Teaching sequence

Lesson objective

In this lesson students learn about special natural landscapes, such as national parks and botanical gardens. They identify landscape features on a map and apply their understanding of these to their own park design.

Introduction

Briefly recall landscape types from Lesson 2. Give each student a picture of a different landscape type from the worksheet Types of landscapes 2.

Write or display the words ‘constructed’, managed’ and ‘natural’ (as headings) on the board. Instruct the students to come to the board in pairs and to attach their pictures under the heading that they think best matches their picture. Discuss the sorting procedure and encourage students to justify their selection where possible.

Explain that this lesson is about how people make decisions about landscapes and the changes that are made to natural landscapes.

Core

1. Display slides 1–5 of the PowerPoint presentation Planning landscapes. These slides show images of different types of landscapes. Ask students to identify each image (in general terms) and also the type of landscape, for example, bush: natural, beach: natural, a farm: managed, city: constructed, and so on. Ask the students the following questions.
   • Why do you think cities don’t usually have natural landscapes?
   • What type of landscapes do cities often have? (Constructed and managed.)
2. Reinforce by showing slide 6 of the Sydney Opera House with its gardens. Discuss the need for parks and gardens in cities. Identify them as managed landscapes because people look after the natural parts.
3. Point out that parks often contain buildings too. Show slides 7 and 8 and briefly explain that many places include more than one type of landscape.
4. Organise students into pairs. On an electronic whiteboard, or preferably on a computer for each pair, display the Map of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. Allow time for students to view and discuss the map. Regroup and use slide 9 to share ideas, identify landscapes and consider what the key/legend is for.
5. Instruct the students to pair up again and provide each pair with a map of a parkland, preferably a local one.
   Teacher note: If you do not have a local parkland that provides a map, here is one for Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane. or for Alice Springs Desert Park. 
6. Ask students to compare the local map (or alternative) with the map of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. Regroup and ask the students the following questions.
7. What do the maps show us?
8. Can you find constructed/managed/natural features on both maps?
9. Explain to the students that they are going to design their own botanical garden or parkland on a piece of bushland for a brand new city. Explain that some people are angry about the parklands being built because many animals live in the bushland. However, there are also no safe places for families to relax and children to play and ride bikes. Inform the students they must include the 3 types of landscape in their design.
10. Provide each student with a sheet of A3 paper and explain the materials and methods they can use in their design (eg collage, drawing, painting). If required, provide students with the worksheet Design a parkland to help them with the elements required in their design.
11. Provide students with the time necessary to complete the design of their parklands.

Conclusion

Students share their designs with a partner explaining how they have met the needs of the animals and the families.