Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Helpers or harmers?

20 minutes

Find Out: Learning labs

25 minutes

Take Action: Wild ideas

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

identify everyday threats to biodiversity in their local environment
develop a plan to make their school or home safer for wildlife.

Success criteria

Students can:

recognise how items like certain rat baits, pets or plastic harm native species
suggest and share actions to reduce these threats.

Tune In: Helpers or harmers?

Step 1

Place students into small groups. Explain to them that they are going to complete an ‘area audit’ by walking around their immediate school grounds, identifying places and/or things that support wildlife and potentially threaten wildlife. These observations may be written down, drawn, or recorded using a digital camera.

In groups, explain to the students that they will be recording 1 example each to share with their peers back in the classroom. For example:

a fallen branch with insects = good
rubbish near drain = bad
cat wandering outside = bad
windows that birds can collide with = bad
diverse midstorey planting = good
bright lights at night = bad

Step 2

Draw 2 big columns on the whiteboard with the following headings: ‘Helps Wildlife’ and ‘Harms Wildlife.’ On return to the classroom, ask each student to place their examples/sticky notes/drawings under the relevant column, explaining why they have selected both the item and the column they have.

To further enhance understanding and discussion, hold up additional artefacts or read out the following examples for the students to consider.

Helpful items (either the items themselves, or a photo):

A photo of a shaded area in the school provides a rest area and cooling for wildlife.
Native flowering plants or branch cuttings support pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Bird feeders or clean bird baths provide food/water for local birds.
Compost bins create habitat for worms and insects.
Leaf litter samples in a clear container show mini-beasts that help the ecosystem.
A bug hotel is a man‑made structure to house insects.
Shaded areas keep temperatures cooler and reduce heat stress for animals.
Nest boxes – offer safe places for birds or possums to rear young.
Mulched garden beds retain soil moisture, protect roots and shelter small creatures.

Unhelpful items (either the items themselves, or a photo):

SGAR Rat bait is poisonous to native animals and pets.
Plastic rubbish (bottle tops, straws, wrappers) may be eaten by animals, or become hazards for them to get tangled in.
Fishing line/twine is an entanglement risk.
Broken glass/sharp metal is an injury risk to wildlife.
Invasive weeds crowd out native plants.
Open drains or uncovered water tank inlets are a hazard for small animals.
Car park puddles with an oil sheen are toxic to aquatic life.

Find Out: Learning lab

Step 1

Divide the class into groups. Distribute 1 of the Learning Lab Real-World Stories to each group.

Explain to the students that some of these stories are real-world examples of wildlife negatively impacted by man, and others are real-world examples of solutions being used to prevent negative impacts on wildlife.

Direct students to read their real-world stories and then work as a group to create a 1-minute presentation of their findings.

Provide students with the following presentation guidelines:

They must include what happened in their story, why it matters for wildlife, and what we can learn or do to help.
Include all group members in the presentation, even if just a line or a prop.
Use simple, clear language so everyone understands.
They cannot just read their story. They will be teaching others, so they need to get creative.

Some ideas are:

short skit or freeze-frame drama scene
news bulletin or ‘breaking news’ TV segment
illustrated poster or comic strip (showing the problem/solution)
vox pop (each group member gives a ‘public opinion’ on the story)
puppet show or storytelling with props
song, poem, or rap based on their story
drawings that are presented and explained

Step 2

Invite student groups to present their stories (1 minute each).

Learning support: Use the Learning Lab learning support resources for students with reading difficulties.

Learning extension: Students research other information and/or data that supports their real-world story, or research a story of their own.

Take Action: Wild ideas

Step 1

Explain to the students that they will be referring back to their ‘area audit’ from the ‘Tuning In’ phase of this lesson. In pairs or small groups, students are to identify 1 area of concern and develop a Wildlife Improvement Plan for their classroom or school grounds.

This might include:

plans for planting some additional ground and shrub plants to improve habitat complexity or connectivity
filling a gap between/around existing shrubs/trees
adding piles of rocks/logs/sticks in garden beds for reptiles and invertebrates
creating new bin signs
developing posters on how to keep wildlife safe from pets
developing habitat-safe lunchbox policies.

Step 2

Invite students to share their plans with their peers through the use of a discussion circle.

Reflection

Step 1

Students discuss and reflect on which of the class improvement plans they should begin implementing, based on the time and budget allowed, and create actionable steps to achieve this.

Safer Spaces, Smarter Solutions

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Summary

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