HaSS Lesson and Unit Plan Proforma

Word count: 1200

Rationale

The topic of land management is essential for students to learn as it gives an insight into the different ways land can and has been managed
by different groups of people. Bush fires in Australia are a huge issue that can cause devastating effects to the community as well as the land.
This knowledge will allow students to become informed members of the community (Department of Education 2019) (Reynolds 2014) which will
enable them to use critical thinking skills to make decisions based on the best land management practices that will be sustainable for
Australia’s future. Geography is a learning path that enables development of soft skills such as responsibility beyond the self and interpersonal
skills, these will in turn assist students to become workplace ready in the future. (Green & Price 2019). Learning about Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander (ATSI) history helps students to understand and celebrate the rich history of cultures. (Department of education 2019). On a
broader scale, learning about interactions between people and the environment within geography will help students make sense of the
world. (Green & Price 2019). Learning in geography and the interrelations between people and the environment allows students to develop a
‘sense of wonder’ and become connected to place. Connection to place will aid student’s motivation to take care of the land as well as
becoming active members of the local community. (Reynolds 2014).
Topic Achievement standard
Indigenous management of Australian land using fire.
Students identify the effects of interconnection between humans and
Year level: 5 the environment. They describe the impact of bushfires on the land and
how we respond to them.

Sub-strand/subject Content descriptor

Geography
Inquiry process stage Develop appropriate questions to guide an
inquiry about people, events, developments, places, systems and
challenges (ACHASSI094 - Scootle ) (ACARA 2021).
General Capabilities
Intercultural Understanding
Personal and social Capability (ACARA 2021).
The impact of bushfires or floods on environments and communities,
and how people can respond (ACHASSK114 - Scootle )
(ACARA 2021).
Cross Curriculum Priorities
Aboriginal and Torres strait islander histories and cultures
Sustainability (ACARA 2021).

LESSON PLAN
TIMING PROCEDURE ORGANISATION AND ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES

Lesson Context:
Prior to this activity, students have had an introduction into the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people’s culture and how they
are connected to the land spiritually. We have established that
 Indigenous people have been living in Australia for over 60,000 years
and managed the land a lot differently to how Europeans have
since they colonised Australia. We have also just finished a unit on
bushfires and how to prepare for them. We completed a project on
setting up a bushfire plan for students own homes. Now we are
looking at how people alter the environment and how the first
nation people managed land using fire to their advantage and how
we could prevent bushfires at a bigger picture.

10 minutes Lesson Introduction

- Acknowledgement of country
- The hook to engage the students will be a picture painted by
Joseph Lycett of Aboriginal people using fire to hunt
kangaroos in early colonial days. (see appendix 1).
20-25 minutes Body of Lesson Students will be arranged in Informal observation of
Students will fill out a see, think, wonder sheet about the photos table groups. Each group student knowledge and
shown on the board. They will have 3-5 minutes to write down will have a large piece of ability to pose
everything they know and the things they wonder from looking at butcher’s paper and questions.
the picture. markers to write down their
ideas.
Some examples of questions generated:
- Who painted this, did they see it?
- Where is this?
- Is the painting exaggerated?
- Is the fire controlled?

Teacher will collect and collate questions and guide them towards
inquiry question.
- The teacher will initiate discussion to find out what the
students know, think and wonder. Groups will share some
answers to the rest of the class.

The teacher will now bring up the pictures in appendix 2.

- State that they are images of the same place.
- What are the differences?
- What do you think could have caused the differences?
 Explicit teaching of why the landscape looks different in the two
photos.
Show video about the ways fire was used.
https://vimeo.com/79466988
State that Indigenous people used fire as a tool for a range of
things. What were the types of things they use it for?
- Students in table groups to write down all the ways fire was
used for.
This lessons purpose is to engage students in the topic and find prior
knowledge.
5-10 minutes Lesson conclusion
To finish the lesson, the class will participate in a reflection activity.
Students will turn to pairs and discuss something they may have
learnt and something they look forward to learning more about.

