Activity Introduction
Quick summary: In this lesson, students will explore the population numbers for key Australian endangered species through an outdoor conservation trail, with the data presented as a column graph. They will then have the opportunity to analyse and interpret the information found and suggest ways in which these endangered species could be protected.
This lesson can be implemented as a stand alone lesson; however to strengthen understanding of these concepts and inspire student action it is best taught as a component of the Roots and Shoots Lower Primary unit of work.
This lesson has been developed in partnership with Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program. Roots & Shoots is a global youth-led program of young people taking action to improve our world. By participating in this lesson, you and your students will be joining thousands of young people and teachers working to make positive change in our world.
Learning intentions:
- Students collect, present and interpret data.
- Students are aware of the importance of protecting endangered species.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Foundation Mathematics
- Answer yes/no questions to collect information and make simple inferences (ACMSP011)
Year 1 Mathematics
- Choose simple questions and gather responses and make simple inferences (ACMSP262)
- Represent data with objects and drawings where one object or drawing represents one data value. Describe the displays (ACMSP263)
Year 2 Mathematics
- Identify practical activities and everyday events that involve chance. Describe outcomes as ‘likely’ or ‘unlikely’ and identify some events as ‘certain’ or ‘impossible’ (ACMSP047)
- Identify a question of interest based on one categorical variable. Gather data relevant to the question (ACMSP048)
- Create displays of data using lists, table and picture graphs and interpret them (ACMSP050)
Foundation Science
Living things have basic needs, including food and water (ACSSU002)
Year 1 Science
- Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)
Year 2 Science
- Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211)
Foundation HASS
- The representation of the location of places and their features on simple maps and models (ACHASSK014)
- Draw simple conclusions based on discussions, observations and information displayed in pictures and texts and on maps (ACHASSI008)
- Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI009)
Year 1 HASS
- The natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location, how they change and how they can be cared for (ACHASSK031)
- Draw simple conclusions based on discussions, observations and information displayed in pictures and texts and on maps (ACHASSI025)
- Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI026)
Year 2 HASS
- The way the world is represented in geographic divisions and the location of Australia in relation to these divisions (ACHASSK047)
- Draw simple conclusions based on discussions, observations and information displayed in pictures and texts and on maps (ACHASSI041)
- Reflect on learning to propose how to care for places and sites that are important or significant (ACHASSI042)
NESA and VCAA: Click here for NESA and VCAA curriculum links for this lesson.
General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.
Relevant parts of Mathematics Achievement Standards:
Foundation – Students answer simple questions to collect information and make simple inferences.
Year 1 – Students describe data displays. They collect data by asking questions, draw simple data displays and make simple inferences.
Year 2 – Students make sense of collected information. They describe outcomes for everyday events. Students collect, organise and represent data to make simple inferences.
Relevant parts of Science achievement standards:
Foundation – They suggest how the environment affects them and other living things. Students share and reflect on observations, and ask and respond to questions about familiar objects and events.
Year 1 – They describe changes in their local environment and how different places meet the needs of living things. Students respond to questions, make predictions, and participate in guided investigations of everyday phenomena. They follow instructions to record and sort their observations and share them with others.
Year 2 – Students describe changes to objects, materials and living things. They identify that certain materials and resources have different uses and describe examples of where science is used in people’s daily lives. Students pose and respond to questions about their experiences and predict outcomes of investigations. They use informal measurements to make and compare observations. They record and represent observations and communicate ideas in a variety of ways.
Relevant parts of HASS achievement standards:
Foundation – Students describe the features of familiar places and recognise why some places are special to people. They recognise that places can be represented on maps and a globe and why places are important to people. They share and compare observations in a range of texts and use everyday language to describe direction and location. Students reflect on their learning to suggest ways they can care for a familiar place.
Year 1 – Students identify and describe the natural, managed and constructed features of places at a local scale and identify where features of places are located. They recognise that people describe the features of places differently. Students identify changes in features and describe how to care for places. Students respond to questions about familiar and unfamiliar places by locating and interpreting information from sources provided. They reflect on their learning to suggest ways that places can be cared for.
Year 2 – Students describe a person, site and/or event of significance in the local community. They pose questions about the past and use sources provided to answer these questions and to identify a point of view. They recognise that the world is divided into geographic divisions. They compare objects from the past and present. Students develop a narrative about the past using a range of texts.
Topic: Sustainability, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Outdoor Learning
Unit of work: Roots and Shoots – Lower Primary
Time required: 50 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: High – Support students to draw graphs accurately and identify ways the animal can be supported.
Resources required: Device with internet access capable of displaying video to the class. Conservation Research Sheet (one per student). Clipboards. Computers (one per student – optional). Grid paper (one sheet per student – optional). Endangered Species Data Cards (x4).
Keywords: World, Earth, resources, community, environment, sustainability, natural, managed, constructed, animals, people, habitat, endangered, action, choice, data, graph, Jane Goodall, Roots and Shoots.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
