Teaching Sequence

30 minutes – Part A: What Is Important To Us?
30 minutes – Part B: What Could We Do?
60 minutes – Part C: Planning Our Project
60+ minutes – Part D: Executing Our Project (this could be done in one day or over a number of weeks to complete the project)
30+ minutes – Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Introduction: Explain to students that in this lesson they will be working in groups to review what they learnt throughout this unit, selecting the points or issues that they found most important, and developing a plan to engage their community in a citizen science project.

Before commencing the project planning phase of this lesson, emphasise to students that each group member should take responsibility for collecting evidence and artefacts for the work that they put into the project, including drafts of everything they create as part of the project and records of any opportunities they pursue (either successfully or unsuccessfully). The most important thing for students to remember is that the PROCESS of doing the project is really important – perhaps even more than the final product. Students should aim to demonstrate the growth and learning that they experienced both personally and as a group as a result of facing the challenges inherent in a project of this type.

Part A. What Is Important To Us?

Preparation:

Print one copy of the Social Action Question. Cut up scrap paper (blank on one side) into A6 sized pieces. Move several desks together for students to stand around or move some desks to the side to allow students to stand in a circle.
Print and cut out the Social Action Quotes so that each group in this lesson has a copy of one quote.

Note: Consider inviting student to set up a seperate project portfolio or e-portfolio to collect their work on this project, outside of their usual science books.

Step 1. Explain to students that in this lesson they will be developing a plan to engage their community in a citizen science project investigating biodiversity and climate change. This will require them to:

Think about what is important to them
Consider their audience
Develop a range of ideas for taking action
Select one idea for taking action
Plan a project around this idea
Execute the project
Reflect on the success of their project and celebrate their efforts

However, before starting this process, activate prior knowledge by holding a class discussion on why students should care about the impacts of climate change on local biodiversity. Points raised around the importance of biodiversity may be as follows:

Human societies cannot exist without biodiversity and ecosystems services supplying us with oxygen, clean water, cycling carbon and feeding us
Healthy ecosystems keep diseases in check and protects us against erosion and storm surge
Biodiversity is important to recreation and human well-being
Humans are the cause of accelerated climate change and we can also be part of the solution

Step 2. To begin this process students will need to think about which plants, animals and habitats can be found in their local area they think are important to their community. Students can do this by drawing on learning from past lessons or by using the Atlas of Living Australia's Explore Your Area page. Follow the steps below to guide your students in their brainstorm:

Give each student a pen and several A6 sized pieces of scrap paper that are blank on one side.
Invite students to stand or sit in a circle or to stand around several desks put together.
Place this question in the middle of the circle.
Invite students to add their ideas onto their pieces of scrap paper and to place them around the question. Encourage students to read what their peers have written and to be inspired to write more in response to what their peers have written.

Once complete, spend several minutes reading through what students have written.

Step 3. Now, invite students to identify which of the species they brainstormed also feature on the ClimateWatch app or website, adding a star next to these species.

Step 4. You can then work with students to group these ideas into themes, e.g. mammals, birds, forests, water, plants, etc. Invite students to form as many groups as there are themes, with groups being formed according to student interests, or with the teacher assigning students into groups. Each group needs to then focus on one species: direct students to focus their attention on ClimateWatch species, and where possible, to select a species that is both important to them and one that features on ClimateWatch.

Student groups now need to think about how the plant or animal they are looking at might be under threat from climate change.

Differentiation:

For students who have already completed this lesson – Citizen Science - Understanding Climate Change And Phenology - Years 7 & 8:

Remind students of the mind maps they created in this lesson (Citizen Science - Understanding Climate Change And Phenology - Years 7 & 8) and talk through the details of their mind maps.

For students who have NOT completed this lesson – Citizen Science - Understanding Climate Change And Phenology - Years 7 & 8:

Display the mind map below and talk through the features of this mind map, explaining that this is an attempt to visually clarifying the complex answers to the question: 'how will plants, animals and people be affected if the climate gets hotter?'

Explain to students that some of these impacts will be negative and some will be positive. Also explain that hotter temperatures are not the only potential impacts of climate change, and that we can also expect an increase in number of droughts and extreme weather, rising sea levels, decreased snow cover and ocean acidification. Spend some time talking through this mind map, ensuring that all students understand the content of this mind map.

Step 5. Groups should now create new mind maps for the species they are focusing on, using the following climate change impacts (students should pick the categories that might be relevant to their species):

Rising temperatures
Increase in the number of droughts
Increase in extreme weather events, such as storms
Rising sea levels
Decreased snow cover
Ocean acidification

Students can use the ClimateWatch website and other reliable online sources to help them understand these impacts. They then need to identify which impacts are negative (N) and which may be positive (P).

If groups need to undertake further research, the following links might be useful:

Climate change in Australia – https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/
Climate change impacts in Australia – https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science-data/climate-science/impacts
Climate change and biodiversity – https://www.nova.org.au/earth-environment/climate-change-and-biodiversity

Step 6. Invite groups to share their mind maps with the class.

Step 7. Now invite students to engage in a class discussion around the following question:

If climate change is a global issue that is threatening our local species, who should take action to help these species?

Through your discussion lead students to the idea that although climate change can feel like an overwhelming challenge with solutions far beyond what one individual can achieve, finding a way to engage your community in hands-on local actions will lead to a sense of empowerment for both students and the community.

