30 Aug 2012
On Monday, students from 1-2M, 2T & 2/3H enjoyed a ‘Virtual Excursion' at Taronga Zoo in Mr Lloyd's room. Renowned author, Aleesah Darlison and zoo keeper, Charlotte Hulme, introduced the audience to blue-tongue lizards, kangaroos, ‘Jack' the Ring-tailed possum, Tasmanian Devils, python snakes and ‘Stompy' the Green Tree Frog. There were students from several other NSW schools also participating.
Charlotte answered questions from students at each school including Joe, Blithe and Abdullah from THSPS. We learnt that python snakes are ‘carnivorous' (meat eaters) and prey on frogs and micro bats; ‘nocturnal' animals such as possums hunt at night (have great vision) and sleep during the day and that green tree frogs can jump 4 metres high!
Aleesah shared a fabulous story she had written when she was only 7 years old about a goanna she wanted to keep but her father said it had to live in the wild, in its ‘natural habitat'. Her story, ‘Warambi' (means bat), was based upon the nocturnal, Little Bent-wing Bats that live in coastal north-eastern NSW and eastern Australia, our very own location! In the story Warambi and her family were threatened by bulldozers destroying their natural habitat. Unfortunately this is a real situation as the conservation status of Little Bent Wings in NSW is listed as Vulnerable.
Students thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful experience and finished off humming to the catchy tune: ‘echolocation'. Check it out on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr-Y2Tt8gFE
Miss Toop
1-2M Teacher