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1An Auss i e Bush Ta l e Educat i o n K i t © PeeKdes i gns 201 1

An Aussie Bush Tale2011 Enviro-Stories Competition

PeeKdesignsenvironmental & educational Designs & Publications

Education Kit


Using this education kit

“An Aussie Bush Tale” Education Kit has been developed to encourage student investigations into the animals and plants that live in the Australian bush. This new-found knowledge will support students’ narrative writing and illustration abilities for the 2011 Enviro-Stories competition sponsored by the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and Central West Catchment Management Authority.

Enviro-Stories Education ProgramThe Enviro-Stories Education Program provides a unique community engagement opportunity that involves schools in a environmental education competition with a focus on science and literacy.

This program engages the whole community, but primarily teachers, students and their parents. Students get the opportunity to learn about their local environment, write a story about it, then get their story published.

This program provides an educational experience that creates readers, written about local issues, by local kids, for local kids.

More than a CompetitionThis education kit has been developed for more than just the Enviro-Stories competition. Use this collection of fun activities whenever you want to study the “Aussie Bush”.

For more information:

www.envirostories.com.auwww.cottoncrc.org.auwww.cw.cma.nsw.gov.au

© PeeKdesigns 2011

Citation: Coleman, P. and Coleman, K. 2011. An Aussie Bush Tale Education Kit. PeeKdesigns, NSW.

ISBN: 978-0-9871559-4-8

Acknowledgements: This publication was funded by the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and the Central West Catchment Management Authority.

Copyright: As author of this publication, PeeKdesigns assigns to the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC, the Central West Catchment Management Authority and educational non-profit institutions a non-exclusive license to use this publication for personal use and in courses of instruction provided that the publication is used in full and this copyright statement is reproduced. PeeKdesigns also grant a non-exclusive license to the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and the Central West Catchment Management Authority to publish this publication in full on their websites (www.cottoncrc.org.au & www.cw.cma.nsw.gov.au), on CD and in printed form for distribution to educational non-profit institutions and individuals. Any other usage is prohibited without the express permission of the authors.

Further information about the An Auusie Bush Tale Education Kit can be accessed from the Enviro-Stories website. www.envirostories.com.au


Contents

Using this education kit 2

2011 International Year of Forests 4

The Aussie Bush 5

Animal Layers 7

Become an animal 8

Species under Threat 9

Why are we disappearing? 10

We sleep all day! 11

Caring for the Bush 12

Indigenous Aussies 13

Bush Tucker Mix ‘n’ Match 14

Story time 16

Regenerating the Bush 17

Island Habitats Game 18

Is my Habitat Healthy? 22

My Favourite Native Tree 24

Seed Pocket 26

Plant Propagation 28

Seedling Jumble 30


faCt sheet

What is the International Year of Forests?Each year the United Nations declares an environmental topic to become the focus for international awareness. 2011 has been named as the “International Year of Forests”. This is a global platform to celebrate people’s action to sustainably manage the world’s forests.

The forests of the world have an extremely large environmental, social and economical value and therefore it is imperative that they are managed for conservation. In other words we must take care of our forests if the world is going to be a healthy place for humans, plants and animals to live.

Interesting Forest FactsForests cover 31% of the worlds •land area.

Forests contain 80% of all land •based biodiversity (life) and 2/3 of all species on earth.

Over 1 trillion tonnes •(1,000,000,000,000) of carbon is stored in the world’s forests.

Over 300 million people worldwide •live in forests.

Trade in forest products makes over •350 billion dollars each year.

More than 1.6 billion people rely •on forests for sustenance and livelihood.

Deforestation (cutting down trees) •could account for the biodiversity loss of as many as 100 species a day

The United Nations Food and •Agriculture Organisation estimates that 130,000 km2 of forests are lost due to deforestation each year.

2011 International Year of forests

www.internationalyearofforests.com.au

http://www.internationalyearofforests.com.au


History of the “Aussie Bush”The “Aussie Bush” has been a romantic notion in Australian literature since the time of European settlement.

