What’s so special?
Using the Bloom’s Taxonomy and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences matrix you can create or negotiate activities for the range of learners, designing them to cater for different levels of challenge and different styles of learning and expression of learning.
Knowledge: Make a list of the kinds of birds you would expect to find in the Aranda bushland.
Comprehension: Create consequence charts or mind maps showing the effects of different kinds of land use.
Application:
A panel of ‘experts’, each representing a different ‘interest’ group eg conservationist, resident, developer, a ghost of the future’s past, puts a case from his or her perspective in support of a particular plan for the Snow Gums area, explaining its benefits to the Canberra community.
A jury of ‘Canberrans’ judges the merits of the arguments and decides which plan will prevail.
An artwork of three panels side by side or three associated pictures to symbolize different scenarios for the Snow Gums area.
Analysis:
Exposition, oral or written, of land use issues
Examine the management of natural heritage when purposes for land use are in conflict.
· Example 1: pastoral use vs natural habitat
Issue: introduced grasses for grazing by sheep and cattle require fertiliser
vs
fertiliser kills off native grasses.
Possible Solutions: Change the management regime with measures which could include not fertilising pastures so that native grasses can regenerate; reduce the number of grazing animals to within sustainable limits.
· Example 2: urban environment vs natural habitat
Issue: the bushfire hazard presented by having grassland and bushland in close proximity to urban housing is reduced by fire trails and fire breaks, fuel reduction and grazing
vs
negative impacts on grassland and bushland species of clearing, fuel-reduction fires and non-native grazing animals.
Land clearing for fire trails and fire breaks reduces habitat, interrupts wildlife corridors and introduces weeds carried in by bulldozers and other heavy equipment.
Horses, sheep and cattle can cause erosion by stripping paddocks bare in times of drought and through the effects of their hard hooves on fragile Australian soils. Their hooves collapse the banks of streams and water-holes and make tracks down slopes which erode in heavy rain (unlike the adaptive soft pads of native kangaroos and wallabies).
· Example 3: urban amenity vs natural habitat
Issue: the building of urban infra-structure of roads to provide access for trafficbuilding for Gungahlin Drive Extension (GDE).