Loading page...
Are you a CoolPlus subscriber? Log in to see the CoolPlus resource catalogue
Beyond the Bushfires - Horse Hooves
Lesson6 of 9 in this unit
PrimaryYear 5 - 6EnglishScienceEnvironmentalClimate ChangeConservationDisaster resilience
Lesson Summary
Having made it through the bushfires, many native flora and fauna species face a new challenge to their recovery and survival: feral brumby populations. The horses have long disrupted the native climate in Kosciuszko National Park, and their behaviours are even more damaging to species by bushfires.
However, the horses aren’t considered quite as clear cut a pest as other invasive species. Their history within the region, and ties to Australian literature and war efforts, make calls for their culling a highly divisive issue.
This lesson will challenge students to take real social action: researching and critically evaluating both sides of the argument and the persuasive efforts of passionate writers, before putting their own thoughts and strategies to work in a written piece designed to inform and sway readers towards making change.
Learning intentions
Students will:
- understand the impact of bushfires on the Australian landscape, flora, and fauna
- understand the impact of feral horses on the recovery and survival of native flora and fauna in the wake of bushfires
- understand the work scientists are undertaking to protect and preserve the Australian landscape, flora, and fauna in the wake of bushfires
- understand the variety of ways fauna depend on their habitat for survival
Success criteria
Students can:
- conduct independent research
- identify the impact of bushfires on native flora and fauna
- identify ways in which the survival of native flora and fauna has been threatened by the impact of feral horse populations in Kosciuszko National Park
- critically evaluate the evocative language used by writers to engendered empathy in their audiences
- compare and contrast both sides of the argument for and against the culling of feral horse populations in Kosciuszko National Park
- demonstrate their understanding of the issues by using critical and creative thinking to write a persuasive analysis of the issue
Lesson Guides and Printables
Loading…