Tangaroa Blue Foundation. (2018).
This month, we are working on Civics and Citizenships integrated with one aspect in the cross-curricular priority, Sustainability (ACARA, 2016). The cross-curricular priorities would engage students in better understanding of our world through social, economic, political and educational issues (Taylor, Fashey, Kriewaldt & Boon, 2012). We, as a class are looking into global issues such as land pollution. The unit outline is designed to develop the willingness to be involved in action to look after the world.
This month, we are working on Civics and Citizenships integrated with one aspect in the cross-curricular priority, Sustainability (ACARA, 2016). The cross-curricular priorities would engage students in better understanding of our world through social, economic, political and educational issues (Taylor, Fashey, Kriewaldt & Boon, 2012). We, as a class are looking into global issues such as land pollution. The unit outline is designed to develop the willingness to be involved in action to look after the world.
Links
to the curriculum description: Year 5: HASS (ACARA, 2016)
Through
the lessons, students would understand it is our responsibility to look after
the Earth! We will break the subject
down into the small steps necessary to maintain the environment. To find local and global connections are the successful
way to achieve the outcome. Thus, the
class are going to tackle the problem locally.
This is because students would show great enthusiasm for learning when
they understood the content is meaningful and relevant to everyday life for
them (Churchill, Ferguson, Godinho, Jhonson, Keddie,
Letts, ... & Vick, 2011). The
unit of work is aimed to students to gain the essential life-long skills beyond
mere academic knowledge. To involve students
in this role, they have watched a video at first.
After
the class watched the video, the students asked three inquiry questions ‘Why are plastic bags banned?’, ‘How
do plastic bags affect the environment?’, , and
“How can we engage in positive ways to reduce our single use of plastics?’ Students
have used Information and Communication Technology skills to find out the answers by using a Google, and they also worked
as a team to develop cooperative learning skills such as supporting each
other. They practiced improving communication
skills to accomplish the task successfully, such as the art of compromise. Students shared their ideas via PowerPoint,
told a story with pictures or a verbal presentation. To complete the task, students
share their ideas through discussion.
The conversation is an effective way to practice participation and
decision-making skills (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2014). Students
learnt how to respect different opinions, develop listening skills and
understand their situation in the wider community. Each group has researched negative
results such as plastic bags take a long time to decompose. After the presentations, we watched a video
clip and looked at issues outside of the community.
Visualisation showing ocean garbage patches (NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, 2015)
(Cooke, 2017)
(Willow, 2014)
Plastic waste affects animal life and pollution of our school/town/community. Plastics produce greenhouse gas when we burn it.We
discussed what we can do now as students.
The ideas are to use cloth bags as an alternative, use a lunch box/
recyclable water bottle and research how plastic affects sea life such as
turtle and sea birds. Moreover, students
decided to run “Plastic bag free month", next month.
Therefore,
please be aware of our project to reduce plastic bags and ensure children bring their reusable
lunch box and own water bottle and they will take own lunch rubbish home. This is to encourage students
not to leave rubbish around the school.
Please encourage students to pack their lunch together and consider the
pollution such as to pack sandwiches into container instead of using plastic wraps.
Moreover, involve students in washing up
their lunch boxes when they come home from school. The students will not achieve the aim of
become active citizen without your support!
Thank you very much for your understanding.
References
Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2016). The Australian
Curriculum: Humanities and Social
Science. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass
(2011). Teaching: Making a difference. Milton, Qld: John Wiley and Sons
Australia.
Cooke,L. (2017, September 26). Inhabitat [Picture].Retrieved from https://inhabitat.com/plastic-
beach-audit-in-the-philippines-reveals-which-businesses-are-the-worst-polluters/
Gilbert, R., & Hoepper, B. (Ed.). (2014). Teaching humanities and social sciences: History,
geography, economics and citizenship in the Australian curriculum (5th ed.). South
Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia.
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. (2015, October 2). Visualisation showing
ocean garbage patches [Video podcast]. Retrieved
from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
title=File%3AGarbage_Patch_Visualization_Experiment.webm
Tasmania plastickbagban. (2013, October 16). Tasmanian plastic bag ban longer ad
[Video podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9S-JutsxJI
Tangaroa Blue Foundation. (2018). The guardian: Plastic draping plants in the Torres Strait. beach-audit-in-the-philippines-reveals-which-businesses-are-the-worst-polluters/
Gilbert, R., & Hoepper, B. (Ed.). (2014). Teaching humanities and social sciences: History,
geography, economics and citizenship in the Australian curriculum (5th ed.). South
Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia.
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. (2015, October 2). Visualisation showing
ocean garbage patches [Video podcast]. Retrieved
from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
title=File%3AGarbage_Patch_Visualization_Experiment.webm
Tasmania plastickbagban. (2013, October 16). Tasmanian plastic bag ban longer ad
[Video podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9S-JutsxJI
Photograph [Picture]. Retrieved
from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/16/plastic-is-literally-
everywhere-the-epidemic-attacking-australias-oceans
Taylor, T., Fashey, C.,Kriewaldt, J., & Boon, D. (2012). Place and time: Explorations in
teaching geography and history. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Willow, A. (2014, September 30). The fifth estate: Our planet, our real estate(Picture).
Retrieved fromhttps://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/environment/trawling
-for-trash-in-sydney-harbour-to-understand-plastics-impacts/68080
