Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes – Part A: Research
30 minutes – Part B: Design
5 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Research

Step 1.

Explain to students that the independent task of this lesson involves inventing ways to help the ecosystem resist and recover from bushfires. To do this, students first need to be informed by some research. The following articles prompt students to think about some of the adaptations Australian flora and fauna have developed to flourish or at least survive in a bushfire prone ecosystem, as well as some of the challenges they have in trying to recover after a bushfire event.

Step 2.

You might like to read The Conversation - Many of our plants and animals have adapted to fires, but now the fires are changing by Cris Brack as a whole class. Alternatively, students can access this reading independently.

Step 3.

Give students the Student Worksheet. Support students reading the article and conducting independent research in response to some prompts. All information can be found within the article, however, we have provided answers here for clarity.

List two ways fire is beneficial to the reproduction of the eucalyptus tree
- Clears the overstory canopy for the 'shade intolerant' trees
- Creates a nice bed of ash for seeds to germinate in
List one way in which fire is beneficial to the reproduction of alpine ash
- Clears the shrub and leaf litter so seeds can germinate on bare ground
Why are more frequent fires a problem even to these types of trees that require fire to reproduce successfully?
- Burns immature trees that have not yet made seeds
List two factors that contribute to unburnt patches of 'seed trees'
- Terrain features - Gullies and depressions
- Arbitrary weather patterns
List three reasons why eucalyptus struggle to disperse their seeds
- Their seeds do not have little 'wings' to be carried far and wide on the breeze
- Birds tend not to eat their seeds and, in turn, do not disperse them further away through their droppings
- Invasive species such as African Love Grass regrow much quicker and take over land where the eucalyptus might try to grow

Step 4.

You might like to read The Conversation - Animal response to a bushfire is astounding. These are the tricks they use to survive by Dale Nimmo as a whole class. Alternatively, students can access this reading independently.

Step 5.

Support students reading the article and conducting independent research in response to some prompts. All information can be found within the article, however, we have provided answers here for clarity.

List two ways animals sense a bushfire might be approaching
- Some lizards can smell smoke, as well as Gould’s long-eared bats and fat-tailed dunnarts
- Some animals can hear a fire approaching. Reed frogs flee towards cover and eastern-red bats wake from torpor when played the crackling sounds of fire.
List two ways animals can respond to a bushfire in order to survive
- Some animals like kangaroos and wallabies flee the fire front, including moving towards gullies and depressions, climbing higher, or the banks of watercourses
- Some animals make use of wombat burrows to hide in
List two challenges animals face surviving in the aftermath of a bushfire
- The fire has burnt out herbivore's food sources
- An increase in predators, such as raptor birds and wild cats and foxes.

Step 6.

Facilitate a discussion with students about the efficacy of planned burns. Create a T-Chart on the potential benefits and considerations of implementing such a plan. You can use the following suggestions to prompt student thinking or allow them to lead the discussion.

Potential Benefits

Potential Considerations

Indigenous burning creates a patchwork of burnt areas to reduce the overall burn of a wildfire
These regular burns keep the understory under control, while the moderate intensity and patchiness allows larger trees to survive.

Burning practices in Australia would be difficult over vast areas
It requires knowledgeable individuals to regularly walk through each forest to understand the forest dynamics at a very fine scale
Landscapes are now filled with dry fuel, and shrubs that act as “ladders” - quickly sending any fire into tree canopies to cause very destructive crown fires. Given these high fuel conditions along with their potentially dangerous distribution, there may be relatively few safe areas to reintroduce Indigenous burning
Cost
Leaving biomass for animal species on the ground.
There is also some research to suggest that many species prefer unburnt ecosystems.

Part B: Design

Step 1.

Inspired by their research, students will now create a line of inquiry to develop solutions for.

Students should phrase this problem as a question. Suggestions could include:

How can we save trees from being burnt during a bushfire?
How can we help native bush regenerate and repopulate after a bushfire?
How can we better warn animals of impending bushfires so that they have time to escape?
What protection can we create for animals who are too small to flee a bushfire?

Step 2.

As a class, consider some potential solutions to these problems. Students have a strong understanding of some of the adaptations Australian flora and fauna have developed to flourish or at least survive in a bushfire prone ecosystem, and should use these as inspiration for their solutions.

Suggestions could include;

Some parts of the bush already survive widespread bushfires. How could we alter the terrain to improve survival rates of flora?
Many species of native flora have adapted fire to an essential part of their germination process, but are challenged by different impacts of bushfires, such as difficulty dispersing their seeds, or invasive species taking over. How could we improve already existing natural processes, or turn challenges into advantages?
Some animals already have adaptations that help them respond to impending fires. How can we use these to our advantage?
Most natural sanctuaries against fires are extremely effective. What lessons can we learn from protections that already exist?

Step 3.

Independently, using the Student Worksheet, students should think critically and creatively to design solutions to their targeted problem.

Some solutions could be mechanical in nature, e.g., inventing a machine that functions in a way that is helpful to the animals
Some solutions could be bio-engineered, e.g., selectively breeding flora to improve upon natural adaptations that help them thrive or survive
Some solutions could be action plans, e.g., something humans have to go out and do in order to improve natural conditions

Reflection

Students can volunteer to share their designs with the rest of the class and lead a conversation about what is good about the design, as well as offering constructive criticism to improve upon their designs.

Many of the species in the article have evolved over many years and generations to survive the Australian climate. However, many are unable to cope with the more extreme conditions caused by modern climate change. Even with their great adaptability, the survival of many species is threatened, and without the tireless efforts of many scientists, they could go extinct.

How do students feel about human intervention in these situations? Should we have an impact at all, or should we let nature take its course? What if human intervention alters some of these species beyond recognition? The ethics of some of the students' designed solutions would make for interesting discussion.

Differentiated Learning

Provisions for Learning Support -

Solutions also don't have to be constrained by realistic technology! If students are struggling, encourage them not to worry about what they could make, and instead focus on what they would like to see. Part of science is figuring out how to make the impossible possible. Big dreams can lead to incredible breakthroughs!

If students are really struggling, try some of these simple suggestions;

Some sort of speaker that senses bushfires far away and plays crackling sounds so that bats wake up and have time to escape
A similar sensor, but the mechanism lets out a smokey smell, warning animals to escape
A wombat burrow digging machine, but for other animals to hide in
A flying drone that swoops down and rescues animals in need.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Beyond the Bushfires - Designed Adaptations

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