Tuning+In+&+Preparing+to+Find+Out

**Tuning In & Preparing to Find Out** Students are to undertake activities to engage all students in the topic, assess prior knowledge, refine further planning, and to lead into the 'finding out' experiences. Inform students that you have a clip from You Tube (4:35) called //"The Sky Turned Red"// [] to show them on the laptop and overhead projector. Having shown the clip generate discussion regarding the impact bushfires have had in recent times on many Victorians. Acknowledge this topic may be a sensitive topic for students who have personal experience with bushfires. Many students will have been exposed to the media reports of the 'Black Saturday' bushfires and have knowledge, experiences and information to share with their fellow classmates. Due to the fact that students understanding of time and place is still developing they can be frightened of stories and images of natural hazards, thinking that it may happen to them and where they live. Focus on how we can all benefit from learning more about bushfires which are an important part of our Australian history. The clip is designed to engage students with the topic and promotes empathy for those affected by bushfires. Hopefully you will already know whether or not this topic is going to affect certain students in your class on a personal level. It is imperative to take this into consideration so that that you can modify the unit accordingly. Probe students understanding of the meaning of the word bushfire. Write the word BUSHFIRE on the board and invite students to brainstorm words they believe are associated with bushfires (i.e. smoke, bush, Australia, firefighters, drought etc.). Invite students to write these words on the board around the central word bushfire. Ask students to form pairs and formulate a definition for bushfires. Bring the class together and come up with a working definition that the students are happy with. To ascertain prior knowledge, level of understanding and experience with bushfires. Pairs, Whole group //What are some words associated with bushfires? //  //As a class can we come up with definition for bushfires? Who has some ideas? // //Are bushfires a natural hazard? // //How do they start? // Instruct students to form cooperative working groups of four with an allocated time keeper, recorder, reporter and observer. Ask them to imagine they are assisting at a bushfire. Prepare the following questions on pieces of card and ask one student from each group to choose a card. Ask groups to record their responses to the following questions: 1. What sort of protective clothing and equipment would you expect to use? 2. What would you expect it to look like, feel like and smell like near the bushfire? 3. How would you hope to contribute, what would you do to help? 4. How would you expect you would feel? Why? This activity is designed to encourage students to use the knowledge they already have to begin thinking about the practical ways to assist at a bushfire as well as the feelings and emotions bushfires evoke. Cooperative working groups of four. //What type of clothing would have on? Why? // //What would you expect to see and what would it smell like? // //What do you think you could do to help? // //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How would you feel? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesson One (75mins) **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do we already know? **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * (Humanities - Geogrpahy / Interpersonal Development / Thinking Processes)**
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 1 //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning purpose //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions // <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 2 //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Purpose //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">

What do we want to learn? <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Thinking Processes) **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ask the students to form pairs and discuss and record with their partner what they would like to learn about bushfires. Bring the class together and develop a curriculum wheel //(see 'Example of Curriculum Wheel' in Teaching Materials section)// that maps the questions to the area of study. Formulate a list of possible resources that the students can use to find the answers to their questions about bushfires. This activity will enable you to discover what the students want to learn about bushfires and encourages them to participate in the planning aspect of the unit. Pairs //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would you like to learn about bushfires? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where would you find resources and information to help with your questions about bushfires? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ask students to formulate interview questions to ask each of the following members of the community about bushfires. //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firefighter Weather forecaster Shopkeeper Resident living near a bushfire area // <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After formulating their questions ask students to form groups of three and discuss the similarities and differences they had. **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Learning Purpose **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Students develop specific questions to encourage them to analyse, reflect and compare the way in which bushfires affect and impact on different members of the community. Individual, whole group //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are some useful questions you could ask each of these people in the community to find out more about bushfires? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What type of responses do you think you would get from these individuals? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How might your responses differ e.g. the firefighter compared to the shopkeeper. //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Brainstorm with the class how they would like to record their findings in relation to bushfires. It is expected that students will come up with some creative ideas. Suggest a wall in the classroom be dedicated to recording information about bushfires it will be the responsibility of the students to decorate, create and add to the wall throughout the unit. Other ways to record and/or present their work may be use a scrapbook to collect their information, publish pieces in the school newsletter, record weekly reflections and evaluation of learning through quizzes. At the end of the unit the students may wish to invite the school community to view their work. //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Purpose **// <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> To involve students in the decision making process regarding how they would like to record and present their findings throughout this inquiry unit. Whole group //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How are you going to record your findings? What are some creative ways you would like to display your work? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * Lesson Two (45 - 60 mins)
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 1 //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Purpose //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 2 //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 3 **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">

Where and when are bushfires most likely to occur in Australia? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 1 //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Distribute an outline map of Australia to each student and ask them to mark on the map where they believe bushfires are most likely to occur //(see 'Blank Map of Australia' in the Teaching Materials section)//. Handout Atlases to assist students and explain there is no right or wrong answers they are simply making educated guesses based on the knowledge they already have about bushfires. After completing the task ask students to form groups of four to discuss their maps and justify their reasoning. Encourage students to hold onto these maps and revisit them again later in the unit once they have found out more information about bushfires and where in Australia they are most likely to occur. Based on prior knowledge and the use of an Atlas students are expected to hypothesise where they believe bushfires are most likely to occur in Australia and why. **//<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Whole, Individual, Groups of four, //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where are bushfires most likely to occur? What clues do we have to tell us which areas are likely to be affected? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Activity 2 **//<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Handout the cartoon by Michael Leunig //(see 'Poem by Michael Leunig' in Teaching Materials section)// and ask students to form pairs to discuss and analyse what message the cartoon is trying to send. Ask students to consider the grammatical functions of the poem. To explore with students what season bushfires are most likely to occur and why. Pairs //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What do you like about this poem? What don't you like? What message is the author trying to portray? What does the poem say about Summer? Is the author trying to influence us in anyway? //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesson Three (45 - 60 mins) **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Humanities – Geography / English)
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Purpose //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Purpose //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">

**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do bushfires impact native animals? ** <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On the class computers play the news report (1:41) clip from You Tube //“Koala Bushfire Survivor Wins Hearts”// []. Generate discussion regarding the affects bushfires have on animals and discuss what students learned from watching the clip. Ask students to use the class computers to choose a native Australian animal (i.e. possum, koala, kangaroo). Instruct the students to research and create a fact sheet about their chosen animal. Ask the students to write a plea from that animal to protect it from the bushfires have the animal describe where it lives and how bushfires may threaten its survival. Instruct the students to create their animal using materials such as plasticine etc. and invite them to collect natural materials from the schoolyard such as leaves, grass etc. to create their animal's habitat. Suggest they may wish to display their models and pleas along the classroom wall dedicated to the Bushfire Inquiry Unit. This activity is designed to lead into the finding out activities. It encourages students to begin to develop their researching skills and provides students with the opportunity to express their learning through creative means appealing to their multiple intelligences. Whole, Individual //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What type of animal have you chosen? i.e. mammal, marsupial monotreme, reptile etc. Where does your chosen animal live? What does your chosen animal like to eat? How would your animal cope in the event of a bushfire? //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesson Four (45 - 60 mins) **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(English / Design, Creativity and Technology) **<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning Purpose //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grouping //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions //**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">