Ecology-the study of living things and their environments.

- environmental trail

- herb garden

- adopt a tree by each class

Objectives of this topic:-

1) establishes direct links with the land and promote stewardship for its well-being.

2) embrace the basic environmental concepts which are crucial to their existence and their future.

3) begin to understand essential ecological processes.

4) recognize that children can have a positive impact on their environments.

5) develop positive attitudes to the environment.

6) gain a general understanding of life cycles.

7) be empowered in making informed decisions regarding the environment.

8) related activities to enhance cross curriculum studies i.e. maths, science

For the purpose of educating grade one to grade three children on environmental issues in regards to this section of the assignment, three concepts and associated activities will be outlined.

1. Components of the natural environment (biological and physical) are interdependent.

2. People are an important part of the natural environment. Their life is dependent upon and influenced by it.

3. People have acquired ways of using and changing the elements of the natural environment. There is a needed to maintain balance between development and conservation. (Targowska, 1991, p 23)

Activities for all of the concepts must comprise of these components:

- encourage using the senses - touching, hearing, seeing, smelling and tasting.

- Imaginative and cognitive challenging offering opportunities to participate and succeed.

- With timely care, time, space and distance aspects should be introduced.

- Examination of objects with a small number of different properties to enhance classification skills.

- Promotion of simple cause / effect situations in the environment.

- Encouragement of exploration to discover, contemplate and enhance curiosity.

- Pictures and books to identify their own experiences into what they talk about and see.

- Develop art creativity to identify with environments.

- Encourage play, cooperation, positive relationships and advancement in language and thinking skills.

- Development of moral values of how relate to living organisms in the environment. Valuate their relationship with other organisms.

( p -12 Environmental Education Curriculum Guide, 1993)

The Environmental Trail

Concept One - Components of the Natural Environment are Interdependent.

- living organisms such as plants and animals (including bacteria and fungi)

- Non-living things which include soil, air, water and sun.

Promote awareness that living organisms can be affected by the non-living surroundings. Any changes in these factors can cause changes in living organisms.

Plants

- each class to take responsibility for a section of the herb garden. See next section for details.

- Introduction of plants that attract different species of animals while allowing shade and general aesthetics of the school.

A= Seed Available M=Height in Metres H= Habitat

W= Windbreak S= Shade T=Timber

B= Bees/Honey/insects F= Flower/Fruit

Botanical Name	Common Name	A	M	H	S	T	B	F	W
Callistemon salignus	White Bottlebrush		8	x			x	x	x
Eucalyptus sideroxlylon	mugga ironbark	x	15	x	x	x	x	x	x
Eucalyptus tereticornis	Qld blue gum	x	25	x		x	x		x
Callistemon viminalis	Weeping bottlebrush	x	8	x			x	x	x
Melaleuca bracteata	River tea tree		8	x			x		x
Melaleuca linariifolia	Flax leaf paperbark		10	x	x		x	x	x
Pittosporum phylliraeoic	cattlebush	x	6	x				x	x
Lechenaultis Formosa Eldoado	unknown		0.5	x				x
Rulingia hermanniifolia	unknown		0.2	x				x
Buxus microhylla	Japanese box		2.5	x	x				x
Cupressus arizonica	blue ice		5	x	x		x	x	x

These species are known to perform well in this region. Seeds are available for propagation from Greening Australia, Regional Extension Officer.

References:

Macoboy's. S. (1991) What Tree is That? Weldon Publishing, Sydney.

Keville,K. (1996) The Illustrated Herb Encyclopedia. A complete culinary, cosmetic, medicinal and ornamental guide to Herbs. Simon and Schuster, Australia.

Greening Australia, (1998) Recommended species for Darling Downs.

Second Organising Concept - People are an important part of the natural environment. Their life is dependent upon and influenced by it.

• Awareness things in our environment are natural and other things are made by people.

• People are a part of the natural environment. Allow children to realise how large the environment is and what part they play in their environment be it the school or just this block of land.

• Awareness of the dependence on water.

• Awareness of how people depend on animals.

• Humankind depends on plants and soil.

• The importance of the sun - solar energy.

• Awareness of the air and how we depend on it.

Third Concept - People have acquired ways of using and changing the elements of the natural environment. There is a need to maintain an ongoing balance between development and conservation.

• Awareness of the Greenhouse effect. Awareness of water waste, ozone layer, CFC's, holons and natural gas.

• Air pollution awareness.

• Species loss.

(Targowska, 1991)

Cross Curriculum Education and the Environment Trail

Science

* improvement of observation skills

* Provide opportunities to stimulate children's thinking by asking questions or making suggestions.

* encourage children to observe, compare, classify, predict, and communicate.

* allow for children's discoveries to be extended.

* allow for differences in ability, development and learning styles.

* improvement in the problem solving techniques.

* appreciation of the sounds of the environment.

Mathematics

* understanding of concepts such as shape, size, numbers, space, mass, sound.

* understanding concepts such as fractions, change, shape, texture, colour, time.

* understanding of measurement, volume, weight

* understanding of time, shape, shadows, light.

Health

* the awareness of using natural pesticides instead of harmful chemicals.

* empowerment of making decisions about the environment that will effect one's future.

* the building of interpersonal relationships through group interaction.

English

* improvement of vocabulary in terms of environmental issues.

* Reading, writing and discussing informational information to improve comprehension and literacy skills.

* Poem and song writing activities to improve literacy skills.

  Return to Ecology Main Page

Return to Activities Main Page

Return to Main Page