Online Learning Festival

Festival launch and poster competition award ceremony

This is the official opening ceremony of the first-ever Online Learning Festival, organised in collaboration between Victoria's water management and catchment management authorities, the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning, and the Australian Water Association. In the video, we announce the winners of the Victorian Poster Competition!

Suitable for: Primary and Community

Reimagining our Water Future with Nova Peris OAM

Celebrate with Nova Peris OAM, Melbourne Water’s Principal Advisor Aboriginal Engagement. Listen to Nova’s reflections, with an Aboriginal perspective, on the National Water Week theme ‘reimagining our water future’. 10 – 11am AEDT. Registration required.

Suitable for: Primary and Secondary

Melbourne’s Sewerage System

This session will explore how Melbourne Water is managing the effects of climate change and population growth across the Melbourne sewerage system, and how it will influence the future. Join us to discuss climate issues with a wastewater expert while exploring the Western Treatment Plant virtually! 11.30am – 12.30pm AEDT. Registration required.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Curious Creatures, Wild Minds Book Week Interview

Award-winning author and illustrator Meg Humphrys will talk about her book, When Water Lost Her Way. Find out how Meg combined her interests in art and science to create a fictional story about a scientific process. The interview will be available on demand. Audiobook, teacher resources and a water cycle meditation will allow you to revisit this story throughout the week.

Suitable for: Upper Primary, Science and English

Enhancing our Dandenong Creek

Join us in this live webinar to find out how an area of Dandenong Creek was reimagined with community and stakeholders, while taking an innovative approach to sewerage management. 4 – 5pm AEDT. Registration required.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Western Treatment Plant Augmented Reality App

Step off into the wonderful world of the Western Treatment Plant with this clever augmented reality experience. Bring your device and learn how to download the app. You will get a glimpse of the sewage treatment process at this world leading, environmentally friendly, treatment plant which treats 50% of Melbourne’s sewage. 10.30 – 11.00am AEDT. Registration required.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Creating a frog-friendly habitat

Learn how to create a frog pond and frog friendly garden with James Frazer of Melbourne Water Frog Census. This session will teach you all the basics of planning and building a pond, as well as introducing the breeding strategies of some common Victorian frog species. 4 – 5pm AEDT. Registration required.

Suitable for: Primary and Secondary

Put together a short film

Why not put together a short film for the Australian Water Association’s short film competition? There are some great prizes up for grabs! Enter here.

Suitable for: Primary and Secondary

Clap Clap Choose Tap

Join Tap and his friends to learn more about the importance of drinking water for your health and wellbeing through story and dance.

Suitable for: Kindergarten

Storytime Video Collection

This story collection includes a range of books, including Water is Water, Little Cloud and Who Sank the Boat?

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary

After the drain

Find out what happens after you flush your toilet!

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary 

The Water Princess by Susan Verde

This wonderfully illustrated book tells the story of a young girl who dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village. With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie’s kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. Supporting worksheets available.

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary

Shane the Siltbuster

Join Shane the Siltbuster as he helps his friends clean the drinking water in a rural town after a bushfire threatens their water supply. Based on real events in East Gippsland, you will find out how water treatment changes after bushfires.

Suitable for: Primary

Watery Storytime and Singalong

Join Sammy and Frances as they read a fun story about saving water and sing watery songs. Explore the reasons why drinking water is important.

Suitable for: Kindergarten

The Rhythm of the Rain by Grahame Baker Smith

A beautifully illustrated story that ventures from home to another country and back again, describing the water cycle. You’ll love the poetic words and the images can lead to conversations about water access, sea creatures and pollution. Water cycle activities are available.

Suitable for: Primary

The Magic School Bus - Wet all Over

Journey through the water cycle with Ms Fizzle’s class as they evaporate, condense, rain and make their way back to the ocean, only to evaporate all over again!

Suitable for: Primary

Water cycle yoga

Join yoga teacher, Victoria, on a journey through the water cycle. Made in Bendigo, this calming video is designed to help tactile learners process and retain information about the water cycle.

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary

Guided meditation and mindfulness activities

In this guided meditation, students visualise water as it changes form and moves through the water cycle. Support materials include a mindfulness colour-in sheet and instructions for a calming jar.

Suitable for: Primary

Water-themed colouring sheets

Check out these calming water-themed colouring sheets that reinforce classroom learning: platypus, frog life cycle, only flush the 3 Ps, save water at home, drink tap water, keep our oceans clean, Tap Guardian for Water Night.

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary

Yoga and the five stages of the water cycle

What are the five stages of the water cycle? Join us to find out, and then experience the water cycle through gentle yoga movements.

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary

Journey of a water droplet relaxation

Get comfortable, close your eyes, and be taken on a relaxing journey through the water cycle. This visualisation can be enjoyed before bed, or any time when you need to relax and unwind.

Suitable for: Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary

Mind and body relaxation using yoga

Doing this short mindfulness exercise with a few simple yoga stretches throughout the day can help to relieve tension in your body and keep your mind calm and alert. These can be done anytime, anywhere, with no equipment.

