Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: The natural playground

20 minutes

Find Out: Decision making in nature

25 minutes

Take Action: Slogans for change

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

understand the Conservation Regulator’s role in protecting our natural environment
analyse multiple community perspectives, including those of Traditional Owners, on protecting Country.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify how recreational and lifestyle choices impact places, habitats, and wildlife
explain strategies, including voluntary compliance with regulations that support sustainability and respect cultural heritage.

Tune In: The natural playground

Step 1

Invite students to watch The Natural Playground, a short montage of people using natural places for different purposes such as bushwalking, trail biking, camping, 4WDing, firewood collection and fishing.

The Natural Playground - https://vimeo.com/1089937392/37bc063b7c?share=copy

Step 2

After the video, organise students into groups of four and ask them to work together to complete the PMI The Natural Playground, considering the positive (plus) and negative (minus) and any interesting observation about the impacts the activities in the video have on habitat and wildlife.

Prompt students to place any interesting thoughts, personal experiences, or observations they may have about recreational activities in nature in the interesting column of the graphic organiser.

Learning support: Prompt students to consider if human behaviour has an immediate or long-term impact on natural habitats.

Step 3

Help students understand that protecting the environment requires many people working together. Voluntary compliance and enforcement of rules and regulations both play a significant role. Facilitate a discussion with the whole class around the content of the graphic organisers, allowing time for students to share their thinking. Pose the question: Who should be responsible for looking after these places?

Find Out: Decision making in nature

Step 1

Organise students into groups of 3. Explain to the groups that they will be provided with a Community Setting Scenario. These scenarios involve a regulation that the community is asked to follow voluntarily.

Step 2

Ask students to read their scenario, analyse the regulation the community is required to follow, and consider the multiple perspectives of the people involved by answering the attached questions.

Refer students to the following links according to their scenario:

Scenario One

Hooded plovers need our care for longer than just National Bird Week - (https://www.vic.gov.au/hooded-plovers-need-our-care-longer-just-national-bird-week)
It takes a village to raise a hooded plover chick - (https://www.vic.gov.au/it-takes-village-raise-hooded-plover-chick)
Help save our hooded plover chicks - (https://www.vic.gov.au/help-save-our-hooded-plover-chicks)

Scenario Two

Slippery when wet: Victorians reminded to stay off seasonally closed roads from Tuesday - (https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/media-releases/2024/06/06/03/46/slippery-when-wet-victorians-reminded-to-stay-off-seasonally-closed-roads-from-tuesday)
4WD safety in parks - (https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/get-into-nature/safety-in-nature/visitor-safety-tips-in-parks/4wd-safety-in-parks)
Vehicle use on Victorian public land – Can I? Can’t I? - (https://cool-media-production-public.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/eWpE6GnAq8RHwx8h5jkHGGhcFd8uF9uPgIMh1YpE.pdf)
Before Louttit Bay - Lorne Historical Society - (https://www.lornehistoricalsociety.org.au/history/aboriginal-heritage/before-louttit-bay/)

Scenario Three

Don’t let your campfire become a bushfire this Summer (https://www.vic.gov.au/dont-let-your-campfire-become-bushfire-summer)
Campfire warning ahead of long weekend (https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/media-releases/campfire-warning-ahead-of-long-weekend)
Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation - Buchan Caves Reserve - (https://gunaikurnai.org/our-country/joint-management/buchan-caves-reserve/)

Take Action: Slogans for change

Preparation

Ensure all students have access to Canva Free for Education by signing up using their school email address.

Step 1

Explain to students that they are to use their scenario from the previous activity to design a compliance campaign poster. The poster needs to encourage their community to voluntarily follow environmental regulations, protect habitat and wildlife, respect cultural heritage, and align with community values.

Step 2

Before designing their poster, direct students to the Canva Environment Posters Page. Provide students time to explore the options and discuss the colours, font, layout and images that they believe will best serve their campaign purpose effectively.

Learning extension: Students may also create a powerful slogan or title for their poster. They can access Environmental Slogan Ideas for tips on crafting a slogan and ideas to get them started.

Step 3

Students work independently to create their poster and slogan, either using Canva or poster paper.

Reflection: Me, my space, my impact

Ask students to sketch a picture of a natural space where they, their friends, or their family enjoy spending recreational time.

Ask students to reflect on how they can help to protect this place, and respect regulations or cultural heritage and attach this reflection under their picture and display on the classroom wall. Allow students time to take a gallery walk of the display.

Protecting Places – A Shared Responsibility

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables

Protecting Places – A Shared Responsibility

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables