BBC Earth Experience Melbourne
The BBC does great nature documentaries and the BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne is arguably the peak of the genre.
Featuring footage from Seven Worlds, One Planet, the BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s television documentary series, which was narrated by David Attenborough, visitors will be surrounded by a series of giant, immersive multi-angle screens, powered by state-of-the-art technology and taken on a journey through the nature of the seven distinct continents.
Over 1,500 people worked on the award-winning series, with 92 shoots across 41 countries, to document the true wilderness of the Earth's continents.
“The show was in development for around two years. The main part was sourcing the footage and putting it all together. All images and footage were approved by Sir David Attenborough and the BBC to create this unique experience,” says Lily Everest, the BBC Earth Experience Education Consultant.
BBC Earth Experience offers fun, engaging education workshops on-site to complement school bookings. The BBC Earth Education Hub inspires and motivates students to take action and hopefully become environmental champions. Key messages of the workshops include: connection to nature, waste prevention and environmental advocacy. The workshops are curriculum-linked and focus on an interactive learning approach.
The sessions are tailored to different year levels (Grade P-2, Grade 3-4, Grade 5-6, Grade 7-9 and Grade 10-12) and include discussions, visible learning, game-based learning, communication, collaboration, critical and creative thinking. At the end of the session, students will have the opportunity to develop a public service announcement or pledge to the earth, to inspire action for our planet.
The workshops are led by a team of education facilitators who have backgrounds in environmental and sustainability studies. Lead facilitator, Kirsty Bishop-Fox is a sustainability educator and changemaker who is passionate about shifting mindsets to prioritise sustainability with a think globally and act locally approach. Kirsty is the Co-founder and President of Zero Waste Victoria.
“One of the wonderful things about BBC Earth Experience is that it extends upon conversations already being had in classrooms about sustainability and protecting our planet, and this message is accessible to all ages. Our hope is that the experience will inspire the next generation to continue having conversations about our planet; how to appreciate it and protect it for years to come,” says Lily Everest.
While the BBC Earth Experience is exclusive to Melbourne and people will need to travel to the city to experience its true scale and spectacle, schools across Australia can get comprehensive education packs for school children from Prep to Year 12.
“These packs are free and available to download directly from our website. The packs have a range of curriculum-linked activities and include both student packs and teacher guides to be easily integrated into the classroom. Pairing the packs with a class viewing of the BBC Studios Natural History Unit television series Seven Worlds, One Planet is one way that schools can engage with BBC Earth Experience, without travelling to Melbourne,” she says.
There are a range of affordable packages for schools including experience-only packages and experience + workshop packages. Tickets start at $20 per student and they offer complimentary tickets for accompanying teachers. Excursions can be tailored to the school's needs, more at https://bbcearthexperience.com/melbourne/schools-groups