Suitable for: Kindergarten

Wally the Water Scientist

Celebrate National Water Week with a daily experiment with Wally the Water Scientist: Rain Gauge, Water Cycle in a Bag, Walking Water and The State of Water. Each experiment uses common items found in the home or classroom making it easy for kids to have a go themselves. Support materials are available.

Suitable for: Kindergarten and Primary

Water Cycle, States of Matter and STEM

Introducing the Water Cycle and States of Matter, and STEM Play in Wet Weather are professional development videos for Early Educators presented by Dana Twycross, Discovery Science and Technology Centre, Bendigo.

Suitable for: Teachers of Kindergarten and Primary

Water cycle game

Reinforce or reintroduce the water cycle with a simulation that demonstrates the complexity and random movement of water. A large clear room or outdoor area is recommended. Background notes and printable signs provided. You will need dice.

Suitable for: Upper Primary

Make a basic water filter using common household items

The session encourages strategic thinking around how a water filter works and what materials will best achieve the ultimate aim of cleaning a sample of dirty water. Who can make the cleanest water? Lesson plan also available.

Suitable for: Secondary

How does water get to our taps?

Ever wondered where your water comes from and how it is cleaned and delivered to you? Learn all about the important role water utilities play in this process and enjoy making your own water filter at home.

Suitable for: Primary

Exploring weather and the water cycle

Water is a precious resource and used in so many ways. Our clever planet is constantly recycling and renewing our water in a continual process called the water cycle. Learn more and create your own water cycle in a bag.

Suitable for: Primary

Toilets and the 3Ps

We will show you all the things people flush down toilets, some on purpose and some by accident! There are only 3 things that should be flushed and we call them the 3 Ps. We will show you how toilet paper breaks down in our sewers differently to other things that are flushed….and we talk about fatbergs too!

Suitable for: Primary

Catchment to tap

Find out how water gets to your tap and what happens after you've used it. Aligned with Victorian Curriculum Year 7 Science and Geography, this is a fantastic overview of water delivery and wastewater management.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Daylesford Water Treatment Plant

Using different water treatment processes and technologies, depending on the characteristics of the water in the supply system, find out how the water in Daylesford is treated before it comes to your taps!

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

How do scientists test water?

Find out in this virtual laboratory tour! The Central Highlands Water laboratory offers a range of testing services including compliance and operational monitoring of drinking water, wastewater, trade waste and environmental water.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Tour the Ballarat South Wastewater Treatment Plant

Without the smells! Find out how wastewater is collected and treated after it leaves your home via sinks, dishwashers or toilets.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Going Green When we Clean

Discover some simple recipes for cleaning products to use around the home. Many store-bought cleaners contain harsh chemicals. You'll also discover some impacts that chemicals can have on the environment.

Suitable for: Secondary and Community

Water cycle word find

Help children broaden and consolidate their water cycle vocabulary with this fun word search.

Suitable for: Primary

Sewer smart worksheet

Lots of things that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet or washed down the sink end up in our sewerage system. These things can cause problems like blocked pipes and a smelly mess! Answers provided.

Suitable for: Primary

Waterbug Discovery

Join the Corangamite CMA citizen science program to see how to collect and identify the creatures living in creeks and wetlands. Discover some of the features and adaptations of waterbugs that allow them to live underwater. The video will give you information on why a diversity and abundance of waterbugs matters and how you can discover waterbugs too.

Suitable for: Primary 

Environmental Water

Learn about the important balance we must strike to provide water for human uses and water for the environment to ensure our natural systems are healthy and resilient. E-Water is the key and is having amazing impacts for waterways and wetlands across the state! Further resources available.

Suitable for: Late Primary and Early Secondary

Wilam: A Birrarung Story

An absolutely stunning picture book that explores the teeming wildlife that exists along Birrarung, Melbourne's Yarra River. It teaches us Woiwurrung language for the river and its inhabitants, and asks us to reflect on the importance of the river not only to animals but also to the humans who live in its vicinity. Teacher notes provided by Walker Books.

Suitable for: Primary

Reimaging our Water Future activity matrix

Choose your own adventure with these thought provoking, fun-filled activities across multiple curriculum areas and learning styles, developed by North Central Catchment Management Authority and River Detectives educators.

Suitable for: Primary

Water Efficiency in schools

Perfect for teachers seeking practical resources and advice to increase water efficiency at their school, this ResourceSmart Schools workshop was recorded in September 2020. The water checklist and audit tool support this session from Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group.

Suitable for: Schools

Waterwise

Kids Teaching Kids Director Arron Wood explores innovations in water management. He talks with farmers, town planners, irrigators and park rangers, tours the desalination plant, goes underground at the MCG and learns how recycled water is being used for industry and in new housing developments. Question sheet available.

Suitable for: Secondary

Water wise fill in the blanks

Assist students to remember useful tips that will help them conserve water at both home and school.

Suitable for: Primary

Water Wise Chatterbox

Download and print this origami chatterbox to help teach children about the importance of using water wisely. Students will soon learn how water wise they are in a fun and educational way.

Suitable for: Primary