The bush was revered as a source of national ideals by the likes of Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson and later, Dorothea MacKellar. Their legacy is a folklore rich in the spirit of the bush.

Examples include “Up the Country”, “The Man from Snowy River” and “My Country”.

What is the “Aussie Bush”?The “Aussie Bush” is used to describe our woodlands and open forests that cover a large percentage of Australia. These bushland areas are the life force for a range of plants and animals, many of which can not be found anywhere else in the World.

Sclerophyll Forests. These forests consist of tough, hard leaved plants and dominated by tall Eucalypts 30 to 70m. Sclerophyll forests can be classified as either wet or dry depending on the climate and geology of the area. Animals traditionally found in these forests include gliders, possums, powerful owls and Black-cockatoos.

Woodlands. These are the most common tree communities in Australia. Trees are much shorter than their forest cousins and the crown is more spreading in nature. Generally the tree tops do not touch each other. Woodlands are extremely important for birds with 40% of all woodland bird species found nowhere else. Agricultural practices is the greatest threat to these habitats.

Scrubland. Scrubland is typically called Mallee or Mulga Scrub and they are found in semi-arid environments. They are home to the Mallee Fowl.

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Bush EvolutionYou may wonder why Australia has many plants and animals that are not seen anywhere else in the world.

Millions of years ago Australia was once connected to other continents like Africa and South America.

We know this because plants similar to the Warratah and Banksia can also be found in Africa and South America.

Over time, they drifted apart and now we have over one million plants and animals that are unique to the Australian environment.

the aussie Bush


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the aussie Bush

Australia is a very large country that has a wide range of different climates. The climate can influence the type of environments that can be found.

We have deserts, grasslands, woodlands, rainforests and even snow capped mountains. Each of these types of “Aussie Bush” contain different plants and animals that may or may not be found anywhere else.

What do I do?

Think of your local area and the types of plants that you can find. Draw or write the names of three different types of Aussie bush plants in the boxes.

Think of an animal that might use this plant for food or shelter. Draw or write the names of the different animals that you can think of.

Aussie bush plants that grow near me Animals that could use these plants


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animal Layers

Where do I live?

Who eats me?

What do I eat?

Where do I live?

Who eats me?

What do I eat?

Where do I live?

Who eats me?

What do I eat?

Think of animals that you might find in the Aussie Bush. Draw three different animals that live in the different ‘layers’ of the bush. Find out more about them.


aCt IvI tY sheet

Become an animal

Choose an Aussie bush animal and try to understand how it lives.

In the paw, you need to draw a picture of your animal and name it. Then answer the four “paw pads” questions about your animal.

In small groups see if you can become the animal by trying to imitate how it moves through the Aussie bush. Each pick an animal and put on a show for your class by acting out these creatures.

My Bush Animal

How do I get food?

How do I move?

How do I feel?

How do I protect myself?


Threatened Species in AustraliaOver the 200 years since European settlement, extensive clearing of native vegetation has removed, changed or fragmented habitats. Human activity and natural events such as fire, drought and flood continue to change Australia’s ecology. Such change affects the interactions within ecological communities, and can reduce their diversity and threaten the survival of many native species.

ExtinctionSince settlement, hundreds of species have become extinct in Australia, including at least 50 bird and mammal, 4 frog and more than 60 plant species. It is likely that other species have disappeared too, without our knowledge.

What makes a species threatened?

The main reason that animals and plants become threatened or extinct is because of habitat loss and change. Humans have great power to change and destroy habitats and so reduce the chances of species surviving.

Plants and animals interact in complex relationships with each other and with factors such as soils, water, climate and landscape. A variety of threatening processes contribute individually and in combination to the decline of native species, or cause major changes to ecological communities. Such processes include the loss, change and fragmentation of habitat; the effects of invasive plants, animals and diseases; and direct effects of human activities.

species under threat

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We can all help!We are now aware of the problems facing our threatened species. We can work together to help provide these species and their communities with a greater chance of survival. Here are some ways that you can help.

