An action plan...
Watershed Education at Parafield Gardens R-7 School
“The Health and Biodiversity of our Local Watershed: The Greenfields Wetlands”
Developed by Deana Cuconits and Raelene White
An overview of our Water Shed
In the early 1980's the triangle between Port Wakefield Road and Salisbury Highway was nothing more than a bare stock and paddock. Fast forward to the present, and the space, now home to Greenfields Wetlands and innovative Watershed Sustainability Centre, is a picturesque location boasting an abundance of plant life and animals.
A pioneering development, Greenfields Wetlands is one of the first large, constructed urban wetlands in Australia. The objectives of the project include flood protection and retention, enhancement of the landscape, improved water quality and aquifer storage and recovery. Greenfields also features a nature trail with boardwalks and bird hides, facilitating environmental education and eco-tourism.
Greenfields Wetlands Website
A pioneering development, Greenfields Wetlands is one of the first large, constructed urban wetlands in Australia. The objectives of the project include flood protection and retention, enhancement of the landscape, improved water quality and aquifer storage and recovery. Greenfields also features a nature trail with boardwalks and bird hides, facilitating environmental education and eco-tourism.
Greenfields Wetlands Website
Purpose
For students to learn why it is important to restore habitat and increase biodiversity within our local environment through demonstrating understanding of the 3 I’s interconnection, interaction, implications.
We want our students to connect to our local environment. We want them to experience a sense of belonging and responsibility for their place. Building connections and relationships with local landscapes and environments is such an important life skill which can add so much to a child’s world, both at school and at home.
A geo-literate student’s thinking extends beyond the conceptual understanding and leads into critical analysis. Students who are geo-literate have the skills and knowledge to use higher order thinking to assess situations related to humans, the environment and the world. A student who is not geo-literate will look at the face of a situation without delving deeper to analyse the implications their decisions and behaviours can have on others, including future generations.
Students need to understand that the decisions they make on daily basis directly impact on the environment. The key idea that geo-literacy is not merely knowledge of geography but considers the relationship between human decision making and the impact these decisions have on our environment. A geo-literate learner understands that our world (and our learning) is interconnected. Our decisions have implications. Improving geo-literacy can only occur when learning is authentic and students can see how it relates to them personally.
Outdoor education provides an excellent starting point for these lessons. It is an excellent engagement tool which provides students with opportunities to explore their world in hands on, experiential ways. This way of teaching gives students strategies and knowledge about how to act and think sustainably, which is something that should be at the forefront of all our minds in current society.
We want our students to connect to our local environment. We want them to experience a sense of belonging and responsibility for their place. Building connections and relationships with local landscapes and environments is such an important life skill which can add so much to a child’s world, both at school and at home.
A geo-literate student’s thinking extends beyond the conceptual understanding and leads into critical analysis. Students who are geo-literate have the skills and knowledge to use higher order thinking to assess situations related to humans, the environment and the world. A student who is not geo-literate will look at the face of a situation without delving deeper to analyse the implications their decisions and behaviours can have on others, including future generations.
Students need to understand that the decisions they make on daily basis directly impact on the environment. The key idea that geo-literacy is not merely knowledge of geography but considers the relationship between human decision making and the impact these decisions have on our environment. A geo-literate learner understands that our world (and our learning) is interconnected. Our decisions have implications. Improving geo-literacy can only occur when learning is authentic and students can see how it relates to them personally.
Outdoor education provides an excellent starting point for these lessons. It is an excellent engagement tool which provides students with opportunities to explore their world in hands on, experiential ways. This way of teaching gives students strategies and knowledge about how to act and think sustainably, which is something that should be at the forefront of all our minds in current society.
“Geo-literate students are futures thinkers who can see the interconnections between the physical and inanimate phenomena on Earth.”
Deana Cuconits and Raelene White, 2015
Deana Cuconits and Raelene White, 2015
Inquiry Questions
- How has human interaction affected the area?
- How are we as a local community interconnected with this particular environment?
- What are some possible implications for this area?
