Ashleigh Farren 900216728 EE0310 Primary Humanities, Societies and Environments 2, Assignment 1: Inquiry unit of work.

Inquiry unit planner:

Natural Disasters

Year level/relevant characteristics of the group: Level 4, class has 24 pupils is grade 6 with 14 males and only 10 females. Term: 3. Duration: 10 weeks. Focus Curriculum Area: Humanities geography. Key Idea for unit: Natural disasters occur due to natural occurrences and are sometimes a result of human activity. Natural disasters have an impact on humans and the environment.

Rationale: This Inquiry units primary focus is geography, level 4. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA, 2007) defines geography as the study of physical and human environments from a spatial perspective. It is important for students to learn about geography and geographical issues because it provides students with the knowledge and skills to observe and describe places on the surface of the Earth and to analyse and provide explanations from a spatial perspective of human and physical phenomena and their complex interactions (VCAA, 2007) Moreover, it is important for students to learn about geographical issues such as natural disasters because students evolving understanding of their world provides a basis for evaluating strategies for the sustainable use and management of the worlds resources (VCAA, 2007). Learning about natural disasters allows students to think, learn and make links between themselves as humans and the environment. It is important for students to understand how the state of the environment affects humans emotionally and economically. In support of this Julie Bishop was

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 quoted as saying the teaching of geography is vital to link students with society, culture and the physical environment at the local, national and global level (Erebus International, 2008). Finally, this unit is part of a quest for students to become geographically literate so that they develop into responsible, active citizens in the present and future world (The International Geographical Union on the Commission on Geographical Education, cited in Marsh, 2008 p.299). Understandings: Natural disasters are natural occurrences but can occasionally be triggered by human activity. Natural disasters can have good and bad effects on the environment. Natural disasters have an effect on people (emotionally and economically). Natural disasters occur in some parts of Australia and the world and not in other parts as specific areas are more prone to the occurrence of them. Skills: Work well as an individual and as part of a team. Ability to identify what they want to learn about. Ability to gather appropriate information. Ability to sort through gathered information. Ability to present what they have learned. Ability to fairly assess peers. Ability to contribute to class discussions. Ability to efficiently use the internet as a resource. Ability to use ICT applications such as power point.

Key concepts: Natural and human made disasters. The impact of natural disasters. The location and patterns in the occurrences of natural disasters.

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 Related VELS outcomes: The units main focus stems from the discipline based learning strand, in the humanities geography dimension. As this unit is interdisciplinary it will also address domains from the Physical, Personal and Social Learning and Interdisciplinary strands. Discipline-based Learning Humanities - Geography (Major Focus) Dimensions, progression point 3.75: Geographic knowledge and understanding: - reporting on the impact of a natural process on an area in Australia; for example, annual rainfall, drought and cyclones. * Associated with learning experiences: A, B, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, P. - reporting of ways in which people protect the environment. * Associated with learning experiences: E, F, G, H, I, M, P. Geospatial skills - Inclusion of the concepts of distance, location and direction where relevant in reports and maps. * Associated with learning experiences: F, G, H, I, M.

- Presentation, including further research, of fieldwork finding. * Associated with learning experiences: M.

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 Humanities Economics Dimensions, progression point 3.75: Economic knowledge and understanding: - Understanding of fundamental links between the production, distribution and consumption of resources in basic contexts. * Associated with learning experiences: B, F, H, I, J, K, L, M.

Economic reasoning and interpretation: - reporting on an economic issue using independently investigated sources and a given structure, that provides conclusions supported by basic links to appropriate evidence. * Associated with learning experiences: I, L, M.

Humanities History Dimensions, progression point 3.75: Historical knowledge and understanding: - Analysis of key events in Australia. * Associated with learning experiences: C, E, H, I, K, L, M. Historical reasoning and interpretation: - Historical explanations presented in a range of forms and using appropriate historical language and concepts. * Associated with learning experiences: C, I, K. Physical, personal and social learning: Civics and Citizenship

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 Dimension, progression point 3.75: Community engagement: - A point of view on a current issue, presenting evidence and making recommendations about how governments and citizens might take action about it. * Associated with learning experiences: M, O.

