WA Down Under workshop

Are you planning to bring your class to the JAMES CAMERON - CHALLENGING THE DEEP exhibition? Consider this facilitated program as an extension to your visit.

Along with exploring significant shipwrecks such as RMS Titanic and Bismarck, deep ocean explorers such as James Cameron make significant contributions to our knowledge of life in the water. WA Museum’s Aquatic Zoologists have made their contributions through research explorations in our backyard, taking part in dives into Perth Canyon which is up to 4 kilometres deep.

The Museum’s scientists, in close collaboration with other experts, play a major role in studying and discovering the many species living underwater. In this special workshop, students will get a hands-on taste of what scientists do, replicating experiments done in the field. Students will explore sustainability, the impact of human activity and changes to the marine environment in WA’s rivers and oceans, and the management of marine resources.

The program will examine a variety of species local to WA waters and the features or characteristics that allow them to survive in their environment. There will be a particular focus on: 

• Microorganisms living in Perth’s surroundings and local waters. 
• The place of these microorganisms in the food web, and their role in significant events such as algal blooms and ‘fish kills’. 
• How to examine and consider the physical environmental conditions of local waters (both estuarine and oceanic) to assess what factors may affect microscopic life and other aquatic animals.
• How environmental changes such as deoxygenation or acidification can impact the species living within it.

At the Museum

What your class will experience

Students participating in this 60-minute program will take part in hands-on activities using specialised equipment. Digital microscopes will be set up to examine species of micro-organisms in water such as plankton, and water testing will be conducted for salinity, oxygen level, acidity and other qualities that may affect marine life.

This hands-on workshop is being offered in conjunction with self-guided visits to the JAMES CAMERON - CHALLENGING THE DEEP exhibition and the WA Maritime Museum’s permanent galleries. Bookings for the self-guided component of your visit can be made separately.

Booking instructions

Step 1 – Creating your class rotation

We can accommodate up to 3 classes per day – all starting at 10 am (start time can be adjusted on request). Before you book, you must create a proposed rotation for your visit so that you are clear on what time your class is participating in the different parts of the program. If classes are also booked into the JAMES CAMERON - CHALLENGING THE DEEP exhibition, classes will rotate between the facilitated session and self-guided exhibition exploration.

Step 2 – Making a booking

Please send an email to education@museum.wa.gov.au with the following details and we will begin to process your booking.

1. Program choice: WA Down Under workshop and a self-guided Museum gallery exploration, with optional entry to the JAMES CAMERON - CHALLENGING THE DEEP exhibition.
2.  Preferred visit dates and session times
3. Number of classes & student numbers in each class
4. Number of attending adults per class
5. Contact Teacher name, email and mobile number
6. School

Step 3 – Planning your visit

Don’t forget to read the Planning Your Visit section (below) so you are prepared for your visit to the Museum. If you are booking for more than one class, please share this page with your fellow class teachers.

Please email education@museum.wa.gov.au or call us on 1300 134 081 to discuss other booking options if the above is not suitable.

Booking conditions

We may need to refuse entry if we are already at capacity at your selected Museum and you haven't pre-booked. Each part starts on the hour, and we are unable to shorten the program (especially if you are rotating with another school). 

For the best learning outcome, we recommend a maximum of 32 students per session. A minimum supervisor ratio of 1 adult to 10 students is required. Bookings need to be made 14 days before the date of your visit. 

Changes to dates and times are subject to availability. Refunds are not available if you cancel your booking within 14 days of your visit.

Curriculum links

Programs and exhibitions at the WA Museum support teachers in their delivery of the WA Curriculum to their students. The WA Down Under workshop has been developed concerning the following content description(s) from the Years 5 and 6 Western Australian Curriculum:

Year 5   
Science Understanding   
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES   
Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)

Year 6   
Science Understanding   
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES   
The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)

Cross-curriculum priorities

The program links strongly to the Cross-Curriculum Priority of Sustainability, and there are some relevant links to the priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures and Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia

Duration

WA Down Under is a one-hour facilitated program that can be booked alongside self-guided explorations of the JAMES CAMERON - CHALLENGING THE DEEP exhibition or Maritime Museum galleries.

For two classes, both classes start at the same time and rotate between the two activities.

Planning your visit

Specific to this program

• Before arriving at the Museum please have students in each class already organised into FIVE groups of 4-6 students for this facilitated program. Having your students already organised into groups will give them more time to enjoy the activity, rather than spending time splitting into groups. 
• Students will NOT require any pencils/paper or clipboards unless you specifically wish them to record their work for later use.
• The program starts promptly at 10am and runs for the full hour. If more than one class is booked there will be a short transition period in between facilitated sessions.

General to WA Maritime Museum

• On arrival at the Museum, please check in at the Front Desk to confirm your student numbers, booked session times and emergency contact details.
• The Museum is open from 9.30am for access to toilets and storage of bags etc. 
• If you are running late, please contact the WA Maritime Museum front desk on 9431 8334, or the Customer Relations Team on 1300 134 081.
• Further information can be found in the WA Maritime Museum Excursion Management Guide.
• Getting to the WA Maritime Museum.