Little J dreams of being an acrobat in a circus when he grows up. With the help of Jacko and B-Boy, he practises circus tricks in the backyard after school. Uncle Mick, a search and rescue officer, comes to school to talk about his work. Little J uses his circus skills to demonstrate a search and rescue procedure.

Explore - Identify and explore natural and built environments in the local community where physical activity can take place 

Theme - SEARCH & RESCUE

After viewing Little J & Big Cuz, Episode 3 ‘New Tricks’, engage students with the following circus style activities to support their understanding about personal and social strengths, safety, search and rescue work.

Organise an incursion or excursion where the students have direct contact with a Search and Rescue officer, such as police, fire brigade, ambulance/paramedic, wildlife officer, RSPCA officer, life guard, etc. Prepare students for the visit by learning about the different types of search and rescue work the rescue agency performs, and the challenges they face, such as bush fire, flood, earthquake, etc.

Access information to review the work of Search and Rescue officers, such as:

• Community Education & Training
• Australian Institute of Emergency Services.

Divide the class into smaller groups and ask each group to investigate the work of a search and rescue agency. Ask students to identify and describe and share their findings with the class as a report.

1. the types of incidences the search and rescue agency is faced with
2. the skills the workers require to conduct a rescue
3. the equipment they use
4. the agency’s training program for dogs (or other animals) to rescue humans and/or animals.

Access Hunter’s Search Dog Kid’s area for information about search dogs and games.

Search & Recovery Game

1. Advise students they are going to use their senses to find a hidden object.
2. Choose a small, electronic or mechanical object that can make a small amount of noise by itself. A toy or old mobile phone may suffice.
3. Hide the object out of sight, somewhere in the playground, making sure the students don’t know where it is and that it is making some sort of quiet noise.
4. Divide the students into small groups of three to five students, and give each group a map of the school. The students can divide the school grounds between the students as the search areas. It is preferable for students to work in pairs to search each area.
5. Advise students they must quietly go around the playground, listening carefully for the hidden object.
6. Once a pair finds the hidden object, one contacts the other group members and brings them to the correct location, while the other pair member stays with the object.
7. The game can be played several times over and individual students can take turns hiding the object.

For an extra challenge, you could use a smelly object, rather than a noise making object and the students will then have to use their sense of smell to locate the object!

After the game, discuss the challenges of having to use sound (or smell), rather than sight, to locate something that is missing. Have students suggest the advantages of using a dog in the Search & Recovery game.

Students play any of the games at Flight games, OY1 Games that place students as the rescuer.