Teaching Sequence

20 minutes	Part A: Vocabulary Exercise
20 minutes	Part B: Head Outside into Nature
30 minutes	Part C: Creating a 'Places You Love' Collage
30 minutes	Part D: Postcards of the Places you Love
10 minutes	Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Preparation:

Before beginning this lesson, ask students to compile 5 to 10 digital images of places in nature in Australia that they love. These can be places that students have already visited or would like to visit. These images don’t need to be striking; they can simply be special because of memories or how they make students feel. These can be images they or their family have taken or collected, or they can be sourced from the Cool Australia Earth Hour Toolbox or Google Images (remembering to record URL sources). Students should collect these images in electronic format so they can be uploaded on PicCollage (no prints!)

Part A. Vocabulary Exercise

Step 1.

Introduce the following terms to students and ask them to think about what these words mean (definitions from Merriam-Webster):

Awe – Definition: a strong feeling of fear or respect and also wonder.
Wonder – Definition: something or someone that is very surprising, beautiful, amazing, etc.
Inspire – Definition: to make (someone) want to do something.
Marvel – Definition: one that causes wonder or astonishment.
Amaze – Definition: to surprise and sometimes confuse (someone) very much.
Astonish – Definition: to cause a feeling of great wonder or surprise in (someone).
Astound – Definition: overwhelmed with astonishment or amazement.
Blow one’s mind – Definition: to overwhelm one with wonder or bafflement.

Record student ideas on the board and then share the definitions above. Ask students to demonstrate their understanding of these words by using two of these words in sentences (students can use their workbooks or the Student Worksheet to record their sentences).

Step 2.

Ask students to describe how it feels to experience these vocabulary words.

How does it feel when you experience the emotions in these words? What other words could you use to describe these feelings?
What things make you experience these emotions?

Record student ideas on the board.

Part B. Head Outside into Nature

Students are going to head outside to experience nature. They should take a camera (phones or tablets are fine), a printed copy of the Rake thinking tool worksheet or if they are using tablets a digital copy of the Student Worksheet.

Note: This activity can be conducted on your school grounds in a place with natural features (vegetation, waterways, etc) or outside of the school grounds (for example at a park). Here is information on The Benefits of Spending Time in Nature.

Step 1.

Once you have found a good spot outside, ask students to spend five minutes standing, sitting or lying quietly in nature, absorbing the nature around them.

Step 2.

Students are to remain in nature while they complete the 'Rake thinking tool worksheet'. This thinking tool allows students to explore nature using seven different aspects - touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing, feelings (emotions) and thinking.

Step 3.

Students should then take photos of things they have experienced while sitting in nature that evoke some of the feelings discussed in the vocabulary exercise. If necessary, remind students of some of these words (awe, inspire, astound, wonder, amaze, marvel, astonish).

Step 4.

Ask students to return to the classroom.

Part C. Creating a 'Places You Love' Collage

Back in the classroom ask students to view the photos of the places that they love (that they compiled before this lesson) and to select some of pictures that they took outside. If students need more images, they can use images from the Cool Australia Earth Hour Toolbox or Google Images (remind students to record sources).

Students should then pull together their images and create a collage (using PicCollage) of places in Australia that they have been to, want to go to or just love. Encourage students to use the words discussed in the vocabulary activity in their collage.

These collages can be printed or displayed for other students, teachers and parents to view.

Part D. Postcards of the Places You Love

Step 1.

Introduce students to Earth Hour, explaining that this year the theme of Earth Hour is 'Switch off for the places we love'.

Explain to students that many of the places that we love around Australia (and around the world) are at risk from climate change. A change in climate may change these places forever, and so this year, we are all being encouraged to switch off our lights and take action to save the places that we love. Read students the following from the Earth Hour website:

"This year Earth Hour is shining the spotlight on the impact of climate change on the Places We Love. One of the things that makes Australia so great is the beautiful outdoor lifestyle we live. From beaches, rainforests and rivers, to snow-capped mountains, coral reefs and lakes, we have one of the most beautiful countries in the world. But the healthy, outdoors lifestyle we enjoy is under threat from rising temperatures and more extreme weather caused by carbon pollution - it only takes a small change in the climate to mess up the delicate balance of nature. That’s why in 2016, we’ll be switching off to protect the Places We Love!"

How will climate change affect our favourite places? Ask students to spend several minutes looking through the information on the Earth Hour Choose Your Climate Future Website.

Ask students to consider how a change in climate might affect their favourite place.

Step 2.

Students will now select one of their favourite places and design a postcard to send to someone with information about Earth Hour.

Students can use the following template or create their own: Earth Hour Blank Postcard Template. These can either be printed and an image drawn or glued on to the card and then written on, or edited (adding an image and text) using a desktop program.

Students should add an image (printing one of their own images) or draw a picture of their favourite place on the front of the postcard. They should then write a slogan or message about protecting this place. For example 'Rise up for the Reef' or 'Switch off for Swan Hill'.

On the back of the postcard they can write a message to the person they want to send it to explaining how they can get involved in Earth Hour.

Step 3.

Take a photo of each postcard and create a display that can be presented during Earth Hour Schools Day.

Step 4.

Students can post or hand deliver their postcard to someone in their local community.

Reflection

Ask students to complete the Reflection Activity on the Student Worksheet.

Extension

Attach or project a map of Australia to the board. Ask each student to identify the location of their favourite place/s on the map and mark them on the map (using either small stickers or pens, depending on the map).
Invite older generations to come into the class and talk about their favourite places and how these places have changed over time.
Use this lesson to help your students plan their own Earth Hour Schools Day action.

Earth Hour - The places you love

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