Join us on an outdoor educational excursion at the Pretoria National Botanical and Zoological Gardens in the Eastern suburbs of Pretoria. Enjoy the open air and beautifulnature, plants and trees.
Duration of programmes are 2 to 3 hours, depending on the grade of the learners (9h00 to 12h00).
Maximum of 120 learners a session, but groups are divided into smaller groups with a facilitator for each groups.
The following programmes will be facilitated -
FOUNDATION PHASE
GRADE R: A Sensory Introduction to the Season - Learners will interact with plants in the Garden, using their senses, listen to stories, sing songs and art activities related to their 5 different senses.
GRADE 1: Sensory Exploration of the Garden and its plants - Introduce 5 senses through games, learn the different part of the plants and what do plants need to grow. Through map work, they will be able to plot plants and animals in the Garden.
GRADE 2: Animals that live in water - An introduction of words like indigenous, alien and biodiversity. Learn where does water come from and the difference between sea water and fresh water. Look at plants and animals in the ponds, discussing their needs, camouflage and nocturnal. Also the life cycles (frogs) .
GRADE 3: Recycling, Reuse and Reduce - Different catagories of waste. Learners will do activities of sorting out waste. They will also do a waste audit and identifying the value and threats of waste to our biodiversity.
All these programmes have been based on the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), linked well to the Life Skills, Language and Mathematics.
INTERMEDIATE, SENIOR AND FET PHASE EDUCATION
GRADE 4 - 5: Water Ecosystems - This Natural Science linked programme deals with living and non-living things. Learners will deal with structure of plants and animals, their habitat and energy transfer. They will be exposed to the issue of water in South Africa: Water cycle, availability of water and pollution thereof.
GRADE 4 - 6: Ecology - Focus on the Natural Science and Technolgy subject, zooming into the life, living, energy and change. In the Social Science subjects it will deal with places where people life, map skills and history of life skills. It will also touch into the Home language and Mathematical skills. The Ecological programme will deal with plant growth and its structure. (grassland, living and non-living factors, hunt for living organisms, energy transfer through food chains and food webs)
GRADE 6: Wetland Ecosystems - Organisms and their role in water. Visit the succulent and water-wise garden to explore the adaptions of water to different water conditions. Learners will explore the concept of Photosynthesis.
GRADE 6 - 7: Indigenous Knowledge - This Life skill programme dealing with develeopment of self and social responsibilities, including physical education, touching on local history and development of medicine through time. Visit the Medicinal/useful plants garden and succulent's garden.
GRADE 7: Biodiversity - Reproduction and classificdation - Natural Science programme which deals with biosphere: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere. Classification of the 5 Kingdoms and the 4 groups of plants will be introduced. Difference between monocotyledons and dicotyledons, pollination and seeds. Topics such as interdependence and energy flow, conservation of the biosphere and ecosystems will receive focus.
GRADE 8: Ecosystems and Inter-relationships - Discover Biotic and abiotic components of the Grassland ecosystem. Discover habitats. An activity on Photosynthesis and energy flow in a Grassland food pyramid will be done.
GRADE 9: Global warming and responses - Knowledge focus - Understanding global warming and climate change, the spheres of the earth, different ecosystems, investigating climate change impact scenarios using photographs or map.
GRADE 10: Ecosystem Investigation - The learners will be given a power-point presentation on the grassland, and through the GDE provided worksheet, they will be guided in completing the activities. The equipment like thermometer, grass guide and plot markings will be provided.
All programmes are accompanied by worksheets which learners can use as assessment tools and portfolio evidence once back at school. They are also activity-based and learner-centred accross all subjects, reflecting the outcomes of the CAPS.