Timeline
Week 1
- Establish prior knowledge( KWH)
- Introduce the term wetland - brainstorm
- Provide images and info about each wetland type. In groups students become the expert and report back to whole class. Jigsaw activity
Week 2
- Introduce the Greenfields Wetland as our local wetlands: Ask what type of wetland is it? What is the justification? How can they find out for sure?
- Research NRM’s website: Now students can collate words, concepts or ideas that they associate with wetlands under the inquiry questions listed above.
- As a whole class brainstorm words associated with wetlands for the class word wall.
Week 3
- Initial trip to field work - walk the trail, identify flora and fauna, draw a map, take water samples
- Test PH levels
- Introduce field scope
- Complete science journal - annotated photos, thoughts, observations
Week 4
- Use field scope to upload data re: PH levels of water samples, temperature, rainfall
- Write questions to ask guide
Week 5
- Guided tour with specialist guide from Greenfields
- Collect water samples
- Clarify the identification of flora and fauna with guide from previous visit
- Test water samples, document temperature and rainfall
Week 6
- Upload information to Fieldscope
- Complete science journal - update photos, thoughts and observations
Week 7
- Final field trip to Greenfields
- Collect samples, record temperature and rainfall
- Test samples and update science journals and Fieldscope
Week 8
Students complete a written report with photos, diagrams and annotations to answer one or all 3 of the inquiry questions introduced at the beginning of the unit.
The reports could be submitted to the local Messenger.
- How has human interaction affected the area?
- How are we as a local community interconnected with this particular environment?
- What are some possible implications for this area?
Preparing students to go outside
Plan Outline
Tuning in
Brainstorm: What is a Watershed?
What they know What they want to know How they will know
How are wetlands connected to watersheds?
Introduce the class to the topic of wetlands by showing images of the different types.
These are:
1. Alpine wetlands
2. Arid wetlands
3. Coastal and marine wetlands estuaries,
4. Inland riverine wetlands.
Provide fact sheets to students working in groups of 6 students and they become the expert and share back information about each type of wetland. Fact sheets can be found online at: www. environment.gov.au/wetlands.
Introduce the Greenfields Wetland as our local wetlands: Can students identify what type of wetland it is? What justification can they provide? How can they find out for sure?
Research NRM’s website: Now students can collate words, concepts or ideas that they associate with wetlands under the inquiry questions listed above.
As a whole class brainstorm words associated with wetlands for the class word wall
Going Deeper
Water quality and Wetlands
Excursion 1: Organise a walk to the wetlands: Students research and create their own journals to record the bird, frog, fish and fauna that might be found. Students walk the trail, take photos, draw a map of the area. Introduce Field scope to map information.
Excursion 2: Organise a guided tour to learn about the cleansing process of the wetlands and the biodiversity. This time students take a list of questions with them from their analysis of the first visit to support their interaction with the natural environment. Use Fieldscope to map information about the PH levels of the water, temperature and rainfall.
Excursion 3: Final field trip to gather data about PH levels and how temperature and rainfall may have impacted based on expert knowledge from the wetland guide.
Students will also learn about the following;
a) The history of the site and the natural water cleansing process of the wetlands.
b) Discover some of the 160 reported bird species, frogs, fish or fauna onsite.
Higher Order Thinking: Authentic Learning
Students complete a written report with photos, diagrams and annotations to answer one or all 3 of the inquiry questions introduced at the beginning of the unit.
Inquiry Questions:
Brainstorm: What is a Watershed?
What they know What they want to know How they will know
How are wetlands connected to watersheds?
Introduce the class to the topic of wetlands by showing images of the different types.
These are:
1. Alpine wetlands
2. Arid wetlands
3. Coastal and marine wetlands estuaries,
4. Inland riverine wetlands.
Provide fact sheets to students working in groups of 6 students and they become the expert and share back information about each type of wetland. Fact sheets can be found online at: www. environment.gov.au/wetlands.
Introduce the Greenfields Wetland as our local wetlands: Can students identify what type of wetland it is? What justification can they provide? How can they find out for sure?
Research NRM’s website: Now students can collate words, concepts or ideas that they associate with wetlands under the inquiry questions listed above.
