In this activity students will create four different ecosystems in a shoebox. They will begin by researching different ecosystems, then create and collect all the parts necessary for each of those ecosystems. (If using a shoebox is too difficult or will take too long, use a large piece of art paper divided into quarters.)

This Powerpoint is a great teaching tool to get younger students thinking about the variety of animals on the planet. They learn some key ideas around the concept of biodiversity. The Powerpoint can be used straight from the Cool Australia website or downloaded by clicking on the Powerpoint and using the SlideShare website.

Students are challenged to reduce the amount of rubbish their family sends to landfill. Key lessons and understandings of activity: A family can reduce the amount of rubbish they send to landfill through the 3Rs+C. There are many environmental and social benefits of recycling and composting. There are many environmental benefits of cutting the rubbish that is sent to landfill (especially as it will reduce the amount of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, from being formed in the landfill).

Students design and conduct a biodiversity project. Depending on the partner, students might find a location and plan an entire revegetation project. NB – There are two suggested ‘Considering social action’ projects. This one and ‘Wildlife garden website.’ These are both lengthy projects and most classes will only have time for one of these.

In this prior learning activity, students begin to understand the concept of biodiversity and explore why there is poor public understanding of the word.

In this activity students will work in groups to research the freshwater situation in regions around the world. Students will be asked to produce both a report and a map of the region they investigate, and will use the map to create a freshwater map of the world in the classroom. They will then be asked to rank the region they investigated on its present and future water stress.

This Powerpoint is a great teaching tool to introduce some key biodiversity concepts to your students. The Powerpoint can be used straight from the Cool Australia website or downloaded by clicking on the Powerpoint and using the SlideShare website. Once you have downloaded the Powerpoint, you will find teaching tips, activities and extra content information in the notes section.

Students are to construct a piece of art that will show the changes in the way people used materials and disposed of their waste over the past 400 years. They will also be able to predict what life might be like and waste disposal methods in the year 2050.

Students produce a poster focusing on a single energy tip.

Students are introduced to the topic of energy by analysing research articles and creating a Wordle cloud. Wordle is a free word art tool that crunches any chunk of text and produces a visual representation of the content. The resulting word could emphasise the most common words by amplifying their size based on frequency. Students will increase their knowledge of subject-specific vocabulary and use this knowledge to create an energy limerick.

This Powerpoint is a great teaching tool to get younger students thinking about energy. They will learn some key ideas around the concept of energy and discover energy conservation tips. The Powerpoint can be used straight from the Cool Australia website or downloaded by clicking on the Powerpoint and using the SlideShare website.

Students are asked to invent their own animal using their knowledge of the features that animals have.

Students are to work on the Student Worksheet provided. Once complete, ask students to complete a quick pair-share, where they discuss their findings with the neighbour. Which words are familiar and which are not? Ask the class to discuss the unfamiliar words. Can they make any rule that will help them remember which part of an insect is the thorax and which is the abdomen?

Students from Australian schools talk about their experiences using the free Cool Australia resources in the classroom. Teachers explain how they get the best out of the Cool Australia website to educate for a sustainable future.

In everything Cool Australia does, we believe in thinking creatively. We believe in making information accessible to everyone. We do this by delivering resources for free and making them simple and easy to use. Oh and we just happen to provide great environmental education. Join us.