Conserve/protect habitat•Control introduced plants and animals•Do not dump weeds in the bush•Do not dump pets in the bush•Control cats•Reuse or recycle whatever you can•Make compost•

Further InformationGreen Kids Guide to Threatened Species: 9 Ways You Can Help

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/kids.html

Threatened Species Network

http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/species/tsn/

Communities in Landscapes

http://cil.landcarensw.org.au/lh4l

SOURCE: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/overview.html


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Why are we disappearing?

The Australian bush has many plants and animals that have so few numbers they are considered a threatened species.

Draw lines to match the types of threatened species classifications with their definition.

vULNeRaBLe sPeCIes

there are no more of a species left anywhere in the

world.

eNDaNGeReD sPeCIes

a species numbers have been dropping significantly but it is not yet endangered.

eXtINCt IN the WILD

a species numbers are so low that it is close to becoming

extinct.

eXtINCt

there are no more of a species left in their native habitats but there are some in

captivity.

Why do species in the Aussie bush drop in numbers so much that they become threatened, endangered or extinct?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brainstorm

Brainstorm why the following things that put pressure on the Australian bush and can make species become threatened, endangered or even extinct.

Habitat loss (logging, mining, 1. clearing, fire and exotic weeds etc...)

Loss of food sources 2.

Introduced predators (foxes, 3. cats etc...)

Introduced competitors 4. (rabbits, goats, deer etc...)

Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats 5. etc...)

Pollution6.

Bring your ideas together in small or class groups.

Example of a Brainstorm

threats to the Aussie bush

loss o

f

food

introduced

animals preadators

1 1An Auss i e Bush Ta l e Educat i o n K i t © PeeKdes i gns 201 1

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We sleep all day!

Noctural Animals

A large number of Australia’s native plants and animals are nocturnal. This means that...

...nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close during the day.

...nocturnal animals are active at night and sleep during the day.

Nocturnal animals can include owls, bats, frogs, possums and other small animals like native mice.

What does an animal need to help it move around at night?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

List three reasons why some animals only come out at night.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.

Nocturnal Animal 1

Things in commonThings unique to 1 Things unique to 2

Nocturnal Animal 2

Are you able to live like a nocturnal animal?

What would you need to make it easier?

Think of some nocturnal animals that might live near you.


Caring for the Bush

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Do not take native plants or animals from the bush.

Walk on paths provided so you are not damaging plant and animal habitats.

Volunteer with a landcare or bushcare organisation.

Do not feed native animals as often our food can be

detrimental to their health.

Watch what you tip into drains or waterways as the rivers, creeks and

streams are very important to the bush.

Do not collect firewood in the bush. The collection of firewood is devastating to the habitats of the creatures that need hollows

for their homes.

Encourage farmers to maintain wildlife corridors linking the fragment bush vegetation so native animals can travel from one place to another.

Plant native species in bushland areas to help the bush regenerate.

Always take your rubbish with you to avoid polluting the bush.

Lock up your pets to prevent them from killing

native species.

Encourage land owners to fence off bushland to

prevent problems with both domestic or feral animals.

Do not clear native vegetation as this may lead

to salinity.

Reuse where possible, to reduce the need to consume resources.

Recycle materials that can be turned back into valuable resources such as

paper, plastics, glass and food.

What can you do to look after our Aussie Bush?


Prior to European settlement the Indigenous Australians inhabited nearly every part of Australia.

The Aboriginal people lived in all climates and across all of the different landscapes throughout Australia.

Human remains called the “Mungo Man” have been found that prove the Aboriginal people inhabited Australia for at least 40,000 years. Evidence suggests that Indigenous Australians may have been here much longer than this, even up to 125,000 years.

The Aboriginal people were the masters of the Australian Bush. They had an intimate knowledge of how to find food, water and shelter to survive no matter what the conditions. Bush Tucker and Bush Medicines were harvested from the plants and animals that surrounded the places they lived.

The Aboriginal people were not all arranged into one nation but were a collection of different family and language groups. At the time of European settlement there are thought to have been as many as 700 different language groups. These different languages formed the basis of the social relationships, land ownership and rights amongst the Aboriginal people.

