Building Community Resilience

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• critical thinking
• collaboration
• curiosity
• digital literacy
• intercultural understanding

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description: 

Year 9 Civics and Citizenship

• How and why individuals and groups, including community, religious and cultural groups, participate in and contribute to civic life in Australia and to global citizenship (AC9HC9K05)
• The influence of a range of media, including social media, in shaping identity and attitudes to diversity (AC9HC9K06)

Relevant parts of Year 9 achievement standards: By the end of Year 9, students identify the reasons individuals and groups participate in and contribute to civic life nationally and globally. They explain the influence of the media on reflections of identity and diversity.

NSW Syllabus outcomes: AST5-2, AST5-7, AST5-9

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Intercultural Understanding, Literacy, Personal and Social Capability 

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, Sustainability

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium - Teachers will need to facilitate class discussions and support students’ reading, comprehension and research.

UN SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. 

• Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.

• Charmaine Sellings ABC news article
• Coolagram social media post template
• Device to show a video 
• Devices for students to access online media articles
• Student Worksheet
• Whiteboard
• Whiteboard markers

Minderoo Foundation's Fire and Flood Resilience Initiative aims to reduce the harm caused to communities and the environment by fire and flood. It harnesses the collective power of communities, industry, government, philanthropy, and the research sector to lift Australia to be the global leader in fire and flood resilience by 2025. For more information, see Minderoo Foundation’s website.

We would like to acknowledge and express our gratitude for the expertise and advice provided in the creation process of these resources from the following parties.

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) 

Bhiamie Williamson (Monash University)

How to Teach a Unit on Fire and Flood Resilience: 

Quick summary: This course will provide a roadmap for how to approach teaching a unit on fire and flood resilience. While primarily focused on fire and flood resilience, it will reference the importance of an all-hazards approach to disaster resilience education.