not available, an interactive PDF version of this course can be downloaded
from the resources section of the Field of Mars EEC website
http://fieldofmarseec.nsw.edu.au/resources/secondary/
iTunes U
For more information on iTunes U visit http://www.apple.com/au/education/itunes-u/ and
https://itunes.apple.com/au/institution/field-mars-environmental-education/id655624369
Citing the iTunes U Course
Spiers, P (2014). A Local Ecosystem: Bio2014, Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre
(Version number) [iTunesU course]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/au/course/a-localecosystem/id785091020.
Citing the online course
Spiers, P (2014). A Local Ecosystem: Bio2014, Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre.
Available at http://fieldofmarseec.nsw.edu.au/resources/secondary/. (Accessed [date]).
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Excursion worksheet
http://fieldofmarseec.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Biology-Worksheet-2012-finalsmall1.pdf
Syllabus Links
Biology Stage 6 Syllabus Outcomes
P2
applies the processes that are used to test and validate models, theories and laws of science, with particular
emphasis on first- hand investigations in biology
P7
describes the range of organisms in terms of specialisation for a habitat
P8
analyses the interrelationships of organisms within an ecosystems
P12
discusses the validity and reliability of data gathered from first- hand investigations and secondary sources
P14
draws valid conclusions from gathered data and information
P16
demonstrates positive values about and attitudes towards both the living and non-living components of the
environment, ethical behavior and a desire for a critical evaluation of the consequences of the applications of
science
Biology Stage 6 A Local Ecosystem Content
Students:

choose equipment or resources and undertake a field study of a local terrestrial or aquatic ecosystem to identify
data sources and:
 measure abiotic variables in the ecosystem being studied using appropriate instruments and relate this data to
the distribution of organisms
estimate the size of a plant population and an animal population in the
ecosystem using transects and/or random quadrats
 collect, analyse and present data to describe the distribution of the plant and animal species whose
abundance has been estimated
describe two trophic interactions found between organisms in the area
studied
 identify data sources and gather, present and analyse data by:
- tabulation of data collected in the study
- calculation of mean values with ranges
- graphing changes with time in the measured abiotic data
- evaluating variability in measurements made during scientific investigations 
gather information from first-hand and secondary sources to construct food chains and food webs to illustrate
the relationships between member species in an ecosystem 
process and analyse information and present a report of the investigation of an ecosystem in which the purpose
is introduced, the methods described and the results shown graphically and use available evidence to discuss
their relevance
Environmental Education Objectives
Students will develop:
knowledge and understandings about:
the nature and function of ecosystems and how they are interrelated (K1)

the impact of people on environments (K2)

career opportunities associated with the environment (K5)

skills in:
 applying technical expertise within an environmental context (S1)
 identifying and assessing environmental problems (S2)  communicating environmental problems to others (S3)  adopting behaviours practices that protect the environment (S5) values and attitudes relating to:
a respect for life on Earth (V1)

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