13 July 2010
Queensland teachers from state primary schools are invited to nominate teams of year six and seven students for an 'Outback Adventure' to visit the inspiring people, places and wide open spaces of Queensland's Outback, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor announced today.
Mr Lawlor said the competition provided students with an exciting school camping expedition in their home state, and was a joint initiative of Tourism
"Queensland state schools are encouraged to form teams comprising of 5 students and submit a 'pitch' or audio/video presentation detailing 'what you expect to see in Queensland's Outback," Mr Lawlor said.
Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said the winners would become 'outback adventurers', travelling onboard Kangaroo Bus Lines as far west as Longreach and Winton to explore
"The 'Outback Adventure' will include activities such as visiting evidence of a dinosaur stampede at Lark Quarry and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs and discovering the history behind some of
"I'm delighted that experiencing the Outback is the ultimate prize in this unique competition.
"The successful students will also meet fellow students from the Longreach School of Distance Education and learn how kids who live in
"This is an amazing experience for city kids to encounter what outback kids experience on an everyday basis and then go home and share this with their other classmates."
Ms Kiernan said every school that participated in the competition would be encouraged to join a free online event that would follow the daily experiences of the 'outback adventurers', via Education Queensland's secure online environment, the
"An online web feed will also be available to classrooms across the state so that other students can follow the 'outback adventurers'," she said.
"Using lesson plans found in the Queensland Outback Education Handbook, schools can then participate in a variety of live and own-time activities that complement the experience of the student's excursion.
"The Queensland Outback Education Handbook is a free resource, produced by Tourism
"There is no need to worry if your school misses out in this competition, any student can use the handbook to plan their own school excursion to
Mr Lawlor said the handbook also contained 29 fact sheets designed to assist teachers to develop lesson plans covering everything from fossils through to social history and early exploration.
"This is an excellent free resource for teaching our children about the state's cultural heritage and we hope it becomes a valued classroom companion," he said.
"I encourage all Year 6 and 7 teachers to make sure they get their copy of the Queensland Outback Education Handbook and participate in this fantastic learning opportunity.
Teachers and students who are interested in the competition have until 13 August to submit an entry. For more information visit - www.queenslandsoutbackadventure.com.au
