Alice Springs tourist brochures or magazines

Divide into small groups.

Have students make a collection of dry river bed scenes or create a collage of a dry riverbed scene.

Fact Sheet #14: Getting to know a Sandy Red Gum Creekbed

Blackline Dry Riverbed scene

Todd River snapshot – Dry Riverbed

Distribute the ‘Getting to know a sandy, red river gum creekbed’ and blackline picture sheets to each group.

Have each group list the features they can identify from the information provided.

NB This should include:

• a dominance of large red river gums
• hollows in some of the older branches
• fallen branches beneath trees
• shade and camouflage opportunities created by large leaf canopies
• exposed tree roots
• grasses on the banks (and sometimes spreading into the river bed itself)
• flood debris
• light coloured, greyish sandy bed
  

Blackline dry river bed animal life pictures and list of names

Use the picture collection to identify:

• major animal groups
• possible food chains / webs

Teachers Notes - Hints for organising a Todd River Field Study

Observation exercise

Select a site to go to explore a sandy, red gum creek bed.

Record your explorations with pictures and / or notes. (See also Day 2)