Web Quest

Go to the following ABC webpage and have a look at the interactive map. See if you can answer the following questions.

http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/map/default.htm

Click on the map to find out the language group that...

1. ...is in your area.

2. ...surrounds Sydney.

3. ...surrounds Brisbane.

4. ...surrounds Dubbo.

5. ...surrounds Canberra.

Use the menu beside the map to find out where the following language groups are located.

6. Amangu

7. Boonwurrung

8. Kokatha

9. Toogee

10. Warumungu

11. Worimi

12. Yirandali

Indigenous aussies

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Photocopy these “playing cards” and cut out. Have students mix them on the table as see if they can match the picture to their traditional use. Try this again with the cards face down - similar to the game of memory.

teaCheR’s Notes

Bush tucker Mix ‘n’ Match

Grass TreeThick trunk

Long needle-like leaves Long flower spike

UsesWater contentSweet nectar

Young leaves & roots eaten

Glue-like resin Spear shafts

Lemon MyrtleTree

Broad glossy leavesSmall yellow flowersStrong citrus flavour

UsesFlavouring for drinks

or meat Bush medicine for healing wounds.

WattleBushy shrub or tree Sickle-shaped leaves

Bright yellow blossoms

UsesSeed is a source of protein and carbohydrate

Seeds were often ground up and cooked

Buny

a P

ine

(Nuts

)L

arge

Tre

eH

ead-

size

d co

nes

Lar

ge t

eard

rop-

shap

ed

nut

s (s

eeds

)

Use

sN

uts

eate

n r

aw

or r

oast

ed

Nut

s gr

ound

to

mak

e a

type

of

brea

d


Lilli Pilli Broad trees

Dark glossy leavesWhite flowers

Brightly coloured fruit (berries).

UsesFruit is a sweet and

nutritious snack

Ruby Salt BushLow growing sprawling

grey-blue shrub Red berry-like fruits

Grows in arid conditions on poor

salty soils

UsesLeaves used as a vegetable or herb Fruits eaten when

dark red

Quandong Native peachSmall tree

Long leaves Shiny red fruit.

UsesFruit is eaten and has

high vitamin CNuts used as jewelleryLeaves used in bush

medicine.

Warrigal GreensLong sprawling plant

Diamond shaped, bright emerald green leaves.

UsesLeaves eaten like a

spinach or vegetable


story time

teaCheR’s Notes

The little flying fox

The little flying fox is a Dreaming story shared by a number of language groups in the far north of NSW and over the Queensland border.

Hello! My name is Pauline and I’m a storyteller. My favourite stories are Dreaming stories. When you listen carefully, you can hear lessons that come from the Dreaming. Here is a story from the Dreaming about the little flying fox.

When the world was young, flying fox thought he was a bird.

He went to the Great Spirit who was here teaching the birds how to be birds, like how to make nests, how to lay eggs, how to find food.

The little flying fox went over to the Great Spirit and asked him if he would teach him how to be a bird.

The Great Spirit said, “You are not a bird you are a bat. I will teach you how to be a bat.”

But the little flying fox would not listen.

Little flying fox got under the feet of the Great Spirit and cried out, “Teach me to be a bird, I want to be a bird now!”

Well, the Great Spirit stopped. He picked the little flying fox up by his feet and hung him upside down in the branch of a tree and left him there to teach him a lesson.

When the Great Spirit had finished with all the birds he went over to the little flying fox and said, ‘Have you learnt your lesson little flying fox? Do you know that you are a bat and not a bird?’

But little flying fox had not learnt and he said, “I don’t care, I can hang upside down forever if I want to. I still think I’m a bird!”

Well, the Great Spirit left the little flying fox hanging upside down in the branches of trees forever, to remind him that he is not a bird, but a bat.

And that is the reason why the flying fox hangs upside down in the branches of trees, instead of sitting the right way around like birds.

REFERENCE: “Talking Identity, Teacher’s Booklet” NSW Department of Education and Training, 2002.

Flying foxes are one of our most important pollinators and spreaders of seed in the Aussie bush. Their preferred foods include eucalyptus and melaleuca blossom, lily pillies and rainforest fruits and flowers.

