Learning Activities

Adult learning at Melbourne Museum
Forest Gallery Kit Part 2
Learning activity ideas

by Barbara Goulborn
Acknowledgements
his book has been produced by Curve Projects P/L for Melbourne Museum, with financial assistance from the Adult Community and Further Education Board, Office of Post Compulsory Education, Training & Employment, Victoria. Research and writing by Barbara Goulborn Illustrations, design and layout by Rod McRae Editing by Angela Costi and Rowan McRae First published in 2001 by Melbourne Museum Text Melbourne Museum GPO Box 666E, Melbourne VIC 3001 Illustrations Curve Projects P/L, 15, Cleveland St, Northcote VIC 3070 This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Acts, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publisher.
Contents
Introduction 4
The learning activity ideas

Learning to do Visit the forest in the city Grow your own Save energy, save the planet! Be prepared! Learning to know Untangling the web Tapping into the forest Australia on the move Changing climate, changing forest Fire and forest Tourism and trees: do they mix? Learning to live together Sustainable footprints Reconciling different ways of knowing Act locally! Learning to be Listen to the bush Figure in the landscape 13 14 18 23 25 27 29 32 35 38 41 44 48 49 53 56 60 61 64
Introduction
he Forest Gallery Kit Part 2 provides learning activity ideas, based on Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery, for use within a broad range of adult education curriculum frameworks. It is aimed primarily at adult educators, helping them to introduce their students to the processes of learning through a public cultural institution, with a strong emphasis on a learning to learn approach, encouraging students to use the Museums resources independently. It is also aimed at helping students to acquire a better understanding of the world around themsocial and physical. The Forest Gallery Kit Part 1 Background information provides a range of information about forest ecosystems. It complements this publication, as does Adult learning in museums, which describes some inspiring projects in Australia and overseas. These are available to download from the Melbourne Museum website. This is the first of many adult education kits to be developed by Melbourne Museum and is the result of collaboration with the Adult Community and Further Education Board, Victoria.
The Forest Gallery

The Forest Gallery at Melbourne Museum is a large, outdoor living gallery: a permanent, multidisciplinary exhibition interpreting aspects of nature and culture in the context of a representation of a Victorian Tall Forest, complete with living vegetation and wildlife. The storylines in the Gallery link conceptually to other Museum exhibitions, providing a rich educational resource. The Gallery represents agents of change in a series of zones:
The Water Zone

describes the creation of the mountain catchments and the importance of water to forest life.
The Earth Zone

describes the impact of continental movement on the evolution of forest life.
The Climate Zone

describes the seasonal changes evident in forest life.
The Fire Zone

describes catastrophic events and the regeneration of forest life.
INTRODUCTION
The Human Zone

conveys stories of peoples perceptions of the forest and the impact of people on forest life. While experiencing the forest environment, visitors are helped to interpret the impact of the agents of change on forest ecosystems through multimedia, displays and signage.
Science Arcade
Science and Life Gallery Explores some of the fundamentals of science including systems used to classify organisms.
Dinosaurs in Time
Evolution Gallery Traces the evolution of life through time, from the first singlecelled organism through to the extinction of Australias megafauna.
Related exhibitions
The themes explored in the Forest Gallery complement a number of other exhibitions within the Museum. These include:
The Lie of the Land

A sculptural and sound installation in the courtyard outside the Touring Exhibition Hall foyer (Lower East). This artwork by Fiona Foley and Chris Knowles refers to the purchase of land from the Kulin people by John Batman in 1835.
Belonging to Country
Bunjilaka Gallery Themes, objects and images have been chosen to tell stories about Indigenous Australians: their close association with the land and their law and knowledge systems. The outdoor garden, Milarri, illustrates the plants used by Aboriginal people around Victoria for food, shelter and medicine.
Introducing this kit INTRODUCTION

The kit is intended as a flexible resource to enable adult students to participate in, and become empowered by Melbourne Museum as a major cultural institution and learning environment. It is based on the theme of Victorias natural environment, as presented in Melbourne Museum exhibitions, especially the Forest Gallery, which provides an introduction to environmental studies for adult students in a human and easily accessible context.
Southern Diversity
Science and Life Gallery Describes Australias diverse range of plants, animals and selected environments including River Red Gum, Mallee and Alpine.
Although we may associate adult learning primarily with formal classroom teaching using published materials as resources, in reality, adults learn in many different ways, using a vast range of resources. Public resources, such as museums, art galleries and public libraries, provide significant opportunities for successful adult learning. The mission of Melbourne Museumto improve understanding of ourselves and the world in which we liveis harmonious with the goals of the adult education sector. An attractive and resource-rich venue for adult learning, the museums exhibitions and activity programs provide interesting content, such as accessible science in a human context. It is an adult-oriented venue for education at many different levels of complexity and learning experience. Multiple ways of learning are provided through a diversity of interpretative methods and media. This kit is designed to help teachers lead adult learners through the experiential learning cycle, taking them from their experience in the Museum to beyond its walls: from the known and concrete to the less known and more abstract. As well as using resources recommended for each activity in the kit, teachers and students can also use the Museums InfoZone and gallery InfoLinks: resource services which can provide information in a variety of media, some available at a distance through the Internet. These services provide a wealth of opportunities for learning-to-learn and self-directed or teacher-
guided research at many different levels. In addition, the Museum arranges many activities related to themes in exhibitions, with details to be found in current listings of events and activities.
The basis of the kit

Underpinning the approach taken in this kit are the eight lifelong learning goals advocated in the Victorian Governments framework for adult education curriculum, Transforming lives, transforming communities (ACFE 1999). These goals are:
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understanding complex systems that interact unpredictably identifying and integrating existing and emerging personal, local, national and global perspectives prospering with difference seeing and making connections between the past, present and future encouraging sustainability in relationships and the environment engaging in a process of change, privately and publicly, civically and occupationally, throughout life extending learning styles and repertoires
INTRODUCTION
developing insights through questioning, through asking why? and what if? as well as when? and how?
Museum website so that the materials would be easily accessible and downloadable free of charge to as many users as possible in the adult education field.
This kit is the first of many similar productions for adult learning. Its structure and content is based on recommendations from research among adult educators (Opportunities for adult education at Melbourne Museum Report for Melbourne Museum by Barbara Goulborn, Curve Projects P/L , July 1999). In particular, it addresses the recommendation to develop resources related to a sciencebased exhibition of interest value which will lead students from the here-and-now to more global and abstract perspectives, and curriculum support materials from which teachers can construct activities and exercises that are specific to their students needs and abilities which should be capable of being downloaded and/or printed from a website or CD ROM. The research also recommended development of:
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Using the kit

The immediate audience for the kit is teachers of a diverse range of adult, community and further education programs and courses, including:
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The Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) The Certificate in Koorie Education Training and Employment (CKETE) The Certificate in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) The Certificate in English as a Second Language (CESOL) Adult VCE University of the Third Age (U3A) The Diploma of Further Education short courses.
professional development activities for teachers to introduce them to the exhibitions experiential resources for students such as touch trolleys and performances learning-to-learn materials which teach students research skills using Museum resources such as the InfoZone and InfoLinks as well as exhibition content.
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The activity ideas

Rather than instant worksheets, which seldom suit the specific needs of a group of adult learners, this kit provides activity ideas which you can use to develop learning activities for a
It was decided that this kit should be placed on the Melbourne
INTRODUCTION
groups particular learning needs. The activity ideas can be used in the context of adult education curriculum, for example the CGEA. They could also be used as an introduction to science, to increase general knowledge, as environmental education for citizenship or as an introductory pathway to further studies. Other uses include development of research skills at many different levels, introducing students to community action in environmental issues, or simply helping people get more from an informal visit to the Museum with their class or family.
for example, which is about the effect of earth movements on forests, can be pitched at a very basic level for a CGEA level 1 reading and writing class, or at a more demanding level for a science bridging course or a short special interest course in The Paleobotany of Australia. Many of the ideas will also generate activities which can be the medium for acquiring generic skills such as how to learn; planning and organising; project management; using the Internet or working as a team.
Content, contexts and levels

The activity ideas cover a broad spectrum of topics, generally in the field of environmental education, however they may be used in many different learning contexts. If you are teaching spoken or written language skills in an ESL or basic education program, you can use the Forest Gallery Kit ideas to provide the content and context in which language learning takes place, at the same time as broadening students understandings about the environment and related topics. If you are teaching in a short course, or a CGEA General Curriculum Options group which focuses specifically on environmental studies or issues, many of these ideas will have particular relevance. Learning activities may be developed at many different levels of complexity and difficulty, according to the prior experience and knowledge of your students, their abilities, and the time you have to spend on an activity. The activity Australia on the move,
Organisation of the learning activity ideas

