Unit Title: Human impact on the environment &

Creating sustainable futures

Critical Questions: How has human development impacted on local and global environments? What can we do to create a
more sustainable future?

Year: Six

Term: 2 and 3

Unit Description and Rationale:

ACARA links:

This unit will develop students understandings of

the impact humans have previously and continue to
have on the environment (locally and globally) and
how we can minimise this impact through
sustainable practice. Students will explore the global
issues of energy, transport, and waste and
collaborate with peers to design possible
sustainable alternatives and solutions.

English
Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative
language can express shades of meaning, feeling and
opinion (ACELA1525)
Analyse and evaluate similarities and differences in texts on
similar topics, themes or plots (ACELT1614)
Understand how authors often innovate on text structures
and play with language features to achieve particular
aesthetic, humorous and persuasive purposes and effects
(ACELA1518)
Analyse how text structures and language features work
together to meet the purpose of a text (ACELY1711)
Compare texts including media texts that represent ideas
and events in different ways, explaining the effects of the
different approaches (ACELY1708)
Analyse strategies authors use to influence readers
(ACELY1801)
Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse
information and ideas, comparing content from a variety of
textual sources including media and digital texts
(ACELY1713)
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and
persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text
structures, language features, images and digital resources
appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1714)
Maths
Interpret and compare a range of data displays, including
side-by-side column graphs for two categorical variables
(ACMSP147)
Construct simple prisms and pyramids (ACMMG140)
Science
Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate
electricity (ACSSU219)
Electrical circuits provide a means of transferring and
transforming electricity (ACSSU097)
The growth and survival of living things are affected by the
physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)

Key Understandings:
-Land use and development by humans can greatly
impact the environment.
-Art can be created using various media, including
recycled, broken or unwanted materials.
-Energy can be created from various sources to
generate electricity.
-Interpret, analyse and discuss environmental and
global issues explored in a variety of texts, including
the pop culture text The Lorax.
-To develop necessary skills to investigate, analyse
and communicate ideas and information related to
sustainability, and develop appropriate actions for
sustainable futures
-To observe, record and organise data collected
from primary sources over time and analyse data
relating to issues of sustainability.
-We can teach others about sustainable practice
through shared experiences.
-To develop and sharing knowledge about social,
economic and ecological systems and global views
promoting social justice.
-As global citizens, our actions have impacts on the
wider community and environment, and as such we
need to take responsibility, and make appropriate
decisions to ensure sustainable futures.

Duration: 10 weeks

Sustainability
OI.2 All life forms, including human life, are connected through
ecosystems on which they depend for their wellbeing and
survival.
OI.4 World views that recognize the dependence of living things
on healthy ecosystems, and value diversity and social justice are
essential for achieving sustainability.
OI.7 Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care,
respect and responsibility, and require us to explore and
understand environments.
OI. 9 Sustainable futures result from actions designed to
preserve and/or restore the quality and uniqueness of
environments.
Visual Arts
Develop and apply techniques and processes when making their
artworks (ACAVAM115)
Media Arts
Plan, produce and present media artworks for specific audiences
and purposes using responsible media practice (ACAMAM064)
Explore representations, characterisations and points of view of
people in their community, including themselves, using settings,
ideas, story principles and genre conventions in images, sounds
and text (ACAMAM062)
Economics & Business
The effect that consumer and financial decisions can have on the
individual, the broader community and the environment
(ACHEK010)
Civics & Citizenship
The obligations citizens may consider they have beyond their
own national borders as active and informed global citizens
(ACHCK039)
Work in groups to identify issues and develop possible solutions
and a plan for action using decision making processes
(ACHCS044)
Reflect on personal roles and actions as a citizen in the school
and in the community (ACHCS046)

Key Concepts:
-How can we develop sustainable practices to improve the quality of our local and global environment?
-How has the development of human technology and our modern lifestyle affected the natural environment?
-Change in practice can make a difference in creating and maintaining a sustainable future, healthy ecosystem.
Key Resources:
Community experts: Local Rangers (Parks/Wetlands/Reserves)
Excursions/incursions: Local park/wetlands/reserve, South East Water, Landcare Australia.
Books/ DVD/YouTube: The Lorax (book, dvd)
Websites: Links to global environmental issues http://www.sendacow.org.uk/lessonsfromafrica/resources/
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Food-and-Agriculture-Study-Sustainable-Farming-Ranching-Fishing-829562
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/304415256032336350/
Tuning In:
(Engage)

Finding Out:
(Explore)

Sorting Out:
(Explain)
How can we assist children to pull it all together?