This story is from the NSW Human Society and Its Environment Stage 2 resource “Talking Identity”. This story can be used as an introduction into storytelling, Aboriginal Dreamtime and/or adaptations of animals to their environment.

To hear a re-telling of this Dreaming story, go to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87JY6m1Q4aw

Activities can be found in the “Talking Identity, Teacher’s Booklet”:http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/assets/pdf/talkingidentity.pdf

Grey-headed flying fox (Photographer: Kelly Coleman)

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/assets/pdf/talkingidentity.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87JY6m1Q4aw




What does is mean to regenerate?For bushland to regenerate it means that in an area where the vegetation has disappeared or degraded, the plants will grow back again in their natural state.

There are two forms of regeneration - natural and assisted.

Natural RegenerationNatural regeneration of bushland can occur after years of cultivation, grazing or other disturbance. This is largely due to the supply of seed that can be stored in the soil.

Australian plants have evolved to endure the harsh conditions of our often unpredictable climate. This means that seeds either have hard outer coats for protection, can be produced in large quantities, or are attractive to animals for dispersal.

Fire - Many Australian plants cannot reproduce without the assistance of fire. The combination of heat and stress put on the host plant can break the dormancy.

Floods - Trees like River Red Gums need regular floods to regenerate effectively. River Red Gum forests along the Murray River are now under threat from the lack of flooding.

Pollination - All plants need to be able to pollinate their flowers for seeds to form. Animals like birds and insects are well known pollinators. Other animals like flying foxes and pygmy possums are important pollinators too.

Seed Dispersal - Seeds can be dispersed by wind, water and transported by animals. Seeds need to be dispersed to allow for genetic variability and survival of the species.

Assisted RegenerationAssisted regeneration involves re-creating the natural environment, or removing the threatening processes to allow of natural regeneration to occur.

Tree Planting - This is a popular activity undertaken across the world for various reasons. To assist natural regeneration, seedlings need to be the same as those species that naturally occur in the area that is being assisted.

Invasive Plant Control - Weed control is vitally important for regeneration. Weeds compete with the native species for water and nutrients. Weed removal should be done in such a way as to reduce the impact to existing native species.

Invasive Animal Control - Feral animals can destroy young seedlings as they are eaten or trampled. Feral animals are large culprits for the spreading of weed seeds. Control methods include shooting, trapping and poisoning under controlled conditions.

Bush block protection - Many areas of bush have been threatened by agricultural practices like grazing. An area fenced off from stock can naturally regenerate without further assistance within a few years. However, weed control may be required to avoid competition.

Regenerating the Bush

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teaCheRs Notes

Island habitats Game

This game highlights how a fragmented landscape is not healthy for the conservation of our native wildlife. By maintaining corridor links in the landscape, both plants and animals have a greater chance of surviving.

PreparationDiscuss with the class the concepts of habitat, loss of habitat, remnant native vegetation*, predation, feral animals, urban development and conservation.

Highlight that animals that get ‘trapped’ in isolated patches of native vegetation will often die out because they can’t send their babies off to find new homes, they can’t get new sources of food and predators become cunning and know how to catch them.

Photocopy the animal name tags provided. Students may like to colour these in.

Materials2 x hula hoops•

enough species name tags for all •students in the class

pens, textas, pencils and/or crayons•

* Remnant native vegetation refers to any vegetation that is not regrowth and is indicative of the original ecosystem.

ActivityPlace two hoops on the ground, approximately 15-20 metres apart; they are your patches of remnant native vegetation. Explain to the students that these contain many native animals but they can’t move between the remnants without help from other vegetation.

Round 1: One person is designated as a wedge-tailed eagle, or some other predator (i.e. Kookaburra, Owl).

Place some students between the two hoops with their arms out-stretched. They are big old native trees that provide shelter and habitat for small species so they can move between the remnant hoops. Explain that when a student (small animal) touches a tree, then they are safe from the predator(s).

