We all live in a catchment! Through storm water drains or directly into creeks, rivers and the ocean, our activities impact on riverine and marine ecosystems.
In this Theme you discover just how connected you are to local and global water systems and how impacted they are by human activity, even on land!
Ideas and Inspiration
Schools can investigate and care for their catchment in many ways, including:
- Identifying storm water drains and ensuring they are litter free
- Planting and maintaining healthy native gardens around storm water drains or waterways to minimise run-off
- Making sure there are no areas of loose sediment
- Anti-littering campaigns and initiatives
Some helpful resource links:
Learning About Litter teacher guide
A resource by KABCWA (Keep Australia Beautiful WA) Activities cover what litter is, where it comes from and why we should care about it, plus ways that individuals and
society can start solving the ongoing waste problem. They are sequenced to build on students’ progressive knowledge
of litter and work towards a campaign involving the whole school. Extension activities from a range of curriculum areas
have been included to further expand the concepts in each activity.
Keeping our Waterways Litter Free
Games and activities for kids of all ages by KABCWA (Keep Australia Beautiful WA). There is also a printable copy of Down The Drain.
The Tangaroa Blue Foundation has developed their online Education Kit which contains lessons about Marine Debris. Easy to use for educators, it is aligned with Australia’s National Curriculum. Hands-on experiences provide links to the real world beyond the classroom with real data and analysis becoming part of the Australian Marine Debris Initiative.
Australian Government Murray Darling Basin Authority (2022): Environmental change and management
This is a resource pack for year 10 students on ‘Caring for River Country’. Students have access to worksheets and recordings on traditional management strategies that have been used by First Nations people for 10s of thousands of years including fish traps and firestick farming.
Australian Government Murray Darling Basin Authority (2022) Wetlands and Food Webs
This is a resource pack for year 4+ students on wetlands and food webs. Resources provided include worksheets, food web cards, posters and an activity on how to make a natural biofiltration system.
Georges Riverkeeper Education Resources for Schools
Designed for schools in proximity to the Georges River, these resources provide Stage-specific lesson plans regarding waterways and litter.
