New Activities

There’s always something new and exciting to do in and around Melbourne, make sure you regularly visit this section to keep up to date with newly featured activities.

Star Voyager: Exploring Space on Screen

Thursday 22 September 2011 - Sunday 29 January 2012

ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) presents the world premiere of Star Voyager: Exploring Space on Screen, a major exhibition charting the history and future of space exploration as experienced through the moving image.

As part of the Star Voyager exhibition, ACMI Screen Education is offering resources and events to explore space and the imagination.

The programmed educational events are valuable accompaniments to an exhibition visit or rich experiences on their own. Self-guided visits are available between 10am-1.30pm on weekdays at a cost of $9 per student. Educator-led tours are available at 10.30am, 11.30am and 1pm on weekdays at a cost of $15 per student (min 10 students).

The following activity worksheets targeted for primary school aged students focus on the science of space travel. Download activity sheets for Primary School [PDF 120KB]

Storytelling-Music-Theatre-Australian History

Check out Jan 'Yarn' Wositzy's Buckley: The Go-between and Gold in the Heart Program

Etihad Stadium Night Tours

Etihad Stadium is now offering night tours.  An evening night tour also includes a 15 min handball session (in changerooms).  Team challenge scavenger hunts are also on offer.

Cost $9.50 per student for 1.5 hour (night tour). Team Challenge tours $11.50 per student.   Teachers/adults free of charge.

www.etihadstadium.com.au

Telephone: 8625 7542

Royal Botanic Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens Education Service utilizes the rich natural and cultural resources of the gardens and offers some fantastic hands on programs for school groups.  The programs run for 1 hour 45 min.  Examples of classes include Climate Change, Sustainable Garden, The Rainforest and Water Conservation using Graeme Base’s book The Waterhole.  Why not immerse your class in the magical world of a garden where experience-based learning creates many connections. To download program descriptions click: RBG Education Primary School Programs (994 KB)

Cost: $10.20 per student.

www.rbg.vic.gov.au

Telephone: 9252 2358

Cooks' Cottage

Cooks' Cottage have launched their new education program - an interactive, fun based learning program.  Examples include a Treasure Chest module, Travel Back in Time and Edible or  Poisonous program using the cottage garden.

For a full program click here. (946 kB)

www.cookscottage.com.au

Telephone: 9419 5766

Chinese Museum

The Chinese Museum relives the adventures of the Chinese gold seekers of the 19th Century. A winding deep-lead mine in the Museum’s lower ground has been carved out of the soil, taking you from one real life scene to another. Roll on the high seas in a steamer from Canton, consult your fortune in the temple of Guan Gong, be entertained by Cantonese opera in the goldfields tent theatre and see diggers doubling their winnings on the Chinese lottery. The sights, sounds, the smells are brought back to life through this theatrical exhibit.

Chinatown walks and Chinese Dance, Art and Craft workshops also available. Activities include making kites or lanterns, brushing calligraphy, performing traditional folk dances.

2012 Chinese Museum Education Program (1.16 Mb)

www.chinesemuseum.com.au
Telephone: 9662 2888

New at Planetarium (Scienceworks)

Tilt: Understanding the Seasons

Grade 3-8

In this 40 minute Planetarium show students explore how the four seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis combined with the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and how the seasons and length of day vary across the Earth, from the poles to the equator.

Join Annie and Max and their robot friend as they fly into space to discover how the seasons work. They examine the apparent path of the Sun and the tilt of the Earth to find out about the day-night cycle and why it is different at different places on Earth and at different times of the year. They understand how the seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and are caused by two factors, the tilt of the Earth and the path of the Earth around the Sun.

All Planetarium shows conclude with a staff guided ‘What’s in the sky tonight’ presentation. A related education kit, Seasons, will be sent on booking.

http://museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/

Telephone: 9392 4819

Photo Source: Museum Victoria

Federation Square

The Fed Ed program actively engages primary and secondary school students in the civic and cultural life of Melbourne. Tours and workshops are offered throughout the year to explore Melbourne's iconic meeting place. 'Circle the Square' is a one hour tour tailored to cover topics such as public spaces, community, cultural events, and interpretations of Fed Square's distinctive architecture, design and history.

'Seasonal programs that are linked to festivals, celebrations and special events at Federation Square are also offered. An example is the annual Light in the Winter festival held in June. Educational workshops are offered before and during the event giving students the opportunity to actively participate in the cultural life of Melbourne.

Recently during their Urban Camp experience, St Mary's Echuca participated in a Fed Ed program as part of Education Week and a lantern making workshop leading up to the Federation Square Winter Solstice Celebration. Their colourful lanterns have made the news back home. Click to view. (Download size 114KB) The 2011 Education Week theme, Our Australian Family incorporated a student role-play workshop.

Other seasonal programs to keep an eye open for include Melbourne Writers Festival (August/September) and Festive Harmonies (December).

Go to Fed Ed to learn more.

Cost: Circle the Square $5 per student. Teachers/Adults: FOC.

Icehouse

Melbourne’s newest venue is the exciting new world class ice sports entertainment venue Icehouse. Located at the Docklands, Icehouse features two Olympic sized ice skating rinks, stadium seating for 1000 people and state-of-the-art sound and light systems.

School programs are offered week days. The 1.5 hour session includes basic skill instruction followed by free skating to music.  All safety equipment, included skates and helmets is compulsory and supplied by Icehouse at no extra cost.

The school program costs $10.00 per student.  Teachers are free of charge.

Evening group bookings are available on the public skating rink. $15.60 per student.  

Curling is a great team sport which encourages all students to participate and contribute no matter what their athletic ability may be.  These programs are run by qualified coaches and include both instruction and game time.

Student Curling costs $12.50 per student.  Teachers are free of charge. Hour long sessions offered Monday evenings.

www.icehouse.com.au

Telephone: 8631 3998

Old Treasury Building

Students have the opportunity to explore Victorian Archival Treasures on a guided tour that incorporates Indigenous Victorians, Early Melbourne, Ned Kelly and Victorian Democracy. White at the Old Treasury, students also have the opportunity to explore the building's inner sanctum: its fabled gold vaults. The vaults provide the setting for a special multimedia presentation on the gold rush era in Victoria - a colony Built on Gold. A visit to the Executive Council Chamber is also on offer. Here students learn about the role of Victoria's Governor and see where legislation is given royal assent.

Cost: $3.50 per student. Tour length 50 min.

www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au
Telephone: 03 9651 2233