Lesson summary
Students explore the many benefits of cool burning.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- identify some of the cultural, environmental and economic benefits of cool burning.
Success criteria:
Students can...
- describe how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples use their knowledge of seasons and local conditions to produce cool burns for the benefit of their communities and the local environment.
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Curriculum mapping
Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content descriptions:
Geography:
Students learn to:
- the management of Australian environments, including managing severe weather events such as bushfires, floods, droughts or cyclones, and their consequences (AC9HS5K05)
- the influence of people, including First Nations Australians and people in other countries, on the characteristics of a place (AC9HS5K04)
Cross Curriculum Priority: Sustainability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.Â
Relevant parts of Year 5 achievement standards:
By the end of Year 5, students explain the influence of people on the characteristics of places and in the management of spaces.Â
Level of teacher scaffolding: High - introduce new content, assist with student research, confirm that students understand the communication project, assess the achievement of student outcomes.
Resources required
- Device capable of presenting a website to the class
- Factsheet - The Benefits Of Cool Burning
- Report Assessment Rubric
- Student Worksheet - one copy per student.
Skills
This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:
- communication
- critical thinking
- cultural understanding
- collaboration
Additional info
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium - oversee class discussion and lead students in activities.
Special thanks to:
Fish River Station, John Daly, Dr Jeremy Russell-Smith, Peter Jacklyn, Peter McConchie, Dr Tommy George, David Claudie, Dale Musgrave, Carolyn George and Victor Steffensen.
Cool Australia would like to acknowledge the support of the Bennelong Foundation in updating these lessons.
Related professional learning
Teach Caring for Country Using Fire
Quick summary: In this course, you will hear how John Daly uses fire stick techniques to care for Country. John works with scientists and farmers to reduce the impact of bushfires and protect communities.Â