The activities are classified under headings based on the UNESCO Pillars of learning (Delors, 1996):
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learning to do learning to know learning to live together learning to be.
Naturally, there will be overlap between categories, for example, learning to do research on the Internet will hopefully encapsulate learning to know about the environment.
INTRODUCTION
Resources
Each activity idea has a list of resources, mainly to be found on the Internet. The Internet has become a rich resource for teaching and learning. Documents which previously required many days to track down, then even longer to acquire, are now available on your work or home computer within seconds and they are free! Sometimes it can be hard to search through the huge amount of information on the Internet, so, for each activity idea, this kit lists a few addresses with reliable information which were current at time of publication. Although the websites have been selected to help you, the teacher, to design activities, they may also be used by students according to their language and computer literacy capabilities and availability of computers and Internet access. Untangling the web in the Learning to know section encourages students to use the Internet for accessing resources about the environment as well as showing them how to evaluate what they find. The listing of Internet sites does not preclude the use of printed publications. However, teachers working in community learning centres, especially outside metropolitan areas, often do not have ready access to libraries. Should you be fortunate enough to be located near good libraries, it is worth browsing to find relevant books and journals. Many university libraries have community access at a reasonable fee, as well as having publicly available catalogues on the Internet. For example, a random search for sustainability on an Internet browser delivered a comprehensive bibliography from the University of Technology, Sydney, amongst other online references.
Other useful resources which are easy to access are newspapers and journals commonly available in your local newsagents. Using recent newspaper stories and correspondence is a good way of introducing topical environmental issues. The Age and other newspapers are also available online and frequently have search engines on which you can look for specific topics in their archives. The Age is also archived on CD ROM, which can be purchased if you do not have access to a public or college library. Educational TV and radio programs are another resource of great value. Radio National has a website which includes transcripts from many of their spoken-word programs, and the ABCs website has especially well-designed science program sites. ABC TV education program guides are available in newsagents and ABC bookshops.
INTRODUCTION
Designing learning activities from the ideas

To design useful and usable learning for our students, we need theories to inform our teaching practice: theories about content and theories about methods. Most teachers will not explicitly think Im using such-and-such a theory to design learning activities today, in the sense of a formal, academic theory. But they will have an implicit, usually unarticulated, theory which they have constructed, telling them what they think works and what doesnt. Sometimes this is based on formal, academic theories of learning combined with practical experience, and sometimes it is just based on what they have always done. But neither of these approaches will guarantee that students are actually learning. What is needed is a practical, reflective approach so that teachers can continuously improve their practice. Knowing more about formal theories of how adults learn, through reading, discussion and study is always useful, but it has to be translated into practical action. The teacher has to become a researcher asking does this work in this context? why/why not?, making connections between action and outcomes.
Motivation Adult learners learn best when learning what they want, when and where they want. They need to be encouraged by those around them and to be engaged with content in interesting and varied learning activities. Acknowledgement Adult learners need to have previous experience acknowledged and recognised, rather than going over old ground. Interactivity Rather than being passive, adult learners need to interact with teachers and other learners, as well as interacting with the content. Challenge Adult learners need to be intellectually challenged, but not too far beyond their comfort zones. Application Adult learners need to apply what they are learning to new and practical situations. Success Adult learners need to have regular successes so they see that they are achieving something tangible.
What works best?

In a nutshell, current theories about how adults learn show that adults learn best when they are motivated, have their experience acknowledged, are interacting, are applying what they have learnt, and, most importantly, are successful in their learning. So, when developing activities from the ideas in this kit, you should make sure these factors are built in.
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INTRODUCTION
More information
ABC Radio National

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ The ABC Radio National website enables you to download useful program transcripts a well as telling you of forthcoming programs: Earthbeat, The Science Show, Background Briefing and many more.
Forest Gallery Kit Part 1Background information

http://melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/ This publication accompanies this Forest Gallery Kit Part 2, and is available to download from the Melbourne Museum website.
Melbourne Museum Forest Gallery

http://melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/forestgallery/ This website provides further information on many of the themes explored throughout the Forest Secrets exhibition, ranging from the construction of the gallery through to moss and lichen species. The museum website currently provides information on the Forest Gallery.
New Horizons: environmental learning project

http://www.newhorizons.org/gng_deforest.html This web page is on a site which promotes innovation in education, including adult education. This section is one of four on environmental education. It contains an excellent project on tropical deforestation. Although designed for US school students, it could be adapted or used as a model for development of similar activities for adults in Australia. It provides well-written information on research processes as well as links to resources. It also aims to develop multiple intelligences in learners.
Melbourne Museum InfoLink

Computer terminals are situated in a number of the museums galleries where visitors can obtain more information on the themes covered in the exhibitions. The closest terminals to the Forest Secrets exhibition are located in the Science and Life and Mind and Body Galleries.
Melbourne Museum InfoZone

http://melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/education Located on the lower ground level of the Museum, this area contains a broad range of reference material, computer terminals for Internet access for visitors to use as well as a pressed plant collection and other Forest Gallery specimens.
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INTRODUCTION
Learning to do
Learning to know
Learning to live together
Learning to be
The learning activity ideas

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Learning to do
Learning how to undertake practical activities which achieve a tangible outcome in the areas of home, leisure, education or work life.
Links with curriculum or courses

1 Visit the forest in the city
an excursion to Melbourne Museum Forest Gallery
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3 Save energy, save the planet!

home energy conservation
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Literacy and basic education CGEA Reading, Writing, Oracy and Numeracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options ESL Returning to study Life skills
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Literacy and basic education CGEA Reading, Writing, Oracy and Numeracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options ESL Life skills
2 Grow your own

planning and planting an indigenous garden
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4 Be prepared!
bushfire safety
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Literacy and basic education CGEA Reading, Writing, Oracy and Numeracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options ESL Environment, ecology, gardening
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Literacy and basic education CGEA Reading, Writing, Oracy and Numeracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options ESL courses Life skills
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LEARNING TO DO
Activity idea 1 Visit the forest in the city
lanning an excursion can have many outcomes, both social and educational. A public cultural institution such as Melbourne Museum provides a wealth of learning resources around many different topics, the tangible, hands-on
exhibits providing immediate motivation for learning. If the purpose of the visit is well-planned, with pre- and post- visit activities built in, the preconditions of successful learning are all in place. In addition to learning based on exhibitions in the Museum, the preparation for the excursion provides an opportunity for students to develop generic competencies such as planning and organising, decision making, and maybe even conflict resolution! Those who are not accustomed to using public transport can gain some very practical skills which may be applied in other contexts.
Activity
This activity idea is about students organising a visit to Melbourne Museum. There are many different ways of going about it, depending on what learning
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LEARNING TO DO
All the activity ideas in this kit are directly or indirectly related to the Forest Gallery. Although some of the activities may be completed without accessing the gallery, a visit will provide invaluable resources for learning which have been designed specifically for the education of visitors.
outcomes you wish to achieve. You may want to concentrate on one or more aspects of organising an excursion, according to students needs, and, of course, according to what will be enjoyablewhich always helps the learning process! Possible aspects of the excursion include: acquiring general or specific content knowledge from Museum exhibits (see other activities in this kit); group decision making and planning using the Museum website as a planning tool; taking part in formal meeting procedures; using public transport; budgeting; developing cohesion and cooperation within the group of students; developing a booklet and poster about the excursion for other student groups; writing reports; developing a website; basic principles of project management or even critiquing the Museums architecture, design, website and publications. Remember to check any organisational requirements for student excursions; there are often tasks related to insurance rules and regulations and there could be policies and procedures about using private vehicles. It is useful to develop some objectives for the visit, then make an action plan of what needs to be donewhen, how and by whom. The plan could be broken into stages in terms of what is needed before, during, and after the excursion. Tasks could be divided up between different groups who report back to the whole group. Basic project management techniques can be learnt throughout the activity.
You will need to gather together resources which will help you to plan the excursion. Include a calendar, information about Melbourne Museum including the website address, specific information relating to the purpose of your visit (for example, information sheets relating to the Forest Gallery), maps and information about public transport and details of where to eat. If any students are people with disabilities you will also need to get relevant information on, for example, wheelchair access or Auslan tours. You may want your students to develop their own objectives and find all this information themselves, or you may want to set the objectives and collect some of the resources yourself. It all depends on time and ability factors and the learning objectives of the exercise. It may take a little longer, but will be well worth the effort to involve the students at all stages, giving them the help required to develop new skills and knowledge.
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LEARNING TO DO
Follow the action plan and enjoy the visit! Dont forget the camera! If this excursion is a success, you may wish to arrange other excursions: some other museums, and locations relevant to learning about forests, are listed below.
Resources
Melbourne Museum
http://melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/
Transport
http://www.victrip.com.au/ Information on fares and timetables for Melbourne trains, buses and trams.
Old Customs House, 400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000 ph: (03) 9927 2700 The Immigration Museum has developed a kit for adult students visiting the Museum. Find out more details from the website.
Scienceworks
http://scienceworks.museum.vic.gov.au/ 2 Booker St, Spotswood, Vic 3015 ph: (03) 9392 4800 This science and technology museum encourages interactive experiences. It incorporates the newly-built planetarium and the 19th century Spotswood sewage pumping plant. The website lists professional development activities for teachers which may be useful before planning an excursion.
Project planning
http://www.coco.co.uk A very simple software program for project planning is VisiMap Lite which is available for free trial from this UK site. It costs about $50 to purchase for an individual license.
Toolangi Forest Education Service

