Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes	Part A: What do we know about regeneration?
30 minutes	Part B: Watching “Regenerating Australia”
40 minutes	Part C: Exploring Regeneration
10 minutes	Reflection

Part A: What do we know about regeneration?

Step 1.

Begin the lesson by inviting students to complete the first part of the 3-2-1 Bridge Visible Thinking routine to explore their current understanding of the concept of Regeneration. Assure students that they aren’t expected to know much about the concept at this stage. The visible thinking routine can be completed on the Student Worksheet.

Before learning:

Regeneration
Three Words/Ideas	Two Questions	One Metaphor or Simile

Step 2.

Ask students to read through the key terms and their definitions (on the Student Worksheet), highlighting any words they remain uncertain about. Inform the class that they will be watching a short film that will go into more detail around most of the terms in the next part of the lesson.

Regeneration – Suggested definition: When things regenerate, they come back, growing anew. Regeneration means putting life and connection at the centre of every decision we make. It is about bringing vitality and renewed growth to our communities and our ecosystems. It is a process that achieves a sustained livelihood because sustainability is only achieved by a regenerative process.
Environment – Suggested definition: where people, animals, or plants live.
Community – Suggested definition: The people living in one particular area or people who are considered as a group because of their shared interests or background.
Democracy – Suggested definition: a system of government wherein people are elected to represent the interests of their fellow citizens.
First Nations Peoples – Suggested definition: In Australia, the first peoples are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - they were here for thousands of years prior to colonisation. These groups of people are also sometimes referred to as Indigenous, first peoples, aboriginal peoples.
Agriculture is also known as farming – involves growing crops and raising animals, usually for human consumption.
Energy – Suggested definition: power created from resources such as wood, coal, gas, oil, wind, solar. Most commonly used to provide light, heat or to work machines.
Climate change – Suggested definition: Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer.
Greenhouse gas – Suggested definition: A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Carbon dioxide – Suggested definition: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is generally a minor, yet very important, component of the atmosphere. CO2 is released through natural processes like respiration and volcano eruptions, but also through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by more than a third.
Carbon sequestration – Suggested definition: Carbon sequestration is a natural or artificial process where CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form, such as in forests, in the soil or in the sea.
Sustainability – Suggested definition: Sustainability is about making sure there are enough resources for our environment and for everyone on Earth, both now and in the future.

Part B: Watching Regenerating Australia

Step 1.

Ask students to position themselves so that they can see the screen, and explain that this documentary explores what Australia would look like by 2030 if we simply listened to the needs of its people. Regenerating Australia is a 17-minute short film based on a four-month interview process with a diverse group of Australians who shared their hopes and dreams for the country's future. Emphasise that while the film is not ‘real’, the problems and people featured in it are real and the solutions identified could be reality!

Step 2.

Encourage students to watch the film actively: they could think about making links between key terms and definitions they read through in the last part of the lesson and the content of Regenerating Australia, and note down any words or concepts from the film that they would like to explore further.

Step 3.

Watch the film through without interruption at least once.

Once the film has played through, ask students to revisit the key terms and note down anything from the film that helped them understand them better - did they see any examples?
Invite students to note down any questions that they have about the content of “Regenerating Australia” in the space provided on the Student Worksheet

Step 4.

Return to the film to watch specific parts of “Regenerating Australia” again, either as a class, in smaller groups or individually. Invite students to pay special attention to the questions that they had about the film and its contents, then facilitate a class discussion in which students share their new understanding.

Time permitting, you may choose to invite the class to form a discussion circle for this part of the lesson: you and your students sit in a circle and participate in a student-led conversation that explores ideas, questions, experiences and opinions. This circle can include the whole class or a smaller group of students. Students practise listening to one another, making meaning, and finding common ground while participating in a rich conversation.

Part C: Exploring regeneration

Step 1.

In this part of the lesson, students will work collaboratively in a jigsaw classroom activity to explore, then share, detailed examples of regeneration from all over the world.

Invite students to form seven evenly-numbered groups and arrange themselves to sit together around a table. They will need a web-enabled device each.

Step 2.

Nominate a different action area for each group member:

Or, choose from the pages on this website: regeneration.org/nexus.

Invite students to read through and summarise the information. They could use the prompts provided on the Student Worksheet (also below) to facilitate their thinking. There is also space on the Student Worksheet for students to make notes.

Describe regeneration as you understand it from the example detailed.
Would this example of regeneration benefit the community you live in? How?
What else does this example of regeneration prompt you to think about?

Step 3.

Invite students to create expert groups by moving to sit with the students who read and summarised the same information. Encourage students to discuss the information they read and their responses to the prompts.

After each group member has shared their work, invite students to work together to plan, refine and practice a mini-presentation on what they have learned to present to the members of their original group.

Step 4.

Ask students to re-form their original groups and take turns to share their mini-presentation. Encourage students who listen to ask questions and take notes on the information being shared with them. There is space on the Student Worksheet for them to do so.

While students are engaged in the jigsaw classroom activity, ensure that you circulate amongst the groups to listen and check for understanding. If necessary, interrupt the groups to clarify their understanding and reframe what they are discussing if necessary. Assure students that you are doing so to assist them in building their knowledge of the concepts being explored.

Reflection

Invite students to complete the second part of the 3-2-1 Bridge Visible Thinking Routine, noting the change in their understanding of the concept of regeneration.

Regeneration
Three Words/Ideas	Two Questions	One Metaphor or Simile

Explain how your new responses connect to or change from your initial responses.

Differentiated learning

Extension

Students could research and present information about some local examples of regeneration currently in action that they find inspiring. Invite them to explore regeneration stories here and here.

Provisions for learning support

Ensure that students are on track and well-supported by circulating the room while they are engaged in the jigsaw learning activity. Reassure students that you are supporting their learning and understanding rather than checking up on them!

Teacher reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Regenerating Australia - Watching The Film (Years 9 & 10)

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Summary

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