Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students create a communication tool to explain what Australians need to do to manage our water for the future. They explain why water is essential for the environment, our health, agriculture and industry. Within their communication tool they explain what they believe are the appropriate solutions.  

Learning goals:

  • Develop a communication tool that can explain Australia’s water issues to a wide audience.
  • Communicate what they believe are the appropriate solutions to addressing the future water issues.
  • Use their communication tool as part of a presentation.

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions:

Year 9 Science

  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations(ACSIS174)
  • Critically analyse the validity of information in secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS172)

Year 9 English

  • Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)

Year 10 Science

  • Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations (ACSIS208)
  • Critically analyse the validity of information in secondary sources and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS206)

 Year 10 English

  • Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)

Syllabus outcomes: SC5-7WS, SC5-8WS, SC5-9WS, EN5-1A. 

Topic: Water

Year levels: 9 and 10

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time required: 60 + mins, plus presentation time.

Learning areas addressed: Science, Geography, English.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Facilitate class discussion, assist with research, organise and assess the student presentations.

Resources required: Computers, art material, digital projector or smartboard.

Homework and extension opportunities: This activity could be partly set as home work.

Keywords: Water, Discussion, Communication, Presentation, Group, Research, Issue. 

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

In this activity students will:

1. Create a communication tool that explains Australia’s water future and what they believe are the most appropriate solutions.

2. Use their communication tool as part of a presentation to their class or another audience. 

Part 1: As a class or individually, identify and show links between water issues that will affect Australia in the future. Include the high demand for water across Australia, the frequent droughts and the possible impact of climate change on managing water resources. Task One on the Student Worksheet may be filled out by students in order to complete this part.

Part 2: Discuss who students will be presenting the communication tools to (this may be the class, student body, staff faculty members or any other group that the teacher chooses).

Divide students into groups of 3-4 and allow them to chose an appropriate communication tool that they wish to use as part of a presentation. This may be a computer program

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Student Worksheet

Your task is to create a presentation that explains Australia’s water future, including what you believe are the most appropriate solutions to various water resource issues. Upon completion, you will need to present your findings to the class or another audience as chosen by your teacher.

Task One: This may be completed as a class or individually. Use the table below to identify the various water issues that may affect Australia in the future. Identify the main water issues in the left hand column and the effects of these water issues in the right hand column. 

WATER ISSUE

PROBLEM

EFFECT

Australia is a country that experiences many water issues and is expected to continue to do so into the future.

 

Task Two: Form a group of 3-4 students and develop a presentation that discusses all or some of Australia's future water issues that you identified in Task One. You may wish to present your information in the form of

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