UNIT PLAN
INQUIRY PHASE ACTIVITIES ORGANISATION AND ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES

RESEARCHING Should we burn off land or leave it to grow? In pairs students will need Informal observation of
Locate and Groups will research indigenous management of land using fire access to their computer students use of ICT.
collect relevant using the websites provided. (appendix 3). devices (at least one per
information pair) to research
and data from pr - Teacher will model how to pull main ideas from a website information.
imary before students are sent off in pairs to have a go
sources and seco themselves.
ndary - Students will be given secondary sources to research and
sources (ACHASSI pull information from. A worksheet of questions will be
095 - Scootle ) given to aid students and help scaffold them into
(ACARA 2021). recording the main ideas from the sources.
- Venn diagram will be created by students to compare the
effects of a cool burn vs a hot burn (bushfire) on the
environment.
ANALYSING Debate. Formative
Examine different Groups will collate all information they researched to conduct a Students will be working with Students’ participation
viewpoints on debate. their groups around the and work before and
actions, events, classroom. They will need
 issues and - Groups will be put on the for or against side of using cool paper and pens and/ or during the debate will
phenomena in burns to manage land. computers to record ideas. be assessed.
the past and - Groups will need to come up with 2-3 main points for their
present (ACHASSI side of the debate. This will include the
099 - Scootle ) - Before groups start writing their ideas, the class will watch main points chosen by
(ACARA 2021). an example of a debate in a classroom to help them each group, how well
understand how it will run and what they need to include. they have synthesised
- Groups will write a script for what they want to say. For the information and
extension students can have a go at speaking without students oral/ written
notes. skills during the debates.
- Each group will have the choice of everyone speaking or
allocating one person as the recorder. The recorder will Feedback will be
write down the main points that are said throughout the provided to groups
debate. after debates.
- Conduct debates. Feedback will be verbal
- During each debate the audience must write notes and and include how strong
decide which argument was stronger. their arguments were
and what they could
do to improve.
EVALUATING AND Reflection of debate. Students will need access to
REFLECTING computer devices to use
Work in groups to Students will reflect on the debate. Whilst watching other groups Padlet. They will complete
generate debates, students were asked to record the main points. this at their tables and move
responses to - Which argument do you think is stronger? to the front for the discussion
issues and Students will use devices to input what they have learnt into of ideas.
challenges (ACH Padlet which will be displayed on the board at the front for
ASSI102 - everyone to see. Students will write ideas based on:
Scootle ) - What have I learnt?
(ACARA 2021). - Strongest points from the debate
- How they think we should manage the land
Discussion around responses will take place and answers will be
organised based on similarities and differences.
- Padlet is anonymous and students are free to express
opinions.
- Different ideas will help to challenge students views and
ideas and encourage them to think from different points of
view. (Edward-Groves 2014).
 COMMUNICATIN Persuasive text. Students will now work Summative assessment
G Students are tasked to create a persuasive text to send to the individually using Microsoft of arguments they used,
Present ideas, local government based on their opinion of how we should word to type up their final persuasive language
findings, manage the land in Australia. piece of work. used and the structure
viewpoints and - For differentiation this can be in the form of a letter, oral of the text.
conclusions in a presentation (filmed) or a poster using pictures. Understanding of cool
range of texts - Students have already been scaffolded to reach this point burns and bushfires will
and modes that by conducting research and debates throughout the be assessed through
incorporate sour inquiry process. Students have been working in small the arguments the
ce materials, groups and have been gradually released to individual students make in their
digital and non- construction in the last part of the inquiry stage. text.
digital - Before beginning students will discuss with a partner their
representations ideas and how they will be presenting their knowledge.
and discipline- - For extension, students can organise how they would send
specific terms their writing to the local government and who they would
and conventions address it to.
(ACHASSI105 -
Scootle )
(ACARA 2021).

Appendix

Appendix 1: painting of Indigenous Australians using fire to hunt kangaroos.

(Joseph Lycett 1817)