Activity Introduction

This lesson is designed to be completed independently by students. 

Students will consider the impact that the summer bushfires had on our flora and fauna. They will read an article and answer questions which will encourage them to think and reflect on the content. Next, they will complete some simple summarising tasks to focus their ideas. Finally, students will complete a planning template and create an informative brochure titled, ’What you can do to help our flora and fauna’.

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Year 9 English

  • Understand that authors innovate with text structures and language for specific purposes and effects (ACELA1553)
  • Understand how punctuation is used along with layout and font variations in constructing texts for different audiences and purposes (ACELA1556)
  • Identify how vocabulary choices contribute to specificity, abstraction and stylistic effectiveness (ACELA1561)
  • Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)
  • Review and edit students’ own and others’ texts to improve clarity and control over content, organisation, paragraphing, sentence structure, vocabulary and audio/visual features (ACELY1747)
  • Use a range of software, including word processing programs, flexibly and imaginatively to publish texts (ACELY1748)

Year 10 English

  • Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)
  • Review, edit and refine students’ own and others’ texts for control of content, organisation, sentence structure, vocabulary, and/or visual features to achieve particular purposes and effects (ACELY1757)
  • Use a range of software, including word processing programs, confidently, flexibly and imaginatively to create, edit and publish texts, considering the identified purpose and the characteristics of the user (ACELY1776) 

General capabilities: Literacy, Ethical Understanding, Critical and Creative Thinking.

Background information

From natural disasters to volatile leaders to environmental degradation to social and economic woes, our world can feel like a complicated and daunting place, especially for young people. News headlines can capture the worst of these events, leaving the impression that we live in a daunting and even frightening place. This can lead young people to a feeling of powerlessness about their lives, both now and in the future. However, reading and analysing news articles tells us what the real story behind the headlines and helps us to move beyond our uncertainty and fear to a place where we may be compelled to take positive action, instead of feeling powerless.

Tips for Parents and Carers

For many people in Australia – including and especially young people – the bushfires were and continue to be a source of considerable anxiety and stress. This is particularly true for those who were immediately impacted by the fires.

If you need further support for students please refer to: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/bushfires-and-mental-health/

Resources Required

  • Device with internet connection for research
  • A pen
  • A workbook or paper to write on
  • Article: Want to help save wildlife after the fires? You can do it in your own backyard

 

[email protected] from Cool Australia

[email protected] resources are designed for parents and teachers to use with children in the home environment. They can be used as stand alone activities or built into existing curriculum-aligned learning programs. Our [email protected] series includes two types of resources. The first are fun and challenging real world activities for all ages, the second are self-directed lessons for upper primary and secondary students. These lessons support independent learning in a remote or school settings.

This lesson has been developed in partnership with The Conversation. The Conversation’s mission is to be known as a prominent and trusted publisher of new thinking and evidence-based research, editorially independent and free of commercial or political bias. The Conversation hopes teachers will use their content as a source of truthful information, and that teachers can show their students the importance of trusted, evidence-based information in understanding the world around them and making informed decisions about their actions. Please follow the republishing guidelines when using The Conversation’s articles.


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

Worksheets

Student Worksheet

What You Can Do To Help Our Flora And Fauna - Activity Instructions

Learning intentions:

  • You will understand what a news article is and how a news article can be a catalyst for rallying people to a cause
  • You will understand how to effectively communicate ideas
  • You will plan and create an informative brochure on the ways our community can help flora and fauna affected by bushfires.

Success criteria:

  • You can write an informative text that explains how people can help flora and fauna affected by bushfires
  • You can select language and maintain a tone appropriate for your audience
  • You can organise your ideas strategically through a planning process.

READ THE CONVERSATION ARTICLE BELOW

Want to help save wildlife after the fires? You can do it in your own backyard

Holly Kirk, RMIT University; Brendan Wintle, University of Melbourne; Casey Visintin, University of Melbourne; Freya Thomas, RMIT University; Georgia Garrard, RMIT University; Kirsten Parris, University of Me

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