Lesson summary
Students explore the impact of coal mining on the landscape, using a chocolate biscuit to simulate a coal strip-mine.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- examine the consequences of the management of Australian landscapes.
Success criteria:
Students can...
- demonstrate the impact of open-cut mining on the landscape
- explore reasons why coal mining can be conducted in an unsustainable way.
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Curriculum mapping
Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content descriptions:
Geography:
Students learn about:
- the management of Australian environments, including managing severe weather events such as bushfires, floods, droughts or cyclones, and their consequences (AC9HS5K05)
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.
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.
Resources required
- Chocolate chip biscuits x 1 per student
- Toothpicks x 1 per student
- Napkins x 1 per student
- Pens
- Student Worksheet x 1 per student.Â
- White paper
Skills
This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:
- Communication
- Critical thinking
Additional info
Level of teacher scaffolding: Low - Assist with understanding and conducting the experiment.
Related Professional Learning
Refresh your Geography Curriculum
Quick Summary:
Connect what is being taught in your geography classroom to the world outside, using sustainability education.
