Activity Introduction

Minderoo_geography_frame

Quick summary: Students investigate the resilience of their community and apply a resilient framework model to improve the community they live in so that they can be better prepared to prevent, plan, and respond to a natural hazard.

Subjects: Geography.

Year Level: 7 & 8.

Topics: Climate change and sustainability.

Teaching Time: 90 minutes.

21st-century skills: 

CommunicatingCommunity EngagementCritical ThinkingGlobal CitizenshipProblem FindingProblem SolvingTeam Work  

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions: 

Year 7 Geography:

  • Causes, impacts and responses to an atmospheric or hydrological hazard (ACHGK042).

Year 8 Geography:

  • Causes, impacts and responses to a geomorphological hazard (ACHGK053).

Syllabus outcomes: GE4-2, GE4-3, GE4-4, GE4-5.

General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability.

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.

Relevant parts of Year 7 Geography achievement standards: 

Students describe geographical processes that influence the characteristics of places and how the characteristics of places are perceived and valued differently. They explain interconnections between people and places and environments and describe how these interconnections change places and environments.

Relevant parts of Year 8 Geography achievement standards: 

By the end of Year 8, students explain geographical processes that influence the characteristics of places and explain how places are perceived and valued differently. They explain interconnections within environments and between people and places and explain how they change places and environments. They compare alternative strategies to a geographical challenge, taking into account environmental, economic and social factors.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate small group work and class discussion.

Resources required:

  • A device capable of creating audiovisual recordings, such as an iPad or camera
  • A device capable of presenting a video to the class
  • Student Worksheets – one copy per student.

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

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Minderoo_geography_frameTeacher Preparation

Handling Sensitive Topics:

While presenting the lesson, you may notice that students could develop heightened emotions as you uncover the physical and psychological effects of hazards and disasters. Resilience, rebuilding and hope are essential learnings from the lessons. Therefore, it is vital to create a psychologically safe place for students to discuss and debrief, shall they need to. The tasks can be activating for some students and could trigger old memories that some students may find challenging to revisit or process. You should direct students to a school counsellor if they require additional support and read through the Handling Sensitive Topics and Issues Template for more information. 

Resilient Communities Framework:

Building resilience is equally about how we approach our work as it is what we ultimately achieve as a result of the work. The Resilient Communities Framework is comprised of two mutually-reinforcing components — the principles and the

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Student Worksheet

Thought-starter: Resilient communities rely on systems and collaboration but most importantly we need to trust one another so that we can strive.

1.  Watch the video: From Risk to Resilience
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ChAjcuCsXc&t=76s).

After you’ve watched the video, discuss and answer the following questions in your groups:

  • What are some of the features of resilient communities?
  • How does being resilient help a community prepare for and respond to a disaster such as a fire, flood, earthquake etc?
  • Why is it important to set up communities with a strong coping capacity to prepare for and bounce back from disasters?

2. In your groups, fill out the table and discuss how we can increase resilience within our class, family and community.

Community or Town: What aspects of your community are strong and resilient? What kind of support does your community require in order to build disaster resilience?

 

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