(VCAA, 2007)

Stage of Learning in this Unit Tuning In

Planned Learning Experiences

A) YouTube video (Australia: Mother Natures Playground) and brainstorm. - Watch this video for students to begin to become familiar or re-familiarise themselves with the major Natural disasters that have occurred in Australia recently. - Brainstorm of all the types of natural disasters students are aware of and create a mind map using mindomo.com.au. B) Who / what people are involved in the prevention and dealing with natural disasters? And what is the effect on humans and the environment? Watch a living with disasters video from the Australian Governments emergency management for school website. - Brainstorm the impact natural disasters have on humans (emotional, economical).

Resources
- YouTube video. - mindomo.com. - Living with disasters video. - Natural disaster pictures. - Natural disaster newspaper articles.

Assessment
Assessment for Learning During Tuning In activities the teacher will be taking notes on what the students understand and what they are struggling to understand in order to inform their future teaching. The KWL charts will be a major task that will help for this assessment.

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 - Add impacts of natural disasters to the mind map at midomo.com.au. C) What do you think a Natural Disaster is? As a whole class look at a collage of pictures and newspaper articles from the past about natural disasters, students use their own words by drawing on their prior knowledge and stimuli provided to them during the previous tuning in sessions to create their own definition. Students are encouraged to look out for newspaper articles at home about natural disasters. D) What do we want to know about natural disasters? - Use a KWL chart for each student to initially write down what they know and what they want to know.

Finding Out

E) Excursion: Toolangi Forest Education Centre As part of their grade 6 camp students will visit the Toolangi Forest Education centre. The program theme is as follows: Victoria is one of the most fire prone places in the world. Fires are a natural part of the forest environment. Learn about how fire affect the forest, what forest managers do to protect the community from fire and how people can be fire safe (Department of Sustainability and Environment , 2011) F) Researching in pairs Using websites and books approved by the teacher, students work in pairs and research one natural disaster. (Pairs choose the natural disaster they want to research, but no more than two pairs can research the same disaster.) Students research questions such as: - What their natural disaster is / its cause.

- Research websites. - Research Books

Assessment for Learning The teacher will observe student ability to take notes and research. Weaknesses will be addressed in future lessons to improve these skills. Assessment of Learning Teacher observation. Are students able to effectively and efficiently research specific information?

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 - Where it occurs (in Australia / the world). - The effect it has on people and the environment (economically). Does the impact on the environment have an impact people? G) Recording research In the same pairs as the research activity students create 1 power point slide which includes the information they have gathered previously. Students create their slides including relevant information specific to their chosen natural disaster. Once pairs have created their slide, they send it via email attachment to the teacher. All of the pairs slides are put into one class power point. The whole class watch the power point presentation. Students are encouraged to ask each other question about their research. H) Excursion information 7 different pieces of butchers paper, scattered on 7 different tables have the following headings: - Fire prone places in Australia and around the world. - Causes of bushfires. - How do bushfires affect the environment (good and bad)? - How can bushfires affect people? - Significant bushfires in Australian history. - Who protects communities from fires and how do they do it? - How can people be fire safe? Students are divided into 7 groups and move from table to table (spending a few mins at each. Students discuss and add the appropriate information they gathered at the Toolangi Forest Education Centre.

Sorting Out

Assessment of learning The teacher will use the making sense of the power point presentation task and the drawing task to assess students ability to sort and make sense of the information they have collected. A rubric will be used to assess and will be created closer to the assessment date to represent the course the unit has taken.