http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/forests Toolangi Forest Education Service Main Rd, Toolangi VIC 3777 ph: (03) 5962 9318 The education centre at Toolangi, part of the Department of Natural Resources and Environments Forest Service, would make an ideal place to visit. Information on the management of Victorias forests including fieldwork programs and education materials at Toolangi State Forest is also given.
Regional/rural museums
Melbournes Living Museum of th e West

http://www.livingmuseum.org.au Pipemakers Park, Van Ness Avenue, Maribyrnong (entrance opposite Warrs Road) ph: (03) 9318 3544 A community museum, with an ecological focus, operating in the western region of Melbourne. The museum actively involves
The Immigration Museum

http://immigration.museum.vic.gov.au/
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LEARNING TO DO
http://amol.org.au/ Regional museums information can be obtained from Australian Museums On-Line.
the people of Melbournes west and others in documenting, preserving and interpreting the richness and depth of the regions social, industrial and environmental history.
The Royal Botanic Gardens

http://www.rbgmelb.org.au/ Birdwood Ave, South Yarra ph: (03) 9252 2358
Parkweb
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au This site covers National and State parks in Victoria with comprehensive listings, an education section and Enjoy a safe park visit in the Parks and rivers section.
Stepping out
http://www.tracks.vic.gov.au/ This Parks Victoria website lists walks and rides.
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LEARNING TO DO
Activity idea 2 Grow your own
etting up the live Forest Gallery at Melbourne Museum was a major project incorporating much planning and hard work. Inspired by this project, and with knowledge gained about indigenous species, you and your students may like to think about setting up an indigenous garden. Planting the types of vegetation which originally grew on the land that
now happens to be your backyard or garden is a practical way of preventing the indigenous plants of Australia from disappearing. This activity idea could be carried out in communal as well as private gardens, for example in a community learning centre public area.
Activity
Check that the project is feasible. You and your students will need to identify a site for the gardena backyard or perhaps a garden in a community centre. Remember to consult all those concerned for permission to use the space. Also check on any underground cabling or drains on the site before starting. Plan how you will fund the project, as you may need to purchase some plants and garden tools unless these can be borrowed or donated. It may be possible to acquire funding from your learning centre, local, state or federal government, or from organisations supporting environmental initiatives. Remember that as well as establishing the garden, theres also the ongoing maintenance. 1. Identify your objectives: educational, social, personal,
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LEARNING TO DO
environmental. For example: learning about how plants grow; encouraging indigenous birds into the area; making pleasant surroundings to sit in; learning how to work cooperatively on a practical project. 2. Draw up an action plan (see Learning to do: Activity idea 1, Visit the forest in the city, above, for a reference to simple project management software). 3. Youll need to find out what kinds of vegetation originally grew in the area and where to purchase these particular plants. Use the references below. Look at local indigenous gardens and invite in local experts from organisations promoting indigenous species to talk or show slides. Gather enough information to get motivated and to make wise decisions. 4. The next step is to plan which varieties to plant, and where to plant them, given the soil, drainage and light conditions and proximity to buildings and other plants. This could be set up as a science experiment. This step could also involve measuring the site and drawing up a plan. In particular, if its a communal garden, there may be presentations and decisions to be made and approvals to be granted. 5. Carry out the preparation, planting, ongoing protection and maintenance. 6. Perhaps you could have a launch to publicise what you are
doing and to encourage others to do the same. You could also report on the progress of the gardenmeasure growth of the plants, and take regular photos. Students could give presentations and write and distribute How to plant an indigenous garden instructions to other groups. Other options include looking into the possibility of setting up a nursery selling cuttings or seeds, or trying out some bushfood. 7. Find out how Indigenous people used the plants. Develop tags or plaques with relevant information.
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LEARNING TO DO
Resources
CERES
http://www.ceres.org.au 8 Lee St, Brunswick East VIC 3057 ph: (03) 9387 2609 email: ceres@ceres.org.au The Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies is a community environment project located beside the Merri Creek in Brunswick. CERES aims to foster awareness and action on environmental and social issues affecting urban areas. The centre has displays and demonstrations on a range of environmental issues, showing what can be achieved at household, community and global levels. Education and training programs are also offered, including accredited adult training in horticulture, permaculture and environmental design. A retail nursery includes bushfood plants in its stock.
water consumption. Publications and posters are also available, including Plants of Victoria on CD ROM.
Greening Australia Victoria

http://www.vicnet.net.au/~gavic PO Box 525 Heidelberg VIC 3084 ph: (03) 9457 3024 email: general@gavic.org.au Vegetation restoration information and advice, access to equipment, resources and support publications are available from Greening Australia. This organisation has an education and training program which covers all areas of the state, including a program in the Port Philip area which covers a range of topics from propagation to vegetation management. They also offer support and advice to community groups concerned with bush care.
Gould League of Victoria

http://www.gould.edu.au PO Box 1117, Moorabbin VIC 3189 ph: (03) 9532 0909 The Gould League has a website which contains a section called Wildscapes, assisting you in designing an indigenous garden suitable to your area and attracting indigenous wildlife. You can plan your garden using online design tools and Gould League advice and information. The League also has a team of education officers who can visit your education centre and provide professional development for teachers. A new program will assist you in developing an environmental makeover to enhance biodiversity in the area and to reduce energy and
Koorie plants, Koorie people
Melbournes Living Museum of the West

http://www.livingmuseum.org.au Pipemakers Park, Van Ness Avenue, Maribyrnong (entrance opposite Warrs Road) ph: (03) 9318 3544 The History of the Land garden has sections which show
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LEARNING TO DO
N. Zola and G. Gott, Koorie plants, Koorie people: traditional Aboriginal food, fibre and healing plants of Victoria, Koorie Heritage Trust, Globe Press, Melbourne, 1991. This is a very useful resource to identify indigenous peoples use of plant species.
how this particular spot looked in different periods of history. They also have local community groups working together on preserving local indigenous vegetation, and an Aboriginal Gardening Team. Contact the Museum for details of tours and learning programs for adult students. Publications are available, including the following: C. Dennis, Landscapes recycled: the changing environment of Melbournes west, Melbournes Living Museum of the West, Melbourne, 1991. This book explores the effects of human activities and natural forces on local landscapes through topics such as geology, geography, flora and fauna, industrial history and pollution, including a chapter on changes made to the environment during 40,000 years of Aboriginal occupation.
The following publication is also available from the Committee: Rebecca Wigney (ed), Plants of the Merri Merri a home gardeners guide to using indigenous plants in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, MCMC, Melbourne, 1994.
Grey Box and Grassland Indigenous Nursery

50 School Rd, Ballang East, VIC 3340 ph: (03) 5369 5221 By appointment only, for north western suburbs plant stock.
Keelbundoora Indigenous Plant Nursery

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/www/wildlife Main Rd, Cresswell Grange, Bundoora VIC 3083 ph: (03) 9479 2871 This nursery offers a large range of indigenous plants from the Yarra valley and expert advice on indigenous gardening.
Merri Creek Management Committee

http://www.vicnet.net.au/~mcmc 2 Lee St East Brunswick, VIC 3057 ph: (03) 9380 8199 This organisation brings together five local councils, Friends of Merri Creek and Melbourne Water, all working to restore the Merri Creek. Information about education services and planting days may be obtained from the website or by phoning.
http://www.rbgmelb.org.au/ Birdwood Ave, South Yarra ph: (03) 9252 2358 The educational services run programs about setting up gardens and many other relevant topics.
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The Royal Botanic Gardens
Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Cooperative (VINC)

Yarra Bend Rd, Fairfield, VIC 3078 ph: (03) 9482 1710 email: vinc@vicnet.net.au This nursery sells plants indigenous to the inner northern and western suburbs of Melbourne. If you wish to attend education days on topics related to indigenous gardens, such as how to attract frogs to your garden, you may become a member for $11. There is also a revegetation area adjoining the nursery, where you can see wetland plants growing.
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Activity idea 3 Save energy, save the planet!

s well as saving money, cutting down on your energy consumption in the home is good for the environment. Using less fuel reduces carbon emissions which are causing climate change through the greenhouse effect.
Whether dealing with home or an education centre, the process is the same: 1. Work out your energy consumption and bills. 2. Look at suggested ways to reduce consumption/bills. 3. Set a target for reducing your consumption/bills. 4. Examine which of these measures you could put in place immediately and which you could implement in the long term.
Activity
Compile all the information and other resources you need, using the references below. You could also collect together your own fuel bills to use as an example. A talk by someone from an organisation encouraging reduction of fuel consumption could also be organised. The Sustainable Energy Authority have a wealth of educational resources and a cheap thermometer which will come in handy. Calculators will be needed too. Instead of basing this project on domestic energy efficiency, you may decide to examine ways of making your education centre energy-efficient. The Sustainable Energy Authority can give specialised help to government agencies, which may be useful. Some local governments are involved in an international program called Cities for Climate Protection which aims to reduce greenhouse gases in their local government areas through action in industry, businesses and homes.
6. Check to see if you have reached your target.
Resources
Australian Greenhouse Office
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au John Gorton Building GPO Box 621 Canberra ACT 2601 ph: (02) 6274 1888 The AGO booklet Global warming cool it! is an excellent, easy-
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LEARNING TO DO
5. Cost your plan. Look at government incentives and grants which could help you implement your plan.
to-understand resource available from the Australian Greenhouse Office Infoline 1300 130 606 or downloadable from their website on the Household Greenhouse Action section.
Sustainable Energy Authority