All remaining students are small native animals (i.e. a lizard, snake, possum, small bird etc...) as per their name tag. The native animals then have to try and get from one hoop to the other (one at a time) without getting caught by the wedge-tailed eagle. If the native animal gets caught, it is out of the game. This continues until the rest of the class has gone through. To add a degree of difficulty to both parties, the students must move the way the animal would move. You could also introduce different predators such as a fox.

Once you have completed one round, ask students to predict what would happen if some of these trees were removed.


Round 2: Repeat the game but this time a new fence line has been placed in between the two remnants and two of the old trees were removed. Students nominated as small animals must now try to cross without getting caught by the predator(s).

Round 3: A new house has been developed and the remaining trees have been chopped down. Once again the small animals have to try and cross without being caught. Add a fox to the predators.

As a class, discuss what happened, including how removing the old habitat trees changed how animals could move between the two remnants. Discuss what would happen to the small animals if they could no longer move (i.e. die out, species decline in numbers due to limited food and shelter). Follow up with discussions about what could we do to allow small animals to move between remnant habitats.

Island Habitats Game

Remnant RemnantPredator

Old Tree

Small Animal

Game ObjectiveTo move from one remnant to another without getting tagged by

the roaming predator using the old trees for refuge

Student

SUGAR GLIDER KOALA

KANGAROOS RINGTAIL POSSUM

BANDICOOT BILBY

BEARDED DRAGON TORTOISE

FROGS CARPET PYTHON

GECKO FAIRY WREN

OWL WEDGE-TAIL EAGLE

KOOKABURRAS FOX


teaCheRs Notes

Is my habitat healthy?

An organism’s habitat is the location in which it lives. To determine whether your local creek habitat is healthy or not, there are certain elements that need to be found.

Materialsactivity sheet•

pencil or pen•

clipboard•

ActivityThis activity needs to be completed on-site at your nearest patch of bushland.

Explain that animals need places to hide from predators, feed, breed and sleep. Also that plants need elements like leaf litter, fresh water and other specimens of the same species to germinate. Habitats can be found in the tallest of trees to the smallest of grasses and in leaf litter, it just depends on the organism.

Look around your site and ask students to identify those elements on the worksheet in the categories of none, some or lots. Depending on the type of environment you are in, the more features you have, the healthier your habitat will be.

Please remember this is an indicative assessment only, and you are only looking at terrestrial habitats.

Extension ActivityFind another survey form, perhaps with support from your regional natural resource management body, and have students undertake a more thorough survey. They can assess the number of birds they find, different types of trees, shrubs or grasses etc...

Examples of other habitat assessments can be found in the following publications:

NSW Junior Waterwach Manual

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/waterwatch/20090498JnrFieldmanual.htm

Special Forever Teaching Unit: Biodiversity - Sustaining Living Things

http://specialforever.org.au/library/99_38/pdfs/Biodiversity.pdf

Biodiversity for Kids*

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/education/BiodiversityTeachersGuide.pdf

* “Is my Habitat Healthy?” has been adapted from “Biodiversity for Kids” - Lesson 5, Worksheet 4.









aCt IvI tY sheet

Is my habitat healthy?

A healthy habitat provides all the things that plants and animals need. Tick the boxes that describe your Aussie bush habitat.

HABITAT NONE SOME LOTS

Trees

Shrubs

Ground Cover

Leaf Litter

Rocks

Logs

Tree Hollows

Flowering Plants

Water

Adapted from “Biodiversity for Kids: Stage 2 Science - Teacher’s Guide” 2003 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.


teaCheR’s Notes

My favourite Native tree

This is a good activity for students to familiarise themselves with a particular tree. This not only provides for opportunities to learn about that tree, but they will forever be able to monitor the growth of that tree over time.

Materialsactivity sheet•

long tape measure•

pencil•

ActivityThe first part of this activity is to determine how tall their favourite tree is, and students can perform these simple activities.

Method 1: Bend over and look at your tree through your legs. Move forward, or away from the tree, until you can see the top of the tree. The distance between you and the tree is an estimate of how tall your tree is (see diagram).

