Mapping
Mathematics / Social Education / Art.
As part of Eddie and Spike's visit to your local area, students could develop a map showing the specific locations visited. The complexity of the map would be variable, depending on the students' mapping experience and year level. Some examples include:

• Students could draw the map in a range of styles from simple symbolic representation of the location of items to a detailed scaled map.
• Students could indicate features which help to orient the map (e.g. the Stuart Highway runs here, or the sun comes up in this direction) or they could include a compass.
• Students could tie their local map in with a map of the Northern Territory.
• If they have access to a computer which features a drawing program, students could design their map electronically.

The maps which are created can be submitted with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Native Animals
Social Education / Science / English / Art.

As part of the virtual visit, Eddie and Spike could be 'introduced' to a representative of the local native fauna. This might involve:

• Students researching the local native fauna of your area to establish a range of facts about a chosen animal.
• Students researching frilled-neck lizards or thorny devils.
• Students writing about (or creating a comic telling the story of) a virtual meeting between the animal and Eddie and / or Spike, with each animal telling a little about their life style and environment.
• Students drawing a detailed picture of the chosen animal with labels and explanations of any special features. If they have access to a computer which features a drawing program, students could design their animal electronically.
• Students creating a three dimensional model of the chosen animal.
• Students taking photographs of the chosen animal.

The work created can be submitted with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Weather
Science / Social Education / Mathematics / English.

Students could tell Eddie and Spike about the weather patterns experienced in their local area. The complexity of this task would be variable, depending on the students' experience and year level. Some activities might include:

• Recording data over a limited period of time including such daily measurements as temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, cloud cover, rainfall, time of sunrise and sunset.
• Researching long-term weather patterns in the area, including the incidence of droughts, cyclones, floods, bush fires etc.
• Presentation of information could be made using graphs, again in a range of complexities from simple pictographs to detailed line / pie graphs etc.
• Drawing Eddie and Spike experiencing the various weather conditions common in the area. (Students could be assigned specific times of year to illustrate, so that each of the seasons is covered.)
• Taking photographs which show what the weather is like in the local area. These could be incorporated into the web page featuring your local area, illustrating the weather experienced by Spike and Eddie during their virtual visit.
• Students writing descriptive passages outlining each of the seasons experienced in their local area. The length and complexity of these descriptions will depend upon the abilities of the students.

Any work created can be submitted along with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Sport
Physical Education / Health / English / Art.

Students could take Eddie and Spike for a virtual visit to their favourite sporting event held in the local area (ie: not to an AFL match at the MCG). Students could be involved in a range of tasks, including:

• Explaining why the sporting event is so popular, or why they enjoy it so much. This could be done via text or drawings, either on paper or a computer.
• Explaining who participates in the chosen sporting activity - can anyone join in?
• Explaining the rules of the chosen sporting activity, and the other requirements (e.g. equipment, venue, need for officials etc.).
• Outlining the training and preparation required to participate in the sporting event.
• Taking photos of the chosen sporting event (Note: Eddie and Spike can be electronically added to these photos as part of their virtual visit) or drawing pictures of the sport, possibly including Eddie and / or Spike.
• Creating virtual posters advertising the chosen sporting event, or virtual admittance tickets.

Any work created can be submitted along with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Money
Mathematics / English.

Students could work out a budget detailing the money Spike and Eddie will need to bring to cover their costs during their virtual visit to their local area. They should consider the cost of such items as:

• food,
• transport,
• admission tickets to places visited,
• clothing,
• souvenirs (if appropriate - maybe they would like to buy a school T-shirt to remember the visit by),
• sunscreen,
• accommodation.

The items and their costs should be neatly set out, and a total calculated. If they have access to a computer which features a spread sheet program, students could develop their budget electronically. Younger students could develop an image-based budget, and perhaps they could draw the total amount of money required.

Finished budgets should be sent along with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Food
Health / English / Art

As hosts for the virtual visit by Eddie and Spike, students could plan a special meal for their guests. The meal could reflect any specialties of the region, or foods commonly eaten or grown in the area. Students could be involved in a range of related activities including:

• Researching foods grown in the local area: how and where they are grown, time taken for the food to reach maturity, where the food fits into the five food groups, health benefits / deficits resulting from eating the food etc.
• Researching recipes which utilise the food. Students should make a full list of ingredients and other requirements including cooking implements.
• Researching the Healthy Eating Pyramid and the five food groups in order to develop a model for healthy eating.
• Creating new recipes which make use of the food.
• Creating a menu for the day of Eddie and Spike's visit. Food could actually be prepared and photographed for inclusion on the web page featuring the local area, with Eddie and Spike's images being added electronically later.
• Drawing a healthy meal for Eddie and Spike featuring local foods as much as possible.

Any work created can be submitted along with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Accommodation
Mathematics / Art / English

Working on the assumption that Eddie and Spike will need to remain in your local area overnight, students could provide information describing the accommodation in which their guests will stay.

A range of activities could be undertaken, depending on the abilities / year level of the students. These activities might range from younger students drawing the room in which Eddie and Spike will stay, to more advanced students developing a detailed information pamphlet based around existing accommodation available in the area.(If accommodation is unavailable in your area, an imaginary location could be developed.) Some facts which might be included in the work produced by students include:

• A map showing the location of the accommodation within the area / town.
• A diagram showing the layout of the rooms in which Eddie and Spike will stay.
• A list of all the facilities available in the chosen accommodation.
• The cost of staying in the chosen location for a single night. Students might also look into whether the cost varies at different times of the year.
• Suggestions about fitting in with the local community (e.g. don't take long showers as the water supply is limited, or don't take long walks without wearing a hat and sturdy shoes, plus a water supply).
• A list of places from which Eddie and Spike will be able to obtain food. Are there restaurants and / or shops?

Any work created can be submitted along with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.

Transport
Social Education / Mathematics

In order to make the most of the time that Eddie and Spike have to spend in your local area, students should plan how they are going to travel around. Students could undertake a range of activities including:

• Researching the availability of public transport. Is it available? Where will it take you? How much will it cost? How frequently are services offered? How long will it take to get to the desired destination? (Don't forget to include Air Services.)
• Researching the availability of private transport. Are any adults prepared to drive the students and visitors to interesting places in the local community? How long will it take to get there? How could the adults be reimbursed for any costs associated with the use of their vehicles?
• Researching interesting places which are close enough to walk to. How long would it take to walk there?
• Researching alternative modes of transport. Could you ride bicycles / horses / use roller-blades? Are these available? How long would it take to get there using these modes of transport?

Students should aim to develop a simple map which makes use of a key. The map should identify each of the places which might be visited. These could be connected to the school by colours indicating the mode of transport to be used to reach these locations, and if possible, how long it would take to reach each place.

Finished maps can be submitted along with other materials associated with the Eddie and Spike virtual visit, for inclusion on the web page featuring your local area.