Activity Introduction
Quick summary: This lesson incorporates clips from Blue The Film as learning inspiration. Students draw conclusions and consolidate their learning from Blue The Film: Inquiry – Foundation or Blue The Film: Inquiry – Years 1 & 2. Students begin by reflecting on some of the issues raised in this unit. They then hear from some of the ocean guardians featured in Blue. Students will then use drama and music to create simple ocean guardian performances to demonstrate ways that everyone can easily play a part in helping protect our oceans. The students perform their plays to an audience to encourage others to become an ocean guardian.
Blue is a feature documentary film charting the drastic decline in the health of our oceans. With more than half of all marine life lost and the expansion of the industrialization of the seas, the film sets out the challenges we are facing and the opportunities for positive change. Blue changes the way we think about our liquid world and inspires the audience to action. Find out how to screen or download the film here. Along with the film is an ambitious global campaign to create advocacy and behaviour change through the #oceanguardian movement. To become an ocean guardian, see the website.
Learning intention:
- Students learn how to make a performance to convey a message to others.
- Students recognise some of the ways we can all help our ocean.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Foundation HASS
- Sequence familiar objects and events (ACHASSI004)
Year 1 HASS
- Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI026)
Year 2 HASS
- Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI042)
Foundation to Year 2 – The Arts – Music
- Create compositions and perform music to communicate ideas to an audience (ACAMUM082)
Foundation to Year 2 – The Arts – Drama
- Present drama that communicates ideas, including stories from their community, to an audience (ACADRM029)
Syllabus outcomes: GE1-3, MUES1.2, MUS1.2, DRAES1.3, DRAS1.3.
General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.9.
Relevant parts of Foundation HASS achievement standards: Students reflect on their learning to suggest ways they can care for places.
Relevant parts of Year 1 HASS achievement standards: Students reflect on their learning to suggest ways they can care for places.
Relevant parts of Year 2 HASS achievement standards: Students reflect on their learning to suggest ways to care for places and sites of significance.
Relevant parts of Foundation to Year 2 The Arts – Music achievement standards: Students improvise, compose, arrange and perform music. They demonstrate aural skills by staying in tune and keeping in time when they sing and play.
Relevant parts of Foundation to Year 2 The Arts – Drama achievement standards: Students make and present drama using the elements of role, situation and focus in dramatic play and improvisation.
Topic: Blue The Film, Ocean Conservation, Water.
Unit of work: Blue The Film: Inquiry – Foundation, Blue The Film: Inquiry – Years 1 & 2.
Time required: 80+ mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – oversee activities, lead discussions and facilitate content.
Resources required: Device capable of presenting a website. One printed copy of the Flashcard Images. Props for the performance, such as plastic bags, reusable bags, toothbrushes, packaging (for litter), drink bottles and musical equipment.
Keywords: Blue The Film, ocean conservation, ocean guardians, performance.
Cool Australia and Northern Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of GoodPitch, Documentary Australia Foundation, Screen Australia and The Caledonia Foundation in the development of these teaching resources.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Teacher Preparation