Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

5 minutes

Tune in: Activating prior knowledge

20 minutes

Find out: Identifying actions for helping biodiversity

30 minutes

Take action: Enacting plans to protect biodiversity

5 minutes

Reflection

Please make sure to read the About Cool Burning Factsheet.

Tune In: Activating prior knowledge

Step 1. Discuss:

What do you already know about cool burning?
Where does the term comes from?
How is it done?
Who is it performed by?
Can you think of any environmental/cultural/economic benefits?

Find Out: Identifying actions for helping biodiversity

Step 1. Explain:

Cool burning is a land management technique.
Started soon after the wet season, before the grass completely dries out, cool burns do not damage plants, seeds or animals to any significant extent.
During a cool burn, the grasses on the ground burn slowly, allowing most of the small animals to escape.
Seedlings, green grass, tree trunks and fallen logs are not burnt or damaged.
The rising heat from the burning grass usually won’t singe the eucalyptus leaves above.
Overnight, the cool moisture in the air will put out any remaining fires before the morning.
Cool burning practices are one way that land managers can look after the natural environment and biodiversity.
Conducting a cool burn requires deep knowledge of a landscape, the climate and the weather

Step 2. Explain:

What are the environmental benefits of cool burning? Cool burns are gentle on the natural environment, especially when compared to hot burns, like bushfires.
Wildlife - Animals have the chance to escape and their homes aren’t destroyed in the fire.
Vegetation - Plants aren’t scorched and are able to regrow (many plants require a cool burn to regenerate), and fallen logs and branches remain.
Soil - Microbes and seeds in the soil aren’t destroyed and can continue to support regeneration.

Step 3.

Independently, students will now conduct research into what actions they can take in their own neighbourhoods to help conserve and improve biodiversity.The research should focus on:

Wildlife (including mammals, amphibians, insects, birds and fish)
Vegetation

Students could work in small groups to conduct their research.

You could assign groups with one of the two points or each group could look at both points.

Encourage students to look for research around helping the biodiversity in their local areas (e.g. council area or state) as it may be that particular animals or plants require specific actions or support. Invite students to record any actions that interest them, no matter how big or small.

The research could be conducted online or in the library. When conducting research online, suggest to students they could use the following search term: How to help (wildlife/vegetation) in (our area)? When conducting research online, remind students of the Online Search Strategies.

The following resources could be used (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Step 4.

Create a table on the board with two columns labelled ‘Wildlife’ and ‘Vegetation’.

As a class, add students' findings to the table.

Step 5.

Now work with students to start thinking about which actions could be:

Individual actions - which ones could you do on your own? Label these with an ‘I’.
School actions - which ones could you work together on in your school? Label these with an ‘S’.

Some examples of actions are included in the table below. You may find that some actions are suitable for both categories:

Vegetation

Wildlife

Plant a tree - I, S
Remove weeds - S
Grow native plants - I, S
Create a schoolyard biodiversity trail to show people where different native plants and animals can be found at your school - S
Stop using single-use plastics that can litter and harm our environment - I, S
Walk or ride sometimes instead of driving to reduce the amount of pollution in our air - I

Make a nesting box - S
Create a frog bog - S
Build a lizard lounge - S
Create a schoolyard biodiversity trail to show people where different native plants and animals can be found at your school - S
Clean up a local park or creek - S
Participate in a citizen science activity (e.g. Backyard Bird Count) - I, S
Stop using single-use plastics that can litter and harm our environment - I, S
Walk or ride sometimes instead of driving to reduce the amount of pollution in our air - I
Choose sustainably sourced seafood - I
Leave out clean water for plants and animals - I, S

Take Action: Enacting plans to protect biodiversity

Step 1.

Students will now work collaboratively to select one action to work on at their school together from the list above.

Take a few moments to work with students to think about what this action might look like and what you are trying to achieve. Work collaboratively to complete the following statement:

Our school action for biodiversity is...

Step 2.

Once students have chosen an activity, it’s time to assess whether this idea can be completed given the resources available to you. You could test your idea against the following criteria:

S.M.A.R.T. Criteria

Provide guidance around timeframes for completing tasks and available materials/equipment. Where there are obvious challenges, students should be encouraged to collaborate to refine their idea. If necessary, update the statement: Our school action for biodiversity is…

Step 3.

It’s time to start planning a project around this action using the Project Planning Tool.

Step 4.

Hold a ten-minute conference with the class to discuss their plan. Use these questions to guide the conference:

What help or resources do we need to get this project done, and how might we get these?
When do you plan to have completed your project by? What step-by-step processes are necessary to see your project completed?
Have you identified any challenges or risks associated with the project, and how might you address these?

If working as a class, you might like to assign roles to students to ensure your project runs smoothly. You could use this guide to help you assign roles: Project Roles.

Refer to the Reflection part of this lesson and ensure students have a clear understanding of the assessment criteria. If useful, direct students to the self-reflection and project reflection assessment activities.

Step 5.

After students have completed the planning process, allow them time to action their projects. Distribute a Project Checklist to groups so that they can keep track of what they need to do to deliver their project. Provide students with information about the deadline for delivery of their project and any relevant logistics relating to your school, such as other staff who could support them, how to book resources such as cameras and rooms, or who to speak to for permission for their intended action.

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

Be clear about time allocation - remind your team how much time they have to complete the project and encourage them to be realistic about the tasks they have to complete in that time.
Keep communication clear, making sure everyone has everything they need to complete the work they have been allocated and that everyone knows what they should be doing.
Talk to your principal, parents and staff about what your team is doing and how/why they are completing their projects.
Remind your team to prepare for setbacks and remind them that making change can be hard; encourage them to continue even in the face of obstacles or challenges.

Step 6.

At appropriate intervals, conference with students to discuss their progress. Use these questions to guide the conference:

What have you done so far, and how/why?
What needs to be done next, and how/why?
When will it be finished, and how?
What help or resources do you need to get it done, and how might we get these?

Reflection

Step 1.

An important part of real-world learning, such as in this project, is the opportunity for students to present their learning in a public arena. This could mean hosting an exhibition where the process and final products of the project are displayed, preparing an article for the newsletter about the project, or creating a short film that documents the process of delivering the project and the outcomes.

In this presentation ensure that students communicate:

Why they chose this project e.g. what problem were they hoping to address and why they chose this problem
What was involved in completing this project, e.g. what actions they took?
What the impact of their project was
How they might like to extend or continue this project.

Through this process ensure that you share the skills, attitudes, and capabilities you observed in your students, and explain the importance and transferability of these qualities with the ability to succeed in life.

Step 2.

Invite students to complete the project reflection and personal reflection (available on the Student Worksheet). Each student should complete both sets of reflection questions independently.

Project reflection

Give a short overview of the action your class took.
Was your project a success? Why or why not?
What parts were the most successful and why?
What were the least successful and why?
Overall, how could this action be extended or continued?

Self-reflection

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

Finally, congratulate your students on their efforts and remind them to be proud of what they achieved, even if they didn’t achieve all they hoped to in the ways they may have initially intended to. Making change is hard. Efforts towards creating change, and learnings gained along the way, should be acknowledged and celebrated.

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?

How Can Groups Help Biodiversity?

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

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