Biological Diversity Study Days - Stage 6

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Provide your students with an opportunity to explore complex aspects of this topic by engaging in inspiring activities with NSW's top scientific institutions.

Developed by the Royal Botanic Garden, Australian Museum and Taronga Zoo, this program has been designed to meet outcomes in the NSW Stage 6 Biology Syllabus for Module 3: Biological Diversity.

Students will examine the living collections of plants and animals as well as fossils and other specimens to understand biological diversity by explaining the relationships between a range of organisms in terms of specialisation for selected habitats and evolution of species.

Biological Diversity Study Days 2023

We will be delivering sessions for Stage 6 Biology students in Greater Sydney, Coffs Harbour and online through video conferencing.

Sydney CBD (Australian Museum and Royal Botanic Gardens)
13 – 16 June
27 – 28 July

Campbelltown (Australian Botanic Gardens, Mount Annan)
1 – 4 August
7 – 10 August

Mosman (Taronga Zoo Sydney)
21 – 22 June

Blue Mountains (Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens, Mt Tomah)
25 July

Coffs Harbour (North Coast Regional Botanic Gardens)
30 May – 1 June

Online (video conference)
20 July

See here for details and booking information for each program site.

Stages

Stage 6 Biology

Location

Multiple locations

Contact

group.bookings@austmus.gov.au

Duration

All day

Educator-led program

Students spend two one-hour sessions at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney and another half a day (two one-hour sessions) at the Australian Museum. You will be advised on booking which venue to start the day. It is a short walk between the two venues and there is time for a lunch break in the middle of the day.

At the Garden:

Botanic Garden educator-led session. Students engage in primary and secondary investigations using the site’s Eucalypt specimens to examine the role of divergent evolution in biological diversity. In learning about the way new plant species are identified and classified, observing adaptations and analysing DNA, students develop an understanding of biological diversity and the theory of evolution.
Zoo educator-led session. Taronga Zoomobile provides students the opportunity to engage with live animals while learning about the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. They will explore the impacts that selection pressures have on population dynamics. Students will discover how adaptations increase an organism’s chance of survival while interacting with a selection of Australian animals.

At the Museum:

Theory of Evolution: a museum educator-led session. Students perform first-hand investigations of fossils, skeletons and genetic data from Australian animals to learn how comparative anatomy and genetics support the Theory of Evolution.
Evolution on our Wild Planet: a museum self-guided session. Students gather and analyse information from displays in the Wild Planet exhibition to learn how the Theory of Evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on Earth

Other venues

This program is also offered at other venues including the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, Taronga Zoo Mosman and Coffs Harbour.

For more information on dates and how to book please click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

Through our education programs we aim to
•   ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning (SDG 4)
•   demonstrate actions that work towards making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (SDG 11)
•   inform and empower students to preserve our forests and halt biodiversity loss (SDG 15)

Through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals we promote prosperity for the whole community, while protecting our planet for future generations.