Peakhurst Primary School

The impetus of a special day conducted by the Observatory Hill Environment Education Centre on water-wise management of the school environment resulted in a multi-stage unit of work on 'Where the water goes'. The focus of the unit was to follow what happens to a drop of rainwater when it falls on the grounds of Peakhurst PS. Teachers Jenny Hoskins (Yr 4,5,6) and Elisabeth Lloyd (Yr 1,2,3) decided to trial the unit with their classes of gifted and talented students.

The older class worked with the tablet pcs and digital cameras conducting an investigation to locate drains and water-carrying pipes in the school grounds. Using a map of the stormwater drains provided by the Hurstville City Council, students then identified the path of water from the school to their local creek. Tablet pcs and digital cameras were used to record this Drain Search. Students discovered that rainwater from the school runs into Salt Pan Creek.

Students then turned their attention to the estuarine environment of the creek, a tributary of the Georges River. Hurstville City Council provided a list of plants growing in the environment and local naturalist, Alan Fairley, visited the older students to discuss the plants and animals at Salt Pan Creek. This preparation lead up to a field trip to the Creek where students, assisted by members of the Oatley Flora and Fauna Society, identified and made records of the plants in the area. They also studied local birds and minibeasts in the water. Students finalised their study by preparing a field herbarium of their pressed plants and an individual report of their unit of work.

Meanwhile Elisabeth Lloyd's Yr 1,2,3 students were familiarising themselves with Salt Pan Creek by visiting the area and preparing a number of artistic works. The senior class passed on their work to the junior class by giving them the field herbarium and accompanying them to Salt Pan Creek to locate and identify their plants. Using field records and book references each junior student then worked to prepare a digital description of their plant.

Unit of work

• Year 4,5,6
• Year 1,2,3
• Visual Arts lesson sequence
• Rubric working scientifically
• Project poster
• Salt Pan Creek Field Trip

Teacher reflections

• Project journey - Jenny Hosking & Elisabeth Lloyd
• Teacher reflections Jenny Hosking Year 4,5,6 teacher
• Teacher reflections Elisabeth Lloyd Tear 1,2,3 teacher

Student work samples

• Investigation to map drains and water-carrying pipes in the school grounds
• Drain Search student tablet pc field record
• Yr 4,5,6 Salt Pan Creek photos
• Yr 4,5,6 Salt Pan Creek presentation 1
• Yr 4,5,6 Salt Pan Creek presentation 2
• Year 1,2,3 Plant Record