Conservation Crusaders

Nicole, Amber, Emily and Katrina

Brief Explanation It is based on the Browse Plantation Project run

through Melbourne Zoo

It is the initial stage of planning to have the Browse Project in the school

Students will be in charge of putting together a proposal for the Browse Project so that they are involved and responsible from the beginning

Students will explore the theme of conservation on a local and global platform

Palm Oil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRQWj4H9nH0

The Unit

What it’s all about Title

Conservation Crusaders

ThemeConservation of our local and global

environment

Critical QuestionsWhat can I do to conserve my world?

Contributing Questions

How do my actions effect the natural environment?

What can I do as an individual to maintain and protect the natural environment?

What are the consequences of development and globalisation?

Is there a way to balance development and conservation?

What it’s all about

UnderstandingsOur actions can impact on both a local

and global platform.

There are things that we as individuals can do to build enduring relationships between

people and wildlife for a future in which humans live in balance with the natural

world.

Engaging students in real life and meaningful learning experiences as well

as allowing them to take ownership of their learning.

What it’s all about

Awareness of the concepts of conservation and their application to the

global world to preserve our limited resources.

Awareness of the effect of consumer pressure on multinational companies to

practice ethical and environmental standards.

What it’s all about

Final ProductCreation of a proposal to put forward to

the principal outlining the need for the school to get involved in the Melbourne Zoo’s

Browse Project.

Assessment Experiences

Resources

What it’s all about

ActivitiesPersuasive Text

Lessons on how to write a persuasive text. Students will use this skill to write a persuasive piece of writing to present to the principle as part of their proposal.

VELS standards

ActivitiesLetter Writing

Lesson on letter writing focusing on the format and layout. Looking at the different purposes of letter writing. Students will choose the most appropriate type for their proposal.

VELS standards

ActivitiesDebate

Students to participate in a debate after looking at the structure and purpose of a debate. Students will gain the importance of reviewing an issue from different perspectives. Topics to be debated; “Palm oil. Do we need it?” “Consumer vs. Companies. Who is as fault?” “Does it really matter if all the orang-utans become extinct?”

VELS standards

ActivitiesInvestigating and Researching

Students are to research and investigate a specific topic. They will be in small groups and will look at one area of the topic each. Examples include, graphs, statistics, reviews, orang-utans, populations, etc.

VELS standards

ActivitiesInformative Text

Lesson on how to write an informative text. Students will create an informative piece on the Orang-utans.

VELS standards

ActivitiesMapping

Students will roam the school to map a potential site for the Browse Plantation. They will need to take into account the surrounding environment to ensure they are selecting an appropriate place.

VELS standards

ActivitiesMeasuring

Perimeter and area will be visited in lessons. Students will then be required to measure the area in the school that will fit the Browse Plantation.

VELS standards

ActivitiesRatio and Scale

Lessons on ratios and scaling to help with the map they will present within the proposal.

VELS standards

ActivitiesTimelines

Lessons on timelines in which the students will present a timeline on the rate of growth and the rate of destruction of the rainforest and how that relates to the decline in numbers of the Orang-utans.

VELS standards

ActivitiesMapping

Using mapping skills learnt to map the Orang-utans environment, where they live, and what their environment was like 20 years ago, etc.

Interpersonal Development Personal learning Civics and Citizenship English Humanities, Geography Humanities, History Mathematics Science Thinking Processes

ActivitiesZoo excursion

Students will participate in an excursion to the zoo. This is part of preparing students to partake in the Browse Plantation Project. Melbourne Zoo runs sessions for the students to learn more about the Browse Project.

Interpersonal Development Personal learning Civics and Citizenship English Humanities, Economics Humanities, Geography Humanities, History Science Thinking Processes

ActivitiesArt

Students will look at various signs and study visual aspects of these signs. They will then create their own design for a sign for Browse Plantation which will feature in their proposal.

Interpersonal Development Personal learning The arts English Mathematics Communication Design, Creativity and Technology Thinking Processes

ActivitiesScience

Lessons will focus on the biology of plant growth. Students will investigate the types of plants that can be used in the Plantation and then will present the types of plants needed in the proposal.

Interpersonal Development Personal learning English Humanities, Geography Mathematics Science Thinking Processes

Now it’s your turn

Debate“Palm oil:

Do we really need it”