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 I) Making sense of the class power point presentation Using the class power point student create a table which showcases important information specific to natural disasters. For each natural disaster students have to fill in information under the following headings specific to each disaster: - What the disaster is. - How it is caused. - Where it occurs in the world. - Do / can they occur in Australia (yes / no). - The impact it has on the environment. - The impact it has on people. - How do people protect themselves from them? - Significant occurrences of the disaster in History. * How many natural disasters each child is expected to write about may vary from student to student, depending on the students ability. J) Expressing a disaster through drawing Individually students choose a natural disaster and draw at least two pictures. One picture shows an area prior to the natural disaster occurring and the other shows the same area after the natural disaster occurred. If students want to, they may draw additional pictures to accompany the others. Following the drawing students write about each of them detailing things such as what is happening in the picture, the state of the environment and the people etc. K) Disaster effects! An individual activity. Students choose a natural disaster which they will become and expert about over the remainder of the unit. For this task students will choose a specific disaster such as cyclone Yasi or the Black Saturday

Going Further

Assessment for Learning Do students understand how a concept map works? Assessment of Learning

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 bushfires etc. Using visual images and newspaper articles students create a concept map with the stem being their specific natural disaster. Students then think about and add to the mind map the effects to the physical characteristics i.e. the environment and man-made infrastructure. Once the effects to the physical characteristics have been addressed, on the mind map students then link these to the effects it has on people. L) The disaster affected me Using the concept map as inspiration students choose and create an imaginary person who has been affected by the disaster such as a farmer or shop owner etc. They write a letter to their relatives who were not affected by the disaster describing how it has affected them, emotionally and economically. Are students aware of the connection between the impact on the physical environment and on people? Can they show and explain this connection?

Making Connections

M) Disaster in the Media Students get in groups of 2 or 3 with people who have chosen to become experts at the same natural disaster. Students are to produce and perform a prime time news story suitable for television, about an actual disaster or can create an imaginary disaster. Students must inform the public about: - Where it occurred (using a map and spatial concepts: location, distance and region). - The effect on the environment and man-made infrastructure. -The effect on people. - What is being done by the government and nongovernment organisations, for example fire fighters and the red cross. - What the general public can do to help.

Assessment as Learning Closer to the disaster in the media task the whole class will create an appropriate rubric for students to assess their peers presentations. Students are assessed on their ability to assess their peers fairly. The KWL chart will also be used as a means for students to assess their own learning. Assessment of Learning The teacher will use a rubric created closer to the assessment date to reflect the course the unit has taken. The broad areas students will be

Ashleigh Farren 900216728 - What people can do to protect themselves from the same disaster (if appropriate). Students are encouraged to create natural disaster props to assist their news story. Students must practice their news stories. Once they have practiced they perform them in front of their peers and are also filmed. Peer assessment takes place using a class created rubric. N) KWL chart Students finish their KWL chart by filling in the, what I learned section. assessed on are the ability to explain where the disaster occurred using spatial concepts. The effect on people and the environment and the relationship between them. What organisations are involved in the prevention, protection and clean-up of natural disasters. What the general public can do to help / protect themselves.

Taking Action

O) Has there been a natural disaster lately? If there has been a natural disaster lately students brainstorm about what they can do to help. P) Could a natural disaster affect my family and I? As the students school is located in the outer southern suburbs, their houses are surrounded by reserves and parks. Thus they could be affected by wild fires. Students create a fire management plan for their families, including prevention actions and escape routes etc.

Assessment of Learning Teacher observation. Can students put their new learnt information and skills into action?

Resources Bibliography
Tuning In resources YouTube video Australia: Mother Natures Playground 2011, YouTube, purplesphon, retrieved 5 September 2011, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2DvnJmWh-k>

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Ashleigh Farren 900216728

Mindomo (mind map making tool)

Expert Software Applications, Mindomo, retrieved 5 September 2011, <http://www.mindomo.com/>

Living with disaster video. A day to remember Jo Metz

Australian Government Attorney Generals Department, Emergency Management for Schools, retrieved 5 September 2011, <http://www.ema.gov.au/www/ema/schools.nsf/Page/Teach_Resources_LivingWithDisaster-DigitalStories_Digitalstories>