(formerly Energy Victoria) http://www.sea.vic.gov.au Ground floor, 215 Spring St, Melbourne VIC 3000 ph: 1300 363 744 Education resources, books and manuals, technical reports, computer software, brochures, low price Energy Saving thermometer. Also provides specialist assistance to Victorian Government agencies to help them save money and reduce environmental impact from energy use.
CERES
See Activity 2 Resources above.
CSIRO climate information

http://www.csiro.au/news/issues/climate.htm Information about climate change, greenhouse, el nio, la nia.
CSIRO atmospheric research

http://www.dar.csiro.au/ Information on greenhouse and other climate changes.
The EPA (US) global warming site
Four Corners debate

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/eureka/transcripts/hot.htm
Four Corners debate on greenhouse effect.
The Gould League

See Activity 2 Resources above.
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LEARNING TO DO
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/index.html This site presents its information for access by specific user groups such as communities, individuals and businesses.
Activity idea 4 Be prepared!

ould you know what to do in a bushfire? Even if you dont live in a fire-prone area, theres always a possibility you might come across a bushfire while driving, or camping in the bush. This activity idea centres on practical information about what to do in a bushfire emergency. Its essential that your students use accurate and current information from reliable sources in order to know what to do. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the Victorian State Government Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) are reliable sources with easily accessed websites and information distribution systems. Many resources can be obtained free of charge or even downloaded from the websites. As a teacher, you may like to access some of these resources prior to starting a project, in order to give students a headstart and to create an interest in the topic.
2. You and your students can plan together how to access suitable information and resources, which may be through inviting guest speakers, watching videos, reading books and pamphlets or accessing websites. Establish some criteria for selecting reliable and current information before starting the research. 3. With information gathered, design the look and feel of the end product. One way of doing this is to collect information leaflets and posters which you believe are effective, then try to establish why (clear language, uncluttered diagrams etc).
Activity
1. With your students, decide on an end product which could be in the form of a publication, website, presentation or poster which shows a specified audience (school children, old people, campers, motorists) what to do if they are caught in a bushfire.
5. Develop the end product, maybe working in groups if appropriate. Students may need some help and guidance here with writing, especially if they are literacy students. 6. Present or display the end product to the class or another group.
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4. Develop a draft of the content and also some quality control criteria and mechanisms. Because bushfire is a matter of life or death, the correct advice is essential. Ask your students to think about a way of ensuring this. It could even involve an outside fire expert reviewing the draft content.
Resources
Bureau of Meteorology
http://www.bom.gov.au/ Victorian Regional Office, 150 Lonsdale St, Melbourne 3001 ph: (03) 9669 4984 Find out about bushfire weather at this site.
useful links to other relevant sites, current and historical photos, information about cause and prevention of bushfires.
SES
http://www.ses.vic.gov.au/ The Victorian Special Emergency Services play a key role in countering the effects of natural and man-made emergencies in the state.
CFA
http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/ PO Box 701 Mt Waverley VIC 3149 ph: (03) 9262 8444 The Country Fire Authority protects both country and metropolitan Melbourne. Relying on volunteers, it is one of the biggest fire-fighting forces in the world. Curriculum publications for sale include teacher manuals, student activities, free fact sheets, brochures and posters on fire safety.
Emergency Management Australia
NRE
http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/ Department of Natural Resources and the Environment 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne VIC 3002 ph: (03) 9637 8000 The NRE website contains information about bushfires, with
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LEARNING TO DO
http://www.ema.gov.au This is the federal agency responsible for reducing the impact of natural and human-caused disasters.
Learning to know
Learning in order to know, to make sense of the world around, to become informed about contemporary issues, to make connections between past, present and future, to understand complex systems which act unpredictably at times.

1 Untangling the web
Internet literacy
q q q q q q
2 Tapping into the forest

the relationship between drinking water and forests
q q
q q
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Literacy and basic education CGEA Reading, Writing and Oracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options ESL Returning to study courses Basic IT courses
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading, Writing and Oracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options Returning to study Geography, environment
3 Australia on the move

earth movements and forest evolution
q q
5 Fire and forest

how fire affects the future of rainforest environments
q q
q q
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading, Writing and Oracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options Returning to study Geography, environment
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading, Writing and Oracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options Geography, environment
4 Changing climate, changing forest

climate and ecosystems
q q
6 Tourism and trees: do they mix?

a Problem Based Learning approach to forest tourism
q q
q q
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading, Writing and Oracy for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options Returning to study Geography, geology, environment
q q
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading and Writing for Knowledge, Active Listening, Oracy for Public Debate Returning to study Geography, environment, sociology, tourism
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Activity idea 1 Untangling the web
This activity can be used in a range of classes, depending on the level of language difficulty of the selected text. Although it is a useful exercise in critical literacy for reading and writing
Develop a demonstration and an instruction sheet on how to do a simple
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LEARNING TO KNOW
nternet literacy is becoming an essential component in learning. The world wide web provides access to a plethora of information, but how do we assess the relative value of each text? How do we identify the values and prejudices? This activity idea will help your students learn how to use the Internet to obtain information about forests and the environment. It will also present a format which may be used to analyse any text. It is suggested that you use texts produced by different writers from a range of perspectives on the topic of logging, woodchipping, or a forest-related subject.
classes, it is a useful activity for any learners who are researching and analysing texts in any medium.
Activity
Select a few topics related to the Forest Gallery, for example, bushfires, saving energy, woodchips, endangered species. Also select a few specific website addresses related to the same issues (e.g. web addresses listed in this publication such as WAFA or the ABC). Prepare a demonstration and an instruction sheet for your students (written simply and clearly at a suitable literacy level) on how to access a given website; how to navigate around the site to find specific information using scrolling, back and forward buttons; links within and outside the site and how to save and print information.
search using a search engine, including how to select the most suitable address for the purpose of the search. For the critical literacy activity, find some texts which are varied in their stance/values but on the same environmental topic, such as logging. Introduce your students to Melbourne Museums InfoZone, where they can use and develop their Internet skills in their own time.
same topic, originating from different websites with different or opposing stances, through asking these questions:
q
Who is speaking/writing? With what authority do they speak? What are their interests? Who do they represent? Do they declare their interests openly or is the information presented as neutral?
In the classroom
1. Students watch a demonstration of how to access web addresses and to find specific information, then practise the activity themselves, with help as required. 2. Students watch a demonstration of how to use a search engine, then do it themselves, with help as required. Note: Often we find that the web address entered comes up with a message indicating theres no such site. Its important to develop strategies to deal with this problem, for example, first check that the address is typed in correctly, then try a search engine. 3. Students can then try out the same activities for a range of addresses and topics. 4. Help students to critically evaluate selected texts about the
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Resources
Web addresses
Use web addresses and topics referred to in other activities in this publication.
Propaganda posing as science?

http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/beder/overview.htm On this ABC science program site, Dr Sharon Beder argues that corporations are infiltrating school curricula and distorting the understanding of environmental science.
Adult Education Kit for Melbourne Museums InfoZone

http://melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/education/
Web Wombats Help page

http://www.webwombat.com.au/help.htm The Australian search engin e Web Wombats Help page provides clear and brief instructions on h ow to search online.
Ask Jeeves search engine

http://www.askjeeves.com This is a search engine which finds answer s to questions, rather than finding wo rds.
List of Internet search engines
Online study skills

