Resources and Activity Downloads
This page provides teachers and educators with a range of environmental education resources and ideas. For more information contact enviroed@ipswich.qld.gov.au
Reduce, reuse and recycle
These school resources have been developed to assist in increasing awareness and understanding of recycling, responsible waste disposal and composting techniques.
Composting and Worm Farm Guide
Invasive Weeds of Ipswich
The below resource has been developed as a general information guide to support community efforts to identify weeds and take appropriate actions. For a hardcopy, email enviroed@ipswich.qld.gov.au.
100+ Invasive Weeds of Ipswich(PDF, 5MB)
Waterway Health Activity Sheets
These resources have been developed for a greater understanding and appreciation of waterway health and catchment management issues. The activities aimed at Grades 4 - 7 focus on topics such as the water cycle, human activities that impact our waterways, and chemical and physical assessment of water quality and the riparian zone.
Waterway Health activity sheets
The Activity Sheets have been designed to use as 'one-off' activities or in a sequence throughout the year to complement the school curriculum for environmental studies. Some of the activities are interactive and will require students to venture outdoors, while others can be done within the classroom.
Many of the activities require students to use reference material and explore other avenues for obtaining information. The students are encouraged to take an initiative in investigating the impacts of different land uses on waterway health and to research ways in which these land uses can be improved. The activities will help students develop their understanding of the environment and the natural surroundings.
Within each activity there are words and terminologies that you will come across that may not be familiar, or have a specific meaning within the context of waterway health. These key words have been underlined in each activity sheet; you will find their meanings and other relevant terms in the 'Waterway Definitions' Activity Sheet.
- Introduction For Teachers(PDF, 2MB)
- Activity Sheet 1 - Understanding Catchments(PDF, 2MB)
- Activity Sheet 2 - Monitoring Water Quality(PDF, 242KB)
- Activity Sheet 3 - Vegetation And Habitat Health(PDF, 2MB)
- Activity Sheet 3a - Vegetation And Habitat Health Vegetation(PDF, 653KB)
- Activity Sheet 3b - Vegetation And Habitat Health Erosion(PDF, 75KB)
- Activity Sheet 3c - Vegetation And Habitat Health Macro-invertebrates(PDF, 754KB)
- Activity Sheet 3d Vegetation And Habitat Health Results(PDF, 311KB)
- Activity Sheet 5 - Caring For Your Catchment(PDF, 419KB)
- Activity Sheet 6 - Weeds(PDF, 358KB)
- Activity Sheet 7 - A Catchment Story(PDF, 2MB)
- Activity Sheet 8 - Creating Your Own Frog Habitat(PDF, 2MB)
- Activity Sheet 9 - Understanding The Water Cycle(PDF, 841KB)
- Activity Sheet 10 - Waterway Crossword(PDF, 153KB)
- Activity Sheet 11 - Waterway Definitions(PDF, 89KB)
Waterway Health fact sheets
Council also has a series of Waterway Health fact sheets that provide greater understanding and appreciation of waterway health and catchment management issues in Ipswich.
Waterbug kits
Your local creek or waterway can become an instant classroom with waterbug kits able to be borrowed from council’s EnviroEd officer.
The kit includes nets, trays and a large reference poster so your students can discover the tiny life living in Ipswich waterways, and how that indicates waterway health.
Council’s EnviroEd officer may also be able to suggest some local waterway locations suitable for your activity.
Contact the EnviroEd officer via enviroed@ipswich.qld.gov.au to book a waterbug kit
Ipswich Nature Centre video guided tour
This resource was developed to assist schools with a 'digital' excursion to the popular Ipswich Nature Centre. To book an excursion, see the EnviroEd Booking Enquiry Form webpage.
Other resources
These resources are offered external to council but align to strategic objectives such as waste minimisation and waterway health.
| Organisation / Program |
Topic |
Activity type |
Earthwatch
Education program |
Water sustainability, waterways, natural water cycle, environment and sustainability |
Mizuiku Nature and Water School Program
Teacher PD |
Seqwater
Community Education |
Water cycle, catchments & waterways, managing water supply, water treatment & quality |
Excursion
Incursion
Digital |
Urban Utilities
Education program |
Water and sewerage services, water cycle and environment. |
Excursions - from 2024
Incursion
Digital |
Queensland Government
Waterwise resources |
Water cycle, waterwise behaviours, water sources & storage, water efficiency & alternative water sources. |
Digital |
Remondis
REdiscovery Hub |
Waste management, minimising waste, reducing, re-using, recycling |
Excursion - Swanbank, Ipswich |
Waste Education Queensland
Free resources |
Positive waste behaviours, reducing waste footprint and costs, community & school waste management. |
Digital |
OzHarvest
FEAST |
Healthy eating, sustainability, food waste, environmental impact, classroom cooking |
Activity kits & training
Digital |
Cool.org
War on Waste
Visy Recycling |
Waste management, environmental impact, circular economy, recycling, sustainable solutions |
Digital |
Australian Circular Economy Hub
Portal |
Circular economy |
Digital |
Clean Up Australia Day
School Clean Up |
Waste management, sustainability |
Activity kits
Digital |
Plant Science Learning Hub
Australian National Botanic Gardens |
Plant life cycles, pollination |
Digital |