(Evaluate)
How can we see if they are making connections?
Taking Action:
(Elaborate)
How can we empower children to act on what they have
learnt?

-Brainstorm what we know about environmental impact by humans

-Organise information into themes
-Read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and discuss environmental/ economic issues from the book
-Compare these themes to information from brainstorm, add any extra ideas/info
-Looking into environmental issues in media in recent years, global warming, is it serious? Why/why not, evidence
-How do we feel about environmental issues/ sustainability?
-Watch The Lorax movie, compare and analyse style of text to book for emotional impact, how audience is influenced
discuss any other themes apparent in film.
-Tour of local landscape (wetlands, parks, reserves)
-Begin research and investigation about environmental issues from Tuning in brainstorm.

-What are some of the negative impacts humans have made on the environment?
-Identify these impacts and using research and collaboration to develop possible strategies and practices for creating and
maintaining a more sustainable lifestyle.
-Opportunities for knowledge/ skill application e.g. developing sustainable transport project, and create an advertisement
(persuasive piece) that informs and influences the viewer/audience about sustainability.
-Identify local environments e.g. parks, reserves, wetlands that are negatively affected (e.g. rubbish/litter), what actions could
we take as global citizens to improve the quality of these ecosystems?
-How can they use their knowledge, understandings and skills at home?
-Peer teaching activities about environmental issues and learned sustainable practices
-Opportunities for local community, school community, and local government education/ teaching via informative/ persuasive
texts. E.g. letter to principal/ school council/ local council or media advertisement to be shown to school community/ local
community.

Assessment:
(Evaluate)
Strategies for assessment of skills, knowledge and understandings

-Observation and anecdotal evidence

-Reflection statements about what students have learned (PMI, KWL)
-Work samples:
Comparing and analysing language and meaning in texts (The Lorax).
Data display with analysis (rubbish monitoring)
Peer teaching of sustainability (to younger grades)
Recycled transport object (group task)
Sustainability advertisement piece (group/ individual task)

Research Skills

Communication Skills

Thinking Skills

-Brainstorming
-Sorting
-Measuring
-Investigating
-Experimenting

-Reporting
-Discussing
-Speaking
-Listening
-Sharing
-Adjusting

-Identifying
-Comparing
-Predicting
-Analysing
-Inferring

Cooperative Skills
-Planning
-Designing
-Applying
-Evaluating

-Working with partners

-Sharing ideas and resources
-Consulting with other students
-Providing feedback

TERM PLANNER- HUMAN IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT (Term 2) & CREATING SUSTAINABLE FUTURES (Term 3)
TERM 2
WEEK
5*

8*

10

WEEKLY PLANNING
Tuning in (Reading of The Lorax)
Providing scope of the unit

Finding Out, MOVIE: The Lorax

Looking at real life impacts of deforestation, oceans

and waterways. Excursion to park/wetlands OR
incursion (own wetlands/park area)

Investigate the effects of waste/ rubbish/ pollution and

local wetlands/parks. Start measuring and recording
class rubbish. Excursion to park/wetlands OR
incursion (own wetlands/park area)

ENGLISH LINKS

MATHS LINKS

SCIENCE LINKS

SUSTAINABILITY
LINKS

ARTS/ CIV
ECONOMICS

Text structure and

purpose (ACELY1711)
Compare ideas in media
texts (ACELY1708)
Analyse strategies
authors use to influence
readers (ACELY1801)
Analyse media texts
(ACELY1713)
Evaluative language
(ACELA1525)
Compare themes in
texts (ACELT1614)
Effects of text structure
(ACELA1518)

Environmental impacts
on living things
(ACSSU094)

OI.2 Life is connected

ecosystems.
OI.4 Healthy ecosystems,
diversity and social justice
essential for achieving
sustainability.

Obligations as glo
citizens (ACHCK0
Consumerism, co
and the environm
(ACHEK010)

Same as above
Environmental themed
readers

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

OI.2 Life is connected

ecosystems.

Obligations as glo
citizens (ACHCK0
Collaborate to so
problems with glo
(ACHCS044)

Same as above

Same as above

Analyse media texts

(ACELY1713)
Compare ideas in media
texts (ACELY1708)
Environmental themed
readers
Analyse media texts
(ACELY1713)
Compare ideas in media
texts (ACELY1708)
Compare themes in
texts (ACELT1614)
Environmental themed
readers

Explore the impact on wildlife in suburbs/ city life

Same as above

Energy creation and environmental impact

Same as above

Measure and record

food wastage at home.
Reducing
consumption/waste and
saving money.

