As we live in a digital world, exposures to events which occur around the globe

become seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Children are likely to be

exposed to natural disasters through various media outlets and experience a
growing curiosity about them. Without analytical literacy skills, ICT skills and
geographical knowledge, primary school students may become confused and
misinformed, which would then impact upon their future learning in Geography
and History, as misconceptions grow. Examining bushfires becomes a vehicle for
deploying critical literacy skills and exploring geographical concepts. With
numerous bushfires occurring throughout Australia yearly, investigating causes
and effects of bushfires becomes a legitimate line of inquiry.
In Western Australia during the 2014/2015 reporting period, the Department of
Fire and Emergency Services responded to 6164 landscape fires (DEFS, 2016). As
the population of Western Australia grows, suburban areas and natural bush
areas consequently meet, with an increasing risk of bushfire to communities. It is
imperative that students gain an understanding of the power of fire, but also the
effects it has on communities and the state at large.
It is also important for students to understand how naturally occurring fires
influence and impact upon the environment. Here students can analyse and
evaluate Indigenous Australian knowledge in comparison to European Australian
knowledge of land management, to gain greater understanding. In such a way
students may then discern between small scale natural processes and disasters.
Moreover, students gain an understanding of their micro and macro
environments, and human interconnections with those. Understanding the
differences enables students to engage in critical and creative thinking,
scrutinising preparation and response plans. They may also evaluate how
communities respond to such events.
The anniversary of the Harvey Waroona Yarloop district fires provides a context
for West Australian students to address these concerns. This unit of work asks
students to build an evolving body of knowledge about bushfires by examining
geographical characteristics of fire prone areas; examining impacts to
communities, flora, fauna and livestock; and, investigating planning, prevention
and action plans. The unit of work also provides a platform for empathy
development and debate skills, as debate is encouraged around contentious
issues surrounding bushfire.
This unit of work guides and scaffolds students to search for information
available online which is reliable, objective and ethically sourced. Students are

encouraged to formulate their own investigation questions while being guided

towards key information and understandings embedded within the curriculum
learning outcomes and achievement standards.
The focus of this unit of work is the implementation of analytical and critical
literacy skills in a geography context. The aim of which is to empower students
to identify and appreciate diverse points of view in reliable sources; to be well
informed by ethical means (by referencing sources); and, to collaborate in the
creation of a digital learning community resource. This unit also aims to foster a
sense of amazement and appreciation for the natural processes which occur
within Australian ecosystems.
This unit also hopes to encourage students to be empathetic active and informed
citizens by investigating how severely impacted bushfire communities are.
These aims are evident in the West Australian curriculum outcomes for year 5.
The curriculum rationale (Schools Curriculum and Standards Authority [SCSA],
2014) identifies how students require critical thinking skills in order to question
evidence, reflect on local and global issues and make decisions. All of these
principles are based on the foundation of understanding how historical,
geographical, societal factors influence human interactions with the
environment. They also reflect the multimodality capabilities and multi literacies
skills required to meet future challenges, as identified by the Melbourne
Declaration (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth
Affairs, 2008).
Consequently, this unit of work is based upon the humanities achievement
standards for year 5 (SCSA, 2014) which focus on the development of
questioning and researching skills around natural phenomena, the
communication and presentation of this information using traditional and digital
formats, and investigating the intersection of human action on environment. As
students in year 5 approach their final year of primary school, critical literacy and
higher order thinking becomes more pertinent. As such, the unit of work also
takes from the English curriculum to support the development of these important
21st century capabilities. They also intersect with capabilities derived from the
Technologies curriculum, in order to support students increasing sense of global
citizenship. At the intersection of these capabilities lies the intention to instil
students with skills to be part of the digital age. The unit of work teaches
transferrable skills and fosters deep understandings.

To mirror this 21st century focus on multiple literacies, digital modalities, and
micro versus macro level thinking (Hayes & Gee, 2011), assessments are
embedded through the unit which document the evolution in thinking and skill
across the three content domains, culminating in a final project. Each
assessment item is part of a larger project which seeks to educate other global
citizens across the web about the multifaceted nature of Australian bushfires. As
Forman and Arthur-Kelly (2013) discuss, the chain of formative assessments
seeks to realistically promote change rather seeking to measure it, by creating
challenges. The final summative assessment is an inquiry project based upon
investigating the impacts of an Australian bushfire.
This is an authentic approach to inquiry, as the students are set with clear
purpose for their research.
Students work collaboratively to research and produce a presentation in a
chosen format. Students are guided by a focus on education- their presentation,
in whatever format, must be educative for the wider community. The final
assessment is also influenced by the approaching anniversary of the Shire of
Harvey bushfires, which provides a human face to the purpose. Additionally, the
students are able to choose their preferred format for presentation. This allows
students of diverse abilities and strengths to showcase their learning in a way
which plays to their interests and abilities.
As part of the assessment cycle, feedback is used to inform and shape future
learning (Queensland Studies Authority, n.d.). As Hattie and Timperley (2007)
discuss, feedback is an informative consequence of a learning performance.
Feedback creates a dialogue (Black & Wiliam, 2011, p. 21) between teacher and
student, or peer to peer, stimulating affective responses which can motivate and
increase effort (Dinham, 2007, p.22). Feedback also serves as a correctional
process by reorganizing comprehensions immediately after production or
response (Hattie &Timperley, 2007, p. 82). Consequently, an oral feedback
response during a diagnostic questioning session can inform the teacher, the
individual student and also the rest of the class. For example, during learning
experience #2 (is bushfire luck of the draw?) when students are asked to
name how Australians have interacted with climactic conditions to shape the
environment around them, a feedback response could be: Yes that is correct,
well done. Farmers do use clearing and fencing to control climactic conditions.
Can you think of other methods which are just as effective but not used in

farming? Have some think time.. In such a way the student receives an affective
positive response which appeals to their motivations to continue, then the
feedback identifies what was correct through a restatement of fact; after which
the student receives feedback in the shape of a direction for future thought.
Hattie and Timperley (2007) describe this feedback approach as a three -part
approach- where am I going, how am I going, and what next? (Hattie &
Timperley, 2007, p. 86). This can also be implemented in written form. For
example, exit slips can be returned to students with feedback in the form of a
feedback sandwich, and formal written work would have more extensive
comments about task, evidence of self-regulation and future outcomes. This
allows for feedback which is most effective as it is personalised for each student,
according to what evidence of learning they have produced against the intending
outcomes.
The unit of work has been informed by the Understanding by Design process
developed by Wiggins and McTighe. The three stage planning process deviates
from traditional planning approaches which begin from the learning experiences.
The Understanding by design (UbD) or Backwards Design model, begins with
identifying what the intended learning outcomes will be. The first stage of
planning asks the educator to clarify the essential understandings; to pronounce
what the propositional, procedural and conditional knowledges will be (Heap, as
cited in Ansley, 1998). As such this stage revolves around big ideas and big
questions. The second stage of planning identifies the assessment pieces which
announce how student learning is demonstrated. This stage asks educators to
decide what assessment will be best suited to the desired learning outcomes; the
educator must align the assessment to the curriculum learning outcomes. The
third stage allows the educator to explore and determine the learning
experiences which will lead to the intend goals. Educators determine which
experiences will be most engaging and align most closely to the assessments
and essential understandings. The UbD approach is planning for clearly defined
short and long term goals, which consequently results in clearer teaching
learning pathways (Wiggins & McTighe, 2011, p. 7).
Students have the opportunity demonstrate learning in discussion groups,
through written and verbal reflection, through their writing, and also through
quick show of hands. This has been embedded so that diverse learning styles
and different ways of knowing have the potential to be recognised. It also allows

for evidence to be cumulative rather than singular; students are afforded

multiple opportunities to succeed at their own pace before the final summative
assessment. This paves a clear learning journey for each student, which is visible
to parents through informal and formal reporting.
Parents are able to track the whole class and also their individual child online and
across formal reports. The class website is constructed to be a learning journal
which evolves with the students into a final product of learning. It also
encourages self-assessment and reflection and peer assessment, creating
opportunities practise metacognitive skills. The class Dojo page provides informal
reporting to parents on a daily basis, creating a context which supports the
formal reporting at the end of year. It also enables parents to question and
contribute to the learning cycle if they so wish.