Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune in: Activating prior knowledge

20 minutes

Find out: Benefits of Cool Burning

20 minutes

Take action: Categorising the benefits

10 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will...

identify some of the cultural, environmental and economic benefits of cool burning.

Success criteria

Students can...

describe how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples use their knowledge of seasons and local conditions to produce cool burns for the benefit of their communities and the local environment.

Tune In: Activating prior knowledge

Step 1. Discuss:

What does it mean to be a land manager? What might a land manager do? A land manager is someone who looks after an area of land. They look after this area of land to make sure the natural environment or resources in this area are maintained. This can mean making sure grazing animals don't have a negative impact on grasslands, that trees are chopped down in a way that doesn't harm the overall environment, and that the vegetation is managed to reduce the impact of bushfires.

Think Pair Share

Think pair share is a collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question.

Think - students independently think about an issue or question and record their thoughts.
Pair - students work in pairs to discuss their ideas and record new thoughts.
Share - students share their thoughts with the whole group or with other pairs to reach consensus.

Find Out: Benefits Of Cool Burning

Step 1. Explain:

Cool burns are a land management technique. Started soon after the wet season, before the grass completely dries out, cool burns do not damage plants, seeds or animals to any significant extent. During a cool burn, the grasses on the ground burn slowly, allowing most of the small animals to escape. Seedlings, green grass, tree trunks and fallen logs are not burnt or damaged. The rising heat from the burning grass usually won’t singe the eucalyptus leaves above. Overnight, the cool moisture in the air will put out any remaining fires before the morning.

The practice of cool burning has been used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for many thousands of years. However, in recent years, scientists from around the world have become more and more interested in these practices as one way of managing devastating bushfires.

Step 2

Watch these three clips about caring for Country:

Why I care for Country - http://vimeo.com/79474017

Caring for Country - http://vimeo.com/79463043

Benefits for community - https://vimeo.com/79463044

Once complete, you can invite students to share some of their observations with the class.

Take Action: Categorising the benefits

Step 1

Break the class into pairs and explain they will now work to categorise the benefits of cool burning into cultural, environmental and economic outcomes.

They will begin by using an online dictionary (e.g. here or here) to find definitions for the terms; culture, environment and economy (see examples below in Column A). Teachers can help students apply the meanings of these terms to the topic of cool burning by relaying the following examples in Column B:

	Column A - Definition	Column B - Meaning of this term in the context of cool burning
Culture	The way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time (source)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples belong to the land, and caring for Country connects them to place and creates cultural, traditional, family and personal pride
Environment	The complex of physical, chemical and biotic factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival (source)	Cool burning helps native trees regenerate. Many species won't release their seeds unless exposed to a cool burn
Economy	The system of trade and industry by which the wealth of a country is made and used (source)	Wildfires cost governments and people millions of dollars in damages. Cool burning reduces the risk of uncontrolled wildfires destroying large tracts of land

Step 2

Students then fill in the table on the Student Worksheet, working in their pairs to discuss each benefit before sorting it into a category. Talk to students about the overlap between each cultural, environmental and economic outcome.

Reflection

Students can work independently to reflect on their learning by completing the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

I used to think...
But now I think...

Benefits of Cool Burning

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Summary

Lesson guides and printables

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