Method 2: Take a friend, a pencil, and a tape measure. Ask your friend to stand facing you in front of the tree you want to measure. Stand quite a distance away from the tree and hold the pencil out in front of you. Line up the top of the pencil with the top of the tree, and the bottom with your friend. Turn the pencil so that it is lying down. Keep your thumb lined with the base of the tree. Ask you friend to walk to the

side. Shout “STOP” when your friend is in line with the top of the pencil. Measure the distance from your friend to the base of the tree. This is how tall your tree is.

A leaf’s colour and smell can tell you a lot about the tree. A strong smell tell you that the leaves contain a lot of oils (like eucalyptus oil). This can mean that the tree is very flammable in bush fires. The bark of a tree is also an indicator of what type of tree you are looking at.

Once students have found out all they can about their tree, try to identify it using plant identification books that can be found in your local library.

MEASURE DISTANCE


My tree is . . . . . . . metres tall

My tree has . . . . . . . . . . . . . .coloured leaves

My tree smells like

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My favourite native tree is:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

aCt IvI tY sheet

My favourite Native tree

My tree looks like...

Seeds

Bark or Leaf rubbing

Flowers


teaCheR’s Notes

seed Pocket

Plants produce seeds for regeneration. Seeds are produced after a plant has flowered. Every seed, within its fruit, is potentially a new plant.

Most schools have a bottlebrush tree. These are great plants to collect seed from. These are generally good germinators and they produce thousands of seeds. On the bottlebrush plant where the flower-brush was, the fruit or seed carrier will form. This will now be a brush of fruits/seed carriers. Inside the fruit will be the seeds. The fruit-brush can be collected once they are brown.

Materialspaper bags •

copies of the activity sheet - one for •each student

scissors•

glue or sticky tape•

ActivityPrior to the lesson, observe and discuss which plants have flowered throughout the year. Take the class to a plant that has flowered previously, check if the fruits are brown. If so, take the fruits from the tree and place them in a scrap paper bag. The following week check to see if the seeds have fallen from the fruits.

Once the seeds have fallen from the fruit they will need to be stored and labelled. Provide enough copies of the seed pocket activity sheet for your students to store their seeds. Each pocket needs to have identified on it the plant’s name, location, date of collection, and who collected it. Students can also paste/draw an image of their plant in the space provided.

Once finished, students need to cut out the pocket, fold along the middle where indicated and paste/tape down the vertical and bottom edges to the folded side to create a pocket. Ensure no seeds can fall out and fold the top flap over. These seeds can be used in the “Plant Propagation” activity.

Experiment with collection from different plant species. Even let some of the best veggies, from your veggie garden, go to seed and collect from these for next years plantings. This reduces the cost of buying veggie seeds next year.


aCt IvI tY sheet

seed Pocket

When you have native plant seeds collected from the local area, they are known as “Local Provenance”. Seed need to be collected at the right time of year so that they will germinate when planted.

Your collection of seed also needs to be labelled correctly. Use the label/seed pocket below to help you identify your local provenance seed as well as store your seed.

fold

the

past

e to

bac

k flap

fold the paste to back flap

My plant looks like...Host plant name...

Location where seeds were collected...

Seeds were collected on...

Seeds were collected by...

↑ fo

ld h

ere

↑


Plant Propagation

teaCheR’s Notes

Propagating plants by seed is one of the easiest ways to generate new plants, particularly vegetables and some native species. You can also propagate by cuttings.

Start this lesson off by going through the reading comprehension activity in the student workbook. This will provide a background to plant propagation. Follow this up with the practical activity of propagating the seeds you collected in the previous activity.

Materialspotting/seed raising mix•

rinsed used popper/milk/yoghurt •containers

scissors•

seeds•

tidy/tote trays•

Activity Sheet Answers

1. a. seed b. cuttings

2. allow them to dry out

3. the width of the seed

4. advantage - stored for a long time, many plants can be propagated

disadvantage - not genetically the same as the parent, can be difficult to grow

ActivityCut a reused popper/milk/yoghurt container to a depth of approximately 7cm, place a drainage hole in the bottom, and fill most of the container with potting/seed raising mix.

