Visits The Museum's pictorial, informative and easy-to-read displays are well received by students of all ages. Each year sees around 1000 school-age students enjoying group visits which often involve "hands-on" activities. Available: Normally on weekdays between 9.30am and 5.00pm, by prior arrangement with the Curator. Visits to the Museum not requiring the Curator’s involvement can be made on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9.30am and 5.00pm. The Museum is closed at lunchtimes (normally 12.30-1.30pm) and whenever the Curator is not present, so it is essential to check with her beforehand that the Museum will be open for your visit. Telephone Jenny Bevan on 6488 2681, fax 6488 1037 or email jbevan@cyllene.uwa.edu.au. Activities: Schools can request programmes involving a hands-on activity, Museum worksheets and a short group talk by the Curator. It is helpful to have more than one adult with the class. The venue is appropriate for both Primary and Secondary Schools, and Museum worksheets and hands-on activities can be chosen to suit most ages, although it is best if the teacher visits beforehand and adapts worksheets to suit the class interests and capabilities. The Curator is available to answer questions but does not supervise the children: please make sure you have more than one adult with the class. Country senior high school classes can request special programmes at the Curator's discretion and availability. Classes recently have enjoyed programmes including one or more of these activities:
• an introduction to the Rock Cycle: "How the Earth recycles its rocks" (brief illustrated talk and hands-on exercise)
• tour of the Rock and Mineral Gallery with the Curator, discussing minerals and rock types
However, a fossils-orientated programme is also available, and other requirements can be discussed with the Curator. Loan sets are available for preliminary or follow-up school-based activities (normally a donation is made if sets are borrowed). Cost: There is no formal charge for schools activities, as entry to the Museum is free (however, donations are very welcome, since the Museum is dependant on donations for its displays and day-to-day expenses.) Time: Approximately 1 hour for most programmes, but this can vary greatly according to activities and age of children.  Logistics: Supervision of the children is the responsibility of the teachers and adult helpers at all times. We have found that the programmes work best with up to 30 children and 3 to 4 adults.
There is no water fountain in the Geology Building, and we require that access to toilets be supervised. There are large lawn areas with shade right outside the Geology Building for lunches etc., and a colonnade to use if it is raining.
Transport: If you intend to bring a bus on to the campus, you will need to contact the Unipark Office (on 6488 3020) to advise the time of arrival and departure of the buses. Buses should enter the University from Winthrop Avenue, turn left, and follow the ring road east until the BUS PARKING sign is reached (east of the tennis courts). They may not enter car parks or park on grass verges. Passengers should only alight at the appropriate bus parking area, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Unipark Office. The parking area is 5 minutes or so walk from the Geology Building. Private cars should be parked in the TICKET areas in the car parks (e.g. the Art Gallery car park [Car Park 20], enter from Fairway, Entrance 1), or along Fairway itself. Resources Come and talk to the Curator about resources of all kinds, from maps to good websites, from places to go to where to buy teaching materials.
Loan sets: Some rock sets are available for loan, including a "Sampler" box of 45 interesting and attractive labelled specimens which are good as a fun introduction to Earth Science and can be used in an interdisciplinary way if required: how about using them in English for practising descriptive words, or in Art? Other sets include "Ores and Resources" (32 specimens with descriptive labels); "Introduction to Earth Science" (25 specimens with descriptive labels) and "Fossils". "Geology At Home" is a set of 24 numbered boxes matching sites on a poster, which contain real samples of some of the rocks and minerals used. There are also general geology teaching sets comprising a set of around 30 common rocks with information on each. *****NEW!! sets of 3 BOOKS packed with information for teaching Earth Science in schools (these are not standard textbooks). *****NB. A donation of around $10 is normal when loan sets are borrowed.** Don't forget to visit our Links page for useful websites for teachers. The ABC video/broadcast "Our Earth" series of programmes is recommended and their downloadable worksheets are very good. Outreach Teachers' workshops and PD: Country schools only: contact the Curator for further information. Presentations: Look out for displays by the Museum at Science Fairs, Prospective Students nights and other external expositions. School students and teachers are particularly welcome at the UWA Expo events each year. The Museum has extra displays and there are many hands-on activities, computers, microscopes and more staffed displays in the nearby Undercroft, where other displays from the Faculty are also available. ****See "HOME" page for these and other events.****
***** Earth Science education*****
You can now access the excellent Geological Society of Australia Education and Outreach Resources website as follows: http://gsa.org.au/resources/education.html
Find Fact-ites, Quizzicles and online geoscience puzzles (fact-ites are also available as print copies from the business office). Fact-ites are designed to provide quick information and activities for busy teachers. Quizzicles are online interactive geoscience puzzles and quizzes for middle school students. SEE OUR LINKS PAGE FOR MORE WEBSITES USEFUL FOR TEACHERS
Earth Science Western Australia has been set up to promote Earth Science to schools in Western Australia and, in particular, to maximise the opportunities resulting from introduction of the Earth and Environmental Science (EES) course of study into years 11 and 12. Their Executive Officer, Earth Science Secondary Education, is an experienced geologist called Dianne Tompkins who is based at CSIRO Bentley. ESWA runs Professional Development Days and helps both financially and otherwise with school field trips and the provision of resources for schools. Their educational staff have produced specific teaching programmes and they are able to provide teaching materials such as rock samples and class sets of hand lenses. Contact them if you need help! Dianne.Tompkins@csiro.au Have a look at the ESWA webpage for information: www.sciencewa.net.au/eswa and check out some ESWA PD ideas. Other ESWA staff are helping with resources for Years 8-10 as well.
Check out this pdf for 38 resource ideas for teachers | 
the oval labels. They can then be attached with a pair of velcro dots each end, using the picture here as a guide. Remove them, then you can do your "How the Earth Recycles its Rocks" talk adding the labels as you go, or get the students to put them on for you. 
