Australia’s red heart In England in the early 1900s, a homesick Dorothea Mackellar wrote a famous poem, ‘My Country’, about Australia with the stanza: ‘I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.’ Dorothea Mackellar was describing the interior of Australia, also known as the ‘outback’. Almost half of Australia receives so little rain that it is classified as desert or ‘arid’ country. Some deserts in Australia are sandy, but others are full of rocks. Not all deserts are hot, but in Australia the daytime temperatures can rise so high you could cook an egg on the rocks. However, they are not hot all the time. Neither are they dry all the time. Deserts do receive some rain that can suddenly come down in a thunderstorm and cause floods. Much of this water evaporates and after some weeks it is as if the rains had never fallen. The explorer Captain Charles Sturt made many observations about the desert during his expedition into central Australia in 1844: ‘The heat now became so great that it was almost unbearable, the thermometer every day rose to 42°C or 47°C in the shade, whilst in the direct rays of the sun from 60°C to 66°C, however, the night was so bitterly cold that we were glad to put on anything to keep us warm.’ Note: the original text uses degrees Fahrenheit. ‘As we descended from the ranges I observed that all the water I had seen glittering on the plains had disappeared.’ ‘The stillness of death reigned around us, no living creature was to be heard; nothing visible inhabited that dreary desert but the ant. Even the fly shunned it, and yet its yielding surface was marked all over with the tracks of native dogs. The only trees growing in this terrible place were a few acacias in the hollows, and some shrubs, all of low growth; there was no grass, neither were the few herbs that grew on the hollows such as the horse would eat.’
Transcript
Australia’s red heartIn England in the early 1900s, a homesick Dorothea Mackellar wrote a famous poem, ‘My Country’, about Australia with the stanza:
‘I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.’
Dorothea Mackellar was describing the interior of Australia, also known as the ‘outback’. Almost half of Australia receives so little rain that it is classified as desert or ‘arid’ country. Some deserts in Australia are sandy, but others are full of rocks.
Not all deserts are hot, but in Australia the daytime temperatures can rise so high you could cook an egg on the rocks. However, they are not hot all the time. Neither are they dry all the time. Deserts do receive some rain that can suddenly come down in a thunderstorm and cause floods. Much of this water evaporates and after some weeks it is as if the rains had never fallen.
The explorer Captain Charles Sturt made many observations about the desert during his expedition into central Australia in 1844:
‘The heat now became so great that it was almost unbearable, the thermometer every day rose to 42°C or 47°C in the shade, whilst in the direct rays of the sun from 60°C to 66°C, however, the night was so bitterly cold that we were glad to put on anything to keep us warm.’ Note: the original text uses degrees Fahrenheit.
‘As we descended from the ranges I observed that all the water I had seen glittering on the plains had disappeared.’
‘The stillness of death reigned around us, no living creature was to be heard; nothing visible inhabited that dreary desert but the ant. Even the fly shunned it, and yet its yielding surface was marked all over with the tracks of native dogs. The only trees growing in this terrible place were a few acacias in the hollows, and some shrubs, all of low growth; there was no grass, neither were the few herbs that grew on the hollows such as the horse would eat.’
Because of the harshness of the conditions, it is difficult for living things to survive in a desert. The explorers might have been disappointed as they couldn’t feed their horses, but there are plants in the Australian desert, such as spinifex and acacia.
Many monkeysThis is an imaginary animal that is very similar to a monkey. It is adapted to living in the forest eating fruit, leaves and insects. It has dark fur to camouflage it in the shade of trees, although some individuals have lighter fur, and has a tail to help it swing through the trees. Imagine that a small population of them were stranded in an Australian desert.
Look at the structural features of each monkey and read its description below. Which type of monkey do you think has a better chance of surviving in the new environment?
Monkey 1Has tough lips and stomach and eats hardy, tough, dry grasses like spinifex. Doesn’t sweat much and loves to run around during the heat of the
day.
Monkey 2Has tough lips and stomach and eats hardy, tough, dry grasses like spinifex. Tends to sweat so prefers to stay in the shade or somewhere dark
until dusk.Monkey 3Can’t stomach tough plants but is very good at catching insects full of delicious
Monkey 4Can’t stomach tough plants but is very good at catching insects full of delicious
liquids. Doesn’t sweat much and loves to run around during the heat of the day.
liquids. Tends to sweat so prefers to stay in the shade or somewhere dark until dusk.
