As part of a STEM enrichment project, eighteen lucky Year 6 students had the unique opportunity to join researchers for a day at the Phillip Island Nature Park. They were joined by a ranger who taught them the ins and outs of how to monitor penguins and the important work they do to keep the colony of Little Penguins thriving in our part of the World. Through a series of workbook related activities and hands-on experiences, the students learnt how to collect and study data for research projects. They were also fortunate enough to contribute to the colony by building nesting boxes that will help with the rehabilitation of the colony.
After their excursion, students worked with unpublished data taken from a tracking device on one of the thousands of Little Penguins on the Island. They aimed to find out where the penguins forage for their food in Western Port Bay, so that researchers and rangers can better protect them at sea. With the help of the Media Arts teachers, students have developed and created a digital story to portray the foraging path of one Little Penguin. This digital story is displayed on the Park’s website, to be shared with other schools and the community.
At Pakenham Springs PS we feel very grateful to be involved in such a fantastic program.
Check out their amazing digital story below: