The Australian Curriculum s3

Episode 34 Activity 26th November 2013 Stock Routes

Key Learning Students will learn about the history, cultural heritage and environmental value of Australia’s stock routes. Students will develop a deeper understanding about wildlife corridors and their role in flora and fauna diversity.

The Australian Curriculum Science / Science Understanding / Biological Science / Science Understanding / Biological sciences sciences Living things, including plants and animals, depend on each The growth and survival of living things are affected by the other and the environment to survive. Year 4. (ACSSU073) physical conditions of their environment. Year 6. (ACSSU094)

Living things have structural features and adaptations that help There are differences within and between groups of organisms; them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043) classification helps organise this diversity. Year 7. (ACSSU111)

Discussion Questions 1. In your own words describe what a stock route is. 2. It is legal to herd livestock across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. True or false? 3. What is a drover? 4. How were stock routes designed to help drovers and their livestock survive the journey? 5. Illustrate the journey of a drover and their livestock travelling via stock routes. 6. Nowadays how can you tell that you are driving on a stock route? 7. How long does Bill Little expect his journey will take from Qld to NSW via stock routes? a. 6 days b. 6 months c. 6 years 8. List the animals that Bill is taking on his journey. 9. Why has Bill decided to transport his cattle via stock routes instead of using a truck? 10. What are some of the benefits of transporting livestock via stock routes?

©ABC 2013 Activities

Research

Show students the Queensland stock route network map to give them an idea of the number of tracks in the state, and then hold a class discussion.

http://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/99624/stock-routes-map.pdf

 What is a stock route?  Who uses the stock routes?  How many kilometres of Queensland’s roads are stock routes?

Research the history, cultural heritage and environmental value of stock routes in Queensland.

Department of Environment and Resource Management

Wildlife corridors – science and biodiversity

Students will develop a deeper understanding about wildlife corridors and their role in flora and fauna biodiversity.

 What are wildlife corridors? Describe and illustrate.  What is the difference between a swamp, grasslands, forest and heath?  Wildlife corridors maintain biodiversity. What does this mean? The diagram above shows some important landscape elements ©ABC 2013 contributing to wildlife corridors.

Department of Environment: Wildlife corridors plans http://www.environment.gov.au/node/16547  Why are wildlife corridors important for flora and fauna?  What are the benefits for wildlife?  What are some of the threats to wildlife corridors?  What can people do to help preserve wildlife corridors?

Find out what plants are native to your community. Consider planting some of these species in your school garden to create your own flora and fauna corridor. Get involved and have your voice heard

Explain that students will be constructing a persuasive text about the importance of stock routes for biodiversity.

This activity introduces the structural framework and language features of persuasive texts to your students and allows them to gain an understanding of the purposes of each sentence within a paragraph. Refer students to the read, write, think persuasion map to plan their exposition text.

Provide students with the following structure to follow when completing this activity.

Have your voice Tips for persuasive text writing heard!  Who is your audience? For example are you directing your argument at kids, teachers or politicians?  Contact your local Member of  Provide facts and evidence to support your argument. Parliament and ask them to  Be creative with your word choice to enhance your support stock routes and wildlife argument. Convey emotion using thinking and feeling words. corridors.  Write in the present tense  Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and tell them  Check your spelling and punctuation. about your concerns.

Structure of a persuasive text Introduction  What is the point you are trying to argue? Construct an introductory paragraph which states the issue or topic.  Introduce the arguments that will be developed in the body of the text.

Body  Construct arguments that support your point of view.  Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces each point.  The rest of the paragraph gives more reasons.  Arguments can be ordered from strongest to weakest.

Conclusion  Restate your position on the argument  Construct a concluding paragraph that provides a summary of your arguments and a call to action.

Use the read, write, think persuasion map to plan your exposition text.

©ABC 2013 Do you think stock routes should be retained, managed and restored? Have your say on the BtN Stock Routes story page.

8 Related Research Links

Preservation Society of Wildlife QLD – Save our stock routes http://www.wildlife.org.au/conservation/issues/2008/stockroutes.html

Department of Natural Resources and Mines – About the Queensland stock route network http://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/land/accessing-using-land/stock-routes/about

Department of Environment – National Wildlife Corridors Plan http://www.environment.gov.au/node/16547

Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) – Wildlife Corridors http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/landholderNotes15WildlifeCorridors.pdf

Greenway: Cooks River to Iron Cove – Wildlife Corridor http://www.greenway.org.au/biodiversity/g-wildlife-corridor

Urban Ecology Australia – Wildlife Corridors http://www.urbanecology.org.au/topics/wildlifecorridors.html

Behind the News – Stock Routes http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2415295.htm

©ABC 2013