Choosing monkeysI think monkey …… has a better chance of surviving in the desert. A key adaptation of the monkey I chose is … It might help it to survive because …
My evidence for this claim is ...
Another adaptation of the monkey I chose is … It might help it to survive because …
My evidence for this claim is …
Another adaptation of the monkey I chose is … It might help it to survive because …
My evidence for this claim is …
Another adaptation of the monkey I chose is … It might help it to survive because …
My evidence for this claim is …
Structural feature or behaviour
Possible claims
Light-coloured fur* It is camouflage in some deserts during the day.It helps reflect the rays of the Sun.
Dark-coloured fur* It helps absorb UV and protects from the Sun.It is camouflage at night.
Big ears* It allows animals to diffuse heat.It helps animals hear noises.
Small ears* Means that less dust and sand get in.
Big feet It stops the monkey sinking into the soil.It helps to dig.
Small feet It is easier to fit into confined spaces like burrows.
Prefers eating tough plants There are lots of plants like acacia and spinifex that they could eat.
Prefers eating insects and succulent plants
Those foods are rarer but have a lot of water.
Very active during the day without sweating too much
The monkey will find it easier to find food during the day.
Stays in the shade, active at dusk
The monkey saves water and doesn’t heat up as much.
Has a lot of fur Lots of fur can help insulate against the heat and the cold. Monkeys without lots of fur might burn in the rays of the Sun.
Based on the chart: Monkey 1 seems very well adapted to day life in the desert. Monkey 4 seems very well adapted to twilight life in the desert. Monkeys 2 and 3 have thin fur that would mean they are less
insulated against temperature extremes and the rays of the Sun. However, if students consider other structural features or behaviours as being more important, then these factors might be selected.
Chance and random variation play such a part in evolution that it is very hard to predict what might happen when a species is introduced to a new environment, for example, it is hard to know which species will become invasive.
These are structural features that students have studied during the unit and they can be encouraged to provide evidence and reasoning. Through the research task in the Explain phase and the student-led investigation in the Elaborate phase they will also have evidence for the other claims.
Fur colour
Fur Ear size
Leg size
Eating Activity
Monkey 1
Light Thick Big Long Plants Day
Monkey 2
Light Thin Small Short Plants Night
Monkey 3
Dark Thin Small Long Insects Day
Monkey 4
Dark Thick Big Short Insects Night
What is adaptation?Worksheet:
What could I be?I live in a polar region and have white fur.___________________________
I live in the desert and spend most of the day in a burrow.___________
I live in the ocean and have venomous spines._______________________
I grow in the desert and have very fleshy leaves.____________________
When an animal attacks me I curl up into a ball._____________________
I eat nectar from plants and have a long narrow beak._______________
My leaves and branches are very spiky._____________________________
My pouch faces backwards._________________________________________
I have a very long neck and eat leaves from the taller trees._________
I have venom in my fangs.__________________________________________
I rest under the shade of bushes during the day._____________________
I can move very quickly over short distances.________________________
When it gets cold in winter I fly to a warmer climate.________________
I have very sharp claws because I climb trees._______________________
I have thick fur to protect me against the cold.______________________
My feathers are waterproof._________________________________________
I have a strong, sharp beak._________________________________________
I have a horizontal root system._____________________________________
My feet are webbed.________________________________________________
I hibernate in the colder months.____________________________________
I have very powerful jaws.___________________________________________
Kangaroo adaptationsKangaroos are found in many different regions of Australia, including the desert and semi-arid regions. Kangaroos from these areas have behavioural and structural adaptations that enable them to survive the harsh conditions.Kangaroos from desert and semi-arid environments have adapted to drier conditions and have several features that help them deal with the lack of water.Kangaroos need very little water to survive. The intestine of the Red Kangaroo reabsorbs
water as it passes through which means the kangaroo produces very dry faeces and the little water they have available to them is put to good use by being recycled by their body.
When they are hot, kangaroos pant to cool down. They also lick their chests and the inside of their forearms until those areas are quite wet. When the moisture evaporates it cools the blood, which circulates close to the surface at these points. This helps keep the animal cool.
Kangaroos hop over large distances to find food and water. Hopping is a fast, energy efficient way to travel. The kangaroo can cover large distances without using a lot of energy.
Kangaroos are mostly active in the early morning or evening, when it is cooler. During the day, when the temperature is most extreme, kangaroos spend the time lazing around under the shade of trees.