Measure and record

energy usage at home.
Reducing consumption
and saving money.

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

Energy sources and

electricity (ACSSU219)
Electrical circuits
(ACSSU097)

OI.4 Healthy ecosystems,

diversity and social justice
essential for achieving
sustainability.

Obligations as glo
citizens (ACHCK0
Collaborate to so
problems with glo
(ACHCS044)
Consumerism, co
and the environm
(ACHEK010)

Same as above

TERM 3
Week 1

5*
6
7
8

What is sustainability? Investigate strategies and

principles of sustainability

Explore alternative energy sources

Continue alternative energy sources link to global

impacts on energies for developing countries. Start
second experiment of measuring and recording waste.

Analyse media texts

(ACELY1713)
Compare ideas in media
texts (ACELY1708)
Sustainability themed
readers

Same as above

Environmental impacts
on living things
(ACSSU094)

OI.2 Life is connected

ecosystems.
OI.4 Healthy ecosystems,
diversity and social justice
essential for achieving
sustainability.
OI. 9 Sustainable futures
result from preservation
and restoration
OI.7 Care and
responsibility of
environment for a
sustainable future.

Compare themes in
texts (ACELT1614)
Sustainability themed
readers

Same as above

Energy sources and

electricity (ACSSU219)
Electrical circuits
(ACSSU097)

OI.4 Healthy ecosystems,

diversity and social justice
essential for achieving
sustainability.
OI. 9 Sustainable futures
result from preservation
and restoration
OI.7 Care and
responsibility of
environment for a
sustainable future.

Same as above

Investigate uses for recycled materials, create a mode

of transport e.g. car, plane, boat using recycled and
sustainable materials

Analyse media texts

(ACELY1713)
Compare ideas in media
texts (ACELY1708)
Compare themes in
texts (ACELT1614)
Sustainability themed
readers
Analyse media texts
(ACELY1713)
Sustainability themed
readers

Continue with recycled transport project

Explore Reduce, reuse, recycle, and up-cycling

practices (art work with up-cycling)

Same as above

OI. 9 Sustainable futures

result from preservation
and restoration.

Same as above

Consumerism, co
and the environm
(ACHEK010)

Develop and app

techniques (ACAV
Consumerism, co
and the environm
(ACHEK010)

Construct simple prisms

and pyramids
(ACMMG140)

OI.7 Care and

responsibility of
environment for a
sustainable future.

Consumerism, co
and the environm
(ACHEK010)

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

Reflect on experience.

Measuring and
recording distance.

Same as above

Finish recycled transport project and test designs

Sustainable futures, teaching peer/ buddy grade

Measuring and
recording data.
(ACMSP147)

Obligations as glo
citizens (ACHCK0
Collaborate to so
problems with glo
(ACHCS044)

Creating
informative/imaginative/
persuasive texts
(ACELY1714)

Environmental impacts
on living things
(ACSSU094)

OI.2 Life is connected

ecosystems.
OI.7 Care and
responsibility of
environment for a
sustainable future.
OI. 9 Sustainable futures
result from preservation
and restoration

Reflecting on role
citizens in school
community (ACH

9*

10

Media/ advertisement on sustainability. What is it?

Why is it important? What can we do?

Continue working on sustainability ad. Comparing and

discussing the 2 records of classroom waste. What
strategies were working? What can we keep doing?
Present ad to peer grades/ school assembly/ parents
at an open day/night

Creating
informative/imaginative/
persuasive texts
(ACELY1714)
Analyse strategies
authors use to influence
readers (ACELY1801)

Same as above

OI.7 Care and

responsibility of
environment for a
sustainable future.
OI. 9 Sustainable futures
result from preservation
and restoration

Interpret and compare

data
(ACMSP147)

OI.7 Care and

responsibility of
environment for a
sustainable future.
OI. 9 Sustainable futures
result from preservation
and restoration.

*: Lesson plans described below.

Tuning in - The Lorax
Engage/ Introduction: Brainstorm what we know about environmental impact by humans

Activity:
-Have digital/ digitized version of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, and put on IWB to read as a class. On some pages, get the students to be English Detextives
(detectives). Students identify and analyse the text, pictures, the sentence structures, choice of words, etc. Why do you think the author has chosen to write
this way? What is the author trying to say? Discuss environmental/ economic issues from the book.

