Environment

Introduced pests in Australia

Using internet resources, students work in groups to research introduced pests and methods that have been (or might be) used to control them, and then prepare a presentation of the information found. The worksheet suggests six different pests, and gives details of several internet sites relevant to each.

Students may need some guidance on the type and complexity of the presentation to be developed, and this can be varied according to the age level and context of the discussion.

An extension to this work sheet could be to use the Ask the experts work sheet (from What is biotechnology?) to ask a researcher to come and talk to the class.

Should we interfere with nature?

Using internet or library resources, students work in groups to investigate an organism that poses a danger to humans, its relationship to other organisms in the environment, and any work being done to control or eradicate it. Each group member then takes on a role and from this perspective explores reasons for or against using some form of biotechnology to change the organism. Pairs of students discuss some of the differences of opinion that emerge, and present these to the group before sharing views with the rest of the class.

As with any role play activity, debriefing afterwards is important to ensure that students have an opportunity to put their own views, and that other students do not assume that views put while in a role are those of the student taking the role.

It could be worth including a discussion of how attitudes towards the environment can vary - this description is found in the Ways of seeing the environment section of Ethics of research involving the environment.

Students could need a reminder that the comments in the worksheet's introductory paragraph - about the organisms being part of a natural ecosystem - should not be ignored. Students may well focus on the danger and inconvenience that these organisms cause for humans and forget to include a consideration of the broader view of all organisms as inter-dependent members of a dynamic system.

Deciding on support for conservation programs

Students look at economic, scientific and ethical issues that must be considered before deciding which species it is most important to conserve, and decide which issues they think are the most important influences on decisions about conservation of particular plants or animals. The activity involves small group work to explore the issues and carry out a role play activity, followed by reports to the rest of the class.

It could be worth including a discussion of how attitudes towards the environment can vary - this description is found in the Ways of seeing the environment section of Ethics of research involving the environment.

As with any role play activity, debriefing afterwards is important to ensure that students have an opportunity to put their own views, and that other students do not assume that views put while in a role are those of the student taking the role.

Why bother saving the bilby?

Students use the views expressed in a letter as a starting point for answering the question posed by the title of the activity. After individually writing a summary of the writer's arguments and assumptions, students work in groups and then as a class to discuss the issues. Then, in pairs or small groups, they devise a bilby conservation program and prepare a presentation on this for the rest of the class.

Some guidance might be needed on the type and complexity of the presentation to be developed, and this will vary with the level of your class.

Should we clone extinct species?

Students work in groups and use internet resources to research the problem and present advantages and disadvantages of cloning extinct species. They summarise the information and points of view found, and discuss whether cloning is an option, and if so whether it should be used; and conclude by sharing group ideas with the rest of the class.

The worksheet lists a number of internet sites with relevant material.

The film Jurassic Park was made in the late 1980s and at the time the technology did not exist to clone anything but genes and plants. Now, we can clone animals and some people want to bring back extinct species using this technology. This worksheet looks at why people might want to do such a thing and some of the implications of their success. Indeed, Jurassic Park paints a picture of a species that has evolved beyond our control and suggests that things could go horribly wrong if such a project was successful.

An extension of this worksheet could involve watching the film and discussing how feasible the technology they proposed is in today's technological environment. You could also discuss whether other aspects of the film are realistic, or exaggerated for dramatic effect.

Oil-eating bacteria

In this experiment, students work in groups to test the hypothesis that the oil-digesting abilities of soil bacteria vary according to the amount of oil found in the natural environments of different bacterial strains.

It could be a messy exercise. Covering the benches with newspaper is a good idea. Provide adequate washing facilities for the equipment at the end of the exercise.

Discourage any student who suggests that a suitable test site might be created by spilling oil deliberately.

Humans and the environment

This activity enables students to explore principles such as informed consent, individual rights and freedom of choice. Discussion may also touch on the distribution of decision-making power between governments, the corporations who manufacture and sell GM foods, and consumers.

Begin the activity by asking students to read the section about the ways of seeing the environment - this description is found in the Ways of seeing the environment section of Ethics of research involving the environment.

Follow this with a class discussion of how humans relate to animals and plants in daily life (eg animals and plants are a source of food, animals may be companions or used for experiments). Also ask students to think about what kinds of responsibilities they feel they have toward animals and plants and discuss how students develop these attitudes? Are they influenced by: the media, their family, their friends, literature, or personal experience?

In this exercise, students should look at the attitudes and responsibilities of a number of different groups by sharing their analysis of a range of documents. You will need to provide each student group with either access to the internet, or to information taken from each of the websites listed. In order to provide the most up to date information, it is recommended that you revisit these sites regularly to check for new information.