St+Joseph's+Term+2

· Students continue work on the Jason Project from last term. · Identify a ‘fragile’ endangered environment like the Murray River and the Coorong. · View Dvds that show what the Murray/Darling river system looked in the past and present. Discuss what factors may have caused this system to have become under threat. · View the movie, ‘Storm Boy’ made when the Coorong was a thriving environment abundant with a variety of fauna and flora. · View Dvd on a ‘pristine’ environment. Discuss how such an environment can be sustained. What impact does human activity have on pristine environments and therefore what responsibilities fall upon our shoulders? · Log onto TED website and watch the Sylvia Earle video on the ocean and its importance to the health of the planet. Students take notes and discuss key points. Each group to share one important point with the class. · Read the book, ‘The Lorax’ by Dr Suess and discuss the environmental and human implications within the story. · Question the students on the concept of sustainability. Define the term by viewing the Liverpool Council website. · Set up students’ wikis for the Sustainability Project. · Read the article ‘Murray River… Artery of a Nation.’ What is an artery? Utilise the analogy of arteries within the human body. · View the video, **//__[|'The Story of Stuff']__//**
 * //__Sustainability Program__//**
 * __ Weeks 1-4 __**
 * __ Weeks 5 -8 __**

· Nature is the key to sustainability.Discuss the sustainability of natural processes. In groups discuss the concept of Nature as the original professor of sustanability...How is this so? View various media clips on the Coorong. What is the state of the Coorong now compared to 30 yrs ago…? This leads into a confirmation of what sustainability is… · What are the barriers to sustainability? Brainstorm ideas · -Pollution · -Ignorance · -apathy · -greed · -Money · -selfishness · -disempowerment

· In groups Ss give examples of what each means.

· ISSUES WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITY: Brainstorm local area sites where sustainability is threatened or where an environmental issue is noted. Ss begin to collect local newspapers

· ** Instruction: Trs instruct Ss on the components of an “Action plan”. ** · Ss are placed in groups according to their own local areas. These groups are to meet on a regular basis to; · Research the area with a view to presenting the issues and possible solutions to the whole grade. · SS to take part in an interschool excursion combining all schools in the Sustainability Project. The following activities will be undertaken.
 * Identify local issues
 * Prepare an action plan to address local issues
 * Delegate responsibilities within members of the group
 * 1) Local Area History
 * 2) Water quality testing
 * 3) Flora and Fauna Identification
 * 4) DVD on “The Story of Stuff” addressing the issue of waste through planned and designed obsolescence.
 * 5) Invasive species
 * 6) Plenary – Sharing on the use of Wikis

· Student groups are given time to regularly meet to review, research, discuss and formulate their project. They will be required to report back to the grade by the end of the term. · Student groups continue to regularly meet to review, research, discuss and formulate their project. They will be required to report back to the grade by Week 11. · Waste · What is it? · What causes it? · What is zero waste? · Within groups students focus on the concept of waste a common issue in relation to sustainability. (Using Williams HOT activities) · The Following tasks are set in relation to plastic waste as a major cause of environmental concern.
 * __ Weeks 9-11 __**

· Plastic as a product is researched as a common pollutant. Injection moulding and statistics on the use of plastic are presented to the group.

· Student groups report back to the grade where they are up to in their Sustainability Project and where to next.