Land Issues

GATHERING DATA AND CONSTRUCTING UNDERSTANDING

1. Local Area Investigation

Make a map of the local area for students to identify their own home street and places of significance to them eg playgrounds, meeting places, local places they visit eg homes of friends. Ask students to draw or write a summary of how they relate to (including their feelings about) their local environment.

Divide the class into cooperative work groups (eg 3-5 students). Ensure that each member of the group has a specific role to assist effective team work. Make a map of the local area available to each group.

Each group will have the responsibility of identifying and representing certain aspects of the local environment on their group's map. Students will need to research and collect data so that they can appropriately identify their aspect on the map. Groups may be responsible for researching and mapping data such as:

• natural physical features in the local area (natural significance)
• natural habitats of the local area (natural significance )
• plants and animals (introduced and native) in the local area (natural significance)
• places of importance to the class (cultural significance)
• places of importance to local Aboriginal people (cultural significance)
• conservation projects taken by actions of the local community.

While researching, each group is also responsible for gathering data that examines issues that determine why the identified aspects are naturally or culturally significant to the local environment or community. Encourage students to represent their information appropriately by using diagrams and text. For example:

Natural physical features in the local area (natural significance)

• How were these natural physical features formed?
• Have these natural physical features changed over time? What are the processes of change?
• How does the local environment compare with other region/s of Australia?

Natural habitats of the local area (natural significance)

• What are the characteristics (eg components of the habitats, patterns of plant distribution) of the natural habitats identified?
• What are the conditions (eg climate, rainfall, soil types) that exist in this natural habitat?
• Describe some interactions that occur in the natural habitat eg food chain, interdependent relationships between organisms.

Plants and animals (introduced and native) in the local area (natural significance)

• Classify the types of plants and animals in the local area

• Describe the structure and function of a native plant and animal to illustrate how it is suited to survive in the local environment.
• Describe some interactions that occur in the natural habitat eg food chain, interdependent relationships between organisms.

Places of importance to the class (cultural significance)

• Why are these places important?

• How do the students in the class relate to their local environment (eg what is their identity? Is there a shared identity?)?
• How do the students use and care for these places?
• Has the use of these places changed over time? How? How does the change in use affect the local environment?

Places of importance to local Aboriginal people (cultural significance)

• Why are these places important?

• How do local Aboriginal people relate to their local environment (eg what is their identity? Is there a shared identity?)?
• How do local Aboriginal people use and care for these places?
• How have the use of these places changed over time? How does the change in use affect the local environment?

Conservation projects taken by actions of the local community.

• Describe the local conservation projects and why the local community feel it is important to take these conservation actions.

• Describe the effects of the conservation projects on the local environment and/or health of the local community.
• Describe the type of knowledge and skills (ie jobs) that are required to carry out these conservation projects.
• How do people become involved to the conservation groups?

SYNTHESISING AND COLLATING THE CLASS DATA

Developing a brochure: Indigenous cultural and environmental features of significance in the local environment and community

Students use their collected information to prepare a brochure for local tourism information that describes their local area which identifies local issues of reconciliation and environmentally significant species or features of the local area. Students are encouraged to research and describe links between the local indigenous culture and the environment. This brochure can be sent to the Lore of the Land website to share with other school communities.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON THE WEB

Encourage students to use their learning by sharing it with others from schools in similar and contrasting environments. In cooperative groups, students can present their information to another cooperative group from another school (network established through the registration to the Lore of the Land website). After the presentations are exchanged, students can ask questions of each other via email to clarify points or to explore concepts further. Students could use DeBono's Six thinking hats strategy to help them develop questions from a range of perspectives. Students could explore the similarities and differences between the environments and communities, and discuss the issues that have been identified.

Further extension ideas

Using the maps (on CD/ website), make a large aerial view map of Australia with major land forms, urban development areas and conservation areas.

Next

Teachers' Notes

CD Tour

Schools Showcase

Invitation

State Resources