The female kangaroo’s efficient breeding cycle also assists them in surviving the harsh environment. They have the ability, when pregnant, to put the growth of the embryo on hold until external conditions improve. This increases the chances of the young surviving. In times of drought, many kangaroos will die but when conditions are good female kangaroos can have three young ones with them at the same time: one as an embryo (not yet born), one in the pouch attached to a teat and one outside the pouch but still drinking
the mother’s milk. Students create an annotatd drawing of Kangaroo Adaptations and classify structural and behavioural adaptations
References‘Nature notes – Red Kangaroo ’ , Alice Springs Desert Park website, http://www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/kids/nature/mammals/kangaroo.shtml (2013)‘Australian kangaroos – an outback icon ’ , Outback Australia travel guide website, http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian-kangaroos.html (2013)
Goyders Line
Lesson objective
In this lesson students develop an understanding of the strategies humans have implemented to ensure their survival in desert and semi-arid regions.
Introduction
Briefly revisit the different ways that plants and animals have adapted to desert and semi-arid environments. Ask students to discuss the following questions:
What strategies did Australian Indigenous people use to successfully live in deserts and semi-arid regions?
How did early settlers work out which regions of Australia were suitable for growing crops, raising livestock or establishing communities.
What strategies did early settlers use to survive the harsh environmental conditions? What were the differences between survival techniques of Indigenous people and those of the early
settlers?
Core
1. Show students a map of Goyder’s Line and ask them to suggest what they think the line may represent. If students need help, show them the satellite image of eastern South Australia.
2. Distribute the worksheet Goyder’s Line to each student. Allow students time to read the information provided. Engage in a class discussion about the information they have just read. Ask the following questions.
o What information did Goyder collect and how was this information collected?o How was the information used to inform personal and community decisions?o What were the advantages and disadvantages of the development and implementation of
Goyder’s Line?o How did Goyder use information about the physical conditions of the environment to
determine a limit to areas that could be cropped in South Australia?o Was the development and implementation of Goyder’s Line a good idea? Was it fair to tell
people that they should not grow crops, raise livestock or develop settlements in land that was beyond Goyder’s Line?
o How did Goyder’s Line impact on the Indigenous people?3. Organise students into cooperative learning teams and ask them to complete a PMI (plus, minus,
interesting) chart on the following statement: ‘People should use scientific knowledge about the physical conditions of the environment to work out where they can and cannot grow particular crops.’
Conclusion
Meet together as a class and look through some of the responses recorded on the PMI charts.
Ask students to form a human graph based on whether they agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘Science knowledge is important in helping to inform choices of where to live and grow crops in relation to desert and semi-arid environments.’
Then ask the students:What are your reasons for agreeing or disagree with this statement?
Map of Goyder’s Line, History Trust of South Australia
Satellite image of eastern South Australia, Wikipedia (JPG)
Worksheets
Goyder’s Line (Word, 614 KB)
Useful links
Goyder’s Line, SA Memory. Images and information
Life on Goyder’s Line, Australian Geographic. Article
Staying alive in the desert, Engaging with Australian Indigenous science. Information on how Aboriginal people survive in the desert
Tiddalick the Frog: Dreamtime story, YouTube (2:43 min). Video
Goyder’s LineGoyder’s Line is an imaginary line that separates the land in South Australia that receives 300 mm or more rainfall per year from the land that receives less than 300 mm per year.
George W. Goyder was a surveyor who was asked by the South Australian government to survey the land in the north of the state and determine the boundary of the great drought of 1864–65. It was believed that this would then give a clear indication of the land that was suitable for farming and agriculture and the land that was not. When Goyder’s Line was established, the land to the north of the line was deemed unsuitable for farming as it received less than 300 mm of rain annually.
In 1872, Goyder’s Line became law and no land grants were made to the north of this line. The line was seen as a practical limit to agriculture. What followed was a series of good seasons with sufficient rainfall to support agriculture in areas north of the line. People rushed for the land and Goyder’s Line became controversial as many people falsely believed that tilling of the soil permanently increased rainfall. By 1874 the government was under such pressure to open up land to the north, due to the successful rains, that the Goyder’s Line restriction was removed. When a series of dry seasons followed in the 1880s many farmers were ruined.
References‘Goyder’s Line’, SA Memory website, http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=247 (2007)
‘Life on Goyder’s Line’, Australian Geographic website, http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/goyders-line.htm (2011)
Map of eastern South Australia showing Goyder’s Line
Source: Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy, South Australia.
Create a creature Powerpoint – desktop (C2C)
ResourcesAustralian Science Teachers Unit – Animal Adaptations –
