Recovering from bushfires
Session: Communities working together for recovery
Middle and Upper Primary (levels 4-6) /
Time: 50 minutes (approximately)
Curriculum areas:
  • Civics and Citizenship
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • English
  • Personal and Social Capability

Learning intention:
Students will explore what a community is and how it cares for each of its’ members. Students will explore how a community recovers after it has been affected by bushfire.
Suggested resources:
  • Whiteboard, IWB or poster paper
  • Appropriate markers to record on the medium used
  • Materials as selected for recording student responses. E.g.workbooks and markers, tablets, recording devices etc.
  • Linked resources

Activities
Starting
Pose the question:
  • What is a community?
Ask the class to come up with ideas and a working definition of community. Recordthe key areas discussed on a whiteboard, IWB or poster paper to be referred back to throughout this session.
Refer to a dictionary or online resource to further assist with this definition.
The community definition needs to include:
  • notion of people interacting in close proximity
  • sharing common values

Exploring
Have the class view watch the video clips
  • Behind the News: Fire aftermath
This shows the very beginning of recovery just days after the bushfire.
  • John Burgess: recovery in Flowerdale
He explains what is being done to help the community to rebuild and recover after the Black Saturday bushfire.
With the class, discuss the clips' main points which demonstrate the importance of community.
Check back to the original thoughts recorded on the meaning of community to look for linked or similar ideas.
Bringing it together
In small groups, have students access, read and explore the content on the Strathewen Community websiteto view an example of how one community has approached the recovery process.
Ask students to note and record examples for each of the different aspects of recovery:
  • Economic
  • Social
  • Psychological
  • Environmental

Extending
How communities recover:
Based on the linked resources and content from this session, students are to independently build a list of examples of recovery. Then in small groups students will share and discuss their lists and add other ideas to it that could be useful in rebuilding a community after a bushfire.
Together students should briefly record how each new idea could also help individuals in their recovery.
Using their lists and shared ideas, each group will produce a high-impact poster to publicise these ideas in a way that would be encouraging to a community that is rebuilding and trying to support its members.
© VCAA 2015 / Page 1