Blue - Secret Life of Shearwaters

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• communication
• collaboration
• problem solving

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 3 Science:

• Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)

Year 4 Science:

• Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072)
• Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)
• Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations (ACSIS071)

Syllabus outcomes: ST2-10LW, ST2-11LW, ST2-4WS.

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability

Relevant parts of Year 3 Science achievement standards: Students group living things based on observable features and distinguish them from non-living things. 

Relevant parts of Year 4 Science achievement standards: Students describe relationships that assist the survival of living things and sequence key stages in the life cycle of a plant or animal. They use formal and informal ways to communicate their observations and findings.

Unit of work: Blue The Film: Inquiry – Years 3 & 4.

Time required: 60 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – oversee activities and lead discussions.

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

• Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

• Student Worksheet – one copy per student
• Device capable of presenting a website to the class
• Flesh-footed Shearwaters Life Cycle Challenge Sheet (enlarged and printed on A3 sized paper – one copy for each pair of students)
• Scissors
• Drawing materials
• Flesh-footed Shearwater Picture
• Once piece of A4 paper
• Blu-tack

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.

How To Teach Sustainability With Hope

Quick summary: This course is for both primary and secondary teachers of all subjects, but especially for English, Science, Humanities and Geography teachers who are covering climate change and the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability.