Tasmanian Biodiversity
This learning sequence provides opportunities for students to
investigate some characteristics of Tasmania’s flora and fauna, along
with the interactions that occur between different organisms. They
consider how the adaptations that plants and animals have assist
their survival in the particular habitat where they are found.
Topic
Students learn about ways in which scientists study plants and
animals, and progress to conducting their own ecological study.
The unit culminates with students identifying threats to biodiversity
in Tasmania and considering the likely impact of a proposed
development.
*Teacher Note: A major part of this unit involves working with the staff
of the Molesworth Environment Centre and visiting the Centre. Teachers
should contact Molesworth staff to book class visits well in advance.
There is a cost involved for the use of the centre.
Standard
3/4
Stages
8 – 11
Year level (s)
5-8
Curriculum area/s
Science
1. Science as a human endeavour
2. Scientific inquiry
3. Scientific communication
Strand / s
4. Science as a body of knowledge

Living things

Earth and space
1.
Students will understand some ways in which scientists study
natural systems, and why this work is important. (SHE)
2.
Students will understand how to conduct an ecological study.
(SI)
3.
Students will understand how to record and communicate the
results of an ecological study. (SC)
4.
Students will understand how the characteristics that
organisms have suit them to living in particular environments.
(SBK-LT)
5.
Students will understand some of the ways in which humans
impact on the interrelationships that exist in natural systems.
(SBK – LT)
Understanding goals
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
Unit at a glance
What do ecologists do, and how and why do they do it?
↓
What is special about Tasmania’s flora and fauna?
↓
Interactions in Tasmanian ecosystems
↓
Conducting own ecological inquiry at a location such as Molesworth

Ecological survey – quadrats, transects

Compare dry and wet sclerophyll areas

Compare the Molesworth environment with a local/school environment

How many different species/groups can you identify at Molesworth?
↓
Why is biodiversity important? What positive and negative impacts have humans had
on Tasmanian biodiversity?
↓
What is your opinion about a proposed development? What is the likely impact on
biodiversity and the natural environment? Why?
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
Links to the Science strands and substrands
Strand/substrand
Science as a
human
endeavour (SHE)
Scientific inquiry
(SI)
Possible key questions


How has technology influenced the way scientists work

How and why have the methods used by scientists changed over
time? (e.g. photos instead of skins, tourists send in photos of whale
sharks at Ningaloo and face recognition software identifies them)

How does human activity impact on biodiversity?

What kinds of questions can be answered by ecological studies?

How do scientists decide what questions they are going to
investigate?

How can ecological studies be conducted fairly?

Scientific
communication
(SC)
Energy and force
(EF)
How do ecologists work? Why is their work important?
How can we interpret the results of ecological studies?

How do we identify different plants and animals?

How can we record the results of ecological studies?

How can we communicate our findings in similar ways to scientists?

Energy flow through an ecosystem

Energy needs of animals with different lifestyles (e.g. different birds)

What impacts can human energy production have on biodiversity?
Matter (M)

How is matter cycled through ecosystems?
Life and living
(LL)

What adaptations do particular Tasmanian organisms have that suit
them to their way of life / environment?

What are some ways in which Tasmanian organisms interact with
each other and the non-living parts of their environment?

How do scientists classify Tasmanian flora and fauna? (scientific
classification, keys, reproductive methods)

How have humans affected the population numbers of different
Tasmanian organisms? E.g. extinctions, introduced species

How do some changes that occur on Earth and in the atmosphere
impact on Tasmanian organisms?

How are matter and energy cycled in ecosystems?
Earth and space
(ES)
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
Detailed unit overview
Activity

Assessment and
Teacher Notes
concepts/main ideas
1. Ecological
backpacks

Learning opportunities
how ecologists
work
Create backpacks as described in the General Instructions section of the Ecologists Backpack
Activities document. A similar activity is available from the Wildlife Wizards website,
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/teachers/classroom_activities.html but the attached one has been
modified for the Tasmanian context.
Teacher note:
For greater effect,
assemble actual backpacks
and equipment.
Procedure
1. Ask students questions such as: “Who has been to a Tasmanian national or wildlife park?
What native animals did you see? (You might like to start a class list/word wall of native
animals) How do scientists group Tasmanian animals? What features do different animals have
in common? How are they different?
2. Discuss Tasmanian researchers, using ideas such as: There are people who take care of the
animals at the park. Did you know there are also people working all over Tasmania to learn
more about these animals in the wild to help understand and protect them? We call these
people ‘researchers’. What wildlife researchers do you know of? e.g. University of Tasmania,
Parks and Wildlife Service, DPIW, CSIRO, Australian Antarctic Division, TAFI, ForestryTas
3. For this unit, we need to bring out the researcher in you. A researcher needs many things when
going out on an exploration or field trip. Can anyone guess what some of those items may be?
(Take a few answers)
4. Break students into four teams. Each team gets a backpack containing items that would
be used by a particular Tasmanian researcher. Each team has 10-15 minutes to review
the items in their backpack. They discuss what the researcher is studying and in what
kind of habitat.
Length
One 50
minute
lesson
Assessment for
learning
Assess students’ :

ability to identify a
variety of Tasmanian
animals and their
features

understanding of the
work of plant or animal
researchers

understanding of why
biodiversity is
important.
5. Each group reports back to the class via a role play showing how their researcher would
use the equipment in the field.
Discuss as a class what biodiversity is and why it is important. Some teacher information can be
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
4
found at:
http://www.austmus.gov.au/biodiversity/
http://www.csiro.au/org/ps2w.html
2. Biodiversity word
web
Word Web activity
The example Biodiversity word web sheet can be enlarged to A3 and used to explore or show
understanding of fundamental concepts covered in this unit. Students draw connecting lines with
a word or phrase to explain why or how the chosen concepts are linked. Complete individually
or in groups.
Assessment for
learning
Assess students’ :

It could also be used as a pre-test to assess student understanding before the unit begins, or a
post-test to assess understanding at the end of the unit.
Understanding of the
terms on the
Biodiversity word web
sheet
The Word Web might be a precursor to students creating a mind map or concept map, using
their own ‘categories’, which could be added to throughout the unit.
3. Guest speaker researcher

How ecologists
work
Discuss what ‘ecology’ and ‘ecologists’ are.
Assessment for
learning
For background information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology
Assess students’ :
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/ecology/ecoindex.html

Invite an ecologist or other wildlife researcher to talk to students about their work – for
example, from one of the organisations listed in point 2 above. Ask the ecologist to explain
what they do, why their work is important and why biodiversity is important.
One 50
minute
lesson
understanding of the
work of some
Tasmanian plant or
wildlife researchers
or
Explore online resources about scientists e.g. YouTube videos, Learning Federation objects
4. Adaptations

Adaptation to
environment
What does adaptation mean?
Have students complete the ‘bird beak activity’ to illustrate the advantage of particular
adaptations in particular habitats. This activity show that that different beaks make birds suited
to feeding on different materials.
Assessment for
learning
Assess students’ :

Two 50
minute
lessons
understanding of the
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
5
Many versions of this activity exist, for example:
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2715
http://www.esi.utexas.edu/outreach/gk12/docs/lessons/birdBeak.pdf
The picture book The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay may be a useful resource, particularly for
primary students.
term adaptation

ability to identify how
the features that an
organism has suit it to
particular way of life
A similar optional activity can be found on the Monterey Bay Aquarium website, where students
design fish suited for particular habitats:
http://www.mbayaq.org/lc/teachers_place/activity_fish_mystery.asp
Discuss adaptations that different Tasmanian animals and plants have – use stuffed animals
(available for loan from Museums) or photos. Information on Tasmanian wildlife is available at:
http://www1.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/wildlife.html
For example:

Kangaroo – fur keeps them warm, strong back legs allow jumping, pouch provides place
for young, tail provides balance, homoeothermic (warm blooded) so they can function at
different temperatures.

Grasshopper – big hind legs allow jumping, biting mouthparts allow chewing of leaves,
colour provides camouflage, compound eyes allow predators to be spotted quickly.

Little penguins – streamlined body shape reduces energy required to swim through
water, oily waterproof feathers provide insulation, counter-shading for camouflage, come
ashore in groups after dark to avoid predators.

Blue gum – waxy covering on leaves reduces water loss and protects against insects,
height allows access to more sunlight.
How can we group the different kinds of adaptation? (Adaptations can be grouped into three
broad categories: structural, physiological and behavioural.) Identify which group each of the
above adaptations fall into.
Students complete worksheet (2 options attached) showing the structural, physiological and
behavioural adaptations displayed by different organisms. Examples of Tasmanian organisms can
be viewed on a slideshow at: http://www1.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/slideshow/ss01.html
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
6
or
Each student is assigned a Tasmanian plant or animal and carries out a library research project to
identify the range of adaptations that a particular organism possesses, and then produces a
poster/diagram/powerpoint or similar to display in the classroom.
5. Tasmanian
habitats
Brainstorm some different Tasmanian habitats – view videos of plants/animals in those habitats.
Consider the adaptations that the plants and animals living in those habitats need.
Assessment for
learning
e.g. wetlands, rainforest, dry sclerophyll, alpine, urban, coastal, pond, river, cave, marine.
Assess students’ :

Tasmanian
habitats

Ecology
Wildlife documentaries such as Nature of Australia ,and The Blue Planet may prove valuable
sources of information.

Ecosystem
Discuss the terms ecosystem, ecology, habitat
6. Classifying and
keys

Classification

Key

Major Australian
groups

Give students a range of Tasmanian plant and animal specimens (photos or real) and ask students
to organise them into groups based on how similar they are. Share the method they used to
group.
Explain some of the major groups that scientists use. e.g. plants/animals,
vertebrates/invertebrates, fish/birds/reptiles/mammals/amphibians,
arthropods/annelids/echinoderms/molluscs/coelenterates,
crustaceans/arachnids/insects/myriapods, placentals/marsupials/monotremes.
Demonstrate how to use a key to identify different animal groups.
e.g. A number of useful lessons can be downloaded from:
http://www.lmpc.edu.au/resources/science/livingthings/download.htm
One 50
minute
lesson
ability to identify some
of the different habitats
/ ecosystems that occur
in Tasmania
Assessment for
learning
Assess students’ :

understanding of the
major groups that
scientists use to classify
animals

ability to create and use
dichotomous keys
Two or
three 50
minute
lessons
Have students create their own dichotomous key. e.g. to students in the class / shoes / licorice
allsorts / nails
Explain that all plants and animals have been given a two part name (binomial nomenclature) and
that the two parts tell us information about the genus and species that each belongs to. Look at
some scientific names – can you guess anything about the organism from its name?
7. Identifying
Examine different kinds of Tasmanian plants / animals / mammals / insects / beetles / etc. Some
Assessment for
One or
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
7
Tasmanian plants
and animals

Identifying
Tasmanian plants
and animals
8. Food chains and
food webs

Food chain

Food web

Energy flow
sample activities could include:

Individual research project on a particular group of Tasmanian plants or animals

Use the Eucaflips (folded identification charts that were sent to Tasmanian schools ; also
available in bookshops) to identify Tasmanian eucalypts in your local area
http://fcms.its.utas.edu.au/scieng/plantsci/newsdetail.asp?lNewsEventId=2536

Use the Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmanian Mammals poster to identify photos of
local mammals

Use the Frogs of Tasmania poster or visit
http://www1.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/frogs/frogs.html to identify some frogs from your
local area by their calls

Use various guidebooks to identify invertebrates found in your school (e.g. Wings for
insects)
Use the Gould League food web activity to develop an understanding of food chains and webs
and the terms producer/herbivore/carnivore/top order predator. See
http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/kids_web.htm
View a video on food chains/food webs. e.g. Brain pop - http://www.brainpop.com/
Use food web/food chain interactive games to investigate food chains. For example
http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm or Use
Learning Federation Objects such as those listed in the Resources section. To access these
objects, go to the eCentre, then the Resource Centre and type the object’s name into a search.
Use the drawings and photos of Tasmanian plants and animals provided by the Parks and Wildlife
Service Tasmania (attached) to create food chains / food webs which show the energy flow
through an ecosystem. If pictures are glued to magnets they can be manipulated on a magnetic
whiteboard. Give students the animal diet cards (attached) which list the diet of the animals
shown in the pictures and have them use whiteboard markers to draw in arrows that show
energy flow though the food web (remember that the arrows show where the energy goes to,
so, for example, an arrow would point form grass to a kangaroo). If magnets are not available,
use blutak. Students could record this food web individually in their books.
learning
Assess students’ :