Place seeds in the soil to a depth of the size of the seed and firm over with more soil. Place only 1 seed per container if it is a large seed (e.g. pumpkin seeds), or if they are fine seeds (e.g. bottlebrush seeds) then sprinkle a small pinch of them across the surface.

The pots must be kept moist (but not too wet) and you do this by placing the pots into a tidy/tote tray and place water in the tray.

Once the seedlings get to a suitable size you can pot them on to larger containers, or plant in the school grounds.


The two most common methods of plant propagation are from seed or from cuttings.

Propagation from SeedSprinkle a small amount of seed on the surface of a free-draining seed mix in a punnet. Bury the seed to the same depth as the size of the seed and cover lightly.

Water the punnet carefully and place it in a warm spot. Do not allow the mixture to dry out.

Advantages

Some seed can be collected and stored for long periods of time and still be capable of germinating. Many plants can be produced from seed.

Disadvantages

Plants propagated from seed are not genetically the same as the parent plant. For example, their size and shape can be different and the leaves and flowers can be different in size, shape and colour.

Many plants can be difficult to grow from seed. Some species, like the Wattle, may need special treatment to help germination. There are a number of plants which we cannot germinate from seed. This is probably because we do not know the special conditions they needed to grow.

SOURCE: Australian National Botanic Gardens http://www.anbg.gov.au/education

1. What are the two type of ways you can propagate plants?

a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. What shouldn’t you do to your newly sowed seeds?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. How deep should you plant your seeds?

twice the width of the seed

the width of the seed

lay them on the surface

4. Name one advantage and one disadvantage of propagating plants from seed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. What plant are you going to try and propagate from seed?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

aCt IvI tY sheet

Plant Propagation


seedling Jumble

teaCheR’s Notes

Planting out seedlings and watching them grow can be a rewarding experience. However, if they are not planted correctly, your plants can suffer or even die. This quick activity is designed to be completed before planting any seedlings in your school garden or community project.

Materialsseedlings•

shovel and/or hand trowel•

watering can•

gloves (if available)•

ActivityTalk to the class about the importance of planting seedlings correctly. Go through the process by identifying the order in which you plant your seedlings.

Step 1: Dig a hole.

Step 2: Take seedling out of the pot.

Step 3: Plant correctly.

Step 4: Water in the seedling.

Seedlings need to be planted the right way in order to survive. The diagram on the student activity sheet shows 3 ways of planting. Below are the answers.

A: Wrong, because the roots near the base of the seedling are exposed.

B: Wrong, because if the plant is too low, and the stem of the seedling is covered with soil, it can rot with too much moisture and die.

C: Correct, because you should always have the base of the seedling at the level of the soil surface.

Mulching your seedling is a good way to help prevent water loss. Make sure you provide a thick layer surrounding your seedling, but do not allow the mulch to have direct contact with the seedling, as this, like the soil, can cause it to rot and die.


aCt IvI tY sheet

seedling Jumble

Identify which order you need to follow to when planting your seedling. Describe what each image is indicating in one word.

Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step . . . . . . . . . . .

Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A B C

A: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

B: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you don’t plant your seedling the right way it may not survive. Use the diagram to work out what is the right and wrong ways to plant seedlings. Describe your decision.


Australian “2011 International Year of Forests”http://www.internationalyearofforests.com.au

United Nations “2011 International Year of Forests”http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/

Australian Wildlife Conservancyhttp://www.australianwildlife.org

Threatened Specieshttp://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au (NSW)http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/wildlife/threatened_plants_and_animals/index.html (QLD)

Australian Forestshttp://www.australianforests.org.au

Biodiversity for Kidshttp://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/education/BiodiversityTeachersGuide.pdf

Encyclopedia of Earthhttp://www.eoearth.org

ABC Interactive Indigenous Maphttp://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/map/default.htm

Indigenous Australiahttp://www.indigenousaustralia.info

Bush Tucker Plantshttp://www.teachers.ash.org.au/bushtucker

Carbon Cycle Games for Kidshttp://www.wartgames.com/themes/science/carboncycle.html

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