Setting up a Chicken Run in a School
Students will learn about the life cycle of a chicken and will have the opportunity to handle chickens. The needs of chickens will be discussed, including feeding, water, housing and their natural behaviours such as dust bathing and pecking orders.
Please note, schools should follow the Department of Education Guidelines for keeping chickens on school grounds. We will be using pekin bantam chickens which are easy for children to handle and we will only be discussing chickens for egg production, not meat production.
What happens?
- Students meet our chickens and learn how to handle them
- Students will see the characteristics and behaviours of chickens and learn how this effects the environment they live in, where to locate housing and resources required
- Natural care of the chickens will be demonstrated and hands on participation in some aspects will follow
- A story or powerpoint will show the life cycle of a chicken appropriate for children
Curriculum links
Themes: Sustainability, waste
- ST1-4LW-S: describes observable features of living things and their environments
- ST1-5LW-T: identifies how plants and animals are used for food and fibre products
- (ACSSU017) describe the external features of a variety of living things
- (ACSSU211) identify that living things live in different places that suit their needs
- ST1-1WS-S observes, questions and collects data to communicate and compare ideas
- ST1-10ES-S recognises observable changes occurring in the sky and on the land and identifies Earth’s resources
- ST2-1WS-S: questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations
- ST2-2DP-T: selects and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity
- ST2-5LW-T: describes how agricultural processes are used to grow plants and raise animals for food, clothing and shelter
- ST2-6MW-S: describes how adding or removing heat causes a change of state
- ST3-1WS-S: plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions
- ST3-2DP-T: plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity
- ST3-4LW-S: examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things
- ST3-5LW-T: explains how food and fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for health and nutrition
Booking information
Minimum students: 15
Maximum group size: no more than two groups of 30 students per day
Please note: no education bookings are available on Fridays.
Class size will be limited for certain activities due to safety considerations and staffing resources.
Please book at least two months before your visit.
Use the button on this page to request an excursion booking, or call us during business hours on (02) 4227 7667.
If your request is accepted, we'll send you a booking confirmation letter, risk assessment, garden map and instructions for your visit (including wet weather plan).
Excursion cost is $14 (incl. GST) per student per day, and includes two activities. Carers and teachers are free.
In line with new Education Department policy, we are requesting the pre-payment of your attendance by credit card. This will be emailed to you as soon as we have confirmed your education date and you have confirmed your numbers. (Please note we cannot amend numbers after an invoice has been generated).
If payment before attendance is not possible you will be required to send us a PO number so we can send the invoice to EDConnect, to be paid prior to attendance.
Once your payment is made we will issue a confirmation, along with Council risk assessments covering safety for garden excursions.
Please meet at the Discovery Centre, located at the north eastern corner of Wollongong Botanic Garden.
Buses can drop students off at either the bus bay located at the University of Wollongong on Northfields Avenue or at our Murphys Avenue car park.
If your activity is being held at one of the Garden Annexes, such as Mount Keira or Puckeys Estate, please meet at the designated located specified on your booking confirmation.
We have a minimal waste policy and ask that packaging of food items brought to the Garden are minimised.
Most activities can still go ahead in light rain. In this case, please make sure students, teachers and accompanying parents wear appropriate wet weather clothes and shoes.
Our activities may need to be cancelled in heavy rain or high winds.
Please call us on the excursion day to confirm whether the program can continue or if your excursion needs to be rescheduled.