Give each group one of the Social Action Quotes and invite them to work together to:

Rewrite this quote in their own words
Think about how this quote makes them feel.

Invite groups to share their thoughts with the class. Through your discussion, explain to students that they will now be thinking of a way to inspire their own community to take action for their local species who are at risk from climate change.

Part B. What Could We Do?

Step 1. Explain to students that through the activities completed in this lesson so far, they should have identified how climate change might affect a plant or an animal that is important to their community, and will be beginning to think about how they can engage their community in taking action on this issue.

Pose the following question to students:

How might we use science research to engage our community in citizen science?

Explain to students that they will be using this question to guide their activities throughout the rest of the lesson.

Step 2. The goal for the next part of the lesson is to develop some ideas in response to their “How might we…?" question. The next activity will guide them in brainstorming ideas by completing the '50 ideas in 5 minutes' challenge.

Students will work in their groups to come up with as many different and varied solutions in answer to their “How might we…?” question as possible in five minutes. The ideas can be as abstract and off-the-wall as students like, but they should also add some practical and realistic ideas too. The aim is to have as many as possible, with a view to being able to choose one that can be developed, refined and put into action.

There are three parameters to guide students through this process:

Their idea must help solve their “How might we…?” question
They must include the ClimateWatch app and/or website in their idea
Their idea must appeal to their intended audience i.e. the local community

The group brainstorm could be run like this:

Give each group a piece of butcher’s paper and each person a marker pen.
Before starting the countdown, ask students to write their issue or theme on the top of their piece of paper.
Students should stand around the tables rather than sit in their chairs as this encourages more creative thinking.
They should:
- Write everything down as fast as possible on the butcher's paper
- Work fast: they only have 5 minutes and they need 50 ideas
- Not discuss the ideas at this stage ... just get them recorded
Give time markers as they progress: "Three minutes left! Two minutes! One minute left!". You could project a countdown of 5 minutes using this website.
Share a rough figure of how many ideas have been generated across the whole class – remind students how productive they can be in 5 minutes.
You could offer a prize for the group that creates the most ideas within the 5 minutes.

Step 3. Once groups have completed the '50 ideas in 5 minutes' challenge, ask each group to spend the rest of the brainstorming time viewing and discussing their list of ideas.

Invite each student to nominate their favourite ideas by:

Drawing a star next to the idea they think is the most creative
Drawing a smiley face next to the idea that they like best

Step 4. Explain to students that each group will be selecting one idea to bring to life. It is important that each group selects an idea that is feasible and realistic to complete within the time frame. One way to do this is using the S.M.A.R.T. project criteria.

Ask each group to use the S.M.A.R.T. project criteria to select one idea that they will complete. Explain to students that S.M.A.R.T. project criteria can help focus on what you what to achieve, how you will achieve it, how long it will take and how you will measure your group's success.

Examples of S.M.A.R.T. ideas include:

Hold a community citizen science event that uses the ClimateWatch app to observe and record particular species in your area.
Develop a brochure for the community that describes how to use ClimateWatch to help local species.

Step 5. Explain to students that if any of the ideas don't stand up to the S.M.A.R.T. criteria they should be discarded. If they have more than one idea that stands up to the S.M.A.R.T. criteria then the group should decide fairly on which one to choose. If none of the ideas stand up to the S.M.A.R.T. criteria then groups will need to adjust or adapt existing ideas to meet the criteria.

Part C: Planning Our Project

Step 1. Explain to students that now they have developed an idea for action it’s time to start planning a project around this action. Students might need to conduct research or talk to people in order to plan their project properly – finding out what might be required, talking through any challenges or sensitivities, etc. Teachers should be available to guide students at this stage.

Step 2. Using the idea developed and refined in Part B, groups should complete the Project Planning Tool. These should be printed and each group needs to fill in their own copy.

Some tips for supporting groups through the project planning phase:

Part D: Executing Our Project

After students have completed the planning process, allow time for students to action their projects. This could be done in one day or over a number of weeks to complete the project. The Project Checklist can be used to help groups complete their project.

Consider the following tips when supporting students through the implementation phase of their projects:

Reflection

Facilitate a circle discussion to celebrate the achievements of the class. Not every group may have managed to deliver their project by the set date. Many groups may have delivered something that was not exactly what they envisaged. Emphasise that this is often the case for everyone, and that success is recognising and learning from the process.

Share what skills, attitudes and capabilities you observed that the students displayed. Discuss the importance and transferability of these qualities in the ability to succeed in life.

Then, invite students to complete the project reflection and self refection (available on the Student Worksheet). Each student should complete both sets of reflection questions independently.

Project reflection:

What parts of the project were the most successful and why?
What parts of the project were the least successful and why?
How would you improve these parts?
Overall, how would you improve the project?
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
How could you extend or continue your project?

Self reflection:

Which of your skills and interests were involved in delivering your project?
How did you contribute to your group's success?
What would you do differently next time?
What was the best part of working on this project and why?
What was the worst part and why?
What impact did you have?
What are you most proud of?

Teacher Reflection

Note: Cool Australia and Earthwatch have also partnered to create citizen science units of work for maths and geography. To further enhance students' learning, consider teaming up with teachers in these complementary faculties to run a cross-curricular project on phenology and citizen science.

Citizen Science - A Community of Citizen Scientists

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