ability to use
identification guides to
identify Tasmanian
organisms
two 50
minute
lessons
Assessment for
learning
Two or
three 50
minute
Assess students’ ability to :
lessons

interpret the
information contained
in food chains and food
webs

create food chains and
food webs
Use the activity to discuss and model key ideas such as: What would happen if certain animals die
out or decline in numbers? What would happen if a new species were introduced to the ecosystem? (A
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
8
picture of a feral cat is included in the drawings to facilitate this.)
Possible extension might include research on bioaccumulation. Students could be asked to
explain why the use of toxic chemicals can cause greater problems for animals higher up the
food chain.
Note:
The food web cards and pictures would be useful for a variety of other activities. These activities
need to be adapted to suit your class, but some possibilities include:
9. Ecological study
techniques

What’s my rule? A concept attainment game. Students place some or all of the cards
and/or pictures into one or more groups according to a ‘rule’ (such as ‘marsupials’, ‘toporder predators’, ‘herbivores’, ‘invertebrates’) and other students have to guess the
‘rule’ used.

Celebrity heads. Students have a matching picture and information card placed on
them so that they cannot see it. This could be done using masking tape on their back, or
using a large string or elastic loop which they wear around their neck. They ask other
students questions about their organism to try to gain enough information to guess
‘their’ identity. This can be done with a ‘panel’ of about three students, or it can be done
as a whole class with students mingling simultaneously and sitting down once they have
‘found’ their identity.

Memory Game. The pictures and information cards are placed face down, and
students take it in turns to lift two cards (a picture and an information card). If the two
cards correspond to the same organism, the student keeps the pair. If they do not
match, they are placed back in their original spots. The winner is the person with the
most pairs of cards.
Visit an area such as the Molesworth Environment Centre to carry out an ecological study.
Some possible activities that Molesworth staff can facilitate would include:

conducting an
ecological inquiry

perform a transect survey to look at the plants and animals present in a particular area e.g.
up a slope,

data collection

perform a quadrat survey to investigate leaf litter invertebrates.

shake trees to collect and identify the invertebrates living in different species of trees.
Assessment for
learning
One day
field trip
Assess students’ ability to :

work as part of a team
to conduct an
ecological study
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
9

use appropriate field guides to identify the plants and animals in a particular area.

collect evidence to evaluate what kinds of animals use the area e.g. tracks, scats, traces.

conduct Waterwatch testing in pond or stream environments e.g. water testing,
macroinvertebrate sampling.

take digital photos to record habitat features.

Observing where in trees different birds are found (e.g. in canopy of tall trees, amongst
shrubs, on ground)

collect, record and
interpret data
Depending on time, students may be able to compare two different habitats at Molesworth.
10. Ecological study
of a local area

local ecological
study
Use the techniques learnt in the previous activity to conduct an ecological survey into the
biodiversity of a local area. e.g. school grounds, park, reserve, national park
Assessment for and of
learning
Produce a report (e.g. formal science report, letter to local council, powerpoint) comparing the
local area to that at Molesworth, or to a different environment (e.g. compare wet and dry
sclerophyll).
Assess students’ ability to :

identify a question that
can be investigated as
an ecological study

collect data that will
allow them to answer
the question they
posed.
or
Produce a management plan for your local area. See
http://www1.parks.tas.gov.au/education/education_resource/national_parks/activity_notes/32.html
11. Identifying
threats to
biodiversity

threats to

biodiversity
As a class, brainstorm potential threats to the biodiversity in an area that you have studied. e.g.
introduced species, development, disease, natural disaster, human activity
Identify measures that are / could be taken to overcome these threats.
Investigate one current threat to Tasmanian biodiversity and write a newspaper or magazine
article summarising the threat and action that could be taken to overcome it.
Assessment for and of
learning
Several
lessons
Three
lessons
Assess students’:

ability to identify
threats to biodiversity
in a familiar area

understanding of
actions that may
overcome threats to
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
10
biodiversity
12. Impact of a
proposed
development

