YEAR 7 - 8
Join our passionate Education Officers on an unforgettable journey at Puffing Billy Railway to investigate and observe the biodiversity of the railway corridor and Dandenong Ranges. Students commence their journey at Belgrave Station learning about the local ecosystems, species and interconnectedness of the region.
Whilst undertaking observations and collecting data, students assess the impact of the historic railway on the temperate rainforest and its inhabitants. They disembark at Lakeside Station to explore the Lakeside Visitor Centre, The Great Hall, and participate in a guided education workshop.
Students will be challenged to design and create their own concepts and systems that allow the species living in the Dandenong Ranges to safely coexist with Puffing Billy Railway. Students will become scientists, engineers, and designers, using the design process to create an innovative solution to protect this precious wildlife. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of design ideas and explore authentic conservation technologies, assess risk, and consider the real-world impact of their ideas.
Curriculum links
| Learning areas | Capabilities | Disciplines | Levels | Content Descriptors | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science | Levels 7 and 8 | Science As A Human Endeavour | Nature and Development of Science | Scientific knowledge, including models and theories, can change because of new evidence (VC2S8H01) | ||
| Use and Influence of Science | Proposed scientific responses to socio-scientific issues impact on society and may involve ethical, environmental, social and economic considerations (VC2S8H03) | |||||
| Earth and Space Science | The sustainable use of Earth�s resources is influenced by whether the resources are renewable or non-renewable; the processes involved in resource extraction and energy production come with both benefits and risks to sustainability (VC2S8U09) | |||||
| Biological Sciences | There are similarities and differences within and between groups of organisms living on Earth; the development and use of classification tools, including dichotomous keys, help order and organise human understanding of the diversity of life (VC2S8U01) | |||||
| Matter and energy flow through ecosystems and can be represented using models, including food webs and food pyramids; populations will be affected by changing biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem including habitat loss, climate change, seasonal migration and introduction or removal of species (VC2S8U04) | ||||||
| Science Inquiry | Questioning and Predicting | Investigable questions, reasoned predictions and hypotheses can be developed in guiding investigations to identify patterns, test relationships and analyse and evaluate scientific models (VC2S8I01) | ||||
| Evaluating | Evidence-based arguments can be constructed to support conclusions or evaluate claims, including consideration of ethical issues and protocols associated with using or citing secondary data or information (VC2S8I07) | |||||
| Scientific methods, conc usions and claims can be analysed to identify assumptions, possible sources of error, conflicting evidence and unanswered questions (VC2S8I06) | ||||||
| Communicating | Communicating ideas, findings and arguments for specific purposes and audiences involves the selection and use of appropriate presentation formats, scientific vocabulary, models and other representations, and may include the use of digital tools (VC2S8I08) | |||||
| Humanities | Geography | Levels 7 and 8 | Geographical Skills | Geographical Inquiry | Develop questions for a geographical inquiry related to a phenomenon, issue or challenge (VC2HG8S01) | |
| Geographical Knowledge and Understanding | Changing Nations | How space, place, interconnection, change and sustainability can be applied to understand the process of urbanization, and its impacts on places (VC2HG8K22) | ||||
| Health and Physical Education | Levels 7 and 8 | Personal, Social and Community Health | Contibuting to Healthy Communities | Plan and implement strategies, using health resources, to enhance their own and others� health, safety, relationships and wellbeing (VC2HP8P10) | ||
| Ethical Capability | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding Ethical Concepts and Perspectives | How dispositions including open-mindedness, personal and non-personal experiences and context influence ethical perspectives and can help to explain similarities and differences in ethical perspectives (VC2CE8U03) | |||
| Critical and Creative Thinking | Levels 7 and 8 | Questions and Possibilities | Strategies for generating new ideas and possibilities including identifying a pattern across multiple information sources (VC2CC8Q03) | |||
| The Arts | Visual Arts | Levels 7 and 8 | Creating | Select and manipulate visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to create artworks (VC2AVA8C01) | ||
| Visual Communication and Design | Levels 7 and 8 | Creating | Generate, develop, resolve and refine design ideas, concepts and solutions considering the communication need, specific audience or user (VC2AVC8C01) | |||
| Technologies | Design and Technologies | Levels 7 and 8 | Technologies and Society | How people in design and technologies occupations consider ethical factors to design and produce products, services and environments (VC2TDE8S01) | ||
| Technologies Contexts | Materials and Technologies Specialisations | Analyse how characteristics and properties of tools, materials, systems and components can be selected, manipulated and combined to create designed solutions that are ethical (VC2TDE8C04) | ||||
| Creating Designed Solutions | Investigating and Defining | Explain needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate and select tools, materials, processes and components to create designed solutions (VC2TDE8D01) | ||||
| Genreating and Designing | Generate, test, iterate and communicate design ideas, processes and solutions using technical terms and graphical representation techniques and appropriate attributions, using manual and digital tools (VC2TDE8D02) | |||||
| Producing and Implementing | Select, justify and use suitable tools, materials, processes and components to safely make designed solutions (VC2TDE8D03) | |||||
| Evaluating | Collaboratively develop design criteria that include ethical considerations to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (VC2TDE8D04) | |||||
| Planning and Managing | Develop project plans to individually, collaboratively and in teams manage time, cost and production of designed solutions (VC2TDE8D05) |
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.
Whistle for Wildlife
Tunnel of love
Nature's tracks
Tracking technology
Lights out on the line
Trackside taxonomy
Eco Express
Rail rescue
Teachers are welcome to download this workbook for the students to use while they are onsite at Puffing Billy Railway.
- Year 7 - 8 Tracks of Survival Workbook | Download
Program details and information
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.
| Group Type | Teacher/Leader to Student Ratio |
|---|---|
| Special Needs Groups | 1:1 |
| Early Years | 1:5 |
| Primary | 1:10 |
| Secondary | 1:10 |
| Tertiary | 1:20 |
| Group Type | Teacher/Leader to Student Ratio |
|---|---|
| Special Needs Groups | 1:1 |
| Early Years | 1:5 |
| Primary | 1:10 |
| Secondary | 1:10 |
| Tertiary | 1:20 |
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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.