Natural disasters pictures - Bush fire

Mark Maupin, 2007, Bush fire, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_grateful_dad/2103135380/>

- Flood Deekirby10, 2011, Queensland floods, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/deekirby/5352166818/>

- Drought

Sslorach, 2008, Drought North West Victoria, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/slozza/3120709967/>

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Ashleigh Farren 900216728

- Cyclone (Hurricane, Typhoon)

LynamPics, 2011, Cyclone Yasi - Townsville, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynampics/5415008334/>

- Earthquake

Al, 2007, Earthquake, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnq/1807457096/>

- Tsunami

Vyacheslav Zagoruy, 2011, Japan Tsunami, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/voicev/5564371454/>

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Ashleigh Farren 900216728

Gunnar Sigmudsson, 2010, Volcanic eruption in Iceland, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbason/4486705441/> - Volcanic eruption

Hicksy&Bec, 2008, Landslide, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/25350829@N08/2403261244/>

- Landslide

Washington State Dept of transportation, 2009, avalanche block, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/3191056587/> - Avalanche

Newspaper articles

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Ashleigh Farren 900216728 - Black Saturday Bushfires

2009, Number of missing still unknown after Black Saturday Bushfires , The Age, 25 February, retrieved 3 September 2011, <http://www.theage.com.au/national/number-of-missing-still-unknown-after-black-saturday-fires-20090225-8hf0.html> 2011, Sugar crop, tourism at risk from cyclone Yasi, The Age, 1 February, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.theage.com.au/business/sugar-crop-tourism-at-risk-from-cyclone-yasi-20110201-1abls.html>

- cyclone Yasi

Jensen, E & Williams, R, Queensland floods a disaster of biblical proportions, The Age, 2 January, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.theage.com.au/national/queensland-floods-a-disaster-of-biblical-proportions-20110101-19cm0.html> 2008, Murray Darling basin flows slow to a trickle, The Age, 10 July, retrieved 2 September 2011, <http://www.theage.com.au/national/murraydarling-basin-flows-slow-to-a-trickle-20080710-3d02.html>

- Queensland floods

- Drought Finding Out resources Toolongi Forest Education Centre Research websites - Global education.

Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2011, Toolangi Forest Education Program, retrieved 4 September 2011, <http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/forests/for-schools-home/toolangi-forest-education-program> Global education, 2011, Natural disaster management, retrieved 4 September 2011, <http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/308> Geography World, 2011, Geography World, retrieved 5 September, 2011, <http://geographyworldonline.com/> Teaching resources for stages 4 and 5 Natural Disasters, 2010, retrieved 5 September 2011, <http://geographyworldonline.com/>

- Geography world. - Resource website with links to many other appropriate natural disaster websites. Research books - Natural disasters

Watts, C & Day, T 2006, Natural Disasters, DK children

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Griffey, H 2010, Earthquakes and other natural disasters, DK children

- Earthquakes and other natural disasters

Osborne, M & Boyce N, 2007, Tsunamis, Random House Books for Young Readers

- Tsunamis

Fredericks, A 2011, Investigating natural disasters through childrens literature, Libraries unlimited

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Ashleigh Farren 900216728 - Investigating natural disasters

Barber, N & Barber, N 1999, Fire and Flood, Barrons Educational Series

- Fire & Flood

Richards, J 2001, Vibrating Volcanoes, Chelsea Clubhouse

- Vibrating volcanoes

National Geographic, 2009, National Geographic Student Atlas of the World, National Geographic Childrens Books

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Ashleigh Farren 900216728 - World Atlas

References Erebus International, 2008, A Study into the Teaching of Geography in Years 3 10, retrieved 1 September 2011, <http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/8221F0DF-E962-402E-A64E-0D26B910F328/21023/geographyreport.pdf> Marsh, C 2008, Studies of Society and Environment, Pearson Education Australia, NSW Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2007, Victorian Essential Learning Standards, retrieved 1 September 2011, <http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/>

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