Stage 2 Science – Living Systems: Ecology at Manly Dam
Program Overview
Set against the spectacular backdrop of Manly Dam, this immersive fieldwork experience invites students to step into the role of an ecologist and explore one of Sydney's most diverse natural environments. Through hands-on investigations, students collect firsthand data using scientific equipment as they conduct water quality tests, dip-net aquatic organisms and examine the diversity of life within freshwater habitats. As they move through a range of ecological communities, including wetlands, heathland and woodland, students observe how living and non-living elements interact to create and maintain healthy ecosystems. Along the way, they discover how the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere work together to support life, explore the relationship between habitats, ecosystems and environments, and investigate how plants and animals depend on one another for survival.
Inquiry questions
How do the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere support life in different habitats?
How do living and non-living things interact to create a healthy ecosystem?
Why do plants and animals depend on one another for survival?
Learning experiences
- Dip Netting in Manly Dam – Search for animals living in freshwater habitat, observing where they are found, abundance of sensitive animals and what this might tell us about the ecosystem health
- Water quality testing - Using field equipment to measure pH, salinity, temperature and turbidity and unpack what these results tell us about the ecosystem
- Vegetation investigation – Guided by expert educators students develop a detailed sketch of a vegetative community as they learn about the significance of this unique ecosystem
- Wildlife investigation – Students go on a bushwalk observing birds, spiders and look for evidence of other animals that inhabit this environment by identifying scats (poo) and tracks.
Key syllabus outcomes (2024 Syllabus)
- ST2-SCI-01 uses information to investigate the solar system and the effects of energy on living, physical and geological systems
Location
The program is delivered at Manly Dam.
