Planning a model catchment basin

Focus

This activity provides opportunities for students to integrate their knowledge about the applications of science in relation to the needs and views of society.

Students:

Science

Science and Society

4.3 Students present analyses of the short- and long-term effects of some of the ways in which science is used.

5.3 Students analyse the relationship between social attitudes and decisions about the applications of science.

6.3 Students use scientific concepts to evaluate the costs and benefits of applications of science (including agricultural and industrial practices).

Earth and Beyond

5.3 Students prepare scenarios about the use of renewable and non-renewable resources of the earth and beyond.

Materials

The following different copies of Everyone lives in a catchment:

And

Teaching considerations

Student resource sheets

Open-ended responses

Although the poster definitely targets particular catchment issues, the task is open-ended and students may incorporate a whole range of management strategies that have not been included in the ‘good management’ side of the poster. These could include providing sediment control on a building site, for instance.

Working scientifically

Time: 60 minutes

Working in groups or individually, students spend about 30 minutes drawing a mirror image of the catchment diagram on the A3 sheet, including features that would indicate good management strategies. They can then discuss their ideas with the class. Using the text from the ‘poor’ side of the poster, students add any issues they may have missed.

Students then compare the ‘good’ and ‘poor’ catchment management diagrams. Many applications of science are shown in the activities on the two sides of the poster. Students describe how community attitudes might influence decisions that are made about the applications of science. In other words, what types of attitudes or knowledge in the community might have led to the types of decisions on each side of the poster?

Students list all the people in the community who would be involved in creating a ‘good’ catchment. Using the text from the ‘good catchment’ side of the poster, students can add to their poster or to their list of community stakeholders. Students write two paragraphs explaining how these community members could coordinate their catchment management strategies. This process, where stakeholders in the community work together to solve catchment management problems, is called integrated catchment management. Students then describe how this process might influence community knowledge and attitudes, and decisions about the applications of science.

Gathering information about student learning

Sources of information could include:

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Last updated 2 August 2010

Catchment management