Conclusion:
-Compare these themes to information from brainstorm, add any extra ideas/info
-How do we feel about environmental issues/ sustainability?
Extension/ Follow up activity:
-Explore the meaning in texts, how were you able to understand even when Dr. Seuss used nonsensical/ unreal words? Look at authors use of rhyme to tell a
story. How does that impact/ influence the audience?
-Watch a short clip from The Lorax movie (How bad can I be?) exploring the issue of consumerism. The Once-lers view of expanding his business while
ignoring the environmental impacts. What happens if all businesses did that? Research examples of some businesses that have continued to expand their
businesses and disregarding the environmental impacts. E.g. Deforestation, for palm oil resulting in orangutan habitat destruction in Borneo.
Resources:
How bad can I be? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp3Iy06NYaw
How bad can I be? (shorter but better resolution clip) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_HUdf89hI8

Obligations as glo
citizens (ACHCK0
Collaborate to so
problems with glo
(ACHCS044)
Plan, produce an
media artworks
(ACAMAM064)
Explore ideas thro
media principles
(ACAMAM062)
Reflecting on role
citizens in school
community (ACH
Plan, produce an
media artworks
(ACAMAM064)
Explore ideas thro
media principles
(ACAMAM062)

Excursion/ incursion lesson

Engage/ Introduction: Investigate the effects of waste/ rubbish/ pollution and local wetlands/parks.
Activity:
-Excursion to park/wetlands OR incursion (own wetlands/park area) with a local ranger providing expert environmental and community knowledge about the
area. Students undergo a series of activities involving science, and maths.
-Water health; water testing and treating (how-to guides and why it is important to look after water sources)
-Types of water environments: what chemicals should be present saltwater vs freshwater. What species thrive in each? How can we maintain optimal
conditions for species that are attracted to our wetlands?
-Looking at ecosystems and food chains (how does nature get rid of algae, instead of humans using chemicals that could potentially harm a range of
species.)
Conclusion:
-Reflection in class about activities and knowledge shared by the local Ranger.
-Start measuring and recording class rubbish. Have class chart that measures how many papers that were put in the recycle but could have been used as
scrap paper. Measure amount of rubbish each week.
Extension/ Follow up activity:
-Throughout to the unit (depending on location of wetlands/ park area) return to this space, monitoring the pollution levels.
-When second part/ theme of the unit starts, as a class, discuss what strategies we can do to reduce the amount of waste recycling paper, e.g. could we use
the other side, could up-cycle the paper and make art from it? Continue gathering data and see if we can reduce our classroom waste.

Resources: Parks Victoria http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/learn/information-for-students

Up-cycling lessons
Engage/ Introduction: Investigate uses for recycled materials, create a mode of transport e.g. car, plane, boat using recycled and sustainable materials.
Activity:
-Working in small groups, students design, build and test a mode of transport (car, boat, plane etc.) that has been constructed using only recycled or upcycled materials.
-Research and investigate which materials would be suitable for their chosen mode of transport, discuss with teacher about sourcing materials.
Conclusion:
-Record results/ observations from the testing day/ race day of re-cycled/ up-cycled vehicles. Discussion and reflection (Plus, minus, interesting/ PMI) about
this project.
Extension/ Follow up:
-Promote having up-cycled items in the class. Create a project where the groups in the class are required to design and build an item that will be used in the
class (everyday item e.g. bookstands, box for stationery etc.) Looking at the processes in designing and creating cost efficient items for everyday use.

-Apply, items useful for use in the local community, could others benefit from your product? (local or global) Global, look at how students learn around the
world, (adopt a school/ class) and send ideas/ send an item that we use. OR share a resource. What is something that helps you learn, could it help others in
developing countries e.g. in South America, SE Asia, Island countries, Africa etc.
Resources: Pinterest for ideas on up-cycling and DIY with recycled materials, garden beds, home furniture, etc.
Sustainability advertisement
Engage/ Introduction: Review sustainability issues and practices for minimising environmental impact from previous lessons.
Activity:
-Using Media and English elements to persuade, students work either individually or in small groups to create an advertisement informing the general public
about environmental issues, and promoting environmental care and sustainable practices. Advertisement can be digital (video) or a poster, but needs to have
these basic criteria regarding sustainability:
What is it? Why is it important? What can we do?
Conclusion:
-Class presentation of advertisements. Peer feedback about advertisements; analysing and reflecting on the media and English elements e.g. persuasive
language, music to set mood/tone, symbolism, etc.
Extension/ Follow up:
-Presenting/ showcasing the advertisements to parents and local community at assembly, open days/ nights or school fete/ fundraising events.