Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune in: Quick facts - Australia’s Marine Protected Areas

15 minutes

Find out: About Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs)

25 minutes

Take action: What are the benefits of IPAs?

Tune in: Quick facts - Australia's Marine Protected Areas

Step 1

Explore:

Students go to the MPA Atlas (mpatlas.org/countries/) and type in 'Australia' into the search box on the left.

Step 2

Provide students with the Student Worksheet. Students search ‘Australia’ in the search box on the left hand side of the site. Give students five minutes to find the answers to the following questions, which they can fill in on their Student Worksheet provided.

How many different Marine Protected Areas are in Australian waters?
What percentage of Australian Marine Protected Areas are fully protected from fishing?
Which Marine Protected Area is offering the most protection to Australian waters? (which park has the highest percentage for being protected?)

Step 3

Explain that today’s lesson is about Indigenous Protected Areas and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples play a significant role in helping protect environments.

Step 4.

Watch:

Blueback - Abby and Briggs go on a school excursion (vimeo.com/794749330)

What does Abby learn from Briggs in these scenes?

Do you think Indigenous perspectives are clearly represented in this film? Why/why not?

Find out: About Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs)

Step 1

Access this map of Indigenous Protected Areas (niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/environment/indigenous-land-and-sea-management-projects) or use the Country Needs People website (countryneedspeople.org.au/ipas)

Step 2

Explain that the interactive map shows land and sea projects. Our focus for this unit remains on sea country. The map shows that Indigenous perspectives are becoming increasingly more valued in terms of environmental conservation.

Step 3

Do a Think - Pair - Share activity with your students. Ask them - Why do you think Indigenous perspectives are becoming increasingly more valued in terms of environmental conservation?

Step 4.

Explore:

Ask your students to explore a series of texts (some articles and some videos) that list the specific jobs involved in protecting marine environments. You may like to use the student worksheet as a scaffold for this activity.

Step 5

Project the texts to the class one by one. The order that follows is replicated in the student worksheet.

1. Bardi Jawi - Country Needs People (countryneedspeople.org.au/bardi_jawi)

2. Sea Country Rangers - NSW Government (marine.nsw.gov.au/statewide-projects/aboriginal-cultural-values/sea-country-rangers)

3. Tiwi Marine Rangers - Tiwi Land Council (tiwilandcouncil.com/)

4. Ii-Maramaranja - Dugong Hunters of Excellence - Li- Anthawirriyarra Sea Rangers (youtu.be/C2jITGs51rk)

5. Yirrganydji Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program (youtube.com/watch?v=elAWJiHAKVY)

You may like to pause and ask the class for verbal responses before having them fill out the worksheet. Use your discretion on how to use the texts with their classes.

Take action: What are the benefits of IPAs?

Step 1

Ask students:

Why are Indigenous ranger groups important in terms of protecting country? There should be mention of how Indigenous ranger programs allow ATSI peoples to continue practicing their connection to country.

Students should write 3 - 5 dot points down that respond to this question in their worksheet.

Step 2

Students write the definition in their Vocabulary books and provide examples of different IPAs and ranger groups that exist in Australia. Indigenous Protected Area: Areas of land and sea Country managed by Indigenous groups in accordance with Traditional Owners’ objectives. IPAs deliver biodiversity conservation outcomes for the benefit of all Australians, through voluntary agreements with the Australian Government.

Taken from https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/environment/indigenous-protected-areas-ipas

Step 3:

(Optional)

You might like to end the lesson by playing a song from Gurrumul’s album ‘Rrakala’ (available on Spotify or Apple Music). It is a compilation of traditional Yolŋgu songs from Galiwinku (Elcho Island, Northern Territory) that refer to Yolŋgu’s (Aboriginal group from Eastern Arnhem Land) connection to sea country and the animals that live within it. ‘Baru’ (Crocodile) is a good choice.

Baru (Saltwater Crocodile) In E-Flat Major- Gurrumul (youtu.be/qAfD66NIoNk)

Differentiated Learning

We trust that teachers are the best equipped to know how to cater to the diversity in their classes. At Cool Australia, we incorporate a variety of differentiation strategies into each lesson. Firstly, each lesson in this unit appeals to an array of different learning preferences. Learning activities can be completed in a number of different ways - if a student feels more comfortable speaking rather than writing, there are opportunities to accommodate this. In lessons that feature group work or learning stations, we trust that teachers will use their discretion in knowing how to best organise their students in accordance to positive working relationships and ability. Graphic organisers and scaffolds are often included so students can ‘visually think’ and keep a record of their work. While our lessons are designed to be 55 - 60 minutes in length, we trust that teachers will manipulate lesson and segment times according to the needs of their students.

Blueback - What are Indigenous Protected Areas?

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Summary

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