Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Cool as a koala

25 minutes

Find Out: Koalas: adaptations and threats

20 minutes

Take Action: Aussie animal architects

5 minutes

Reflection: How can we help protect koalas?

Tune In: Cool as a koala

Step 1

Today, we are going to investigate how koalas are so well-suited to living in Australia.

Note: Keep coming back to this key question throughout the lesson.

One reason is their amazing ability to live in hot and dry conditions! Have you ever wondered how OUR bodies know to stay warm when it's chilly outside or cool when it's hot? Well, it's all about something called "thermoregulation" – that's a big word that means your body knows how to keep its temperature just right!

Let's think about all the cool things our bodies do to stay comfy.

Make two lists on the board, one for the things we do to stay warm and one for staying cool. Your students might suggest:

Warming up:

shivering
wearing warm clothes
huddling together
using blankets
having warm food or drink
seeking shelter
moving around
put the heater on!

Cooling down:

sweating
wearing light clothing
seeking shade
drinking cold water
using fans or air conditioning
taking cool showers or baths
eating cooling foods
put on the air conditioning!

Step 2

Let’s do a Think, Pair, Share. How do other species of animals (including reptiles, fish, and mammals) thermoregulate? (Remember they can’t change their clothes or put on the heater/air conditioner!)

Ask students to have a think for a minute and then a chat to the person next to them for a minute to come up with some ideas to share with the class. Ask students to suggest answers and write some ideas on the board.

Step 3

Koalas are particularly good at thermoregulation. They have to be! When you live in the trees, you are out in the rain, the wind, and the hot Australian sun. Let’s start to take a closer look at some ways that koalas thermoregulate.

Play this video for students:

How Do Koalas Stay Cool? | Animal Science for Kids - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnZTNWbQsKQ

Find Out: Koalas: adaptations and threats

Step 1

So we have now learnt about one of the interesting ways koalas survive in Australia's hot environment. What was it?

Present the visual explainer to students and keep bringing back to the key question: How are koalas so well suited to living in Australia? The first half of the explainer is about adaptations (physical and behavioural), and the second half looks at some of the threats koalas face. You may like to take your time with any of these slides to open up class discussion as it arises or where appropriate. Emphasise also that these threats to koalas also apply to many other species impacting biodiversity.

Step 2

The last slide asks students, “what extra adaptations would help koalas survive in our changing world?”.

Prompt students to offer any of their ideas to the class and write them on the board as they go. They can be as creative as they like (think aliens from outer space creative!).

You may like to attempt to draw a koala on the board with some of their design ideas added.

Take Action: Aussie animal architects

Step 1

Ask students to think about some of the animals that are thriving in our changing world, and why. Some examples may include:

Black rats
Silver gulls
Ibis (bin chickens)
Red foxes
Rabbits

I wonder what adaptations they have (behavioural or physical) that are helping them survive in our changing world? What advantages might these species have over animals like koalas?

Step 2

Now our creative brains are switched on and we have an idea of what other animals are using well to survive, we are going to have a chance at each designing our very own new animal species! Your new animal species should include adaptations that will help it survive in Australia into the future. Again, be as creative and wild with your adaptations as your mind can possibly dream up! Remind students of some of the threats facing koalas as well as much to our wildlife (that we learn about in the slide deck).

habitat loss and fragmentation
dog attacks
disease
being hit by cars
bushfires
climate change

Give students the worksheet to work through to help them design their new animal.

Reflection: How can we help protect koalas?

We have learnt a lot about koalas today. We have especially focused on some of the things that are threatening their survival. While it can be fun to think of ways koalas could adapt to this new type of habitat, it would be much better if we could protect their current habitat. Now we want to think about some of the things we could do to help protect koalas!

Some ideas students may come up with to discuss:

planting more gum trees and other native plants (for healthy habitat) at school or at home to connect fragmented habitat and enable wildlife movement across landscapes.
protect their existing homes and stopping practices like deforestation.
raising awareness about koalas - make posters, do presentations, newsletters, or Wear it wild!
keep your dogs under control or on leads when walking in the bush

Highlight to them also the importance of ‘Biodiversity’ and the need to protect a wide variety of animals, from the smallest and even very unpopular earthworms to the big cute and cuddly koalas that we all love.

Koalas: Fit for Australia

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