Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Daily needs of shearwaters

25 minutes

Find Out: Shearwater sculpting activity

20 minutes

Take Action: What can we do?

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will...

learn about the life of shearwaters, finding out what they eat, where they live and why they are in need of our help.

Success criteria

Students can...

identify how to help the shearwaters by collecting rubbish in the school yard or when visiting the beach
make a model of a shearwater burrow
communicate about how plastics are harming the shearwaters.

Preparation

Make hand size balls of soft play dough, so that there is one for each student. Keep this aside until you are ready to begin.
Print out the Flesh-footed Shearwater Picture.

Tune In: Daily needs of shearwaters

Step 1

Begin by explaining to students that all living things have needs that help them survive.

Display the Venn diagram to students or create a similar one on the board, explaining that a Venn diagram is used to compare and contrast differences and similarities between things. One circle is used for a bird and the other for people. The middle section is where there are similarities where they are the same.

Pose the following questions to the students and share their responses in a whole class Venn diagram.

What do people need to live each day? (E.g. food, home [shelter], water and a family/mate). Record the students' answers in the People circle. Consider each suggestion as it is offered by the students, asking the other students if they agree or disagree.
What do birds need to live each day? (E.g. food, home [shelter], water and a family/mate). Record the students' answers in the Bird circle. Consider each suggestion as it is offered by the students, asking the other students if they agree or disagree.
Are they similar or are they different? Do both birds and people need the same things?

For example:

This technique allows you to activate and assess students' prior knowledge about the topic. It is easy to observe, involves everyone and it is also a good way to provide peer to peer learning so students can listen and learn from each other. It is also an opportunity to clarify language and introduce new concepts.

Find Out: Shearwater sculpting activity

Step 1

Explain to students that shearwaters are a type (species) of seabird that live in Australia. Show the students the Flesh-footed Shearwater Picture and discuss some of the features of a bird (it has a beak, feathers, feet and wings).

Step 2

Invite students to sit at a table. Provide each student with a ball of play-dough. Ask the students to think of an island and direct them to mould the play-dough into an island shape. Encourage the students to imagine that the island they have created is home to shearwaters. Remind them that this activity is about learning what the shearwaters need to survive. Read the Shearwaters of the Sea Script to the students to lead them in the sculpting activity.

For further information on shearwaters, visit Dr. Jennifer Lavers' website.

Step 3

After completing the sculpting activity invite the students to sit on the floor and watch the following clip as a class:

Ode to seabirds (https://vimeo.com/1056609559/4415169959)

Once complete, engage the students in a brief discussion about what they saw during the clip:

What did you find out about the shearwaters from this clip?
What is happening to the shearwaters in this clip?

Through your discussion, lead students to the idea that shearwaters need our help to stop plastic litter entering into the oceans. Invite students to suggest ways to help reduce litter getting into our sea. Introduce the idea that if litter is left lying around it can be blown away causing pollution in natural places. If your school is near the sea, river or drain that connects to the sea, any litter lying around can end up in the sea.

Part : What can we do?

Step 1

Explain to students that cleaning up any plastic litter in our environment is a great way of keeping our oceans plastic free. Take 3 is a program that asks us to do just that. By taking 3 pieces of litter from natural places we can stop litter from getting into our oceans. How does litter get to the ocean? Explain to students that litter in natural places gets washed or blown into creeks and rivers, most of which eventually end up flowing into the sea, taking the litter with them.

Step 2

Take the students out into the school yard. Ask them to think of places that they know litter might be found. Give the students 3 minutes and encourage them to pick up 3 pieces of litter. Have students bring the litter back to add to a large recycled plastic bag to see what waste they collected.

Before collecting any litter, discuss how we can be safe when picking up litter. For example, don't pick up anything sharp, such as broken bottles or cans, avoid anything too dirty or gross, like cigarette butts or used tissues. And remember to always wash your hands when you're finished!

Lead a reflective discussion on these questions:

How much rubbish did they find?
What type of rubbish is it? Could it blow away?
How could we stop this litter being found in the school yard?

Reflection

Step 1

Arrange students in a circle. Facilitate a class discussion highlighting students' learning in this lesson. Ask students to think of one thing they have learned that excited them, or that made them feel sad or angry. Each student can share their reflection.

Step 2

Next, ask student to think about what they can do to reduce plastic and rubbish reaching the ocean.

Extension

After the play dough sculpt has been completed, the students' work could be added into a shared gallery space as a display for other classes to see.

Assessment

Teachers can use the following items as part of their formative assessment:

Developed communication skills by taking part in the whole class Venn diagram activity.
Watched a video clip for understanding.
Created a model showing a shearwater's needs and basic lifecycle.
Participation in discussions and Take 3 activities.

For summative assessment, visit the Drawing Conclusions lesson: Blue: Ocean Guardians Caring For Our Oceans – F to 2.

Take it further

Invite students to apply their learning in a real world context by participating in the lesson: Ocean Guardians Being Turtle-Friendly - Social Action - Year F, 1 & 2.

Shearwaters of the Sea

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Students will..

Success criteria

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson