Book your excursion today

Ensure your class doesn't miss out by booking today. Simply call Alison Shields on 08 8203 8333.

Guide Dogs Discovery Centre

Fun - Exciting - Interactive

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Just phone Alison Shields on 
08 8203 8333 or use our online contact form.

Image: Logo
Photo: Schoolboy

Frequently Asked Questions


BOOKINGS

Simply contact Alison Shields on 08 8203 8333 to book or for more information.

We are currently accepting bookings for visits from July 20, 2010.

You will receive an email confirmation of your booking. Teacher Resource Kits and other relevant Information are in the final stages of development and will be forwarded to you as soon as possible.

 

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FACILITIES

• Bus drop off and pick up on Morphett Street – directly outside the centre
• Toilets
• Holding/meeting room
• School bag storage
• Food - close to Central Markets.

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FOOD

The Discovery Centre is located within a couple minutes walk from the Central Markets and associated restaurants.

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FUNDRAISING

We are happy to help students and classes with fundraising for the Discovery Centre and Guide Dogs.

Please click on the links to find out more about:

 

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

The learning outcomes the students will gain from the centre include:

  • Empathy gained from participating in activities whilst experiencing hearing loss or vision loss. Students will attempt to communicate with hearing loss and negotiate a simulated street scene with a white cane with the use of simulated vision loss glasses.
  • Awareness of how people with a vision and/or hearing loss remain independent and mobile.
  • Information about how guide dogs are trained and matched with a vision impaired person.
  • Knowledge of how people become vision or hearing impaired with prevention messages with the aim of reducing the incidence of preventable vision and hearing loss.

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LOCATION - 251 Morphett St, Adelaide, SA

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PHOTOGRAPHS

Please feel free to take photos of your students using the centre. We would love to share your memories, so please feel free to email them to us at dc@guidedogs.org.au

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POST VISIT

We will have available on our website:

  • Follow-up activities specific to exhibits
  • Teacher and student evaluation forms

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PRE-VISIT

The following items will be available on our website:

  • General centre information for schools
  • Map
  • Booking procedures
  • Other excursion opportunities in the area
  • Teacher Resource Kit
  • Information about the centre
  • Location map and centre layout map
  • Exhibit description and detail
  • Classroom activities
  • PDF of student activity booklet
  • General information about Guide Dogs SA.NT
  • Information about vision, hearing and guide dogs 
  • Other activities available in the centre
  • Risk assessment form for schools

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PUPPIES AND DOGS

The centre may sometimes have puppies in the Puppy Viewing Room for visitors to see. However, due to training schedules and other factors, we cannot guarantee this.

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RELATED STUDY AREAS

• The five senses
• Our bodies
• Diseases
• Vision - eyes, vision loss types etc
• Hearing – how the ear works, hearing loss etc
• Community involvement
• Fundraising
• Working animals
• Working dogs

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RISK ASSESSMENT

Potential hazards and safety issues are outlined in the Risk Assessment which forms part of the Teacher Resource Kit.

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SACSA FRAMEWORK

The learning outcomes gained from the exhibits and activities within the Discovery Centre will be based on the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework (SACSA).

The learning outcomes will be predominantly founded on the Health and PE strand. However, where appropriate, they will also meet other curriculum areas such as Mathematics, Society and Environment and English.

The objective of the Discovery Centre is to reduce the incidence of preventable vision and hearing loss.

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SESSION FLOW

  1. Students arrive and enter holding room
  2. Students receive Activity Booklet, simulated glasses and Discovery Ticket
  3. Education Officer conducts brief introduction
  4. Students (in pre-determined pairs) move to starting exhibits
  5. Each exhibit is designed to be eight to 10 minutes in length with two to four visitors
  6. As students complete one activity they move onto the next one, ensuring they get their Discovery Ticket stamped
  7. Near the end of the session time students are gathered into the holding room
  8. Students are farewelled.

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SPENDING MONEY

Students will not need spending money.

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SUITABLE YEAR GROUPS

The exhibit design, content and learning outcomes have been developed for middle to upper primary school students – year levels 3 to 7.

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TEACHER ROLE

It would be appreciated if teachers could:

  • Pair students up, before visiting, into their Discovery Buddy teams of two children
  • Assist  with movement from one exhbit to anothoer
  • Watch for students who might need assistance
  • Assist the education officers as requested.

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VISIT

Students receive:

  • Activity booklet
  • Set of simulated vision loss glasses
  • Discovery Ticket 


Student information:

  • Each student must bring a pencil
  • Must be paired with their Discovery Buddy
  • School bags are welcome

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VOLUNTEERS

The centre is managed by a Guide Dogs staff member ,with the assistance of volunteer education officers.

Four education officers will assist the groups during their session time.

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