Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: Nature’s playground

15 minutes

Find Out: Protection for our local environments

15 minutes

Take Action: Schoolyard survey

15 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

conduct a survey on how the local environment is used for physical activity.

Success criteria

Students can:

outline how physical activities can impact the environment
identify regulations that apply to the recreational and environmental spaces we use.

Tune In: Nature's playground

Step 1

Explain to students that they are going to conduct a class survey of what outdoor activities they participate in. These outdoor activities refer to hobbies or activities in natural and outdoor environments such as beaches, parks, bushland, wetlands or nature reserves. Some activities might include:

Beach play
Camping
Dirtbike riding
Dog walking
Four wheel driving
Hiking or walking
Horse riding
Mountain biking
Surfing
Swimming

Step 2

Provide students with a printed copy of the Student Worksheet to record their results in the table. Direct students to complete only columns 1 and 2. Ensure that students survey everyone in the class (including you!) for accurate data.

Step 3

Ask students to share their results with the class as all students should have similar participant data. You may like to prompt students by asking what activities were the least and most popular.

Step 4

Explain to students that as these activities are dependent on our local environments, there are impacts on our native flora and fauna when we utilise these spaces.

Invite students to view column 3 of the table in the Student Worksheet. As a class, discuss the potential impacts their list of activities could have on the environment as students jot down responses in column 3.

Suggested answers:

Beach play, swimming and surfing: disruption to beach-nesting wildlife, litter and trampling of dunes
Camping: bushfire risk, illegal firewood collection, litter, noise pollution and trampling flora
Dirt bike riding: disruption to wildlife, erosion, noise pollution and off-track riding
Dog walking: disturbing wildlife, dog faeces contamination and trampling flora
Hiking: harm to local ecosystems with weedy seed dispersal, littering, trampling flora and off-track walking
Horse riding: faeces containing seeds and trampling flora
Mountain bike riding: harm to wildlife, off-track riding and trampling flora

Step 5

Reiterate to students that there is lots of fun out in nature, getting outdoors and moving our bodies is crucial to our health. However, we need to consider how the activities we do can impact nature too and how we can participate whilst protecting the environment.

Find Out: Protection for our local environments

Step 1

Present the visual explainer to students that outlines the priorities the Conservation Regulator has in place to protect flora and fauna in Victoria.

Step 2

Lead a class discussion with your students, reflecting on the regulations that exist to protect the Victorian environment. Use the following prompts to guide your discussion:

Did you know that there were regulations that protect our environment?
Why is it important to protect our natural places?
How might these regulations help people do the right thing?
What regulations aren’t followed when people engage in some of the outdoor activities we explored?

Do you think many people know that these regulations exist?

Take Action: Schoolyard survey

Step 1

Outline to students that like the rules that exist to protect our environment in Victoria, there are ways we can work together to protect our school environment when we move and play on our school grounds.

Step 2

Print a copy of your school map and lead students on a walk around the school grounds. As you walk, ask students to identify areas where:

Plants and garden beds have been trampled or damaged
Popular spaces and plants for wildlife
Areas that would benefit from more plants or care

Mark these areas on the map and prompt students to think about school rules or values that would discourage students from disrespecting the school environment.

Literacy and numeracy extension: Ask students to record the number of plants and wildlife they observe during the walk. Students create a proposal to the school council describing why more plants are needed in identified areas of the school grounds.

Step 3

Return to the classroom, and lead a brainstorming session with students about how they can better protect the flora and fauna of their school environment, and educate others about the regulations for using our environment in Victoria.

Suggested ideas could include:

Initiate a school gardening program
Write an article for the school newsletter sharing what students have learnt about environmental regulations in Victoria
Complete a detailed biodiversity report of the school grounds
Hold a weekly bird-watching session at a designated break time
Create informative posters about how to protect the school environment
Present information about the environmental regulations in Victoria to a friend or family member. For an extra challenge, present to a large audience at an assembly.

Reflection

Provide each student with a sticky note, and ask them to write two interesting facts they want to share with their families at home about what they’ve learnt today.

Encourage students to place their sticky notes in a safe place so they don’t forget to take them home.

Physical Activities and Our Environment

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Summary

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