Humanities and social sciences / Year 4 / Knowledge and Understanding / Geography

Curriculum content descriptions

The importance of environments, including natural vegetation, to animals and people (ACHASSK088)

Elaborations
  • identifying the main types of vegetation, including forest, savannah, grassland, woodland and desert, and explaining the relationship between climate and natural vegetation
  • exploring how vegetation has an important role in sustaining the environment by producing oxygen, protecting food-producing land from erosion, retaining rainfall, providing habitat for animals, sheltering crops and livestock, providing shade for people, cooling urban places, producing medicines, wood and fibre, and making places appear more attractive
  • explaining how people’s connections with their environment can also be aesthetic, emotional and spiritual
  • explaining the significance of vegetation endemic in the local area to survival of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples (for example, as a source of food, shelter, medicine, tools and weapons)
  • exploring strategies to protect particular environments that provide the habitats for animals (for example, planting bird-attracting vegetation)
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Attitudes,  Habitats,  Environmental stewardship,  Climate,  Conservation (Environment),  Sense of place

Video

Trees and connection

Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man Bruce Pascoe explains his connection to Country and introduces us to a family of trees. In what ways does Bruce’s relationship with the Earth differ from yours?

Interactive

Botany of Kamay

This resource explores the plants of Kamay Botany Bay – their significance to the Aboriginal people of Kamay, and to the botanists on the Endeavour in 1770. This resource is one part of the 'Endeavour – eight days in Kamay' resource.

Interactive

Waters of Kamay

This learning sequence explores the salt and fresh waters of Kamay Botany Bay, its importance as a life source and the cultural connection it has to the Aboriginal people living at Kamay. Water is essential for life. It nourishes our bodies, our lands and supports all life on earth. It is home to wondrous and significant ...

Online

Creating a food garden: vision

This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: vision, site assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting. OUTCOMES For children to: • appreciate what they would like to achieve from creating ...

Online

Creating a beneficial garden: investigation

Biodiversity has been perfected by nature over millions of years where invertebrates have played an important role in maintaining a balanced, biodiverse ecosystem. Invertebrates provide services to food crops including pollination and protection from pests. This learning activity is the second part of a sequence of 3 individual ...

Online

Creating a sensory garden

A sensory garden is a garden that engages all the senses: touch, smell, hearing, sight and even taste. Sensory gardens create a rich sensory experience as users directly and indirectly interact with the plants and the space. In addition to providing tips for creating a sensory garden and the best types of plants to choose, ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: connecting to Landcare

This activity is designed to help you make connections with your local Landcare or environmental group and facilitate a partnership with these organisations. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the use of yarning circles. OUTCOMES of this learning activity are for children to: make ...

Text

Work sample Year 4 HASS F-6: Environments and sustainability

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 4 HASS F-6. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: using your yarning circle

This activity provides a plan for how to use a yarning circle by introducing a yarning stick/talking stick. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the meaningful use of yarning circles in learning environments. The outcomes of this learning activity are for children to: understand ...

Online

Creating a yarning circle: involving First Nations people

This activity is part of a broader activity sequence that has been developed to help you design, build and use a yarning circle in your school or community. It is part of a sequence of 8 individual learning activities designed to support the meaningful use of yarning circles in learning environments. It will help guide ...

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Places we protect

This is a rich, multilayered resource about 35 protected Bush Heritage reserves throughout Australia. The resource includes a map of Australia that displays the locations of the 35 reserves. Each location is linked to important information and images including: quick facts; visiting information; the animals, plants and ...

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Video

Discovering past methods of food and fibre production: producer video

This is a video about the native food plants of the Mount Gambier region in South Australia and how they were used by the local Buandig Aboriginal people. It is introduced by ethnobotanist and author Neville Bonney who shows a wide range of local plants, often giving their names in Bungandidj language. The plants include ...

Video

Farms and people’s connections to them: producer video

This is a video about the operation of the Outback Pride project and the value of the Australian native food produced in conjunction with Aboriginal peoples. To a visual background of the nursery at Reedy Creek in South Australia and some of 25 Aboriginal communities involved in the project in SA and Northern Territory, ...

Interactive

Patrick Brennan: the legend of Ned Kelly

Play the role of a reporter in 1881. Produce a feature article for a newspaper about the life of Ned Kelly. Review a brief history. Interview his friends and enemies. Gather evidence of social and political influences that affected Ned Kelly’s life. Compile an article that explores the myth and decide whether Ned Kelly ...

Interactive

World heritage: Kakadu information display

Look at descriptions of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Help a park ranger to sort facts and pictures for an information display. Use a model structure, sample text and images to build a description for visitors. Include sections on the park's location, wildlife and cultural importance.

Video

Indigenous watercrafts

Did you know that many different types of watercrafts were used by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities? Watercrafts varied in design, size and materials. Learn about two specific examples: the Ningher and the nawi. Why do you think the people from lutruwita and the Eora nation had such different watercrafts? ...

Video

Birds and totems

Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man Bruce Pascoe shares his delight in encountering birds on Country. Bruce explains the significance of Umburra, or black duck, and his obligation to care for the species. Bruce explains that his brothers and sisters look after other animals, such as kangaroos, bream, wallabies, flathead and ...

Video

Indigenous bags and textiles

Have you ever wondered why your bags are made from certain materials? There are many factors involved, including usage and availability of material. In this video, learn what the Kun-maj (small fishing bag) is made of and how it is made. Why is it strung together rather than woven? How is it different from Yvonne Koolmatrie’s ...

Video

Pocket Compass, Ep 5: An immigration nation

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull once described Australia as an 'immigration nation'. What do you think he meant by that? Do you agree? |Watch four very different people speak about their experiences as first- and second-generation migrants. What were some reasons they or their parents migrated to Australia?