As a whole class brainstorm words associated with wetlands for the class word wall
Going Deeper
Water quality and Wetlands
Excursion 1: Organise a walk to the wetlands: Students research and create their own journals to record the bird, frog, fish and fauna that might be found. Students walk the trail, take photos, draw a map of the area. Introduce Field scope to map information.
Excursion 2: Organise a guided tour to learn about the cleansing process of the wetlands and the biodiversity. This time students take a list of questions with them from their analysis of the first visit to support their interaction with the natural environment. Use Fieldscope to map information about the PH levels of the water, temperature and rainfall.
Excursion 3: Final field trip to gather data about PH levels and how temperature and rainfall may have impacted based on expert knowledge from the wetland guide.
Students will also learn about the following;
a) The history of the site and the natural water cleansing process of the wetlands.
b) Discover some of the 160 reported bird species, frogs, fish or fauna onsite.
Higher Order Thinking: Authentic Learning
Students complete a written report with photos, diagrams and annotations to answer one or all 3 of the inquiry questions introduced at the beginning of the unit.
Inquiry Questions:
- How has human interaction affected the area?
- How are we as a local community interconnected with this particular environment?
- What are some possible implications for this area?
Geographical Mapping
Students will initially draw their own maps, using their knowledge from the field trip, atlas and website map and field scope. The main mapping activities will cover the following 3 aspects:
- They will map the route to the wetlands.
- They will use Cartesian coordinates to create an aerial view of the wetlands with a legend.
- Their data will be uploaded to Fieldscope
Assessment
- Observations during lessons and on Excursions
- Completed journal and tables from Excursions 1 and 2
- Concise experimental process completed against the health of the water
- After field trip 3 students will hand up a completed written report including photos, illustrations and graphs/tables justifying their theories about the three inquiry questions
Resources
People
Greenfield Guide
Riannah
Phone: 8406 8222
Email [email protected]
Websites
http://www.salisbury.sa.gov.au/Our_City/Environment/Wetlands_and_Water/Wetlands/Wetlands_Locations/Greenfields_Wetlands#sthash.Dzl6I7RK.dpuf
http://www.salisbury.sa.gov.au/Our_City/Environment/Wetlands_and_Water/Wetlands/Wetlands_Locations/Greenfields_Wetlands
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/21499ab3-dbc5-445d-ab82-ed727019de31/files/classroom-resource.pdf
http://education.nationalgeographic.com.au/education/programs/fieldscope/?ar_a=1
http://birdingbec.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/greenfields-wetlands.html
Fieldscope website; http://education.nationalgeographic.com/programs/fieldscope/
Other Resources
PDF resource: Salinity, organism http://www.mcps.org/Science_Files/ODResources/Water%20Quality%20-%20Wetland%20Water%20Testing.pdfs
Movie “Strange Days on Planet Earth: Troubled Waters” (a National Geographic movie, available at the Fitz WERC)
Consumable resources:
Greenfield Guide
Riannah
Phone: 8406 8222
Email [email protected]
Websites
http://www.salisbury.sa.gov.au/Our_City/Environment/Wetlands_and_Water/Wetlands/Wetlands_Locations/Greenfields_Wetlands#sthash.Dzl6I7RK.dpuf
http://www.salisbury.sa.gov.au/Our_City/Environment/Wetlands_and_Water/Wetlands/Wetlands_Locations/Greenfields_Wetlands
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/21499ab3-dbc5-445d-ab82-ed727019de31/files/classroom-resource.pdf
http://education.nationalgeographic.com.au/education/programs/fieldscope/?ar_a=1
http://birdingbec.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/greenfields-wetlands.html
Fieldscope website; http://education.nationalgeographic.com/programs/fieldscope/
Other Resources
PDF resource: Salinity, organism http://www.mcps.org/Science_Files/ODResources/Water%20Quality%20-%20Wetland%20Water%20Testing.pdfs
Movie “Strange Days on Planet Earth: Troubled Waters” (a National Geographic movie, available at the Fitz WERC)
Consumable resources:
- Wetland images and fact sheets
- Collection jars,
- Science journals,
- PH strips,
- Weather app,
- Ipads
- Lemon juice
- Wetland water
- Tap water
- Filtered water