http://www.allen-unwin.com.au/ John Germov and Laure n Williams ,Get Great Information Fast, Allen and Unwin, 1999 This book has a related web page including extracts and useful lists of search engines, directories and sites relevant to a broad range of areas of stud y.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/elib/www.html Melbourne University libra ry online has a list of Internet search engines as well as information about h ow to carry out searches, including a link to a useful interactive tutorial.
Activity idea 2 Tapping into the forest
he Tall Forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, represented in the Forest Gallery, capture the rain from the clouds of the cold fronts passing across the south of the Australian continent. This forest catchment provides nearly all of Melbournes clean water and is an invaluable resource in our dry continent. The people of Melbourne are dependent on the survival of these forests and the water they provide! This activity will help your students understand the importance of drinking water to human life. It can be used to extend reading comprehension and writing skills at many different levels as well as increasing knowledge.
Prepare some questions which will focus students on finding out about drinking water, involving students as far as possible in formulating questions. Examples might be Where does our water come from?, Is there enough for the future?, Do we use too much?, How pure is it?, What is the relationship between forests and drinking water?.
Activity
Collect suitable resources (print, video, websites etc), which will give your students an understanding of the importance of water to human life; how water gets to our taps (town supplies, rural supplies. rainwater tanks, rivers, dams); causes of water shortages/maldistribution of water; water and public health; water wasting, water saving and water quality.
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1. Students are introduced to the topic, and presented with questions and resources with the aim of helping them develop knowledge about water. 2. In the process of answering the posed questions, students could be taught how to skim and scan, understand texts, deal with new vocabulary, summarise information and to take notes. Pre-reading activities such as predicting content and brainstorming could also be practised. 3. Visit Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery, paying close attention to the Water Zones video in the tunnel, which shows our mountain water catchments and the important role they play in providing for the needs of our community. 4. Students then present information about water in the form of a poster, pamphlet, information sheet or labelled model for a specific purpose and audience, for example, to show primary school children how the water cycle works, or to encourage householders to value drinking water and not to waste water. This activity, as well as using knowledge acquired about water, would also incorporate learning how to write for a specific audience and purpose.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Resources
Melbourne Museum Forest Galle ry
The Water Zone section is relevant to this activity idea.
Melbourne Water
http://www.melbwater.com.au/ Information about Melbourne Waters Schools Education and Community Awareness programs including information on Streamwatch, platypus study grou p, stormwater facts and catchment management . TheYour water page has a good explanation of where water comes from.
Waterwatch Victoria
http://www.waterwatch.org.au/ Waterwatch is a national volunteer water quality monitoring and education program which helps community groups and individuals to get together with their local g overnments, water authorities, indust ry and other organisations to discuss the water quality issues in their catchments and to develop strategies to deal with issues.
Study skills
http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/lsu University of Melbourne Learning Skills Unit site has online study skills leaflets as well as a comprehensive list of useful websites relating to learning. http://www.allen-unwin.com.au/ Publishing house Allen and Unwin have a neStudy Centre for universit y, college an d TAFE students in all disciplines at all levels providing useful extracts from books on study skills.
CSIRO
http://www.csiro.au/ CSIROs Land and Water sector concentrates on ecological, economic and social issues linked to the Australian landscape.
Environment Australia Online

http://www.fed.gov.au/ This is the website of the Department of Environment and Heritage with many useful resources, publications and links related to water and other environmental topics.
Murray Darling Basin Commission

http://www.mdbc.gov.au/ The Murray-Darling Basin initiative home page has an education centre, action room and communication centre.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Activity idea 3 Australia on the move
he purpose of this activity is to gain an understanding of how the ancient and modern life of the forest reflects the impact of continent formation. This is achieved through investigation into how vegetation evolved and spread through the southern hemisphere. The activity can also be used to introduce students to types of evidence underpinning scientific explanations of the natural world. Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery shows how the pattern of different forest types in Victorias Tall Forests is related to continental movement and the consequent changes to climate and to the incidence of fire. The Wet Eucalyptus Forest type of vegetation (found in Victorias Tall Forests), dominated by gum trees and wattle, has evolved in relatively recent times and is adapted to survive and thrive with the irregular occurrence of fire. Many of these types of plants are unique to the Australian continent. As well as these plants unique to Australia, the Tall Forests also contain species almost identical to those found in other southern lands, such as Nothofagus. It appears that this Cool Temperate Nothofagus Rainforest, dominated by Southern
Beech and Tree-ferns, has stayed virtually the same for millions of years, existing only in areas where there is no fire. Nothofagus is one of the oldest flowering plants, with fossil records going back 80 million years. Scientists see it as a significant component to understanding how plants have evolved and migrated in the southern hemisphere. Each of these forest types has their related set of animals with an evolutionary history matching that of the plants.
Gather information on the history of the break up of Gondwana 50 million years ago, the changing climates and the evolutionary processes which might explain the two distinctive forest types. 1. Visit Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery as a preliminary part of this activity, experiencing the Earth Zones depiction of earth movement and the different forest types. Before the visit there should be as much preparation as possible. This could be done by accessing information on the relevant flora and fauna types to be found in the Tall Forests, and explanations of continental drift. It could also include finding information
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Activity
about climate and fire. Read the Forest Galley Kit Part 1 background information. If necessary adapt the materials for your students reading levels. 2. A follow-up visit to a real forest of the type depicted in the Museum would make the project more meaningful. The Dandenongs Ranges National Park or the Forest Education Centre at Toolangi would be a suitable choice, as they offer additional educational resources of relevance. 3. Students could present their findings to othersthis process of communicating enhances understanding. One idea is to present the information as if it were on a website. The ABC Scribblygum example (see reference below) is a good model. Students with more advanced software skills could actually develop the website in a simple program, whereas others could present a hand-drawn mock-up.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Resources
The Earth Zone section is relevant to this activity idea.
Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO)

http://www.bmr.gov.au/education/esec/ GPO Box 378 Canberra ACT 2601 ph: (02) 6249 9111 The AGSOs Earth Science Education Centre includes information and activities on plate tectonics and geology for students.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gondwana and continental drift

http://orion.earth.monash.edu.au/dinodream/faq/faqgond.htm
This is the Dinosaurs Dreaming site from Monash University Palaeolab, containing answers to questions such as How do you know the earth was once one continent if no human was alive to tell us?.
Songbirds and Gondwana

http://www.dwe.csiro.au/research/progc/ANWC/songbirds.htm This CSIRO Australian National Wildlife Collection site summarises research into the question of whether Australian songbirds are descended from European songbirds or not. Its a good example of how scientific evidence enables us to understand more about the natural world.
Nothofagus
http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/April2000/default .htm Although this ABC science program (Scribblygum) website is about Nothofagus in Tasmania rather than Victoria, it gives a useful overview of relevant evolutionary history and relationship to continental drift, using well designed presentation, including audio. Also useful is Paleobotany: 10 facts which is accessible from this site through the Links section.
Video: Ark of Gondwana, Cinemedia
Rainforest
Video: Australian ecosystems, Victorian Education Australasia
Plate tectonics The history of life

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/historyoflife/histoflife.html The University of Berkeley Museum of Paleontology has a user-friendly website with clearly-written explanations, in particular the sections on phylogeny (the study of evolutionary biology, geology, and evolutionary theory). Video: Earth revealed, Educational Media Association
The Greening of Gondwana

White, M.E. The Greening of Gondwana, Reed, NSW 1986.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Victorian rainforest
Activity idea 4 Changing climate, changing forest
The species in any ecosystem also have to adapt to these changes. The Nothofagus-type forests of highland Victoria, as depicted in Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery, are a good example of a habitat that was once far more widespread, but which has become restricted, because climatic change has made it impossible for the delicate balance of different species to survive outside of a few areas. Questions about why certain kinds of forest occur in different areas lead to further questions about the history of climate change and its effect on ecosystems.
how species can adapt to a changing environment (evolution), with particular reference to climate, for example, by comparing the physical differences between Echidnas from Tasmania and those from the Northern Territory
The questions which relate to climate and forests could be posed in relation to an environment that reflects the specific habitats under examination, so a visit to the Forest Gallery at Melbourne Museum, or a visit to the Toolangi Forest centre would be a great place to start. This could generate issues such
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LEARNING TO KNOW
limate is a major factor in creating all the diverse ecosystems we can observe and study, including the forests of Victoria. Any area of the earth has a climate which is roughly stable over a period of years, but every year this changes through the cycle of the seasons. The animals and plants that live in this area have to cope with the seasonal changes that occur. Over a long period of time they adapt by developing behaviour and characteristics that help them survive successfully. Over longer periods of timemillions of years the climate itself changes, as a result of influences such as shifts in large areas of land (for example, the development and then the break-up of Gondwana) and global fluctuations such as ice ages.
Activity
Gather information about:
q
the different types of forest found in Victoria the climate in lowland and highland Victoria, and how it has changed over time how the climate impacts on particular species (for example, the way that a drier climate has led to more fires and the inability of the Nothofagus forests to survive)
as the difference in climate between the highland areas where the Nothofagus forests survive now and the climate in Melbourne. A relevant question to consider would be what is needed to generate the conditions under which this kind of forest will successfully grow in the Forest Gallery in the Museum?. You can suggest that the students do some research to build up a picture of the climate in the cool temperate areas and how it varies over the different seasons of a full year. This could be extended to compare the current climate with a picture of the conditions at a time in the distant past, such as 30 million years ago, when the predominant vegetation in Victoria was Cool Temperate Rainforest type. The students might gather examples of art work depicting the landscape in prehistoric times and photographs of existing Temperate Rainforest, for example from south-western Tasmania where there are still extensive areas of Nothofagus forest. Additional work could incorporate map and atlas work as well as graphic representation of rainfall and temperature.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Resources
The Earth and Climate Zone section is relevant to this activity idea.
http://www.bom.gov.au/ This site includes statistics and maps on temperature, rainfall and climatic conditions across Victoria and Australia.
CSIRO
http://csiro.au/ The CSIRO has a good website with general information about weather and its effects on the environment (see section on Environment and Natural Resources). Lots of references to current research on specific topics such as greenhouse effect, some of which impact directly on forests.
Ecology theory
http://ecology.about.com/science/ecology/ This site, although referring primarily to American ecology, has a good introduction to basic ecological theory in its Rainforest section.
Ecology in Encyclopedia Britannica

