All lessons › Human impacts on the environment › Lesson 3
Australian primary science · Years 5–6 · Lesson 3 of 7
Choose an action, check the impact
Inquiry question: Which conservation action fits our evidence, and how will we know if it helps?
Marked no materials needed
Planning an investigation
What students learn
Conservation decisions should match the problem and use evidence. A plan needs a baseline, a measurable outcome and a fair comparison; carrying out an action is not the same as proving an environmental benefit.
Success criteria
- I can choose an action that addresses the evidence.
- I can explain a trade-off or limitation.
- I can plan a baseline and repeatable measure of the outcome.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students can link habitat changes and pollution pathways to possible effects on living things.
- iPads with Bottlebrush Education open — 13 (one per pair)
- Projector or big screen — 1
Teacher setup
- Open this lesson’s student view and supplied source on the projector.
- Check iPads are charged.
Safety and adaptations
- Optional observations: stay in the teacher-approved school area. Do not touch litter, wildlife, drains or creek water.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Offer a choice of focus, such as a local organism, habitat change or pollutant. Accept more than one defensible conclusion; ask students to explain their evidence.
- Read the fictional school evidence and action cards.
- Pairs choose one priority and cite at least two pieces of evidence.
- Compare their choice with another option, including cost, maintenance and time.
- Plan a baseline, repeated measure, comparison and likely confounding factor.
- Share the proposal; another pair checks whether the proposed measure really tests the claim.
- Optional: with school approval, make supervised observations on school grounds and revisit the plan using real class evidence.
Teacher modelling prompt
Read the litter totals: 18, 22 and 20 near lunch tables. Compare this with 2, 1 and 3 near the garden. Recommend starting with secure bins and routines near lunch tables. Plan matched counts before and after, over several days. State: fewer counted items would support reduced loose litter, but would not by itself prove a cleaner creek.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: Which conservation action fits our evidence, and how will we know if it helps?
| Evidence and priority | Action and trade-off | Baseline | Measure and repeat schedule | Comparison and other influences | What success would mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Which claim distinguishes an action from an outcome?
Provided example or reference data
Made-up teaching data: loose litter items in matched areas
| Area | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch tables | 18 | 22 | 20 |
| Native garden | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Check the data source in the teacher lesson. Illustrative or fictional data are not measurements collected by your class.
Check understanding
What should pupils know? What is a baseline, and why collect one?
Explain with evidence: Use two numbers to explain which area has the stronger litter problem in this brief.
Apply the idea: Give a measure of success and one factor you would keep consistent.
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.