Activity Introduction
Quick summary: This lesson incorporates clips from Blue The Film as learning inspiration. Students explore how the guardians from Blue use environmental knowledge in their jobs to help conserve our oceans. Students begin by analysing what is meant by ‘environmental knowledge’ and then work in groups to investigate the guardians. Students adopt a jigsaw approach to sharing what they have learnt about the guardian they investigated. Students are then asked to think about what sort of job they would like to do to help our oceans and what environmental knowledge this job would require. Finally, they are asked to think about what actions they can take right now to help our oceans.
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 intentions:
- Students understand how environmental knowledge is used in a range of occupations.
- Students understand how the guardians from Blue use environmental knowledge.
- Students recognise that we can all be guardians of the ocean and take action to protect oceans right now in our own lives.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 8 Science
- People use science understanding and skills in their occupations and these have influenced the development of practices in areas of human activity (ACSHE136)
- Scientific knowledge has changed peoples’ understanding of the world and is refined as new evidence becomes available (ACSHE134)
Syllabus outcomes: SC4-13ES.
General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.7, OI.9.
Relevant parts of Year 8 Science achievement standards: Students examine the different science knowledge used in occupations.
Topic: Blue The Film, Ocean Conservation, Sustainability.
Unit of work: Blue The Film – Science – Year 7 & 8.
Time required: 120 mins +
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – oversee activity, lead students in discussion.
Resources required: Student Worksheet – one copy per student. Device capable of presenting a website to the class. Infographic software (e.g. Piktochart). Infographic Assessment Rubric.
Keywords: Blue The Film, ocean conservation, guardians, environmental knowledge, jigsaw activity.
Cool Australia and Northern Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of GoodPitch² Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation and Screen Australia 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.
© 2017 Northern Pictures and Cool Australia
Teacher preparation