http://www.britannica.com/ Search Britannica for relevant information. Under ecology there is a lot of detailed scientific background showing how ecosystems are affected by factors such as the weather, geology etc. There is also information on evolution of life forms and its study through fossils and palaeontology.
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Activity idea 5 Fire and forest
While in the past the most common cause of fires would have been lightning, many fires are now ignited by humans. Sometimes this is planned burning and sometimes it is accidental, but either way it affects the natural dynamics of the forest ecosystems, which are often also being influenced by other human activities, such as timber felling and plantations. It is hard to extract the separate effects of these factors, but it is undoubtedly true that human attitudes towards fires and the
Actual fires, and particularly their influence on communities living either in or on the edge of forests, are an important cultural feature of Australian life, so you could start by collecting some materials (newspaper articles, video news clips) of recent severe fires, examining the language used in the media to describe fire. Your students might have anecdotal stories about these fires too, which will help to anchor new knowledge to personal experience. This could extend to a discussion about whether forest fires are good or badboth for the forests and for their inhabitants. Questions such as why these fires occur in the first place, and whether they would occur if
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LEARNING TO KNOW
ire has been a feature of the Australian forest landscape for a very long time. But we know that bushfires were not common when Australia was part of Gondwana, because the predominant forest-type was Nothofagus, which does not recover easily from fire damage. Over time, Australias climate became drier, and occasional fires would have occurred as a result of lightning strikes. In this environment, other species evolved which could not only cope with damage from fire, but which actually became dependent on it for their survival. In Victoria, a prime example of this is the Mountain Ash. Although the tree itself is killed by fire, the seeds regenerate most prolifically after fire. This species thrives in an environment where fires occur regularly, but infrequently (ideally every 100 to 200 years).
forest have changed, and continue to change, the evolution of forests in Victoria. The predominant forest type is now Wet Eucalypt type (Mountain Ash), and the fire-sensitive Nothofagus type is limited to cool, wet gullies which are protected by topographical conditions from the devastation of fire.
Activity
Activities should direct students towards understanding what is critical in the development of forests of different types, and how fire affects the current balance and future of these environments.
humans were not there, can lead to investigation of the origins and natural history of forests in general, and Victorian Tall Forests in particular. Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery places fire as one of the major influences on forests. Exhibits expand on the role of fire in the regeneration of Wet Eucalypt type forest, and its damaging effect on Nothofagus-type rainforests.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Resources
The sections relating to Fire and Humans are relevant to this activity idea.
CFA
http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/info_ash.htm This section of the Country Fire Authority website, containing information about the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 in Victoria, could be used to introduce the activity by referring to a real fire situation.
Fire in the Australian environment

http://www.bushfire.nsw.gov.au/education/fireaust01.htm This site supplies quite wide-ranging information on fire in the Australian environment, including the prehistoric roots of Australian forests and the impact of Aboriginal fire regimes.
Fire in the Australian landscape

Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Country Fire Authority, Fire in the Australian landscape, NRE and CFA, Melbourne, 1999. 1939 bushfires video Forests of ash, Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE).
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Activity idea 6 Tourism and trees: do they mix?
hroughout history, forests have been used by people for many different purposes: as places to live; for hunting and gathering food; for collecting materials to make medicines, dyes, clothes and shelter; for grazing animals; for water conservation and for recreation. The impact of people on the Tall Forests of Victoria is depicted in the Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery Human Zone. This activity idea encourages students to investigate tourism and recreational uses of forests with particular emphasis on how these activities affect the forest ecology. It is based on Problem Based Learning (PBL), a teaching-learning method which can be used in many situations, including Learning to know activities. PBL encourages development of generic competencies which can be used in many different life and work contexts. The steps involved are: 1. Read and analyse a problem scenario 2. List what is known 3. Develop a problem statement 4. List what is needed 5. Gather information 6. Analyse information 7. Present findings.
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LEARNING TO KNOW
Activity
Develop a scenario which will lead students to investigate a related problem which facilitates their learning about an aspect of human influence on the forest. Here are some examples: In your area of Victoria there is an old-growth forest, one of the states last remaining pockets of rainforest.
2. List what is known Students write down everything they know about the situation. 3. Develop a problem statement This is developed from an analysis of what is known. In one or two sentences, students describe what they are trying to solve, produce, respond to, discover or investigate. This statement may need to be revised at a later stage as new information is discovered. 4. List what is needed A what do we need to know to solve the problem? list is developed. It may include finding out about concepts, principles, facts, processes. These items will guide the information search.
Scenarios
A. The local bushwalking club wishing to boost their membership want to attract parties of interstate visitors to the forest. B. The local trail-bike club wants to have weekend rallies in the forest. C. The regional tourist board wants to develop visitor cabins, a visitor centre and an aerial walkway in the forest. D. Pony Tours Inc wants permission to take pony trekking tours through the forest.
Problem-based learning plan

1. Read and analyse a problem scenario From studying and discussing the selected scenario, students pose questions which need to be answered. These might cover legal, environmental, cultural and ethical issues in relation to the scenario.
6. Analyse information Students analyse gathered information. If necessary the problem statement may need to be revised. Now students are
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LEARNING TO KNOW
5. Gather information This may involve library searches, Internet searches, interviewing relevant people, visiting museums and public resources. The search can be refined and help given according to students experience levels. Note-taking and recording are incidental skills which are needed here, and which may have to be taught.
ready to recommend a solution to the problem posed, based on their research. 7. Present findings Students present their solution supported by their research and analysis. The presentation can be in many different formats: for example, written, spoken, print-based or web-published.
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Resources
The Human Zone section is relevant to this activity idea.
Tourism Victoria
http://www.visitvictoria.com/ 55 Swanston St, Melbourne 3000 ph: (03) 9653 9777 The official Victorian Government homepage, focusing on tourism aspects of Victoria and including a section on walks.
Ecotourism video
Rat Kangaroo: an experience with nature, Victorian Education Australasia
Western Australian Forest Alliance Parks Victoria

http://www.parkseducation.org/teachers.htm The education site of Parks Victoria includes sections on Parks, People and Outdoor Activities and on Tourism in Parks to help teachers. There are background notes and student activities, such as the one on minimal impact. Although aimed at VCE geography and tourism students, they could be used with many different adult education groups. http://www.wafa.org.au/ This site has links to a vast range of forest-related sites for all areas of Australia from forestry legislation to ethical investment.
The Wilderness Society

http://www.nccnsw.org.au/member/tws/projects/Forests/why6.html Tourism provides an alternative is a relevant article on this site.
The Peoples Forest

www.abc.net.au/rn/history/hindsight/features/forest This ABC Radio National program in the Hindsight series is also available as a book from ABC bookshops: The peoples forest a living history of the Australian bush. The website also has audio content.
Problem Based Learning

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/temprain/temprain.html The example on this Classrooms of the Future site concerns northern American temperate rainforest.
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Learning to live together

Learning how to live in a multicultural democratic society, which requires balancing conflicting demands, understanding the point of view of others, prospering with difference, achieving sustainability and harmony in society and the environment.

1 Sustainable footprints
sustainable patterns of consumption
q q
3 Act locally!
community environmental action
q q
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading and Writing for Public Debate, Oracy for Exploring Issues and Problem Solving, General Curriculum Options Environment, social studies
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading and Writing for Public Debate, Oracy for Exploring Issues and Problem Solving, General Curriculum Options Environment, social studies
2 Reconciling different ways of knowing

knowledge and power
q q
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading and Writing for Public Debate, Oracy for Exploring Issues and Problem Solving, General Curriculum Options Indigenous studies, cultural studies, civics, history
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LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER
Activity idea 1 Sustainable footprints

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Bruntland Report e all need air, water, food and shelter in order to live. In societies in the past there was a harmony between the environment, society and the economy, which meant that consumption levels were sustainable. Indigenous Americans living on the land planned their consumption with seven later generations in mind. But in the developed world of the 20th century we dont even think a few years ahead when we over-consume and casually discard our waste. Resources are being used up at a rate that it is unsustainable, and which is causing social and ecological disasters, not only at a local level, but also globally, such as ozone depletion and climate change. Canadian ecologist William Rees introduced the concept of ecological footprint: the surface areas of land and water needed to feed cities, supply them with forest products and to reabsorb waste products, like carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels. European citizens, on average, each have a three hectares footprint and North Americans use four to five hectares, but only one and a half hectares of productive land is available per person worldwide. The ecological footprint of the developed world is too big to be sustainable. The footprint pattern is also not fair or equitable: some countries consume a lot more than others, and within each country, some citizens consume a lot more than others. How can we as consumers find ways to consume less, to consume more discriminatingly, to consume more efficiently, and thereby enjoy richer life styles?
Activity
1. Encourage your students to examine the ways in which forest products of timber and paper are consumed. How could we change our consumption patterns and levels and behave in a more sustainable manner? 2. Collect relevant resources, or plan for your students to collect them if this is not too difficult. 3. Research which timbers, office paper, toilet paper and tissues
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are most forest-friendly. Some say they are recycled and ecologically sound, but are these claims true? 4. Present findings in a way which clearly explains why we should act more sustainably, and how to do this.
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Resources
Agenda 21: program of action for sustainable development
http://iisd.ca/sd/principle.asp The Statement of Forest Principles from the Rio declaration is available through this site.
resources and cultural heritage by creating partnerships between scientists, educators and the general public.
Environmental consequences of IMF lending

http://www.foe.org/international/imf/ This Friends of the Earth site makes the connection between the economy, society and the environment.
The Bruntland Report

