Reef Warning
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Episode 28 th 9 October 2012 Activity Reef Warning Key Learning Students will learn about the threats to the Great Barrier Reef and how living things can cause changes to their environment. The Australian Curriculum > Science / Science Understanding / Biological sciences Content description Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs; human activity can affect these interactions. Code ACSSU112 Elaboration using food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat General capabilities Literacy Critical and creative thinking Cross-curriculum priorities Sustainability exploring how living things can cause changes to their environment and impact other living things, such as the effect of cane toads. Focus Questions 1. 2. What was the main point of the Reef Warning story? Approximately how many small reefs and islands make up the Great Barrier Reef? a. 3 b. 3000 c. 3 million 3. Where is the Great Barrier Reef? 4. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world. True or false? 5. What makes the Great Barrier Reef a living thing? 6. Name one of the three main threats to the Great Barrier Reef? 7. How does climate change affect the Great Barrier Reef? 8. Do you think it is important to help save the Great Barrier Reef? Why? 9. The Great Barrier Reef is listed as a World Heritage site. Why might this listing be taken away? 10. What do you know about the Great Barrier Reef that you didn’t know before? Activity Engagement Before watching the BtN episode Reef Warning find out what students know about the Great Barrier Reef. Here are some discussion starters: o What do you know about the Great Barrier Reef? Where is it? o Talk about what anyone exploring the reef and its surrounding area might see. o Why do you think the reef might be in danger? Talk about how the animals rely on coral reefs for their livelihoods. ©ABC 2012 Discuss with students what they learnt about the Great Barrier Reef having watched the BtN episode Reef Warning. o What are the main threats to the Great Barrier Reef? o Why do you think BtN covered this story? Exploration and Explanation The following words/terms come from the BtN Reef Warning story. Referring to the Australian Macquarie dictionary define each of the following words/terms: o Biodiversity o Climate change o World Heritage Site o Sustainability o Ecosystem o Conservation A recent report has highlighted that there are currently three main threats to the Great Barrier Reef. They are the crown-of-thorn starfish, storms and coral bleaching. Divide the class into three groups and assign one threat to each group. Ask each group to research how that threat is impacting the reef. Ask the group to nominate someone to write down their findings and someone to report their findings back to the class. Elaboration and Evaluation Due to its diversity in species and habitats the Great Barrier Reef has been listed as one of the most complex natural ecosystems on earth. Coral bleaching, cyclones and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish have unfortunately meant that certain species or habitats have declined and affected the ecosystem that makes up the Great Barrier Reef. Ask students to research one or more of the following questions: Why is biodiversity conservation important for the Great Barrier Reef? How is the crown-of-thorns starfish affecting the Great Barrier Reef? Discuss ways in which the starfish could be controlled? Should the Great Barrier Reef be saved? Why? What do you think could be done to help protect the different habitats and animals in the Great Barrier Reef? Who do you think should be responsible for looking after the health of the Great Barrier Reef? Ask students to help our politicians by sending them letters about what they have found out. Set students the challenge of designing their own ecosystem. Refer to Scootle teacher resource Sustaining an ecosystem. Ask students to look for interrelationships between parts of the ecosystem. Consider the following: How do the animals meet their survival needs? Is there competition for food and space? What changes might occur daily, seasonally, long term or cyclically that could affect the species? Find an organism that lives in the Great Barrier Reef and examine all of the things it depends on to survive. Create a web map to show the key features. ©ABC 2012 Related Research Links Behind the News – Reef Threat http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3363010.htm ABC Lateline – Barrier Reef Threatened http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3602453.htm ABC News – Half of Barrier Reef has disappeared: report http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-02/barrier-reef-coral-cover-halved-report/4290230 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – Crown-of-thorns starfish http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/animals/crown-of-thorns-starfish UNESCO – Great Barrier Reef http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154 Australian Government – Great Barrier Reef http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/great-barrier-reef Reef Ed – Crown of Thorns starfish http://www.reefed.edu.au/home/explorer/animals/marine_invertebrates/echinoderms/crown_of_thorns ©ABC 2012
