Learning about bushfires

Learning About Bushfires

Session: Living with bushfire

Secondary (Levels 7-10)Time: 50 minutes (approximately) x 2Curriculum areas:

Critical and Creative Thinking

English

History

Learning intention:

In this session students learn that bushfires are a fact of life in Victoria and across Australia. Students revisit the Victorian ‘Black Saturday’ 2009 bushfires as an introduction to learning about bushfires.

Resources required:

Linked resources hyperlinked below

Please note: Potential for discomfort or distressAll educators need to be aware that there is potential for discomfort or distress among some learners when talking, viewing and reading about bushfires. The 2009 Victorian bushfires especially were traumatic events for many in the Victorian community, and early childhood practitioners and teachers need to preview, adapt and manage the teaching and learning activities and resources with respect to the particular needs and backgrounds of their learners. Further information and support can be found on the Department of Education and Training website Victorian Bushfires support for children.

Activities

Starting

Introduce the Marysville: From the Ashes video interactive. Explain that the 2009 bushfires in Victoria were the most devastating in our history. Marysville was one of dozens of townships and communities engulfed by the disaster.

The interactive consists of a four-part video account of that day and its aftermath, a series of audio accounts from Marysville residents of their personal experiences and an audio account from Dr Kevin Tolhurst of

© Victorian Curriculum and Assessment A uthority 2015

Source: theage.com.au

Melbourne University describing how the disaster unfolded.

Use the following three extracts to reconnect with the events and effects of the bushfires for all Victorians.

1. As a class, first listen to Dr Kevin Tolhurst explain the nature of the bushfire in the 'Introduction' section of 'A Disaster Unfolds' audio timeline (2 min 30 secs).

2. Have the class view the first chapter of 'From the Ashes' (5 min 07 secs), a video presentation which provides a general overview of the events and effects of what happened on Black Saturday 2009.

3. Finally, have the class listen again to Dr Kevin Tolhurst, this time talking about how we can prepare for living with bushfires in 'The Future' section of 'A Disaster Unfolds' audio timeline (3 min 42 secs)

In a follow up discussion, carefully encourage students to discuss their response to the video, the effect of the images and perhaps their own memories of the event.

Exploring

View and listen to the three extracts again. Consider exploring several of the audio personal accounts in the 'Voices from the Inferno' section.

Nominate different pairs of students to focus on summarising one of the following aspects:

the nature and extent of the destruction caused by the fires

the losses and emotions expressed by the people affected by the fires

the exceptional features of these fires compared with previous bushfires

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how well prepared people and firefighters were for these fires

what policies and approaches to bushfire management were questioned as a result of the fires.

Bringing it together

Have students present their findings to the class.

General discussion on student reactions to the video extracts and bushfires in general.

Extending Write a newspaper article on one aspect of the Marysville bushfire using the information from the videos and

the class reports. Present a visual display of images from Black Saturday to highlight the impact of bushfires on communities.

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