World Commission of Environment and Development (WCED) Our common future, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1987
Sustainable Development Gateway
CERES
See Learning to Do Activity 2 Resources above. Half-day workshops can be arranged to cover relevant topics which include sustainability.
Sustainable manufacturing
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/earth/stories/s28472.htm The Sustainable Carpet Squares transcript from ABC Radio National Program Earthbeat (01/01/00) describes how a manufacturer made his company more environmentally sustainable.
Ecorecycle
http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au/ Information source for sustainable waste management and minimisation, including home composting, recyclable materials and other information sheets.
The Wilderness Society

http://www.wilderness.org.au/ Ross House, Flinders St, Melbourne 3000 ph: (03) 9639 5455 Consult the website for information on forest-friendly timber products and plantation timber. The Society also publish a leaflet Is your paper environmentally friendly? which exposes
Earthwatch
http://www.earthwatch.org/ 126 Bank St, South Melbourne 3205 ph: (03) 9682 6828 Earthwatch promotes sustainable conservation of natural
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http://sdgateway.net/introsd/ Introduction to sustainable development provides an overview of sustainable development and why it is important, with helpful links.
some of the differ ent interpr etations of r ecycled on labels, and gives sour ces of office paper which is most envir onmentally friendly. Education officers ar e also available to talk to gr oups.
World Commission on F orests and S ustainable Development

http://iisd.ca/wcfsd/default.htm
Woodchipping video
Felling the future, Victorian Education Australasia
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Activity idea 2 Reconciling different ways of knowing

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people naturally have a different perspective on Australias history than that of many immigrant Australians. What Europeans call settlement, we call invasion A proper acknowledgement of history is basic to understanding the present circumstances and claims of Indigenous Australians. Guilt is not a useful tool for reconciliation. An understanding of our shared history is. As a matter of fact, ATSIC 1998 e may think that knowledge is a phenomenon that just exists objectively out there, waiting to be accessed by all who wish to be enlightened. But there are many different knowledges, each constructed within the context of a specific culture and its value system. A particular cultural understanding is recognised and valued only to the extent that the cultural group has power in a society. An illustration of this can be seen in different understandings about forests. Indigenous knowledge about the forest predominated until white settlers imposed not only political and economic power on indigenous people, but also their interpretations and understandings of the natural world. Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery aims to show at least two different ways of seeing the world: the traditional indigenous view and the western scientific view. A scientific understanding of natural phenomena such as the forest is arrived at through the process of scientific method, the gathering of facts and ideas in a specific way: identifying a problem, forming a hypothesis (a statement that can be proved or disproved), designing and carrying out an experiment to
53
test the hypothesis, recording and organising data from the experiment then analysing the results. Aboriginal people have traditionally understood and ordered the natural world according to their own classifications, which have entwined symbolic and scientific meanings. This knowledge has often been ignored, or, when it has been used, treated as less valid then western knowledge and rarely acknowledged. Aboriginal people continue to seek to have this imbalance redressed. As well as natural phenomena, social and historical issues relating to indigenous people have also been subjected to different cultural interpretations. Unsubstantiated and incorrect interpretations of indigenous peoples way of life and history have become part of a body of myths in non-indigenous society. These activity ideas promote another way of knowing and seeing through a close examination of these myths.
the reasons why Aboriginal people may have a different approach from people of European origin:
q
The section of the Two Laws exhibition in the Bunjilaka Gallery which shows a multimedia production of an imagined meeting between the actual characters Baldwin Spencer and Irrapmwe, in which they engage in a discussion about knowledge of Aboriginal culture and law. The Forest Gallery Water Zone, which has an audio-visual display describing how water has created landform: the scientific (geological) view and an indigenous creation story. The Forest Gallery Climate Zone, in which there is a climate ribbon depicting the seven seasons recognised by the Wurrundjeri people.
Activity
This activity incorporates an excursion to Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery and Bunjilaka Gallery. Planning an excursion is outlined in Activity idea 1, Visit the forest in the city, in the Learning to do section of this kit. 1. Students should look at the sections of Melbourne Museum exhibitions below, aiming to experience more than one understanding of the same phenomenon and then discussing
2. A further activity to promote reconciliation would complement the Museum activities. Use the ATSIC publication As a matter of fact to examine one or more of the myths commonly held about Indigenous people by nonindigenous Australians.
54
Resources
The Water Zone and Climate Zone sections are relevant to this activity idea.
but it involves Indigenous tertiary students telling their stories and presenting issues which concern them.
Frontier Education Online

http://www.abc.net.au/frontier/education This is the website for an ABC documentary series which is also on CD ROM. The online component includes documents and other resources as well as learning activities. The Forest Gallery Kit Part 1 Background information complements this publication, as does Adult learning in museums, describing some inspiring projects in Australia and overseas. These are available to download from the Melbourne Museum website. There is also a CD ROM, available through ABC bookshops.
Melbourne Museum Bunjilaka Gallery

The Two Laws exhibitions multimedia presentation of Irrapmwe meeting with Baldwin Spencer. Other sections of this gallery are also relevant.
As a matter of fact
http://www.atsic.gov.au/fact_v_myth/amof/fact99/file_option.htm As a matter of fact, ATSIC, 1998 This publication tackles common myths about indigenous people, refuting them with facts and figures. It can be purchased and is available online in PDF or HTML format from the ATSIC website.
ANTaR: Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation

http://www.antar.org.au/ ANTaR is a coalition of community groups. The website covers media, action, events and issues.
Black Telegraph
http://www.abc.net.au/message/telegraph/default.htm This ABC website is not connected to a particular program,
55
Activity idea 3 Act locally!

Education without social action is a one-sided value because it has no true power potential. Social action without education is a weak expression of pure energy. Where do we go from here: chaos or community? Dr Martin Luther King, Harper and Row, NY, 1967 can voice our opinions and make a difference. As well as influencing decision makers, we can also act in community groups on a practical level to look after and improve our environment, by, for example, working to conserve indigenous vegetation remnants, or reducing waste. There are many organisations working towards conserving and enhancing our environmental heritage. This activity idea encourages students to learn through activity, and to act through learning.
nowledge about the environment is interesting and informative, but not very useful unless it is translated into action. Although awareness of the subtle balances in our ecosystems is becoming more universal, governments and large organisations can still make irreversible decisions impacting negatively on our local and global environments. As individuals we are fairly powerless to influence or fight decisions made by powerful bodies, however in larger community or interest groups we
Activity
If you have been studying aspects of the environment, a logical conclusion might be to think what can I do about it?. Engaging with community action about the environment could be an answer. Students may wish to research the types of campaigns and activities in
56
which they can become involved individually, or they may like to work as a group on a smaller scale community project. There are many national, state and local organisations engaged in environmental activities, from the hands-on Friends of ... organisations to political lobby groups, to direct action organisations. Website addresses for some of these organisations are listed below, so students can find an organisation whose activities may interest them. Students living in rural areas may be concerned about land management which conserves indigenous vegetation remnants, whereas urban students may be more concerned with preventing an unnecessary freeway from being built. Local newspapers are a good source of current issues and often advertise meetings for concerned residents. Local government environmental officers can sometimes be helpful in terms of local issues and campaigns in the area, such as those to reduce greenhouse emissions. Another idea is to look at environmental issues which are very close at hand, such as the use of office paper or waste disposal in your organisation. A group could be established to look at the problem and how to eradicate or minimise it for the benefit of the environment. The Gould League offers a program to help community groups do an environmental makeover, identifying ways to conserve biodiversity and manage water use and waste in more environmentally sustainable ways. Many other environmental organisations also have education officers who can help on specific issues. Looking at websites to identify the issues which an
organisation is currently working on, followed by a phone inquiry to get specific information, is a good way to start. This activity could be a vehicle through which students can learn campaigning, fundraising, meeting procedures, communication processes and other organisational skills at the same time as acting to conserve the environment.
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Resources
Australian Conservation Foundation
http://www.acfonline.org.au/ 340 Gore St, Fitzroy 3065 ph: (03) 9416 1166 email: acfenv@peg.apc.org The ACF is a non-profit organisation dedicated to looking after the environment, running campaigns including those concerned with forests, global warming, rivers and water, land clearance and management.
in Australias waterways. Based on the monitoring, the groups can translate their knowledge of water quality problems into constructive action like tree planting, fencing areas of river banks and reducing litter and pollution levels. The website includes leaflets on how to prepare a Waterwatch plan and establish a local Waterwatch group.
environmentoz
http://www.spirit.net.au/ This is an environmental directory for groups and organisations actively involved in conserving Australias unique and fragile ecosystems. The Social change training manual on this site is a valuable resource to help community environmental action groups work effectively as learning organisations working for social change.
Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers

http://www.atcv.com.au 62-74 Pickles St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 ph: (03) 9686 5554 ATCV manage volunteers in practical conservation projects to improve the Australian environment.
Environment Victoria
http://www.envict.org.au/ 19 OConnell St North Melbourne VIC 3051 ph: (03) 9348 9044 email: admin@envict.org.au Environment Victoria is the states peak environment group, comprising individual members, supporters and around 85 conservation groups. The organisation works on priority environmental issues, with key projects concerned with remnant vegetation, streams and waterways, old growth forests, public transport and air pollution, greenhouse gas pollution and waste minimisation.
Community Biodiversity Network

http://www.cbn.org.au/ This is a community-based network of organisations promoting community understanding and involvement in biodiversity conservation.
Community Waterwatch groups

http://www.waterwatch.org.au/ Waterwatch is a national water quality monitoring program that assists community groups to monitor the quality of water
58
Friends of the Earth

http://www.foe.org/ PO Box 222, Fitzroy 3065 ph: (03) 9419 8700 Friends of the Earth has many campaigns and collectives, including Forests Network, Streets for People and Indigenous Solidarity Group.
equipment, resources and support publications are available from Greening Australia. This organisation has an education and training program which covers all areas of the state, including a program in the Port Philip area which includes a range of topics from propagation to vegetation management. They also offer support and advice to community groups concerned with bush care.
Friends of
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au The Parkweb page provides information on parks, rivers, marine areas and heritage properties which Parks Victoria manage. Many parks have a Friends of group undertaking practical conservation and regeneration work.
Victorian National Parks Association
Gould League of Victoria

http://www.gould.edu.au PO Box 1117, Moorabbin 3189 ph: (03) 9532 0909 The Gould League has a team of education officers who can visit your education centre and provide professional development for teachers. A new program will assist you in developing an environmental makeover to enhance biodiversity in the area and to reduce energy and water consumption. Publications and posters are also available.
The Wilderness Society campaigns

http://www.wilderness.org.au/ The latest campaigns are listed on this website, which also provides many other resources useful to action on the environment.
Greening Australia Victoria

(See above in Learning to do, Activity idea 2 Resources.) Vegetation restoration information and advice, access to
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http://www.vnpa.org.au/ 10 Parliament Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002 ph: (03) 9650 8296 Information for everyone concerned about protecting and preserving Victorias natural heritage.
Learning to be
Learning how to develop and maintain personal physical and mental health in order to have control over ones life, improve well being and relationships, keep fit in mind and body.

1 Listen to the bush
bushwalking for relaxation
q q
2 Figure in the landscape

art history and photography
q q
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading and Writing for Practical Purposes and Self Expression, General Curriculum Options Relaxation and health
Literacy, basic education and ESL CGEA Reading and Writing for Practical Purposes, General Curriculum Options Environment, photography, art history
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LEARNING TO BE
Activity idea 1 Listen to the bush

alking in the bush is a way to relax and forget about the stresses of modern living. This activity idea is aimed at encouraging people to enjoy the gentler recreational aspects of the bush in ways that are safe and which respect the environment.
possible accidents and in order to make the experience an enjoyable one. You may like to find out where you can experience the type of Tall Forests represented in the Forest Gallery at first hand. Alternatively, seeking out bush in or near your neighbourhood is ideal, and involves less road travel and expense. Even in urban areas you can often find pockets of indigenous vegetation remaining, protected in the form of a park or reserve, if you do a bit of research.
Activity
Plan the logistical aspects of the bushwalk beforehand so you can relax on the day! Select a bushwalk to suit the needs of your students physical abilities, stamina and experience. If people are new to bushwalking, dont be too ambitious: plan an easy trip with good pathways and not too much climbing, with plenty of rests and picnics. Walks which include a nature trail with notes or signage provided by the park rangers can be an easy introduction to the bush. Whatever the length and difficulty of the walk, good preparation is required to cater for all kinds of weather,
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LEARNING TO BE
Check the weather in advance, and on the day, through the Bureau of Meteorology website and by phoning the park ranger for local weather reports. Avoid bushfire weather and other severe conditions. Remember to take water, sunscreen, insect repellent, protective clothes to keep out the elements and
insects, walking shoes or boots, maps, and a first aid kit. Also make sure you dont get lost: know where you are going, use good maps and try to complete the walk without your students before the real excursion, so you can identify interesting points on the walk, as well as getting an idea of the suitability of the terrain. If students are not used to the bush, do some preliminary work with them on how to look after the bush in terms of rubbish, fire, flora and fauna. As this activity is about learning to be, a few minutes silence listening to the sounds of the quiet bush is a good way to start. This kind of reflection can make people aware of the environment in which they live, and the changes that have occurred in the lives of most Australians over the last century. As well as listening to the bush, you could concentrate on the light and dark, or the textures or smells of the bush.
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LEARNING TO BE
Resources
http://www.bom.gov.au/ This sites includes statistics and maps on temperature, rainfall and climatic conditions across Victoria and Australia.
Parkweb
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au This site covers National and State parks in Victoria with comprehensive listings, an education section and Enjoy a safe park visit in the Parks and rivers section.
Stepping out
http://www.tracks.vic.gov.au/ Parks Victoria have a Stepping Out website listing walks.
Toolangi Forest Education Service

See above in Learning to do Activity idea 1 Resources.
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LEARNING TO BE
Activity idea 2 Figure in the landscape
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LEARNING TO BE
he forest is a good place to stimulate reflection on peoples relationship with nature. Throughout human history, art has used images of people in landscapes to represent ideas about this relationship, in painting, photography and other visual media. When someone approaches the task of choosing a scene to paint or to photograph, they bring with them preconceptions about how we see our place in the natural world, and the resulting photograph or painting contains this information in the choices that have been made. An examination of peoples different approaches to such a task can be enlightening. Australian art has its own history of this landscape tradition, and examples can easily be found, from the earliest settlers to the present day, which point out the changing perceptions of the place of humankind in the total scheme of things. The Forest Gallery at Melbourne Museum is an interesting reversal of this genre, in that the forest becomes the figure in an overwhelmingly human nature (the city).
Activity
The preparatory work for this activity is to look at images which represent the Australian bush, especially those portraying forest areas. Images can include Aboriginal arttraditional and modernand post-white settlement paintings and photography. This activity itself involves a visit to Melbourne Museums Forest Gallery to take photographs. Students could bring their own cameras, or your educational centre may have cameras to borrow. Failing this, disposable cameras available at any supermarket are an option. (Try to select a make which recycles used cameras when returned to the film company.)
Students could take photos based on the following themes:

q
a figure in a landscape which reflects a well-known painting a landscape which excludes all signs of human activity the necessary architectural devices required to maintain real rainforest conditions in the Melbourne Museum Forest Gallery setting (for example, protection from sun).
These photos could be presented in the form of an exhibition for other students to look at.
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LEARNING TO BE
Resources
A brush with landscape
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/events/brush1.htm The transcript, and those of the two accompanying episodes which can be accessed as links from this site, is from a series of Radio National programs exploring the landscape tradition in Australian painting. It will also provide you with the names of many artists whose work you may follow up in galleries, actual or online.
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ This is a site where you can find Australian paintings of the bush classified under artists names.
National Gallery Australia

http://www.nga.gov.au The National Gallery in Canberra has a collections database.
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LEARNING TO BE

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Adult learning at Melbourne Museum

Forest Gallery Kit Part 2

Learning activity ideas

The learning activity ideas

The Forest Gallery

The Water Zone

The Earth Zone

The Climate Zone

The Fire Zone

The Human Zone

The Lie of the Land

Introducing this kit INTRODUCTION

The basis of the kit

Using the kit

The activity ideas

It was decided that this kit should be placed on the Melbourne

Content, contexts and levels

Organisation of the learning activity ideas

learning to do learning to know learning to live together learning to be.

Designing learning activities from the ideas

What works best?

ABC Radio National

Forest Gallery Kit Part 1Background information

Melbourne Museum Forest Gallery

New Horizons: environmental learning project

Melbourne Museum InfoLink

Melbourne Museum InfoZone

Learning to live together

The learning activity ideas

Links with curriculum or courses

3 Save energy, save the planet!

2 Grow your own

Activity idea 1 Visit the forest in the city

Toolangi Forest Education Service

Melbournes Living Museum of th e West

The Immigration Museum

The Royal Botanic Gardens

Activity idea 2 Grow your own

Greening Australia Victoria

Gould League of Victoria

Koorie plants, Koorie people

Melbournes Living Museum of the West

Grey Box and Grassland Indigenous Nursery

Keelbundoora Indigenous Plant Nursery

Merri Creek Management Committee

The Royal Botanic Gardens

Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Cooperative (VINC)

Activity idea 3 Save energy, save the planet!

6. Check to see if you have reached your target.

Sustainable Energy Authority

CSIRO climate information

CSIRO atmospheric research

The EPA (US) global warming site

Four Corners debate

Four Corners debate on greenhouse effect.

The Gould League

Activity idea 4 Be prepared!

Emergency Management Australia

Links with curriculum or courses

2 Tapping into the forest

3 Australia on the move

5 Fire and forest

4 Changing climate, changing forest

6 Tourism and trees: do they mix?