Four Secondary School Students Examine A Skull Healesville Sanctuary

Food Chains and Food Webs Year 7-8

Year levels

Year 7, Year 8

Cost

See Plan Your Visit 

Availability

Monday to Friday (during school term)

Themes

Australian Animals, Classification, Food Chains / Webs

Investigate the food webs of Australian animals and their unique features that are key to survival.

Program description

In this program, students will discover the significant role that each living thing plays within a food web, how to classify animals based on shared features, and reflect upon the delicate balance of life within a forest ecosystem. They will consider how humans affect these systems and suggest ideas to sustainably manage these impacts.  

Students will learn: 

  • To observe the structural and behavioural adaptations of animals  
  • To construct and interpret food webs  
  • Humans impact on ecosystems 
  • Sustainable practices to help care for the environment

Program sequence

Before your visit

Connect

Use the activities in the Teaching Guide (below) to spark students’ curiosity before their Healesville Sanctuary visit.

During your visit

Connect and Understand 

Students will explore Healesville Sanctuary, and by analysing skulls, students will learn to group species based on their structural adaptations for obtaining and digesting food. They will deepen their understanding of interactions between organisms through the construction of a food web and consider the impacts of human activity on these systems.

Students will be encouraged to use this learning to help them to contribute positively to real life conservation issues in their local community. 

After your visit

Understand  

Use activities in the Teaching Guide to deepen students’ learning back at school.  

Act  

Use the Teaching Guide to enable students to master their knowledge and skills in real-world contexts.

Program map and itineraries

Digital maps will be provided to you on the day.

Program resources

Coming soon! Thanks for your patience.

Learning outcomes

Victorian Curriculum 7-8

Science

There are differences within and between groups of organisms; classification helps organise this diversity (VCSSU091) 

  • Through observations of animals, students learn different ways of classifying organisms based on similarities and differences in features and conservation status 

Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs and can be affected by human activity (VCSSU093) 

  • During close encounters with Australian animals, students will discuss food chains and food webs to understand the relationships between organisms and human impacts on ecosystems 
Geography

Identify, analyse and explain interconnections within places and between places and identify and explain changes resulting from these interconnections (VCGGC101)   

  • Students will learn about the impact of humans on places, habitats and ecosystems and what effect these impacts may have   

Plan your excursion 

This program is an outdoor all-weather program; the students will need appropriate clothing for weather conditions. This could include a raincoat, hat and sun protection.  

School groups will enter Healesville Sanctuary via the Main Entrance. Organising teachers please check in with our Admissions team upon arrival. More information.

Book your education experience

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You will need to know the following to book your zoo excursion or online workshop:

  • Education program of your choice (if applicable)
  • Preferred date
  • School name and address
  • Contact details of organising teacher
  • Number of students/classes and their year level