Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune in: Possible solutions

20 minutes

Find out: Cool Burning

20 minutes

Take action: Reporting on the solutions

10 minutes

Reflection

Please make sure to read the About Cool Burning Factsheet.

Tune In: Possible solutions

Step 1

Think back to the recent Black Summer (Australian bushfire season 2019/20). There have been many arguments put forth by experts and commentators about how we can avoid future bushfire seasons in order to avoid the catastrophe of the Black Summer season. These include:

Back burning or hazard reduction burning - this is where planned burns are used in cooler seasons to reduce fuel load.
Actions for climate change - a warmer and drier climate will create conditions that favour more intense burns; taking action to slow global warming will help to reduce the intensity of bushfires.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fire management practices - known as ‘cool burns’, these practices help to reduce fuel load without harming biodiversity and creating fewer emissions than a hot burn.

Find Out: Cool burning

Step 1

Clip 1: Traditional knowledge is the solution - https://vimeo.com/79474014

Clip 2: Historical burning - https://vimeo.com/79466988

Clip 3: Working with scientists - http://vimeo.com/79474018

Step 2

For thousands of years, Australia has been occupied by many different groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with diverse cultures and languages.
First Nations peoples continue to have a sophisticated and detailed knowledge of Country that helped them not merely survive, but thrive.
We need to reintroduce traditional strategies to better manage the land and resources of Australia.

Take action: Reporting on the solutions

Step 1

Independently, students write a short newspaper article which communicates the information in one of the clips.Depending on the clip they have been assigned, students should address some of the following themes in their articles (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples savanna management practices - a historical perspective

What do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples do to manage the savanna?
What kind of knowledge was required and how was this passed down to each new generation?
How did European colonisation impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Why did most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples stop managing the land?

Impact on the tropical savanna - an ecological perspective

Why were there more devastating hot burns once people stopped managing Country? Why do hot burns do so much damage to savanna ecosystems? How have hot burns impacted on plant and animal species?

Benefits of cool burns - what can be done today and in the future?

What would help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples revitalise these practices?
How can scientists best work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Can traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land management substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

You can suggest to students the following links/resources to conduct their research.

Sources:

Articles on bushfires in The Conversation
ABC - Indigenous fire practices have been used to quell bushfires for thousands of years, experts say
Bush Heritage - Fire management
Indigenous Fire Management
Factsheet - How Do Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Peoples Use Fire To Manage Country?

Students can use the information in the Tips For Writing A Great News Article to guide the creation of their news article.

You can assess students' work with this rubric: News Article Assessment Rubric.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

I used to think…
I now think…

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

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

Fire as a Traditional Land Management Practice

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