Education

Science at the sea museum

Programs for the year ahead

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The museum is committed to supporting the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and in response the Education team has developed both onsite and digital learning programs for school students. Education Officer Dr Mat Sloane profiles what’s on offer this year.

AS 2021 DREW TO A CLOSE, we had visions of school children coming through the museum’s doors once again in the new year, learning how to be a pirate, discovering life on a tall ship or hearing the stories of migrants that have helped to shape the nation. Instead, the Omicron variant has left us wondering what the new school year will look like. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, the Education team quickly adapted to deliver its programs online, and we saw unprecedented demand for virtual excursions (see Signals 137). So, whether there is continued demand for our digital resources, or a gradual return to onsite excursions, our experience leaves us in a good position to offer immersive educational experiences for schools in 2022. In term 1 we will launch our first ocean science and sustainability programs and resources in support of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) (see Signals 132, 133 and 137). We plan an integrated approach, in which onsite programs will complement digital resources, to ensure their longevity and engagement with the widest possible audience. These new programs will sit alongside our popular history programs, such as HMB Endeavour and Australian Migration Stories. Our first project kicked off with the exhibition One Ocean – Our Future. We made sets of action cards for all visitors and inquiry panels tailored to primary and secondary students. The 12 action cards offer enjoyable tasks such as ‘Be inspired by a First Nations artwork. What would you make out of waste in the ocean and what story would it tell?’ and ‘The ocean is rising but so can you! What will you do to look after the ocean?’. The two inquiry panels for schools have a set of openended activities based on objects and displays in the exhibition that relate to the curriculum. We hope these resources will spark the inner curiosity of visitors and help them to reflect on the wonder and importance of the ocean, and their role in its sustainable management. In line with the ethos of the exhibition, the cards were printed on 100 per cent recyclable cardboard made

Analysis of the Seabin ‘catch’ also helps us to understand the sources of pollution

01 Plastic, plastic, more plastic and a few cigarette butts: just a small sample of what the museum’s Seabin might gather on a typical day, and a catch that helps to educate students about ocean pollution. ANMM image 02 The Education team has created cards to enhance visitors’ experience of the museum’s current exhibition One Ocean – Our Future. ANMM image

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from paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®). They will live on as they travel with the exhibition and appear in a virtual 3D tour of the exhibition, designed in collaboration with the museum’s Digital team. Our two new onsite programs for students in years 1–4 are ‘Ocean plastic – you are the solution’ and ‘Plankton superpowers’. The Ocean Plastic program is a collaboration with the Seabin Project, which makes rubbish bins for the oceans that collect and remove trash, oil, fuel and detergents from the water (see Signals 126). Analysis of the Seabin ‘catch’ also helps us to understand the sources of pollution, and this data can be used to inform decision-making about responsible waste management. There are more than 700 Seabins installed in 50 countries around the world, including 16 in Sydney Harbour, one of which is right here at the museum. Students will watch the Seabin in action and discover what types of plastic get into the ocean, and how. They’ll go on a ‘Trash and treasure’ tour through the museum’s exhibitions, solving riddles to find plastic trash and marine treasures. In the process, they will discover the effects of plastic on food chains and learn how to minimise its use and dispose of it correctly in their own lives. ‘Plankton superpowers’ will also take advantage of the museum’s waterfront precinct to explore the beauty, diversity and importance of plankton for ocean health. Students will catch their own plankton samples from the wharf and view a microscopic world buzzing with activity, geometric shapes and tiny creatures with alien features. Every second breath that we take is thanks to these tiny creatures! Our programs will address the United Nations goals of quality education, which contributes to students’ awareness of the importance of clean water and sanitation, responsible consumption and production, climate action and life below the water.

Despite the challenges of Covid-19, the Education team is ready for 2022 and we can’t wait to share our ocean science and sustainability programs with students around the country.