Unit 6: Water Flowing Around Us
Water catchments activity guide
Developed by
This project was funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence. A copy of this licence is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc/2.5/au/ or by writing to info@creativecommons.org.au. However logos are protected by copyright. Page 1 of 3
Unit 6: Water Flowing Around Us
Water catchments activity guide
Estimated duration: 20 minutes Aim •
To understand the concept of catchments as units of land management
Outcome By the end of this session, students will be able to: • Identify and name their own catchment management area as part of a series of catchment management areas within the Victorian region • Describe some of the factors that contribute to catchment and river health
Resources •
Water catchments slideshow
Activity Description This activity is a teacher‐centred discussion about water catchments using the slideshow provided. If you choose not to use the extension activity below, you will need to delete the last few slides before presenting the slideshow. Extension Activity Students can research their own local river catchment in more detail using the internet. Alternatively, teachers can guide class discussions using the resources available on the internet. The details you might wish to have researched include: The area of the catchment Where the water is stored and how much is stored The main uses of the water in the catchment How much water the average person or home in the area uses What the current level or capacity of the catchment is. A few starting points to obtain information are provided below: Melbourne Melbourne and the surrounding region are part of the Port Phillip and Westernport catchment management area. Melbourne Water has an interactive website where the students can investigate the health of their own river system. The interactive map of river condition can be found at: http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/rivers_and_creeks/river_health/index _of_river_condition.asp Page 2 of 3
Regional Victoria Each of the 10 regional Victorian catchment areas has a website where students can begin to investigate some of the activities of their local catchment management authorities (CMAs). • • • • • • • • • •
Corangamite Catchment Management Authority website East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority website Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority website Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority website Mallee Catchment Management Authority website North Central Catchment Management Authority website North East Catchment Management Authority website Port Phillip and Western Port Catchment Management Authority website West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority website Wimmera Catchment Management Authority website
Student Roles and Responsibilities Participate in agreed tasks Contribute to class discussions Work cooperatively with others Seek teacher assistance and support when needed
Level of Teacher Support Facilitate discussion Organise materials and equipment Present slideshow Provide encouragement Introduce tasks and activities Provide assistance when requested.
Assessment To use this learning activity as an assessment task, collect evidence such as: Teacher checklist and observation Student research notes and report Copies of student materials and worksheets Student notes
Page 3 of 3