YEAR 3 - YEAR 4

Join our education officers on Puffing Billy and connect with nature, on an adventure through the magnificent forests of the Dandenong Ranges. Develop an understanding of natural areas and the importance of protecting places of special significance. Disembark at Lakeside Station to explore the Lakeside Visitor Centre.

PUFFING BILLY EDEP 219

Curriculum links

Steam Machines Curriculum Links - The Victorian Curriculum F -10 Version 2.0
Curriculum Area Strand Sub-Strand Content Description
HistoryHistorical Concepts and SkillsUsing Historical SourcesIdentify the features and content of historical sources (VC2HH4S03)
Describe perspectives of people from the past based on evidence from primary sources (VC2HH4S04)
Describe different historical interpretations (VC2HH4S05)
Continuity and ChangeIdentify and describe continuity and change (VC2HH4S06)
GeographyGeographical Knowledge and UnderstandingDiversity of Places and environmentsThe relationships between people and their place and its environment (VC2HG4K01)
Activities in the local place (such as retail, recreation, manufacturing, farming, education and commercial) and reasons for their location (VC2HG4K02)
The importance of environments, including natural vegetation and water sources, to people and animals in Australia and on another continent (VC2HG4K03)
The similarities and differences between places in Australia and neighbouring countries in terms of their natural, managed and constructed features (VC2HG4K08)
Sustainability and its application to the use of natural resources and the management of waste (VC2HG4K09)
Design and TechnologiesTechnologies ContextsEngineering principles and systemsDescribe how forces affect function in a product or system (VC2TDE4C01)
Technologies and SocietyThe role of people in design and technologies occupations and factors including sustainability that impact on the design of solutions to meet community needs (VC2TDE4S01)
Materials and technologies specialisationsDescribe how the properties of materials affect function in a product or system (VC2TDE4C04)
Investigating and definingExplore needs or opportunities for designing and testing materials, components, tools and processes needed to create designed solutions (VC2TDE4D01)
Generating and designingGenerate and communicate design ideas and decisions using technical terms and graphical representation techniques, using manual and digital tools (VC2TDE4D02)
Creating Designed SolutionsProducing and implementingSelect and use materials, components, tools and techniques to safely make designed solutions (VC2TDE4D03)
EvaluatingUse given or predetermined design criteria including sustainability to evaluate design ideas and solutions (VC2TDE4D04)
ScienceScience as Human EndeavourUse and Influence of ScienceScientific knowledge, skills and data can be used by people to explain how they will meet a need or solve a problem (VC2S4H02)
Science UnderstandingPhysical SciencesHeat energy can be generated from different sources; temperature changes may happen when heat is transferred from one object to another (VC2S4U09)
Science InquiryQuestioning and predictingObservations can be used as a basis for posing questions to identify patterns and relationships, and to predict the outcomes of investigations (VC2S4I01)
Planning and conductingScientific investigations to answer questions or test predictions can be planned and conducted using provided scaffolds, including identifying the attributes of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment (VC2S4I02)
Observations, including formal measurements, can be made and recorded by following procedures to use familiar scaled instruments and digital tools as appropriate (VC2S4I03)
Processing, modelling and analysingData and information can be organised and represented to identify patterns and simple relationships by constructing tables, graphs and visual or physical models (VC2S4I04)
EvaluatingFindings can be compared to those of others, including, as appropriate, whether a test was fair or not, to enable conclusions to be drawn, and may lead to the identification of further questions for investigation (VC2S4I05)
EnglishLiteracyInteracting with OthersDeliver spoken texts to an audience using features of voice (VC2E3LY02)

Teacher & Student Resources

Puffing Billy Railway offers a range of pre- and post-excursion curriculum-linked resources to support teaching and learning in the classroom and at home. All resources are based around the topics of Energy/Force/Motion, Past and Present, Design and Technology and Biodiversity.

Pre-Excursion Activities

Where does Puffing billy get its energy from?

Our Community

The marble run

What's in the box?

Post-Excursion Activities

Use the force

The time for technology

Material world

Protecting the Dandenong Creek

Excursion Workbook

Teachers are welcome to download this workbook for the students to use while they are onsite at Puffing Billy Railway.

Program details and information

Guided Excursion Rates

Belgrave to Lakeside

Fare type One way ^ Return
Kinder, P-10 students*$31.40$37.70
VCE students*$45.35$55.25
Adult*$46.35$59.40

*These discounted rates only apply during school terms and are not available during school holidays or on public holidays.

^ Note: Single Journeys require bus pick up from Lakeside or Menzies Creek.

PLEASE NOTE

  • Guided Programs are led by Education Officer and include:
    • A Puffing Billy train journey.
    • An educator-led, curriculum-aligned, education workshop.
    • An exploration of the natural environment.
  • The Additional Teacher/Leader Rate includes train fare plus guided program.
  • SPECIAL NEEDS GROUPS – Additional Carers charged at student rates.

Please note: Rates are subject to change without notice.

Guided Education Group Ratios

Group Type Teacher/Leader to Student Ratio
Special Needs Groups1:1
Early Years1:5
Primary1:10
Secondary1:10
Tertiary1:20

Free Of Charge Teacher Ratios

Group Type Teacher/Leader to Student Ratio
Special Needs Groups1:1
Early Years1:5
Primary1:10
Secondary1:10
Tertiary1:20

  • DURATION

    Half Day (approx. 10.30 am - 2.30 pm)

  • AVAILABILITY

    Monday - Friday during the Victorian School Terms

  • LOCATION

    OPTION 1 | RETURN JOURNEY
    Meet the Education Officer at Belgrave Station at 10:00am for an 11:00am departure (approx. 1-hour journey). Disembark at Lakeside Station at 11:55am. Enjoy lunch, the Lakeside Visitor Centre, an Educator led workshop and the natural surrounds. Board Puffing Billy at 2:15pm and return to Belgrave Station at approx. 3:10pm. 

    OPTION 2 | SINGLE JOURNEY
    Meet the Education Officer at Belgrave Station at 10:00am for an 11:00am departure (approx. 1-hour journey). Disembark at Lakeside Station at 11:55am. Enjoy lunch, the Lakeside Visitor Centre, an Educator led workshop and the natural surrounds. Depart on your school bus from Lakeside at 2:15pm. Other options can be scheduled.  according to Puffing Billy Railway timetable.

Enquiries

Enquire about our guided excursions via our online form.
Please contact the Education team for any further questions by emailing [email protected] or calling 03 9757 0700.