Impact of a
proposed
development
Consider the impact of a proposed or hypothetical new development on a local area that you
have studied.
or
Consider the impact of a proposed development that has been highlighted in the media (e.g.
Ralph’s Bay development, pulp mill, resort at Lake St Clair or Crescent Bay).
Assessment of learning Several
lessons
Assess students’:

understanding of how
interacting factors
impact on natural areas
Produce a consequences wheel to show the potential impact of the development.
Diamond Ranking of issues: Once students have brainstormed potential issues about the local or
topical development, they choose the nine most important issues. Individual students or groups
then ‘rank’ these issues according to importance using the attached Diamond Ranking sheet.
This forces students to decide which issues are most important, and can be a useful introductory
activity for a class discussion, or culminating activity following a class discussion.
The most important issue is placed at the top, the next two most important are underneath this,
and so on.
Organise a class role play in which participants take on the role of different interest groups and
speak at a public meeting to present their group’s viewpoint on the proposal. This could be
modelled on the Whale Bay activity at http://www.mesa.edu.au/cams/module9/resources.htm
This learning sequence can be accessed through the Science curriculum document at www.education.tas.gov.au
11
Possible Resources
Books
Daley, Elizabeth, 2007, Wings – An Introduction to Tasmania’s winged insects, Riffles Pty Ltd, TAS, paperback
ISBN:978-0-9804006-2-5, hardback ISBN: 978-0-9804006-3-2
Gooderham, John & Tsyrlin, Edward, 2002, The Waterbug Book, CSIRO Publishing, Victoria, ISBN
0643066683
Launceston Field Naturalists Club, 1984 (re printed1984, 1986, 1992), A Guide to Flowers & Plants of
Tasmania, New Holland Publishers, Australia, ISBN 0-7301-0169-x
Littlejohn, Murray, 2003, Frogs of Tasmania: Fauna of Tasmania Handbook no 6, University of Tasmania,
Tasmania
Mark Hutchinson, Roy Swain & Michael Driessen, 2001, Snakes & Lizards of Tasmania: Fauna of Tasmania
Handbook no.9, University of Tasmania and DPIWE, Hobart, ISBN 0646416723
McLeod, Jim & Gray, Sue, 2005, Living with Plants,Jim McLeod & Sue Gray, Oldina, TAS isbn 097573623x
Oliver, Narelle, 1995, The best beak in Boonaroo Bay, Fulcrum Publishing
Parks and Wildlife Service Tas, Tasmanian Native Mammal poster
Triggs, Barbara, 1996, Tracks, Scats And Other Traces: A field guide to Australian mammals, OXFORD
University Press,Melbourne, ISBN 0-19-553643-6
Tsernjavski, Nancy, 2001 A.B. Sea; Gould League of Victoria, ISBN 1 875687 69 6
Wallis, Wilhelmina,1992, Ponding; activities for your local pond, lake or puddle, Gould League of Victoria Inc
Watts, Dave & Tasmanian Conservation Trust; 1987, Tasmanian Mammals: A Field Guide, Tasmanian
Conservation Trust, Hobart, ISBN 0-9590500-4-3
Watts, Dave, 2002, Field Guide to Tasmanian Birds, New Holland Publishers, Australia, ISBN 9781876334-604
Watts, Dave, 2007, Where to see wildlife in Tasmania, Jacana Books, New South Wales, ISBN:978-1-7175202Wiltshire, Rob & Potts, Brad, 2007, Eucaflip
Learning Federation objects - Food chains and webs interactives
There are a number of Learning Federation objects that can be found in the Resource Centre at:
http://ecentre.education.tas.gov.au/C8/Find/default.aspx Type in the name of the object that you wish to
use.
Create a creature
Ecosystem balance
Feral peril
Food chains series – suitable for students with lower literacy levels
Frog pond habitat series
Platypus life cycle
Surviving in a habitat series. This series incorporates five objects.
The Circle
Who’s for dinner – a food chain game involving a billabong habitat
Biodiversity
Name:
Adaptations to habitat
Organism (animal or plant):
Physiological
Behavioural
Description of the adaptation
Structural
Habitat:
Name:
Adaptations to habitat
Organism (animal or plant):
Habitat:
Structural
adaptations
Physiological
adaptations
Behavioural
adaptations
Issue:
Diamond Ranking