Evolution of Australian Biota Study Day - Mount Annan

A full day outreach program specifically for Stage 6 Biology students.

Student with Diprotodon fossils
Stuart Humphreys © Australian Museum

This full day outreach program, developed by the Australian Musuem, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Taronga Zoo is held at The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan. Students examine fossils, specimens, live animals and plants to investigate the evolution and adaptations of Australian animals and plants.

Educator-led program

The Study Day comprises three educator-led sessions of 65 minutes duration each.

An Australian Museum educator provides an introduction on Australian megafauna then facilitates the Museum session, Learning from fossils. Students work in small groups and perform first-hand investigations using fossils and specimens of Australian animals to compare current and extinct forms. Activities focus on Australian megafauna and on platypus evolution.
An Australian Botanic Garden educator leads a session where students investigate native Australian plants, including living plant fossils, and pollination strategies.
The Taronga Zoomobile and educator visits the Garden allowing students to interact with live animals while learning about the adaptations and evolution of native Australian animals including kangaroos and echidnas. The changing ideas of scientists are also considered with reference to the modern Platypus.

Booking a Study Day:

Bookings are essential: Mount Annan-based Study Days are booked through the Australian Museum Bookings Office:
Phone the Australian Museum Bookings Office on (02) 9320 6163 or Fax (02) 9320 6072
Maximum number of students: 25 per session (3 groups per day) – smaller groups may be combined
Duration: Three 65 minute sessions – usually 9.45 am to 2 pm
Cost: $19.00 (incl GST) per student
Location: The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan (near Narellan and Campbelltown)
Botanic Gardens Trust Risk assessment
Transport: Coach parking available

Dates available: 12 - 23 August 2013 (inclusive - weekdays only)

Booking changes or cancellations:

Decreases or increases in your booked number must be advised by 4 weeks before the excursion date.
If the number of students attending the Study Day is significantly lower (by 5 students or more) than expected, the school will be invoiced for the booked number of students. (Your Booking Confirmation form from the Australian Museum will show the booked number expected.)
We reserve the right to cancel days/sessions not fully filled and will advise affected groups as soon as possible to try to reschedule.

Please note:

Evolution of Australian Biota Study Days are also available on selected dates at:

The Australian Museum also has two sessions onsite at the Museum for the Evolution of Australian Biota topic that can be booked independently throughout the year. These are the educator-led session, Learning from fossils, and the exhibition-based and self-guided session, Evolution, survival and extinction. Booking these sessions at other times during the year allows flexibility in session times, length and content according to each group's particular needs.

Education Resource Kit

An Education Kit will be posted by the Australian Museum before your booked excursion date.
It includes updated versions (for the current year's program) of the following:

1. Teacher Notes for the Evolution of Australian Biota Study Day - Mount Annan

2. Student activities for the three sessions are posted following booking.

Australian Museum educator-led session, Learning from Fossils
Taronga Zoomobile educator-led session
The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan educator-led session.

3. Answers for teachers are sent following booking or provided at the venue.

Syllabus links:

Biology Stage 6

The Study Day is specifically designed for the Stage 6 Biology Syllabus topic, 8.5 Evolution of Australian Biota.

The outcomes addressed by the Museum session are detailed below. The Museum activities (Activities 1 - 5) that relate to each syllabus outcome are indicated below.
All students complete Activity 5 on Platypus evolution, and are allocated one other activity (either Activity 1 or 2 or 3 or 4) on Australian megafauna.

Syllabus outcomes for Biology 8.5 Evolution of Australian Biota:

	Students:	Students:
1. Evidence for the rearrangement of crustal plates and continental drift indicates that Australia was once part of an ancient super continent	identify and describe evidence that supports the assertion that Australia was once part of a landmass called Gondwana, including: -fossils in common on Gondwanan continents Activity 5 discuss current research into the evolutionary relationships between extinct species, including megafauna and extant Australian species Activities 1, 5	... gather, process and analyse information from secondary sources and use available evidence to illustrate the changing ideas of scientists in the last 200 years about individual species such as the platypus as new information and technologies became available Activity 5
2. The changes in Australian flora and fauna over millions of years have happened through evolution		gather information from secondary sources to describe some Australian fossils, where these fossils were found and use available evidence to explain how they contribute to the development of understanding about the evolution of species in Australia Activities 2, 5 perform a first-hand investigation, gather information of named Australian fossil samples and use available evidence to identify similarities and differences between current and extinct Australian life forms Activities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
4. A study of palaeontology and past environments increases our understanding of the possible future range of plants and animals	explain the importance of the study of past environments in predicting the impact of human activity in present environments Activity 5 identify the ways in which palaeontology assists understanding of the factors that may determine distribution of flora and fauna in present and future environments Activity 5	gather, process and analyse information from secondary sources and use available evidence to propose reasons for the evolution, survival and extinction of species, with reference to specific Australian examples Activities 1, 5

The syllabus links for the Gardens and Zoo sessions are provided in the Education Resource Kit that is sent following booking.

Beth Blaxland , Education Project Officer
Last Updated: 21 May 2013

Tags outreach, education, educator-led, outline, program, biota, program outline,