We offer four in-school programs for primary, secondary, and tertiary students:
A. Evolutionary Anthropology for Everyone
B. The Great Evolutionary Debates
D. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
And two professional development programs:
A. New Discoveries, Novel Methods
B. Teaching Evolution to Skeptical Learners
Each program consists of an interactive lecture and practical, with access to university-quality teaching models of the human skeleton and brain. Programs start at 1 hour and can be tailored to fit your needs.
A. Evolutionary Anthropology for Everyone
An academically accessible, introductory session on human evolution that uses the tangible evidence in our bodies to demonstrate evolutionary concepts. Ideal for new learners, foundation students, and families.
What you can expect
Explanation of adaptation and selection, a timeline of the hominin fossil record, development of bipedal characteristics and encephalisation, hominin paleoecology, environmental and behavioural adaptations.
This presentation lasts 1 hour, with 45 minutes of interactive lecture and 15 minutes of hands-on experience with teaching models. This accessible and intuitive approach can be differentiated according to a range of needs and abilities.
Price
200AUD/hour for up to 20 students, 10AUD/hour for each additional student. 30 minutes of set-up and pack-down are included in this price.
Study Design
This incursion aligns with the following Victorian Curriculum Foundation-10 and the VCE Biology Study Design goals:
Foundation to Level 2 – VC2S2UO1, VC2S2U03, VC2S2H01, VC2S2I01, VC2S2I05
Levels 3 and 4 – VC2S4U01, VC2S4U02, VC2S4HO1, VC2S4I01, VC2S4I05
Levels 5 and 6 – VC2S6U02, VC2S6I05
Levels 7 and 8 – VC2S8U01, VC2S8U03, VC2S8I06, VC2S8I07
Level 9 and 10 – VC2S10U05, VC2S10I06, VC2S10I07
VCE Biology – Unit 4, Outcome 2
B. The Great Evolutionary Debates
An academically rigorous program that empowers students to effectively evaluate and critically interpret historical and current scientific understandings of human evolution. Ideal for VCE students and accelerated classes.
What you can expect
Explanation of the Lumpers vs. Splitters Debate (with examples–Homo floresiensis, Homo neanderthalensis), tool manufacturing, and brain size vs. cognition. A scaffolded group discussion around a hypothetical species discovery, where students become the anthropologists!
This presentation lasts 1 hour, with 30 minutes of lecture, 15 minutes of discussion, and 15 minutes of hands-on experience with teaching models.
Packages A and B can be booked individually, or booked and presented consecutively.
Price
200AUD/hour for up to 20 students, 10AUD/hour for each additional student. 30 minutes of set-up and pack-down are included in this price.
Study Design
This incursion aligns with the following Victorian Curriculum Foundation-10 and the VCE Biology Study Design goals:
Foundation through Level 4 – Not recommended
Levels 5 and 6 – VC2S6U02, VC2S6H01, VC2S6I01, VC2S6I05
Levels 7 and 8 – VC2S8U01, VC2S8U03, VC2S8H01, VC2S8I01, VC2S8I06, VC2S8I07
Levels 9 and 10 – VC2S10U05, VC2S10H01, VC2S10I01
VCE Biology – Unit 4, Outcome 2
C. Our Embodied Bones
A specialized human skeletal anatomy program that uses the skeletons in our own bodies to demonstrate concepts. Ideal for science students at Grade 7 or higher; university-level option available.
What you can expect
A full, anatomical explanation of joints and points of articulation, practice identifying articulating surfaces, articulation of a plastic teaching skeleton in small groups, naming individual bones.
This presentation lasts 1 hour, with 30 total minutes of demonstration and 30 total minutes of hands-on experience with teaching models. This accessible and intuitive approach can be differentiated according to a range of needs and abilities.
This package can be booked individually or as a supplement to packages A, B, or D.
Price
200AUD/hour for up to 20 students, 10AUD/hour for each additional student. 30 minutes of set-up and pack-down are included in this price.
Study Design
This incursion aligns with the following Victorian Curriculum Foundation-10 , the VCE Biology Study Design, and VCE Physical Education Study Design goals:
Foundation to Level 2 – VC2S2U01, VC2S2U03, VC2S2H01, VC2S2I01, VC2S2I05
Levels 3 and 4 – VC2S4U01, VC2S4H01, VC2S4I01, VC2S4I05
Levels 5 and 6 – VC2S6I01, VC2S6I05
Levels 7 and 8 – VC2S8U03, VC2S8I06, VC2S8I07
Levels 9 and 10 – VC2S10I01, VC2S10I05
VCE Biology – Unit 1, Area of Study 2 and Unit 4, Outcome 2
VCE Physical Education- Unit 1, Outcome 1
D. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
An extended program that teaches the core principles and methods of forensic anthropological practice, including a mock forensic retrieval. Ideal for VCE/VCE VET/VCE VM students pursuing continuing pathways in forensic sciences.
What you can expect
Explanation of the biological profile (age, biological sex, height, ancestry), identification of trauma and pathology, instructions for the forensic retrieval process. A mock forensic retrieval of a plastic skeleton including establishing a perimeter, surface survey, flagging evidence, photographing the scene, and retrieving evidence.
This presentation lasts 2 hours, with 1 hour dedicated to lecture and demonstration, and 1 hour dedicated to mock retrieval. Appropriate space for the retrieval (inside or outside) must be available for program to run.
Price
400AUD/2 hours for up to 20 students, 10AUD/hour for each additional student. 1 hour of set-up and pack-down is included in this price.
Study Design
This incursion aligns with the following Victorian Curriculum Foundation-10 goals:
Foundation to Level 6 – Not recommended
Levels 7 and 8 – VC2S8H03, VC2S8H04
Levels 9 and 10 – VC2S10H03, VC2S10H04
VCE/VCE VET/VCE VM will benefit from the real-world application of scientific principles in a controlled environment, supporting vocational pathways within the sciences. Our target audiences for this supplement are students pursuing VCE Biology, VCE VET Health or Laboratory Skills, and VCE VM continuing pathways in forensic science.
Professional Development
The Brains and Bones Project offers 1 hour programs for educators who wish to supplement, improve, or refresh their human evolution expertise. Want additional training for your PDP? We can help!
A. New Discoveries, Novel Methods
The latest discoveries in human evolution research and how to implement these new understandings in class.
What you can expect
The most up to date human evolution information from the major paleoanthropology journals, how this new data fits (or does not fit) into current prevailing knowledge, both new and established teaching methods in anthropology.
This presentation lasts 1 hour, with 45 minutes of lecture and 15 minutes of scaffolded discussion.
Price
300AUD/1 hour, flat rate.
B. Teaching Evolution to Skeptical Learners
Conscientious, compassionate, and scientifically rigorous approaches for your classroom.
What you can expect
How to begin a conversation about evolution with reticent and/or skeptical learners, encouraging skepticism and paradigm challenging, clarifying concepts through intuitive and embodied approaches, reframing evolution as working alongside (instead of in opposition to) intercultural differences.
This presentation lasts 1 hour, with 45 minutes of lecture and 15 minutes of scaffolded discussion.
Price
300AUD/1 hour, flat rate.
Professional Development packages can be booked individually, or booked and presented consecutively.
The Brains and Bones Project 