Activity Introduction
Quick summary: This lesson incorporates clips from Blue The Film as learning inspiration. Students are introduced to the topics of the unit by exploring how they feel about the ocean and some of the animals that live there. Students are then asked to consider what life in the ocean is like, and investigate the concept that without BLUE (the ocean) there is no GREEN (the land). Students respond to this concept by developing their own creative piece to inspire others to connect to the ocean.
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 understand that the health of life on land is dependent upon healthy oceans.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 5 English
- Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1704)
Year 6 English
- Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features, images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1714)
Year 5 Science
- Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083)
Year 6 Science
- Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE100)
Syllabus outcomes: EN3-2A, ST3-7PW.
General capabilities: Critical and creative Thinking, Literacy.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.1.
Relevant parts of Year 5 English achievement standards: Students create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts for different purposes and audiences.
Relevant parts of Year 6 English achievement standards: Students create detailed texts elaborating on key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences.
Relevant parts of Year 5 Science achievement standards: Students discuss how scientific developments help us solve problems.
Relevant parts of Year 6 Science achievement standards: Students explain how scientific knowledge helps us to solve problems.
Topic: Blue The Film, Ocean Conservation, Water.
Unit of work: Blue The Film: Inquiry – Years 5 & 6.
Time required: 60 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – lead activities and guide discussion.
Resources required: Student Worksheet – one copy per student. Device capable of presenting a website to the class. Small piece of recycled paper (half A4 size). Pencils.
Keywords: Blue The Film, ocean conservation, oceans, messages, turtles, seabirds.
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
